Im Ji-yeon Is Carrying *My Royal Nemesis* to a Third Consecutive Buzz Chart Win

*My Royal Nemesis* has topped the GoodData Corporation FUNdex integrated TV-OTT buzz ranking for three straight weeks, with lead actress Im Ji-yeon's performance driving the bulk of the conversation.

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama currently holds a peak national rating of 11.3 percent, ranking first not just in its timeslot but across all weekend and weekly miniseries. In the first-week-of-June rankings, Im Ji-yeon (as Shin Seo-ri / Kang Dan-shim) placed second among individual cast members in buzz, with co-stars Heo Nam-jun (Cha Se-gye) at third and Jang Seung-jo (Choi Moon-do) at sixth.

Director Han Tae-seop has been open about Im being the only actress he and the writer considered for the role. "Im Ji-yeon was both the writer's and my top casting pick from the start," he said. "The spirit and the chameleonic charm that define Seo-ri — her stubborn belief in herself — those qualities exist in Im Ji-yeon herself. It was a one-and-only casting."

The performance is drawing attention because the role functionally demands four distinct characters: the 21st-century version of Seo-ri possessed by a Joseon villainess, the ruthless Joseon royal concubine Heebin Kang, an innocent 20-year-old version of the same spirit called "Nine Dan-shim," and the pre-possession Seo-ri as an obscure working actress. Im shifts vocal register, cadence, and facial expression across all four without a costume change.

Viewers have been vocal about the specifics. Online reactions include: "The way she plays court lady, royal concubine, and modern girl as completely different people — insane." "I literally can't picture anyone else as Seo-ri." "How does her voice actually get younger? Is this the same person?" "Im Ji-yeon doing period drama, comedy, and straight drama all in one show."

Episode 10's post-broadcast preview landed a jolt: following a mysterious truck accident, Seo-ri appears to have been sent back to Joseon. Episode 11 airs Friday, June 12 at 9:50 p.m. KST.

GoodData Corporation's FUNdex is South Korea's dominant weekly buzz-ranking service, measuring combined online mentions, search volume, and social engagement across broadcast TV and streaming platforms.

possession; in *My Royal Nemesis*, a Joseon villainess's spirit takes over a modern actress's body, making 빙의 the show's central dramatic device.