3 Things We Loved & 1 Thing We Hated From The Premiere Of “The First Night With The Duke”

June 18, 2025 | 01:38 (GMT)

5 minutes read

Source: soompi.com

A new historical K-drama just dropped, and it is everything a fan of fantasy, romance, and second-gen idols could ever dream of! The show, based on the original webtoon “The First Night with the Duke,” is set in ancient South Korea and follows the story of an ordinary college student who gets drawn into her favorite novel after a bizarre accident. Suddenly, she finds herself as Cha Sun Chaek (Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun), a seemingly unimportant side character whose fate is to stay in the shadow as a spectator, or that is, until she meets Prince Yi Beon (2PM’s Taecyeon). With only two episodes in, we can already tell this show will take us on a rollercoaster of emotions that nobody will want to miss. Here are the things we loved and hated the most from its premiere!

Warning: spoilers from episodes 1-2 ahead!

LOVED: The witty and charming female lead

There are only two logical reactions to finding yourself in a situation like being inside your favorite web novel: you either want to get out of there, or you think it’s just a dream. But our female lead is far from your average girl. Becoming Cha Sun Chaek, a rich noble lady with a loving family, seems more like a blessing than a disgrace for her in comparison with her real life. So she accepts rather nicely her presence in the fantasy world, enjoying its perks. With her knowledge about the story, she quickly decides not to interfere with either of the main characters or the plot to live as peacefully as possible.

However, her plan goes to waste before the day ends. Sun Chaek’s new and out-of-the-box personality not only weirds out her maid and family, but it also draws the attention of the male and female leads. Even if she tries to go as unnoticed as possible, it is clear her presence has already shifted the whole dynamic within the story, turning her from an ordinary side character to becoming the female lead herself. Furthermore, it is impossible to ignore Seohyun’s natural charm and beauty, which she fully puts into her role.

LOVED: The handsome male lead with a pure heart

On the other hand, like any male lead from a historical novel, Yi Beon is skilled, smart, and totally handsome. He is also deathly lethal to his enemies but has a tragic background story hidden behind his mysterious and menacing persona, which makes him an overall perfect romance drama character. But all his barriers get torn down the moment he meets Sun Chaek. He might be simply a novel character for her, but to him, her comforting words move him to his very core, making him fall instantly in love with her.

Although we still don’t know everything about his past and secret motives, we already got a glimpse at his wicked personality, which makes him both appealing and annoying at the same time, at least for Sun Chaek. Even more, Taecyeon also imprints his own personal style to the mix, making Yi Beon a character that can be both funny and strikingly charismatic. And we have yet to see his soft side once he fully opens his heart to his female lead, who will not fall that easily for him.

LOVED: Their hilarious and romantic chemistry

To nobody’s surprise, Yi Beon and Sun Chaek’s first encounter is so impressive and unique that it leads them to spend a passionate night together and instantly deviate from the original plot altogether. This definitely ruins her plans to stay out of trouble’s way, but this initiates Sun Chaek’s hilarious attempts to get rid of Yi Beon. She goes from blocking his attempts to present his marriage proposal to her family to trying to flee the city and even pretending to be the worst sort of woman to scare him away.

What she doesn’t fathom is that Yi Beon is the canon domineering and obsessive male lead who will overlook everything and everyone in order to marry the woman he has already chosen, even if that person is the woman herself. No matter how much effort Sun Chaek makes, he easily dismisses her attempts to prevent their engagement. And it would be a hateful thing to watch if it weren’t for their chemistry, which makes sparks fly out of the roof, making viewers giggle and love every time she ends up in his arms.

HATED: The over-the-top villains

Sometimes historical dramas tend to emphasize certain characters in order to get a more enhanced effect on the plot. There’s no doubt that things could have been that intense back in the old days, especially when political interests and love were so coveted. However, the two main antagonists in this story seem to be a little too much for a clearly lighthearted romantic comedy. Do Hwa Seon (Chi Hye Won) isn’t only immature and a straight out bully, but she is also extremely annoying and soon enough will give more than just a few troubles to Sun Chaek.

In Yi Beon’s case, it will be King Suljong (Joo Suk Tae) himself who not only will become a burden to him but will most likely try to cut him out of the picture if he represents a threat to his throne. As tedious as these subplots might be, the overall show has a strong presence of both comedy and romance with well-executed characters, making it a solid beginning that hopefully will continue to improve and surprise us in the upcoming episodes!

Start watching “The First Night with the Duke” here:

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Hey Soompiers! Are you watching this K-drama? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know all about it in the comments below!

Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4.

Currently watching: “The First Night with the Duke”
Plans to watch: “Be Passionately in Love“

Chi Hye Won

Joo Suk Tae

Seohyun

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Taecyeon

The First Night With the Duke

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