This review may contain spoilers
A Heartfelt Masterpiece
Queen of Tears is an absolute masterpiece a drama that touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect. From the very first episode to the last, it delivered a perfect blend of humor, emotion, and heartfelt storytelling.Kim Soo Hyun’s performance was a revelation. His ability to balance comedy and deep emotional scenes was stunning, making his character unforgettable. If I could rate his acting, it would be a thousand out of ten. Kim Ji Won, on the other hand, brought a unique charm to her role, and her chemistry with Kim Soo Hyun was electric. Together, they created a pairing that felt fresh, relatable, and iconic.
What truly sets this drama apart is its storytelling. The narrative was full of moments that made me laugh and cry, often at the same time. The way the characters evolved, particularly Hae In and Hyun Woo, was beautifully done. Hae In’s journey of rediscovering love, even after losing her memories, was breathtaking. Watching her fall for him all over again, with the same innocence and determination as the first time, was a joy to witness.
The symbolism in the drama like the four-leaf clover and the diary added depth and meaning to the story. Each time the diary appeared, it was a poignant reminder of their love, and it brought both tears and smiles.
The family dynamics were another highlight. The contrast between the two families added layers to the story, showcasing different perspectives on love and relationships. It was heartwarming to see how these differences ultimately brought everyone closer.
The most beautiful moment for me? When Hae In kept saying Hyun Woo’s name. That scene encapsulated the essence of the drama: love that endures, heals, and transforms.
Queen of Tears is more than just a drama it’s an emotional journey. The Ice Cold Princess and the King of Tears have left an indelible mark on my heart. This is a story I’ll cherish forever.
To anyone who hasn’t watched it yet, you’re in for a treat. And for those who have, let’s keep celebrating this incredible team and the magic they created.
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This review may contain spoilers
It didn't really impressed me
I thought this drama will go to my favourite list at first. I really liked the first episodes but later it just kept adding more clichés to the plot. I felt like they added those on purpose to made the episodes longer. I also didn't vibe with the episodes length I just mentioned. Hour and half just seems too much to me and it easily gets boring.This show isn't anything new. Rich female lead that have it all because of her parents and her husband that can't stand for himself and is stomped on by his wife. Like I do enjoy strong female leads in drama but this just wasn't it.
Also the fake illness? Was it really necessary? They couldn't think about something more realistic so they just put a fake one there. That made me really ask myself how dumb is this going to be in later episodes.
The only great thing on this was the visuals of actors and camera angles, nothing more.
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Extremely overrated - riddled with bad writing.
The narrative began with promise, but as the episodes progress, the flaws in the writing become increasingly apparent. Thankfully, KSH's performance injects vitality into the drama, salvaging its appeal. While many commend KJW's suitability for her role, I struggle to perceive it; perhaps it's the writers failing to flesh out her character adequately. Her contribution to the protagonist's journey seems minimal compared to how the ML helped her, which becomes irksome. Furthermore, her constant facade of toughness feels unwarranted in various situations, detracting from the authenticity of her character.The shift from intense hatred to deep love between the main characters feels rushed and hard to believe. It happens too quickly, so it's tough to really get into their romance.
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It is good but not that good!
As someone how has watched kdrama's since 2016 and has watched over a 120 kdrama's and 40 kmovies. I think it is safe to say that I know what I'm tallking a about.It is good but not that good!
Don't watch it because of the viewer rating:
https://kisskh.at/article/queen-of-tears-officially-surpasses-the-ratings-of-crash-landing-on-you
Crash Landing is better, if it came out this year instead of 2020 it would have had a much higher rating. A lot has changed in the last years, kdrama's are way popular now then only a few years back.
Back in the day we only had a couple kdrama's a year and a lot where very good, but now there are just too many which also gives us a lot of bad ones.
I mean come on! Who remenbes the days of amazing Kdrama's like "My Mister", "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim", "Mother", "It's Okay to Not Be Okay", "Prison Playbook", "True Beauty", "Mr. Sunshine", "18 Again", "Mr. Queen", "Descendants of the Sun", ...
