‘Queen of Tears’ K-drama review: Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun stand out in this tearjerker

Over the final month, Queen of Tears has shattered scores information, spawned 1000’s of new followers from throughout the globe for its lead actors, and has had viewers singing alongside to ‘Love You With All My Heart’ by Crush. The K-drama, 2024’s largest hit thus far, was backed by a good quantity of hype. Written by Park Ji-eun who final helmed the smash hit Crash Landing on You, it introduced collectively actors Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won as a component of an ensemble solid full of acquainted faces, and got here with a noticeably superior manufacturing worth, full with scenes filmed overseas.

Queen of Tears initially looks as if a drama about marital discord and a possible second-chance romance. Heiress and Queens division retailer CEO Hong Hae-in (Ji-won) and Queens group authorized director Baek Hyun-woo (Soo-hyun) are caught in an earthly, virtually loveless marriage. Hyun-woo feels emasculated by his overbearing Chaebol household in-laws, and has little to no interplay together with his seemingly aloof, chilly spouse. When he decides to chunk the bullet and go for a divorce, he finds out that Hae-in has solely three months to stay. Enthused by the thought of being free from the wedding with out having to deliver up a divorce, and hoping to vary her thoughts about her will, he sticks round, begins sleeping higher, and is counting down the times until he’s free from his predicament. 

Park Sung-hoon because the mysterious Yoon Eun-sung, who has a bigger hidden agenda

Freedom, nevertheless, isn’t as straightforward to return by. Hyun-woo begins to get jealous when Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon), a buddy of Hae-in’s, resurfaces after a few years and will get concerned with serving to her shut a enterprise deal. He additionally begins to sympathise together with his spouse, and her deteriorating well being lastly begins turning into a trigger for concern.

The leads carry the present by with their charisma and terrific performing

All of this slowly makes an attempt to redeem Hyun-woo from being an completely unlikable character, who rejoices on the thought of his spouse’s impending dying, to somebody who appears succesful of earnestness and regret. Later on, there are a pair of scenes about what brought about the once-in-love couple to float aside, however we by no means totally delve into this or the miscommunication that prevails. 

This is maybe the present’s largest downside – that you just don’t get to see sufficient of the leads, who make for essentially the most fascinating characters, and are performed by two terrific, charismatic actors. In its eagerness to embrace an entire lot of grandness, a number of themes and a number of subplots, Queen of Tears typically finally ends up feeling overstuffed and overlong. This solely leaves us craving for extra time with Hye-in and Hyun-woo, particularly given how they start to heat up to one another and appear to be on the trail to mending their relationship, after the primary six episodes. 

Hong Hae-in’s chaebol household that controls the Queens Group

The candy moments that seize love blossoming another time are wedged in between an entire lot of drama taking place in any other case. The household is overthrown from their firm and pushed out of their home and Eun-sung is decided to kick Hyun-woo out of the image and woo Hae-in regardless of her not being in the slightest degree . All this occurs whereas Hyun-woo desperately clings on to the hope that Hae-in will be saved from her sickness. 

The lighter, extra healthful stretches listed here are reserved for when each households are pressured to co-habit on the village the place Hyun-woo’s dad and mom keep. Hyun-woo’s dad and mom are the polar reverse of the Chaebol household they play host to — they’re heat and pleasant, all the time have a sizzling meal ready to go together with phrases of knowledge about every part underneath the solar, and fuss over Hae-in who has largely been uncared for by her household by her life. An fascinating bunch of characters are thrown into the combination right here, ensuing in friendships, and even unlikely romances.

Hyun-woo’s household steps up for Hae-in and her household in the time of a disaster

The present turns into much less and much less about redemption, grief, and second probabilities because the drama appears to take centre stage. While Queen of Tears stays largely compelling until episode 12, the final 4 episodes pack in a sequence of unlucky tropes in fast succession, and twists and turns which can be largely pointless. In the span of 4 episodes, we get a miraculous treatment, reminiscence loss, a strategic coup, an abduction, and Hyun-woo getting run over by a automotive in addition to getting shot. Why is it that, throughout Ok-dramas, the writing uniformly derails after episode 12? This chaos in the direction of the top of the present appears wholly avoidable, particularly given how the present reserves some stunning writing and scenes for its remaining few moments. We would have beloved to see extra of this! 

If the present leaves you bawling at a number of scenes by its run-time, the credit score goes to Kim So-hyun and Kim Ji-hyun, who’re completely solid in roles that can little question go on to be thought to be excessive factors of their profession. So-hyun, together with his attraction and expressive eyes has all the time been an actor to look out for, however right here, Ji-won is equally spectacular. She switches effortlessly between being assured and embracing her vulnerability as she struggles along with her prognosis. Both actors sparkle on display, share a cushty chemistry and are a deal with to look at. 

While Queen of Tears undoubtedly has its moments and is partaking in stretches, maybe extra time exploring the story of Hae-in and Hyun-woo would have vastly elevated the present. In the absence of an obsessed villain who doesn’t surrender, and some pointless household chaos, we might have delved much more into the story of the much-loved lead couple. 

All episodes of Queen of Tears are streaming on Netflix