for better or for worse: queen of tears review

          During every ceremony, couples will often exchange and say something along the lines of... "I take you...to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part." But what does it mean to put these vows into action, especially when familial pressure is suffocating, personal loss is unbearable and unexpected obstacles arise? A-list actors Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun have teamed up to create the tragically beautiful "Queen of Tears" world, a masterpiece that has left audience with tears welling in their eyes week after week. It's been a long time since I have written a kdrama review, but I felt a need to capture my thoughts as many (myself included) eagerly await for what I believe will be a record-breaking drama finale. 

Why do I think "Queen of Tears" is "the drama:"

(1) Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun are simply acting geniuses: As the famous actors play Hong Hae-in and Baek Hyun-woo respectively, viewers are blown away time and time again with the portrayal of this couple, two people who love each other deeply but fail to express affection in a healthy and vulnerable way. Though the main characters are emotional every episode, each wave of tears conveys a different emotion- grief for a baby that was lost, a desperation for their partner to stay, a feeling of hopelessness, a realization of the love they have for each other. The tears pierce into our souls in a way that makes us root for Hong Hae-in's recovery and accept nothing but a good ending for this couple. Despite the appearance of stereotypical k-drama tropes throughout the series (chaebol family drama, evil stepmother, parental favourtism), the drama is elevated because the actors are in full control. Viewers ride the wave of

emotion dictated by Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun themselves- laughing as the couples exchange flirty remarks and bawling when we see them suffer. Their micro-expressions and gestures allows us to understand the character in a nuanced and personal way. As many have pointed out on social media, I truly believe that drama would have been completely different without these two actors who bring their all to each scene, exercising their full range of emotions and leaving nothing on the table.

(2) The Epilogues: Aside from jaw-dropping endings after each episode, the QOT director ends with a now-expected short clip. The epilogues work to illustrate (1) the undeniable fate and invisible string that brings Hae-in and Hyun-woo together, and (2) the hidden, deep love that they have for each other. I love how the director's first epilogue begins with a video clip of their post-wedding thoughts- showing Hyun-woo's vow to protect his wife and Hae-in's vow to live a good life with her husband. Subsequently, the drama unveils the difficulties of truly protecting your partner and the fragility of life itself. Despite the yelling and ignoring between the couple throughout the episodes, the epilogue serve to remind us that they ultimately love each other, but the innate human desire to conceal one's fears, be correct and maintain our egos often hinders us from communicating honestly. These post-episodes clips continue to be the icing on the cake.

(3) The theme of protection: Throughout the series, I had this lingering question on my mind: Does Hae-in love Hyun-woo more? Or does he love her more? The ever-changing current consistently switches throughout the show as she initially threatens her brother to quit belittling Hyun-woo, and then he goes searching for the person who led the wild boar onto the family hunting ground. While she publicly clears his name and rejects a return to the family company, he researches tirelessly for a surgeon who can operate on her tumour. For better or for worse, Hae-in and Hyun-woo uses their unique power and strengths to protect each other in their own way. The series has shown that protecting your partner can look different, but often propels you to make sacrifices, take risks and be brave. 

I look forward to this weekend's finale- to cry with many international fans as we (hopefully) celebrate Hae-in and Hyun-woo's love for each other and overturn of Mo Seul-hee and her son Eun-seong. 

~cho

edit with my thoughts on episode 16:

Though episode 15 left me feeling frustrated, I'm glad things wrapped up rather nicely in ep 16. I have loved this series because of the unexpected and beautiful epilogues and the last one was extra sweet. While the epilogues often told us viewers a little more about Hae-in and Hyun-woo's love story, we see their love blossom into a beautiful life with their child . Together with Soobin, they went to Germany and lived life with her grandparents. The child was able to have the childhood that Haein wished she had, with unconditional love and care from her parents.
Even though I am not a huge fan of flashforwards, old Hyunwoo bringing lavender to Haein's grave shows that he kept his promise and lived with her 'til death do us part . He was by her side and protected her 'til the very end...