Queen of Tears (2024)

The Ending ??

overall the series was nice and at times tear breaking but i think it faltered a bit at the end

Positives : Story

- the push and pull even though they were technically "married" in the first 1-10 episodes

- the family plot line in the middle of the series was cute and i loved that part in the whole entire series

- the forming of them falling in love once again


Negatives : Story

- should’ve been more back story on the family members, there was some but i wished we would’ve gotten some more

- last few episodes rushed .. also were unnecessary

- more kiss scenes ??

Acting :

the acting was amazing. the ml and fml did awesome but the supporting cast really did a awesome job as well !! i was really in awe which how the fml and ml did the emotional parts


Music :

the music was nothing specially if i’m being honest but my favorites i loved where the "the reasons of my smile" by BSS and "can’t get over you" by Paul Kim


Rewatch Value :

i’m not sure if i’d ever watch it again but it was cute for the first time but i think i’d only watch it after a few years so i can experience everything again


Overall:

i’d rate a 8, could’ve been better if it was not for the ending and some of the other things but it was a cute drama that had romance and lots of drama so of your a romance and drama kind of person you’d definitely love this and would recommend :))

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Queen of Ks

The K for K-drama is strong in this one.... offering us everything K- from the Cheobols, psycopaths, revenge bickering, hate to love, love to hate, amnesia and leads who are willing to take at least one bluet for the other.... Illnesses hidden, murder... countryside folks, evil parents, kind parents, soft tears, screamy tears You name it if it has been seen in a popular K odds are you will find it in here somewhere.

While I do love my K's it also has my old nemesis healing, leads talking about stuff as one making me cringe just a little bit too much so though I did enjoy the story with all its more or less predictable twists it is the cringe that had me lowering the score but for those who can handle the cringe all the power to you!

Enjoy, for those who rather keep things clean and fluffy without the regular K-drama mess this is not a drama for you so I advise you to watch something else.

I also have to mention that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won make a great hot and could couple and that Lee Joo Bin was phenomenal in this. The rest of the cast was pretty decent too.

P.s. None of this should be a surprise considering who wrote the script....

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Classic K-drama style

April 2024
I love the cast, which drew me more than the plot, so I wasn't sure it would have me watching in one go (or if I'd even like it and end up dropping). Wrong.
The series has a mix of melodrama, kept from being hard work by some genuinely hilarious moments, with plenty of tension, very good acting by all and a bit of action.
It feels quite 'K-drama classic' in style; think a lot of arm grabbing, and pulling out the way of oncoming dangers, with a little reality being thrown to the wind at times, for thrills/tension purposes.
The characters are also the classic dysfunctional Chaeybol family (a mix of greedy, cold, slightly crazy, inept, naive/not bright, and disappointing/soft heir) and country farming folk.
The evil characters really are and very well acted (well done especially, Lee Mi-Suk), not OTT at all.
The 2 Kims make great leads; they are such good actors and I really liked their chemistry. There were some weak moments in the script, but with them at the helm, I actually wasn't that bothered!
I loved seeing Song Joong-ki in his cameo role, and the way he is described by Hyun-woo's lawyer best friend, using all characters SJK has played in the past, is a touch of brilliance!
Even though there were a couple of eye rolling moments for me, I actually loved this. I unexpectedly binge watched and then decided to wait for final ep before completing, again binging to the end and going to bed at silly o'clock.
The OST is lovely too.
I would certainly recommend it!

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Despite writing flaws, swoon-worthy romance with a touch of sorrow carried by super strong cast

Given its screenwriter and its main cast, I was expecting a lot from this drama. I overall really enjoyed it (especially in its first half) but I must admit that the writing and pacing let me down in its second half (and more particularly in its finale act). I'm always looking forward to the new work of screenwriter Park Ji Eun: I tend to really enjoy the way she builds her romances, with a lot of details, dramatic elements and fated lovers' narrative. Here again, she writes what I think is an iconic love story with a touch of sorrow, which is really her trademark.

