Reviews

Overhyped - Nothing New, Old Plot in New Packaging

Just another K-drama with complicated love-story amidst power-struggling conglomerate family, enemies from past & present, case of terminal illness, amnesia, accidents at the crucial point - finally happy ending with endless promises of everlasting love! The drama is the usual tried & tested K-drama formula that we have known in countless other stories, just executed with fresh casting. The lead pair & marketing efforts make this drama popular, in my humble opinion - which I respect & feel which is what made me take note & watch it. But sadly neither the story nor the characters had any depth for it to remain memorable or call it a drama worth the hype it has created.

PROS:
• Pace: Easy to follow storyline, but can be seen as sluggish.
• Good cinematography & OST (especially: Crush's Love You with all My Heart)

CONS:
• Nothing new/memorable/worth rewatching as hyped (Please see below to know what is "memorable" imo)
• Superficial acting:
They have casted such talented artists but they are doing the bare minimum. None of them resonated with me as the character lacked depth, hence did not make me feel the emotions they were out to portray (except for the villain and Hae-In's brother but that was so little). Going around in social media, that everyone's been crying so much seeing the lead pair - it did not work for me. I have seen men crying onscreen, in fact this is one of the best things I applaud K-dramas for - letting the men show emotions. This is one my first drama of the ML - he's good at the whole puppy eyes vibe and cute thing - but his tears really felt fake. The only point where I almost teared up was for the ending of the grandfather (chairman of Queen group).

OVERALL:
This drama has the same old ingredients with different packaging. There is nothing in this drama, that I will quote today or 10 years later. It is a good-to-average drama, if you don't watch it, you are not missing anything in terms of remarkable work in K-drama universe. My rating is still pretty basis the mechanism I have tried building, see it here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/omo-omo-omo)

WHAT I MEAN BY "MEMORABLE" DRAMA:
Read the lines below, as soon as you read it - the visual will pop up in your head, quite vividly. That's what I call the power of a good drama.

1. "Kim Bok Joo is used as shield by Jung Joon Hyeong" - Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
2. "Let's go to the Playstore" - Goblin
3. "Gwenchana Gwenchana" - Welcome to Waikiki
4. "Samantha and Rachel" - Business Proposal
5. "All Handsome Men are my Oppas" - Kill Me, Heal Me
6. "Red Light, Green Light (Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida)" - Squid Games

Then there are some shows that I cannot even say one thing cause the whole drama is iconic and a trendsetter:
Boys over Flowers, Coffee Prince, Signal, Move to Heaven, Mr Queen, Misaeng, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon etc.

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A Waist Of Time

Never in my 6+ years of watching Kdramas have I ever watched such a let down. To spare you time QOT is honestly more of a makjang than a rom-com. It reminds me of Penthouse due to the villains always winning.

The worst part of this story would be YES and his mother. They were SOOO UNNECESSARY. In usual kdrama plot the villains experience a downfall in episode 13-14, so that the spare air time is given to the leads. But not with QOT. You'll get to see their faces all 16 episodes and not to mention their downfalls are so unsatisfying that you will just be happy that they are not on screen. I can never watch a Park Sung Hoon kdrama anymore because of how much I see YES in him and how it enfuriates me. Even though I love the actor and think he did a fantastic job of portraying YES given he did not have too much to work on (like common the SML only screems and whines on how much he loves Haein).

The best parts of this kdrama were the actors and some storylines. I especially like the Yonguduri episodes because they brought some much closure to the characters.

This kdrama had so much potentiall up to episode 12 after that it went dowhill so fast. What do you mean that after batteling such a terrible illness Haein can have life altering surgery, but forget her memories... Not to mention than BHW getting arrested, hit by a truck and shot all in the span of 2 episodes...

Overall, I am ashamed that I even recommended this kdrama to my friends. I strongly advise against anyone watching it.

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It's all over the place kinda mess

When my guts told me this drama trying to put too many on their plate, i should've trust it. I was so invested till i realized i just wasted it all. My emotion, time, mostly emotion.
When SML started to disgust me with his delulu mind and action (bless PSH), it was a sign a big big sign that yes, i can and allowed to drop this drama.

But here i am, after finishing ep 16. Honestly, it's not news when you fully invested at the beginning and hate a drama after certain episodes. It happens a lot. However, this drama is "expensive", from quality, actor, marketing, budget, etc... Even the writer. Yup. Everything feels like wasted potential, they have it all why can they just make it right? Just a decent plot from famous kdrama screenwriter, is that a lot to ask?
The acting save this drama, for real. The fact that most of us hate the villain and love the leads and their family is the biggest proof.

At last, they shouldn't be greedy and put so many tropes and you can watch it for the actors and the actors only. You also need enough patience, like A LOT of its.

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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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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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Just another makjang out there

Amidst the buzz surrounding this show, touted as the highest-rated TvN series of all time, I couldn't help but wonder what all the fuss was about. Yet, as is often the case, the reality fell far short of the hype. It seems these days that any production flaunting an attractive cast and lavish production values is promptly lauded, regardless of its glaring flaws in storytelling and reliance on tired clichés.

