Dear X Review: Top actress Baek Ah-jin manipulates everyone around her using her beauty and popularity to get to the pinnacle of her ambitions. However, when things get threatened, she unleashes a terrifying person hidden behind her good-natured exterior.
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Dear X Kdrama Cast
Kim Yoo-jung, Kim Young-dae, Kim Do-hoon, Lee Yul-eum, Kim Yi-kyung, Bae Soo-bin, Kim Yoo-mi, Kim Ji-young
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Dear X Series Director
Lee Eung-bok, Park So-hyun
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Dear X 2025 Writer
Choi Ja-won
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Original Title
친애하는 X
The series has 12 total episodes and will stream from 6 November 2025 to 4 December 2025 and is based on the webtoon Dear X (친애하는 X) by Ban Ji Un (반지운).
Dear X Review
In Dear X, Kim Yoo-jung plays a terrifying Baek Ah-jin, a woman who has had to manipulate those around her to get what she wants. However, there’s an odd ambiguity surrounding her character that makes you not want to hate her in the least. If anything, Ah-jin is the kind of character that you want to keep watching – she’s grey, morally ambiguous and extremely complex. There are layers to her character and how she reacts, and the way she takes revenge against those who wrong her.
Kim Yoo-jung is the perfect choice for this role. Her sweet face makes for a threatening character who will stop at nothing until she has her revenge. We learn things about her from the first episode itself, and these small moments make up an impression in our minds about who she really is… or can be. Although she’s not particularly murderous herself, she’s skilful at using everyone around her to do her bidding, and Kim Yoo-jung delivers a memorable performance.
But the interesting thing is that it’s easy to root for Ah-jin as people try to destroy her life at every turn. I don’t understand why she’s supposed to be a negative character at all, considering she takes revenge against those who bully her and try to take advantage of her. Going after Shim Sung-hee or Baek Seon-gyu seems like the natural next step if she doesn’t want to be harassed. Of course, again, there are more complexities in the story that come out slowly as the story progresses. I think it’s a great deviation from the softer leads that we are used to seeing in K-dramas.
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The dark, grungy world is also the perfect situation for Ah-jin’s story to unfold as things get progressively more depressing. I think one of the things that might make this drama not for everyone is the fact that every adult in Ah-jin’s life is simply terrible. Everyone is trying to use the kids for their own selfish reasons, and it’s a very dark situation to witness unfold. This might make some viewers a bit uncomfortable, and it might not be for everyone, but the series isn’t like any other this year and is a terrifying watch that holds the tension consistently.
Final Thoughts
Dear X is fantastic and is a treat for viewers who enjoy watching dark, brooding and thrilling shows. It makes us question everything about morality and whether those we truly deem as “monsters” deserve that tag. The series is beautifully crafted and emotionally intelligent that slowly unveiling several facets of Ah-jin’s life and psyche. It’s an interesting, character-driven storytelling with subtle tension that hurts like daggers and haunts you the deeper you go.
What are your thoughts on Dear X? Let us know in the comments below!
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