Tomorrow

Another day to keep fighting is essentially the moral of Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is highly recommended because it touches upon topics SK should really learn from - in fact - the entire world.
It is a fictional, fantasy drama, therefore the characters or props does not despict reality. However, each episode's plot does represent reality to a certain extent. Its main focus is essentially about depression and its level of negative energy.
The main characters of Tomorrow are a team built in the after life- to save people on the brink of suicide. Its very heartwarming, and poignant. Some of the episodes may even relate with you, at least for me it did. It can be heartwrenching, so prepare some tissues please. Romance is not the main focus, its mostly about mental health and its why I highly recommend it cause its a deep drama. A remarkable drama that deserves high ratings, albeit it can be cringey not going to lie. Regardless, please do not hate on this drama over a fictional name/bday. Just watch it and you won't regret it.

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Not exactly poetic

Imagine Robert Frost traveling along a path in the woods and finding a fork. On the right, the more beaten path. On the left, the proverbial “one less traveled by”. He chooses left and moves forward. But after a bit, reconsiders and returns to the fork. Then chooses the right and, again, proceeds further into the woods. Unhappy with his choice, he returns to the divergence and resumes his stroll on the left. But he is no happier on the left than he was on the right and retreats again, this time with certainty to take the path on the right. After multiple repetitions, he wanders aimlessly in a circle at the fork, traveling in no particular direction at all for any length of time. Not a particularly compelling poem had his most famous work followed this trajectory.

But this is a pretty fair metaphor for “Tomorrow”.

Like an aimless wander through some woods, it might not go anywhere meaningful but that’s not to say that it’s entirely unpleasant. There’s some marvelous casting. In his previous work, Rowoon has demonstrated a relaxed and natural vibe and he’s got a pretty full toolbox of skills to capably lead any tentpole drama. Kim Hee Sun is a terrific match for the role of Goo Ryun. Kim Hae Sook is a welcome sight in any production.

The concept is a refreshing mix of grim reaper and the Hollywood blockbuster “Men in Black”. Rowoon’s Joon Woong, through an unlikely chain of events, finds himself working as a not-yet-dead grim reaper assigned to the Crisis Management Team, a special unit that is tasked with helping souls on the brink of suicide. It’s very dark and heavy stuff, but the production manages to find some lightness and humor. Joon Woong’s childlike, adventurous personality aids the entertainment quotient enormously. There’s lots of Barry Sonnenfeld-style touches too like Kim Chil Doo’s multiple mute appearances. And the production value matches the need for outlandish hair and wardrobe, otherworldly sets and occasional specific effects.

The photography and OST aren’t award-winning but neither do they detract.

And where “Tomorrow” takes an approach as a procedural show, it has some exquisitely outstanding episodes. Several of the episodes in the first half of the series (which has a more procedural bent) are powerfully emotional. The characters and guest acting performances by the targets of the Crisis Management Team are wonderful. Rowoon’s interactions with these characters show off his acting strengths.

But this production can’t stay committed to this path. It’s got a serial narrative underneath and eventually the procedural approach dissolves and things go backward. Or south. Maybe down? It’s not clear.

Among the most problematic elements are some very awkwardly introduced backstories. There’s also too many of them as Kim Hee Sun’s Goo Ryun, Lee Soo Hyuk’s Joong Gil and Yun Ji On’s Ryung Goo characters all get period piece backstories. But none work well. Goo Ryun’s is in fragments that don’t fit together. Joong Gil’s seems to be threaded with Goo Ryun but it’s so haphazardly edited in to the present day storyline that it becomes an unwelcome distraction. The worst, however, is Ryung Goo’s episode-long slog well past the halfway mark. Had it been shorter and earlier, it’s conceivable it could have contributed. But Ryung Goo’s character is not exactly a breath of cool, crisp mountain air to begin with and spending an entire hour in a historical era where everything goes badly and then even more badly and then just goes downhill at an accelerated pace is simply unpleasant. Even had there been an overwhelming positive outcome in the present day, it’s not enough to balance out the misery of the backstory.

As for the present day, Joong Gil is a mess all-around. The character is dull. Lee Soo Hyuk’s portrayal is unwaveringly one-note which is an expression of no expression at all.