Initially, the premise held promise. Rarely do K-dramas dive into a story with the leads already married. However, the trope of the cold CEO female lead paired with the cheerful male lead has been beaten to death (cue memories of "My Demon"). The acclaim seems to stem largely from praise for the actors, cinematography, and OST, all crucial components of any successful show. But amidst all the glitz, does anyone even care about the story?

No one seemed to bat an eye when Haein miraculously emerged from brain surgery looking as glamorous as ever. Was I supposed to suspend disbelief entirely? And don't get me started on Park Sung Hoon's character, a disappointingly one-dimensional villain devoid of any real depth or nuance. The family dynamics, meanwhile, followed the tired chaebol archetype, culminating in a contrived unity against a common enemy. The lack of character progression and depth in Haein's reconciliation with her mother was glaring.

The writing, helmed by Park Ji-Eun, leaves much to be desired. The pacing is all over the place, with the initial episodes serving little purpose before a rush to shoehorn in crucial plot points towards the end. The shock tactics employed, notably the accident, felt contrived and did little to enhance the narrative. It's as if the showrunners were simply ticking boxes to fill the 16-episode quota.

Despite its shortcomings, I begrudgingly acknowledge the stellar performances of the cast and the visually stunning cinematography. However, these elements alone cannot salvage what is ultimately a hollow and superficial endeavor. If you value your time, steer clear of this overhyped disappointment.

Despite its flaws, QOT does manage to harken back to the standards of makjang dramas and those from 2016. In comparison to the K-dramas released in the past 4 or 5 years, it's passable. While it may not reach the heights of recent hits, it does provide a nostalgic nod to earlier drama conventions.

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this might be one of the best scripts i have ever seen

first of all i just loved all of this. i began to watch because of the amazing cast, but i must say that i stayed for the plot.

this whole kdrama is just so well written? i mean... I'm sure the writer spend at least a full week acting like the characters because everything they do is so align with >who< the characters are.

and I do understand some people saying that the plot got a little obvious halfway through but I don't agree. it was clear for me after the episode 10 if it was going do be a good ending or a sad ending, but I was still so anxious in the episode 16, because the writer was always adding a suspenseful feature in the episodes,,, so everything was actually quite... fresh.

and I was also so happy that there wasn't any plot holes. even a character that bearly made an appearance in the kdrama (for example hae in's uncle) ended up receiving a development (or maybe I should say a finale).

oh! and I should also add that this story by any means focused only on the main characters... the whole cast participated a lot in the kdrama and. it. just. made. so. much. sense. really I think it was one of the best scripts I have ever seen!

the only thing bad in this kdrama was the soundtrack... no song made an impact and I mean they clearly had the money... they should have collaborated with someone of exo hahahaha

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Finally, it's over!

Finally done with this… show. Was CLOY’s plot this messy too?? It started out so nice, but fell flatter than a pancake. I made the mistake of taking a two-week break between episode 12 and 15, so I had to catch up episodes 12-15 in one day because I wanted to finish it with everyone else. Thank the Lord for double speed and skipping.

The show was successful due to a handful of factors: the screenwriter, regardless whether one likes her or not, has created many successful dramas. The amazing leads that are known for their skills. KSH and KJW were great, though I find KSH had less to show in the first 10 or so episodes. KJW had a much more consistent performance in my opinion. The insanity of the plot. And the OST/any technicality such as cinematography, styling etc. The plot of this show was pure dogshit. It got worse with every episode especially after episode 12 (for me).

Now, me personally, I hated BaekHong! ? I did not like Hyun Woo as a male lead. I could never fully sympathize with him, which I did easier with Hae In. HW was just kind of unlikable to me, and I’m also quite annoyed that Hae In had to start the mature conversation at the very end of the last episode (even when she apologized for being mean after her surgery?? Girl, it is NOT your fault). How they argued over trivial matters etc. and how that was the reason they grew apart. On one hand you can argue that she takes agency to speak up (especially when you consider how YES took her autonomy the second he appeared on screen until his last breath. That man was obsessed with her and wanted full control over her. He disguised himself as a nice guy, but he was never able to hide that little psychotic sparkle in his eyes. When he wanted to have dinner with her, he chose everything: the plates, the wine glasses, the food, the wine. When he showed up as her guardian at the hospital, when he kidnapped her, when she wanted to collaborate with this dude to be part of the Trillion Club thing, etc.) , on the other it is once again her who takes accountability. Throughout the whole drama, I felt that HHI was sidelined – despite being the female lead. Her feelings, point of view, thoughts… all felt like a second-thought. Both from the POV of the other characters, but especially from the writer. HHI never felt like the priority, it seemed like she had to compromise and put herself second in order to make others “happy” or whatever, and that was annoying. Kim Ji Won is such a stunning actress, capable of giving a nuanced performance of a character that could have been so interesting. However, she gave her best with what she was given – which wasn’t much in my opinion.

The villains. You guys, I laughed so hard when Eun Seong died. Lmao. Anyway, these villains were so over the top that I could not stand it after a certain point. They felt too cartoonish. They got their karma, so that’s good.

