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| Dear X Ending Explained: Full EP 12 Recap, Final Twist & What Season 2 Might Look Like (Photo: TVING) |
As the thriller-romance-crime K-drama Dear X (친애하는 X) wrapped its 12-episode run on TVING, viewers were left buzzing with mixed emotions — equal parts shock, admiration, and that strange ache you get after watching characters spiral into choices you know will burn the entire storyline to the ground. Directed by Lee Eung Bok and Park So Hyun, the series delivers a fierce, brutally controlled performance from Kim You Jung, backed by a dangerously compelling turn from Kim Young Dae. And yes — the finale gives answers, chaos, and a few chilling open doors deliberately left for a potential Season 2.
I’ve seen a mountain of Kim You Jung’s projects, and genuinely, she’s the heartbeat of this show. Cold, calculating, vulnerable, ambitious — she wears every layer of Baek A Jin like a second skin. If she keeps this momentum, don’t be shocked if she dominates year-end awards.
And Kim Young Dae? The boy from No Pain No Love surprised everyone. His darker range as Yun Jun Seo comes out swinging — that pilot episode alone had viewers staring at the screen thinking, “Oh okay… this casting director deserves a raise.”
This cast knew exactly what kind of show they were in — a glossy nightmare where ambition meets trauma and burns quietly until there’s no kindness left.
ICYMI:
Quick Recap of Dear X Final Episode
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The finale kicks off with absolute tension:
Do Moon-hyuk slips a ring onto A Jin’s finger, promising the world, and she laughs — a sound that’s more unsettling than joyful.
Meanwhile, Jun Seo and Jae O escape the burning building Moon-hyuk’s men torched.
Jun Seo’s grandfather passes shortly after, setting off a chain of emotional implosions at the funeral where Ji Sun drunkenly exposes family secrets — including Jun Seo’s lack of blood relation to his grandfather and A Jin’s involvement in keeping that secret.
A Jin and Sung-hee clash again, reopening grudges from school days, and A Jin shows zero remorse.
Jun Seo confronts A Jin about his real father, and in classic Dear X style, both of them weaponise guilt, love, and regret in equal measure.
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A Jin then moves into Moon-hyuk’s mansion. The wedding invite awaits her like a warning, and the Italy ceremony goes ahead while Jae O sinks into quiet heartbreak.
Jun Seo attempts to let her go — and writing as well — as Le Na departs the country.
Inside the mansion, A Jin quickly senses something off:
– A locked third-floor study
– Menstrual items mysteriously appearing
– A stopped clock echoing the moment she killed her father
And Moon-hyuk’s confession about his ex-wife spiralling into instability adds a darker tone to their marriage.
A Jin secretly asks Jae O to investigate Moon-hyuk and his ex… unaware the car is bugged.
Meanwhile, Sim Sung-hee turns up at the mansion as staff. She attacks A Jin, aiming to ruin her face and career forever. But A Jin flips the knife, slashing Sung-hee instead.
As Sung-hee screams and Moon-hyuk arrives, A Jin laughs — the kind of laugh that tells you this story was never headed for peace.
Dear X Ending Explained
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The ending solidifies one thing:
A Jin has crossed into a new era — not as a victim, but as a person who fully embraces the persona she built to survive.
1. A Jin’s Laugh = Acceptance of Her Monster and Her Cage
Throughout the drama, A Jin masked her emotions as a survival strategy. But here? She doesn’t hide anything.
This laugh isn’t joy — it’s her surrender to the world she created and the darkness she’s willing to live with.
2. Moon-hyuk’s Mansion Is Her New Prison
The locked study, the controlled environment, the way the staff reports directly to him — all echo her father’s house.
But now she isn’t a powerless child — she’s a dangerous adult who knows exactly how to manipulate her surroundings.
3. Jun Seo’s Exit Symbolises Love That Failed to Save
Jun Seo realises he couldn’t save A Jin from herself or her past.
Letting go is his only redemption — even if it destroys him quietly.
4. Jae O Remains the Only One Who Still Sees Her Humanity
He still tries to protect her, even when she drifts far from the girl he once adored.
But the finale hints he may not be able to reach her anymore.
5. The Theme of Dear X = “Trauma Shapes, But Choice Defines”
Every character is shaped by their upbringing, but every one of A Jin’s choices drags her deeper into a world built on lies, performance, and survival.
So what does the ending mean?
A Jin hasn’t lost herself — she’s finally decided who she is.
Not the sweet actress.
Not the victim.
But a woman who knows darkness is the only place she can thrive without fear.
Cast & Characters Wrapped
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Kim You Jung as Baek A Jin
A Jin ends the series entwined with Moon-hyuk, powerful yet trapped, fully aware she has become the architect of her own doom. -
Kim Young Dae as Yun Jun Seo
Jun Seo walks away from A Jin and writing, finally confronting the truth of his life but losing the person he loved most. -
Kim Do Hoon as Kim Jae O
Jae O watches her from a distance, loyal to a fault, knowing he can’t compete with the ghosts inside A Jin. -
Lee Yeol Eum as Im Re Na
Re Na leaves the country to escape the emotional mess and to free herself from Jun Seo. -
Support roles like Sim Sung-hee, Ji Sun, Seon Gyu, and Madam Gong all serve as mirrors to A Jin’s many personas — rival, parent wound, past trauma, and present control.
TLDR + Short Review (4.7/5)
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Dear X delivers a stylish, chaotic, emotionally charged finale.
Is it perfect? No — some logic loops wobble, and pacing jumps from sharp to dizzying.
But the acting? Phenomenal.
The atmosphere? Addictive.
The ending? Dark, clever, and thematically tight.
Verdict: 4.7/5 — a gripping character study wrapped in a twisted romance-thriller shell.
FAQ
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Is the ending happy or sad?
It’s neither purely happy nor tragic — it’s a dark, complex ending.
A Jin gets safety and power, but at the cost of her freedom and emotional sanity.
Does anyone die?
No major character dies in the finale, though several truths “kill” relationships permanently.
Is Dear X getting a Season 2?
Possibly!
The production team recently shared that Season 2 could happen — if public enthusiasm and fan support are strong enough. The webtoon has a sequel using different characters, so Season 2 may follow:
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A new cast with thematic continuity
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A Jin appearing in cameos
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A storyline diving deeper into the industry’s darker layers
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Or a fresh “Dear X” case centred on a different manipulative relationship
What could Season 2 explore?
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Moon-hyuk’s past and the truth behind his ex-wife
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A Jin’s rise in Hollywood-level fame while trapped in a gilded cage
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Jae O rebuilding his life and possibly becoming a whistle-blower
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An anthology format with new leads but same psychological tone
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Dear X ends exactly the way a drama like this should — messy, stylish, and sharp enough to leave a mark. Whether you loved the characters or wanted to shake them by the shoulders, the finale ensures you won’t forget them anytime soon.
If we do get a Season 2, the creative team clearly has room to expand, twist, and reinvent the universe.
What did you think of A Jin’s final laugh? A breakdown? A breakthrough? Or the birth of someone entirely new? Let me know — the debate is half the fun.