Kim Hae Sook has some lovely moments early on in the series, but as the episodes progress, she appears less and less frequently.

Rowoon’s Joon Woong is a solid character and has a perfectly good setup where his adventures put his mother and younger sister into a precarious predicament. Like with so much else though, after a promising start, the focus wanders away in other directions.

Most problematic is that the main characters, whether it’s just Joon Woong and Goo Ryun, or if the main characters also include Joong Gil and Ryung Goo, they simply don’t fit well. Chemistry is an overused term as professional actors worth their salary should be able to fool an audience that they genuinely have feelings for each other. But a lack of chemistry is precisely the most apt description of what ails these group. The characters just don't fit together and, frankly, "Tomorrow" doesn't seem to care that they are only somewhat interesting characters separately and wholly unconvincing as a team. Although some blame might fall on the actors or casting, more of it should be borne by the writing which introduces too many sideplots and the directing which invests heavily in creating a modern, quirky and fantasy setting and then jettisoning it to play it safe with worn-out themes.

“Tomorrow” has enough bright spots to recommend it but expectations should be tempered.

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Suicide is a sensitive subject

And they did not fail in my opinion. I mean, it could have been a catastrophe. If you know someone who works with mental health though, you should probably not recommend them this drama... lol. But if you see it as pure fantasy it shouldn't bother you too much.

The good:
- The main cast.
- A few extremely strong episodes, for example ep 6 was amazing.
- Good production values and even the special effects were cool (but its pretty obvious they used up most of the effects budget in the fist couple of eps...).

The maybe not so good:
- Often overly dramatic to make it as tragic as possible, sometimes to the point its even silly.
- The formulaic format. Almost every episode has the same structure and is always magically solved in the end.
- Suicide is an extremely complex subject and sometimes it gets too simplified - for example the person saved by some fried chicken, or the eating disorder episode - the FL literally just talked to the suicidal person a few times and it was all solved... like magic. Thats not really how it works in real life...
- The comedy scenes. I don't think the comedic sense they had in this drama was funny overall, Sorry.
- Many weak/filler episodes, for example ep 7 or the one with the suicidal dog. It made me roll my eyes... The eps were overall very hit and miss, inconsistent.
- After all, the ending felt rushed.
(A bit too many "funny" costumes & heavy make-up in the underworld... but I guess thats just nitpicking, sorry, lol).

So for sure its a bit of a mixed bag - BUT definitely a drama worth checking out! A 7 from me.

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Good nothing more and nothing less

The fantasy is not my style of drama that I usually watch but the beautiful photo and the rare theme of suicidal make me want to try.

It’s a disappointment after all. The acting is really bad for me. Nothing is natural expect for gu ryon , Jung Gil and the directrice. The other main actor lack a lot for me and overreact which harm a lot the drama. The chemistry for the GR team is totally missing and it’s difficult to believed that that are some good feelings between them.

The theme of suicidal is sure extremely difficult to treat as a subject for a drama. For most of the stories, I think it was a success even if often the story is a little bit too long or the actor not so good. But as we continue the drama we look into the main character story and it’s when things don’t work for me. Ep 9 was useless and the story Ryung gu too long. I feel like as soon as the main characters are involved personally something is off and become a totally mess. To be honest I was sick of the protagonists and just want the last mission to be solve without all this sentimental talking from the principal characters. I end up missing empathy for them.
With the rise in tension between gu ryon and Jung Gil, I was expecting more for the final but it was just flat on my opinion.

Overall It is good, nothing more and nothing less. There was some more potential but the lack in acting and chemistry from the actor waste it. The scenario wasn’t enable to treat the story of the main characters without being annoying at the end.

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Peeling back the curtain at suicide

This had a similar vibe to Mystic Pop Up Bar, though with a rather more edgy feel. The cinematography was beautiful and the characters slowly reel you in until you root for them - even the anti-hero, stroke villain Park Joong Gil , who appears unforgiveable at times and yet he's exactly the type of aloof, cold-blooded creature girls hate to love.

What I liked:
This one made me reach for the tissues in a good way. The writers took us on a journey through people's pain, their darkness and agony, until you related and felt it with them. It was easy to understand why each character wanted to give up on life. I have nothing against 'It's Okay to not be Okay' but this is the series I'd recommend for peeling back the rabbit warren of a person's brain, and the dark paths our thoughts can take us down. Each episode pulled me in, and though perhaps a little preachy, made me value life more. Totally worth the watch!

What I wasn't sure of:
Not necessary for the enjoyment of the show, but dependent on whether there's a second series I thought the writers made a mistake with Goo Ryun & Park Joong Gil's fated/not-fated relationship. It's clear from the get go there's chemistry and I'm not good at math but how long did Goo Ryun wear rouge on her eyelids because the love of her life liked it? The resolution felt hurried and ambiguous, and not measured well against the range of emotions expressed in the history of both characters.

What I didn't like:
Personal taste but seriously Choi Joon Woong yelled a LOT. Couldn't quite buy in to his righteous-anger scenes.

I thought the ending was OK, it didn't disappoint me but it didn't give me that nice feeling of a present wrapped in a bow. A few reviews comment on the humour being misplaced, I actually quite liked it. I think the seriousness of this drama needed a bit of levity. And actually that's what life is about - finding joy in the shadow.

Final recommendation is please watch it. This one deserves it.

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Showing the Good, Bad & Controversial

❤️ Lesson: There will always be hardships, but only you can save yourself from it, live the best version and look around - cause there might be someone to help you look forward to a "tomorrow" which will be beautiful / 아름다운

❤️ Nutshell Review:

Every episode is story of different individuals who will make you think on lines of existential crisis, showing the good, bad and difficult choices we make as humans with complex emotions & relations. But there is also an underlying backstory of the main characters (though not a satisfying one for Rowoon's I feel in final episode, hence -0.5).

Good one-time watch, though some episodes/cases may make you want to revisit (Example - Episode 9 🐶)

❤️ Detailed Review:

This show is FOR YOU, if you like a PLOT where:

• great narrative to show the good, bad and controversial side of human nature
• there are elements of mystery, mythology/fantasy
• it is about SECOND CHANCES
• past lives mix with modern times
• female lead is strong with impeccable edgy fashion style
• male lead is righteous, speaks his mind but also goofy & handsome
• there are underlying backstories for characters - main & support cast, both
• visual affects are good-to-great
• people make mistakes, learn and find redemption
• every episode will keep you glued to your screen
• every episode will explore a new character's challenge - yet tie it all together for the main plot and cast
• every week you will wait for the next episode with genuine anticipation
• there is a deeper meaning about values and relationships of life, which are relatable to certain level
• focus on dark/deeper topics like suicide, murder, death in general

❤️ The Cast is Strong

• Kim Hee Sun and Kim Hae Sook (reminder of their previous drama - Room No 9, brilliance)
• Lee Soo Hyuk (cold, calculating, goes by the book, reminds of Lee Dong Wook in Goblin, but am sure there is a history here)
• Rowoon (he is growing and how!)


❤️ So, why did I PICK UP this drama?

99% of the time - I watch a drama that is COMPLETED airing.
• Rarely, a drama like this comes along that demolishes this resolve of mine
• Past Dramas that did: Mr Queen, True Beauty, Business Proposal
• So you can get an idea of the caliber of this drama - that this is not a bad pick, and you can give it a try too!

I was already a fan, before I watched the show:
• I write as a hobby, especially spin-offs of dramas I finish watching
• Usually with themes of alternate endings, or imagining the reader with the lead actor/actress.
• For this show Tomorrow - the premise & trailer itself was so good, that I drafted a spin-off beforehand.

Now at the end, the stories and lessons were beautiful, the background story and end to our characters made me take the rating a notch down to 9.5 - but still a great watch and rewatch anytime!

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Don't be fooled!

Why did I watch this again? I got sucked into another disappointing fantasy drama by the stylish appeal and the allegory of running a suicide hotline like a risk management team stuck in a corporate hell.

Don't be fooled! Tomorrow pretty much just ran its course as a predictable formulaic save the victim of the week. The drama tries to tackle difficult topics like bullying and sexual harassment but they all seem to fall pretty flat unable to tap into any real emotional pull. I found that the fantasy setting really detracted from the drama and eventually became a barrier for me taking this drama seriously. The characters often came off as predictable and even cartoony. Emotions seem forced, and the melo is relentless. It's disappointing to see a drama attempting to address these difficult topics completely lack any substantial depth or gravity. It just ends up feeling weirdly empty, embarrassingly cliche, and shamefully laughable ...

Dramas like these remind me why I'm supposed to ALWAYS stay away from fantasy. Look elsewhere, if you are looking for a drama with real heart. This isn't it.

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Well-Intentioned but Flawed in Execution

In a fantasy reimagining of South Korea, the Underworld (Jumadeung) exists and operates as a corporation. Fearful of the country's alarmingly high suicide rate, a trio of Grim Reapers is tasked with saving suicidal people. Narrated in an episodic case-of-the-week format, the drama covers a wide range of (triggering) topics including bullying, unemployment, eating disorder, loss of loved ones, rape and victim blaming. Thematically dark and tragic, the show tugs at our heartstrings in ways that only kdramas can. No case is too trivial for our trio as they demonstrate repeatedly how empathy can help  individuals survive their darkest moments. But therein lies the show's biggest flaw. For a show that focuses on suicide prevention, its quite surprising that it never discusses mental health or therapy. Not a single character is shown to be in therapy.  All the suicidal characters are magically 'cured' by words of empathy and they go back to their normal lives without any lingering trauma. Furthermore, many of the cases are clearly symptoms of deeper societal rot and the show fails to acknowledge the role of oppressive systems in driving individuals to commit suicide. As a result, many of the cases lack nuance and feel heavy-handed. 


That being said, what I loved most about the show was our trio of grim reapers. The no-nonsense Koo Ryeon, the deadpan Ryung Gu and the rookie Jun Woong had great chemistry with each other and their hilarious interactions provided for the much needed comic relief.  Moreover, the drama looked gorgeous and the world building was quite immersive. Also I loved the ending scene. I absolutely love it when stories come full circle. 

I have mixed feelings about this drama. On one hand, it is well intentioned and well acted but at the end, the drama fails to  do justice to its themes. Here's a message for Jumadeung: If you really want to prevent suicide, the least you can do is invest in affordable mental health care and work to remove prejudices around mental illness and trauma.

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Too Unrealistic For Its Subject Matter

This drama was very entertaining. It's funny, has decent VFX, and is overall wholesome. However, it was unrealistic in how it covered its suicide prevention.

There were victims who were mishandled and what the Risk Management Team does just doesn't do the topic justice. For example, multiple victims are told to either give up or get over it in a manner that triggers their fight or flight response. There's an eating disorder victim who is basically told that it's all in her head and it's her fault she's struggling because no one thinks badly of her at all. Then they don't even lead her to getting proper help. Instead they have her meet someone with a positive view of their body image. Another example is how there are victims who are experiencing grief through their loved ones dying and the drama's solution is to have them meet their dead loved one. Again, they do not lead the victim to proper help like therapy and give them an unrealistic solution. Finally, this drama felt like it wanted to be more in the vigilante justice genre.

As I mentioned before, this drama has decent VFX. It also has a decent amount of action. The story often involves the main characters executing some form of vigilante justice on behalf of the victims. There are also flashbacks of war and fight sequences. However, what does all this action and have to do with suicide prevention? Maybe instead of these vigilante scenes, they could have shot scenes of the victims going through therapy and update on their healing before moving onto the next victim.

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Action Drama that Got Confused of Its Message

LIKES:
The concept or storyline is good for a drama.
Great casting throughout the show, but the main leads did fantastic in their acting roles.
The Risk Management team threesome had great chemistry (although others didn’t think so as pervious reviews will show).
Every episode was interesting, and gave a little bit of insight into peoples hardships and how to overcome that darkness; talking to someone is sometimes all that you need.
The music was good, although nothing really stood out.
The FX was well done.
The merging of past lives/dreams/nightmares with present and the current reality was done in a way that it wasn’t confusing.
Scenery and for the most part wardrobe were perfect.
Loved Ryeon’s outfits, some of Ryung-gu’s outfits were a bit crazy.
The message: Second chances are what humanity is all about, because everyone can make mistakes.
I loved how they did Episode 6
Satisfactory handling of dark/heavy topics of suicide, murder, death, etc.
Good amount of drama and excitement due to the Grim Reapers.
The colour pallet and variance between past, dreams and present was well done.
I liked that they showed a little bit of punishment for the evil doers, but they could’ve done more.

DISLIKES:
Their cases/missions all got summed up easily and suicide is part of depression and can happen again. That aspect wasn’t shown. I also expected that a show about suicide would have a message at the end about online help or an information hotline to contact.
Sometimes the attempt at humour failed, but other times it was needed due to the heavy content.
The last 5 episodes seemed to have had little budget for the FX.
The ending was rushed and it was an okay summarization of the main leads, but could’ve been written way better.
Too much time spent developing the past for Kim See Sun’s character Ryeon/Ryun. It definitely could’ve cut some of the scenes and still be effective.
The romantic aspect of the drama failed, only succeeded as an explanation to the connections between Reapers, nothing more. Even the end or concluding part was almost boring, less impactful than it should’ve been. Not even the red thread concept helped.
Seemed very similar to the formula used in Taxi Driver.
I thought they would highlight the fact that when we choose to die, we throw away life too easily, but if the choice is taken from us (death by war, illness, etc.) then we fight hard to keep living. The Jade boss lady kept repeating how it’s the individuals choice, yet that constantly was contradicted. The writer seemed to be confused on what their message was.


OVERALL:
I watched it all and couldn’t wait for the next episode. Certain parts I would watch again, but maybe not the whole drama. It’s a decent action drama, with a dose of fantasy. I would recommend it to others.

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Depressing subject but Masterfully Executed

This is the first drama I’ve watched that I would term “important”. Tomorrow is important. It is an episodic drama based around the subject of suicide. It is sad, I won’t lie. The Korean War veteran episode had me crying ten minutes in until the very end……sobbing.

The story follows Choi Joon Woong, played by Rowoon, who in doing a good deed, ends up in a coma and the new volunteer with the Grim Reapers Crisis Management Team. The team consists of Goo Ryun and Im Ryung Goo portrayed brilliantly by Kim Hee Sun and Yun Ji On. Those two were amazing and their back stories destroyed me.

Lee Soo Hyuk is the conflicted Grim Reaper Park Joong Gil and Kim Hae Sook plays the head honcho, Jade Emperor. Again, amazing amazing amazing. I was never bored when either of these characters were on the screen. Park Joong Gil definitely is a character we can love to hate then love again.

Each episode is a new character pushed to the brink of suicide. Each story is relatable and painful. They do have comic relief in each show so the viewer doesn’t need medication to survive the show.

In the first episode, the Jade Emperor advises the Grim Reapers that South Korea’s suicide rate is extremely high. Actually, it is very high. For a country with the resources it has, it is rather surprising. This show calls attention to some of the reasons behind that ridiculously high rate. THIS IS WHY TOMORROW IS IMPORTANT.

And if you need some eye candy, all the grim reapers are just plain…..pretty.

The soundtrack is well done. The story was well done. The acting was well done. I will NEVER watch this show again.

Really, please watch it. One episode a week should work. I managed once every 2 or so days. There are many that would benefit from watching this show and I have never said this about a drama……ever.

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List of Triggers/Themes listed at the end of Review

Completed - 6/2/2022 - 8.25

“Tomorrow” is an ambitious drama that wants to tackle serious social issues and how they contribute to suicides, and also put a fantasy spin to it. I quite like the general plot of the drama but I feel that the execution leaves room for improvement.

What I Like:

1. Plot - I think the idea of having grim reapers not just escorting the dead, but also trying to save them is a very interesting concept. It’s also interesting to see the behind-the-scenes operation. I heard complaints about how this drama makes it appear that it’s too easy to dissuade suicides because of a few words. With that, I would like to say that this is the whole concept of the drama, so maybe you shouldn’t watch it if you don’t even like this general plot. Why force yourself to watch it if you can’t even get past this? Do I believe suicides could be dissuaded this easily? Absolutely not. However, as the Jade Emperor said, and I paraphrase, it’s not that victims can be talked out of committing suicides with a few words, it’s more like NO ONE has ever said those right words to them in the first place. Living is hard, and if you don’t have the support system and kind words from people who care about you, it’s easy to give up. Do I think the execution of the drama is great, no, I don’t. More in the next section.

2. Impactful Cases - There are a few very impactful cases shown in this drama. I was taken back by the first case regarding bullying. It was hard to watch and I question if this is the tone set for the rest of the drama. Luckily, the drama just started with a BANG. I personally enjoyed the first ⅓ of the drama and those 4 cases (see my list of cases at the end of the review if you are interested). They are nicely developed, about two episodes per case, and provide enough background for me to feel for the victims and be glad that their issues are resolved.

3. Acting - This is my first drama of Kim Hee Sun’s and I love her in this drama. She is able to portray Goo Ryun (FL) very well, showing her sassiness, bossiness, badassness, heartbreak and often with very quiet subtle facial expressions. Rowoon’s acting has gotten better as well. He has come a long way from his “Extraordinary You” days. I do not personally find his comedic moments incompatible with the drama, but just enough to lighten the mood. Looking at Yun Ji On’s biography, I noticed I’ve seen quite a few of his dramas and he looks familiar, but I can’t recall any of his previous roles. I think I will remember him moving forward after “Tomorrow”. The handsome Lee Soo Hyuk didn’t really have that big of a role in this drama. I wish I could see more of him, and more when his character is not so ‘cool’. I enjoyed his Joseon scenes more as he is provided more opportunity to shine.

4. Outfits/Appearance - Kim Hee Sun has quite an eclectic wardrobe. I love her pink hair and her orange/reddish eye shadows. She looks amazing in suits, high boots, tight leather jeans or casual wear. But let’s not forget our Jade Emperor. What flashy attire she has! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kim Hae Sook wear such fancy clothes, as she always plays the mother or grandmother roles. All the grim reapers look good in their fitted back suits.

What I don’t like or have mixed feelings:

1. Blaming the victim - The Risk Management team, or our FL mostly, likes to use reverse psychology and blame the victim tactics to start their ‘counseling’ sessions. I personally have a problem with it, especially when I noticed this right off the start in the first case. I do not believe that is the way to go, no matter what good intentions you have.

2. Half-baked Cases - For a 16-episode drama, it covers many 12 different cases. I feel that some of them are too short and not enough time is invested in developing the story. The drama tries to tackle too much. Some cases are resolved within an episode and then you move on to the next one following a similar formula of how they tackle it. I think it’s best to reduce the number of cases and then really spend quality time in executing the select few.

3. Over-the-top/Unrealistic scenes - There are few scenes where I went “Huh?”. When it’s time for the war veteran to be escorted, it was a little over-the-top to have the whole Escort team + RM Team + Jade Emperor to be present. Do they do this for all war veterans? Because each one of them deserves such respect. I know it’s for TV, but it’s a little too much for my taste. A suicidal puppy? On the other hand, ther court scene in ep 11 is one of the most laughable and unrealistic court scenes I’ve seen. They really dumb it down to move the plot forward.

4. Leads story - I would like to see character and relationship development throughout the drama. I feel that I don’t see enough of the main characters interacting with each to develop a supposedly strong bond. Their background stories pop up every so often and not enough due to the focus on the cases. I hope to see snippets of the Joseon storylines throughout the drama and not just in the end. I am actually more interested in their previous lives than any of the suicide cases.


Below is a list of themes/triggers that might prevent someone from watching. I hope by listing them, you can skip episodes that are too much for you, but not completely write off the drama. However, suicide is the main theme and cannot be ignored.

Ep 1-2: Bullying with verbal and physical assaults
Ep 2-3: Exam failure
Ep 4-5: Survivor’s Guilt and loneliness
Ep 6: War veteran/PTSD/regrets
Ep 7: Body Image/Eating Disorder/Bulimia
Ep 8: Criminals - to save or not to save; physical violence
Ep 9: Dog passing away
Ep 10-11: Sexual assault with physical violence
Ep 12: Miscarriage with guilt and depression
Ep 13: War Comfort Women with physical/sexual/verbal assault
Ep 14: Suicide/wrist cutting
Ep 15: Stress of being a Celebrity

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