Seriously the industry felt a lot more honest back then, now it feels like it's all about the money. They are anouncing a new kdrama every hour now its ridiculous now.
I will even go as far as saying that : assuming that a kdrama is better based on percentage of viewer rating is a insult to the industrie and to all the master pieces and the people worked on them really hard.
Queen of Tears is good but not as good as Crash Landing, just because something has a higher viewer rating doesn't mean it is better.
If you are a real kdrama fan you should watch the classics even if they are a couple of years old, instead of watching the hyped up ones.
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Being Overly Dramatic doesn't make viewers cry on cue.
EDIT: I shortened the initial comment (which initially served as a review) I posted under the __________________ line... It still stands btw.This being said, another better written review has been posted by another viewer that better sums up the main problem of this drama as far as I'm concerned:
https://kisskh.at/profile/soleilvelayo/review/526028
As for me, before I passed the half-way mark, I was going for a ratings of 6... But I got so fed up with the overly dramatic music, tears galore and basically the drama trying to push all the dramatic buttons to make me cry and care that I'm gonna settle for 4.5 for the visuals. Also the SML was so cartoonishly evil that by the time I reached episode 16, I was just laughing at all his scenes. Nothing against the actor, he sure did what was asked of him, but this was just too ridiculous for words.
On tpp of that, I could NEVER warm up to the FL who was just as cold as a block of ice. I get that given her troublesome family, the way she was treated etc. she's basically socially awkward, but you could never convince me she's worth all the hassle the ML went through to get with her... and the SML for that matter. Sorry but money and beauty is not enough to justify the level of obsession of both these very competent and good looking men (at least as the drama tells me they are, in terms of personal taste I beg to differ regarding one of these actor who I won't mention).
I could never believe in their story because all these grand music cues, leaves, petals, snow falling etc... could never convince me that these two could ever build a true connection... That's how badly their romance was written. I felt I was forced to be into the couple because I was told to, not because I genuinely felt they matched.
At least I watched it... I think it's the very last ultra popular drama I'm not interested in that I'm ever going to watch just because it's popular. I've been burnt too many times and this one was the last straw.
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This drama screams "money" and is pretty easy on the eye for sure but the amount of business talk fillers and characters we don't give a sh** about is ridiculous.
We're in for the romance between the leads yet we get mostly family feuds, business talk and political backstabbing in spades. The drama also features quite a lot of filler scenes and these overly long episodes (on average 1h 30 mn... literally a movie per episode) doesn't help.
I went with absolutely NO expectations and I'm only watching this for language learning purposes i.e with Korean subs and a heavy use of Naver's dictionary.
I wasn't planning on learning so many technical Korean (and English for that matter) words about stakes, shares, private equity, hedge funds and whatnot. Not the most "fun words" to learn but still more entertaining than reading business news.
Honestly I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone. It's overly long for no reason. It's lots of money and no substance. And the way I see it, I'm watching a some soap à la Dallas and not the romance I initially signed up for.
HOWEVER if you're learning Korean like me and want to learn some vocab... That's actually a good choice. There's lots of complicated sentences about business and the judiciary system with long and formal sentences...
Also since the drama is not that great but also not that bad, you can take as much time as you want watching it without feeling the "urge to cheat" and finish the rest in English.
Anyway that was my long 2 cents.
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The execution was all over the place!
The only saving grace for this drama is the phenomenal delivery by our leads and the OSTs.These 2 reasons are why I picked this drama up after I dropped it after ep 13. I just had to see the end of it.
The love story between Haein and Hyunwoo is beautiful. I find it lacking in the overall execution just like the rest of the drama. Even though the feelings that we needed to see were beautifully conveyed by the acting of Ji Won and Soo Hyun, there were a lot of misses in the direction and writing.
The side plots weren't interesting enough for me tbh, I could have done without some of them. They needed to be properly developed and woven into the main story seamlessly!
