Dear X (2025)

AH JIN RLUES ??

No law ever stated that anyone can just kill someone by driving them over a cliff as justice, instead you gather your evidence and present them to the police to prosecute said person.
But here we have everyone claiming to be “good” people in their reviews/comments, all clamoring and cheering for Ah Jin to die in a murder/suicide situation, instead of facing justice. She is a sociopath/psychopath, but all you so called “good” people, what is your excuse? But my girl is a survivor and I am sure happy she did not die especially not at the hands of such a useless pathetic character as Jun Seo.
As for Jun Seo, who made him Judge, Jury and executioner? who the hell is he to decide to take Ah Jin’s life? Who gave him that right? Is he the police, is he the court of law, is he the president? Such a pathetic delusional loser simp with a savior complex giving the “I am such a good person so I have to rid the world of the evil Ah Jin” narrative irks me to no end.
Her equally “evil” husband got away Scot free but you don’t see the self righteous mobs with their vitriol, why you may ask? because he’s a man but Ah Jin is a woman who did not give 2 shits about their precious Oppas. How dare a woman treat people like that, especially such handsome men😔😔😔
You all can keep crying🤣🤣. My girl survived🫢🫢. Hopefully there is a season 2 and she comes back and takes down her husband 💪💪

No one can ever make me hate her.
Kudos to the actress. What a phenomenal performance 👏👏👏
Also the rest of the cast did such a fantastic jo

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The ending disappoints, but the acting and music carry the drama.

[SPOILERS IN THE 1ST PARAGRAPH. Please skip it if you want to avoid them]
I didn’t like the ending. It felt rushed, and the fact that nothing happens to her psychopath husband is frustrating, making Jae-oh’s sacrifice feel wasted rather than meaningful. Junseo’s death also feels strange and poorly handled!

But Dear X still works for me largely because of Kim Yoo Jung’s performance. Her acting is absolutely insane and, in my opinion, hard-carries the entire drama. I’ve watched her since we were both kids, and while her acting has always been good, this role truly gives her the space to show her full potential.

The music deserves special praise too, it’s beautifully chosen and greatly amplifies the overall mood. Every track fits Dear X’s vibe perfectly. Give them a listen: Devil’s Angel by Minnie, Insane (Soft Ver.) by Elaine Kim, Ego by Cocona, and Run & Run by Lim Kim.

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beauty privilege is real

selama nonton ini di kepala cuma kepikiran emang beauty privilege is real karena bisa diliat ahjin ini manipulatif & red flag final boss tapi masih aja pada setia sama dia apalagi cowo-cowo, tapi emang perlu di garis bawahi masa lalunya dia juga kejam banget beban hidupnya dia tuh dari kecil ga abis-abis. makanya salut banget sama orang yang dari keluarga yang diperlakukan kejam tapi masih berusaha jadi orang baik karena jujur aku ga menyalahkan kenapa ahjin jadi orang jahat bukan sebagai pembunuh tapi manipulatif dll. tapi alangkah baiknya jangan diikuti ya malah ceramah. aktingnya oke banget

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Right, well just finished Dear X and I have thoughts.
Started off really enjoying it with Kim Youjungs acting, she was so cativating and believable. Her expressions were amazing. I loved Junseo at the start but then i got a bit bored and annoyed of him doing the same expression in every scene. I really expected more from this drama. I like the exploration of aspd and child abuse and how abuse haunts u ages after I think that was quite realistic, along with the convo with the stepmum about her being nice to her sometimes was the worst part and then shed fall for it again. Which is so realistic and the hardest part. She fascinated me because you felt bad for her and that this was her survival tactic but she also manipulated everyone and used them without a care which made us wary. When dealimg a mental illness in a piece of media its very important to potray it well and with understanding. I feel they didnt quite handle it with care. Aspd IS a complex disorder that doesnt MAKE you "a bad person" but it is debilitating and can be harmful for that person and others around them, left untreated. You can not have empathy but also be able to care about someone. U still have emotions with it just not all. It makes sense that she was self destructive. I just wish she had more than that. It was a flat character, not actresses fault but writers. Along with the other character who had nothing else but either loving and caring abt Ahjin to the detriment of themselves or hated her. It wasnt complex enough.

