It is impossible to imagine Baek Ah-jin without Kim Yoo-jung.
In episodes 9 and 10 of the TVING original Dear X, released last week, Kim Yoo-jung firmly held the narrative's center of gravity by exquisitely interpreting the dual emotional textures that Baek Ah-jin, nearing the peak of desire, harbored. Outwardly, she displayed desire at its climax, and beneath it she built Baek Ah-jin's inner life—harboring both cracks and anxiety—into a three-dimensional character through precise emotions.
The secret of Yoon Joon-seo's (Kim Young-dae) birth and the death of his grandfather become the starting point that sharply shakes the relationship between Baek Ah-jin and Yoon Joon-seo. Kim Yoo-jung progressively piled up Baek Ah-jin's ethical agitation, the twisting of her emotions, and the collapse of the relationship, sharply expressing the emotional inflection points. In particular, she not only restrained the portrayal of Baek Ah-jin's shock and confusion and other anxious psyches, but also convincingly realized even the subtle tremors of emotion.
The scene in which Baek Ah-jin chooses Moon Do-hyuk's (Hong Jong-hyun) marriage is also a section where Kim Yoo-jung's interpretive acting shone. Kim Yoo-jung completed the anxiety hidden behind Baek Ah-jin's glamour, as she sought to leap into a new phase, with refined eyes and breathing.
Thus, Kim Yoo-jung proved solid acting prowess by accurately reading Baek Ah-jin's situation in which outward success and inner cracks collide head-on and designing the layers of emotion. As a result, on Dec. 2 Kim Yoo-jung rose again to No. 1 in TV·OTT integrated drama popularity in Good Data Corporation's weekly Hype Index tally, Dear X ranked No. 1 for four consecutive weeks on Rakuten Viki in the U.S., No. 3 on Disney+ in Japan, No. 2 on STARZPLAY in the Middle East and North Africa region, and achieved top-tier results in 17 Asia-Pacific countries and regions on HBO Max, sparking a worldwide phenomenon.
The TVING original Dear X is set to release its final two episodes on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m.
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