The villains, Eun Sang and his mother didn't get the ending they deserved! It was rushed
I think giving Dahye and Grace redemption arcs was a poor decision. Not everybody needed to sing "Kumbayah"
I understand this is fiction, but some choices and decisions that Soo Cheol made were unrealistic and made zero sense. They were just written as part of "a great love story" that failed to hit the mark. It was plain idiocy!
The dramatic effects in this drama were more prioritised than making a great drama that made sense and followed a natural progression. It was just one bad decision after the other.
I could list everything wrong with this drama but frankly, I'm too disappointed and over everything that could have been better done in this drama.
The anticipation I felt for this drama from the moment the leads and main plot were announced was completely let down. If I were to rate it based on my disappointment, I would rate it a 5/10.
It's getting an overall 7.5/10 score because the acting from our leads needs to be praised and the OSTs were so beautiful!
And lastly, the hype this drama received is due to the acting of the main leads, and their unbelievable chemistry and because of that I can't in good conscience say the drama was totally overhyped.
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It will bring you to tears
I can not believe that this kdrama has gotten such a high rating. It was average at best. I wanted to enjoy it, mainly because the actor is considered Keora's highest-paid actor, and this is the first movie I have seen him in. However, the movie was flat. I suffered through it, hoping it would get better. Come to think of it that is what it was missing: "hope" (well, besides the emotional draw between the main characters). Time after time, the main character tried to save the day, and the rug kept being pulled out from under him. I wanted to cry, too. He was finally the hero in the last episode; then they made him out to be supper human (hit by a car, back up running across miles of snow, saves his women, to track back down the hill, and gets shot). I don't blame the actors; I blame the script. It is too far bad that they did not see the script as lacking. Maybe they thought because they had him as the actor, it would help the script out. It did not work. This was not a good comeback role for Kim Soo-hyun. Tears alone are not enough to take away the Best Actor award, and that was his only strength in this show (his tears).Amidst the disappointment, there were a few bright spots. The female villain, portrayed by Lee Mi-suk, was a standout. I found myself wishing for more of her presence on screen. She gave passion! So did Kim Jung-nan's character. It was a delightful addition. They inject some much-needed levity into the otherwise somber narrative.
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It's really good, still cant believe it overtook CLOY but it deserves the praise
I was hesitant to watch this show about a married couple, netflix preview made it seem boring so i avoided it for a while. I eventually gave it a chance and i'm really glad i did. The family drama had me intrigued from the first episode. Is this better than CLOY? absolutely not imo lmao. But, it's good. Really good. Queen of tears definitely made me tear up a few times, its an emotional exploration of what happens when tragedy strikes and people who dearly love each other drift apart. I figured it would be full of misunderstanding cliches but honestly its not. Its full instead of raw emotion, scandalous liars, and smart MCs who regrettably each deal with heartache in different ways and drifted apart. Yes this is the story of how they come back together, but its more than that. Highly recommended to watch, although CLOY is still my fav haha.Was this review helpful to you?
Doom at Your Tears
I must admit that beyond the commendable acting and the occasional heart-touching moments, the show failed to redeem itself from its mediocre scriptwriting. My lack of strong emotional investment in the unfolding events, compared to other viewers, was a clear sign that the show was on a downward trajectory from the start of its second half.It's an interesting premise but needs way, way better execution. The acting was superb by both leads, but I can't say they saved the show; it wasn't that terrible either, yet the premise promised something above-average yet was subdued to cliches, underdeveloped characters, and unnecessary plot twists to hook the viewer still when, in fact, did the opposite. Due to its genre, we shouldn't expect an entirely logical story, but that isn't the problem that is pointed out. The problem is that I need help seeing where the writers wanted to make me feel for the characters. Still, I couldn't, as much as I wanted to, not being able to oversee where potential arcs and events could have impacted characterization properly and give depth and understanding to other characters and subplots when needed. However, that's just something I value. I was bored and uninterested in the secondary characters and their subplots. I wish the writer could have focused on the leads and navigating their marriage crisis, and I wonder what exciting commentary and unique character arcs could have at least developed.