Her dating Ingang was like, okay? But after all that I was like what the hell was the point in him in this drama then? And in the last few eps it just this bad guy making her feel crazy and it got worse and worse through out the eps. They should of had either Ingang or that new husband guy having both was irrelevant and strange. Even her and Junseos relationship felt unnecessary towards the end. It felt plot holey and things that shouldnt of just been brushed over or dropped, were. There were a few different people who tried taking her down and all those random plots fell flat and unimportant and were just dropped. It became a mess. Im annoyed it couldve been so good. But it just went all over the place and didnt make sense, very unsatisfactory. The ending was shit too like what? Right... the story, writing let it down a lot. I love a dark drama but I got more bored as it went on when at first I was excited turned into lets just finish this. Im disappointed. ://

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Dear. ImCOnfused

Dear. X was a great was to end the year. 2025 failed to make a great impression on me. I can't really think of show stopping, amazing, spectacular shows from this year... Maybe like officer black belt and like season two of WHC2? Idk, it failed miserably. I think other years have done better, and i can already tell the new year will be much better. Some of the dramas that started in 25' and ending in 26' are still airing like "ProBono," which seems promising so far.
Anyways, this was one of the highly anticipated shows of the year. I think the directors did an amazing job with the filming of this show. the scenes were amazing and very emotional and dark. Some parts cringed me out like the clips of her at the cathedral style award building, it looked so green screen LOL. But the show was filmed great, nonetheless.
The scripts and storyline is where more issues pop up. I don't have a problem with the characters themselves, i think they were actually written really good. They had a lot of dept and went through many emotions throughout the course of the episodes. I actually appreciated how dark they made the episodes, even going as far as to kill off all of those who are around her. It showed her true colors. The problem I have is with the ending.
Maybe, I'm not intelligent enough to understand the ending, but i found it to be too loose ended. I literally have no idea what happened. The whole country is looking for her, her childhood best friend just died, she managed to run off, and all you see if her staring at the car in which her friend is dying in, and it's... OVER??
I feel that that ending was high key terrible idk? I can't really even think of maybe other possibilities because it was so bad. I guess i can see how maybe the writers what the watcher to make their own conclusion, but the only thing i can think of is that she wouldn't be able to achieve her dreams of being on top, now that she's sacrificed literally everyone around her and for nothing. I assume she would be found and put on trial for EVERYTHING she's done. So, i guess the writers knew what they were doing, but i couldn't help but feel empty afterwards, and maybe that was their intention the whole time.

After some time i think I've thought of ways to end this show proper because after sharing my opinion on TikTok through a comment section, a girl attacks me, telling me that if i didn't like the ending, " i didn't understand the show." ??? My initial thought was to be embarrassed for this person... idk i always thought that these types of things were opinion based or at least just many perspectives. Anyways i think that the show could have dived into her mental health disorder towards the end. They could have shown her even getting treatment at a mental hospital for her clear issues. I think this would have been a better ending for a show that's definitely not getting a second season, idk i just hated how open the actual ending was. Cause how are they gonna barely mention in the end how she got issues, but then not go into it as it pertains to her really...

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A Dark, Addictive Drama

This show will either grab you immediately or completely turn you off—there’s no middle ground. Dark, intense, and morally complex, it’s not for everyone, but if you enjoy character-driven dramas with twists and emotional depth, it’s worth watching.

But what for me makes this drama stand out is Kim Yoo-jung as Baek Ah-jin. She brings so much depth to a character who is flawed, vulnerable, and fiercely ambitious. You can’t help but be drawn to her, even though almost everything she does is questionable. Ah-jin is definitely not a “good” person — she can be selfish, manipulative, and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. But under her tough exterior, you can see her insecurities and the trauma she’s carrying from her past. Her choices may hurt people, but they often make sense when you understand her drive and survival instincts. Watching her, I was constantly torn between rooting for her, sympathizing with her, and questioning her actions — which made the show frustrating and compelling at the same time.

