This My Royal Nemesis behind the scenes guide covers the three production elements driving the SBS Friday-Saturday hit’s 9.5% ratings surge: the OST anchoring its tonal balance, Lim Ji-yeon’s evolving wardrobe, and the Seoul filming locations giving the show its visual identity.
However, behind-the-scenes content for a still-airing drama has to stay current. Specifically, this guide covers episodes 1-5 and will be expanded after the show passes episode 8 — when the OST tracklist, fashion arcs, and location maps reach the point where dedicated deep-dives make sense. Furthermore, the show’s production choices are deliberate enough to deserve unpacking now rather than only at series end.
Therefore, this is the companion piece for anyone watching the show and wondering how it’s pulling off the tonal balance week after week. Meanwhile, if you haven’t seen episode 5 yet, start with our My Royal Nemesis Episode 5 Recap before diving in.
The OST: Soundtrack Built for Tonal Whiplash
The hardest job for a romcom-fantasy OST is staying functional across radically different tones. Consequently, My Royal Nemesis‘s soundtrack has to score broad slapstick in one scene and Joseon-era memory in the next.
The Core Sonic Identity
The score leans on string-led arrangements with a light orchestral bed. However, the show pulls in synth textures whenever it shifts to a modern Seoul scene, creating a sonic shorthand for “which century we’re in.”
The Vocal Ballad Strategy
The OST drops vocal ballads at scene transitions rather than over major emotional beats. Furthermore, this preserves the comedy timing — the show can’t afford a sweeping ballad in the middle of a slapstick beat.
The Joseon Flashback Cue
A recurring instrumental motif plays under every Joseon-era flashback. Therefore, the audience now recognizes the timeline shift before the visual cue lands — efficient storytelling, especially in a show that timeline-hops as often as this one.
The OST Release Schedule and Standout Tracks
The soundtrack has rolled out in parts since the premiere, mirroring the show’s narrative beats. Specifically, each release has tracked a major plot turn rather than dropping on a fixed weekly schedule.
Part 1: Premiere Block
Released alongside episodes 1-2, Part 1 established the show’s core ballad voice. However, the standout was the instrumental “Royal Memory” theme, which has played in every episode since.
Part 2: The Mid-Run Pivot
Part 2 dropped before episode 4 and introduced the romance-leaning ballad that scored episode 5’s rain scene. Furthermore, this track has been the show’s biggest streaming success so far.
Part 3 and Beyond
Part 3 is expected to release alongside episodes 7-8, with a Part 4 anticipated for the back half. Consequently, the full tracklist won’t be complete until late June — which is why a dedicated OST guide makes more sense after episode 8.
The Fashion: Two Centuries in One Frame
The Costume Designer’s Core Choice
The costume team committed early to a hard visual split: traditional silhouettes for Joseon scenes, contemporary high-fashion for 2026. However, they thread continuity through accessory motifs — the jade hairpin Seo-ri wore in episode 1 keeps reappearing as a modern earring or pendant.
The Color Coding
Seo-ri’s modern wardrobe leans into deep reds and burgundies in early episodes — a callback to her Joseon-era royal status. Meanwhile, her palette softens toward pastels by episode 5, mirroring her emotional thaw.
Cha Se-gye’s Tailoring Signature
Heo Nam-jun’s character wears sharp, structured suits in nearly every modern scene. Furthermore, the show uses tie color as a mood indicator — burgundy ties for confrontational scenes, navy for vulnerable ones.
Lim Ji-yeon’s Wardrobe Evolution Across Five Episodes
Lim Ji-yeon’s costume arc is the most deliberate of any character in the series. Specifically, her wardrobe shifts in five distinct stages across the first five episodes.
Episode 1-2: The Joseon Arrival
Heavy formal hanbok in the Joseon flashbacks, then borrowed-mismatched modern clothing as she stumbles into 2026. However, the mismatching is intentional comedy — she’s trying on the century, not the outfit.
Episode 3-4: Adaptation Through Excess
By episode 3, Seo-ri overcorrects into bold designer pieces — too much, too fast. Furthermore, the costume designer leans into the comedy by mixing eras inside single outfits.
Episode 5: The Settling Point
Episode 5 lands her in a more cohesive personal style. Consequently, the wardrobe shift visually signals what the writing is telling us — Seo-ri is starting to belong here, even if she won’t admit it yet.
Where the Fashion Arc Is Headed
Expect a major formalwear moment in the episode 7-8 block based on production photos. Therefore, a dedicated fashion analysis after episode 8 will catch the full arc, including any back-half hanbok callbacks.
The Filming Locations: Palace Courtyards to Seoul Cafes
The Joseon-Era Sets
The palace exteriors use a mix of restored historical sites and constructed sets at established Korean drama production studios. However, the production team has been deliberately vague about specific locations to manage tourism pressure during the run.
The Modern Seoul Locations
Cha Se-gye’s office tower appears to be filmed in a real Gangnam high-rise. Furthermore, the cafe where episode 4’s confrontation scene plays out has already started attracting visitors based on Instagram tagging.
The Recurring Rooftop
The rooftop scenes that bookend episodes 2 and 5 use the same location, signaling its eventual importance. Meanwhile, fan accounts have started mapping the location to a building in the Yongsan district.
Why Location Details Are Coming Slowly
Production teams typically gate location reveals to avoid disrupting active shoots. Therefore, the comprehensive filming location guide will follow after the show’s principal photography wraps — likely after episode 8 in late May.
The Production Design: How the Show Bridges Joseon and 2026
The behind-the-scenes craft choice that ties everything together is the production design’s commitment to visual rhyme. Specifically, every Joseon-era element has a modern counterpart somewhere in the same episode.
The Visual Rhyme System
A jade hairpin becomes a modern earring. However, the system goes deeper — palace courtyard geometry mirrors Seoul rooftop framing, and Joseon court protocol echoes in modern boardroom blocking.
The Color Continuity
The show’s palette holds across centuries: deep reds, burnished golds, soft creams. Furthermore, this consistency is what keeps the tonal whiplash watchable — the eye never has to recalibrate even when the century changes.
The Director’s Hand
The recurring framing choices suggest a single strong visual vision. Consequently, the show’s quality of staging — the rain scene, the electric-shock ending, the rooftop bookends — points to careful directorial control rather than committee work.
What to Watch For in the Back Half
So where does this My Royal Nemesis behind the scenes guide leave us looking forward? Honestly, with the production firing on all cylinders just as the audience locks in.
The Episode 7-8 Block
The next two episodes are expected to bring the OST Part 3 release, a major fashion moment, and at least one new significant location. Furthermore, this is when the dedicated OST and fashion deep-dives become possible.
The Path to a 3-Part Series
Once the show clears episode 8, the plan is to break this single guide into three dedicated pieces: a full OST guide with every track and scene placement, a full fashion analysis covering Lim Ji-yeon’s arc, and a complete filming location map. Therefore, consider this guide the foundation — the detailed pieces follow.
Where to Watch
The show airs Friday and Saturday on SBS and streams on Netflix internationally. Meanwhile, the official SBS programming page is at SBS My Royal Nemesis.
Therefore, the final word: My Royal Nemesis‘s production craft is as much a reason for the 9.5% ratings as its leads — and the back half should give us enough material to do each element the justice it deserves.