Presentation
Korean Title: 내일
Aired in: 2022 (16 episodes)
Channel: MBC
Grade: 10/10
Actors: Kim Hee Sun, Rowoon, Lee Soo Hyuk and Yoon Ji On
For more…
Kim Hee Sun:
– Faith
– Angry Mom
– The Lady in Dignity
– Alice
Rowoon:
– School 2017
Extraordinary You
– Sunbae, Don’t Wear that Lipstick
– The King’s Affection
Lee Soo Hyuk:
– Scholar who Walks the Night
– Sweet Stranger and Me
– Born Again
– Doom at your Service
Yoon Ji On:
– Memorist
– Monthly Magazine Home
– You’re My Spring
– Jirisan
Analysis
Synopsis
Choi Joon Woong is a young man, who struggles to find a job. One day, he crosses paths with Grim Reapers Gu Ryeon and Im Ryung Gu. They belong to the Risk Management Team in charge of saving people who want to commit suicide. Joon Woong ends up joining the team.
My Opinion (No Spoiler)
I simply loved that drama! Honestly, I can’t find a single flaw to it. The plot is well-knitted, characters are deep and human, the stories are relatable and as painful as warm, the life lessons are amazing and Gu Ryeon’s fashion sense is undeniable!
It also reminded me of Move to Heaven in the way stories are tackled. So if you haven’t checked these 2 dramas, I highly recommend you do!
Analysis (Spoiler Alert)
Characters: Although they all belong to the same ‘corporation’, the 4 main characters view their job differently and their opinions sometimes clash. Moreover, they have all suffered in their past life. So, their wounds are not healed yet. Working at Jumadeung is a way for the real Reapers (not Joon Woong) to process their pain and find closure. They help the living, the dead, as much as they help themselves, without realizing it most of the time.
Tomorrow portrays four main characters, who are quite different, but still weirdly compatible, when put together. Let’s start with the Risk Management Team made up off Gu Ryeon (Kim Hee Sun), Im Ryung Gu (Yoon Ji On) and the newly-added member Choi Joon Woong (Rowoon).
Gu Ryeon is the team leader of a special task force called Risk Management. At the beginning of the drama, viewers learn that she is actually from Hell. Her origin makes other team leaders question her legitimacy as a member of Jumadeung. Moreover, she is charge of saving people, instead of reaping their soul. Indeed, her main focus is to prevent people from committing suicide. The reason behind this team is quite blurry. However, according to the Jade Emperor/King of Heaven (Kim Hae Sook), it is the fastest and easiest way to reduce the number of people going to Hell, as suicide leads you straight to it.
That being said, it is clear that Gu Ryeon is in a constant confrontation with leaders of Jumadeung. On top of that, her past remains mysterious – no one really knows why she ended up in Hell and why the Jade Emperor took her to Heaven – she is hell-bent on protecting her task force, she appears to be cold and is quite stubborn. Indeed, when Gu Ryeon makes a decision, she doesn’t give up nor is swayed by others’ arguments. Moreover, Gu Ryeon is secretive and doesn’t give away personal information, even to her colleague Park Joong Gil (Lee Soo Hyuk), when he asks her about their past relationship.
Despite that hellish and quite badass appearance, Gu Ryeon actually has a softer side, that she desperately tries to conceal. As she was deeply hurt in her past life, she doesn’t want to be vulnerable again. That’s why she created this strong carapace, that only a few can pierce through such as Im Ryung Gu and Choi Joon Woong.
Through the eyes of the new recruit Joon Woong, we get to know Gu Ryeon’s kindhearted personality. She truly wishes to save every soul who wants to die. Therefore, she takes every case personally, putting herself many times in danger to help. So, Gu Ryeon is quite selfless and sacrificial, when it comes to preventing others from making the same mistakes she made in the past. Finally, Ryeon is a wise bearer of justice. She considers every case equal (even criminals), yet she is willing to inflict pain to bullies, who created a desperate situation for the victims.
