“Writers twisted her into someone passive” — Buried Hearts viewers disappointed over Hong Hwa-yeon’s limited screen time and weak character arc

On April 5, 2025, Disney+ dropped Episode 14 of the Korean drama Buried Hearts. Only two episodes are left before the series wraps up. A key portion of episode 14 also focuses on a candid conversation between Hong Hwa-yeon’s Yeo Eun-nam and Park Hyung-Sik's Seo Dong-ju.

In it, they discuss how Heo Il-do is not only Dong-ju’s biological father but also the man responsible for the death of her own father, Yeo Sun-ho. Earlier episodes focused on Eun-nam and Dong-ju’s emotional bond.

But lately, Eun-nam’s screen time has dropped. Fans have noticed, and many have expressed disappointment with how her character arc is shaping up.

"Writers twisted her into someone passive, someone who never fights back hard enough, forcing her into this pathetic image of devotion. a woman who was once fire, reduced to ash by the pen. it’s not a love story. it’s a slow erasure," an X user commented.

Comments online highlight dissatisfaction with how her role has progressed in Buried Hearts. Many call attention to her limited involvement in the latest episodes.

"Eunnum could have been a super Deep character, take the decisión of married with other Guy to investigate his father's death AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID... WHY?? She has been reduced to look Dangjoo, 1 scene for ep and super shallow character without story behind her," a fan remarked.

"Eunnam is who attracted me to watch this drama and her chemistry with dongju😌 but Im losing interest with the latter episodes wd how they neglected her & put her aside I think I will not watch it anymore if they r going to make my girl dirty like that," a user said.

"Your first leading role you did amazing with that acting skills even though the writer did dirty to ur character.I know you have a bright future ahead my girl I mean u are pretty & can act.I hope and pray you can choose a better script in the future," a person noted.

With just two episodes left, viewers are waiting to see how the Buried Hearts story wraps up and whether the characters’ arcs will reach a satisfying resolution.

"I don’t even care if Dongju and Eunnam end up together, it’s probably best they don’t. I just need them to give Eunnam a good storyline for once, but it seems unlikely with the amount of episodes we have left," a viewer shared.

“Eunnam” was used used as a body, a prop for explicit scenes, and now that they’ve drained her of that purpose, they’ve thrown her away. no arc. no depth. discarded the second she stopped serving the male narrative. it’s not just lazy writing, it’s dehumanizing," a netizen wrote.

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Buried Hearts hits all-time high ratings ahead of finale week

SBS drama Buried Hearts has recorded its highest viewership as it enters the final week of its broadcast. According to Nielsen Korea, the episode aired on April 5 achieved a nationwide average rating of 14.6 percent.

This makes it the most-watched miniseries of the week. The April 4 episode also marked a significant ratings milestone. It recorded an average nationwide rating of 13.4 percent, becoming the most viewed program of the day across all channels.

In the key demographic of viewers aged 20 to 49, the same episode earned an average rating of 3.5 percent and ranked first in its time slot. Buried Hearts has shown consistent growth in both ratings and viewership engagement throughout its run.

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For international viewers, episode 15 of Buried Hearts is set to release on April 11, 2025, on Disney+. In South Korea, it will air on SBS TV at 22:00 KST.