Now that Queen of Tears is over, Baek Hyun-woo and Hong Hae-in’s moving love story can be replaced by several other Kdramas.
There are several other South Korean series that can fill the void left by the love story between Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun) and Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won). Koreans have always been excellent at romance novels, long before gaining worldwide fame with projects such as Parasite and Squid Game. Over the years, the genre has evolved, incorporating new elements that make it modern, but at their core, K-drama love stories are still effective because they almost always focus on the ups and downs of ‘a hopeless love for someone, regardless of the circumstances.
Having as its main storyline the difficult marriage of lawyer Baek Hyun-woo and wealthy CEO Hong Hae-in, it is quite obvious that Queen of Tears has won the hearts of viewers around the world. Despite the fact that it is the difference in social status that constitutes the initial hook, the main attraction of the series remains the love story between the couple, which goes through a difficult time when Hae-in falls seriously ill. The struggles they go through make them realize the love they feel for each other, which is a universal theme in many K-dramas. Considering this, and several other factors, other series might be the perfect sequel to watch.
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Autumn In My Heart
The first part of the Endless Love tetralogy, Autumn In My Heart kicked off the Korean wave in 2000 and follows the love story between Yoon Joon-seo (Song Seung-heon) and Yoon/Choi Eun- seo (Song Hye-gyo), who grew up together as siblings before realizing they were not related by blood. After years of separation, they reunite and fall in love, which leads to a whole series of complications for their respective families. To make matters worse, Eun-seo has leukemia and has to deal with the illness for the second half of the series’ runtime.
Just like Hyun-Woo in Queen Of Tears, Joon-seo is ready to do anything to save Eun-seo. He even refuses to visit her in the hospital, strangely thinking that if he doesn’t come, she will have the willpower to hang on and wait for him. It must be admitted that this is a controversial decision, the effect of which is to highlight the limits he is prepared to cross to ensure that she continues to live. Although there is no shortage of romantic and heartwarming scenes in Autumn In My Heart, make no mistake because it is a melodrama, which means that it draws on the sadness of the situation.
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Stairway To Heaven
After Autumn in My Heart and the debut of the series Endless Love, K-dramas moved toward more dramatic storylines, with signature themes such as amnesia, blindness, and terminal illness having been widely aired. Created from three suspense stories, Stairway to Heaven perfectly encapsulates this era of rose-tinted romance, where you only live once in your life. We discover the eternal love of billionaire and playboy Cha Song-joo (Kwon Sang-woo) for his childhood best friend, Han Jeong-Seo (Choi Ji-woo). With an iconic soundtrack and amazing performances, Stairway to Heaven is considered one of the best Korean dramas.
Despite modernizing the story of Queen of Tears to suit the growing global K-drama audience, Hyun-woo and Hae-in’s love story has all the hallmarks of Stairway to Heaven . Indeed, the main character is a devoted man, ready to go to the ends of the world for the woman he loves. Considering its premise, the Netflix hit has no shortage of painful moments for the lead couple. And finally, Queen of Tears and Stairway to Heaven both feature a pair of infuriating villains.
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I’m Sorry, I Love You
Coming from the first wave of K-dramas that made them popular in Asia, I’m Sorry, I Love You chronicles the fateful meeting of Cha Moo-hyeok (So Ji-sub) and Song Eun-chae (Im Soo-jung ). The circumstances in which they find themselves mean that they do not want to embark on a love story, but through spending time together, they end up falling in love with each other. Their fates, however, turn out to be far worse than they imagined when they learn that their horrific pasts are linked.
Despite everything, I’m Sorry, I Love You demonstrates that love always triumphs, although not always in the traditional sense of the word.
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Worlds Within
2008’s Worlds Within is certainly less sentimental than Autumn in My Heart and Stairway to Heaven, and maybe even Queen of Tears, but it addresses the complicated relationship between Jung Ji-oh (Hyun Bin) and Joo Joon-young (Song Hye -gyo), who also have to deal with a sudden illness. The relationship between the two directors, colleagues and sometimes friends, goes back a long way, but the fact that they dated in the past has always weighed on their current dynamic.
The failure of their respective relationships pushes them to reconnect with their love, but Ji-oh’s unexpected illness, which risks causing him to lose his sight, derails their reconciliation.