Im Ryung Gu is Gu Ryeon’s long-lasted colleague. They have been working together for centuries now. Therefore, they know each other pretty well, though they act like they don’t care. Just like Gu Ryeon, Ryung Gu is secretive about his past. He doesn’t speak much about himself and is a younger spitting image of his boss. Every day, he clocks out at 6PM, but never gives a reason at first. Little by little, we find out that he is actually looking for the reincarnation of his beloved mother and that he hasn’t grieved his past life yet.
Once you get to know him, he is loyal, friendly and upright. Still, he is willing to break a few rules if it means saving someone, just like his team leader.
Choi Joon Woong is the last member of this trio. His arrival at Jumadeung is quite atypical: As he is trying to stop a man from jumping off of a bridge, they both fall in the Han River. In the world of the Living, Joon Woong is in a coma, while he becomes an active Grim Reaper in Jumadeung. The deal is simple: He could either join Gu Ryeon’s team and stay in a coma for 6 months, or stay in the coma for 3 years and wait. Of course, he chose the former.
We uncover the workings of Jumadeung, and his future colleagues, at the same time as Joon Woong. At first, he is not serious about the job, he is quite immature and irresponsible in his decisions. Also, he is very empathetic, which makes him side with the victims constantly. Hence, the difficulty for him to adapt to the job. Indeed, you can’t interfere with the deeds of the living while on a mission. Moreover, you can’t show your magic nor reveal your identity. That being said, you can’t punish bullies or criminals before you save the person. Joon Woong is warmhearted and kind, which puts him in a tough position, as he can’t retaliate in the victims’ stead.
However, he learns to process his emotions better throughout the drama, turning him into a wiser Grim Reaper. From the get-go, we see that Joon Woong is perfect for the job, so we can’t wait to see him join his team again after his death!
From a global point of view, Choi Joon Woong’s presence is a trigger for many changes, especially for Jumadeung’s reapers. Without his interference and nosiness, Ryeon, Ryung Gu and Joong Gil would probably not have made peace with their personal stories. He allows them someone to unlock many doors and reveal secrets that were left untold for a while.
Whether it’d be as a human being or as a reaper, Joon Woong can’t help but take care of others, listen to them and give them reasons to live.
Park Joong Gil doesn’t belong to the Risk Management Team. On the contrary, he is totally against it. He bears a lot of hate and resentment for people who commit suicide, though the reason behind is unknown. Later on, we discover that it is because his dear wife, Gu Ryeon, took her own life, leaving him scarred forever.
At Jumadeung, Joong Gil leads the Escort Team, whose job is to accompany souls from the Land of the Living to Hell/Heaven when they die. He takes his job seriously, never breaks protocols, he is rigid and law-abiding. Also, he is the coldest of all characters, never revealing his emotions, though he’s got a lot to process.
On many cases, he clashes with Gu Ryeon’s team, and with her as well. Gradually, he feels like they are somehow connected, but can’t seem to find how. On top of that, his memories have been locked up, so he can’t know what happens between them. Gu Ryeon remains a tomb, so he investigates on his own by the end of the drama.
Joong Gil has an awakening, when he finally remembers his past and everything that occurred with Gu Ryeon. He softens up and realizes that he wronged her in many ways. Therefore, he tries to make amends by protecting her. I don’t know if we get a happy ending between these two, but it is on a good way, considering that Joong Gil joins the Risk Management Team at the end. He forgives Gu Ryeon and moves on.
What are the themes tackled?
Suicide: Obviously, if I tell you that suicide is at the core of the drama, it is not going to shock anyone. But the angle used to approach suicide is really interesting. Indeed, people suffer in the Land of the Living, they go through immense pain and decide to take it away, when they can’t bear it anymore. As if their struggles were not enough punishment, they actually end up in Hell for taking their lives. In that sense, it sounds like a double punishment. Indeed, they reduced their precious given lifespan, so they are to be trialed as criminals.
I believe that this is an excellent to convey a strong message: Life is precious, and nothing in this world should push you to put an end to it. Cherish it, because after each down, there is an up.
Moreover, using suicide as the main topic allows for the plot to tackle some important and crucial societal, social and actual struggles that we all go or may go through in our lives. It is a good way to cheer us up and to help us move forward and survive through the inflicted pain.
