Kim Hye-in has to transfer to Cheongdam International High School after witnessing a murder. She crosses paths with Baek Je-na, a bully who happens to be connected to the case.
Seasons
3 listed
Status
Returning Series
Seasons
3 seasons
Episodes
21 episodes
First aired
May 31, 2023
Last aired
Aug 1, 2025
Episode length
35m
Network
wavve
Latest episode:S2 E10 The Reckoning (Aug 1, 2025)
Bitch X Rich
10 episodes May 31, 2023 7.7
Kim Hye-in is a high school student from a poor background. She becomes the only witness to the murder of a high school girl. In exchange for her silence on the murder she witnessed, she is offered a chance to study at Cheongdam International High School, the most prestigious high school. There, Kim Hye-in meets Baek Je-na, the leading suspect of the murder and the most powerful student at Cheongdam High. They engage in psychological warfare full of tension and a fierce power struggle.
Bitch X Rich 2
10 episodes Jul 3, 2025 7.4
After the fall of villain Oh Shi Eun in Season 1... The once unshakable hierarchy at Cheongdam International High School is now fractured! Kim Hye In, the witness of two murders the first member of Diamond 6 from an underprivileged class. Baek Je Na, the Queen whose world is endangered after the crumbling of the succession structure, strained friendship, and suspects toward her as the murderer. Kim Hae In, the Cinderella who returns dreaming of revenge but not love. Seo Do Eon, who is in confusion after facing the tragic truth of what he has believed as love. Min Yul Hee who chooses to embrace thorough unhappiness if happiness is unattainable. Park Woo-jin, full of selfishness and inferiority complex. And Lee So Mang, an unexpected mastermind. And now, a powerful new face enters the scene, shaking everything up! Once again, Hye In and Je Na find themselves at the center of it all. Will they make the same choice, or will they choose differently?
I kept waiting for the moment when Bitch X Rich would stop feeling like a guilty pleasure and start feeling like a story that actually knew what it wanted to say. It never quite arrived. What we get instead is a glossy, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse set inside a school so exclusive it might as well be a country club with detention.
The premise is irresistible: Kim Hye-in, a poor transfer student, lands in Cheongdam International High after witnessing a murder, only to find herself in the crosshairs of Baek Je-na, the school’s untouchable queen bee. The tension between them crackles—at least at first. But somewhere along the way, the show’s ambition outstrips its execution, leaving us with a series that’s more addictive than it is satisfying.
The first few episodes are a masterclass in setting the stage. Cheongdam International High isn’t just a school; it’s a microcosm of South Korea’s obsession with status, where designer shoes and family names dictate your worth. The "Diamond 6" student hierarchy is the kind of trope that could feel overdone—rich kids lording their power over the less fortunate—but the show sells it with a mix of dark humor and genuine menace.
The early scenes of Hye-in navigating this viper’s nest are electric, largely because of Lee Eun-saem’s performance. She plays Hye-in with a quiet defiance, a girl who’s been knocked down enough times to know she can’t afford to show fear. When she bites back at Je-na in their first confrontation, it’s a small but thrilling moment of rebellion, the kind that makes you want to cheer.
And then there’s Yeri as Baek Je-na. If Hye-in is the scrappy underdog, Je-na is the queen who rules with a smile that never quite reaches her eyes. Yeri, best known as a member of Red Velvet, brings a magnetic intensity to the role.
She’s not just a villain; she’s a girl who’s been handed power and wields it with the casual cruelty of someone who’s never had to question her place in the world. The chemistry between her and Lee Eun-saem is the show’s secret weapon. Their scenes together are charged with a tension that’s equal parts sexual and violent, a push-and-pull that keeps you guessing whether they’re going to kiss or kill each other.
(Spoiler: it’s usually the latter.)
But here’s the problem: Bitch X Rich is so busy setting up its chessboard that it forgets to play the game. The mystery at the heart of the story—the murder Hye-in witnesses—gets lost in a tangle of subplots that feel more like distractions than developments. The show introduces a rotating cast of side characters, each with their own secrets and agendas, but none of them ever feel fully realized.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.3/10
"A sharp, class-focused school thriller driven by fiery leads but dragged down by predictable twists and a frustrating cliffhanger."