This drama could have been a nice little character-driven story – had the writer given the characters more depth. Instead, we got a mix of insanity, barely any (good) romance, lots of trauma, annoying villains… To be very straightforward: this was a clusterfuck of a drama, and I’m happy it’s over.

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“Annoyed that Hae In apologizes to Hyun Woo about her treatment towards him after surgery. Not her fault she didn’t remember him, why must she take accountability… also, when has his ass ever apologized to her? Seems like she compromises all the time for him throughout the show – oh, finally an apology at the end for forgetting his promise to always love her. Instead, he caused her pain.” – live commentary/thoughts while I was watching the last episode LOL.

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Queen of Tears becomes King of Makjang. Beautiful to look at, dull and exhausting to actually watch

Major, MAJOR disappointment. The acting and cinematography were stellar 10/10, as expected of the budget and cast.

But the story nosedived incredibly starkly when the drama started focusing less on the characters and more on piling increasingly unbelievable trope conflicts one after the other. One of the main leads has a a terminal brain tumor diagnosis and somehow it's not even in the top 5 most deadly things they have to go through in the latter half of the episodes.

The two villains, in particular the 'second male lead', dial up the makjang factor to eleven and his plotlines take centre stage for far too long. My short summary of each block of writing -

Episode 1-4 = Great acting, interesting and unique storyline - even if it wasn't a masterpiece yet, it was at the least intriguing. The leads had a dynamic very seldom seen in Korean dramas, let alone of a drama of this scale.

Episode 5-8 = Incredible, this is the stretch of the episodes that suckered me in. At their best worst enthralling, at their best emotionally devastating, this was the peak of the series.

Episode 9-12 = A fairly balanced mish mash of light and dark tones, the makjang kdrama tropes nonetheless start to intrude upon. Newfound complications start slipping in from the rafters but the central focus of the story still remains. The Queens Group story is still so boring, it takes a Herculean effort to not fast forward through all of the corporate nonsense that unfortunately overstays its welcome.

Episode 13-16 = WTF. How many times do the leads have to have tearful hugs two minutes removed from some unhinged assassination attempt in the middle of suburban Korea and Germany. Character development gets replaced by exploding cars, poorly written villains get more dialogue and screentime than the main characters.

A colossal letdown shouldered by excellent performances. A Big Mac served on a silver platter. If there is anything to take away from Queen of Tears, it is that believable tears can not mask an unbelievable story.

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First Half was good then a sudden downturn on the second half

Another series, that got us hook on the first half of the series, I don't know what happened but during the last stretch of the show except the last 15 mins of the series, is a repeat of the other series.

A good story on the first half even brought in a strong cameo roles, but after the cameo role and after the surgery, the series sudden downturn in story is not what seems to be planned, if you remember an angry jealous suitor trying to get your wife then suddenly plotted a car accident, no context, the last 2 episode seems rushed, they could have extended it to 20 episode to give context on the accident, but it is what it is, series is over moving on

Cast is power house, can't say anything on the cast

Music, not so much, this is where i think the missing part of the series, a well composed OST that will ride the context of the story. even BGM is just ok.

Rewatch, May be episode 8 will be a rewatch that 10 min scene alone can be a rewatch value
another rewatch scene is the wife suddenly goes back to his husband and scolded by the parents,
this one scene just gets you.

Overall, its a good series, if you like the cast, but that's it.
story wise, it should have ended in 12 episodes instead of 16, or it should have been extended to 20.

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A lot of adorableness packed in 30 episodes of no silly misunderstandings.

The first 1 or 2 times I tried to watch the drama, I couldn't get past the first episode. Everyone on social media and in the comments were raving about it but I just didn't seem to like the vibe I got from the 1st episode. However, I wanted to watch them be all lovey dovey and decided to give it another go. Still not a fan of the first episode, but from the 2nd episode onwards it was such a good watch. It was warm for me.

Even though I liked them being together, his intense stares sometimes made me feel like this could have easily been a case of serial killer locking on his prey, but thankfully it wasn't.

The actors did such a good job in creating this beautiful drama that has shows such love for all characters, now matter who they were.

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Refreshingly Entertaining

After having seen so many series that follow the recipe of non-stop betrayals, it was quite refreshing to see a solid comradery play out. It was also just as refreshing to see subtle human touches being added to relationships between the mains and the supports. The pacing of the plot was nice and steady, without any overly dramatized cliffhangers or extremely long periods of nothingness. Although there's obvious non-realistic aspects to the autopsies which is one of the main highlights to the theme, it was done well enough to not deter. The other positive is although there was some romance, it wasn't overdone.

The only two qualms I had was that the role of the female coroner was lackluster. I haven't seen the actress enough to know if it's her acting or if it was just how the role was intended. And while the overall actors did a great job, there isn't much character development throughout the series. However, everyone stayed true to character and it was an enjoyable series with an ending that felt both slightly abrupt yet fitting. I look forward to how they plan to expand the story in the sequel.

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