The premise of the series is super interesting as it hijacked the classical "male chaebol & poor hard working girl" trope. I loved so much how lines that are usually said by male lead are done by the female lead and vice versa. The series is really playing on the usual tropes of romantic comedy and diverting them, it is excellent on that aspect. However, the ending did not totally hold its promises : the plot got crazier with an overwhelming amount of coincidences, the villains losing their strategic edge to go into full madness territory. As the story unfolds itself, there were also much less gender reversal of dramaland tropes and it went unfortunately back to a more classical romantic dynamic between the two leads. Still cute, but much more expected.

The acting was the best part of the drama. Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won and Park Sung Hoon are actors/actress that I really love and once again, they showcased incredible performances. Even when the writing became clunkier, they made it work and made a lot in terms of making digestible some of the more bonker elements and rhythm issues of the last act. The chemistry between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won was off the charts: their characters' relationship went through so many phases and they managed to sell every step of it. Park Sung Hoon's darkening and brooding face was incredibly chilling even when his character fell apart in terms of writing.

The production value was super high. There were some very pretty sets as well as incredibly swoon-worthy scenes (the helicopter one, the lavender field, the castle,...). The making was beautiful and above all, the soundtrack was amazing. With the acting, the OST did a lot in exacerbating feelings for the viewer. I will likely go back to listening to many of the songs of the drama which is clearly a sign of its addictive quality.

I would recommend this to people looking for an emotional love story. Given the episodes length, It is quite an investment in terms of time and there are some issues with the writing in the second half of the series. However, despite its flaws, I truly enjoyed the drama thanks to the incredible acting, great OST and iconic romantic scenes.If you loved other dramas from this writer (such as My Love From Another Star and Crash Landing on You), you are in known territory and should like it as well.

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Textbook kdrama

As the title suggests, this show is a textbook example of how a kdrama looks.

The story started great, showing the realistic money/power hungry family members going at each other. It also showed some, but not a lot of cutesy romance scenes, as well as some comedy bits, both very typical I might add.

CHARACTERS STORIES: They did not delve deeper into any of the characters stories (you could say the ML and FL had enough of their story being told, be it through flashbacks and whatnot, but I disagree — they had almost no character, one is cold faced but warm-hearted and the other is a puppy). Only what was essential to understand the story was included, nothing more, nothing less. That would have made every person feel a much more powerful connection to the characters and the storyline. They never really got to explain the whole divorce and unhappiness that the two main characters were experiencing in their relationship in depth. They only skimmed through the most important points of interest and moved on to something else, be it family or business struggles.

ACTING: Very good. Loved the male and female leads' acting and emotion expression, but the romantic vibe was somehow not as present as I thought it would be. It wasn't awkward at all, but was not so romantic either. That was a bit of a bummer. It was more sad than romantic, given the entire situation the characters were in, but that doesn't excuse the fact that the spark was not there between the ML and FL. The others were fine.

Would I watch this again? — Probably, if I forget about it after some time (It really isn't such a complicated storyline).
Would I recommend it? — Yes, I would. While it does seem like a very surface level covered drama, depending on the person, you could find yourself quite attached, and if you are a little bit soft-hearted, you could shed some tears.

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The acting and production > the plot

the plot kinda went off the rails but the cinematography and acting was so beautiful that I will just forget about the writing 😭 that ending was so bitter sweet but beautiful till death do us part.
I kinda lowkey was hoping for more of their child’s story I wanted to know how their parenting is like now after dealing with the whole miscarriage 😭


