Reviews

Royally Smitten (｡♥‿♥｡)

My Royal Nemesis is a fun drama with strong characters who actually grow. That's my catnip. The performances seal the deal.

Story

A double transmigration story: FL transmigrates, ML reincarnates. She's smart, he's ruthless, his slimy cousin is the obstacle, and along the way they realize life's sweeter with a partner. That's the gist, oversimplified. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Characters and Performances

This is the drama's strength: performances even more than the characters themselves, though those aren't shabby either. Im Ji Yeon and Heo Nam Jun carry the show. IJY's Sin Seo Ri is the transmigrated "demoness consort," sharp enough to navigate the modern world and build a life for herself, - spunky, resourceful, honest, easy to root for. I went from hating "Yeon Ji" to loving "Seo Ri" within minutes. The same smile that made me want to punch my screen in The Glory had me smiling right back here. That's range.

I'd seen Heo Nam Jun in When the Phone Rings and wasn't impressed. Here, though, his ruthless, possessive, borderline unhinged chaebol is the heart of the drama. His arc from "I only need success" to "I only need you" is hilarious and romantic in equal measure. Their chemistry sizzles. (And, shallow aside: the man has fine abs. 🫣)

Then there's Jang Seung Jo as Choi Mun Do- slimy, saccharine, thoroughly evil. From his first scene I wanted to punch him; the smile, the slow drawl, the fake earnestness were so well done I wished him straight to the seventh circle of hell. That's the mark of a good villain performance.

The supporting cast pulls its weight too, which is what makes this drama steady rather than wobbly. It's not just resting on its leads.

Weaknesses

The script, otherwise sharp, gets repetitive in the middle. The same push and pull, the same resolve to "live life to the fullest," Tae Hui's pursuit of Se Gye. It all loops a few too many times and drags.

Noble Idiocy

My least favorite trope, and this drama has it in spades. Both leads keep deciding things "for the other's own good" instead of just communicating, which strips away agency and signals a lack of trust. Cue repeated face palming. 🤦‍♀️

Overall

Great performances, real chemistry, romance that'll have you kicking your feet under the blanket. Yes, it sags a little in the middle and the leads commit noble idiocy like it's an Olympic sport. But the cast and writing make it worth your time anyway. Watch it.

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Interesting premisce but oversweet, bland and repetitive.

** DISCLAIMER: my review may contain slight spoilers **

The premise was genuinely engaging and the first 3–4 episodes were enjoyable.
Then, somehow, what began as a cute, quiet slice‑of‑life romance quickly turned into something oversweet, repetitive, and almost aggressively conflict‑free. Ironically, that’s exactly when the story lost whatever charm it had.

The leads are good actors and look nice together, but their interactions soon become too steady and too unrealistic to take seriously. Their conversations remain uniformly soft, their dynamic never shifts, and the romance settles into a loop of “overly cute moment + friends teasing.” It gets old very fast.

Even as someone who loves slow burns, the pacing felt stagnant. Both leads remain exactly the same from start to finish — perfectly calm, perfectly polite, perfectly predictable. Their relationship is essentially a long, smooth, unchallenged line.
The ML is the greenest flag imaginable: good at everything, always composed, never frustrated, never wrong, impeccably dressed, endlessly attentive and patient. At times, he feels more like a father figure than a partner.
The FL, despite being a smart and energetic university student, turns into the shyest, softest 13‑year‑old version of herself whenever he’s around. After a while, it stops being cute and becomes simply cringey.
I eventually resorted to fast‑forwarding (which says a lot, considering how sacrilegious that is for me) just to find scenes with other characters because I desperately needed a break from the main pair.

The story itself doesn’t help: no stakes, no disagreements, no character growth, no meaningful conversations. Mostly an endless sequence of looooong sweet moments between the two leads.

I was also hoping to learn more about the Chinese dubbing industry. The dubbing scenes were indeed interesting and the traditional songs were lovely, but there was no real narrative thread — just scattered projects here and there.
The many cooking scenes, while appetizing, added nothing to the plot or the characters. Just another area in which the ML excels. And the combination of these two themes felt random at best.

