Kim Soo-hyun shined as Baek Hyun-woo in Queen of Tears, which is a reminder to watch his other critically acclaimed K-drama. One of the most promising names of his generation, Kim Soo-hyun has had leading roles in some of the best K-dramas of recent years. Queen of Tears’ ending, which broke all sorts of records, confirmed the show as 2024’s biggest K-drama hit so far and will surely leave viewers wanting to see more of the lead actors. Fortunately, there are plenty of great K-dramas starring Kim Soo-hyun, including a modern classic from 2020.

Queen of Tears, which also stars Kim Ji-won, tells the story of a seemingly perfect couple who was secretly going through a major crisis. Through flashbacks, epilogues, and twists, Queen of Tears told an emotional, high-stakes love story that charmed audiences all over the world for weeks. Although there are not many shows like Queen of Tears, Kim Soo-hyun’s 2020 K-drama is a great pick for those who want to see more of his work.

Queen Of Tears’ Kim Soo-hyun Starred In It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay ran from June 20 to August 9, 2020

Four years before Queen of Tears, Kim Soo-hyun starred in It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, a 16-episode K-drama streaming on Netflix. He played the role of Moon Gang-tae, who worked as a caretaker at a psychiatric hospital. Gang-tae also took care of his brother, Moon Sang-tae (played by Oh Jung-se), who was autistic and had been dealing with severe PTSD after witnessing a massive tragedy as a child. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay also starred Seo Yea-ji as Ko Moon-young, who, despite being a famous children’s book author, is quite antisocial and scares anyone who comes close to her.

Following Moon-young’s visit to the hospital to promote her book, It’s Okay To Not Be Okay reveals that the writer and those two brothers are connected in some way. The show follows their strange yet strong connection as more is revealed about their shared history. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay slowly reveals pieces of information concerning Gang-tae’s past, particularly his childhood and the traumatic events that would affect his brother forever. The 2020 K-drama currently also tells a love story between Gang-tae and Moon-young, the former of which realizes the latter has been going through something since she was a child.

How It’s Okay To Not Be Okay Compares To Queen Of Tears

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay tells a more convoluted story

Kim So-hyun’s latest K-dramas were both incredibly well-received among audiences and critics. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay was not a viewership titan like Queen of Tears, whose finale even broke Crash Landing on You’s record to become the most watched drama episode for tvN (via Soompi). However, it received great reviews, from its unique love story that avoided a lot of tropes to the way it dealt with mental health. Four years later, It’s Okay To Not Be Okay is still considered by many one of the best K-dramas of its generation.

Queen of Tears’ level of success may be unmatched, but those who enjoyed Kim So-hyun’s work in the 2024 hit should check out his previous drama. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay is a love story at its core, but it is a very different one compared to Queen of Tears’. While Queen of Tears’ main couple is quite complicated, to the point it takes several episodes for viewers to even understand why they are where they are in their relationship, their story is relatively straightforward compared to It’s Okay To Not Be Okay.

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay & Queen Of Tears Confirm Kim Soo-hyun’s Leading Man Status

Kim Soo-hyun’s career continues to impress

Kim Soo-hyun has been one of the most popular Korean actors for a while now, with Queen of Tears and It’s Okay To Not Be Okay confirming his status as a successful leading man. It must be noted that Kim did not take leading roles for a few years after The Playlist, appearing only as cameos in Hotel de Luna and Crash Landing on You. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay marked his return to the small screen in a major role, and it could not have been a better comeback.

Kim Soo-hyun’s performance as Moon Gang-tae was one of the best things about It’s Okay To Not Be Okay and highlighted how great of an actor he was. In 2021, Kim Soo-hyun starred in a web series called One Ordinary Day, after which he would take another break. Queen of Tears was Kim Soo-hyun’s first project in three years and his first traditional K-drama since It’s Okay To Not Be Okay. With both Queen of Tears and It’s Okay To Not Be Okay set to become modern classics, it’s safe to say Kim Soo-hyun’s career choices have been incredible.

Sources: Soompi

Stream It’s Okay To Not Be Okay on Netflix

Stream Queen of Tears on Netflix