[Aisha's Take] "Bitch X Rich" Blurs the Line of Black and White With Complicated Characters

Earlier, we had talked about how K-Dramas weaponize the concept of black and white. Even if the main leads are morally grey, the clear division of black and white in the background makes them seem more heroic. Though it is interesting to see how that line is blurred in "Bitch X Rich". The characters constantly swing from having the viewer's support to being despised in a couple of seconds.

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Let's consider our main character, Kim Hye-in (Lee Eun-saem). Usually, dramas like these have righteous and pride-filled characters who aren't ashamed of their state nor contain the lust for money. These characters are too good to be real. But, Kim Hye-in is another story. She hates her status and often hid her status in school. When she gets an opportunity to attend Cheongdam Highschool, she buys the most expensive shoes on her first day to create a good image of herself.

Kim Hye-in has struggles of her own and we sympathise with her. Yet, she isn't innocent in every case. After witnessing Kim Hae-in's (Jung Sung-yoon) death, she lies to the director that she saw the culprits' face and would not reveal it if they allowed her to attend the school. Similarly, she lied to his son, Son Do-eon (Lee Jong-hyuk-Il), twice and demanded him to be his fake boyfriend. The other time, she asked for money. The way she cleverly passes the situation with tricks on her sleeve may gain her support from fans but not sympathy.

Then we have Baek Je-na (Yeri). She is determined to keep the class system intact and hates it if someone tries to climb up the ladder. She bothers the students from the equal education program because she sees them as parasites who do not deserve to be in a school like that. Later, we got to know where she was coming from. Her father fed off her mother till he became the richest and the most powerful man in the country. Right then, he left his mother in shackles for another woman. Though fans sympathise with her state, it does not justify her actions against Kim Hye-in or anyone that she bullied.

Last but not the least, comes Seo Do-eon. He might seem like a white knight on a horse, but he is far from that. He was in fact a coward. In the first episode, when his girlfriend was being bullied, he left the scene rather than standing up for her before everyone else. Similarly, he lectured Kim Hye-in (Lee Eun-saem) to stay low because of her background- i.e, he still believed in the class system despite being in love with a girl from the poor.

We don't get to see much of the side character's layers, but they do not glorify nor villainize the leads more than they are. The last two episodes of the drama will air this Wednesday. Are you excited about seeing how the story ends?

By Aisha Adnan

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"Bitch X Rich" is directed by Min Ji-young-I, written by Jung Sung-eun, and features Lee Eun-saem, Yeri, Lee Jong-hyuk-II, Yoo Jung-hoo, Park Si-woo, Han Da-sol. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2023/05/31~Now airing, Wed 17:00 on Netflix, Wavve.