It’s a big change from the roles we usually see Kim Yoo-jung in, and she pulls it off effortlessly. I honestly think this role was a career risk, but she handles it with confidence, making it feel like a turning point. Taking on such a complex, morally gray character could have gone wrong, but instead it really shows how bold and versatile she’s become.

We also can’t forget the two male leads, Kim Young-dae as Yoon Jun-seo and Kim Do-hoon as Kim Jae-oh. Without them, the story wouldn’t be the same. Honestly, they almost feel like her loyal minions, she tells them to jump, and they ask how high. They would do anything for her. They would literally die for her.

Visually, Dear X looks amazing, and the OST is just as memorable. The music really brings out the emotions in each scene, making the highs more intense and the dramatic moments hit harder.

The ending wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite what I expected. I had hoped Ah-jin would face at least some consequences for her actions, but even so, the journey is what makes this drama so compelling.

If you like character-driven dramas with morally complex characters and incredible acting . Dear X is definitely worth watching.

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Too Much Misery, Not Enough Brilliance

There are many illogical aspects in the story from the very beginning. The author describes the female lead as a villain ever since she was a small child, yet she does nothing that truly deserves such a label. We do not even know why her mother is considered evil, aside from the fact that she brutally beats her young daughter for no reason. In an environment like that, it is only natural for anyone to lose their sanity, and the female lead cannot be blamed for seeking help from others or using them, as the story tries to portray her in an even worse light than she deserves.

I am not saying that her attempts to use tricks and schemes against those who try to harm her are completely innocent actions, but they are nowhere near enough to call her truly villainous. Yes, she exploits people, but in many cases she is a victim first. Unfortunately, many of her plans are not intelligent at all for someone who is supposed to be a master schemer, cunning, and skilled at manipulating others. Her plans often involve her personally taking part and putting herself in danger, which disappointed me greatly.

When she was at school, the events were somewhat enjoyable, but after her father’s case, things became extremely frustrating in my opinion. Her plan was reckless and very foolish. On top of that, instead of escaping to another country where her past could not catch up with her, she becomes an actress under a company with a strong reputation, supposedly capable of protecting her. This makes no sense. No company would accept an artist with existing problems because it would fear for its reputation. It is far more realistic that the company would abandon her at the first harmful rumor.

Most of the people who became her victims actually deserved what happened to them; what they suffered was a result of their own bad actions. The female lead cannot be blamed 100% for everything, even though she sometimes played a role in the outcome. It felt as though the author was deliberately trying to turn everything against her. At a certain point, whether the viewer sympathizes with her or not, no one would enjoy her tragic state that lacks intelligence, cunning, or well-thought-out plans.

I especially hated the final arc, and her psycho husband even more than the female lead herself. Honestly, I would have preferred it if the female lead were truly the mastermind—clever, devious, and manipulating everyone from behind the scenes—even if her ending were not a happy one, like Moriarty. Instead, all I saw was a female lead who remained a victim throughout her entire life.

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Not Your Typical Kdrama

Kdramas have made a name for themselves by using tried and true tropes and cliches to do an amazing job telling fairly formulaic stories. And they're fun, and I like a lot of them. But this is not that kind of show.

I would come close to putting this show into the same category as the film Parasite - not quite on that level of pure art in filmmaking, but carrying similar complexity in the writing and in taking a deep dive into human psychology. Though I would asterisk this by saying that most of the characters in Parasite are actually not as mentally damaged as the characters in Dear X. (Parasite zooms out a bit and looks at damage on a social level, whereas Dear X, though it touches on that, is more deeply focused on the characters' mental and emotional interior lives.)

I'm also not interested in talking about whether or not the female lead is being correctly identified by the term "sociopath" or ASPD (though I don't think she is) - the important thing is she's utterly damaged, selfish, brilliant - a real villain protagonist.

Mainly, I want to say, as a 20-year professional in the writing and publishing industry - the writing in this show is fantastic. The characters are deeply thought-out and realized, and the actors, of course, do a brilliant job portraying them. (I hope they win awards, seriously. They deserve them.)

