‘Dear X’ Is A Dark Fairy Tale That Hopes Love Can Counter Evil

Would you stop loving someone if you discovered they were evil? Most people would take a step back. Not the character Jun-seo in the drama Dear X. He loves actress Ah-jin despite her very dark side. At a recent Seoul press conference the drama’s director, Lee Eung-bok, spoke about the webtoon that inspired the drama. Its themes of angels and demons reference the battle between good and evil. For him the Studio Dragon drama began with the question, “Why do we love someone who is bad?”

Kim You-jung (My Demon, Backstreet Rookie) doesn’t usually play evil characters. However, she was eager to play the malevolent Ah-jin, describing it as a role any actor would want to take on. Ah-jin might be bad because she was treated badly. A victim of childhood abuse, she’s learned to hide her emotions and manipulate others, skills that help her succeed as an actress. Her character’s public image is angelic but she’s brutal if angered. She’s not just a simple villain, the actress noted at the press conference, but rather “a character who delivers meaning through her relationships.”

Kim Young-dae (No Gain No Love, Shooting Stars) plays Jun-seo, the man who stands beside Ah-jin, whatever she does. The actor was drawn to the role because of Jun-seo’s unconditional love and said it was “rare to meet a character like him.” Jun-seo is the only one who Ah-jin can rely on, but even his loyalty may have a limit.

He’s not the only character entangled with Ah-jin. Kim Do-hoon (Law and the City, Love Scout) plays Jae-oh, one of Ah-jin’s guardian angels. Kim Do-hoon signed up for his role because he was fascinated by the script and the character. Lee Yeul-eum (The 8 Show, Nevertheless) plays Re-na, Ah-jin’s rival. A fan of the original webcomic, the actress was excited to work on the drama with the director and fellow cast members. Re-na is also an actress and she’s a former idol, with feelings for Jun-seo. Jun-seo and Jae-oh both stand by Ah-jin but their ways of helping differ.

“The contrast between them is clear in the script,” said Kim Do-hoon. “And when they appear together, that difference becomes very pronounced.”

According to the director, each character views Ah-jin differently and those varying perspectives give new meaning to her performance. One of the challenges of portraying a villain is that it’s not easy to get viewers to root for an evil character.

“I didn’t want Ah-jin to be someone viewers necessarily root for,” said Kim You-jung. “But since she’s the main character, viewers inevitably follow her perspective. I focused on making them feel her confusion alongside her.”

The actress and director discussed the best ways to express her character’s emotions, which were so foreign to her own experience. However, once filming began, the director said his worries disappeared. Kim You-jung delivered exactly what the script called for.

Dear X is the second time the award-winning director has adapted a webtoon as he helmed all three seasons of Sweet Home. His impressive list of dramas also includes Jirisan, Mr. Sunshine, Guardian: The Great and Lonely God and Descendants of the Sun. When adapting Dear X, he followed the main plot and character flow of the webtoon but added psychological complexity and stories from surrounding characters.

“Since it’s a live-action adaptation, the actors’ sweat and tears add depth,” said the director. “And the adult timeline in the later part of the series is entirely original.”

Dear X airs Nov. 6 on TVING in Korea, Viki across the Americas and Europe, HBO Max in the APAC region, and Disney+ in Japan. Studio Dragon is the production company that produced a host of successful dramas including Under the Queen’s Umbrella, The Glory, Crash Course in Romance, Marry My Husband, Queen of Tears, Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, Our Unwritten Seoul, and Bon Appétit, Your Majesty. The original webcomic “Chinaehaneun X” by Ban Ji-Woonh was published via Naver),