Actors Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won are showcasing exceptional chemistry through the drama “Queen of Tears”, sparking anticipation for the emergence of “the next Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin”
Recently, the popularity of tvN’s Saturday-Sunday drama “Queen of Tears” is soaring. “Queen of Tears” depicts the dizzying crisis and miraculous rekindling of love between Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), the third-generation chaebol heiress of Queens Group, and Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), the son of farmers from Yongdu-ri, and their three years of marriage.
With the collaboration of Park Ji-eun, the writer of “Crash Landing on You”, director Jang Young-woo of “Bulgasal: Immortal Souls” and director Kim Hee-won of “Vincenzo” and “Little Women”, expectations were high. The drama is living up to expectations with its high viewership ratings and popularity.
Achieving a high viewership rating of 13% in just four episodes, faster than the trajectory of writer Park Ji-eun’s previous work “Crash Landing on You”, “Queen of Tears” made its way to 7th place on Netflix’s global TOP10, boasting its popularity.
Furthermore, according to the TV-OTT integrated drama topicality rankings for the first week of March announced by the official platform FUNdex, “Queen of Tears” ranked first in topicality, with Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won simultaneously taking the top two spots in actor topicality.
Kim Soo-hyun makes his return to the small screen after about four years since tvN’s “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” (2020), while Kim Ji-won returns after two years since JTBC’s “My Liberation Notes” (2022). The fact that the two are making a comeback to the small screen alone drew significant attention. Their visual chemistry adds to the anticipation.
A perfect combination—Kim Ji-won as the cool yet assertive Hong Hae-in, and Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Hyun-woo, who reaffirms his feelings alongside Hong Hae-in. While a romance between a chaebol male lead and a commoner female lead is considered a cliché, the reversed gender roles in the story bring freshness.
Unlike works that end with “And they lived happily ever after“, “Queen of Tears” begins the development of the story at this point. Foreign media also praised this aspect.
Viewers are expressing their expectations for Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won as the next Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin exhibited perfect chemistry through writer Park Ji-eun’s previous work “Crash Landing on You” and later developed into lovers and became a married couple. They got married in 2022 and welcomed a son in November of the same year.
Therefore, in the March 17th episode of “Queen of Tears”, the line “Look at Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. They acted as lovers and fell in love. You guys are the same” appeared.
Additionally, the wedding photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won recreated the scene of Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s wedding, garnering attention. The pink and white flower decorations in the wedding photos were identical, and even the wedding dress and tuxedo were similar.
Amidst the praise and overzealousness from viewers both domestically and internationally, “Queen of Tears” has already surpassed the rising trajectory of “Crash Landing on You”. With chemistry akin to Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s, all eyes are on whether it will continue to receive love and attention.