There were several missed opportunities:
– the supporting cast and other couples barely develop
– the second couple is cute but essentially a copy‑paste of the main one
– the third couple — the only truly interesting one — is rushed into the last two episodes
– the vacation arc focuses almost entirely on the main pair (and the stunning scenery)
– the ML and the FL’s grandfather (both doctors) never have a meaningful exchange
and yes… nobody in this drama seems to get enough sleep.

Overall, I understand why many viewers enjoyed how gentle and unproblematic this show is. But for me, the lack of nuance, the absence of character development, the overly sanitized tone (borderline propaganda‑like), and the never‑ending loop of sweetness made it a genuine struggle to finish.
In the end, the sweetest thing about this drama was the relief I felt when it ended.

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Great acting

This had the potential to be perfect, but the writers just had to go ahead and make Ji-ah wilfully stupid - she kept lying to Minkyu and I hated that; it was painful to watch him being fooled when she could've just told the truth.
Seungho was definitely the star of the show - outstanding performance!
Minkyu's disease was a great idea, I loved it! Perfect portrayal of it, too - I suspect 'Clean with Passion for Now' drew inspiration from this, but they failed to pay attention to detail the way this drama did.
I love that there are so many funny scenes in this drama, and I love the scientists, but hate the fact they made Baekkyun date Ji-ah - to the writers: did you even think about what you were doing? He's old enough to be her father - I don't care that they're both adults, it's still weird. On top of that, he had an odd obsession with her - it was creepy. It makes me frustrated because he could've been a perfect character.
Yoochul, on the other hand, was an amazing character!
Great acting, which didn't come as a surprise because they're all great actors - special mention to Geonhan because I love him, he's one of my favourites!
Awesome OST as well!

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Very healing drama

Actually im soooo thankfull that i was able to see this drama.... its been a while since i had seen such a drama very thankful to god . It healed me in many ways and tomorrow i have an exam but i didn't eve start learning i was binch watching the whole drama ..... evrything the music the characters the script writing was just all amazing ...and it is sooooooooo gooood heart warming...idk may i feel like this because of my current situation..may be if was in someother timeline at another age ... i wouldn't have enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed it now..... this drama will be with me alwayssss ... actually im a bit of a writer and this will be my thinking subject for atleast a weekkkkkk........

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Strong Start Average End

I had a lot of expectations from this plot but it disappointed me a bit. A queen from the Joseon area forced to drink poison ends up in the modern area and in a historical drama shooting no less.

It started out so great and slowly the weakenesses started to reveal itself. She started off struggling to understand the world around her in the first episode but by second episode she had already adjusted herself to the clothes, tech, and general world around her. Even the elderly can't adjust this fast and they've had years seeing it introduced. No one was teaching her.

For a woman with no money, she gets the best phone and and get dressing style? Where is she fitting those clothes in that apartment?

The grandfather and villain step brother were very boring characters. Sisters were useless. The male lead and her had decent chemistry and some cute moments. The best side character was the shaman.

They tried to resolve the problem of 2 women in the same body and I did like that part. But when does she leave? And when she returns she has time to get fully dressed up before going to meet the male lead? Maybe I'm nitpicking but the drama was not as exciting as I thought it would be. Not many twists. Could have been magical.

Overall it was nice but I just had higher expectations that it didn't meet. Still worth a watch.

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My Royal Nemesis – Started Strong but Lost Its Way

I don't understand why so many people are calling this the best rom-com so far when shows like Filing for Love and The Perfect Crown exist.
My Royal Nemesis was very promising in the beginning, but at some point the story became completely absurd. The main couple seemed to be fighting almost every single day, and their relationship relied heavily on constant misunderstandings and miscommunication. I find it frustrating when grown adults can't communicate properly, and it became repetitive after a while.
Another thing that bothered me was the female lead fainting in what felt like every episode. It quickly became an overused plot device rather than something that added to the story.
As for Cha Se Gye, he was initially portrayed as a fierce, highly capable businessman who excelled in his field. However, as the series progressed, he came across as much softer and less commanding than the character we were introduced to at the start.
Overall, the show had a lot of potential and a strong beginning, but the excessive conflicts, weak communication, and inconsistent character development made it difficult for me to fully enjoy. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype for me.