Throughout the series I was a bit bored with some parts since tbh it seemed like the revenge/fight for the company were never going to properly be disclosed but I suppose it did end up working out for them. All of the roles were so beautifully done as well (I still lowkey don’t like grace she switched up so fast). I loved all the family characters the character development of both hyun woo’s and hae in’s family was beautiful to see and the bond they had created compared to when they were first stuck together 😭
anyways hyunwoo and hae in’s story was beautiful it was very cold business woman type love lmao the way she still called him mr baek (unless translations are wrong haha) but both actors were great in their roles and their chemistry was amazing together. people are hating on it too hard ngl it wasn’t as bad as people say it is. only part that I didn’t like was eunsung’s entire stupid existence GOSH HE ACTUALLY ANNOYED ME SO MUCH AND HIS STUPID PSYCHO MOM TOO 😭 the writer was definitely either on ao3 or wattpad in her childhood cause this was so all over the place maybe she was drunk when writing the last 5 episodes idk. 💀

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What is the sense to show the year 2074?

Only for the dialogue that stated ,if anyone of the two leave then other one wil reach to them .
There were several scenes that touched the audience deeply. For instance, when the husband, after deciding to divorce his wife, discovers she is dying, he chooses not to divorce her out of pity. He realizes the depth of his annoyance with her but decides to stay by her side during her final moments, which secretly brings him happiness.

Additionally, I found the chemistry between the second leads more captivating than that of the main leads. Especially, Hong Soo Cheol's performance was exceptional; he was truly outstanding.

Another memorable moment was when their love story finally began to unfold.

The subplot involving the female lead, who was the owner of a shopping mall, and her struggles to save it, added depth to the story.

Despite many engaging scenes, something felt lacking in the overall storytelling.

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Queen of Tears Is Yet Another K-Drama That Doesn’t Stick the Landi

✅It's A Below Average Drama With Amazing Performances and Decent To Good Cinematography With A Generic RichA$$ Makjang K-Drama Plot.. But Bruhh I Wasn't Expecting This Sh!t At All.. See It Was A Most Anticipated Drama From Makers Of CRASH LANDING ON, VINCENZO and MY LOVE FROM THE STAR.. + It Was Comeback Drama Of One Of My Favourite Actor Kim Soo Hyun.. So Obviously I Had Very High Expectations.. But It Turned Out Hell Boring Drama With A Bland, Lazy, Draggy Yet A Predictable Screenplay and Direction.. With Dead And Cliched Chemistry Of Main Leads.. + There Is Hardly Even 10 Mins Of Plot In Every 1h30mins Episodes.. I Can Point Out Much More But Let's Not Go There.. It's My Opinion And You Guys Might Have Different Opinion, I Totally Respect That.. But For Me It Was Biggest Let Down.. I'M DISAPPOINTED, DISHEARTENED, DISPLEASED and Uh.. That's It, Goodbye Queen Of Trash

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All the nagetive review forced me to put a review to do justice for the drama.

This story is not everyone's cup of tea. The thought and message that convey the storyline is bigger then anything. I'm really thankful to the writer and all the cast and crews for making 'Queen of Tears'. It's a story of our daily life the problem we face in our family in our relationship and more. The story will mske you rethink about you family, relationship, friendships and make you inspired to make your relationship stronger. And the cast line is amaizing. Maybe my words will be less for their acting skills. Their acting is superb that will make you the problems and solutions more realistic. The music is awesome. All the songs are refreshing and nostalgic. I don't know why people are putting nagetive review for this drama, there again people afraid to accept reality and love to live in fantasy. But It's a must watch drama for all.

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It was almost perfect

My thoughts about this drama: “what a valiant roar, what a bland goodbye”

I loved the first episodes, how complex their dynamic was and how well Soohyun and Jiwon brought them to life with their micro expressions. The way the pacing felt realistic, since a lot of things have passed between them and they're relearning each other. For me the drama took a bad turn when they lost focus of the main characters and expanded so much on the Queen’s drama. Especially the villains, they had so much screen time and were not really nuanced. Or the aunt, like yes, she was a nice character, but ???? why would they think I wanted so much screen time with her and that bland guy? At first it was cute, but when they gave them so much screen time the last episodes it turned out really annoying for me.

