Dear X

Money Hungry Producers of The Kdrama Industry

Firstly, I really enjoyed episode 11. From her being the one on the recieving end of someones manipulation, to jae ohs insane plan and sacrifice. I didn't think he'd go so far as to letting himself die. Then to her flipping the script on do hyuk. In episode 12 I knew what was coming as soon as I saw jun seos reaction as I had read the mydramalist summary before I had a gist of what would happen but man the satisfaction of her reaching the top and for everything to come crashing down like jenga blocks. Not to mention the documentary was so well done and fun to watch and then when shes running out on the street lost and alone, suddenly he appears jun seo. The car ride would be my second favority scene in the show after the award show, I was elated thinking this was likely the best ending that could happen, as I think jun seo is not also innocent since hes been allowing her actions so far he is also responsible to an extent. If you look back on my comments I had said, the ideal way for this story to end was the mutual destruction of all parties involved. Unfortunately it didn't happen, the greedy pigs couldn't just end the story well, noo. How could they make more profit if the story ends there guys? Man what a drag. Anyways, not interested in part 2 when they could easily have finished everything off there if those 2 died, the old man from the shop releases the footage on doohyuk, jun seos mother dies after falling down the stairs, sim seung or whatever her name is is already in a mental clinic. All would have been good and dandy

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BEST KDRAMA OF 2025

Before I get into anything with the actual show, I have to talk about the acting!
The acting in this show was absolutely PHENOMINAL! All the actors did an absolutely incredible job. I have to give MAJOR props to our girl Kim You Jung. Her acting in this series was on another level. She deserves so many awards for this series. I cannot compliment her acting in this enough. Truly amazing! The way she could show so much emotion in just her eyes...just wow. Absolutely love her and this series made me love her even more.

Onto the main 3 characters!
I loved Baek A Jin so much. I've been waiting to see a female character like this for so long! I wanted her to get everything she wanted. Is she a bad person? Yes, but I loved seeing the way she thinks and seeing her go after terrible people. Obviously, she goes after some people who are good people as well, which does suck, but I think that's what makes her character that much better. You can't constantly root for her or agree with her, but there are also times you can. Such a powerful character and loved to finally see this type of character be a woman! Her way of thinking and manipulating was so good. She really was meant to be an actress the way she could fool everyone. I hope she gets to be truly happy in the future, and I hope she takes down her husband!
Kim Jae O is such a lovable character. The care he has for A Jin and his brother is so good. I loved that we got to see him continuously check in on his brother even though his brother didn't want to see him. I think him keeping out of sight of his brother, after he found out he didn't want to see him, shows just how good of a person Jae O was. His love and dedication for A Jin was next level! WE LOVE A YEARNER! He truly was the best person she ever had in her life. He cared and loved her so deeply. I wish there was a way they could've been happy together. His ending got me teary eyed because I really didn't want to see him go but once again it showed just how dedicated he was to her.
Yun Jun Seo is such an interesting character. He was such a good person, and we really saw that all throughout the show. He was dedicated to A Jin but in a very different way than Jae O was, and not only because Jae O was willing to go to crazy lengths for her and Jun Seo wasn't, but his dedication was different entirely. Jae O loved A Jin just the way she was and loved her for her 100%. Jun Seo loved the A Jin he had an idea of in his head. An A Jin he thought could change for the better when we all knew she wouldn't. He was dedicated to help her become a better person, even though that is never what she wanted. He was always going to be her downfall, and I wasn't shocked that he tried to kill them both in the end.

Onto the story!
I loved the story so much! A woman manipulating men to get what she wants? YES PLEASE! We need more stories like this! I loved seeing A Jin boss Jae O and Jun Seo into doing whatever she asked. Parts of this story reminded me of the Glory in a way where she was getting revenge on people who hurt her in the past. I just love a good revenge story!
I loved that every few episodes was a new chapter in her life, from high school to adulthood. That's something that made the series feel so fresh and kept you really interested. Nothing was drawn out for a long time, new characters were showing up often, all while having our main three at the center of everything.
The relationships between the main trio were so good to watch! Jun Seo and A Jin's with their long history and complicated feelings with each other. Jae O and A Jin's with their one-sided love and pure understanding of each other. Jun Seo and Jae O's rivalry turned complicated friendship. I just loved seeing all of these develop throughout the show!
The story with Heo In Gang pulled at my heart, like I think it did with all of us. His death was truly heartbreaking. In Yeop's characters can never have a happy ending I swear lol. I truly do think A Jin loved him though because of the scene with his grandma where she said it was the one time she spoke the honest truth, and it was her saying she loved him. She also looked pretty emotional when she went to the bathtub after he passed.
I need to know more about Moon Do Hyeok ASAP! Why is he doing what he's doing? What is his end goal? I have got to know. He was such an intriguing character! He was just as good as a manipulator as A Jin and I just wanted to see more of him. Absolutely hated what he was doing to her, but I kept wanting to see more from him.

