Four (4) ‘Dear’ Korean Dramas (Not as Dark as ‘Dear X’)

“Dear X” is a dark psychological thriller released in 2025 that has gained immense popularity. Often, after a K-drama addict (like me) watches a moody, intense drama like that, there’s a search for another Korean drama that lightens the mood and makes you want to chill.

• Dear X ~ A Haunting Love Mystery That Redefines K-Drama Thrillers | PopGeeks.com

Here are four (4) “Dear” K-dramas that are nothing like “Dear X”. All streaming on Viki. Enjoy!

(1) Dear X Who Doesn’t Love Me (2022)

Genre: Romance, Comedy (Rom-Com), Fantasy, Youth Drama

Number of Episodes: 10

Viki Rating: 8.1 out of 10 stars

• Memorable Quote: “A dream is the manifestation of the unconscious and that unconscious is desire. Carl Jung said: ‘Eventually a desire suppressed by consciousness is revealed through a dream.’”

Main Characters:

• Seo Hee-soo (played by Han Ji-hyo)
• Jung Si-ho (played by Doyoung of NCT)
• Park Se-jin (played by Kwon Ah-reum)
• Kim Do-bin (played by Bang Jae-min)

Plot Summary:

Seo Hee-soo is a timid university student dreaming of writing song lyrics, but with low self-esteem and little love experience. One day, she stumbles on a mysterious notebook that grants the power to make any person fall in love with the notebook’s owner for exactly one month. Driven by loneliness and the longing to be noticed, she tries it. Suddenly, she finds herself flooded with admirers, but all affections come with an expiration date.

Her childhood friend Jung Si-ho knows the secret and warns her. Though the premise feels magical, the story isn’t about fantasy, it uses the notebook as a metaphor for the dangerous allure of instant popularity and the pitfalls of chasing love through shortcuts. As Seo Hee-soo juggles multiple suitors, she is forced to confront hard truths about self-worth, genuine affection, and what it means to be loved for who you are, not for a spell.

• TRAILER: Zone, Kdrama. “To X Who Doesn’t Love Me (2022) Official Trailer.” YouTube, 29 Jun. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J6WXOYXkKI.?

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(2) Dear.M (2022)

Genre: Romance, Youth, College Campus

Number of Episodes: 12

Viki Rating: 9.4 out of 10 stars

• Memorable Quote: “That moment when I saw the genuine smile on Joo-ah’s face, I already knew that she is finally in love with someone.”

Main Characters:

• Ma Joo-ah (played by Park Hye su)
• Cha Min-ho (played by Jeong Jae hyun)
• Seo Ji-min (played by Roh Jeong eui)
• Park Ha-neul (played by Bae Hyun sung)

Plot Summary:

At Seoyeon University, campus life is turned upside-down when an anonymous confession, signed only as “M”, is posted on the school’s online community. The post quickly goes viral, stirring curiosity, rumors, and speculation among students.

Intrigued and wanting answers, four students from different departments decide to work together to unmask “M.” The group includes Ma Joo-ah, a bright and kind business student with little romantic experience; her longtime friend Cha Min-ho, a computer science student; Seo Ji-min from economics; and Park Ha-neul. As they dig deeper into clues and gossip, their friendships begin to shift. What started as a mystery hunt gradually becomes entangled with first loves, jealousy, and misunderstandings. The search for “M” becomes more than just solving a puzzle; it forces each of them to examine their own feelings, relationships, and what they want from life.

[NOTE: Watching K-dramas is a great way to enjoy Korean food (like me). The first episode made me hunt for a recipe for rice burgers. A Korean rice burger, or papoggo, uses seasoned and seared rice patties as the “buns” and is filled with popular Korean ingredients such as bulgogi, kimchi, or Spam and egg. RECIPE: Bulgogi Rice Burger]

• TRAILER: Viki Global TV. “DEAR M – OFFICIAL TRAILER.” YouTube, 3 Feb. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZItZCMOQAw.

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(3) Dear Fair Lady Kong Shim

Plot Summary: Gong Shim has always lived in the shadow of her accomplished sister, Gong Mi. Treated so differently by their parents, she even ordered a DNA test to see if she was adopted, but she wasn’t. Still, the contrast between them is stark: Gong Mi is a polished lawyer, while Gong Shim struggles to pursue her dream of studying art in Italy. To save money, she rents out her rooftop room to Ahn Dan-Tae, an eccentric pro-bono lawyer she finds suspiciously weird.

After Gong Shim is physically assaulted at work, her parents urge her to stay quiet to protect Gong Mi’s job. Furious, Gong Shim insists on defending her own rights and seeks free legal help, only to be matched with Dan-Tae. Meanwhile, Dan-Tae befriends chaebol heir Seok Joon-Soo, whose family is haunted by a long-lost grandson. Gong Shim becomes Joon-Soo’s secretary, sparking jealousy, rivalry, and a tangled web of affection.

• Viki viewers rated this series 9.4 out of 10 stars

Link to Review on PopGeeks

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(4) Dear Hyeri (Viki Original)

Plot Summary: In Dear Hye-Ri, Joo Eun-Ho is a 37-year-old radio host who spent 14 years pushing her MORNING show to Number One. She’s proud of her career, which is why she’s furious when her boss orders her to switch to an AFTERNOON news program “because she’s a woman” and the male host needs “contrast.” When she refuses, her ex-boyfriend and coworker Jung Hyun-O volunteers to take the slot, while referring to her as “that,” which infuriates her even more.

But chaos follows. Her boss suddenly wants her to convince Hyun-O she does want the job, and somehow the schedules merge so Hyun-O ends up working with her on the MORNING show. The real twist? Eun-Ho secretly has a second personality, Joo Hye-Ri, created as emotional self-protection, while Hyun-O hides his own unresolved wounds behind his polished image. Now forced to work together, they may rediscover each other, and finally begin to heal.

• Viki viewers rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Link to Review on PopGeeks

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