Kim Ji-won’s best K-drama role before Queen of Tears is hilariously different from Hong Hae-in, who is now her most famous character. The fact that Queen of Tears’ ending broke all sorts of records for tvN, including one previously held by Crash Landing on You, makes it clear how big of an impact the 2024 K-drama has had. Queen of Tears can already be described as a modern classic, serving as the perfect Crash Landing on You replacement in the romantic comedy genre.
The best K-drama of 2024 so far, Queen of Tears tells the story of how the marriage of the century evolved into a failed relationship where husband and wife could not stand each other. The cast of Queen of Tears is led by Kim Ji-won as Hae-in and Kim Soo-hyun as Hyun-woo, both of whom give career-defining performances. As great as Queen of Tears was, its lead actors had already been in some amazing Korean dramas. This includes Fight For My Way, in which Kim Ji-won played Ae-ra.
Queen of Tears’ title perfectly describes Kim Ji-won’s character. On the one hand, Hae-in is the heir to one of the most powerful and successful families in South Korea and works as CEO of Queens Department Store. On the other hand, Hae-in is dealing with two major crises in her personal life – a failed marriage and a brain tumor diagnosis. Queen of Tears allowed Kim Ji-won to play a very different character compared to her previous K-drama roles, especially Ae-ra from Fight For My Way. Unlike Hae-in, Ae-ra was poor and struggling professionally.
Although Ae-ra always had a positive attitude toward life, she had yet to achieve her biggest goals at the beginning of Fight for My Way. The slice-of-life K-drama starring Park Seo-joon and Kim Ji-won follows the “Crazy Fantastic Four” as they navigate life and face personal and professional challenges. Ae-ra dreamed of becoming a news anchor, yet she was currently working as a receptionist without any prospects of becoming a journalist. Still, Ae-ra never stopped believing in her dream and knew how to find happiness even in the smallest things.
Queen of Tears is a smart, fast-paced romantic comedy that perfectly combines funny bits with emotional moments. The lead couple in Queen of Tears is incredibly compelling, even more so because they are in the worst moment of their relationship. Hae-in and Hyun-woo’s fate as a couple in Queen of Tears is difficult to predict because their story flips a lot of romantic K-drama tropes. Instead of following two characters who fall in love, Queen of Tears sees its protagonists re-discover their lovefor each other as viewers learn more about them through flashbacks.
Fight For My Way, one of the best K-dramas of the 2010s is not just about love stories. The series is primarily a commentary on the challenges that life poses, highlighting how it is never too late for someone to pursue their dreams. Fight For My Way follows four different main characters – the “Crazy Fantastic Four” – although it focuses more on the potential relationship between Ae-ra and Dong-ma. Fight For My Way’s humor is also different from Queen of Tears’, the former of which plays with how naïve and unsuccessful the Crazy Fantastic Four turned out to be as adults.
Queen of Tears and Fight For My Way are two of Kim Ji-won’s best K-dramas. Both series are among the most successful of their respective genres, with Queen of Tears’ finale currently holding the record for the highest viewership ratings on tvN (via Soompi). Despite how different Ae-ra and Hae-in are from each other, these two characters highlight Kim Ji-won’s acting chops as well as her potential as a lead actress. Seven years later, Fight For My Way’s main cast all grew up to have impressive careers, which makes the show even better in retrospect.
Kim Ji-won gives Ae-ra and Hae-in the nuances that help these characters work. In Fight For My Way, viewers quickly bond with Ae-ra and start rooting for her to achieve her goals. In Queen of Tears, Hae-in does not give the best of first impressions, but what initially appears to be a soulless, cold character turns out to be a complex, even tragic person. Between Fight For My Way and Queen of Tears, Kim Ji-won has played some fascinating characters, all of whom defined their respective shows.
Sources: Soompi
Stream Queen of Tears on Netflix