2 Reasons behind the “Queen of Tears” Syndrome, Even Faster than “Crash Landing on You”?

The tvN weekend drama “Queen of Tears” is on an unstoppable rise. It has increased its ratings faster than “Crash Landing on You,” which ranked No. 1 in tvN’s all-time ratings (21.7%, Nielsen Korea).

As this K-drama garners attention not only domestically but also internationally, it’s edging closer to the ranks of “syndrome” popularity, and here are the likely reasons behind his tremendous popularity: 

Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won’s “Hallyu Power”

“Queen of Tears” tells the story of Hong Hae-in (played by Kim Ji-won) a third-generation conglomerate heiress and department store CEO, and Baek Hyun-woo (played by Kim Soo-hyun) a lawyer raised in a rural village, overcoming divorce and rediscovering love. 

As the story delicately portrays the tumultuous romance between a conglomerate heiress and an ordinary man, it achieved a record-high rating of 19% in its seventh episode. 

Now, with 6 episodes still remaining, it has already climbed to the third-highest viewership rating among tvN dramas, following “Crash Landing on You” and “Goblin” (20.5%). Compared to the 10th episode rating of “Crash Landing on You” (14.6%), “Queen of Tears” shows a much steeper rise with a 4.4% increase.

The K-drama has also continuously topped the “Global Top 10” chart on Netflix since its premiere on March 9, becoming the non-English TV show’s highest-ranked for five consecutive weeks. The combination of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, firmly establishing themselves as Hallyu stars, is considered the driving force behind its impact. In Japan, it has consistently maintained its position in the upper ranks of Netflix TV shows, earning recognition as a key player in the “5th Wave of Hallyu”.

Differentiated by variations in the “conglomerate theme”

“Queen of Tears” succeeded in attracting attention from the early stages both domestically and internationally by overturning the traditional “romance formula”. Scenes like Kim Soo-hyun entering the conglomerate and performing the ceremonies for his wife’s family are noteworthy. 

Time, a leading American media outlet, even praised, “It refreshingly transformed the content of K-dramas but still maintains the charm of ‘K-romance.'”

Regarding this, drama critic Gong Hee-jung analyzed on the 11th, “It skillfully alleviated clichés with appropriate reversals and comedic charm, making it familiar yet not boring.”

Supporting characters such as Kwak Dong-yeon as Kim Ji-won’s younger brother, Kim Jung-nan as Kim Ji-won’s aunt, and Hwang Young-hee as Kim Soo-hyun’s mother also enriched the family narrative, eliciting broad empathy from viewers. Some speculate that Kim Soo-hyun’s decision to reduce his appearance fee to 300 million won per episode, lower than his previous work “One Fine Day”, enabling the gathering of veteran actors.

Pop culture critic Kim Hun-sik evaluated, “The supporting cast add to the success,” adding, “Their outstanding performances and ensemble maximized the charm of each character, enhancing the advantages of the mixed-genre, including melodrama and revenge.”

Source: Naver