Performances from Lee Eun-saem and Yeri are widely seen as the drama’s backbone, selling the cat-and-mouse dynamic and making the elite school setting tense and entertaining. The setup, mystery elements, and early suspense hook viewers, yet the story leans into familiar melodrama, uneven pacing, latestnetflix.com contends, and an open ending that many find disappointing after a strong start.
What viewers praise
Compelling lead performancesLee Eun-saem and Yeri bring intensity and presence that keep the interpersonal battles engaging even when the script falters.
Addictive rich-school premiseThe contrast between a poor transfer student and ruthless chaebol heirs creates juicy tension around bullying, status, and survival.
Assertive female protagonistKim Hye-in is appreciated for being clever, tough, and willing to bite back instead of playing a passive victim.
Entertaining suspenseThe murder hook, hidden school secrets, and episode-end cliffhangers make early episodes easy to binge.
Common complaints
Cliché and predictable plottingKey twists and reveals are often telegraphed, with several viewers feeling they had seen similar stories done better elsewhere.
Disappointing open endingThe season wraps on an abrupt cliffhanger and loose threads that leave a sense of incompleteness rather than satisfying payoff.
Mixed and over-the-top actingWhile the leads earn praise, several performances are described as forced, exaggerated, or unable to sell the heavier melodrama.
Flat, unlikable charactersBeyond the central duo, many characters are described as shallow, annoying, or lacking meaningful development.
Uneven structure and pacingThe show starts tight and engaging but later episodes feel rushed and choppy, with sudden jumps and missed opportunities for deeper story work.
Recommended for
Dark school drama fans Class warfare story lovers Mystery-thriller K-drama watchers Strong female lead seekers Yeri and Lee Eun-saem fans
Buzz & Rumors
Public reports
Bitch X Rich: Power Plays, Idol Queens, And The Surprisingly Clean Dirt Behind K-Drama’s Messiest School
On screen, Cheongdam International High is a murdery, latestnetflix.com contends, drug-rumor-filled hellscape. Off screen? The drama’s tea is quieter but still delicious—full of casting musical chairs, idol power moves, and fan theories that refuse to die.
Casting Shake-Ups & Crown-Stealing Queens
From Yeri to Miyeon: The Queen Bee Succession Battle
Reports in mid-2026 had stan Twitter short-circuiting: (G)I-DLE’s Miyeon was reportedly offered the lead role in a new spin-off, Bitch X Rich: Royal Camp, set in the same universe but with a new “Queen” named Semi at an elite camp tied to Cheongdam International High . Fans immediately framed it as a “passing of the crown” from Red Velvet’s Yeri, Baek Je-na herself, to another fourth-gen idol. Some K‑pop forums worried the franchise was becoming an “idol musical chairs project,” but others called it “the Avengers of mean girls.”
Rookie Upgrade: Won Gyu-bin Levels Up
IGInstagram·Lee Eun Saem, Yeri, Kim Min Kyu, Lee Jong Hyuk, …
Rookie actor Won Gyu-bin, introduced in Bitch X Rich 2 as lovesick freshman Lee Sa Rang , became a breakout enough that industry chatter framed him as “the new it boy of teen thrillers.” Separate reports about Disney+ hit Moving 2 confirmed that he would even replace Lee Jung-ha as male lead Kim Bong-seok in that series due to Jung-ha’s military enlistment, with Korean outlets explicitly identifying Won as “the rookie from Bitch X Rich” . Fans joked that Cheongdam High isn’t just elite in the story—it’s a launchpad for Korea’s next drama star.
Romance Rumors & Ship Wars
Yeri & Kim Min-kyu: Contract Fiancé… or Something More?
Season 2’s biggest new visual power couple is Baek Je-na and Cha Jin-wook, played by Yeri and Kim Min-kyu. Official stills and Soompi write-ups emphasize Jin-wook as Je-na’s “contract fiancé” who shakes up the elite hierarchy . Vietnamese and Korean outlets labeled them a “chaebol golden couple,” and their close physical proximity in teasers had fans spinning unconfirmed dating theories . Reality check: all coverage sticks to “chemistry” and “visuals”—no credible report has actually claimed they’re dating. It’s pure fan shipping at this point.
