Watch The First Night With the Duke - Also very cute & adorable but not our 2025 #kdrama summer hit
Sunday, 3 August 2025
I can't believe it only had 12 episodes. Why? I really wish they had given us more!
The period idol #kdrama revolves around university student K (Seo Hyun), an ordinary young woman who suddenly finds herself in her favorite romance novel set in a historical context. She has become the minor character Cha Seon Chaek, the daughter of a wealthy noble family, whose dream is to lead a peaceful and normal life. While possessing the character, Cha Seon Chaek spends one night with Yi Beon (Ok Taec Yeon), the lead male character in the novel, and everything starts to unravel from that moment..
I thought I had found my “Mr. Queen” 2.0. I was laughing so hard during the first three episodes; it felt so familiar, which is what originally drew me to “Mr. Queen.” The lead couple has exceptional chemistry, and the supporting cast is also hilarious, with great comic timing. Special mention goes to Lee Joo Wo, Ji Hye Won, Oh Se Eun, Lee Sang Woon, and Kim Ah Young. I truly wish they had added more episodes because these talented actors were capable of telling a fuller story.
I would love to see Ok Taec Yeon in more roles like this. Next time, let’s spend more time on his side of the story. I want to see his battles depicted as epic, with the political intrigue being more compelling and involving of the court. The palace and the royal household should look grand and rich too not bare and empty
We had some good villains, (Lee Tae Sun and Kwon Han Sol) but Prince Yi Gyu needs more depth. Did he really have to be connected to the heroine to have a story? I don’t necessarily think so. He had a solid backstory, and I wanted to understand more about why he was sent away. Cho Eun Ae also needed to express her anger towards the nobles and elites for never making her feel welcome, as well as towards her father for forcing her to keep trying to fit in. They said some cruel things about her, and we never quite resolved that issue. I do appreciate that they tried to address her struggles with Cha Seon Chaek.
All in all, I really enjoyed this series. I just wish it had deeper storytelling beyond the love story, as there was so much potential. I highly recommend it though; it's a cute story! I watched it on Viki. Any thoughts? As always comment below.
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