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This review may contain spoilers
Dear X: Her life was shaped by absence more than presence.
Dear X was Kim Yoo jung’s show, through and through. A character like Ahjin is any actress’s dream, truly a once in a lifetime role. And Kim Yoo jung didnt just deliver, she knocked it out of the park
The story itself was far from a typical romance. This wasnt about two leads meeting, falling in love, breaking up and finding their way back to each other. Instead, it was the life journey of Ahjin, a transformation from victim to perpetrator. The drama explored how she used people for her own survival and discarded them once they no longer served her purpose.
The story was originally adapted from a webtoon and the drama followed the source material closely until In kang’s arc. After that point, it began to diverge significantly. The ending in particular was very different from the webtoon’s conclusion. Before watching the finale, i wasnt sure if i would like the direction the drama chose for its conclusion, especially knowing how different it was from the original source. Surprisingly, the ending worked for me. The drama and the webtoon wrap up the story in completely different ways, yet both feel thematically consistent with what they were trying to say. Most of the characters faced the consequences of their choices, while Moon Dohyuk was the only one spared, which makes me think they intentionally left room for a possible S2.
From childhood, Ahjin grew up without love or emotional support. The way her parents and Jun seo’s mother treated her played a major role in shaping who she became. She learned early on that survival sometimes meant doing things that didnt fit anyone’s moral standards. She spent most of her life emotionally numb and the only time a hint of genuine feeling surfaced was when she met In kang’s grandmother. That brief taste of unconditional parental love began to stir something inside her but the grandmother’s death dragged Ahjin right back into the darkness she came from.
Throughout her life, she used around five different men, each with unique personalities and weaknesses she could manipulate. Jae oh and Jun seo practically worshipped her. The cafe owner was one of the kindest adults she encountered, someone who could have guided her had circumstances been different. In kang was a deeply depressed person who found a reason to hope after meeting her, only for that hope to be shattered. And Dohyuk was a crazy psychopath who could challenge her on her own level. The only ones i truly felt sorry for were the cafe owner and In kang, they didnt deserve what Ahjin did to them.
What didnt work as well for me was Junseo and Jae oh’s blind loyalty. Even with Ahjin’s manipulations, these were grown men who clearly saw her lies and actions, yet chose to brush everything aside. Their backstories didnt fully justify the level of irrational devotion they showed. Still, despite the lack of logic, the dynamic between the three of them was strangely compelling. Their relationship was messy, layered and emotionally tangled, interesting enough that you stay invested even when it doesnt entirely align with realism.
Kim Yoo jung delivered a phenomenal performance as a sociopathic Ahjin. Several scenes gave me goosebumps, like when she killed her father at the end of E3 or when she slashed Sung hee’s face at the end of E10. These moments were pure cinematic brilliance. The rest of the cast also did exceptionally well, especially Hwang In Yeop and Hong Jong Hyun. The director deserves credit for bringing out the best in every actor.
On the production side, everything was top tier. The sets were lavish, the background score elevated every moment and the tension was built masterfully. The direction was so strong that even the average actors looked convincing on screen.
Overall, Dear X is a drama i would recommend to everyone but with a warning, it will stress you out episode after episode. Ahjin is such a complex and unforgettable character that it will probably take years before we see another female lead written this well.
The story itself was far from a typical romance. This wasnt about two leads meeting, falling in love, breaking up and finding their way back to each other. Instead, it was the life journey of Ahjin, a transformation from victim to perpetrator. The drama explored how she used people for her own survival and discarded them once they no longer served her purpose.
The story was originally adapted from a webtoon and the drama followed the source material closely until In kang’s arc. After that point, it began to diverge significantly. The ending in particular was very different from the webtoon’s conclusion. Before watching the finale, i wasnt sure if i would like the direction the drama chose for its conclusion, especially knowing how different it was from the original source. Surprisingly, the ending worked for me. The drama and the webtoon wrap up the story in completely different ways, yet both feel thematically consistent with what they were trying to say. Most of the characters faced the consequences of their choices, while Moon Dohyuk was the only one spared, which makes me think they intentionally left room for a possible S2.
From childhood, Ahjin grew up without love or emotional support. The way her parents and Jun seo’s mother treated her played a major role in shaping who she became. She learned early on that survival sometimes meant doing things that didnt fit anyone’s moral standards. She spent most of her life emotionally numb and the only time a hint of genuine feeling surfaced was when she met In kang’s grandmother. That brief taste of unconditional parental love began to stir something inside her but the grandmother’s death dragged Ahjin right back into the darkness she came from.
Throughout her life, she used around five different men, each with unique personalities and weaknesses she could manipulate. Jae oh and Jun seo practically worshipped her. The cafe owner was one of the kindest adults she encountered, someone who could have guided her had circumstances been different. In kang was a deeply depressed person who found a reason to hope after meeting her, only for that hope to be shattered. And Dohyuk was a crazy psychopath who could challenge her on her own level. The only ones i truly felt sorry for were the cafe owner and In kang, they didnt deserve what Ahjin did to them.
What didnt work as well for me was Junseo and Jae oh’s blind loyalty. Even with Ahjin’s manipulations, these were grown men who clearly saw her lies and actions, yet chose to brush everything aside. Their backstories didnt fully justify the level of irrational devotion they showed. Still, despite the lack of logic, the dynamic between the three of them was strangely compelling. Their relationship was messy, layered and emotionally tangled, interesting enough that you stay invested even when it doesnt entirely align with realism.
Kim Yoo jung delivered a phenomenal performance as a sociopathic Ahjin. Several scenes gave me goosebumps, like when she killed her father at the end of E3 or when she slashed Sung hee’s face at the end of E10. These moments were pure cinematic brilliance. The rest of the cast also did exceptionally well, especially Hwang In Yeop and Hong Jong Hyun. The director deserves credit for bringing out the best in every actor.
On the production side, everything was top tier. The sets were lavish, the background score elevated every moment and the tension was built masterfully. The direction was so strong that even the average actors looked convincing on screen.
Overall, Dear X is a drama i would recommend to everyone but with a warning, it will stress you out episode after episode. Ahjin is such a complex and unforgettable character that it will probably take years before we see another female lead written this well.
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