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When writing a BL novel changes the family

Before anything else, let me point out that this is NOT a BL.
This drama's focus is on a journey through a time of growth -- in this case, it's the grandfather and the grandson, along with their family members, who try to save their orphanage; it just happens to have a few gay characters (and one confused character).
Along the way, the series picks up a few topics that are currently discussed in Thai society -- That there is some romance is more coincidental than central.

So, those who are interested ONLY in BL romance series should give this one a miss.
However, if you're willing to follow the story of a family of multiple generations through troubled times, who push through by doing things they would have not done normally, and who learn and grow because of it, then I fully recommend this drama.

The script is written extremely well -- the plot flows smoothly from one point to the next. Problems are -- although enhanced for tension -- never too "out there", and characters don't react dramatically, but rather like *people*. The characters are well-defined from the get-go, and the following character development makes sense.

The titular characters, their relationship with each other and their own journey -- both grandfather and grandson are mentioned in the Thai title -- get, of course, the most screen time and the most character development. Grandfather Sak starts out as the typical (Thai) traditional patriarch, who might care for his family but thinks he has to be strong and flawless as well as strict with his sons at all times, and learns to let his family take on part of the responsibility, learns to show weakness and, most importantly, learns to accept his sons the way they are. Grandson Save's story is a more common coming-of-age story; with a light twist in that he doesn't just grow up to be a responsible adult family member but also that he learns things about himself that he had never thought of before.
The development is gentle, but by intention not smooth: It has fits and starts, stalls occasionally -- just as it happens in real life.

The family dynamics are introduced step by step -- at first they just seem like an ordinary family of four generations that share a house, and then slowly we get to know and love their kindness, their flaws, their struggles, and their love for each other. Which is why when the reason for the uneasiness that occasionally pops up in early episodes gets revealed later, it hits much harder.

What is a bit unfortunate is that the children and the great-grandmother get only a minuscule bit of plot for themselves. I do understand the need for a focus on few sub plots but I would have loved to know more about the kids and about great-grandmother's own story. Maybe we can get a spin-off?

The plot is, for the lack of a better word, a slice-of-life, that refuses to collapse into soap opera, even though some plot points would make a weaker writer yield to temptation. Instead, in these moments, it gentles the tension -- by having a character accepting the inevitable, or neatly side-stepping the huge fallout by giving into the big emotions.

The actors as well as the directors follow the understated way of dealing with these big emotions -- they get as much room as they need to, but no more than that.
All of these elements combined make for a drama that feels very grounded, even as the emotions hit hard at the same time, especially in episodes 8 to 10. And by this I mean that Yes, it made me cry. More than once.

In all of this, as well as in its overall style, it is a very typical Thai PBS production.
Which means it comes as no surprise that it also touches on contemporary issues like scams, health issues in age, gender roles, to name a few, as well as a call for mutual respect between generations.
The most prominent issue is the acceptance of gay men and of gender non-conforming people by their family members -- how what we are taught in childhood still influences what we believe in adulthood, but also that there's a chance of changing your beliefs.
Another point, one that I found very interesting and think would deserve its own series, is how BL (dramas and novels) are still considered "lesser" than other, more traditional genres. And I find it quite fascinating that it's specifically compared to adventure novels here, which don't have the best reputation for quality themselves (at least here in Germany they don't).

Overall, this is an excellent production in terms of writing, directing, editing and acting. Done in the typical Thai PBS style, it's made to appeal to an audience of different ages with a goal to educate Thai viewers for the 21st century.
There are a few things to nitpick (like the fact that all children at the orphanage are all of approximately the same age), but in the greater context, these become insignificant.
The drama has a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve, and in my view, it did.

