Despite having a successful pilot week, Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won's K-drama "Queen of Tears" sparked controversy for this reason. What happened?

'Queen of Tears' Criticized for 'Awkward' Scenes

Starring Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won, the highly-anticipated K-drama "Queen of Tears" finally premiered on March 9. As expected, it immediately became the talk of the town with just two episodes released.

Unfortunately, despite its successful premiere, the rom-com series also sparked controversy due to Kim Soo Hyun's character. Viewers said that the actor's humor was over the top that it turned cringey.

To recall, the first half of episode 2 was filled with humorous situations where Baek Hyun Woo (Kim Soo Hyun) tried to be overly intimate and caring towards his wife, Hong Hae In (Kim Ji Won). Due to the advice of his lawyer friend, he reconnected with his wife to inherit her assets.

Hyun Woo then started to have a strange behavior, which made Hae In suspicious but also amused. Until she saw Hyun Woo looking for miraculous events that could help her overcome her illness, since then, she believed that Hyun Woo's gestures were true.

In reality, Hyun Woo was only looking for that information because he was afraid his wife might survive. He never expected that his actions would give Hae In encouragement to fight her illness.

Kim Soo Hyun's Character Sparks Debate Among K-Netz

The episode was packed with various events that highlighted Baek Hyun Woo's character. After it aired, the episode sparked debate among citizens.

Some viewers didn't like how the scriptwriter incorporated overly awkward and insensitive humor, such as Baek Hyun Woo wishing for his wife to die.

• "I know it's intentionally turning many details into comedy, but still, it is awkward to see the husband knowing his wife only has three months left to live not feeling sad but rather happy and looking forward to it."
• "Even though Hyun Woo dislikes his wife, seeing her dying and feeling happy about it is weird. After all, Hae In didn't do anything deserving of being hated so much."
• "Episode 1 seemed okay, but why is episode 2 so awkward?"

Amid the controversy, "Queen of Tears" continues to deliver good ratings and it even surged in episode 2. Particularly, the second episode garnered 8.7 percent viewership ratings, which had a 2.8 percent increase compared to episode 1.

Viewers are still looking forward to the upcoming turn of events in "Queen of Tears" as new characters are also being introduced.

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Shai Collins wrote this.