Jumadeung, life and death: What better way to understand the consequences of our actions on Earth than to introduce a supernatural universe that rules over the livings?
The way Jumadeung is built resembles an ordinary business, if not an entire society by itself. You have different departments in charge of various moments of life (Editing for the movie before you die, Sales to sign contract before death, you can also enter dreams, you have archives and records….). There is also a hierarchy with the King of Heaven, a Board of Directors, Team leaders, normal employees, new recruits… Finally, it also respects a set of golden rules and there is punishment for those who break it. Its purpose is to protect the balance between life and death.
As there is Heaven, there has to be Hell. It is directed by Ha Dae Su (Park Hoon), whose name clearly sounds like the real King of Hell Hades.
The cases: Now, let’s move on to the several cases that pop up in the drama. To be honest, I really loved the diversity of the stories. Each of them is relatable and truthful. Some made my blood boil, others made me want to cry and resent the entire world because of the injustice of the events. Even better, the last ones are linked with characters’ personal lives, which gives them depth and credibility.
To make the review as clear as possible, I won’t specify for each case that everyone was saved by the Risk Management Team.
Case #1 – Bullying and harassment: In this first case, an employee named No Eun Bi (Jo In) has reached her limit. In high school, she was bullied and traumatized by a group of girls led by Kim Hye Won (Kim Chae Eun). Since then, she bears the weight of her past and has troubles opening up to others. The situation worsens when Hye Won enters back into Eun Bi’s life. Indeed, the bully has written a webtoon on a young girl bullied herself and wishes to spread love and courage to everyone. When they meet, she starts torturing Eun Bi all over again. The young woman tries to talk about it to her colleague, who brushes it off and tells her it’s nothing.
It was very painful to see how psychological harassment can impact someone’s life to that extreme. Everything resurfaces with her bully’s return. Eun Bi is drowning in her past, that she tried so hard to swallow. Hye Won didn’t change a bit, proving that she is a terrible being, and a hypocrite for trying to make money out of the pain she inflicts on others.
Unfortunately, bullying and harassment seem to be the norm and is often disregarded, when the pain is real and intense. Though it is not visible, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.
Case #2 – Failure: This case revolves around Joon Woong’s best friend Namgung Jae Soo (Ryu Sung Rok). Like Joon Woong, Jae Soo is having issues finding a job. He passed the civil service exam several times, but failed. Although he is trying to stay afloat, he can’t seem to overcome his numerous failures. On top of that, his family also has a tragic history. His parents were really poor, financially unstable. His mother was in the hospital, while his father was working hard to pay the bills. They struggled to make ends meet. In order to protect his wife and child, the father decided to commit suicide and to help them get the insurance money. This choice was made out of love and despair, yet the consequences for Jae Soo were immense. As a child, he has to go through the death of a parent, who had given up on life, a sick mother and the incapacity of succeeding on his own. All of this leading him to the point of no return.
In that case, money and success are at the center. We often associate these two, thinking that money opens up the way to success and it is true that it helps a lot. But, it can’t be the reason why you leave behind your family. Although I understand Jae Soo’s father’s decision, he didn’t really think about the aftermath. What a family truly needs through tough times is each other’s presence, not a large amount of money in exchange for someone’s life.
As for success, it can only come after numerous failures. By the way, failure is not to be seen in a negative way. It enables us to learn from our mistakes, to grow as adults, to make better choices and improve ourselves in the future. If you are counting, there will clearly be more failures in our lives than successes, but that is normal. If you believe you can have it all in just one shot, snap out of it! The drama helps us understand that failures are part of life and we need to build on them, not be crushed by them.
Case #3 – Losing a loved one: I appreciated that third case with lovers Kang Woo Jin (Kang Seung Yoon) and Heo Na Young (Lee No Ah), because it really showed the importance of relationships in our lives and the pain of losing precious ones. Kang Woo Jin has been through a lot ever since he was a child. He lost both his parents, then his foster family (his aunt and her family, if I remember well!). He had made his peace with life, while finding solace in music. As an adult, he was used of being alone and considered himself bad luck for others. Until he met Na Young. She also had to go through her fair share of suffering. As a ballerina, she got hurt and her dreams were crushed. She ended up with nothing else to hold on in life. At the bottom of her life, she met her savior Woo Jin. He saved her from desperation. The two got an obvious connection and decided to get married. Unfortunately, Na Young died in a car accident and Woo Jin injured his hand. In a split second, he lost both his lover and his dreams (he played the guitar). He was all alone again.