Similar to a top review, Hae-in was a character that had potential with a given backstory and from the perspective of Hyun-woo, it made me even more interested, yet she was also wasted. Kim Jiwon did a great job playing her character, yet I still needed to be impressed with the scriptwriting...which was even more frustrating, especially for the cast. Hyun-woo, however, was a character who deserved better. Whether you think of what he had to experience in the latter half of the drama or the writing of his character, which is still annoying, I see myself leaning toward the latter. At first, I did not mind him being the guy who was up to save everyone else, which the writer wrote him to be, but unfortunately, she could not get the memo on what is best for character writing and development and how it dries out very fast. I do not need to say much about Soo-hyuns acting, either. When they delved more into how Hae-in (with her illness) made Hyun-woo want to care for her more, I found it something worth touching on to at least develop his character, but his motives were unclear. It was more complicated for me to be attached to his character when he fought so many demons in the last few episodes, and I was just sick of it.
Although his interactions were based on the writing of his character and his helping the families, many explanations regarding the secondary characters' actions (Hae-ins mom that still relates to the underdeveloped character of Hong Hae-in, Moh Seul-hee) were never explained to fuel Eunseongs power over the plot, for no reason whatsoever. It could have just stuck to being more slice-of-life and ending these sorts of conflicts in a better way, developing these characters properly through mature conversations rather than rushing it through and focusing on Eunseong (a rather dull villain) to make me feel sad enough so that I would automatically miss them enough again after a happy ending; very formulaic. I admit that the ending was beautiful enough. Still, its message did not reflect what the drama seemed to me by trying to be so much all at once, ending up as a makjang (commendable from the writer's efforts to kill the character's arcs that the potential was understandable enough, spelled in big, bold words in front of you, mind you... I wasn't even as invested, yet I was still disappointed because of what could have been when paired with such a golden cast).
By not being able to connect to the characters with barely passable arcs and romance (regardless of it being a romcom or a melodrama) that barely had crumbs with the already beautifully written epilogues and the more minor details in their relationship that weren't as impactful but worthy enough to see how they would end up, with most being unsatisfying or unresolved. It was a struggle.
The music was fine enough for me. I especially liked the intro track, but I don't know if I could find it anywhere. 10CM and Crush tracks were already in my head each week, saving me from the brain rot I have experienced from questioning actions and motives. The cinematography, although attractive, wasn't as unique to me.
I would not see any point in calling it overrated because it wouldn't be a word that would describe the amount of wasted potential Queen of Tears had, yet I appreciated it for the somewhat enjoyable moments and well-thought-out epilogues with great performances that can appeal to any viewer. I honestly have more things to comment on, but there are almost 200 reviews here and possibly a text limit I would not rather see myself end up at, as you can see from the length of the entire review. However, the narration and storytelling quality trajectory became just as predictable as the other dramas I have watched, which I am not always mad at. I still think it's worth a watch. It could have been a better watch, but it's not badly written. It tried to be something and could have improved exponentially. Still, alas, it falls hard to do messy scriptwriting with decent enough writing in the first half that built up enough potential with the actors' work but failed to become anything above an average watch overall.
Of course, this is just how I felt about it; nothing too biased from other people's responses but from what I saw on my screen; maybe some things didn't make enough sense to me to comprehend. And as much as it looked like I barely tolerated it, there were still redeeming elements to make it an okay one-time watch. Nothing too extraordinary, which is still fine for me.
One last comment: the ending for the main couple was great, and the acting and cinematography elevated it more for me, but it was not so much a great saving grace.
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Grand Emotions, Gorgeous Frames, Uneven Heart
This drama cries beautifully, but not always convincingly.Queen of Tears arrives dressed in luxury and longing, delivering high-stakes emotions, lavish visuals, and a premise designed to devastate. At its best, it offers poignant moments about love worn thin, marriage under pressure, and the fear of losing someone you no longer know how to reach.
