
Lead cast: IU, Byeon Woo-seok, Noh Sang-hyun, Gong Seung-yeon
Latest Nielsen rating: 9.5 per cent
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Lead cast: IU, Byeon Woo-seok, Noh Sang-hyun, Gong Seung-yeon
Latest Nielsen rating: 9.5 per cent
On paper, the concept is a winner. Imagine South Korea as a modern constitutional monarchy, where Joseon-era royals, who are treated like K-pop idols, still lord over society while clashing with insecure chaebol (Korean family-run conglomerate) heirs. The set-up is ripe for the sort of timeless fantasy romance that fans have never grown tired of.
Thanks to rising industry budgets, the modern breed of K-drama fantasy romance boasts more ambitious ideas and seductive production values than before, while beneath the polished sheen of the streaming era, characters in these stories have gradually become more relatable and more universal.