Queen of Tears

What kind of drama it is

The story begins three years into the marriage of a woman from the family that runs a major conglomerate and a man who grew up in a country village before joining that group. To everyone else they are an enviable couple, but in truth they have drifted so far apart that they barely speak. Where most romances depict the start of a relationship, this one follows two people who are already married as they come to see each other again. The glamour of a wealthy family and the warmth of a modest village play off each other, and laughter and tears take turns throughout.

The makers and the cast

The writer is Park Ji-eun, known for My Love from the Star and Crash Landing on You. She is skilled at pitting two people from completely different worlds against each other to create laughs and flutters, and this time she moves that contrast inside a marriage. Jang Young-woo and Kim Hee-won share directing duties. The leads are Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, and the actors playing the two families also carry a great deal of weight. It helps to remember that this is not just the couple's story but one of two families clashing and blending.

• Aired: tvN, 2024, 16 episodes
• Writer: Park Ji-eun (My Love from the Star, Crash Landing on You)
• Directors: Jang Young-woo, Kim Hee-won
• Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won

A story that starts with marriage, not romance

The show's defining feature is that it starts after the wedding. The giddy early days are long gone, and between the two lie misunderstandings, hurt feelings and things left unsaid. As a result, even a small glance or a brief exchange carries the weight of the time they have spent together. Viewers who are dating may feel the flutter, while those who have been married may feel recognition and a touch of bitterness at once. The same scene reads completely differently depending on who is watching, and that is what keeps people talking about it.

Two families, two worlds

The wife's family runs a large conglomerate, while the husband's family lives in a village where everyone knows everyone. The cold dining table of a grand mansion alternates with the noisy table of a country home, and the contrast produces plenty of laughs. Yet it does not stop at comparing rich and ordinary. Bit by bit it shows that both families have their own pretensions, weaknesses and ways of caring for one another. The supporting cast in each household is responsible for much of the show's humour.

Things to watch for

Laughter and tears often swap places within a single episode, and keeping the points below in mind brings the couple's changes into sharper focus.

• How the couple address each other and how their tone shifts
• The different moods of the two families' mealtimes
• How flashbacks shed new light on present misunderstandings
• The comic timing of scenes led by the supporting family members

The rhythm of a romantic comedy

As in Park Ji-eun's other work, a serious scene is often followed straight away by an offbeat laugh. At first it may feel as though the emotion is being cut short, but it is also what lets you follow a heavy story all the way through. Inner monologues and exaggerated touches are part of the genre's fun, so rather than viewing it purely as a realistic marriage drama, it is far easier to enjoy as a blend of fairy-tale exaggeration and real emotion. The moments when the music lifts the feeling are part of its rhythm too.

Worth knowing before you start

Infighting and betrayal within the wealthy family are part of the story, so some episodes are full of tension, and there are sad scenes that call illness and parting to mind. As the title suggests, there are plenty of moments that bring tears, so on days when you feel worn out, taking it one episode at a time is an option. The main storyline runs across episodes, so start from the beginning rather than dipping in midway. Episodes are fairly long, so begin when you have time to spare.

Who it suits

It suits viewers who like romantic comedies but want to see a relationship that goes a step beyond a simple first love. If you enjoyed the same writer's Crash Landing on You, in which two people from utterly different backgrounds grow close, you are likely to enjoy this too. It is also worth recommending to anyone who likes busy stories full of family. Watching with a partner and sharing your reactions has its own pleasure, as you discover how differently you each see the same scene.