Queen of Tears (2024)

NOPE!

I started skipping entire episodes after watching the first two, so out of 10, I watched only four. The only redeeming value of the production is that the actors did their jobs well. I can't blame them for the shite script.

It's just a stream of cliche characters who are mostly presented in an over-the-top-slap stick comedy kind of way...I might have liked it when I was 14.

The FL character is a total 'b'...the way she treated the people around her made it impossible to feel any sympathy or empathy toward her.

The ML character deserves to be in an intelligently written series, this sea of backwash is undeserving.

I'm quite disappointed that it is getting the ratings that it is as it will encourage companies to produce more of this tripe...

I will not recommend, I will never attempt a re-watch let alone a full watch.

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DON'T WATCH IT! I LOST MY TIME

It's bad. wouldn't have finished it if it wasn't for my bf that wanted to know the ending. there's absolutely NO REASON for it to have 16 episodes. they make the most just to make the episodes LONG AND BORING. also, if you don't like lack of communication, that's not for you. really. I warned you. I gave it 0.5 bc it's required. otherwise it would be a -100. just blah 😐. The songs are boring also. A kdrama better than this is Crazy Love. really, the songs, the script, the plot. everything. thanks for reading my rant. also, why can't I give a 0.5 rating? or even 0?

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BEFORE WATCHING QOT

From my 4 years of kdrama watching experience, QoT is a mediocre drama with a lot of cliches. The cliches disgusted people. Being a leading actor and actress has gained more attention worldwide. I agree with these comments. But what makes a person rate a drama is how it touches the heart. For me, QoT is a part of my life. The play shows how lack of communication affects a relationship and the importance of relationships between people. There are more crying scenes than romantic scenes, each of these scenes where they realize their love for each other. The acting of each character is amazing.

All I can say is if you are ready to watch the cliches and crying scenes then you can enjoy it like me. But others find it boring. Drama is not for everyone.

This is my first time writing a play review. I don't even know if this is really a review. But seeing the good and bad comments, I felt the need to comment. So this is just my opinion and it's up to you to agree or not.

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Embracing Makjang

Yes, it might be overhyped and not everyone will like this type of storyline plot. When diving into this drama, don't take it too seriously. I haven't been hooked on a show since Goblin.

Despite some reservations about the ending, I found it ultimately satisfying and realistic. This show delves into a variety of themes, including romance, raw emotions, and the complexities of relationships, all portrayed with a sense of authenticity. The character development throughout the series is particularly noteworthy, showcasing the willingness of the characters to reconcile, rebuild, and communicate. The importance of apologies, declarations of love, and the ability to harbor deep feelings of resentment while still loving someone are all depicted poignantly. Additionally, the original soundtrack brings the emotional depth of the show to a new level.

The dynamic within the Hong family undergoes a significant transformation, transitioning from a state of abundance to one of scarcity, only to find solace and support within the humble Baek family. The portrayal of relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, and siblings underscores the idea that our lives are shaped not only by our individual actions but also by the connections we form with those around us. The show beautifully illustrates how the people in our lives will grieve and mourn our losses because of the love they bear for us.

Moreover, the cast did a fantastic job portraying each of their characters, including the villains, showcasing their talents and adding depth to the narrative. The chemistry between the main leads... makes most of us who love the show more delulu than SML.

