Queen of Tears (2024)

Came for Kim Soo Hyun stayed for Kim Soo Hyun

This is the perfect example of how a mediocre plot/story/screenwriting can become a masterpiece with the right cast.
Queen of Tears is your average storyline, more like the stories of the 2010s, revolving around the traditional plot lines of, a rich girl and poor boy, terminal illness following the ML and FL rekindling their lost love, finding a miraculous cure and finally a happily ever after. Add to that there is the typical villain who is manipulative and makes your teeth itch wanting to beat them to death.

There was character and story development, but in the end, it all was just average. But oh BOY!! didn't the cast do a brilliant job?? Like every actor /actress was amazing, taking out their full potential to bring out the oh-so-average characters. If this drama was acted out by anyone else, it would not have been as successful, so kudos to the cast. It was a Brilliant performance.

This is one of that rare moments where I came for the actors and stayed for them cuz the plot did not engage me as I was hoping it would be.

This 8/10 from me is entirely for the cast and none for the plot/screenwriter.

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Should have been 12 episodes long.

DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE WATCHED THE ENTIRE KDRAMA. It's better to watch this with an open mind and no expectations. That being said, to summarise, in my opinion the Rom-Com and sad parts of this drama are 10/10, but the Queens Company and the stuff including the villains are shit and negligently written. Still would recommend it. 9/10 for me but that’s cause I love the first 12 episodes so much. Last 4 are like a 4/10 and that’s being kind.

Good parts:

• The acting is brilliant. Eun Song’s actor was brilliant, especially in the last episode, all aspects of Kim Ji Won’s acting is flawless. She can cry well, do cute scenes, etc. Kim Soo Hyun’s strongest point is his crying scenes, and he has show cased this brilliantly in this drama.
• All the side characters are well written, except the villains. I like Aunt Beom Ja and Soo Cheol especially. Soo Cheol in particular had a nice character arc, from being the annoying incompetent brother to the independent good husband. I like how his fight scene against those gangsters and how he rode the bike to chase the gangsters (links to the scene where he was trying to ride a bike to teach his son earlier). I thought it show cased his progression well.
• First 8 episodes were so good, when the writing was more focused on Hyun Woo and Hae In’s relationship, its struggles with it falling apart and Hae In’s illness. Honestly, should of just stuck to that. Divorce concept was good, no need for that company being taken over sht.
• OST is great. Heize, Crush and BSS’s songs were my favourite.
• Congrats to who ever is on lighting. So many scenes where they’re just walking, and the light would shine behind them making the characters look majestic. That scene where Hae In walks out of her house whilst Hyun Woo was waiting for her in one the first 5 episodes is a reference (can’t remember which srry).
• I cried so much man. Like for the first 12 episodes I cried every time. Any drama that makes me, who’s normally stoic, cry deserves it’s applause.
• The production is world class.
• Story is good up until the part where the grandfather is killed. I especially like the writing regarding Hyun Woo and Hae In's relationship.

Bad parts:

• Seul Hee’s entire plan to take over the company relied on Eun Song (her son) being able to acquire the capital independently to buy the stocks. If Eun Song wasn’t academically strong or straight up lucky, he wouldn’t be able to use the Arab sheiks money to buy the stocks initially nor have a relationship with the Queen’s family. If Eun Song had failed, then she would have just wasted decades of her life pretending to love some old man.
• In episode 15, Hae In has no memories so she checks the news to see her relationship with her family and sees that she had divorced her husband and wasn’t close with her family. Did she not check the articles about her and Hyun Woo for the month prior to the surgery, where people were saying she revealed her illness to the world to protect her husband and that they were in love?
• Hae In got a brain surgery, but she her hair is perfect right after it was completed. She also had hair. (this one I forgive though).
• Does anyone else think Eun Song’s love for Hae In is extremely illogical? This guy was out of the picture for years, enough time for her to get married and have a child (although it died of a miscarriage), and he still thought it was possible to win her heart. Is it possible to be that delusional? Also his obsession with her is all based on one childhood encounter. Bro worked his ass off for decades over one miniscule childhood encounter.
• The hospital in Frankfurt just let Eun Song be Hae In’s guardian without any proof of him being her fiancé, whilst she had no memories. That seems extremely dangerous. Also, they were confused who was her real fiancé. Isn’t it clear that Hyun Woo, the one who called up the hospital to organise the surgery, and was sleeping in her room for the past few days was her real fiancé?
• What happened to that entire thing about Hae In losing her memories up to the surgery? They could have built upon that, but I guess they forgot or wanted to focus on Eun Song.
• There was one episode where Hae In’s family was scared she was going to refuse the surgery because she would lose her memories of Hyun Woo and everyone else. I remember shouting at my TV, why tf would she refuse the surgery. It’s better than being dead. 1 episode later and she had almost refused the surgery because she would lose her memories. WTF. I feel like the writer was just trying to extend the series by and extra episode.


