“Queen of Tears” accommodates all the standard hallmarks of a romance Okay-drama: a suspenseful love triangle, hospital scenes, high-status characters with tortured pasts and a catchy, immersive soundtrack that performs in any respect the correct moments. However there may be one facet that units this drama aside. As an alternative of internally shouting at our results in confess their emotions for one another and have their first kiss already, we’re rooting for a pair to rediscover and redefine what it means to like.
Half of all marriages end in divorce. This sobering but false statistic is repeatedly thought-about an accepted reality of life as we watch a married couple of three-plus years on the point of disaster. Marriage is now related to an eventual parting, and somewhat than outright refuting this pessimistic fable, “Queen of Tears” just isn’t afraid of taking part in with this concept to salvage what appears like an irreparable relationship.
Baek Hyun-Woo (Kim Soo-Hyun, “It’s Okay to Not be Okay”), a boy from a rural farm who later research legislation at Seoul Nationwide College, and Hong Hae-In (Kim Ji-Received, “Descendants of the Solar”), the lady who’s to inherit one in all Korea’s largest conglomerates, have the “wedding ceremony of the century,” because the media places it. The occasion was a fateful union of two souls from disparate worlds: One had solely identified the gradual dwelling of village life surrounded by sincere and hardworking laborers whereas the opposite had grown up in quick-paced company metropolis life surrounded by scheming enterprise elite. What follows their union ought to have been a fairytale dream come true, however as Hyun-Woo and Hae-In acclimate to their newly post-wed lives, they discover this couldn’t be farther from the reality.
After three years of hell, and Hyun-Woo needs out. Left feeling nothing however depressing dwelling with and dealing alongside his now-estranged spouse’s morally corrupt household (one akin to that of “Loopy Wealthy Asians”), he has no alternative however to divorce her. That’s till he’s confronted with the information that his spouse has been identified with a uncommon kind of mind tumor; she is about to die in only a few months.
Baek Hyun-Woo is charted for a brand new mission now. After studying of Hae-In’s situation, he retracts his want to separate and as a substitute works to woo his spouse’s love again in order that she’s going to change her will earlier than she dies. In any case, it will be nice to flee this marriage completely unscathed and obscenely wealthy. Twisted a lot? Not precisely. By partaking in a number of over-the-top pretend acts of fondness, he finds himself more and more caring and protecting towards Hae-In with every passing episode. If this had been some other drama, we’d hope the flirty male lead would lastly muster up the braveness to specific his timeless love with a dramatic gesture. On this case, although, we’re eagerly ready for Hyun-Woo’s realization that his tacky acts of service are usually not for a fortune anymore, however somewhat out of affection for the chilly, calculating girl he despised for the previous a number of years. Likewise, we’re sitting on the fringe of our seats questioning when Hae-In will probably be courageous and susceptible sufficient to reciprocate this real affection.
Some could imagine that understanding the couple’s intensive backstory makes the stereotypically anticipated romance unsatisfying as a result of these two had been as soon as deeply infatuated with one different. We all know this can be a present a few marriage rescuing itself, of two people preventing one another to finally overcome the chances collectively. Unusually sufficient, nevertheless, one thing is endearing about watching dulled-out ardour steadily revive into one thing extra lovely and complicated. Relatively than taking away from the present’s intrigue, the couple’s narrative arc provides dimension to their first kiss on display, their hugs of consolation within the pouring rain and their confrontations with “household” members who detest this ill-matched relationship. Certainly, we see right here that resurrecting love after having all of it is simply as a lot a wrestle as looking for it.
One can solely hope that this distanced couple can as soon as once more recreate these oh-so-charmingly romantic montages from their preliminary phases of pet love. Every episode sends Hyun-Woo’s and Hae-In’s relationship on an unpredictable curler coaster journey. On the time of writing, solely 4 episodes have been launched, leaving a lot of their story to the anticipation and hypothesis of the viewers.
We’ve seen exes get again collectively, enemies-to-lovers, pretend-dating reworked into actual relationships and long-lost loves discovering their means again to one another. What a few mixture of those well-loved tropes within the context of a post-marriage happy-never-after? “Queen of Tears” refreshingly particulars rekindle that dying spark of intimacy by beginning at what different dramas would’ve considered the customary “fortunately ever after.” And who is aware of? Possibly that gloomy divorce statistic will probably be nothing however a forgotten share as soon as this present is completed.
Day by day Arts Author Michelle Wu will be reached at [email protected].