Wow wow wow…I don’t know why I held back watching Queen of Tears. Now I can see why it was the highest-rated drama in tvN’s history.
Watching this drama was like eating an overloaded fried rich dish with different toppings and a lot of MSG. Just like how MSG ties a dish together, the high-drama moments are what keep everything glued in this drama. But too much MSG can drown out the other flavors, and I feel like that’s what happened here.
Here’s my review of Queen of Tears.
For those who haven’t watched it
Should you watch this?
If you’re into heavy melodrama, lots of crying, some juicy villain plotting, and a sassy, strong female lead – then yes, this one’s for you.
But if you’re looking for good plotting and strong character development, you might want to skip it.
Queen of Tears Plot
For Those Who Have Watched It
The Good
Addicting Drama
I’ll be honest – I lost interest in the plot just a couple episodes in. The story felt weak and weighed down by endless family drama and side plots I didn’t care about.
But what kept me watching wasn’t the story – it was the drama. The constant twists and emotional rollercoaster moments – the family getting kicked out, Ji-Won’s diagnosis, Hyun-Woo getting framed, the car chases – those were the scenes that pulled me right back in. Even when the story dragged, the high-stakes drama made the show addicting.
Fantastic acting from our cast
The story and writing was meh, but the acting from top notch.
Kim Ji-Won as Hong Hae-In
She made Hae-In the QUEEN. The sass, the prickliness, the vulnerability – Kim Ji-Won brought it all. On the outside Hae-In was cold and untouchable, but Ji-Won’s emotional range showed a woman who loved deeply but struggled to express it. She made the character compelling and a bit wild. You wouldn’t really know what to expect next. If Kim Ji-Won does anymore roles that involve a sassy queen, I’m on board to watch.
Kim Soo-Hyun as Baek Hyun-Woo
Where Ji-Won brought the fire, Soo-Hyun brought the ice. He balanced humor, coolness, and raw intensity well. One of the best moments was when he thought Hae-In was in the car crash – the desperation and pain he showed were chilling. His determination to stay by Hae-In’s side felt completely real, and his comedic timing lightened the heavy moments just enough.
Kim Jung-Nan as Hong Beom-Ja
Kim Jung-Nan played the crazy aunt so well. She made it feel like Beom-Ja was the only like real and sane character in the family. Everybody else in the family felt so passive. Beom-Ja lit the fire and brought energy to every scene she was in.
Park Sung-Hoon as Yoon Eun-Sung
What a villain. His two-faced charm and unhinged energy made Eun-Sung both terrifying and fascinating. That evil gaze, the tremor in his voice whenever he got super intense and serious, the way he manipulated people – he nailed it. I first saw him in The Glory and he was great there too, though I hope he doesn’t get stuck in villain roles. Still, he absolutely owned this one.
The antagonists did a pretty damn good job
I really enjoyed the antagonists in the drama. The mother-and-son duo really added fuel to the fire. They brought the extra angst, the tension, and those “NO, DON’T DO IT – STOP TRYING TO TRICK OUR POOR HAE-IN” moments that made the show so addictive.
The power grab for Queens Group was a strong subplot too. The whole build up was well done.
The way the writers set up the villains gave me Parasite vibes. They slowly wormed their way into the family, poisoning it from the inside. It’s not a brand-new idea, but the way it played out here made the conflict hit harder.
The way they handled the romance after Hae-In’s surgery
I actually thought the post-surgery romance between Hae-In and Hyun-Woo was handled really well. It would’ve been cheesy if she suddenly remembered everything or if they fell back in love overnight. Instead, the show took it slow. They didn’t rush back into marriage.
I thought the show could’ve focused more on the post surgery romance journey. I think that would’ve been more interesting to see.
Including surprising Easter eggs and cameos
The drama includes several Easter eggs that caught me by surprise. First, having Vincenzo come in was like…the last thing I would’ve expected. Super cool and funny to have him cameo for the divorce.
The other was having Jung-se come in as Hyun-Woo’s therapist. Jung-se was Soo-Hyun’s younger brother in It’s Okay Not To Be Okay. Soo-Hyun played the role of taking care of Jung-se, but in Queen of Tears, Jung-se takes care of Hyun-Woo!