However, the emotional execution struggles with consistency. The storytelling often leans too heavily into excess. Repeated misunderstandings, prolonged angst, and melodramatic turns dilute what could have been a sharper, more intimate exploration of grief and reconciliation. Instead of deepening the pain, the narrative sometimes circles it.
The performances are committed and the chemistry is undeniable, but strong acting can only carry a story so far. When emotions are constantly turned up to maximum volume, they begin to lose impact. Quiet moments, where the drama truly shines, feel too rare.
Visually, Queen of Tears is stunning. Every frame feels curated, every setting polished. Yet the gloss occasionally distances rather than immerses, making the story feel more observed than felt.
🥀 5/10 for ambition and aesthetics, held back by uneven pacing and emotions that try too hard to break your heart instead of letting it break naturally.
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The cast makes it a must watch
So I rarely write reviews but for some reason I just felt like I had to write my thoughts about this one.From the score you could probably tell, how much I enjoyed it. I binged through the whole show in less than 4 days. There were nights, where I didn't want to go to sleep, to keep watching, because I loved it so much.
Knowing part of the production team also made CLOY I kinda knew, what I was getting. A mello-romance with a lot of tears and some cheesyness but for some reason it just worked to perfection for me. Especially the pacing, what sometimes was a bit rough during CLOY was incredibly well done this time. The K-Drama style cliffhanger were chosen wisely and not used too many times, so you rarely knew in which direction it was going.
Most important for that was the cast. This drama has my favorite actress, Kim Jiwon, who I adore and my favorite actor Kwak Dongyeon as part of the main lead group. The supporting cast also was tremendiously chosen. Some throwbacks to CLOY, some cross references to other dramas, including one out of nowhere Cameo of a certain lawyer and over all a cast I basically know like no cast before. Basically every actor is a known enitity in the Korean drama industry and totally delivers. There are scene stealers and just solid solid performances throughout.
But Kim Jiwon stole the show. Every single dialogue she had with her male lead (Kim Soohyun) was amazing. Great chemistry, great emotions, great dialogue and enough space for the viewer to read between the lines. I think starting from episode 6 or 7 I think I cried about 2-3 per episode, mostly due to the great dialogues and acting.
If you like well-paced, well-acted tear jearking romance give this one a shot. I personally enjoyed every second of it.
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Was It Worth It?
I was beyond excited to start this drama. It had an amazing cast lined up, the trailer looked interesting, and the synopsis sounded unique. But the only thing that held up well was the casting. Friends, our lead actor and actress are probably the only reason I finished this soapy and overly drawn out love story. KSH and KJW nailed every emotional and comedic scene. They had amazing chemstry and I would 100% LOVE to see them in a future drama together. The rest of the cast did the best they could with the material available to them, particularly Kwak Dong Yeon and Kim Jung Nan. The cinematography was also just wonderful with some amazing dreamy shots and beautiful locations.It's the plot, the bloated cast of characters, and the overly long episode length that truly kept it from reaching its potential. It never quite knew what it wanted to be. Was it a romance? A makjang? A comedy? A satirical drama? A fantasy (considering some of the plot points were unrealistically tied into a bow by the end)? Some shows can effortlessly combine these various elements together, but this was not one of them. If this story had focused on one of these elements with half the characters and half the length, I think we would have something truly memorable. Because embedded in the sloppy plot are truly some beautiful and unique moments. I just wish we could have focused on those moments rather smashing them together with cliched plot points over and over again.
Was it worth it? In the end, it was worth it to me. I enjoyed watching this live and I adored the main leads. But if I were being honest with myself, I would have dropped this after the second episode if not for the main cast. I recommend people give this a shot, but be willing to drop it if it doesn't hold your interest after the first initial episodes. If you want to know how the love story goes, there are some amazing YouTube videos showing just their story.
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