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Scent Of A Woman
Released in 2011, Scent of a Woman features Lee Yeon-jae (Kim Sun-a), a single, middle-aged woman who goes on vacation after being laid off. The discovery of gallbladder cancer at the same time as her dismissal pushes her to change her perspective and decide to live her life in a way that allows her to be happy and fulfilled. It is during her journey that she meets the man of her dreams, the rich Kang Ji-wook (Lee Dong-wook), who, once he falls in love with her, quickly changes his cynical ways.
The love story between the two is unfortunately interrupted by the progression of Yeon-jae’s illness.
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A Thousand Days’ Promise
In “A Thousand Days’ Promise”, the story of Lee Seo-yeon (Soo Ae) and Park Ji-Hyung (Kim Rae-won) begins ideally for a K-drama, in other words, everything is going too well at the point that in the event of a rebound, the effect is even more devastating. When she learns that she has an early form of Alzheimer’s when she is only around thirty years old, the story takes a dramatic turn. The film then looks at the difficulties caused by this brutal disease. While Seo-yeon gradually loses herself, to the point of no longer being able to recognize herself in the mirror or recognize her child, Ji-hyung remains by her side throughout the ordeal.
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It’s Okay, That’s Love
It’s Okay, That’s Love features the romance between novelist Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung), who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychiatrist Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin). Being simple roommates who don’t really like each other at first, the two still end up having feelings for each other as they spend time together, despite their relationship. conflicting.
It’s true that It’s Okay That’s Love doesn’t feature a physical illness like Hae-In’s in Queen of Tears, but it does put mental health at the forefront of its storytelling given that Jae-yeol’s pathology poses significant challenges. challenges to the couple, who must face their respective problems together.
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Uncontrollably Background
Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-bin teamed up in 2016 as Noh Eul and Shin Joon-young for Uncontrollably Fond. These two’s romance begins during their younger years, like Hyun-Woo and Hae-in’s. Circumstances, however, mean that Noh Eul and Joon-young are forced to separate during their adolescence, before meeting again later. Joon-young has become a popular actor, while Noh Eul is a documentary producer. As part of a project to retrace Joon-young’s life, they are forced to work together, and we quickly realize that the long separation has not prevented the feelings they have for each other. ‘other to endure.
Similar to the majority of works on this list, the reconciliation between No Eul and Joon-young in Uncontrollably Fond is compromised when the latter learns that he has cancer. The couple then strives to make the most of the time they spend together. Granted, they’re not married like Hyun-Woo and Hae-in, and there’s no subplot about divorce and reconciliation, but No Eul and Joon-young’s efforts to spend the most time possible together are reminiscent of those of the protagonists of Queen of Tears.
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Marriage Contract
Arguably the strangest couple on this list is Marriage Contract, in which former girl group member Uee stars as Kang Hye-soo, a single mother struggling to make ends meet. ‘come out of it after the loss of her husband which left her with a mountain of debt. Faced with such a situation, she is forced to accept an arranged marriage with Han Ji-hoon, played by Lee Seo-jin, the son of a rich man from South Korea in search of a contract that would help him to find a liver donor for his mother’s transplant.
By engaging in this arranged relationship, the two truly fall in love with each other. Then tragedy strikes, when Hye-soo’s illness threatens to cost him his life.
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Crash Landing On You
Upon its release in 2020, Crash Landing on You, which features two of South Korea’s biggest stars, immediately became one of the best K-dramas on Netflix. In the role of Son Ye-jin, Yoon Se-Ri, a snobbish billionaire, accidentally lands in North Korea and meets a soldier, Ri Jeong-Hyeok, played by Ri Jeong-hyeok. Forced to stay with her until Se-ri can return home, Jeong-hyeok tries everything possible to ensure that she can return to South Korea. That’s when things get complicated because they can’t help but fall in love throughout this ordeal.
Despite a light start, Crash Landing on You becomes more serious towards the end, with storylines reminiscent of Queen of Tears, which include different experiences for the two female leads, leaving their respective partners in a state of utter heartbreak.
Finally, both Crash Landing on You and Queen of Tears are enhanced by an effective and equally captivating subplot, as well as an astonishing supporting cast. Although their storylines are very different, they both provide the same feeling of romance that K-dramas have perfected.
Which Kdrama would you add to this list?