Queen of Tears

Queen of Eliciting Tears from the Male Lead

My rating: 8/10

I almost feel generous saying 8/10. Maybe more of a 7 in terms of the story itself. If it wasn’t so well acted and beautifully filmed, I would have rated it lower. It just wasn’t my thing. I never reached that “oh good, I can watch an episode (or two)” feeling—it was more like enduring it, hoping Hong Hae-in’s character would turn around. I think it was aiming for a bit of a Notebook vibe: “I love you even if you don’t remember me.” She is terminal throughout most of the show, so if that kind of heavy sadness bothers you, maybe pass. This is one of those shows where, if I see it on someone’s list of “good shows,” I’m going to question their entire list. Oh, you prefer highly dramatic, overall emotionally draining dramas? I mean, it is complex—I’ll give it that. But, in terms of the romance, I am not sure the writers had any idea what good, healthy love looks like. I think they might have been going for “there are all types of love, including imperfect love.” I don’t want to watch imperfect love, though. Would I watch it again? Absolutely not. I had a hard enough time getting through it the first time. Recommend it? It depends. Do you like emotionally heavy shows about people who probably should be better off apart but somehow keep landing back together? Does that messy, “real” feeling appeal to you? Then maybe you’d like it. Personally I would leave the room if it was on or turn the channel. I’m not sorry I watched it—I was very curious, and it shows up pretty often on “shows to watch” lists. But it will now be an indicator for me. If someone likes it, I will assume our taste does not align.


Spoilers  

The Backstory of Their Marriage and Hong Hae-in’s Coldness

I waited nearly the entire series to understand how their relationship got so bad as reflected in the beginning of the series. Why they were sleeping in separate bedrooms, why her family treated him like a servant, why Hong Hae-in didn’t do anything about it, and why she was the queen of cold. The show tried to explain it way too late with flashbacks to when they were first considering marriage. She tells him her family is very different from his and that no matter how lonely he becomes, she won’t be able to take his side. That was supposed to exonerate her from how she treated him early in the marriage and explain how they became so cold and distant. It was also supposed to show it was partially his fault because, after all, she did warn him. I think they wanted to portray Hong Hae-in as a tsundere—cold on the outside but warm on the inside—and they tried to make that an okay or even good thing. The flashbacks and her “warning” were meant to paint her behavior as understandable or even romantic, like she was always secretly caring deep down. I did not buy that at all. She did not have to be that way—she chose to be. It was emotional abuse. And, even after the surgery, she never significantly change. Even in the last episode she says something about him proposing but that she doesn’t know him that well again yet. He did take a bullet for her, though, so she would have to find a way to turn him down without hurting him. She was still being somewhat distant. I just saw her as cold and selfish from beginning to end.

Fated Childhood Connections

The show piled on way too many “destiny” moments, and it started to feel silly. For the main couple, there were two big ones. First, the childhood angel story where he saves Hong Hae-from drowning as kids. Then later their encounter as teen-agers over the music player. The villainous second guy even tries to get on the destiny action by claiming he was the one who saved her from drowning. And, as if that was not enough, there is the real incident between 2nd villainous guy and her where he bashes the dog with a rock to keep it from attacking her. Where did the dog even come from? Why was it attacking her? And since he had already mentioned killing dogs like a psycho earlier, was that an accident or just an excuse for him to bash a dog with a rock? It felt forced and weird. On top of that, they had to pile another destiny like encounter with Hong Hae-in’s brother and his wife and some fated childhood connection at the orphanage with the strawberry shortcake story. So you end up with multiple overlapping destiny flashbacks for the main couple plus side characters. It made the whole “meant to be” theme feel overdone and ridiculous.

Unbelievable Plot Elements and Medical Realism

So many things in the show stretched believability. Hong Hae-in has an initially inoperable brain tumor that causes her to go into dreamlike states and lose track of time and where she is. Yet she has these really long lucid stretches where everyone acts like she’s relatively normal. And, knowing she has these episodes, they let her drive and just go about herself. That would not happen. With a brain tumor like that, you wouldn’t be well enough to go about your normal life. The people who cared would notice and be sure they did not leave you alone. So, her whole brain tumor thing was strange. But, they seemed to like the theme of people having a horrible illness or injury and just shrugging it off. When he gets hit and they say it broke a rib and virtually destroyed his liver—he leaves the hospital to go after her. He would not have been able to function that well, even with adrenaline. He has a brain tumor, grandpa gets poisoned and that isn't enough they also have to add amnesia. I seriously dislike the amnesia trope, but it was particularly annoying here. She had written all these things for herself, and of course the villain/second guy gets ahold of them and tries to burn them. And of course, by some miracle, they don’t burn.