I feel like the car crash was unnecessary and something the writer included because she felt like the audience had not forgiven Hyun Woo enough for the way he acted at the beginning of the drama. That we needed to see him have this big gesture and go rescue her as proof of his love, but it was unnecessary and redundant by this point. We’ve already seen how much he loves her ever since the reality of losing her was on the table and he realized it (when she gets lost on his hometown and she admits it and he hugs her and cries).

In episode 1 and 2 we see how distant and resentful they’ve grown of each other, how they’ve built walls between each other (like when she says he is acting out of character by siding with her and taking her hand) but the moment she is honest and vulnerable (probably it’s been years since that) it dawns on him that she is sick and loosing herself. And it breaks him, because it turns real, that maybe she won’t be saved, that they’ve lost years of companionship they took for granted and both of them could’ve done something to fix things (their talk outside of the supermarket). Him recognizing he forgot that love (while she didn’t) and that scene in episode 6 in Germany was top notch, and staying by her side with Queen’s take over and also recognizing his own mistakes (like how Haein tells him she never wanted to be alone, and both understand she is talking about their baby; or him saying that he wishes he would’ve asked her about her day back then instead of acting as strangers) for me was enough. Him egging her on to have a reaction out of her, bringing her family to his hometown, being vulnerable with her and recognizing his faults, listening to her and caring, were reasons enough to forgive him.

I was also not a fan of her losing her memory. I think they chose way too many conflicts and they overlapped and we didn’t have enough scenes of them being happy without the threat of her disease. I would’ve either picked the Queen’s take over or her amnesia, both was too much. Especially when the pacing by the end was so bad and they chose to keep her amnesia instead of her remembering. We didn’t have scenes of “them” but of HyunWoo and a HaeIn that didn’t feel like HaeIn at times and did not know their past. Like, yes, their past wasn’t perfect, but it was what gave their relationship depth. And then they chose to skip her falling in love with him or any life milestones between them!!! Like them finding out about her being pregnant again and this time supporting each other and facing the uncertainty together. Their child’s first birthday! We got like a few seconds of them on the steps and then were clubbed with old HyunWoo facing her death and meeting each other again as “souls”. I think it would’ve been a little less shocking if we’d had at least more scenes of them spending their life together before that scene. Especially after most of the drama they made us bawl our eyes out.

One of the worst things they chose to do was that the reason they both grew distant and started to resent the other was not addressed with the depth and care that it should’ve been. They both hurt each other. HyunWoo felt that his feelings were not taken into consideration by HaeIn and that she did not care as much as him (shown by his surprise by the date being her passcode) and that he was not given space to grief. Like he grew up in a family in which they talk things together and support each other, that’s the way he is able to bear sadness, and HaeIn closing off emotionally and being defensive made him feel isolated. Meanwhile, HaeIn has already suffered the loss of a family member and she was blamed and resented by her mother for it, so it makes sense that because of that experience and the guilt and trauma of the miscarriage she was going through she thought HyunWoo would do the same, especially after seeing that he moved his things out of their bedroom. He did it because he felt hurt by her breaking down the nursery and not giving him space to grief, but it was how she was taught to grief: walk around it, pretend it did not happen and don’t talk about it (like how her father was going to turn the page of the family album when there was a photo of her older brother). I feel like the way they started to approach it was on track: HyunWoo seeing the birthdate being her passcode, HaeIn admitting she never wanted to be alone and HyunWoo understanding she is talking about the miscarriage and realizing he misinterpreted her back then and the look of regret when he apologizes and hugs her. But I think they should’ve talked about it sooner (like when they’re in his apartment, when she sees the birthdate being his passcode as well) instead of the gloss over they did on the final episode when she still does not remember a lot of what they went through.

