Insanity never looked better
This is the drama we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve been craving a psychotic villain FL, this is for you. I’m always at the edge of my seat every episode, and it feels satisfying every time. The first four episodes are very promising, and can we talk about the range of Kim Yoojung? She’s insane—I’ve never seen her this crazy; she’s literally serving face and talent. And to whoever doubted Kim Youngdae, you better watch this because he didn’t come to play. He really fits this type of character, especially after his role in Penthouse. I’m looking forward to the upcoming episodes and how Ajin will manipulate people. Overall, it’s such a thrilling start and I can already tell this drama is going to be one wild ride.Was this review helpful to you?
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An X on my List
I watched this because it’s Kim You Jung. I’ve always been a fan of hers. The first few episodes held my interest. Not gonna lie, the bullying parts where she was being hit nonstop was too much. And she just stands there doing nothing. I don’t like how she uses other people to do her dirty work. When Mr. Choi, the owner of the Xanadu coffee shop ended up in jail, and she said she only pitied herself, I was like nope. I’m done. I don’t like her character and it just pains me how she sacrifices these people to get to the top. I had to spoil myself because I just wanted to know what happens at the end. Well, let’s just say that I was glad that I dropped it then. I wanted some character development and hopefully she would redeem herself. Sadly, it didn’t go the way I hoped it would be. The only perfect score I could give is the acting. Top notch. The storyline? Meh.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best phycological drama
It has been a long time since I haven't a drama like this. After watching every episode of dear x, I questioned my self and put my self in their position. I can't stop to thinking about this drama. This drama is more reality than fictional. How far a person can go for their own desires, love or obsession?? The dark side of human. There are many evil people who destroy other people but living happily like moon do hyunk.The OST of this drama is chief kiss. I am obsessed with those OST.
The casting was on point. Every actors portrayed their character so well. Specially Kim yoo jung 🫡
The ending was so dark and I love it
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Dear x kdrama
This story or a korean drama is super amazing which i enjoyed and finished all episodes and the ending was sad and it hit differently and also it qas awesome and i appreciate to the making drama and to specially to actress and i truly enjoyed and it was having a different mood like starting good then danger and then happy last sad, but it was amazing and the last the songs was uuff it was crazy amazing, i love it.Thank you so much, have a great day..
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If You're A Fan of Watching Painful Scenes Ad Nauseam This Drama Is For You...
OMG! Idk what is going on in Korea but why are they scraping the bottom of the barrel for material like this one!?! This abused child has been turned into the dumbest psycho villainess I've ever had the misfortune to watch! I had to drop the show halfway through the 3rd episode. She made so many STUPID decisions/mistakes by then that I wanted to slap her and I'm a pacifist! Her codependent stepbrother who apparently IS a pacifist STILL having a relationship with his Mommy Dearest Mother was over the top BS for me! I was an abused child myself and IMO none of this is realistic. The author obviously only skimmed through a few psychology courses. Idk how it's getting 10 star reviews!?! I have liked the M & F leads in other dramas but this one is NOT worthy of my time! I'm so disappointed with Viki for not posting warnings about the intense level of violence in this trash. A rating of "R" is NOT enough!Was this review helpful to you?
SICK PLOT AND MC
Ah jin character here is absolutely CRAY CRAY DAMNThese characters deserve baeksang istg what in the top tier acting holy shii
Wonder what happens next good thing i do not know about the webtoon
Ah Jin revenge plot is insane holy
Is she gonna end up killing everybody keklol
Even innocent ones she has no mercy at all
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Bummer
I love Kim You Jung. She was so darling/funny in Backstreet Rookie that I promised myself I'd watch everything she was in afterwards. And that's why I dropped Dear X because . . . I was starting to hate her in Dear X. I know, I know she was only portraying a character but she is sooo good at acting that it is hard for me to separate the actress from the character.Dear X is a about a sociopath, in this case a human being deprived of empathy for any others and willing to crush anyone, friend or foe, to facilitate her own success. I really hope there are no actual beings like this in the world but I also fear that it is a naive hope. Anyway, I don't want to watch one on TV because I watch TV to escape the crappy thing I don't like in this world, not rub my face in more crappy stuff.
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good people don’t always win, bad people don’t always die
Okay, Dear X” was honestly one of the strongest thrillers of 2025.Every week, I was counting down for the new episode, and that finale… that cliffhanger was cruel in the best way. We still don’t know what truly happened to Baek A-Jin, and that unanswered mystery is exactly why this drama hits so hard. A-Jin is alive, and her story is far from over.
Season 2 feels almost inevitable.
This drama was sharp, emotional, and twisted, and it was so well-written. Even if we never get Season 2, the message is powerful:
Good people don’t always win, bad people don’t always die, and everyone, good or bad, must live with the consequences of their choices.
Kim Jae-O’s ending made perfect sense.
He spent his whole life carrying childhood trauma that shaped his twisted mind, and in the end, his final moment wasn’t happiness; it was dark acceptance. He sacrificed himself for A-Jin and died. It was his tragic way of finding closure, becoming exactly what his painful past shaped him to be
Jun-Seo’s mother also had one of the worst endings. She didn’t get peace at all. She fell down the stairs right after receiving a letter from her son, a letter in which he finally cut ties and ended their toxic cycle. And Jun-Seo’s suffering since childhood came directly from her behaviour, shaping the broken man he became.
A-Jin’s husband now has to keep living his life knowing she’s still alive, and that truth is destroying him from the inside.
