Dear X

by Vanziun

Genres: Manhwa, Thriller

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Marie H.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟—Is it just me, or is it true that the sweeter and more innocent a face looks, the creepier it gets when its owner flashes that cold, emotionless, sociopathic smile?

Ahjin looks like an angel, but the truth is, she's a demon whispering in the ears of the men she effortlessly wraps around her finger. Her life has been anything but normal, and she is as unhinged as they come—definitely not to be trusted.

Ahjin and Joon-seo’s relationship is an intense, unspoken thing. They are ex-step-siblings who share no blood, and the dynamic is absolutely loaded. But hey, Joon-seo, that is not how you should look at your stepsister. The tension between them is thick, complicated, and utterly magnetic.

What impressed me most was how bold and unhinged the central plot feels—the narrative takes risks you simply don't see coming, making it impossible to stop scrolling. As a webtoon, it’s the perfect, high-impact escape when you only have a short break. It’s the definition of a binge-worthy, unpredictable read that will leave you reeling and questioning everyone's motives.

And the art is just so beautiful!

[Nguyet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly similar to journey under the midnight sun by keigo

[romancelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear X is a short, thriller, melodrama webtoon following Baek Ahjin, a sociopath who manipulates and steps on people to make her way to the top of the world. She is supported by a friend who was also a victim of child abuse, while her ex stepbrother tries to save her (and other people) from herself.

I read this webtoon because I was hooked on its kdrama adaptation. The toxic relationship between Ahjin and her stepbrother Junseo was interesting, to say the least. But Jaeoh was definitely my favourite character in both the webtoon and the drama.

The webtoon is a lot more simple and straightforward in terms of storyline and characterization. The drama, I feel, added more nuance and complexity to the story and characters overall. But...the drama really messed up the ending, in my opinion. I much prefer the webtoon's ending.

If you've watched the kdrama, here are some of the differences between it and the webtoon. The following will contain spoilers from both the webtoon and the drama.

- Junseo doesn't have a grandpa in the webtoon
- some things happen by fate or coincidence or luck in the webtoon, whereas in the drama, Ahjin actively sets things up to suit her purposes (i.e., in the drama, she manipulated things to get her manager to move into the building where Inkang's grandma lives. In the webtoon, she just got lucky that her manager moved into the building next to it)
- Inkang's personality in the webtoon is very different. He isn't suspicious or cynical, especially for someone who's worked in the entertainment industry for so long. I think the change in personality in the drama makes more sense, given the real-life complications associated with the entertainment industry.
- Inkang doesn't have a complicated relationship with his former band members in the webtoon. The whole allergy situation wasn't even a thing.
- Inkang's grandmother has a pretty straightforward death in the webtoon, whereas the drama really twisted it around by adding Ahjin at the scene. I must say, I like how the drama executed this part of the story because it added so much more nuance to Ahjin's characterization. The drama tried to humanize Ahjin by making her feel empathy and love for the grandma, the only parent figure who cared for her.
- the cafe owner doesn't forgive Ahjin in the webtoon, and he's still in prison by the end of the story
- Inkang's downfall is mostly associated with Ahjin's recording being accidentally released, which made everyone think he was an abuser. The drama writers went above and beyond by making Inkang suspect Ahjin for having a hand in his grandma's death 😬
- Dohyuk's arc happens very suddenly in the webtoon and it almost feels like there's a gap in the timeline from Inkang's death to Ahjin dating a chaebol
- the drama spent more time on Ahjin's time with Dohyuk, but I feel like the latter was underdeveloped in both the webtoon and the drama
- the high school nemesis doesn't ever show up again in the webtoon
- and lastly, the webtoon ending is so different. No one dies. Ahjin sleeps with Junseo to get pregnant and try to pass the baby off as Dohyuk's. She does this so she can marry Dohyuk, but she can't fool him. This is the last straw for Junseo and he releases the documentary on the night Ahjin is to be awarded. Ahjin leaves with Jaeoh and builds a life in Hong Kong, and keeps the baby out of revenge. Ahjin tries one last time to marry a rich man, but it doesn't end well for her. Still, she survives, and Junseo doesn't get to raise his child, just like his biological dad.

Overall, there are many drama changes that I really liked, but unfortunately, the ending isn't one of them.

[Μαρία Ν. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute cinema! Goodness gracious what a webtoon! Literal masterpiece. Ajin is an amazing character. I both pity her and find her disgusting. The manipulation of everyone around her. If she wasn't so manipulative and using everyone around her, she would be capable to have joy in her life, but no she wanted revenge and make ppl as miserable as she was. Fantastic character writing and presentation of toxic family cycles. I feel bad for Junseo and Jaeo.

[Mayu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This was one wild ride!!! Ajin's character was very good. I do understand why she did what she did, but at the same time, I felt sorry for the people on the receiving end of her schemes. This story was very well written, and I really liked the art too. The ending toooooo was great! If you like manipulative characters and manhwa and don't care much about having a likeable MC, then this is the one for you!

[shia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i finally got to read a manhwa where the lead can be the antagonist in any other manhwa. it's so dark where you expect her to change but nawp we were warned thru and thru even at the beginning that she's a sociopath. and i can't blame her bc the environment she grew up in is shitty. i felt empty after reading this

[Lily Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I'd ever read a psychological thriller and love it as much as I loved this one. This book got me folding for thrillers and I don't think I'm willing to go back to romance genre anytime soon , it has just the perfect mix of antivillain , revenge and plot twist

[Nein · Rating 5 out of 5]

She doesn't change. People like her don't.

[Linh Đan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baek Ajin chất phát ngất

[ey °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i support women's rights (and wrongs!!)

[Jorelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. DNF.

[Sana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing webtoon. I loved it from start to finish.

[Roh Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iniciei ele por causa do kdrama. Achei bem gostoso de ler, só o final que foi diferente do kdrama mas mesmo assim gostei da leitura.