On-Set Vibes: Enemies On Screen, Besties In Reels
“We Swear We’re Not Actually Trying to Kill Each Other”
In a Soompi promo reel, Lee Eun-saem, Yeri, Kim Min-kyu, Lee Jong-hyuk, Park Si-woo, and Won Gyu-bin line up like a very pretty hostage video to greet fans and plug Bitch X Rich 2 . The energy? Chaotic-friendly: joking intros, shared laughter, and zero trace of the venom their characters spit at each other. Indonesian and Filipino K‑drama pages captioned the clip with comments like “they’re all so fun together” and “love them on and off screen,” confirming there’s no public hint of real-life feuds—just very committed acting .
“Fun Cast” Reputation
IGInstagram·Bitch X Rich 2 casts semua memang fun! Love them…
Another Instagram reel hyping Season 2 explicitly praises the ensemble as “fun” and shows playful behind-the-scenes clips, undercutting any fantasy that Baek Je-na and Kim Hye-in were giving cold shoulder in the green room .
Fan Chaos: GL Theories, Hacker Conspiracies & Rooftop Obsessions
The GL Ship That Won’t Die
On TikTok, edits focusing on Hye-in and Je-na’s intense eye contact and toxic loyalty arcs are captioned like a sapphic fanfic sampler—“enemies to lovers if the writers were brave” being the general mood . While no mainstream Korean outlet calls Bitch X Rich a GL drama, Reddit threads literally ask, “Is Bitch X Rich a GL?” and dissect every loaded line and lingering stare. It’s pure fan speculation, but it’s grown into its own micro-fandom.
BlackDog, the All-Knowing Teen Hacker
A detailed MyDramaList-style review of Season 2 grumbles that the mysterious hacker “BlackDog” feels like an omniscient makjang device shoved into a teen show . Fans on Reddit latch onto that, spinning theories that BlackDog was meant to be a stealth big bad revealed in a future season—or that scenes setting this up were cut when the creative team pivoted toward the Miyeon-led spin-off. None of this has been confirmed; it’s just viewers filling in blanks the script left open.
The Rooftop Truthers
TikTok creators have turned the show’s rooftop fall into a full-blown CSI franchise, slowing down scenes and claiming they can tell exactly who pushed whom from the angle of a wrist or a shoe . Some clips insist “you can clearly see a second person in the shadows” in S2’s rooftop flashbacks, even before the show itself spells out the culprit . These “detective edits” are fan-made and speculative, but they helped keep the murder mystery trending between episodes.
Scandals & Non‑Scandals
Idol Casting, Zero Meltdowns
Considering the K‑industry’s history of idols-in-dramas backlash, Yeri’s casting could have gone nuclear. Instead, early coverage from outlets like NME and Soompi leaned heavily positive, praising her as a “perfect queen bee” and highlighting how the story centers on power games and psychological warfare rather than romance fluff . Reviews and fan comments frequently single out Yeri and Lee Eun-saem as the strongest performers, which neatly sidesteps the usual “idol can’t act” scandal.
No Lawsuits, No Drug Busts, No Dispatch Hell
For a drama bursting with fictional drug scandals and murder coverups, the real-life set is squeaky clean. Searches turn up no credible reports of on-set accidents, lawsuits, or personal scandals tied to the main cast during the Bitch X Rich run. If Cheongdam High is cursed, the curse clearly ends at the edge of the soundstage.
Behind-the-Scenes Power Move: From Web Drama To Franchise
Originally launched as a 10‑episode web thriller, Bitch X Rich was supposed to be a sleek, nasty one-and-done. But strong international streaming buzz pushed the team into full franchise mode: Season 2 with a higher-budget, glossier look, expanded cast (hello, Kim Min-kyu and Won Gyu-bin), and now a proposed Royal Camp spin-off with Miyeon headlining .
One long Season 2 review outright complains that the new season feels “designed for TikTok moments” and aesthetic shots rather than tight plotting, implying creative decisions were being steered by social media virality . That tracks with how aggressively the show is marketed via reels and shorts across Instagram and TikTok .
So while Bitch X Rich doesn’t have the off-screen scandals of a Burning Sun–level fiasco, it is quietly morphing into a full-blown idol-fronted franchise—fueled by pretty people, aggressive shipping, and fan theories that are often juicier than the canon.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as
unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
