The tvN drama "Queen of Tears," featuring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, has proven its ongoing popularity by reaching the second spot on the Netflix global chart.
Created by Park Ji-eun, directed by Jang Young-woo and Kim Hee-won, and produced by Studio Dragon, Munhwa Warehouse, and SHOWRUNNERS, "Queen of Tears" delivers a gripping tale of a marital crisis and a love rekindled.
It follows Hong Hae-in (played by Kim Ji-won), a third-generation chaebol heiress of the Queens Group and a department store queen, and Baek Hyun-woo (played by Kim Soo-hyun), the son of the Yongduri village leader and a supermarket prince.
The series wrapped up successfully on tvN on April 28 after also airing on TVING and Netflix.
According to the latest Netflix global TOP10 series (non-English) rankings announced on May 1 for the week of April 22-28, "Queen of Tears" moved up to second place, one spot higher than last week.
Since its premiere on March 9, the series has racked up a total of 373.2 million viewing hours, nearing the 400 million hour mark.
Even though the show has ended on domestic television, it continues to draw viewers on both local and international streaming platforms.
The drama has received high praise on international review sites. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Queen of Tears" boasts an impressive audience score of 93%.
Over on IMDb, it has a rating of 8.4, showing high viewer satisfaction. Fans have praised it as an
"intense emotional roller coaster with stellar performances" and noted that "the writer skillfully navigates themes of love, loss, redemption, and the human spirit, leaving a lasting impression."
The show is also a hit in Japan, where it has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Filmarks, Japan's largest content review site.
This rating has climbed from an initial 4.3 when the show started in March, matching the popularity of writer Park Ji-eun's earlier work,
"Crash Landing on You." Viewers have commented, "It's been ages since I've looked forward to a drama each week. It's sad to think I won't have that anticipation anymore," and "I only rewatch dramas I truly love, and this one definitely makes the list."
Furthermore, Screen Rant recently published an article titled "8 Reasons Why Queen Of Tears Has Been So Successful," highlighting factors like the strong script, directing that enhances the love story, and outstanding acting.
The article points out that
"with a solid script and seasoned direction, 'Queen of Tears' has cemented its place as a successful K-drama."
The final episode, which aired on April 28, achieved an average viewership of 28.4% in the Seoul metropolitan area, peaking at 31%, and averaged 24.9% nationwide, peaking at 27.3%. Additionally, according to FUNdex, the official platform of Good Data Corporation, a specialized K-content competitiveness research institution, "Queen of Tears" topped the drama buzz rankings for eight straight weeks from its premiere to its finale.