This case clearly deals with grief and how to overcome it. The closer the person, the harder it is to accept his/her absence. Despite all that, Woo Jin plucks up his courage and chooses to live for Na Young. She had somehow sacrificed her life in the car accident (she moved the car so that she would get more hurt than Woo Jin), so he had to make it up to her and not waste the chance she gave him.
Case #4 – War veteran: One of the most touching cases alongside that of comfort women. The reason is because it tackles an important topic: the Korean War. Not only is it a relatable story, but it calls for memory work. Lee Young Chun (Jeon Mu Sung playing the older version and Lee Jung Jun the younger one) was a young man, when the Korean War broke out. As a patriot, he left his mother to fight for his country. On the battlefield, he saw cruelty and barbarism. While his companions were falling one after the other, he hold on to the thought that he was going back to his mother. One day, he saved a young soldier, who lost his leg during an attack. He blamed Young Chun, telling him he should have let him die. This took a toll on the young traumatized soldier, who thought he had done the right thing at first. To make matters worse, he couldn’t find his mother when he came back. He was alone, without a house, without money nor recognition and bearing the scars of war (especially the mental ones). Due to this, he struggled to find people to connect with and only focused on working hard. Now tired and in debt, he wishes to go.
This story brought me to tears. I found it so unfair to see people who had fought for their country being left aside as such. In my opinion, the drama did a perfect job at shedding light on the remaining war veterans, who only deserve praise and recognition. Without them, South Korea would be an entirely different country.
Case #5 – Physical appearance and prejudice: Shin Ye Na (Han Hae In) seems to have it all. She is excellent at her job, has a slender figure and is envied by her female coworkers for her good looks. But deep down, Ye Na is in turmoil. Indeed, she suffered from obesity in her childhood. After hearing the constant criticism regarding her weight, she decided to become slim. She worked super hard to get her current figure. Unfortunately, her obsession with weight developed into a psychological issue. She now suffers from anorexia. As if being judged in her past were not enough, she is now criticized for being too thin. Ye Na feels like there’s no escape from others’ judgmental opinions and can’t bear it anymore.
She eventually manages to understand that the most important thing is how you feel in your body, not what others think of you. A message that is truthfully spoken by her colleague Jeong Bo Ram (Kim Min So). Like Ye Na, she went trough a similar journey. She used to be sick and very thin. After overcoming her sickness, she put on some weight. For her, it is a symbol of good health. Therefore, she doesn’t let anyone influence the vision she has of herself. She finds herself pretty and good in that body, she loves food and is not afraid of saying/showing it. A good thing then that Ye Na befriends Bo Ram, so she can guide her on the path of recovery.
Case #6 – Saving a criminal: This case is the most controversial of all! Here, the Risk Management Team is trying to prevent a man from committing suicide. At first, it seems like he joined an anonymous online group of people, who want to end their lives. Later on, we find out that he is the one who pushed people into killing themselves. He is a criminal, who has already made money out of these suicides. Hence Joon Woong’s reluctance to save his life when he wishes to die. But Jumadeung’s rules are clear. No matter who they are or what they did, the Reapers must save everyone, even the worst human beings.
This leads to a certain inner conflict for the Reapers, and opens up the way for philosophical discussion for viewers. Does a criminal deserve to be saved? Considering the amount of victims, is it worth it? If we save him, how do we repay the victims?
The twist here is that though the criminal is saved, he will suffer the consequences of his actions both on Earth and in Hell. Indeed, Gu Ryeon and her team have the right to punish the bullies after saving someone. Gu Ryeon thus decides to make Betamale (Min Jin Woong) disabled, so he lies in bed all his life and requires someone’s else help to do even the slightest task. After that, he will burn in Hell. A heavier punishment for our greatest pleasure!
