With SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama My Royal Nemesis drawing explosive attention, actor Heo Nam-jun has rocketed into breakout-star status. In particular, drama fans are flooding online with sharp takes on Heo’s visuals.
On the 12th, a post on an online community sparked heated debate over “Is Heo Nam-jun ‘nalti-sang’ or not?” On screen, Heo shoots an icy gaze yet serves classic “tsundere” charm — and that duality has become a real head-scratcher for fans.
Some argued “his vibe changes depending on whether he has bangs,” with reactions ranging from “textbook nalti-sang” to “he’s got that rough edge but a puppy-face.” One netizen put it bluntly: “He gives off that bad-boy vibe, but not in a dumb way — and I like it.”
Meanwhile, My Royal Nemesis is a high-tension, war-like romantic comedy about struggling actress Shin Seori (Lim Ji-yeon), who turns vicious after being possessed by the soul of Joseon’s most notorious femme fatale, and chaebol heir Cha Segye (Heo Nam-jun), an “evil magnate” dubbed a monster born of capitalism. The series has held the No. 1 spot on combined TV-OTT buzz rankings for three consecutive weeks. In the cast buzz category, Lim Ji-yeon, Heo Nam-jun, and Jang Seung-jo placed 2nd, 3rd, and 6th respectively, underscoring the show’s overwhelming popularity.