opal
Good binge watch with shortcomings that can be overlooked
I have conflicting thoughts because this drama leaves me wanting more, which may be both the appeal and the source of annoyance at times.
First of all, I adored the two protagonists; they are excellent actors who have appeared in numerous shows, and they have a wide range. I absolutely loved the musical scores and the emotional depth suits the storyline. For the most part I enjoyed the story and could see what they were trying to achieve however the other characters could have been explored better. However, when watching this drama, I may be missing out on romantic nuances due to the subtitles or my lack of Korean cultural literacy. There are scenes where the lines do not match the actions. Also there are scenes where the lines do not fit the actions. This is marketed as an adult drama, but it feels high school-ish at moments. For example, the emotional disconnect occurs when the lines/words do not match the acting/behavior. The common assumption is that romantic words will result in more shows of matching affection and romantic conduct (not the off-putting raunchy American variety), but if the scenario has a romantic vibe, there may be suitable hugging, kissing, stroking, and touching to accompany the phrases! However, I notice the actors simply looking at each other after a romantic moment with some beautiful words...which is counterintuitive because in reality, when lovers have a moment, it is followed by acts of affection. This is to the directors who lack these sensibilities. However, after viewing several grown-up romance kdramas. I've seen that many moments do not fit the conduct, I think it's just a difference in cultural or societal norms in Korea vs the west.
Overall, everyone performed admirably in their assigned roles. Both main characters delivered exceptional performances, expressing an abundance of love, tenderness, and suffering, evoking tears and stirring a sense of nostalgia within me. Further, camera angles that display exquisite cinematography and performance, especially the emotional denouement and direction, was great. Queen of Tears was enjoyable to binge watch and honestly I’ll watch about anything with Kim Soo Hyun (he's my bias)
I give this a 7.8 out of 10 rounded up to an 8 out of 10. I would revisit this some time in future.
First of all, I adored the two protagonists; they are excellent actors who have appeared in numerous shows, and they have a wide range. I absolutely loved the musical scores and the emotional depth suits the storyline. For the most part I enjoyed the story and could see what they were trying to achieve however the other characters could have been explored better. However, when watching this drama, I may be missing out on romantic nuances due to the subtitles or my lack of Korean cultural literacy. There are scenes where the lines do not match the actions. Also there are scenes where the lines do not fit the actions. This is marketed as an adult drama, but it feels high school-ish at moments. For example, the emotional disconnect occurs when the lines/words do not match the acting/behavior. The common assumption is that romantic words will result in more shows of matching affection and romantic conduct (not the off-putting raunchy American variety), but if the scenario has a romantic vibe, there may be suitable hugging, kissing, stroking, and touching to accompany the phrases! However, I notice the actors simply looking at each other after a romantic moment with some beautiful words...which is counterintuitive because in reality, when lovers have a moment, it is followed by acts of affection. This is to the directors who lack these sensibilities. However, after viewing several grown-up romance kdramas. I've seen that many moments do not fit the conduct, I think it's just a difference in cultural or societal norms in Korea vs the west.
Overall, everyone performed admirably in their assigned roles. Both main characters delivered exceptional performances, expressing an abundance of love, tenderness, and suffering, evoking tears and stirring a sense of nostalgia within me. Further, camera angles that display exquisite cinematography and performance, especially the emotional denouement and direction, was great. Queen of Tears was enjoyable to binge watch and honestly I’ll watch about anything with Kim Soo Hyun (he's my bias)
I give this a 7.8 out of 10 rounded up to an 8 out of 10. I would revisit this some time in future.
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