After doing research, there are a whole bunch more Easter eggs! Apparently, Hyun-Woo and Hae-In’s initial wedding had the same theme as Hyun-Bin’s and Ye-Jin’s real life wedding.
The Bad
A lack of connection with Hyun-Woo’s family
I fast-forwarded through most of the scenes with Hyun-Woo’s family…at least the ones without Hyun-Woo or Hae-In. Honestly, they just felt boring. Sometimes nothing was happening, and other times I just didn’t care enough about what they were talking about. And every time I skipped ahead, I felt like I didn’t actually miss anything important to the plot.
It almost felt like the writers shoved in those family moments just to fill screen time. I would’ve much rather seen that space used to dive deeper into Eun-Sung or Seul-Hee’s backstory instead.
What I Thought Could’ve Been Better
Lack of defined character development amongst the cast
I think where Queen of Tears could’ve been stronger was in the character development. For me, it just wasn’t very noticeable in most of our cast, especially in our leads.
Hyun-Woo was always steady and loyal, which is admirable, but it also meant there wasn’t much of a journey to watch. Hae-In softened a little, but she was still the sharp, sassy queen we met at the start. That’s part of her charm, but I didn’t see her character evolve in a big way. If we saw her softened heart state more with her co-workers and family, I think that would’ve been better for making a more…enriching story.
In my honest opinion, I think Hae-In’s mom had the most character development.
In some ways, it almost felt like the drama was more focused on stacking up emotional high-tension moments rather than showing how those moments actually changed the characters. The result was still engaging though.
Life Themes in Queen of Tears
Money can blind you
Money is such an incredible tool. With enough of it, you can buy what you want, go where you want, and experience things most people can’t. It gives you freedom and time.
But at the same time, money can also blind you. It feels so good to have it that you can start to believe it’s the most important thing. Sometimes it even makes you push away the people who matter most – family, friends, even your own health – because you’re afraid of losing your grip on it.
We see this evidently with Hae-In’s family. Man-Dae was so paranoid about the secret funds and making more money that it blinded him to the fact that Eun-Sung was there to take everything from him. Everybody wanted a piece of Queens and more money, which drove a wedge in the family.
If something is too good to be true, you should double check
When someone makes you an offer that feels too good to be true, it usually is. Always double check the details before agreeing. Otherwise, you might end up paying a hefty price.
That’s exactly what happened with Man-Dae (the grandfather) and Soo-Cheol (the grandson/Da-Hye’s partner) when they fell for Eun-Sung’s schemes.
Music
I enjoyed the soundtrack. There were two specific songs that stood out for me.
First is the Reasons of My Smiles. They play it when Hae-In is first dating Hyun-Woo or in those moments when she starts falling for him again. The track has a bittersweet, almost nostalgic quality. It’s tender but not overly dramatic, which made it perfect for the moments where Hae-In’s and Hyun-Woo’s love was both fragile and hopeful.
The second one is Fallin’. It hits in a different way. It’s more intense and emotional, and it went really well with Hyun-Woo’s desperation to stay by Hae-In’s side. The ‘falling…I’m falling’ chorus in the song just hits. It just slaps.
Queen of Tears Quotes
Episode 3
“I don’t know what love means to you. But to me, it’s not about being happy and whispering sweet nothings. Love is when you endure the pain together.” – Hae-In to Eun-Sung
“We should stay true to ourselves and not act out of character just because we’re dying.” – Hae-In to Hyun-Woo
Episode 12
“All of us have burdens that we must carry in life. Even those who look the most carefree carry heavy stones in their pockets.” – Yeong-Song to Beom-Ja
Episode 14
“Being alive means I cherish those memories and draw strength from them. So those memories define me and my life. And I’ll be losing them.” – Hae-In to Hyun-Woo
Rewatchability
I could rewatch it, but I don’t think I’d have the patience to sit through everything again. I’d probably fast forward straight to the intense scenes, since so much of the extra screen time didn’t add much.
What did I watch before this?
Overall Rating
I get the hype with this show. It has an all-star cast, gut-wrenching drama, strong lead chemistry, and a good soundtrack. It delivers exactly what you’d expect from a high-romance melodrama.
That being said, the storyline felt messy and the writing wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been. Still, I’m glad I watched it. The performances and emotional moments made the ride worth it.
I hope you enjoyed this Queen of Tears review.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Did you resonate with anything here?