Now the only thing I didn't quite love was the very last few minutes of the show. It just felt incomplete. Maybe Baek A Jin's story isn't over yet and that's why it ended the way it did, which is why I didn't deduct any points from it. Whether that means we get another season or not, I believe her story isn't over. She's not dead and our girl is stubborn. I think she's going to find a way to get back to get her revenge on her husband and the rest of the people who wronged her. I definitely think the finale could've been a bit longer to wrap some things up more or take some more time with certain things. That's my one and only complaint about the show and I don't even know if it's entirely a complaint.

Other random thoughts!
I love Kim You Jung and love her more after this show! Always happy to see Kim Ji Hoon and Hwang In Youp as well!
Not going to lie I kept rooting for the death of Hwang Ji Seon and was so upset she made it out alive lol.
Sim Seung Hui should've just went about her life and not gotten back involved with A Jin. I didn't feel bad for her a single time.
Seo Mi Ri honestly got what she deserved for what she's done to her stars over the years. Also blaming A Jin for In Gang's death...it wasn't her fault and I stand by this. She never wanted that to happen, he was the happiest while with her, and Mi Ri ignored his mental health for years and did nothing.
I want A Jin's wardrobe so bad! All her fits were stunning!
Loved the camera work, editing, and music in this so much!!

I loved this series so much and am going to miss it a lot! Absolute 10/10 and cannot recommend enough!!

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A Poorly Written Script With A Great Casting!!!

In the end only she survived and everyone else died!

That was my conclusion after watching this show. Baek A Jin is literally a one woman army; self-destructive, anti-social and callous. In the first episode, the interlude describes her as someone who uses men to her advantage and then discards them at will. For most parts, she remains true to this description. She is venomous and only cares about herself. Her whole personality screams alluring yet dangerous, like a poisonous vine set to kill you even at a slight touch. Joining her on this journey is her supposed step-sibling, Yun Jun Seo, her self-appointed bodyguard, Kim Jae O and three other men she used for various advantages at different points in her life. Even time, she uses someone and discards her, her only logic is that her life is difficult and so, she is exempted from feeling any kind of guilt. She is certainly incapable of feeling any sort of remorse, even for people who loved her selflessly and sacrificed themselves for her sake.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/12/06/dear-x-series-review/#more-2191

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Two Simps and a sociopath

this drama in infuriating in a good and in a bad way.
it is really fascinating to see a drama full of only shitty people with few exceptions and in this sense. they made a great drama.

watching it is a frustrating experience which is comparable to what living with a real sociopath could feel like.

our protagonist is Bek ah Jin, a girl who needs to grow up quickly and learn how to defend her self from the adults in their life and try to survive in a cruel world.

in the first half of the drama you can kind of sympathize with her (to a certain degree) but in the second half you just want to see her dead.

how much can your sad story really justify your actions? apparently, for beh ah Jin, the answer is: EVERYTHING.

this is what living with a sociopath probably feels like: they are always the victim, you make them behave that way, it is all your fault. etc etc.

what is not clear from the dynamics explored in the drama is WHY her 2 Simps friends stick by her side.
manipulators are charming, they love bomb you , make you feel special and on the top of world to lure you in and then control you, but beh ah Jin doesn't have to do shit.
she treats her frienda like disposable tools form the very beginning and isnt shy about it.
you never see do anything for them, not even "bribing" her poor friend to keep him close.
nothing. she is always complaining that she is the victim or that and this, is all their fault bla bla bla.

Guilt tripping someone can only take you so far.. but these 2 are willing to die for her
. like .. literally.

they clearly know she is the crazy one commiting crimes left and right but still, they stick to her side pretending in your heads she is a poor lady who needs to be saved.. mainly from herself.

they all know in full details what she does , especially her best friend, but somhow, they still think there is a spark of humanity in this empty sheel of a human.