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Could have been worse...but could have been better. Two Reviews in One!

~~~This post has two reviews...my first review here that I did 6 episodes in:

Netflix labeled Queen of Tears as a comedy....but a comedy this definitely is not. I am enjoying QoT - the acting is excellent and the 'realness' of their struggles with love in marriage seems realistic. Sometimes you don't want a fluffy romcom...sometimes you want a more realistic slice of life. And, sure, we aren't all going to marry a chaebol, but we might have periods in our relationships that are more strained than other times.

I have not finished watching QoT yet, however, I popped into the reviews to give a heads up that Netflix lumps a lot of things into their 'mature themes' warning. While Netflix can't spell out everything you'll encounter while watching a show, watcher beware that not only is terminal cancer a theme, but pregnancy loss appears to be a theme as well. As someone who has dealt with pregnancy loss those scenes of tearing down the nursery and looking at the ultrasound pictures post-loss hit very hard. If I had known it was in the show I would have not watched it right now given recent events in my life.

Will I finish the drama? Absolutely -- despite this I am really enjoying it. I plan to update this review once I'm finished with the episodes. Just spreading the word that the category of 'mature themes' that Netflix puts on its shows covers a myriad of topics and some folks may want to choose the time in which they encounter themes like these.
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And now that I'm finished, here's my final review:

I have such mixed feelings about Queen of Tears.

On the one hand Kim Soo Hyun's and Kim Ji Won's performances were excellent. They were probably the main reason I kept on schedule with this drama. But as much as I enjoyed their acting, I felt this drama suffered a bit during the second half of the show. I was really engaged at the beginning when Hae In was determining her diagnosis and the drama with her internal family politics against Baek Hyun Woo was going on.

(and here's where the spoilers start...)

But then the focus of the show shifted away from her family problems (and the family dynamics being a type of villain which I found really interesting) to traditional villains. And wow -- they sure lathered on the villain-hood really thick. Sinister glances, brooding expressions, evil henchmen...not much subtlety or texture to be found there. But whatever. Despite my whining, I enjoy a good "Muahahaha Villain" at times.

No, what got me was the usage of that tried and true kdrama trope -- the "a main character loses his/her memories" plotline. When Hae In discovered she could get surgery but, oh no! there was a side effect -- I thought, "please be more original than losing your memories...please be more original..." But alas and alack! It was not to be. We spent episodes on the angst of the decision as well as the amnesiac character being easily duped because...well...amnesia. I am so so so burned out on main characters losing their memories.

And once she gets the surgery there's not ONE more mention of cancer. Was she cured? We see her popping pills as part of "her treatment" once...but is she in remission? Did the uncurable cancer get cured? We fast forward from the surgery a month to see her going home to Seoul with no word on whether she's cured or not? Did I miss it? Even if it was one line and I did miss it...this was THE major plot point at the beginning of the drama. It needs some resolution. Obviously she lived a long life from the end of the episode montage, but we literally invested SO many episodes in the "Oh no - Cancer!" and "Will she or won't she get surgery?" only to write it all off the second she loses her memory? And while we're talking about unsatisfying loose strings, what happened to the secret fund? How long did Mol Seul Hee get put away for? How long was Da Hye away for?

Queen of Tears feels a bit like two dramas in one. The first half of the drama was an interesting glimpse into family politics/drama, a relationship in crisis, and how health troubles (including miscarriage) can impact a marriage. The second half of the drama was a little too trope-y for me leaving too many strings hanging around.

Do I recommend it? Sure...it was an enjoyable story despite my gripes over the repeated tropes. Will I rewatch it? Nah...I'm good.

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If your looking for a deep drama then this…

..then this is the one.
Honestly I’m writing this with the credits still running on the screen.
This drama is very deep which I love, it focuses mainly on the couple and the development of the relationship between every character.
It’s not something I’d rewatch though since kind of like Pretty little liars once you know what happend, it loses the flare.
There are a lot of twist and times where you have to clutch the pillow and hope for the best.
It’s feels like reading a book were you get really into the story.

It’s my presonal favorite.

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If you fantasize about how your husband would treat you if he realized you were dying, this drama is for you. . . .

What if the gender roles were reversed in a Cinderella romance? Could the relationship survive or would the man feel too emasculated? Could he find a way to be a man while being the less powerful, less wealthy half?

The initial premise becomes weighed down with large scale conspiracies, sickly sweet morals about the 'common people,' and lots of sickness/death wish fulfilment. Ultimately, the show is completely unrealistic, full on daytime soap level drama, but with extremely slow pacing.

The two actors have little chemistry, the music is just OK, and besides one scene early on where our male lead rescues the female lead, there's nothing here I would rewatch.

This is one of the most popular KDramas, with prestige actors, and so I've been trying to suffer through but I can't anymore . . . I'm dropping.

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QOT is the best so far for 2024

I actually like the twist after twist scenes, especially the epilogues revealed in each episodes. Every cast are unique and nailed each characters, the production choose the best cast, indeed 💯 . From undeniably chemistry of soohyun and jiwon to the antagonist (that really hooked me to be stressed and annoyed) is effective to set a rollercoaster emotion to the viewers. Their OST really adds up the tense, It makes you cry, scream, smile, annoyed, sad,... all the OST in this show deserve an award, I reckon. Overall it was the best, the shows realy deserves the ratings. For me, the drama is in the level of DOTS and My Love From The Star.