He can’t sleep, he can’t breathe normally, and no matter how much he tries to move on, the fear and guilt follow him everywhere. He knows she’s out there… and that knowledge is its own kind of punishment.
Yun Jun-Seo was the most heartbreaking character for me.
He loved A-Jin deeply, yet he carried a lifetime of guilt on his shoulders. That guilt started when he was a child and never left him. He truly believed his mother ruined her life, and that belief shaped every decision he made.
In the end, he thought he could end his life together with A-Jin, choosing a tragic escape from the pain he carried. But fate betrayed him: he died, while she survived.
Sim Seung-Hui was another walking disaster. Her ending in the hospital felt like karma arriving on time.
She was the lucky one…
She’s still alive somewhere, unfinished, unpredictable, one of the strongest reasons this drama needs Season 2.
But if Season 2 happens?
Baek A-Jin’s return will be pure chaos… and I’m ready.
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Dear X : The Mask We Choose to Wear
🔹 What happens when love becomes the very thing that destroys us🔹 Would I rewatch? Yes
📕 Overview
🔹 12 episodes, melodrama, romance, thriller
🔹 Based on the webtoon Dear X by Vanziun
🔹 Kim Yoo Jung plays Baek Ah Jin, a rising actress whose polished public image hides deep emotional scars
🔹 Kim Young Dae portrays Yoon Joon Seo, her stepbrother who has always protected her and now struggles with the boundaries of his devotion.
🔹 The story begins when Ah Jin’s fame collides with the secrets she has worked her whole life to control, pulling Joon Seo back into a world he hoped to leave behind
🔹 The drama stays firmly grounded in themes of ambition, emotional survival, and the price of wearing a mask in the entertainment world
🔹 For me, it stood out for its fearless dive into toxic love, trauma, and the quiet ways people learn to protect themselves
🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 I felt completely pulled in by the tension, because every relationship carries a mix of love, guilt, and danger
🔹 Tone: dark, emotional, intimate, and unsettling
🔹 Themes: trauma, loyalty, survival, manipulation, love, identity
🔹 It reminded me a little of Whispers of Fate (2025), but with a sharper focus on how childhood pain follows these characters into adulthood
✨ Cast & Acting
🔹 Kim Yoo Jung as Baek Ah Jin delivers an outstanding performance, as her expressions alone convey the calculated nature of her choices.
🔹 Kim Young Dae as Yoon Joon Seo: His loyalty to Ah Jin feels painful and real, and the way he shows love and fear at the same time
🔹 The supporting cast, including Kim Do Hoon as Jae Oh and the younger actors, builds the emotional foundation of the story and illustrates how Ah Jin’s world was shaped.
🎵 OST
🔹 Run & Run by Kim Ye Rim
🔹 Insane by Elaine
🎞️ Production Style
I liked how the director and team gave each setting its own rhythm and presence.
🎥 Cinematography
🔹 The cinematography moves between close, tense shots that reveal emotional pressure and wide frames that remind you how isolating fame can feel
👗 Wardrobe
🔹 Wardrobe choices reflect the persona of each character.
☕ Tea Notes
🔹 What worked: Kim Yoo Jung’s performance, the emotional weight of the story, and the way each scene builds tension
🔹 What worked: I believe the show’s atmosphere and pacing make the drama feel raw and personal
🔹 What didn’t: This one may feel overwhelming if you want something lighter, since the tone stays dark from the start
⭐ SpillTheDramaTea’s Rating: 9.5/10
🌿 Tea-Scale: Bold and lingering
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This drama is an Infinity/10! Watch at your own discretion
I absolutely love this drama!Kim Yoo Jung's acting is unmatched—there's no need to compare her to anyone else because she is Baek Ah-jin. Her portrayal completely surpassed my imagination when I read the webtoon. Everyone in this drama is giving a great performance.
To all the haters taking the time to comment here: Thank you! It just shows how compelling this drama is that it's dragging even the opposition in. Hahaha, take that!
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One of the best productions of 2025 .
Baek Anjin is a very emotionally strong character! I really don't understand why people romanticize male characters of this genre so much, like Wi Hajoon in Midnight, but then when it's a female character, people criticize her.One character I can't stand is Junseo. You don't intentionally cause a car accident and take someone you "love" with you just because you think that's what's best for her.
The best character in this drama was Jaeho!
Although I see that many people didn't like the ending, I think it was the most "realistic" possible.
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You will be frustrated
As much as I disliked literally every character in this show, I can’t lie I practically binged the entire series (as much as I could since I had exams lol). It was incredibly entertaining. I mean seriously, they were annoying but they would leave you on a cliffhanger that’s way too good to ignore.On a side note the ending was so unsatisfying. I mean, I didn’t expect a happy merry ol’ ending where everyone gets their revenge and everyone reaps what they sow but it just felt incompleted? Maybe the writers didn’t have any ideas left where to go lol… It was just so anticlimactic.
I guess they were trying to say that Baek Ahjin is alive and living like a ghost now but still. The ending felt empty, like atleast a little bit more context and background would’ve sufficied.
But overall I can’t say the show is bad just because the characters were frustrating- I mean I could but that’d be a lie because the premise of the show was so interesting! I’m a huge fan of revenge plots and although this isn’t your typical revenge story (lowkey like a bad side of revenge rather than a good one) which was new and refreshing! I recommend this show, be prepared to be frustrated to the core tho!!!
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