The Over-the-Top Sadness and Action Beats

I am not one for sad movies, but this was comically sad. You know how in a horror movie they try so hard to scare you that it starts to be funny? That’s how I felt about this. Oh, now he’s hit by a car. Oh, now he took a bullet for her. The hunting grounds scene where the villain is chasing them with a rifle (“If I can’t have you, no one will”) felt so cliché. When she is going into surgery and says “What if I forget who you are? What if I am mean to you?” and he says “Then it wouldn’t be the first time.” That is sad. I really felt like the world was saying they shouldn’t be together. Queen of Tears? She was the queen of his tears. Always making the man sad. Family Dynamics, the Villain, and Sad Side Stories

The villain’s mom horribly neglected him—that’s why he was so crazily addicted to Hong Hae-in. So it even felt a tiny bit sad when he got shot in the end. The grandfather being killed by the woman he so horribly misjudged—not listening to and preferring her over his own daughter—was still sad. Hong Hae-in’s mother being so jealous of her and being cold to her because the brother died and she lived. The mother says that later. How ridiculous that would be—angry at a child for living. Sad and unnecessary actions and behaviors throughout the show that just made the tone overall sad.

Redemption Arcs and Side Character Moments

I did like how Hong Hae-in’s brother learned to box and was a bit of a badass saving his wife. I liked seeing him get some redemption-type arc. His family was also very mean to him and then he married someone who thought he was an idiot. Their "romantic" fated arc was really her just conning him out of his things and bullying him. I mean, then later she just thinks he is stupid and sort of winds up loving him by accident.

Forgiving People

The main guy forgives main girl for her cold behavior all over the place and all the time. The way she was with 2nd guy even when they were still married was wrong. You don't let another man be that close to you when your spouse is right there. That is hurtful. But he never called her on it. They forgive Grace? Why? She was horrible and just did a couple of redeeming things here and there. But she tried to break the main couple up, made their relationship worse, helped embezzle money, and turned on them any time it benefitted her more. Nothing redeemable about her in my opinion.

The Ending and Final Reflections

He wakes up in his hospital bed after taking a literal bullet for her and she apologizes to him for once again treating him coldly and not remembering him—and he apologizes to her? For what? For forgetting how much he had wanted to be with her and how he should have just been willing for the family to treat him like a lesser human and for her to be cold to him? Yeah, I’m not okay with that. There is nothing romantic about one person showing love all the time so much more than the other. Whoever wrote it had the weirdest sense of love and romance. Then they have to end it with him being alone again. It is supposed to be beautiful—the old man putting flowers on the grave just like she envisioned. That is the saddest and loneliest time in anyone’s life: losing their life partner. It was supposed to be beautiful. She was there to greet him when he died. Why did we need that on top of all the other crud they put us through? No thank you. Did not like this. A sad and depressing take on life, love and relationships. Not at all the type of show I like to watch to feel joy in life.

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Phenomenal!

First of all, everyone who's involved in the drama did an outstanding job!
As a huge fan of the main characters since HEIRS and MY LOVE FROM THE STARS. I'm so honored to see them grow as an actor and actress.
They deserve all the praise and awards.
Beating CLOY... is not something I'll be shooked. I love CLOY.. they were my number 2 fav in kdramas but the plot, story, and acting of this drama are just above beyond my expectations.
It's more like... VIEWERS OF TEARS.
The emotions they put into their characters are just....speechless.
I'm in love.
Truly deserved awards...Plenty!
Thank you for the rollercoasters of emotions.
Giving me the feelings of happiness, sadness, anger, and thrills.

Thank you, QUEEN OF TEARS CAST. ◇♡◇

Hope to see them more in future dramas♡
Im rooting for you guys!
- international fan ♧
5/6/14
1141PM
♡♤♡♤♡♤♡

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worth it in the end

I want to say this is just my opinion ...
to be honest i wasn't sure i wanted to continue watching this when i first started it. Hae-in whole i don't care attitude was just really annoying and too much for me. How she could just treat her husband Baek Hyun-woo the way she did really got under my skin. But i really like to give everything i watch a fair opportunity because they all end up getting good. Which happen exactly lol. The more i watched and the more the story went on seeing how vulnerable Hae-in became, seeing how she really cared for him along with the little cute things she did I really started to enjoy. I'm not going to lie it made me cry a little bit of happy and sad tears, seeing there relationship progress and really go through so much to see how it ended was a fresh of breath air and just sweet. Just wanted to share my thoughts...I highly recommend.