I have no reservation at all to recommend this to anyone who is willing to follow a story about a family with flawed characters, who struggle through a time of confusion.

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Delicious baddies could not save this meal

You know I hate to say it, but I loved the men in this one!

Ashes to Crown presents a pretty typical historical Cdrama FL and ML: A smart royal princess with a pixie dreamboy love interest, both of whom enjoy a good old 'for the state and the people' moment. I will henceforth refer to the ML as 'Triangle Boy' because he was all shoulders and no waist. Anyway. I had zero time for their romance.

But our three male supports, on the other hand, ATE. Were they super constrained by a plot that made them play out the same back-and-forth three times over? Yes. Did the writers give them barebones backstory and substance? Also yes. Did the actors commit to the bit and deliver stellar performances anyway? Hell YESSSS

Boy, give me vocal fry like Wang Rui Chang playing Xiao Xun!! Do you know how many cute girls I could pull with a voice like that?? hot daaaammnn

Also, what a delight to see Tang Xiao Tian go from playing a goodie-two-shoes character in Pearl Girl to eyeliner scheming baddie with a feather fan in Ashes to Crown. I love a man with raaange!

And last but not least – I demand justice for Deng Yi. His intentions weren't really that impure compared to the FL's – but like whatever, I guess. My baby deserved better <3 Keep up the side eye energy mate

Mrs Gong is so on point when they say in their review: "The drama is at its best when it lets its smart characters be smart, showing us their calculations through actions rather than telling us through voiceover."

Because, yes, my beautiful baddies aside, Ashes to Crown had so many let downs. Bad lighting choices. Blatant gen AI. Uninspired and uninteresting puppy dog moments from Triangle Boy.

What kept me going to the end were the aforementioned stunning performances. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it past episode five.

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Stories of love through time

The series was at times uncomfortable to watch because of how it depicted certain realities of the past, specifically during the 1970s in China amid its political landscape. Still, I believe every story, whether good or bad, has value. This one, though, is good. And it’s quite unforgettable.

Even if some of those historical realities were difficult, I appreciated learning how life might have looked back then (with the understanding that fictional inserts were added for storytelling purposes). The characters’ stories (yes, not just the leads!) but also Qu Hua, Fang Mu Jing, Fei Ting, and Lin Mei were mesmerizing and touching. The series beautifully blended historical elements with fiction to create compelling storytelling.

As a hopeless romantic, I was especially drawn to the leads’ love story, which was written with sincerity. Yet I equally admired how the secondary characters were given enough space for their arcs to develop. The pacing was steady and complemented the rhythm of the narrative well.

One of the highlights for me was the use of mise en scene as an active storytelling tool. For example, during the leads’ confession in front of the family, the wall and door framing added powerful visual meaning.

Another memorable moment was Xu Hong Qi’s demotion scene, where she tried to pour water into a broken cup she had fixed herself—a poignant metaphor captured visually.

The color grading gave the series an authentic “old days” feel without being overdone, and the cinematography often felt like carefully composed photographs. Altogether, the combination of tried and tested tropes, solid writing, good pacing, and technical artistry made this series stand out.

While I might have wished for different directions in some character arcs, I understand there are limits to what can be told. Overall, this isn’t just a romance or a feel-good trope—it’s a story about love, told with grace and craft, set against the backdrop of a complex historical era.

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Strong start, but weak finish

At the very beginning of this series, it had fantastic story. An extremely entertaining plot with Ji Yeon, who was absolutely wonderful in this character, being as brilliant in this role like she was in The Tale Of Lady Ok. Her equal protagonist in this, Nam Jun gives a strong performance and it seemed to be a good match up to watch. Hae Sook is also spectacular as the aging grandmother. It's one of her best!!
What also made this so watchable, was the evil antagonists spread around each episode. It also works well when there are people you have such hatred for, continually rooting against. Through all that praise, it sounds like a "10" ... but something happened 80 percent through the series. After the unbelievable shocking ending of episode 10, things started to change for me in watching it. The story began to become a bit confusing. At times, there were a lot of slow moving scenes, showing the same things that had happened, over and over again. It was still a good series to watch, but what really did me in was that final episode. To me, it was not a satisfying conclusion ... maybe the last five minutes were, but most of that final hour was not.
It was such a strong drama most of the way, so for that, I still give it high marks, I just wish it could have held that powerful story right till the end.
There was one line used late in the series that kind of sums up what these two protagonists go through ... "As you go through life, there will be torrential rains & bolts of lightning. When that happens, stand together and face the storm"

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A Promising Story Rushed Before Its Time!

