Queen of Tears: I Might've Cried Watching It

This kdrama focuses on the rocky marriage between Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), workaholic CEO, and her kindhearted husband Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun). As they navigate both marital and professional crises, genuine love begins to reappear.

There was so much excitement for this show, and it really didn't disappoint. The acting was really powerful, with strong performances that had me so captivated and focused on how the story would unfold. The compatibility of the actors had me convinced of family infighting and sibling attachments. The characters were all multi-dimensional, with their own struggles and insecurities. It all seemed comfortable and believable.

I liked the reversal of roles and traits. They both acted in ways that are traditionally associated with the opposite gender. Hae-in was the composed and powerful businesswoman, who could often be described as cold and detached. Meanwhile, her husband Hyun-woo was frequently emotional, easily approachable, and in a subordinate position to her in their company. I thought it was refreshing to watch, especially from a country like South Korea where gender is a strict binary.

With compelling villains Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon) and Mo Seul-hee (Lee Mi-suk), I was hooked until the end. Although, I didn't love that Eun-sung's entire character revolved around his obsession of Hae-in. He didn't have any other motivations in life, just desperately wanting Hae-in to fall in love with him. Also, I sometimes felt that the pace was a bit slow within some episodes, and I found myself getting a little bored. But the show redeemed itself with an explosive finale. All of the plotlines were effectively concluded in a sensical and realistic way. The show successfully did its job in entertaining me, and I found myself wanting Hong Hae-in's entire closet.