Queen of Tears

the best k drama of 2024

surely the best K-Drama of 2024.
Talking about the character of the villain Yoon Eun-Seong. It was a very well-developed historical construction. A villain who, in essence, is not created to be hated but pitied. From the beginning to the end of the drama, Eun-Seong dedicated himself to doing the best he could, the best he knew and learned how to do. A character who grew up with a very strong trauma of abandonment and rejection, always on the margins and forgotten, living in the shadows, praying to be remembered by his mother figure. He spent his life developing a very strong identity crisis, basing himself on a perfect image in order to be recognized by his obsession, our dear protagonist Hong Hae-In, and also by his mother. In addition, he has had to confront his greatest enemy, not the protagonist Baek Hyun-Woo, but himself. And every time Eun-Seong had to face the fact that Hyun-Woo was ahead, he felt even more inferior and lost. In the end, the story of our villain himself is a real drama. The result of an accumulation of childhood traumas and distorted self-image. Yoon Eun-Seong, you should never have felt so inferior, you never lacked anything that was left over in your classmate, you just lacked therapy (k).
The script for the main couple Hong Hae-in and Baek Hyun-Woo is designed to be relatable. If, for a moment, we put aside all the ramifications of the story and focus only on the couple, we spend the entire drama identifying with one context or another of the moment they lived through.

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Fabulous casting, but the storyline fell short.

I was captivated at the beginning. Then, like a lot of other K-dramas — it became too makjang-y and fell flat towards the end. I would say the acting carried such flawed storytelling all the way to the finish line. Kim Ji Won and Kim Soo Hyun are fantastic actors. The supporting cast does not disappoint as well. I'm still miffed at the wasted potential of the story, though. I think I felt totally disconnected from it by episode 13 and only continued watching because well, I was just 3 episodes away from the end. OST is great and hits you at the right moments. No rewatch value for me as I found the storyline too frustrating with a lot of elements that it could really have done without, especially in the last few episodes.

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Queen of the Tears of Baek Hyunwoo, The Family and then the Audience

Progressing into love? Nope, put it in reverse. Queen of Tears starts with the intention of filling us into a swirl of being a third person in the middle of broken married relationship (marriage! right away! phew, I am not even started dating yet!) How to make a painful marriage ends? How to successfully cut ties with the family of your toxic wife as a lucky middle-class guy coming from the rural area? Surely, there is not many romance drama that started with falling out so quickly like this one.

With the thought of freedom is the only thing you want, I think Hyunwoo just put us being so empathetic with him so quick. Surely, shoved with how unlikeable Haein's family is and how they are so so so rich draws this huge gap that we are on his side quickly. That until we started to see that both of the characters sharing the same quality, also until we shared the common enemies.

I root for the main characters as time grows because the direction of the drama is really good. We are given the reasons to approve Hyunwoo idea's of divorce but then also realize that the key is only to revive the communication and terms between them. Anyway, isn't it natural to losing 'sparks' after all that love is not exercised? What starts to begin as enduring divorce as Haein heals has become how to revive both Haein's health and as well as the romance. One strong point this drama has is also how the side characters are charming and we all can see the growth of them making the happy ending are relieving news broadcasted through TV (literally.) At some points, it gives me as the audience that I am following a big gossip through infotainment (with the spices and hint from people inside.)

My friend told me that the making of Queen of Tears has exceeded many years that some of parts are not relevant to the present. I can see the similarity Queen of Tears shared with the common soap operas in my country that 1.) The family is really rich, it quite gives the boring idea that they do not have any struggles until they are being tricked into crime and lose all of their assets, 2.) The erasure of villains as conclusions and how black and white the characters seems. And so it has become my disturbance that Hyunwoo is so clean at the end. He has been abused, overworked (but I don't think he's underpaid), restricted from his rights, put in jail, almost get in attempted murder and HIT BY A FREAKING CAR yet his only concern is to live with the love of his life. I think it is given that way to par with Haein's incurable tumor, being lied to and tricked to lose everything he has worked hard for, wait also being kidnapped by a sicko obsessed guy...probably it was necessary to ripped all over their walls like that to see that they only need more time to be together to understand their love and fix how being a family was...but still I think it is not fair compared to Eunsong who we only known his motive was growing from being a traumatized child and ended up being so evil (alongside with his mother who we know so little the background of.) The weight of black and white this story has somehow leads to happy ending we expected but we need to get through to sooo many circling ways. The focus change in the drama is good as it expands to discovering many conflicts for character buildings but I think this drama could have less episode while making use of the characters background a little more.

Despite knowing how hyperbolic sometimes the plot is, Queen of Tears has offered something so good to experience, and that is to love and being loved is trully the most important thing in life.

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Definitetly a K-drama to watch.

What a beautiful story full of twist and turns (and yes cliches, it's a k-drama after all) but ultimately it's talking about life and family. Harsh realities of marriage and difficulties of preserving family ties. I wish it was longer at the end to truly give us a complete closure but the ending as it is, is perfect, and also because I was a bit disappointed in some of the story points.

The story itself is not out of the ordinary, on the contrary, you'll find many other kdramas or dramas with similar storylines and plots. I did find myself skipping some parts about the Queen's company's legal problems. I feel like this kdrama had sooo much more potential to truly elevate it beyond what we have already seen. The main villains are very one-dimensional and you just hate and despise them to your core. I was expecting more from their stories and to truly understand why they behaved like that, but ultimately they were basic power-thirty and money-hunger villains. The best stories are the ones where the villains' actions may make sense. In the case of Queen of Tears, the villains are just placed there to be obstacles to the main lead and the family and a way for them to grow closer. I would have enjoyed more substance to those characters. Some also complained about the insane amount of plot twists and cliffhangers, while it is true ( being a consequence of the weak storyline about the queen's company), it does help to keep us captivated and invested until the very end. It's hard to find in kdrama nowadays with so many people dropping shows due to boredom at the end or lack of depth. Something good that comes out of an evil.

Nonetheless, What makes this drama truly special is the characters and the chemistry between them. You find yourself truly rooting and caring for them. The main cast for the couple is just perfect, couldn't think of a better match than Kim soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won. This drama is LITERALLY what some people mean when they say that it's the characters that makes or break a tv show.

This drama contains it all: comedy, action, drama, mystery, cliches. But everything is well executed.

Yes, it could be too much at times but everything comes together ultimately.

Honestly, one of the best parts of this drama was the weekly wait. I've never been more invested in a community than in this drama. Everyone had their theories and speculations. It was just overall a fun experience.

The Episodes are long but they go by fast. I would suggest you give it a go because I understand it could be a hit or miss for some.

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A very entertaining watch

Queen of Tears is the story of Hae In, a chaebol heiress looking to get into the Billion Club. She is someone who is unable to express her feelings properly and is not very aware of the feelings of others. Someone like this would be a nightmare to deal with in real life, albeit this is a drama, and we have the advantage of seeing her side of things too. She is an excellent character, overall one of the most iconic FLs in Korean dramas. Her improvement over time is for me one of the best things about QOT. Kim Ji Won does a great job of portraying her.

The ML is a stereotypical cardboard romance ML, a perfect man who is good at everything and loves the FL because of reasons. He has zero goals and dreams except loving and helping the FL. Like the FL, he doesn't cover himself in glory in the beginning but he quickly gets his head straight and becomes the FLs anchor. Those who are concerned about my description, don't be, Kim Soo Hyun's magnificent performance elevates this character at the same heights as the FL easily.

The cinematography is top-notch, OSTs are memorable and well-chosen. The acting here is second to none.

The only bad thing about this is the writing. The author is very talented in writing emotional scenes, but horrible in developing a decent plot.

I already rewatched a lot of scenes and I click on the videos from QOT more often than not when they pop on my youtube feed, so I would say that this drama has a high rewatch value overall.

And one more thing I would like to add, the ending scenes were some of my favorites from all the dramas I've ever watched.

9/10 from me. Everyone should watch this!

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*"Queen of Tears" didn’t just make me cry—it drained my soul. I thought I could handle it, but that last episode? It wrecked me beyond words.*

From the moment Hae In’s condition worsened, I felt the weight of an inevitable heartbreak pressing down on me. Every glance between her and Hyun Woo was filled with unspoken pain, like they were desperately holding onto time that kept slipping through their fingers.

And then, *that* scene… The one that shattered everything. The hospital room bathed in soft light, Hyun Woo holding Hae In’s fragile hands, whispering words of love, but she could barely respond. When she smiled one last time before closing her eyes forever, I couldn't hold it in anymore. My tears just wouldn’t stop.

But the pain didn’t end there. The way he stood by her tomb, placing fresh flowers, his eyes empty yet overflowing with grief—it felt too real. He whispered, *"Are you watching over me?"* and in that moment, I felt like I had lost someone too.

And the hyena image? The moment I saw it, I broke all over again. That scene from the middle episodes, where she laughed and said hyenas always find their way back to love—it hit differently now. She *was* the hyena. She fought through everything, but fate was cruel.

This wasn’t just a drama; it was a masterpiece of heartbreak. The kind of story that leaves you staring at the ceiling, drowning in emotions you can't even explain. I’ll never recover from this. 💔

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Amnesia trope but actually done well

To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from this K-Drama when I first started it. I don’t think I was planning on watching this when it started promoting, but I was looking for something new since I was bored, and this just happened to be there at the exact time I needed it.

I have no complaints about this K-Drama really. I’m not a big crier when I watch media, but this K-Drama tugged on my heartstrings so much. My biggest enemy is the death trope and this whole show made me get thousands of heart attacks by making me think one of them is going to die.

The love story between the main characters was so beautifully done. From the beginning on how they fell in love, to how they fell out of love and then doing it all again, fighting through their rough patches. It was genuinely so well done.

Granted it was a little frustrating because the couple kept misunderstanding each other and the entire time i would scream “just say it!!!”. Some of those scenes were a little too frustrating to watch, but it was worth it in the end.

I’m not the biggest fan of amnesia plots but this one was a little different since it wasn’t only centred around her losing memories but more so of the process of her losing them until ultimately doing so.

The actors had such an amazing chemistry between each other, I honestly loved them as a couple and I rooted for them throughout the show! Since I’m usually a huge second lead lover, this time the second lead had zerooo chances against the ML. The ML and FL were truly made for each other.

And also, I kinda dislike the constant “they met each other before when they were kids” storylines, almost every K-Drama has this nowadays, c’mon now!! Let’s be original and leave this trope alone!! And not only did the ML meet her when he was a kid but so did the second lead LOL its just stupid really. Second lead made sense but the ML meeting her two times in the past? Yeah alright…

And another thing I wanted to comment on is how well they hid the advertisement in their show. Usually they’re super noticeable in K-Dramas. When they whip out Kopiko and eat it with the dialogue following it like “Hm I definitely woke up from this!”, In queen of tears the way they implemented ads in there was barely noticeable which is why I got so immersed into the story. Although I did notice the blatant Subway advertising LOL.

All in all, this K-Drama had a lot of twist and turns, its a lot- and I probably missed out on a lot what I wanted to say because there’s just so many storylines and plots going on in there, but it keeps you entertained and engaged. Sometimes it would have boring scenes but they pass by fast and are followed up with interesting ones right after. Its well done, I loved it.

Keep in mind its a very heavy K-Drama, and if you’re very sensitive, this K-Drama will definitely make you cry!!

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enjoyable show

My influence is so small . I enjoy this show . so I want to express my love for this show . I actually never thought that I would love a drama that the leads already married but I was wrong . I just never meet the right one. This drama is so beautiful even though it’s not totally something new but I still find it enjoyable. The lack of communication of couple is so realistic and how they find each other spark again is well written. I could feel their struggle and hard moments before they finally open up to each other again . The rating here is so cruel but we have different opinions so I respect all .

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Not Amazing but better than most

Never written a review before so let me give my best shot.

Queen of Tears follows Baek Hyun Woo, the pride of Yongduri village and legal director of Queens Group, and Hong Hae In, the “queen” of Queens Group’s department stores. Their lives and love are intertwined with Family Dynamic and corporate politics setting the stage for a compelling drama.

The strongest aspect of Queen of Tears in my opinion is the captivating chemistry between the two leads. Their performances bring the characters to life and keep viewers invested. However, the story suffers from tonal shifts. It starts off as what you believe would be a romcom but gradually transforms into a something of a thriller, creating an inconsistent viewing experience. With a title like Queen of Tears, one would expect more of a serious drama or thriller throughout, yet the series struggles to find a clear direction.

Despite the story’s inconsistency, the strong performances make it worth watching. My rating is 8/10, as the leads shine even if the narrative could have been more cohesive. With all that being said the Main leads kept me invested in continuing to watch.

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The story is good and actors also killed it with their acting. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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