I liked that beh ah Jin , is not the perfect mastermind. media portray sociopaths and psychopaths like geniuses which is true in some cases, they have a high IQ, but not all manipulators are super intelligent, beh ah Jin being one of them.
she never knows when to stop, even when it clearly will backfire. she always exaggerate and gets in more trouble.

during the drama she keeps saying she just wants a normal life, but that's just another lie she feeds to everyone.

and let me add that without her minions she wouldn t have anything. she is unable to provide or defend herself. she is too dependent on these 2 Simps.. but they never get anything more then crumbs of her attentions.

even in the end, they literally sacrifice them selves to "save" her ass.

I still don't know if the ending is good or disappointing.
there is no justice in this world, that's basically the message throughout.

maybe she should have been the one to die at her pick, just like she always wanted.

let's talk about the drama before this becomes a beh ah Jin essay.

acting? good. the main female lead is pretty good and believable as a white canvas empty of emotions.
the best friend... I see him in many dramas and he always look the same.

the others actors were all pros and did an excellent job.

entertaining value? pretty good. it keeps you glued to the screen until the last second.

overall all if you like flawed characters and a good ( still very fictional) portrait of bad people , this is a good drama

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All Schemes, No Payoff

Baek A Jin had all the makings of an unforgettable sociopath—smart, beautiful, manipulative, and utterly broken. Kim You Jung delivered brilliantly, especially in the early arcs where A Jin’s calculating nature kept us hooked. Watching her outwit everyone while escaping her father (a shoo-in for Worst Dad Ever) was peak drama.

But then... the spark fizzled. The sociopath we were promised faded into the background as the story shifted to her getting rich, famous, and drugged. The tension? Gone. The excitement? Flat. And Moon Do Hyeok? A one-dimensional rich guy obsessed with breaking her—yawn. Even her cult followers’ sacrifices felt pointless. By the time she climbed that cliff with a Chucky-esque grin, we were left wondering why the show abandoned the very thing that made it so compelling.

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A Dark and Thrilling Ride!

Dear X had me hooked from the start — the acting, the tension, and the way the story unfolded were all top-notch. Baek Ah-jin is one of the most fascinatingly twisted leads I’ve seen in a K-drama, and Kim Yoo Jung absolutely nailed it, and the rest of the cast really brought their characters to life. The drama felt intense, with the music and visuals adding so much to the atmosphere.

The only letdown for me was the ending. After such a strong buildup, the finale felt rushed and didn’t hit as hard as I hoped. It wasn’t bad, just not on the same level as the rest of the show.

Even so, I'd give it a 9.5 because the journey was amazing, and I’d still recommend it to anyone who loves dark, morally complex characters and gripping storytelling. Definitely one of the standout dramas of 2025.

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MASTERPIECE BUT THE WEBTOON IS IGNORED???!!

As a huge fan of the webtoon, I immediately noticed the numerous differences with the drama. First, the chronological order of events: the news report denigrating AJIN's actions, which appears at the very beginning of the series, actually comes at the very end in the webtoon. Some characters also lack development, and most importantly… the ending has been completely changed, to the point of using the beginning of the webtoon to conclude the drama. Not to mention the fiancé; he wasn't supposed to have that ending either.

Despite this major error for readers, the series manages to maintain constant tension, driven by remarkable acting. Honestly, the cast delivered an exceptional performance! Not to mention the visuals, the music, and the overall production quality.

It's an excellent drama, but I remain truly disappointed by an ending that doesn't respect the original work.

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an insanely good show on an evil villain

what an insane show

(i don't condone or idolize ajin's actions, it was interesting and exciting to watch an unpredictable plot)

we get plenty of shows about sociopaths and all but this one so different and good.
we get baek ajin, a girl from an abused family who gets stuck with other abusers and bullies but she overcomes everything by manipulating people from a young age. a sociopath who uses people left and right. she was morally grey (imo) until the cafe owner part. after that she was the devil who was on a mission to get on the top.

i liked the excitement of finding out how she was going to move and get to the top. her plan to bring down her school bully, her plan to kill her father, her plan to reach the top as an actress, her plan to escape her psycho husband (this was a very interesting part, seeing how the psychopath and sociopath will one up each other). there were so many unpredictable moments. my jaw dropped when we learnt the truth abt ingang's grandmother.

baek ajin was a complex character with so much layers to her. some things which make u want to be on her side and other things which want u wish on her downfall.