I can’t remember anything else and I’ve got shit to do so I’m not gonna write more. This review is basically just a place for me to vent my frustrations with the writing. This drama should have been 12 episodes long. swear down.

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Fit for a Queen's Throne, Yet Just Shy of Brilliance

The TL;DR would be that this show is a flawed masterpiece. The premise, though not unique in any way, was interesting enough to hook me in from the get-go. A seemingly perfect couple leading to a strained divorce, it leads you to wonder how two star-crossed lovers become seemingly indifferent strangers living in the same house. Through flashbacks, current events, and interactions between the characters, the veil behind the two main leads slowly unfolds, revealing the road leading up to the story.

The casting and acting were nothing short of perfection. Each of the actors delivered a masterful performance that brought the characters to life. Every gaze, action, speech was filled with emotions that brought depth and nuance. This especially holds true for our two main leads, both delivering stand-out performances worthy of a standing ovation. Kim Soo Hyun embodied each emotion his character and expressed it so well you could feel his tears and joy. Kim Ji Won, on the other hand, with her body language and subtle movements, perfectly portrayed the duality of her character. Park Sung Hoon once again masterfully plays the antagonist, creating a villain so well done that he had to come out and apologize and stress that it was just an act.

However, the shine of the stars was not enough to cover up its pitfalls. The performance of the cast members was largely held back by the mediocre story filled with a number of loopholes. Though the original premise and starting episodes were interesting, it quickly fell into a generic trope of power play between two conflicting parties, quickly becoming predictable in its final episodes. It also tries to introduce many elements and troupes, but fails to properly explore them with enough depth, leaving only a shallow touch of elements that makes it seem cheap. It's a real shame as the start showed a lot of promise and potential to be different but wasn't delivered. But, this does not mean that it is bad. What it lacks in plot development and uniqueness, it makes up for in its characters (mostly). The main characters are very well-written, and aspects of their personality not reflected in words are done so through actions and small details. Supporting characters are fleshed out and explored, turning some generic characters into thoughtful and nuanced human beings. However, the main antagonists are, in my opinion, poorly written. Though their backstories are well-explored, it frustrates me how predictable and cliché they are and could have been given some more love in developing their motivations.

This really hurt the story, especially since they spent so much time building up the impact of the antagonists, only to reveal their flimsy motives and backstories that honestly felt like they forgot to write about at the start and tacked it on as an afterthought. On that note, I personally think that the ending was rather weak. Though it was lovely and wholesome, I think it undermined a lot of the stakes and obstacles they faced. They spent so much time invested in developing the challenges the couple faces, and it was really well done. It made them look more humane and relatable and made you want to cry and laugh along with them. But the ending felt cheap and not very impactful, as if all the tears and hardships served no grander purpose.

With all that being said, I still enjoyed Queen of Tears. The story between the two main characters and development of a few side characters were beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamics and how they changed over the course of the 16 episodes. Though the writing wasn't the best, the slight focus on slice-of-life comedy paired with an amazing production/OST made it all the more enjoyable. The actors' performance deserves praise, and the two main leads stole the show with their chemistry and portrayed a wonderful, challenging love story that denotes the ugly side of love but showcases how that ugliness in itself is also a form of beauty.