Case #7 – Dog’s feelings: This is yet another atypical case in that drama. For once, the one who wants to die is not a person, but a dog. He was rescue by a kid as a puppy and spent his entire life alongside him. As time passed by, his master had less and less time for him. When his dog got sick, the master was devastated. The hardest part is that he didn’t have enough money for his dog’s surgery. In this episode, the dog can understand his master’s feelings perfectly and has also his own. He feels like a burden and decides to run away. He is eventually saved and brought back to his master to spend his last moments in his arms.
I loved how this case suggested that animals also have feelings, hence the need to treat them well. Dogs for example are loyal animals and will give you unconditional love. It is a very clever way to say that pets deserve respect, care and good treatment, as well as a place in our lives.
Case #8 – Assault: This case is two-sided in the sense that it deals with Cha Yun Hui’s (Lee Ji Won) assault and brings up Ryung Gu’s own past to life. Here, we follow Yun Hui, a young woman who was walking in the streets late at night and was then assaulted by some random guy. He threatened her to follow her and put her through hell. When she was discovered, her entire family – her twin brother Yun Jae (Kong Jae Hyun) included – unconsciously put the blame on her. They gave the usual statements such as: Why were would walking in the streets at night? You willingly followed him? You consented? You were wearing a skirt, so it is your fault! As you can see, the usual and unbelievable sentences that people and lawyers use to blame it all on the victim! To make things worse, the attacker is a promising and wealthy medical student, who manages to slip away. The resentment and injustice felt by Yun Hui makes her blame it all on her twin brother. Indeed, she had asked him to take her home the night of the assault, but he refused because he was drinking with his friends. Yun Jae obviously feels responsible and is also on the verge of committing suicide.
Regarding Ryung Gu’s story, we discover that her mother went through a similar injustice. She used to be a gisaeng, but was forced to leave the ‘brothel’ (even if it is not really one) due to her pregnancy. She took care of her son and loved him with all her heart. Years later, an old official found her. He wanted her to lie with him again, but she refused. To avenge himself, he sent some of his men to gang rape her. Meanwhile, Ryung Gu heard rumors of his mother’s fiendish past. Still a child, he judged and criticized her, blaming her for being his mother. That same night, she committed suicide. Since then, Ryung Gu has borne the guilt. He fell into drugs and died shortly after.
In both cases, the victim is singled out. The first reflex is to accuse the victim and say she is responsible for what happened to her, when in reality the attacker is the real culprit here.
I was very pleased to see that the drama took on that prejudice towards assault victims. Not only is it difficult to speak up and open up past wounds, but it is worse not to be heard or listened to.
Case #9 – Miscarriage and losing a child: Using Ryung Gu’s mother as the main character for this story, the drama now tackles a new topic: The loss of a child. Im Yu Hwa (Min Jin Ah), the reincarnation of Ryung Gu’s mother, was more than happy to find out she was pregnant. Unfortunately, she had an altercation with one of her clients at the store who pushed her. She was then almost at term. Sent to the hospital, she undergoes an urgent C-Section. Sadly, her baby didn’t survive. After carrying her unborn child for about 9 months, she is eaten away by guilt. She feels responsible for what happened. If only she had not worked that day. If only she had been more cautious during her pregnancy. She is on the brink of explosion, only finding refuge in her dreams. There, she has a healthy baby, whom she takes care of night and day. The problem is that she is more and more delusional and losing grasp of reality. She flees the pain.
After a serious conversation, she manages to confront her grief and accept that it was just not meant to be for her first baby. Finally, Ryung Gu and his mother can say their final goodbyes.
Case #10 – Comfort women: This is my second favorite episode after the one on the Korean War veteran. Indeed, Tomorrow deals with another historical and quite unknown topic, that of comfort women during the Japanese Occupation of Korea between 1910 and 1945. At that time, young Korean women were promised a job in a factory and money to send to their destitute family by the Empire of Japan. However, this was just a way to lure them into facilities, where they were turned into prostitutes. Still adolescent for most of them, they became sex slaves for Japanese soldiers. Ill-treated, beaten up, raped several times and scorned, many of them either died or wish they would be dead.