The drama started out great but I feel like the writers didn’t understand the characters enough and thought we needed big action scenes to be impressed and hooked. Instead, it would’ve been better if it stayed as more of a character study on how for love to be kept alive it needs to be nourished, it needs work and communication and respect between each other. Jiwon and Soohyun are amazing actors and have the range to bring those scenes to life, so it’s a shame that the writers chose to sideline them (like I think the villains have almost more screen time than HaeIn in the final episodes...). Tbh, Soohyun and Jiwon were the reason I kept watching, especially by the end, I can say that the last two episodes are some of the worst episodes of the drama.

I love HyunWoo and HaeIn, and it’s been a while since I’ve been so hooked with a drama and the actors had the ability to make me care so deeply about their characters. “Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new” by Ursula K. LeGuin reminds me of their relationship.

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A tropey, tear-filled soap opera with solid acting that tugs at the heart strings

If you've seen Perfect Marriage Revenge or Marry My Husband, then you have an idea of what's in store here (without the rebirth/time travel element): This is a soap opera, no question, with its requisite checklist of a wealthy family, succession conflicts and rivalry, scheming interlopers, over-the-top (yet predictable) plot developments, and of course, unexpected childhood connections. In that sense, there isn't too much that's "new" here. All three dramas are somewhat over-rated, but what sets Queen of Tears apart from the other two are the acting, production quality, heartfelt relationships, and a lovely soundtrack.

Like many Asian dramas, Queen of Tears almost feels like a story in two different acts. The first is light, filled with dark humour and family dynamics that are amusingly bananas as we meet the characters and familiarize ourselves with the setting. The pacing and execution are pretty solid and I found myself cackling out loud multiple times. The cast of characters are not especially likable, frankly, but that's okay, because we're here for the great storytelling.

The second act takes a much darker tone, as wild plots, evil schemes, angst, and endless tears take centre stage. Much of the humour is gone. Characters hit rock bottom and grow. They are tested by adversity and overcome them. The show is keenly aware of its melodramatic turn, however, as even the characters themselves discuss and compare events to K-drama plots.

Overall, the first half felt more fresh and entertaining, but I personally enjoyed the back half more for the angst and significantly warmer and more empathetic characters, even as the story dipped into Makjang territory and some plot elements (like Hyun Woo's siblings, the miscarriage, etc.) were not as flushed out as I would have liked.

Given the amount of tears shed in this drama, I was curiously not bawling alongside the characters, especially for our heroine, Hong Hae In, played by Kim Ji Won. The earlier unlikability factor comes at a cost. Hae In is so scarred by life experiences that she hides behind a cold and indifferent mask. But even when the mask finally cracks in the second half, I struggled to warm up to her. Still, as someone who is forgetful yet overly sentimental, I did find Hae In's fears and personal story powerfully poignant. With a warmer character, I would have wept an ocean of tears. Ultimately it was Kim Soo Hyun's portrayal of Baek Hyun Woo that finally made my eyes water and my heart ache near the end. While Kim Soo Hyun lacks a certain "swoon factor" for me, his immense likability and solid acting comes through in Hyun Woo.

Another particular acting highlight was Kwak Dong Yeon, who plays Hong Soo Cheol. The actor already stood out for me in a number of his previous roles, and I initially found him almost unrecognizable here as the annoying jerk brother. When we first meet Soo Cheol, he is the stereotypical baffoon - the incompetent, spoiled family embarrassment and mama's boy with no self-awareness out to beat his sister. But surprisingly, he ends up being the warmest and most passionate member of the Queens family. In the hands of another actor, Soo Cheol could simply be a supremely annoying wealthy idiot sibling. Instead I found myself feeling sorry and rooting for him.

Elsewhere, Park Sung Hoon was very effective in his incredibly unsettling portrayal of Yoon Eun Seong, especially in early episodes. Some of that chilling effect felt diluted later on, however, overshadowed by melodramatic plot developments. Even so, Eun Seong's gaslighting and truth-filled lies remained extremely disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, particularly in the way it reminded me of the misinformation and disinformation we face in the real world today.

Queen of Tears started off as a respectable 8.5 for me, but the strong emotional notes struck in the last three episodes and especially the ending, pushed it into a high 8.

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