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As BORING as it is hyped

This has to be one of the most anticipated and the most disappointing dramas for me
Pros -
1) Production - high production quality and the set design is very vibrant. The clothes the FL wears are high end luxury brands and she rocks all those styles pretty well.
2) Marketing- The marketing is very desperate and strong. Cameos are used well. Overall, this drama has a lot of money power behind it. Lol! I wish they used some of that to make the script less cringe and messy
Edit : I feel obligated to say that Gwak Dong Yeon is one actor with amazing potential along with the main villain. These two are deserving of good scripts and main roles.
Cons -
1) Acting- I felt like the actors were underutilized. There is little to no depth in their acting and I have liked some of their previous work quite a lot. Both seem to fair well in ONLY one kind of role (FL being feisty and quirky and the ML being cold on the outside and a puppy on the inside kind of roles). They were somewhat in their safe/ comfort zone in this drama but I am not particularly moved by their acting in this one.
THE SUPPORTING CAST OUTSHINES THE MAIN LEADS. The villains are great at expressing trauma, duality, disgust with the elite, hatred and lack of empathy.
The main villain is the best part of the show

2) story- BORING and all over the place ! They have tried very hard to give an obviously toxic relationship a romantic turn and I am not buying it. I am not too fond of the chemistry between the leads. I guess the intent was to show a "push and pull" or "love break and redemption " type of chemistry but they failed. The FL'S brother and his "wife" surprisingly managed to create more tension and that kind of anticipation even with very limited screentime so far and it is because there are too many unnecessary side stories going on. I do not care about the main leads divorcing or breaking up anymore.

3) Direction - as I mentioned above, the villains and side characters have faired well but even their acting potential wasn't fully utilised. Some scenes were quite well done while others seemed unnecessarily theatrical. Dear director, try to make it subtle.

Overall, its a 5/10 considering its budget and heavy marketing.

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Why the ratings?

I don't understand the hype. Was there nothing else better broadcasting in this slot? This show has a great cast and the story and acting are ok. But it's certainly not better than or even near Crash Landing (which it is almost matching in terms of broadcast ratings). The 90 minute episodes definitely don't help - it just makes things draggy.

The only three things refreshing for me are that 1) we have a strong chaebol character who is female, rather than the trope chaebol son who meets a poor girl and loves her against all odds. 2) The story revolves around the value of life (without giving too much away). 3) The couple are married rather than most romcoms depicting courtship.

My top peeve is the relative ages of the cast and the roles they've been cast in. In particular, the actor who acts as the grandfather is in reality less than 10 years older than the actors who play his son and daughters. What is with this ageist casting?

The show is high budget enough for me to want to finish (they film in Europe - lucky Kim Ji Won gets to film in all the most exotic locations!) It also has its entertaining and hilarious moments but certainly not worth the hype.

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Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda as Taylor Swift says

This show was a great promise from the trailers on Netflix. I loved how they tried to showcase that sometimes happy endings aren't the marriage itself. I laughed out loud with the first episodes, Kim Soo Hyun is an amazing actor, and if they had led him interpret the character as he did with the improvised scenes he pulled off, the character would have made so much sense.

I loved it at the first episodes because it brought the sitcom factor into a kdrama that is not often seen in romantic genres. I would have enjoyed it so much if they left it that way and didn't start all the unnecessary drama plot lines that threw off attention from the actual problem, the marriage between the leads.

Started it for the comedy but finished it because of the crush I have on Kim Soo Hyun, take it or leave it.

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Great acting, storyline doesn’t make sense

Then again, most things in drama land doesn’t make sense ;);)

It’s the kind of drama where the bad guy will win win win all the way to the last episode, then he will fall or get justice in just 10mins! Yeah, I hate dramas like this. There’s so much more could be done, build and focus on, but unfortunately the writing did not support the hype it’s receiving.

