Is Kim Yoo-jung and Kim Young-dae's "romantic acting" genuine? A complete summary of the cast, plot, and ending of "Dear X"!

TVING's original drama "Dear X" is a devastating melodrama suspense story in which Kim Yoo-jung and Kim Young-dae are fatefully intertwined. It tells the story of a woman who changes her face to survive abuse and violence, and the man who tries to save her. We will explain why the drama generated such intense immersion from the very first episode.

table of contents

1. The essence of the character Baek Ah-jin

2. Is Yoon Jun-seo a salvation or a curse?

3. Summary of important developments in episodes 1 to 4

4. Why did it attract attention from the very beginning?

5. Q&A: Points of interest to viewers

6. Future highlights and points of interest

1. The true nature of the character Baek Ah-jin

The story does not depict the glamorous top star Baek Ah-jin (Kim Yoo-jung) in her current state, but rather relentlessly follows the path she took to get to where she is now. As a child, Ah-jin grew up in an endless hellish environment, with a father addicted to alcohol and gambling, a mother driven to death by violence, and then another bout of abuse from her stepmother after she remarried.

What viewers witness in this is not the moment when she becomes "evil," but the reason why she had no choice but to become evil. Ah-jin was not loved. She was not understood. That's why she made this choice.

"If you can't be kind, be strong."

That was her survival strategy. She stopped showing her emotions, and instead of believing in people's "good intentions," she began to judge them based on whether she could "use them." In other words, Baek Ah-jin is "a person who has created herself as a weapon in order to survive."

This is why Kim Yoo-jung's acting is completely different from her previous works. Her facial expressions are extremely controlled, yet the depths of her eyes tremble sharply. She seems to lack emotion, yet at the same time, she is overly tense; this contradiction leaves a chill in the viewer's mind.

2. Is "Yoon Jun-seo" really salvation?

Ah-jin's only escape route and breathing space is her brother-in-law, Yoon Jun-seo (Kim Young-dae). He has seen the same hell, but he has grown up filled with guilt and sadness for not being able to do anything about it. For Ah-jin, Jun-seo is the only person who doesn't judge her, but for Jun-seo, Ah-jin is a symbol of the wounds she couldn't protect, a burden she can never let go of.

But "love" does not necessarily mean salvation.
Jun-seo is willing to sacrifice his own future and morality to protect her, meaning that his love also has the potential to save her, but also to lead her down a dangerous path.

3. The main plot of the first four episodes

section	Main contents	meaning
past	Witnessing abuse, violence, or murder	The reason why Ah Jin had to become "evil"
student days	Jealousy, manipulation, and fighting back	Learn to "strike first" to survive
early adulthood	Cafe part-timer, stalker incident	I met "well-intentioned" adults for the first time, but I didn't recognize them as targets for exploitation.
turning point	Incident occurs → Risk of being treated as a criminal	The first wave of destruction arrives
choice	Dealing with agency representative Seo Mi-ri, and breaking off ties with Jun-seo	Reaching the top is not salvation

What becomes clear here is that Baek Ah-jin is not someone who is dragged along, but someone who chooses her own destruction.

4. Why did it receive such a great response from the very first episode?

The biggest factor is Kim Yoo-jung's complete transformation in acting. Shedding her previous image of purity and warmth, she plays a cold-hearted character with extremely controlled emotions. Kim Young-dae also expresses emotions through the movement of her eyes and breathing more than through lines, enhancing the density of the story. Furthermore, director Lee Eung-bok's unique beautiful screen composition, mise-en-scène, and meticulous script work together to create a film that is not simply shocking, but rather builds up emotional lines as a natural progression within the story, which has been highly praised.

5. Q&A — The four most popular questions from viewers

Q1. Is this drama a melodrama or a revenge drama?
→ Although it contains melodrama, it is fundamentally a story of destruction.

Q2. Will Ajin ultimately come out on top?
→ The “peak” is not a goal but the result of obsession, and whether it brings salvation is another matter.

Q3. Will Junseo be on Ajin's side until the end?
→ His love can be both salvation and poison. It is likely that its form will fluctuate until the very end.

Q4. Is the atmosphere of the work heavy?
→ It's not light, but it's an immersive suspense story that's not unpleasant and keeps you glued to the screen.