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Queen of Tears : The lachrymose ode to this miracle called life.

"Queen of Tears" is portrayed as a romantic-comedy, depicting a tale of the reversed Cinderella love story between a heiress for whom money has never been a concern and a brilliant lawyer who was born and raised in the village of Yongduri. At first glance, this story-line may appear superficial. However, a question arose throughout my watching experience: How could this seemingly simplistic romcom encompass such complexity? Watching this drama also led me to ponder a naive yet profound question: Is it possible to love this much?

I experienced a roller-coaster of emotions while watching this drama. Their joys, their sorrows, their fears, their love. I became privy to their inner thoughts and feelings, just like a personal diary. Each character, though it can differ in intensity, has a story to tell, feelings to share, wounds to heal. You will cry tears of joy, of sorrow, of anger. Watching this drama will make you become THE queen of tears.

While the story unveils a significant number of typical K-drama scenes (Amnesia, Accident...), I suggest you give this drama a chance for the showstopping acting performances that have led to an excellent execution of the scenes.

The drama heavily emphasizes the "Miraculous" side of their love. This malignant brain tumour was the catalyst for Haein and Hyunwoo to rediscover and redefine the essence of love. What is better: living as they did for the past two years, eventually divorcing while burying their unspoken words and feelings, or experiencing a sudden event that teaches them how to love again? This illness happened for a reason; thus we learn that the things that hurt you in the present might offer you a grandiose gift in the future. The things you think are good to you might be the cause of your demise in the future.

The blind yet comfortable trust Hong Mandae gave to Eunseong and Moh Seulhee led to his death. The blind yet comfortable trust Haein's family gave to Eunseong led to their destitution. Haein's tumour led to cherishing this miracle called life.

I see this drama as a celebration of life. Getting older is a blessing. However, ensuring that you lived your life how you wanted it to be is the greatest accomplishment. Hong Mandae, who died at age 80, but has so many regrets; Hong Soowan, who is forever young and never got the chance to experience what life had to offer to him; Baby 1031, who became a star in the sky. They are all examples of life paths.

"I spent my whole life saving money, and I did everything I could to keep it from being taken away from me. [...] I want to leave you this confession that I have lived wrong [...] I want you to live a different life than I did. And I sincerely hope that you will have an end that is not in vain." - Hong Mandae, to Haein.

Haein, who was once a middle child, suddenly had to go through the hurdles of an oldest sibling. The relationship with her mother kept on worsening. She is married yet she is estranged to her husband. She was given three months to live. Three months to supposedly prepare to leave this earth. Three months to bid farewells. Death doesn't knock at people's houses and ask for permission to enter, it can snatch your soul away in a second. However, Haein was given a deadline, she was given a chance. The chance of reviving the hibernating passionate, yet pure love between her and Hyunwoo.

Haein and Hyunwoo retraced the beautiful moments of their past, returning to their haven called 'Sanssouci", walking together in the lavender fields, searching for the padlock engraved with their names. However, sacrificing their past was the only way for them to have a present and a future. Haein had to make the most difficult choice of her life: passing away with her memories, or doing a surgery leading her to start anew with her loved ones like a tabula rasa. As her three-months deadline draws near, Hyunwoo exhibits desperate behaviour, proving to Haein that he would go crazy if she were to pass away. The scene where he breaks the car window with his bare hand, thinking that Haein is trapped in the burning car, was one of my favourite scenes. It was always him, her reason to live.

"He's the reason why I didn't want to lose my memory. And even if I did, he's the reason why I wanted to live. Baek Hyunwoo is the person I want to remember forever." - Haein.

I am thankful she was given three months. In such a short period, Haein and Hyunwoo learned about one another more than they did in four years. It doesn't matter how long you know a person; what matters is how you spend time together. How you communicate with one another. How you can sacrifice anything for this person, even your life. In the finale, Hyunwoo taking the bullet instead of Haein to protect her was the climax of his love for her.