The story started strong, giving the impression that it would be another intriguing parallel-lives/time-travel drama. What ultimately pushed my rating to a 7 instead of a 6 was the incredible chemistry between the two leads. Their performances made the emotional moments work even when the writing didn't.

Unfortunately, the story began to fall apart, especially in the final four episodes, which felt rushed and underdeveloped. One of my biggest issues was with Choi Mun-do's character. He was portrayed as a villain from the beginning, so there was no meaningful buildup or gradual reveal to make his arc compelling.

I'm also starting to question the industry's obsession with limiting complex stories to 12-14 episodes. A drama built around parallel lifetimes, intertwined destinies, and reincarnation themes needed more time to develop its mythology and character connections. The explanation of how Shin Seo-ri was actually Dan-sim, and how their fates were intertwined and reversed, felt vague rather than satisfying.

A great series isn't made by story or actors alone. It's about how well the narrative is crafted and whether every character and plot point is given the attention it deserves. While the acting was excellent across the board, Cha Se-gye stood out the most for me and was honestly the main reason I stayed invested enough to finish the final episodes despite losing interest.

Overall, this felt like a production with a lot of potential but inconsistent execution. There were strong performances, great chemistry, and an interesting premise, but the rushed storytelling prevented it from reaching the level it could have achieved. A watchable drama, but one that leaves you thinking about how much better it could have been.

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Love it!

I have a huge issue with Chinese dramas: the fact that they use Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) - this always throws me off and I hate that I can't watch something that seems interesting and could've been good. This drama, however, caught my eye because it revolved around driving cars, which I love, so I gave it a go, and in doing so, it was a relief to see that most of the time they either didn't use ADR, or you couldn't tell they did.
The cinematography is mesmerising, and so are the views.
Everyone in this drama is a great actor, especially Esther Yu, who had to cry a lot the entire drama, and He Yu, who was able to convey a lot of emotions and could only smile towards the end - they really make you believe they're those characters, well done to them!
San Lai was also an amazing character, and I absolutely loved Jin Zhao and Lin Sui's bromance - I just wish Jin Zhao hadn't been so mean to him, lol.
I really loved the way the writers wrote He Zhang as well!
As for what I didn't like, I'll have to say the fact that we could hear their thoughts - it didn't happen too many times, but only a few of them made sense and weren't cringe-worthy; I'll definitely skip the times when the thoughts are cringey when I rewatch this drama.

[Warning: Spoilers ahead!]
I also didn't like the way Jin Zhao disappeared from Jiang Mu's life out of nowhere - as someone who's done something similar to what he did, I have the moral high ground to say it's wrong because nothing gives you the right to decide for someone else, especially when Jiang Mu was so worried and sad the entire time she didn't know what was happening with him, and also the fact that he used her ideas, kept their dog and didn't tell her... If you find this sweet, you're just wrong. He should've told her, full stop. Communication and honesty above everything, always. And I don't want to hear "But he didn't want her to have a hard life, blablabla" - what he and all the people who think like this fail to realise is that when you like someone, your life will be much worse if you're away from them, and that's exactly what makes it difficult, not being with them even if it comes with a lot of challenges.
[End of spoilers]

I know some people will find the story a cliché, but I could relate a lot to it, there were many things they went through and said that were the exact same as what I've been through, thought and said, so this drama will always be special to me and I plan on watching it from time to time - it truly became one of my favourites.
The OST is awesome as well!
Well done to everyone involved and thank you all SO much for this drama!

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