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“Mr. Cinderella”

So why do I saw what I say with the title?

The male lead is the one who’s pulled from the countryside into a lavish lifestyle. It seems like the happy ending in other kdramas. Where typically the girl is the poor one and swept away to a rich life to life with a chaebol.. I’m thinking boys over flowers. This drama starts where those ends, and it’s brilliant. What would their lives be outside of the ending? Likely this would happen.

I’m saying when Jan Di married Gyun Pyo at the end of Boys Over Flowes. Hyun Woo is Jan Di, the poorer one who is thrust into a new life and Hae In is Gyun Pyo, who despite all odds, loves someone that is a ‘nobody’ in terms of status. Gyun Pyro and Jan Di just get engaged at the end (sorry for spoilers), but in this one it’s the life of the two being married. It’s honestly hilarious and makes a lot of sense why Hyun Woo wants a divorce. As I could see that if there were a prequel that it would be something like Boys Over Flower.. now not that toxic, but to a degree. I doubt the writers thought of that connection, but to me it stands. It’s like a more mature version of a ‘happily ever after’ with a rich chaebol lifestyle. Instead it’s not all glitter and sparkles, and is more wanting your old life back because you can’t keep up with this one. I mean come on now, that’s so smart and I’ve always wanted to see what a happily ever after is like- and if it’s this? I’m here for the ride for this one.

The chaebol gets their humbling with a death experience, which I’m so surprised they had the balls to do.. and hopefully it doesn’t just get magically swept away. I’m looking for angst, for heart, a dramedy. This drama is gold when it comes to the humor. There isn’t a shying away from how hot are leads are, and how over the top the situation is. This drama is so much better than others have been giving it credit for. Yes. It’s hyped, but it’s also very smart and deserving of that.

I’ll keep this short since pretty much everything that needs to be said about this drama has been. I’ll say that I was reluctant to watch at first, as I’m watching a lot and sometimes dramas tend to be overhyped. It can go wrong pretty easily if the cast is so well, the writing may have been lacking. It’s done more than usual, where a cast is so good that it seems the writing and the direction is missed. Yet this drama seems to fill every gap in terms of the story, acting, direction, it’s well rounded and chalk full of entertainment value.

I didn’t know the story coming in, I thought it would be a romantic comedy, a bit melodramatic. It is entirely that, yet it’s multi leveled and has 3-dimensional characters coming from all ends of the story. The main leads, the second leads, the supporting cast- it’s all so rich (literally and non literal). What I was surprised with this is that the comedy is actually a strong asset with this story, I love when a drama doesn’t take itself too seriously. I also knew that Kim Ji Won was a funny actress, multitalented and ready to play the character she is. I love it when no one else I can see fit to play this role.

So nothing in this drama pulls anything down. The comedy doesn’t make it awkward, the drama doesn’t make it too serious, it’s got balance.

Kim Soo Hyun is an actor I know is really good. Also I’ve only seen him in one movie, so I wasn’t too biased. He is worth all the praise. He’s a professional and you can tell that everyone here knows there role and can enhance and improvise and add here in there. Without the leads it likely wouldn’t be as good, but still, it’s got a great direction that I can see coming from an actors initiate as well as the directing itself.

I love the whole gender reverse of the women leading the house-hold.. seeing the men get pushed to the kitchen.

It’s a lot more refreshing than I thought it would be. What is also refreshing is the leads dynamic, that so far is very witty and fun. They once loved eachother and definitely still do, yet Hyun- Woo is so tired at this point he wants a way out. Not one character is the evil and super bad guy, and I’m liking that a lot, the second male lead I could see to get to be annoying if he is too bad of a guy just for the sake of story. So far even Hae-In is likeable even if her husband isn’t too fond of her.. still I find so much room to grow with the two of them. They did fall in love, and she did choose to marry him.

I do find the latter half of the season to not be as strong, but the chemistry between the leads is amazing enough to pull me through the emf of this drama. Especially the visuals. It isn’t perfect, but there is smart writing going on here that it looks like people have missed. Too bad in the last half the writing isn’t like the first. Either way this drama still exceeds beyond most others I have seen this year.

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Masterful Storytelling - Not a crier until this one!

I'm honestly don't understand the comments that say this drama was overhyped. Sure, did it have some tropes? Yes. And at times, I thought it was too tragic (like Hyun-Woo's car accident was uneccessary. The kidnapping was enough!) However, I thought that this was a well told story. I thought the writing and the pacing were done well, the ending didn't feel rushed. It felt like a really raw and honest story. Casting was perfect (KSH and KJW did amazing! So did PSH - i hated his character so much), music was good and well placed, and beautiful cinematography. We got to see what happens when people miscommunicate, how feelings can get skewed, examples of good love vs unhealthy obsession and the need to be open. I think all the characters had well-written and believable character development. We got plenty of romance, tension, laughs, annoyance (ALL the feels) throughout. I don't feel like there were any plot holes or filler scenes. Everything about the way this story was told was engaging to me. I really loved it. I have never really cried while watching dramas, but I was definitely crying with everyone else in this one (How dare they call this a rom com! lol).

Loved it! Would recommend, but I don't think I could watch it again ( even though I know how it ends I don't think I could go through that again lol!)

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