Lee Jung Jae and Lim Ji Yeon made a riotous return to the small screen in tvN’s new Monday-Tuesday series Nice to Not Meet You, which kicked off on November 3rd with plenty of laughs—and one unforgettable wardrobe malfunction.
The premiere introduced Lee Jung Jae as Im Hyun Joon, a once-famous actor now running a modest printing shop, and Lim Ji Yeon as Wi Jung Shin, a gutsy journalist chasing down a high-profile corruption scandal. Their first encounter—a misunderstanding that lands them both at the police station—sets the stage for a bickering-filled dynamic that’s equal parts chaos and charm.
Then fate throws Hyun Joon back into the spotlight when he chooses ‘The Good Detective: Kang Pil Goo’ as his comeback project—which unexpectedly becomes a nationwide hit and reignites his career.
Years later, Jung Shin’s relentless pursuit of truth costs her dearly when her exposé is shut down by her higher-ups, leaving her reassigned to the entertainment desk. There, she and Hyun Joon cross paths once more—this time on a red carpet. In one of the premiere’s laugh-out-loud moments, Hyun Joon mistakes Jung Shin for an attacker and dashes in to “save the day,” only to slip, split his pants, and accidentally flash his underwear live on national TV.
Viewers who watched the episode reacted as follows:
“The best ending of Nice to Meet You.”
얄미운사랑 최고의 엔딩 pic.twitter.com/q0UzRluGMG
— ☂️ (@jaelee_R) November 3, 2025
“The lines are freaking hilarious. When they said, ‘Are they going to let him do a rom-com at his age? A melodrama?” Lee Jung Jae didn’t feel anything hearing that… right?”
얄미운 사랑
대사 존나 웃기다
남주 보고‘그 나이에 로코를 시켜줄거야
멜로를 시켜줄거야?’
이 대사 듣고도 아무 생각이 없던거……지? pic.twitter.com/nYojx1obrA— 온단 💙 (@0dan79) November 3, 2025
“Lim Ji Yeon’s angry scolding acting is so freaking perfect that I burst out laughing uncontrollably.”
아 임지연 꾸짖을갈 연기 존나 찰져서 저항없이 터짐 pic.twitter.com/5GCxvH934R
— 취향 (@loverdramas) October 28, 2025
“Absolutely hilarious. Hands down the funniest comedy of this year.”
“Even with the age gap, every scene is so fun and lively. The humor’s way better than I expected, and everyone’s perfectly cast. Honestly, I hope they keep the romance light. It works best as a straight-up comedy.”
“LMAO, was Lee Jung Jae channeling an otter in that scene? Man was sliding all over the place.”
“His pants literally tore, and his underwear was showing.”
“Everyone was dragging this show before it dropped, but honestly? It’s turning out to be pretty entertaining.”
Overall, the response has been positive, but some viewers expressed negative reactions to Lee Jung Jae’s age and the noticeable age gap between him and the rest of the cast.
“The two actors playing brothers in ‘Nice to Meet You’. Seriously, don’t they look more like father and son? The age gap is actually huge — 1996 vs. 1972 — that’s a 24-year difference.”
얄미운 사랑에서 ‘형제’ 맡은 배우 둘인데…..
걍 아빠와 아들 아냐…?근데 실제로 나이차가 엄청나긴 해
96년생 – 72년생 =24살 차이임 pic.twitter.com/kcvag4lA9u— 온단 💙 (@0dan79) August 1, 2025
“I watched the Nice to Meet You’ highlight reel, and when Lee Jung Jae and Oh Yeon Seo appeared together in one shot, I literally sighed. Oh Yeon Seo plays his first love, but honestly, they look like a forbidden affair couple or like a granddaughter-in-law and grandpa. It’s too much. Just off. Even just seeing them in one frame feels inappropriate.”
얄미운사랑 하이라이트 봤다가
이정재 – 오연서 투샷보고 ㅅㅂ 한숨나옴오연서가 첫사랑 역이라는데
나이 차 존나 나는 불륜커플(?)이나 손주며느리같음
오바야 걍투샷만 봐도 부적절해보임 pic.twitter.com/3m9EdpwsjH
— 온단 💙 (@0dan79) October 27, 2025
“‘Nice to Meet You’ episode 1 ending. Ridiculous. If you’re going for comedy, just stick to comedy. Why force in that cringey romance? When he put his hand on her waist and looked down at her, I had the biggest internal, terrified scream.”
얄미운사랑 1화 엔딩
어이없슨
코메디를 줄려면 코메디만 주지
왜 느글거리는 럽라 끼워줄려고 무리수………
중간에 허리잡고 시선 내릴때 개큰정색함(N) pic.twitter.com/SIbciYRazy— 온단 💙 (@0dan79) November 3, 2025
Meanwhile, the episode scored a 5.5% average rating and a peak of 6.5% nationwide, topping its time slot across cable and streaming platforms, according to Nielsen Korea.
Episode 2 of Nice to Not Meet You airs November 4th at 8:50 PM KST on tvN.
>> Lee Jung Jae Says Lim Ji Yeon Got Him the Role in ‘Nice to Not Meet You’
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