Falls short of 'Crash Landind on You'...

In writing this review I wanted to provide my perspective for those who were potentially looking at watching Queen of Tears because of them loving Park Ji-eun's 'Crash Landing on You'.

Queen of Tears is centered around a marriage, how those two characters interact with each other in varying circumstances, and on the larger scale, how their families respond to events that unfold.

Crash Landing on You is centered around two people that grow to like each other despite being from different worlds, about comradery and support among friends, and about the moments that change your life.

Here is the thing, Queen of Tears attempts to copy the above formula they used for Crash Landing on You too, but falls short on captivating that emotional impact.

SPOILERS BELOW

Take for example one scene where the FL in Q.o.T reveals to the ML that it was HER mp3 player he had all these years later, and the ML reveals he tried so hard to find the girl that dropped it all those years ago. The script in that scene was just so dry and matter of fact that I felt like I was watching the news rather than a drama. In C.L.o.Y in comparison, the lead up and reveal of the ML and the FL discovering the ML was playing the piano of the music piece that helped the FL with her will to live - that was a masterpiece... cathartic, deeply emotive and the fulfillment of the viewer's greatest desire in wanting something to happen. This for me is the epitome of how the dramas differ: Queen of Tears attempts to replicate the C.L.o.Y formula, but ultimately failed because it didn't tell its own unique story, it went to clichés and over-used plots.

Is it still worth watching? Yes, probably. Will you skip scenes centered around their families? Yes, also likely. But ultimately, as a word of caution for the hopeful: It might not captivate on the level that the characters in 'Crash Landing on You' did.

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My most rewatched C-Drama

What an absolute joy to have watched this series in my life.

THE THINGS I LOVED THE MOST

The Music: There is something so special about the music in this drama. From the xylophone melodies to the orchestral accompaniment of scenes, it was done to perfection. Rarely does a drama get it so right like they did here.

The relationship between Feng Jiu and Dong Hua: It's not your conventional romance. Through the different sagas you get to see admiration, first love, playful moments, childish jealousy, working together and sweet words of innocence. This series provides such a wonderful spectrum of experiences for both the main leads. At times I heavily related to their experiences and cried my eyes out, and other times I simply smiled ear to ear from their interactions.

The Humor: Rarely do we get so many funny moments out of a C-Drama, but they really "knocked it out of the park" with this one. Simply a joy to watch.

WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE

Ji Heng: Most of the cast provide a stellar performance, however one character that just was "not it" was Ji Heng. I am yet to hear anything positive about this blank-face, conflict-creating, screen-stealing character. Obviously she served a role, but upon re-watching, I skip most of her scenes. Xiao Yan's friendship with Feng Jiu was delightfully entertaining, but his relationship with Ji Heng was cliché and dry as toast.

Despite the character Ji Heng , Eternal Love of Dream is as good as a perfect series as I have watched, and a strong 10/10 from me. Would highly recommend people give it a go to see if it's something they also love.

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