i loved the dynamic of her and each of the men she used. my fave would be kim jaeoh. and of them were also fairly complex characters, each of them with their own weakness which she perfectly uses. joonseo might the most interesting one, his dependency on her and desire to be with ajin but ultimately he wants the ajin he created in head and not the reality in front of him

kim yoojung deserves all awards for this. give her all the oscars and emmys, her acting was insane. especially her eyes, so much emotions were conveyed through her eyes and we learnt so much abt ajin without saying anything out loud.

the outfits, the sets, everything about this was perfect. even the soundtrack and osts.

there were some inconsistences to me, like the deep relationship the manager had with ingang, his suicide, seunghui and her last actions etc but im willing to overlook them.
i felt like they tired to downplay her mother's abuse of her sometimes along with making the school bully and joonseo's mom look like the victim, which might the only thing i don't like. ajin is evil on her own, don't make me sympathize with her by victimizing her abusers.

the ending was very good. i don't know how i wanted it to end but i was shocked by the ending. even the last shots were amazing. there could have been a better ending. i don't think we need a s2, keep it as it is.

overall, one of the best dramas of the year, it gave us everything from acting to story and sets. amazing

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Inside the World of Ah Jin

This is the story of Ah Jin, a young woman with antisocial personality disorder shaped by years of abuse and trauma. Her mother abused her, her father killed her mother, and she continued enduring violence from him and others around her. She’s incredibly smart, manipulative, and uses people as tools, but only goes after someone when she feels threatened or wronged. Otherwise, she does keep to herself and uses men to help her climb to the top.

One of them is Junseo. They met as kids when Ah Jin’s father got together with Junseo’s mother, briefly living as step-siblings before Ah Jin’s father went to prison. Junseo knows she’s using him but accepts it because he’s attached to her, looking for her humanity while still being haunted by the moment his mother tried to drown Ah Jin. Since then, he’s trying to cut ties with his mother (who comes in and out of his life when she needs something) and stayed loyally by Ah Jin’s side as her brooding, obsessed sidekick. He’ll do anything for her except kill, which eventually becomes a problem since she needs help escaping her abusive father. Their relationship is incredibly close, toxic, and built on enabling each other’s worst impulses.

She also has Jae-Oh, whom she met in high school after catching him stealing an AirPod. She recruited him to run errands and collect money, and he eventually grew attached to her. Unlike Junseo, he’s more naïve about being used but definitely refuse to question her, even when he is pushed aside. He’s a good-hearted, loyal to a fault, funny, slightly arrogant kid who is typically bad at school, but the sunshine of the trio.

I won’t spoil the plot, but the first episode immediately pulls you in with its manipulation, secrets, revenge, and tight character dynamics. Ah Jin is the center of everything, and these two men willingly lie and scheme for her. She uses others too, but Junseo and Jae-Oh are her core tools.

Her whole goal is to put herself in a place where she can’t be hurt anymore, somewhere people can’t reach her. And in trying to protect herself like that, we sometimes see these small facets of her, little traces of humanity where she lets herself hope for something… but there’s always an external force pushing her to shut it down again.

She’s simply searching for the safe environment she never had as a child, a space where she can actually be herself.

It’s a deeply emotional, morally grey set of performances from the cast. We see the good in them, but we also see their unresolved issues, their obsessions, the healing they desperately need but never receive. So they cling to each other and try to survive, mostly by trying to give Ah Jin whatever she wants.

The series is phenomenal in both writing and acting. Kim You-jung is incredible as Ah Jin, delivering a rare, compelling portrayal of a female sociopath. If you like twisted relationships and high stakes, I definitely recommend it.

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Refreshing and Entertaining

This was a story of a villain as the ML. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the 12 eps kept the plot engaging.

She was so quick to marry someone handsome with power, money and influence she didn't bother to ask any more questions about him. She got tangled up with someone crazier than she was. Lol. It's like he wants to see if he can break someone he thought was strong. That's his hobby.

To be honest, I didn't feel sorry for her. I felt bad for three men she manipulated to get what she wanted. She only called them when she needed them and their blind devotion was exactly what she used to get revenge on ppl. She chose a lot of the path she traveled. And really didn't want to take any personal responsibility for her actions, always blaming other ppl for how she "turned out".

She didn't have to marry that guy. She didn't bother to even talk to anyone else about it. She made that executive decision because she thought dude was another man she could use to her advantage. As she was so accustomed to doing and ended up suffering the consequences of her decision.

I did like that she played dirty with ppl who came after her first. But the 3 men she used didn't deserve her manipulation. So in the end, she got what she deserved. She was a well-played villain.

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