First 3 episodes I found annoying; 4-12 were riveting, interesting and intense; last 4 episodes were a bummer. This is mostly where a lot of scenes didn’t make sense. Both lead actors did a great job though! And the ending was wrapped up quite nicely. I didn’t really care for the other side couples and other storylines. Found them redundant and boring.

Watch if you must, just don’t get your expectations too high.

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shame about the ending

A rich girl and a lawyer has married and after 3 years he wants to divorce but his wife tell him she has 3 month to live so he decided to resist next to her untill her death.

Kim Soo Hyun's role reminds me of "It's okay not to be okay", such a man who is always calm and super kind, submissive to a strong and crazy woman, who is in love with him.
There is a palpable chemistry between the couple. They act very well.
I personally liked her aunt and also his lawyer friend.
My least favorite episode was episode 11th. When the bad guy blackmailed her, I hated these moments. A trash man who takes advantage of her weaknesses even though he knows she isn't interested in him.

The last episode disappointed me a lot.
She who still keeps him on edge with marriage (after what happened, hasn't she learned that life is short? She should have been the one to propose to him), the sight of his tombstone could have been spared, the brief glimpse of their daughter without seeing the joys of this event is a sin as is the hasty summary of all the stories, including the aunt's relationship.
Then, when he runs away from the hospital in his condition (absolutely not), when he is shot with all the special forces present and no one moves to see his condition (not real).

This series is compared in terms of share to the series "Crash landing on you" which still remains my favorite.
Certain scenes seem copied, for example the field of flowers at the end, but the sensations they convey are not the same.

NB: Is Mercedes a sponsor of this series by any chance? It wasn't clear enough.

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The Best Watch of 2024 So Far

A fabulous journey of lost love, redemption and reconciliation.

Words cannot express my feelings, as I look back at this journey of eight weeks. What happens when you are a stay in son-in-law and dying to divorce both your wife and her family. Before you sympathize with Baek Hyun Woo’s situation, you might need to hear about the said wife’s tragic life. Despite her ruthless demeanor, Hong Hae In is a lone camper who trusts no one. In times of utter despair, she desperately wants to lean on her husband, only he wants nothing to do with her and is seeking a divorce. Both are depressed at different levels; with familial pressure tearing them apart. When I first watched the pilot episodes, it seemed the show was more about their reconciliation. But “Queens of Tears” managed to deliver a beautiful script with a stellar casting that literally embodied the struggles faced by the variant characters. A couple cannot, will not be together until their families get along well. Marriages are made in heaven, aren’t they? Let’s talk about each & every character in this show, as we pay homage to this phenomenal melodrama!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/queen-of-tears-series-review/#more-777

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WAS THAT NECESSARY!?!?!?

As I was finishing the episode yesterday, 1 hr 50 mins, I mean i dread watching movies now, I can totally gulp down episodes these long but watching movies of 1.5 hrs make me bore, which is not the point.

The drama started in a cute way, even though divorse was discussed. She was diagnosed w cancer, public was sad. The here and there, the family drama the scheming old b*tch. Everything was flowing smoothly until Eun sung entered and stirred poison in the relation. He as a person is such a cutie but made me want to kill a fictional character, CAN WE KILL A FICTIONAL CHARACTER IN TV???

The death of villian in Strong Girl Nam Soon was sad but here I felt no remorse for the villian and his old hag of a mother, such a coniving bitch, just wish her death but wtv. The happy ending to all the characters, the acceptance of each and family members who trying to teeth each other before.


This is an appreciation paragraph for Baek Hyun Woo, my man is the epitome of sacrifice, even though it felt like in the start he was there for the money, the sweet revelation of past and his future actions showed how much he loves her. He doesn't care bout himself, took the bulled for his ex wife who literally had no mempries of him. Even though Baek hae in will die earlier than him, he will be there at the grave, wishing her well. I LOVE HIM, AND WANT THIS TYPA MAN FOR ME.

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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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