This review may contain spoilers
Kim You-jung Deserved a Better Story
I watched Dear X because I’ve become a fan of Kim You-jung after My Demon and 20th Century Girl. She didn’t disappoint. In fact, this is probably the best I’ve seen her. She convincingly portrays a manipulative, narcissistic and genuinely unsettling character without ever softening her edges to make her more likeable. It’s a fearless performance.
The drama itself is a different story.
The opening arc is excellent. I don’t usually enjoy school settings, but this was easily my favourite part of the series. The relationship with Jae-oh and the baseball storyline gave the drama emotional weight, and it reminded me at times of a lighter version of The Glory.
Unfortunately, it steadily loses momentum after that. Once the story shifts into Ah-jin’s acting career and her relationship with her actor boyfriend, I found myself much less invested. This became one of the rare K-dramas where I reached the end of an episode without immediately wanting to start the next one.
The finale was where the story really lost me. Character motivations that had felt consistent for most of the series suddenly became difficult to believe, and the tragic ending felt more interested in shocking the audience than earning its emotional payoff.
Despite all that, I’m still glad I watched it. Kim You-jung’s performance alone makes it worth seeing if you’re a fan of hers, even if I don’t think the writing ever reaches the same standard.
The drama itself is a different story.
The opening arc is excellent. I don’t usually enjoy school settings, but this was easily my favourite part of the series. The relationship with Jae-oh and the baseball storyline gave the drama emotional weight, and it reminded me at times of a lighter version of The Glory.
Unfortunately, it steadily loses momentum after that. Once the story shifts into Ah-jin’s acting career and her relationship with her actor boyfriend, I found myself much less invested. This became one of the rare K-dramas where I reached the end of an episode without immediately wanting to start the next one.
The finale was where the story really lost me. Character motivations that had felt consistent for most of the series suddenly became difficult to believe, and the tragic ending felt more interested in shocking the audience than earning its emotional payoff.
Despite all that, I’m still glad I watched it. Kim You-jung’s performance alone makes it worth seeing if you’re a fan of hers, even if I don’t think the writing ever reaches the same standard.
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