Another aspect of the drama I loved watching was the surprising yet endearing dichotomy between Hyunwoo's family and Haein's family. It was a pleasure to watch. The Napoleon painting in Hong Mandae's place being replaced with a family picture showcases how Haein's family managed to redeem itself. From aspiring to thrive and dominate the economy to cherishing the greatest gift life has to offer; a loving family.

"Queen of Tears" offers a heartbreakingly beautiful story. The ending shows Haein and Hyunwoo returning to "Sanssouci", this time with a baby girl. Their time has come to become the greatest parents. Their 1031 baby shines bright like a star on them. It is followed with, I think, one of the most beautiful scenes ever: Baek Hyunwoo walking on the staircase of "Sanssouci", a place that has lost its warmth. Haein's grave is shown afterwards, with an epitaph saying "The time I spent with you was the miracle of my life." All of this accompanied with Kim Soohyun's OST, a heart-shattering yet beautiful song.

Although Haein managed to overcome the torments of her illness, she was the first one to walk the eternal path of bliss 50 years later. She indeed will be the one who will pick Hyunwoo up, to live a long and beautiful life elsewhere, where there are no worries - a "Sanssouci" place in the sky.

Fly high, Hong Haein. You did well, you were a wonderful character until the end. 22/08/1990 - 07/04/2074.

I would like to conclude this long review (although i would love to discuss about this drama even longer) with a quote from the movie "A Walk to Remember" (2002).

"Love is like the wind. You can't see it, but you can feel it."

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When else would we get to experience an amazing and well-executed drama such as this?

Cinematography, scoring, editing, acting, and everything in between---- PERFECT!

The story was so dynamic and it didn't just focus on the main leads that I felt grateful on behalf of the supporting actors for giving them the spotlight that they deserve.
A lot of trivial incidents of our everyday life got placed on centerstage, so telling of how little things affect as greatly.
And for that reminder, I am so grateful.

The ending, considering its length (1 hour and 50 minutes) could be broken down into three chapters and all of which were beautiful.Thank you so much to the entire cast and crew, as well as those behind the production of this masterpiece. I'm forever grateful to all of you.

This has got to be the most expensive drama, acting-wise and emotion-wise to me.
I felt undeserving of how each scene was executed.
Everything about this is well-thought of. There may be instances that we didn't agree with the writing but it was a welcomed contrast to our views nonetheless.

The past eight weeks was so beautiful and I'll carry QoT with me for as long as I live. Thank you.

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cathartically beautiful

Ignore the bad reviews, this drama is definitely worth the watch. Don't miss out.

My only grievance with this drama was that the episodes got longer and longer as the show went on. Almost to like literal movie length episodes and it was kinda hard to watch them after work when I'm exhausted (I work in a hospital so I'm always tired haha). I feel like it could've had shorter episodes around the 1hour mark and maybe 20-24 episodes instead? That was the only fault I found with the show. Aside from that, I loved it so much.

Be prepared for a lot of angst and PAIN from start to finish. You will cry. You will laugh. You will scream at all the twists and turns along the way. Some twists were super predictable (but aren't most kdramas like this?), still as a whole it was a cathartically beautiful drama. You can expect the same level of angst/pain as Crash Landing on You.

The entire cast was brilliant and nailed their roles. I am going to miss watching them every week.

Oh and the chemistry between the leads is electric <3

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Excelente

Todos los cliches de los kdramas en 16 episodios. Desde que se conocían de niños hasta la pérdida de memoria. El trabajo del guionista y del elenco es EXCELENTE. Si no te encariñas ni un poquito es porque no tenes alma. No es apresurado decir que es el mejor drama de 2024 (o al menos dejó la vara muy alta).
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A beautiful ending foreveryone.

The one show I started with no expectation other than Kim Soo Hyun but, to say this drama had me hooked till the very last minute of the ending. A very heart wrenching plot. The title said "Queen of Tears" exactly, we all were in tears while watching each episode. This show had taken me on a emotional roller coaster, with each passing episodes, from felling heart broken for Baek Hyun Woo, feeling loved over how a women can admire her partner secretly to the extreme, feeling hatred and sad at the same time for the antagonist who, finally died without getting an ounce of love he yearned for. I would watch this show over and over again as i might never get tired of it. The chemistry in loving, misunderstanding, fighting and even waiting for each other, between the main cast has been the cherry on top, serving every emotion we needed. Sure gonna miss them but lets hope for another master piece like this in the future.

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