I was particularly impressed by the overall story structure. The show breaks the story into 3 mini-arcs, neatly divided up into 4 episodes each: high school (and right after graduation), early acting career, and full stardom. The supporting cast shifts each time, and the immediate problem facing Baek Ah Jin (Kim You Jung) also shifts, keeping things fresh rather than lingering too long in one stage of her life.

For my personal take, the final arc was slightly weaker, just because my favorite parts of the show were when Baek Ah Jin was displaying her brilliance and taking action against her current "X" - I have a competency kink, I think. I love watching characters be awesome at what they are doing, and I loved watching this mentally damaged female lead take agency and make things happen the way she wanted. That gets a little lost in the last 4 episodes, and she feels like she has much less agency, which was a bit disappointing to me. Without spoiling, I would have liked Ah Jin's ending to go a little differently.

By contrast, Jun Seo (Kim Young Dae) and Jae O (Kim Do Hoon) both come to the point where their characters are fully realized, expressing what has been building inside them over the years. For them, their endings are exactly right - sad, but true to who they are.

If you don't like watching shows in which you can't approve of or relate to the characters, this show will probably not be for you. If you, like me, just want a solid story regardless of subject matter, give it a shot. For me, this is going straight into my "best of Kdrama" collection - and that's a short list.

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Dear X: A Brilliant Psychological Study of an Unpunished Villain

"Dear X" is a drama that, from its title onward, subtly deceives us. For those seeking a story of redemption or healing love, this is not the place. This drama was never about romance; it was, from the first minute to the last, a fascinating and audacious portrait of a sociopath in action.

The protagonist, flawlessly portrayed by the dazzling Kim Yoo Jung, is a master manipulator. The drama clearly shows how she uses every tool at her disposal: her circumstances, her calculating personality, and, most notably, her beauty. Kim Yoo Jung is not only gorgeous, but her character wields that beauty like a precise weapon to disarm, confuse, and dominate those around her.

Watching her operate was a source of perverse satisfaction. Every time she got away with it so cynically, I couldn't help but smile in astonishment. However, the narrative is so powerful that on multiple occasions I thought, "Someone has to stop her!" That's where its brilliance lies.

I'm no psychologist, but the character is constructed with chilling precision. Beyond the "bad" label, we see a narcissistic, egocentric woman with a deep tendency toward victimhood (Yes, adding that he had a terrible childhood). Her greatest disorder, perhaps, is her absolute inability to see the damage she causes; she feels no remorse because, in her distorted reality, her actions are never wrong. Even the ending, where she ends up with a man who is her pathological reflection, demonstrates this: instead of taking responsibility, she throws a tantrum and blames life, never her own decisions.

I love psychologically complex characters. She's a pure villain, who will never love anyone but herself (perhaps the one he showed the most consideration was Kim Jae Oh, but that's because this character gave everything, even his life, without blinking and without morally questioning it, unlike the other boys) and the drama has the courage to maintain that until the very end. That's why the ending seemed perfect to me: she survives and never pays for her actions. It's the logical and coherent conclusion for someone whose only morality is self-interest.

In short: "Dear X" is a bold, unsettling, and brilliant drama for those who enjoy dark psychological analysis, an unethical yet irresistible protagonist, and a story that dares to break all the molds of the "fair ending." Highly recommended if you're looking for something out of the ordinary.

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Too many plot holes

It started out great. Things made sense at first until they didn't. I understand that she's supposed to be a sociopath but she was also supposed to be smart, no? A lot of her choices did not make sense. A lot of the characters didn't make sense either. The sudden appearance of Moon Do-hyuk was the most random and unexplained plot point. There's just sooo many questions about who he is and what he wanted from her. Anyway, I will probably watch season 2 if they decide to make one just because I need answers to all of the holes that this series didn't fill.

The redeeming factor: The actors were brilliant. Gave it -1 tho cause of the actor that played Jun-seo. I feel like they could've chosen someone else for that role.

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