Dear X

Both women suffered abuse/witnessed a crime that made them vow to themselves to improve their standing in order to never be in the same position again. In doing so they meet male leads with which they grew up, that know (nearly) all their dark secrets and are willing to help them and stand next to them to help the FL achieve her goal even when they are morally not always supportive of their actions. Both female leads lack empathy and show some sort of sociopathic tendencies.

Miss Ripley and Dear X are similar because both focus on ambitious women who reinvent themselves through lies and manipulation to escape painful pasts. Jang Mi-ri in Miss Ripley fabricates her background and qualifications to gain wealth and status, while Baek Ah-jin in Dear X carefully crafts false personas and manipulates others to achieve fame and success. Both protagonists are driven by a desire to leave behind lives marked by trauma, neglect, and insecurity.

Another key similarity is that their traumatic childhoods shape many of their decisions. Rather than trusting others, both women learn to rely on deception as a survival tool. As they rise in society, they become increasingly trapped by the very lies that helped them succeed, causing harm to the people around them and damaging genuine relationships.

Both stories also feature men who fall in love with the protagonists, often seeing them as kind or vulnerable women. However, Mi-ri and Ah-jin frequently use these relationships to further their goals, making love secondary to ambition. This creates emotional conflict as their personal and professional lives become more entangled.

Ultimately, both Miss Ripley and Dear X explore the consequences of building a life on deception. The main difference is that Miss Ripley is a melodrama centered on fraud and social climbing, while Dear X is a darker psychological thriller that examines manipulation, fame, and emotional detachment in greater depth.

Both female leads are willing to do anything to receive an advantage in their goal. Both dramas revolve around the entertainment industry and both FL use the ML to their advantage and manipulate them to help them achieve their goals.

- Female leads who grew up with abusive alcoholic fathers
- Manipulative, charming
- Someone from their childhood who knows about their past

Dear X" is a contemporary drama set in the entertainment industry, while "Empress Ki" is a historical drama set in the Goryeo and Yuan dynasties.

Strong Female Lead: Both dramas feature strong and independent female protagonists who defy societal expectations.
Emotional Depth: Both "Dear X" and "Empress Ki" explore themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

while "Dear X" and "Empress Ki" may not seem similar at first glance, they both offer unique and captivating stories with strong female leads.
Both Dear X and Empress Ki feature strong, manipulative female leads who aren't afraid to play the game to get what they want. However, the extent of their ruthlessness and the underlying motivations differ.

Dear X: The female lead, while cunning and strategic, is driven more by a sense of revenge and a desire to expose the truth. Her actions, though often calculated, are rooted in a personal vendetta.
Empress Ki: The female lead, Ki Seung-Nyang, is a master manipulator who rises to power through political intrigue and strategic alliances. Her ruthlessness is more pronounced as she navigates the treacherous world of the Yuan court,

While both characters exhibit manipulative tendencies, Empress Ki is arguably more ruthless and calculated in her pursuit of power, making her a more complex and morally ambiguous figure.

features a female lead who is initially portrayed as cold and heartless due to past trauma, but her character undergoes significant development and transformation throughout the series.

Both in Dear X (Korean) and Golden feathers (Thai short BL drama) we find the trope of half brother and sister trying to sick together through thick and thin! The brother does his best to protect the sister.
In both dramas, the brother finds solace in another man. In Dear X he is mainly an enemy turned close friend but in Golden feathers, it is the common enemy turned lover.
In both dramas, it is the 2nd ML who is the trigger for the first ML to take action and tackle the sister.
Although the outcome is totally different I both dramas. There are many similarities! I would add on a personal note that you get more involve emotionally and psychologically in Dear X!

This might have spoiler, but i tried to keep vague

Similarities:
- Thriller Dramas
- Romance Dramas
- Psychological Dramas
- Xie Xin Xu (Affinity) is manipulative like Baek A Jin (Dear x)
- Both rely heavily on slow-burn psychological tension instead of action, keeping the focus on emotional stakes and internal conflict
- Both stories center on leads who are emotionally damaged and shaped by past trauma or abnormal environments
- Anti-social behaviours


Difference:
- Dear X is a South Korean Drama
- Affinity is a Chinese Drama
- Dear X is hugely concentrated on romance unlike Affinity
- Affinity involves a virus, while Dear X doesn't
- Baek A Jin (Dear X) is an emotionally guarded, manipulative, and driven by survival and ambition
- Wu Nong Yu (Affinity) is gentle, empathetic, and curiosity-driven, shaped by science rather than survival instincts
- Yun Jun Seo (Dear X) is a trusted confidant whose role is rooted in emotional dependence and power imbalance
- Xie Xin Xu (Affinity) is an emotionally detached and antisocial, with conflict stemming from logic vs emotion, not social ambition
-In Dear X the relationships are volatile and destructive, driven by fear, control, and unspoken resentment
- In Affinity the bond is mysterious and fated, exploring attraction beyond conscious choice or morality
- Baek A Jin (Dear X) isn't a weak female lead who needs a man to save her all the time unlike Wu Nong Yu (Affinity)

Complex Female Leads: Both dramas feature female leads who are not your typical protagonists. They are complex, flawed, and often unpredictable.

Strong and Independent: Both female leads are strong, independent women who are not afraid to speak their minds and pursue their goals.
Complex Personalities: Both characters have complex personalities with hidden depths and vulnerabilities. They may appear cold and distant at times, but they are capable of deep emotions and genuine care.

Both dramas are stories of revenge related to childhood trauma. In both, the main character is a mastermind and a manipulative person who will use anything to achieve their goals. Both are also very dark.

- psychopath/sociopath FL
- similar vibes of female leads
- ML a little dark (though more in Genie than Dear X)
- grandma(-like) figure that FL bonds with
- FL has shit parents

FL is a villain/becomes a villain to seek power. Ruthlessly ambitious, kills anyone who gets in her way, and manipulates people. There's also a revenge plot in both dramas.

FL becomes a villain due to trauma/abuse. Both FLs manipulate and use people, and while they're ruthless, you also can't help but somehow root for them or sympathize with them. Both dramas also have an ML that's taking them down or planning to do so. And both FLs in the drama go to poor-to-rich and climb to power selfishly.

Ambitious women and thought of having power by using men around them. While the plot are totally different Dear X kinda remind me of Nice Guy. What if those who founded guilty never a perpetrator.