"Are you crazy?" Joseon's villain Im Ji-yeon slaps 'vile chaebol' Heo Nam-jun, starting a 'hate-obsessed romance' [Beautiful World] [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Beautiful World' announced the dizzying and fierce hate-obsessed romance between Im Ji-yeon, a Joseon villain who has landed in the 21st century after transcending 300 years, and Heo Nam-jun, a vile chaebol.

In the first episode of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Beautiful World' (directed by Han Tae-seop, scripted by Kang Hyun-ju, produced by Studio S, Gil Pictures), which premiered on the 8th, the soul of Kang Dan-sim (played by Im Ji-yeon), a Joseon villain, is shown possessing the body of Shin Seo-ri (played by Im Ji-yeon), an unknown actress in 21st-century South Korea, after leaping over 300 years of time. The episode depicts her first meeting with Cha Se-gye (played by Heo Nam-jun), a 'vile chaebol' armed with a notorious reputation.

In the sixth year of King Anjong of Joseon, Kang Dan-sim, known as the 'villain of the ages,' was forced to drink poison and met her death. With her death, the sorcery of Do Mu-nyeo (played by Oh Min-ae) was activated, causing ominous natural disasters such as frost falling in the fifth lunar month and a total solar eclipse. Three hundred years later, in 2026, Dan-sim, now dead, possessed the body of Shin Seo-ri, an unknown actress, on a historical drama filming set and opened her eyes. Seo-ri, who displayed the spirit of a Joseon villain on the set, recalled Do Mu-nyeo asking her for her blood and saying, "You are someone who must die to live," sparking her interest.

Meanwhile, Cha Se-gye, a 'vile chaebol' who carries various notorious labels such as 'cruel M&A butcher,' 'reckless playboy abandoned by the business world,' and 'a monster born of capitalism,' announced his extraordinary appearance by acquiring companies that caused him losses at bargain prices. In particular, Se-gye, who confidently said, "What's wrong with a bad reputation? Where can you find a bodyguard as reliable as a bad reputation?", pressed the 'dislike' button on malicious comments directed at him, showing a sensitive side and delivering a twist of humor.

Choi Moon-do (played by Jang Seung-jo), Se-gye's fifth cousin and CEO of Cha-il Construction, gave a chilling smile and created a strange sense of tension when a reporter interviewing him asked about Cha Se-gye, saying, "Did you fail to schedule the interview? It seems I might be a substitute."

Meanwhile, Seo-ri and Se-gye engaged in a dizzying and fierce flower-taming duel from their first meeting, kicking off the prologue of their hate-obsessed romance. When Se-gye, mistaking Seo-ri, who had collapsed in front of his car, for a self-harm extortionist, vented his anger, Seo-ri slapped him, shouting, "You wretch! Where do you get off speaking with your filthy mouth!" and ignited a vile synergy. In particular, Seo-ri, shouting, "You rascal, you can't get your act together!", punished Se-gye on the roadside with a palm frond, while Se-gye countered Seo-ri's taming with flowers, provoking laughter. Realizing they had become a spectacle for onlookers, Se-gye said, "Let's stop before we both look ridiculous," took charge of the situation, and then asked, "Aren't you crazy?" before hurriedly returning to his car, making everyone laugh.

Later, Seo-ri was overwhelmed with shock after hearing stories about herself from a curator, a young child, and a graduate student she met at a museum. It turned out that she had already died 300 years ago, and in 2026 South Korea, only the stigma of being a villain who is mocked even by young children remained. Among them, Geum Bo-sal (played by Oh Min-ae), who met Seo-ri wandering the streets in a dusty, ragged outfit, said, "How could a noble person descend like this?" sparking curiosity. When Seo-ri revealed to Geum Bo-sal that she came from Joseon 300 years ago, Geum Bo-sal explained that Dan-sim's soul, who had come on a time tour, had possessed Seo-ri's body, focusing attention on the future relationship between the two.

Cast into the new world like a trick of the gods, Seo-ri felt the sensation of cold rain and shivering so vividly that she exclaimed, "I'm alive, I survived," feeling intense joy. Awakened, Seo-ri said, "From today on, I'll use you as my spear and shield," and went to find Se-gye.

When Seo-ri said she had come with a proposal, Se-gye rejected her outright, saying, "Usually, a proposal is possible when the other party has something I need, but Shin Seo-ri doesn't seem to have anything." At that moment, Seo-ri sensed unexpected murderous intent toward Se-gye and shouted, "There must be someone nearby who is after your life!" drawing attention. Just as Se-gye pretended not to hear Seo-ri's words and tried to get into his car, a total solar eclipse occurred, and a star with a red tail appeared in the sky, just like the day Dan-sim died, creating an ominous sense of tension. Seo-ri lunged forward and pulled Se-gye toward her. When Se-gye suddenly noticed a mannequin that had fallen onto the car, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Seo-ri's shoulder and protected her in his embrace, causing a heart-fluttering moment. As the two, who had misunderstood each other as a rascal and a self-harm extortionist, protected one another, the first episode ended, launching the prologue of a hate-obsessed romance that pierces the heart, leaving viewers curious about what will happen between Seo-ri and Se-gye in the future.

Above all, the performances of Im Ji-yeon, who took on her first challenge in full-blown comedy, and Heo Nam-jun, who showed a new face, shone brightly. Im Ji-yeon, who vividly portrayed the desperate feelings of a Joseon villain who fought to protect her own life within the palace walls, expressed the process of awakening her instinct to survive after possessing the body of an unknown actress in 2026 with high immersion and three-dimensionality. In particular, she dominated top star Yoon Ji-hyo (played by Lee Se-hee) and So Sok-sa (CEO) Hong Bu-seon (played by Baek Ji-won) with words, humorously depicted the nerve-wracking confrontation with Yoon Ji-hyo at the audition, and even showed off a refreshing, satisfying charm. Heo Nam-jun also portrayed Cha Se-gye, a character armed with a bad reputation who never yields to anyone, in his own unique color, comically depicting how he is completely at the mercy of Shin Seo-ri during their first meeting.

'Beautiful World' Episode 1 recorded a peak viewership rating of 5.4% and 4.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area.

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*This content was translated by AI.