Who beat the 40 billion blockbuster 'Queen of Tears'?

《Taeyuna’s Listening Bodbo》
Reporter Tae Yu-na and Ten Asia will properly cover all aspects of the drama based on what she heard and saw on the spot. We will be the eyes and ears of readers in an era where dramas are flooding in on numerous channels.

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It's a drama with a lot of talk and a lot of trouble. As the viewer ratings for tvN's 'Queen of Tears' increase, the noise continues. There are a variety of controversies, from programming issues to leaks of the actor's private life.

The 'Queen of Tears', who was in a state of confusion from casting to programming, rarely had a quiet day even after taking off her veil. This is too much of a risk for a popular drama to take.

Most recently, the dating rumors of the male lead, Kim Soo-hyun, have emerged as a hot topic. Actress Kim Sae-ron suddenly posted a photo with Kim Soo-hyun early in the morning after the 5th episode of 'Queen of Tears' ended with a kiss between Kim Soo-hyun (played by Baek Hyun-woo) and Kim Ji-won (played by Hong Hae-in).

The photo was quickly deleted, but the photo of Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun touching each other's cheeks and staring at the camera with an affectionate look quickly spread online. Because it looked too sweet to be an ordinary two-shot, suspicions arose that the two were lovers.

In response, Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, said, "We would like to inform you that Kim Soo-hyun's dating rumors are groundless." He added, "The photos that are spreading online appear to have been taken in the past when they were under the same agency, and the intention of Kim Sae-ron's behavior is completely unknown. He predicted strong legal action against malicious slander and insulting posts.

However, if you look closely at the agency's position, it is full of ambiguous words. The 'current' dating rumor is unfounded, it 'appears' to have been filmed in the past, and the intention is 'unknown', so none of it is clear. It is even questionable whether the statement was made after directly checking with Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron. This is also why it does not feel like a simple happening.

Romance rumors about the lead actor during a broadcast can be a fatal blow that breaks the immersion of the work. Fortunately, despite these risks, 'Queen of Tears' broke the record by exceeding 14% in viewership ratings in episode 6. Whether it's a noise effect remains to be seen.

Kim Soo-hyun may be the one with the highest value in the 40 billion won blockbuster 'Queen of Tears', but as the episodes go by, Kim Ji-won's presence becomes more overwhelming. This was also proven by its topicality. Kim Ji-won started out as the second most talked about performer in the first week of March announced by FUNdex, the official platform of Good Data Corporation, a K-content competitiveness research agency, and took first place in one week. Kim Soo-hyun, who was in first place, went down to second place. In the end, the biggest victim of Kim Soo-hyun's dating rumors is Kim Ji-won.

'Queen of Tears' was also on the receiving end of rumors of 'push programming' due to the fact that the main broadcast of the entertainment show 'Europe Outside the Tent' was canceled and a rerun was scheduled. Although the drama production company denied that it was a boost programming, the industry pointed out that it was a shallow trick to boost 'Queen of Tears' as there was no special reason for 'Europe Outside the Tent' to be closed.

When a drama becomes popular, even the smallest details become issues. From the way it unfolds to even a single line of dialogue, there can be unexpected controversy. As it is a box office hit, it is a burden to bear, but repeated issues are adding to the fatigue with the work.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr