Tomorrow (2022)

Tackled real-life social issues with beauty and substance.

I am sure I am not the only one here, but Tomorrow is ripe for a Season 2. While the show had its fair share of dissenters, it doesn’t remove the fact that it is one of the few dramas out there which tackled the controversial issue of suicide as its main plot driver. I personally think its timely, relevant and powerful in its message.

The cast is fantastic. Every one of them. I just wished that Park Jung Il had more screen time. Everytime he graced the screen was just awesome.

The drama is episodic, they solve/save would-be suicide cases in a span of 1-2 episodes. Be warned, prepare some box of tissues. Rowoon’s crying face is certainly infectious. I think I teared up a fair few times.

Overall, what an exceptional and remarkable show. I am very satisfied by the ending, and opens plenty opportunities for Season 2.

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the only one who can save us is ourselves.

Tomorrow Drama tells the story of an elite grim reaper who works at a Jumadeung afterlife company. The story focuses on the team of Kooryeon, Ryunggu and Junwoong, new employees who are in a coma, who are tasked with saving humans who are about to commit suicide. This team is tasked for comforting and awakening people who are more afraid of tomorrow than death, that our lives are precious, no matter how difficult the problems we face, we must endure, because the only one who can save and strengthen us is ourselves.

I love every episode because it manages to make me feel emotional. the stories are so touching and relate to life in society. The story that impressed me the most was 넋은 별이 되고 (Soul that became a star). It tells the story of a hero's grandfather who used to defend the country and experienced post-war trauma and ended up living alone until he was old. So I thought, the government should provide counseling for activists who survived the war. Another story that touched me was the story of Kong, a dog who intended to commit suicide because he didn't want to see his owner sad because of the dog's illness. Kooryeon's words are true, nothing is more sincere than an animal.

There is always a lesson to be learned from each case. it seems like if I write it again, it will be long, and bring up too many spoilers. For those who are down, feel that their life is meaningless, this drama is very worth watching because it might provide a little enlightenment and strength for those who watch it.

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Best 2022 kdrama I’ve watched so far

I started this drama two or three weeks after it’s release. I began receiving recommendations from my friends that this drama is worth the watch. I would NEVER regret watching this drama. I learned a lot from it and the cast was just so good!

What I love about this drama is that you never know what’s going to happen next. Everything is unexpected. I find this drama entertaining and comforting at the same time. It’s not like any other drama. This drama would always and always remain iconic to me.

I think i also need to talk about how Joong Gil and Ryeon’s past lives ruined me. Since i’ve started tomorrow, I have always been so curious about what their past lives were and why Joong Gil was acting like that and why he has nightmares and etc.. But when episode 14 got released all my questions got answered but at the same time the truth ruined me. I cried a lot for days knowing how tragic their love story was.

So if you need a good cry, you know where to go. This drama deserves all it’s recognition and love!

p.s. also make sure to have tissues around you ?

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An extraordinary show

Let me start by saying that Romantic Comedy is my "go to" genre (this is not one!), and I don't give out a rating of 10 willy-nilly (must hold my attention throughout, without needing to fast forward, must be well-written, must have a high rewatch value, must have at least some likeable characters, can't be too melodramatic, and it has to have a good ending (wasn't too sure about the likeability of the characters, but they soon changed my mind. This was definitely more on the melodrama scale than I normally like, but MAN!)

This drama is written so well. I really appreciated the originality of it. Okay, we've seen the grim reaper thing done before, but this is in a category of its own. I loved how every episode introduced new characters for the reapers to get involved with, and no storyline was extended too far out, enabling us to move on without getting bored. There is a LOT of serious material that gets covered - suicide, bullying, the cost of fame, tragedies of many forms, and each episode gives attention to these issues, and we definitely see the seedy underbelly of human behavior. There were some episodes that were more difficult to watch than others, but they were so masterfully written, and you really get a feel into the complexities of people's feelings and what leads them to contemplate ending their own lives. The three main Reapers, when we first see them, are hard, unyielding, by-the-book and, honestly, not very nice people. When a half human, half reaper enters the picture, he really shuffles things up. We get the privilege of seeing him change them, as well as the other way around.

ACTING: Kim Hee Sun, Yun Ji On and Lee Soo Hyuk were excellent as Reapers. I really felt like their coldness was from centuries of doing this job, and it took Rowoon as Choi Joon Woong to come in and shake things up a bit. I especially enjoyed watching Yun Ji On - I've not seen him in anything before. He seemed so flat in his acting at first, but that was just his character, and when it addressed his storyline, my heart broke for him. Rowoon's character was a bit of a mess, floating through life, unable to get a job, etc. Lee Soo Hyuk tends to always play these mean, hard, unyielding characters and he's the same here, but once we get his back story it all makes sense. It's enjoyable to watch him "become human" and really start to care about others. I love Kim Hae Sook in anything I see her in, and she was excellent as the Jade Emperor. She had to be more strict with others in this role and that was a change from the way I've normally seen her. I also have to give a shout out to Kim Young Ok as Lee Jeong Mun (episode 13, I believe) - she is a seasoned actress that I always enjoy. I would love for her to be my grandmother, with her sweet face and voice.


CINEMATOGRAPHY/MAKE UP/ COSTUMING/SPECIAL EFFECTS: On point! It had a very noir feel about it, lots of blues and blacks. The make-up was very good, especially as it related to wounds, etc. Costuming was good - they put the Jade Emperor in some gowns that would have been ridiculous anywhere else. The special effects were used well, and not overdone just for the sake of having special effects.

MUSIC: For me, the music faded into the background, which I appreciate. I do remember one piece that was a cello piece and it seemed very dramatic and I thought it was perfect for where they put it.

EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT: I binge watched this in two days. I cried in a few of the episodes (and I'm talking ugly cry!). I didn't want to do anything other than watch this, but when it was over, I must admit to feeling sad. I seriously cannot recommend this show highly enough, and anything I say can't do it justice.

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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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Cool Reapers!

at 1st was only curious after watching the thriller and I gave a shoot watching the first episode and it hock me up all the way to the last episode. I though it was some kind of a horror thing because of the grim reapers but as the story goes the other way around it's very unique seeing a team of grim reapers saving people who wants to end their own life, this really catch my attention. the story is about suicidal people, and those reapers assign to stopped people from committing suicide . they will save those people who are about to take their life and help them overcome their problems and of course punished those who are responsible. this series touches every aspect of burdens and problems that might pushed people to their edge and how the cool reapers solved the issue and problems. don't get me wrong it's not a boring series or a dragging one the phase and the story line is really great. it has a part were you can laugh and a part where your on the edge of your seats or a part were you will be burning with anger to those jerks who cause the burdens of those victims...

the episode that really made my tears burst was the "dog" episode 8 or 9 whoa that really touches me that I cried watching that episode. now I wonder when we die our pets will really meet us in the after life? hehe silly me...

this series also encourage us to help and do our part to encourage one another, a family member, a friend, a colleagues or even a stranger who knows that person needs our encouragement to help them get thru on the challenges that burdens them. let's spread hope and love. big cheers to this series a very good one. I highly recommend this series watch it.

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Wonderful K-drama with so many layers!

!! Spoiler alert !!

Tomorrow, watched on Netflix.

Finished Tomorrow two days ago but had to ponder it over before I could write this. It’s such a great drama but has so many layers in it.
The episodes kept building up. All episodes are great but some are more special to me. I already wrote about episode 6 being so beautiful. Episode 9 was great too, about a dog named Kong who wanted to die so his boss didn’t have to suffer and spend a lot of money. I love dogs (have 5 of them myself) so this hit close to home!
Episode 10 made me cry so much. It’s about a girl who got raped. I yelled out loud when I saw the smirk on the rapist face when he got away in court. And her family who blamed her for being raped., so sad! Eventually her brother luckily made up for it. And I especially liked the way Park Joong Gil (Lee Soo Hyuk) to care of the rapist!
The episodes about Ryeon-gu’s past with Park Joong Gil were so great. There was so much love between them. And he never let her down, even when everybody else condemned her for returning after being a ‘comfort woman’.

The things that stood out for me the most:
Suicide is frowned upon. In this drama but also in the ‘real’ world. Instead of feeling compassion for the person who felt so miserable they wanted to take their own life, people are talking about how the ones who were left behind are the ones we need to feel sorry for. And yes, it must be awful to experience this but think about how this person must have felt. I can’t imagine how desperate and lonely these people must have been. Although they might be surrounded by people who love them.
If only we all could be part of the crisis management team and have a app that signals people who need our help to survive (if that’s what they really want).

Words do matter. Watch what you’re saying to others. You can think it’s just words but they become so much more for the one who is on the receiving end. And words can set themselves into the mind and body of others, becoming reality for them and eventually make them despise themselves or life so much they want to take their own life.

It made my cringe continually about how they treated those women during the episodes of the past of Ryoon Gu. They had to endure so much it’s beyond comprehension. And not only when in Japan but also on returning to what should have been a safe haven only to find themselves being humiliated by their own people.

I loved the actors, all of them. Kim Hee Sun was great as Ryoon Gu. Fearless, compassionate (although she wouldn’t want anyone to know) and beautiful. Rowoon was awesome as Choi Joon Woong. Besides being gorgeous he did a wonderful job being a new reaper caring for the ones he needed to safe. He never gave up on anyone!
Yun Ji On as Koo Ryeon was great also. First only following the rules but later on he showed he could think of his own and do the right thing. And boy, he knew how to throw a punch!
Kim Hae Sook was so wonderful as the Jade Hwang. She had a plan of her own and wouldn’t budge. Strong leader of the After Life.
And finally Lee Soo yuk as Park Joong Gil. I loved him for being on the good site when needed most at the time. Although I hated it when he killed the best friend of Ryoon Gu. But he didn’t know any better at that moment. I know it’s a lame excuse but hey, he came around so cut him some slack.

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my review

I am addicted to Korean dramas/movies, whether they are romantic/action/fantasy/history.
Usually I just rate them but don't write a comment, this time I feel the need to write that even though it is a fantasy, this drama managed to activate the whole range of emotions in me, the drama is made in a sophisticated way, the music is great, and the actors are talented... so many messages about the value of life . I enjoyed every episode that brought a new story about the challenges we encounter in life.
The drama is worth watching both because of the content and because of the actors and the music

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Great Drama To Watch

I was captivated by this drama. Some of the episodes really hit home. I love the explanation of the stress and anxiety that some feel about themselves that makes them want to end their life. I totally understand. Each episode brought a new story with great new characters and actors. The belief that suicide is a sin, to me is what I have been taught. Even dough I have been there were you do not think of what happen at the afterlife, I now think differently because there is someone I want to see when I get there. So even when my mind goes their I will not do it because of that someone I want to meet. I love every character in this drama and how the story were brought together. The actors performance made the story more realistic. Great drama to watch.

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It Actually Is A Wonderful Life!

The last Korean series I finished was “Missing the Other Side” which I thought was one of the most heart-warming, thoughtful, and provocative series I’d seen yet. It tugged at the heartstrings in a very profound and meaningful way. I had no idea I would get more of the same here with “Tomorrow.”

Someone recently asked me why I watch Korean shows and not much else. I used to watch American shows, but I’ve dropped all of them. I said, “Because Korean stories are character and plot driven. And most of these shows always have food for thought, or a message to make you think about how we can make this world a better place.”

“Tomorrow” is about Grim Reapers who exist in a different plane of existence. They are broken up into various departments, but the department that is the focus of this story is the Risk Management Team, comprised of two members (soon to be adding a third). Their job is to seek out souls who are high risk for committing suicide and to try and prevent that from happening. The team is led by Goo Ryun, a woman with a mysterious and troubling past. Im Ryung Goo is her partner, another member also tied to a soul from the past. They soon add temporary member, Choi Joon Woong, a young man full of life, whom the Reapers accidentally put into a coma while trying to prevent a suicide. Woong is given the choice to join and help the Reapers for six months or stay in a coma for three years. Naturally, he chooses the former. Of course, being absolutely “green” Woong has a hard time initially fitting in and doing his job, but he brings two distinctive qualities to the team that the other two senior members lack: empathy and compassion. Woong is a young man who wears his feelings on his sleeve. He has a difficult time understanding the coldness of Goo Ryun, and the two often clash.

People may not realize that Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. And the series addresses the most common causes of suicide. Bullying, the loss of a loved one, someone who views their own life as a failure, people suffering from things like eating disorders, assault victims, guilt, or drowning in a wave of public criticism. Each case spans 1-2 episodes, and each one is just as profound and thought-provoking as the last. This is another series you want to keep a box of tissues handy!

Of course, as in most cultures, suicide is against the law and in most religions, a mortal “sin.” It really doesn’t matter if you buy into the somewhat religious belief system that governs the Reapers. That isn’t what is important. What is important is helping anyone to see what a beautiful life they have, and why suicide should never be a last resort. Suicide only brings more suffering and pain than what you are already experiencing. It follows you.
The cause of suicide is unhappiness, and the feeling of being trapped in a reality you feel you cannot escape from. But the root cause of all unhappiness is this: lack of love for yourself. If you love yourself, you will not allow bullies to persecute you. You will stand up for yourself, no matter what. If you love yourself, you will grieve but feel immense gratitude for those loved ones who have moved on. If you love yourself, you will never see your life as a failure, but as a success. You will realize the truth: a single life touches so many. If you love yourself, you will never mistreat your body with eating disorders or unhealthy ways of living. You will take care of yourself as best as you can. If you love yourself, you won’t feel guilty about anything you do to others or anything you do to yourself, for you hold the tool for letting go: forgiveness. If you love yourself, even if someone beats and torments your body, you know that the body is not who you are! You will be able to say the most powerful words ever spoken: forgive them, for they know not what they do.

There is a lot of love in this series that cries out for people to see just how wonderful and valuable their lives are. They are not something to be callously thrown away. But perhaps the central theme of this show is this: there is only one person you ever need to save, and that is yourself. It also speaks to not giving up on yourself. Life is a battle, and you have to keep on fighting. Life will knock you down. Pain in inevitable but suffering is optional. How much you suffer is determined by nobody else but yourself. I’ve used this quote in several reviews, but it’s so powerful given the subject matter of this series. “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”—Rocky Balboa. Anyone who is contemplating suicide should really look long and hard at this quote.

And while we are not responsible for what others do, we do have influence. People really need to stop and think about how they treat each other, whether it be through words or action. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and think about how what you say or do might affect them.

This show has some of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen in ANY show! The Korean War vet being escorted by ALL of the Reapers was incredibly powerful and eye-opening about how war veterans are treated. Such people deserve our undying respect and gratitude. The story of the Comfort Women of World War II was especially poignant. People tend forget about the atrocities committed during that war. It’s always so much easier to lay blame upon others without knowing the facts or circumstances. If you don’t believe that, READ the quote above! Those women had undeniable courage and deserve the highest accolades for what they had to go through. That episode had me in tears at the end when the three women are there to comfort each other (thus, the comfort women!) and remind each other that no forgiveness is necessary.

Performances all around in this series were impeccable. The cast was tremendous, and the storyline between Goo Ryun and Park Joon Gil from their previous life in Joseon is very intriguing, as we unravel the mystery of the connection between these two, and why they both have opposing views regarding suicide victims. Goo Ryun believes they must be helped. Park Joon Gil believes that it’s pointless to help anyone who already has their mind made up, especially when it comes to suicide. And the bridge between them is none other than Choi Joon Woong. Because what is sorely missing from both is empathy and compassion. Judgment and criticism are counterproductive.

This series should be required viewing—and not just by Koreans—but by everyone. Perhaps you know someone who’s down and unhappy. Whether they might be contemplating suicide or not, use your own empathy and compassion to give them a smile, a kind word, your company, or anything to remind them that they are valuable and loved. For what other job is more important than that?

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They really made me look forward to my tomorrows

10/10 might be too much of a praise, but I really think that they deserve it. The topic they brought up about suicide and mental health. The different types of people with different lives and background, no matter who they are, in the end everyone is the same. They're just humans. And I really really appreciate the original webtoon writer, the drama writers, directors, all the staffs, and the actors and actresses for taking on this drama and pulling it off successfully in all aspects. The story of the drama, though based on the webtoon, it still has some if not a lot of differences with the webtoon, and though I've only read the webtoon a little, I think them differing the drama and webtoon is really their best decision., though some people might not like it, I think it's nice to have unexpected and different aspects. The amazing cinematography and cg is done very very well. The OSTs are all so amazing and beautiful. Amongst all the ballads, Red Light is especially my favorite because of how nice it sounds, and the lyrics really fit too. I also really love Yoo Hweseung's solo version of Still Love You. I expected them to have it be the same song as the original one sung by Lee Hongki and Yoo Hweseung, but I actually really like the different instrumental sound. And though I was a bit taken aback because they removed Hweseung's iconic 6 octave high note, I think it goes well with the instrumentals, and honestly more fitting to the drama too.

Every single actors, from the main leads to supporting all really did so well. But for sure, I really have to say this, they hit the jackpot with the 4 main leads. I have never seen Kim Heesun's projects ever so this is my first and I think she really did so amazing. Even just from seeing her have the short pink hair, her charisma is overflowing, and when I got to see her in the drama, she's really cool. For Rowoon, I knew him from SF9 and I did watch Extraordinary You though I haven't finished, but I remember he was mostly silent in his scenes, I think I was still pretty early in the drama but already stopped. But, to see that his character here is WAY different from Haru was interesting and I actually really appreciate his acting so much more now. The youthful, energetic, feeler type of character that is Choi Junwoong really suits him so much. I've seen Lee Soohyuk in Pipeline and he was really cool there (and here too of course) and is it because of his visuals? But he really seems to fit fantasy themed projects. I really think he's much more charismatic here and it's really cool to see. Last but not least Yun Jion, who I've seen in Memorist, and though back in march I only re-discovered him through mbc's instagram when they released his teaser picture as Lim Ryunggu, now it's safe to say he's one of my ults, probably my number one currently. Because of his teasers showing his mullet with his two toned hair, I decided since then that I'm going to tune in to this show, and I really want to thank him for having his iconic look. He really stood out to me and I am so glad I decided to watch Tomorrow even if at first it was just because of his visuals. Cause I ended up loving the drama too much, and ended up being Jion's fan too. As I watched Tomorrow on going, I slipped some of his other filmographies like Be Melodramatic and Breakup Probation to watch in between as I wait for Tomorrow's episodes every week, and I really really admire him. The diversity of his character and how he always pulled it off so well, especially as Ryunggu which is so far my favorite character he played, he's just amazing. So far he's mostly played supporting roles, some main roles slipped in, and I hope after this, he will get more offers to be in the main lead lineup. But main or supporting, I'm sure he will do his best, as he always does.

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The Importance of Challenging Moral Narratives Around Suicide

For those looking to start Tomorrow there are a few key points to bear in mind. Mainly, despite moments of lighthearted comedy for catharsis, this is a heavy show. It does (thankfully) have a happy ending but it will make you angry, frustrated, and cry at the awfulness of society and the harmful individual choices that people make.

While I think that the pacing in the first five episodes and episodes 9/10 is too slow, leading to a bit of a rushed ending, I'm willing to overlook it in my general rating because of all of the rare things that the show does right (only knocking off half a star)

My top positives:
1) Chemistry between ML and FL but no forced romances for side characters (both also had incredible acting)
2) Great Found Family Dynamics in the Risk Management Team (the main trio)
3) Promotes Understanding that one doesn't need a tragic backstory to empathize with those with suicidal ideations
4) A happy ending in a story about suicide prevention (it shouldn't be rare but it really is)
5) Good challenge to the "red string of fate" idea and the reality that it can be instrumentalized to make people stay in abusive relationships ('i.e. they're my fated one I have no choice')
6) Great soundtrack (opening credits)
7) Amazing fashion

My Top Negatives:
1) Rushed story arc for ML and FL that should have been spread out across a few episodes/better integrated earlier
2) Too many flashback montages for characters who only premiered in one episode, at times verging on trauma porn
3) Overdramatic acting by Rowoon's character that occasionally pulls one out of being immersed in the scene
4) Final villain needed to be integrated better throughout the story since their existence actually drives the overarching plot of the drama

Overall, I can totally understand if the show is not some people's cup of tea and can agree that magically 'solving' suicide/mental health crises , if it was the point of the show, (spoiler: it's not) is pretty simplistic.

However it is important to bear in mind that the entire premise of the show is that the main leads aren't really "people" but grim reapers who change the thoughts people have about themselves. Notably the Red Light doesn't mean people won't ever commit suicide again or fall back into old harmful patterns it just means they are not in immediate danger.

Rather than the aftermath, the show's focus is on what drives people to suicide and is a social commentary on stopping the prevalence of those things (the root causes) rather than outlining a proper mental health intervention. So it's more a show against bullying, structural debt, sexism, sexual harassment and assault, fatphobia, mistreatment of pregnant women, etc, than a show about how to "solve" trauma, insolvency, anorexia, and the psychological trauma of miscarriages (among other issues.) That, in and of itself, is incredibly subversive.

SPOILERS FOR FINALE BELOW:

This isn't a show about interventions and its not a show romanticizing suicide like 13 reasons why. Its a show about changing the prevalent negative moral narrative around suicide as 'something a weak person or sinner brings upon themselves,' because such narratives make it impossible to ask for help. This is something the show, for all its flaws with pacing around the character development of the main characters, does incredibly well.

It is super crucial that ultimately the person that Koo Ryeon has to save in the end is herself: it's her process of reconciling that all of the horrible things she said to herself (that she internalized) were not her fault and that she has nothing to make up for (isn't going to hell again). The fact that Joong Gil apologizes for making her think her suicidal ideations were selfish and acknowledges that he acted more to preserve his pride than to protect her is an incredibly subversive depictions of suicide in popular culture. I am also incredibly satisfied that Koo Ryeon and Joong Gil reconcile but they are not automatically "married" or lovers because of their past lives. While I think they have clear romantic tension, and are close by the end, they have to build their relationship from the ground up and neither she nor Joong Gil have to keep reliving their past lives for all eternity. If they enter into a relationship its because they CHOOSE each other, not because they had no alternative.

I am content with the ending of Ryung-Gu and Choi Jun-Woo (and how much their relationship has progressed) and like the hopeful ending that the RM team will be reunited in the Afterlife.

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