I love finding cameos in K-dramas and Song Joong-ki’s surprise appearance in Queen of Tears made me want to watch one of his best shows all over again. Song Joong-ki has a vast career that is full of many colorful characters, one of which includes Vincenzo Cassano from the mafia K-drama Vincenzo. Song Joong-ki’s revival of the hard-faced lawyer in Queen of Tears is one of the best K-drama cameos of recent times and a great nod to one of his best roles. Yet, I could not stop thinking about another of his most memorable shows when I was watching it.

Song Joong-ki’s Queen of Tears cameo appearance is full of connections, one being with director Kim Hee-won. Kim Hee-won directed Vincenzo and Song’s role reprisal in Queen of Tears is a nice link between her works. They also furthered their connection in the mystery K-drama Little Women, where Song Joong-ki made another cameo appearance that hinted at Vincenzo’s Italian heritage. Though Song Joong-ki and Kim Hee-won have a clear working history together, his on-screen reunion with one of Queen of Tears‘ biggest stars makes me want to watch one of the best K-dramas of all time even more.

Queen Of Tears Referenced Many Song Joong-ki K-Dramas (Including Descendants Of The Sun)

Song Joong-ki’s Career Is Full Of Variety

Though Song Joong-ki’s Queen of Tears cameo only lasts for a few minutes, it captures the vastness of his career. The initial focus of his role is the return of Vincenzo‘s Vincenzo Cassano, who is a great match for Hong Hae-in’s (Kim Ji-won) sharp personality. However, Hyun-woo’s (Kim Soo-hyun) lawyer and best friend Kim Yang-ki (Moon Tae-yoo) alludes to rumors surrounding Vincenzo, which add a sense of mystery to the ruthless figure while also referencing many of Song Joong-ki’s best works.

The first rumor that Yang-ki mentions is that Vincenzo was the youngest heir of a conglomerate family. This is a direct callback to Song Joong-ki’s most recent K-drama, Reborn Rich, which is currently the second most-watched K-drama on cable television. Yang-ki then suggests Vincenzo is from space, which references Song’s role in the sci-fi movie Space Sweepers (2021). He even goes as far as to elude that Vincenzo could be a werewolf. Though it’s unlikely to be true, Song Joong-ki did play one in A Werewolf Boy (2012).

The last K-drama that Kim Yang-ki references is arguably one of Song Joong-ki’s most famous, even though it aired eight years ago. Yang-ki suggests that Vincenzo was a former soldier who was stationed abroad, which refers to Song Joong-ki’s critically acclaimed role as Captain Yoo Si-jin in Descendants of the Sun. However, Yang-ki’s mindless rumors aren’t the only thing that callback to Song Joong-ki’s well-beloved role, as his on-screen appearance next to one of Queen of Tears‘ leading actors also acts as a Descendants of the Sun reunion.

Song Joong-ki & Kim Ji-won Starred Together In Descendants Of The Sun

Queen of Tears Marks Their Third Time Together On Screen

Queen of Tears sees Song Joong-ki reunite with his Descendants of the Sun co-star Kim Ji-won almost a decade after the action-packed K-drama first aired. Though their time on screen together is relatively limited, their scenes are always exemplary and show a different side to their acting abilities. In Queen of Tears, Hong Hae-in and Vincenzo are restrained characters and give off foreboding personas that are hard to penetrate. However, in Descendants of the Sun, Yoo Si-jin and Yoon Myeong-ju’s scenes are often lighthearted and full of friendly banter, which is one of Descendants of the Sun’s biggest strengths.

Though Descendants of the Sun is their most famous on-screen outing, Kim Ji-won and Song Joong-ki also starred together in the fantasy K-drama Arthdal Chronicles as the three leading characters. Song Joong-ki’s dual roles as twins Eun-seom and Sa-ya would prove to be a match for Kim Ji-won’s Tan-ya and develop of the glimpses of on-screen chemistry that was first hinted at in Descendants of the Sun. Though Arthdal Chronicles ultimately doesn’t hold up to Descendants of the Sun, it proves that Kim Ji-won and Song Joong-ki are a formidable on-screen pairing.

Why Descendants Of The Sun Is The Next Best Thing To Watch After Queen of Tears

They Are Very Similar K-dramas

One of the best things about Queen of Tears is its love story. Hae-in and Hyun-woo’s relationship feels like an epic fantasy that is hard not to get fully engrossed in as they begin to mend the scars of the past. Though their love story doesn’t necessarily follow K-drama convention, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air that is as romantic as it is heartbreaking. Descendants of the Sun‘s love stories are relatively similar.

Yoo Si-jin and Kang Mo-yeon’s story follows a very traditional pattern, which sees them gradually fall deeper in love after meeting for the first time in the show’s first episode. This is almost the opposite of Yoon Myeong-ju and Seo Dae-young’s, which sees them torn between love and duty. Much like Queen of Tears, both of these love stories have an epic feeling as they are caught between heartbreak and passion, giving Descendants of the Sun the same timeless feeling that Queen of Tears does.

Descendants of the Sun and Queen of Tears‘ legendary appeal also comes from its balance of tragedy and comedy. Though they could both get easily caught up in the dramatics of their circumstances, comedic elements diffuse the tense situations and give both K-dramas more variety. This makes their best scenes even more memorable and makes me want to watch Descendants of the Sun again even more after finishing Queen of Tears.