K-DRAMA REVIEW: “My Dearest Nemesis” Serves A Fun Yet Forgettable Watch

March 26, 2025
K-DRAMA RECAPS/K-DRAMA REVIEWS

To wrap up our story, our leads tackle a tough challenge, make crucial decisions that shape their future, and choose to stand by each other through thick and thin.

It is a feel-good finale full of fluffiness and happy endings for everyone. Even if the last-minute redemption arc of one certain annoying character feels forced and unearned.

Bunny S. watches My Dearest Nemesis on Viki

Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 & 04| 05 & 06 | 07 & 08 | 09 & 10 | Finale Week Recap + Series Review

My Dearest Nemesis Finale Week Recap

Luckily, the drama isn’t giving us another breakup. Combing through the intel he gathered in the past, Ju-yeon finds evidence to rule out the chairwoman’s candidate and uses it as leverage to strike a deal. He will lead the department store’s upcoming renewal project. If the project is a success, she will leave Su-jeong alone. If not, our leads will leave the company and Ju-yeon will relinquish everything and leave the country.

This might be quite unnerving, but Ju-yeon accepts the chairwoman’s conditions as he trusts Su-jeong and believes they can make the project a success. The next day at work, our leads are giddy. But now that everyone is aware they are dating, they (mostly Su-jeong) have to deal with nasty gossip and tons of questions prying into their personal life.

Feeling the pressure, Ju-yeon burns the midnight oil and double-checks everything lest anything go wrong. He kept the part about forsaking everything and going abroad from Su-jeong. So, she is understandably hurt after hearing about the terms of his deal with the chairwoman. Confronting him, Ju-yeon argues he did it for Su-jeong as he doesn’t want her to be forced out or have her hard work go in vain. Accepting his viewpoint, Su-jeong makes Ju-yeon promise not to take everything on himself and share the burden with her.

As a part of the renewal project, Ju-yeon’s favorite cartoon character is chosen as the promotional material for a pop store opening, getting him euphoric. Better yet, the creator will attend the event himself. Except Ju-yeon unfairly gets roped into a scandal, and the creator pulls out of the project. Using his alias, Ju-yeon meets the creator, who is excited to meet Black Dragon, who sponsored his works and helped many kids access them. That, along with some help from Su-jeong, the creator comes around. As icing on the cake, he will hold a signing event too.

D-day comes, and customers line up in front of the department store, excited about the renewal. Taking the stage, Ju-yeon makes a speech about being a fan of the cartoon character and how it helped him overcome many hardships. Of course, the chairwoman isn’t fond of Ju-yeon’s actions. But he is done trying to please her. He neither wants her acknowledgment nor the heir position, resolving to live as himself.

 

Earlier, Su-jeong got an enticing offer to join a department store in the US. Many people will kill for this opportunity. However, Su-jeong is torn since accepting this offer means she will be separated from her family and Ju-yeon. On the other hand, staying in the company means her hard work won’t be acknowledged, and her success will be attributed to her relationship with Ju-yeon. Getting ambushed by reporters at the renewal event further pushes Su-jeong, and now she is more conflicted than before.

Things happen, and Ju-yeon learns about the job offer. Acting considerate, he urges Su-jeong to take on the offer as early as tomorrow. But he “forgot” to mention he will be tagging along, getting Su-jeong grumpy, assuming he doesn’t care about being apart. After ignoring his texts and calls for a bit, our leads have a proper conversation and clear up the misunderstanding.

Since there is no need to hide anymore, Su-jeong surprises Ju-yeon by decorating the house with his favorite items. Also, Su-jeong won’t leave the company. If people badmouth her or dismiss her efforts, she will ignore them, as she already has the support and the trust of Ju-yeon and her team members.

In an irritating turn of events, the chairwoman gets a wholly unearned redemption arc, apologizing to Ju-yeon for hurting him all those years. We want to argue that she has gone too far for that and that her apology came too late. But we guess Ju-yeon doesn’t see eye to eye with us on this since he accepts the apology. Moreover, the chairwoman accepts Su-jeong as Ju-yeon’s girlfriend, but not without reminding her not to expect anything else. The chairwoman will judge her work objectively. But that is exactly what Su-jeong wants.

Getting elected as a board member, Ju-yeon secures his successor position. But this time, there is no hiding his true self or trying to become “perfect.” In return for her hard work, Su-jeong gets promoted to section chief as well. In a proposal of sorts, Ju-yeon gifts Su-jeong with a necklace. Which Su-jeong accepts. Then, we get a montage of our leads happily dating, with Su-jeong narrating in voiceover that her nemesis is now her lover.

Another pair getting their happy ending is Ha-jin and Shin-won. The theme of having different perspectives on dating, with one party scared of getting into a serious relationship and the other wanting more than a casual relationship, felt compelling. So, it is a pity we couldn’t delve deeper into their story. This could have made for an entertaining side romance. But sadly, they were mostly treated as plot devices, and their screen time felt more like filler than an actual story.

My Dearest Nemesis Quick Series Recap

Back in high school, our heroine, Baek Su-jeong, met her first love through an online game. But instead of a pleasant memory, Su-jeong deems this experience a dark past she wants to forget. Many years later, Su-jeong reunites again with her first love, who happens to be the new director of her team. Neither recognizes their past connection, but they keep getting entangled together and will eventually fall in love.

My Dearest Nemesis Series Highlights and Musings

The premise was fun, but the story turned lackluster along the way. Instead of going out with a bang, it ended with a whimper. For most of the finale’s runtime, it felt dragging and had unnecessary parts. Though we have to admit the drama almost got us with the scouting offer, making us suspect we were getting a last-minute time skip. But luckily, the drama saved us the trouble.

Ju-yeon’s main characterization was his dual life that was his way of escapism from the suffocating life he had to lead to get acknowledged by the chairwoman. But at some point in the story, we wanted to see Ju-yeon speak up about being another victim of the car accident and how the chairwoman’s toxic ways traumatized him. Alas, we only got one brief scene that was overshadowed by the chairwoman acting misguided after almost ruining Ju-yeon’s life.

On the other hand, Su-jeong’s spunky character was a highlight, always keeping her head high and refusing to tolerate any sort of humiliation or mistreatment. Having lost her mother at a young age, Su-jeong had to act tough all the time for the sake of her family, suppressing any hints of vulnerability. But coming across Black Dragon, Su-jeong experienced relying on someone for the first time. So, her shock was great after finding out he was a middle schooler and not the 22-year-old guy he claimed to be.

Back in the past and even after their reunion, our leads’ romance was based on honesty and finding a safe place in each other. Su-jeong was the first to show Ju-yeon acceptance and assure him it was okay to do what he enjoyed. Likewise, Ju-yeon recognized Su-jeong’s competence and considered it a strength point, unlike how others badmouthed her behind her back and called her Director Killer.

Granted, the past connection arc could have been handled differently without the totally unnecessary breakup. But at least it got solved pretty quickly, and the drama didn’t spring another one on us this week. It would have been offputting if Ju-yeon got his job back by giving up on Su-jeong. But thankfully, our leads worked together to secure their jobs and defend their love.

The actors did a good job and had some decent chemistry, but the writing wasn’t up to par. My Dearest Nemesis isn’t necessarily a bad show. But it dwindled along the way after a strong start. It had its fun moments. But at the end of the day, it isn’t the kind of show that remains in our memory for long.

Photos and Videos: tvN Drama

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Bunny Sonaki

I am Bunny. Just like you, I am smitten with Kdramas and look forward to watching every Kdrama out there, but is that dream ever possible since they keep showering us with new dramas every day? For me, Kdramas are my comfort zone and a warm hug that makes it possible to face up to whatever life throws my way.

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