Yun I (Lee Seo Yeon) arrived at the camp around the same time as Lee Jeong Mun (Han Ji Hyo playing the younger version, and Kim Young Ok the older one). Despite her predicament, Yun I was a bright and cheerful girl. She never lost hope of finding her family and her best friend Yoo Bok Hui again (Park Yoon Young / Kim Yong Rim). She gave joy and hope to Jeong Mun as well, so she would survive. By the end of the war, the Empire of Japan decided to get rid of all witnesses of the atrocities it committed, among which the comfort women. Feeling that the tide was changing, Yun I convinced the other girls to run away before they get executed by the soldiers. She also sacrificed her life in the forest, as they were chased by soldiers. After that, Jeong Mun was saved by Independence soldiers (among which Joon Woong past self). She carried her friend in her mind, buried forever.
Now approaching death, she wishes to reconnect with Yun I’s old best friend Bok Hui, who didn’t know that the job she was offering to Yun I was actually that of a sex slave. As a grandmother, Bok Hui gets wind of her friend’s miserable life during the Japanese Occupation through her grandson specializing in History.
She eventually meets Jeong Mun and hears her story. Both women bond over Yun I, remembering a past that others want to keep buried.
This was probably the most emotional case due to its veracity. Indeed, the fate of comfort women, if not their existence, has been kept hidden for a very long time. However, their misery during the Occupation didn’t end with the war. Even afterwards, they were constantly judged and scorned by Korean people themselves, who didn’t want to remember that horrible time period.
Case #11 – The returning ladies: Moving on to Gu Ryeon and Park Joong Gil’s past, this case takes place in the 17th century, more precisely in 1635 during the Second invasion of Joseon by the Qing Dynasty (Manchuria). But before, we need to go back a few years, when strong-headed and warm-hearted Gu Ryeon met cold and arrogant Park Joong Gil. For Joong Gil, it was love at first sight. All seemed to go well for them. They got married and were happy together. When the war broke out, Joong Gil was actually at the front, leaving behind his wife and mother to fend for themselves. Gu Ryeon managed to protect her mother-in-law and fought hard to save her maid Gop Dan (Kim Si Eun). Sadly, she was kidnapped by Manchus with a bunch of other women. On the road leading them to Manchuria, they escaped and succeeded in going back to their country (thanks to Joong Gil, who found them on time).
The story could’ve ended there. However, coming back was the least of their problems. Indeed, they were then considered as Returning ladies, who had lost their virtue at the hands of the Manchus. To save face and honor, some killed themselves, others had to leave the city. Gu Ryeon was a noblewoman, so she couldn’t leave. Her mother-in-law also asked her to take her life, but she didn’t waver. Even after Gop Dan was lynched, while trying to save her, she refused to die.
Joong Gil also suffers from this situation. He feels bad for his wife and goes rogue to protect her honor. He kills every person, who speaks ill of her. This leads to Gu Ryeon’s radical choice in order to stop him from becoming a criminal.
She kills herself to protect her husband. She ends up in Hell. Joong Gil dies afterwards and enters Jumadeung. He asks the King of Heaven to lock his memories, but still feels resentment towards those who commit suicide. Only when he learns the actual truth, can they both let go of their past.
Case #12 – Cyber-bullying: The last case tackles the plague of South Korea, when it comes to crime: Cyber-bullying. In this story, Gop Dan has reincarnated into Ryu Choi Hui. She is a famous idol and actress, who seems to have it all. But behind the glitters lies a cruel reality: She is constantly harassed on social media. Even reporters, ex-boyfriends and idols want to take her down. They all participate in the turmoil she undergoes. Choi Hui can’t understand why people have so much hatred towards her – and honestly neither can we. They just take her as a scapegoat to vent out their frustration.
The sad part of it is that this situation is quite accurate. Even today, many idols and celebrities in general are being harassed online, while their bullies are not really punished. This leading sometimes to dire consequences like suicide.
The upside of the case is that Joon Woong meets Choi Hui with whom he shares the red thread of fate. They are connected and will probably meet when he wakes up from the coma.
Life quotes to take-away: The drama wouldn’t complete without an abundant number of life quotes to take-away. I should sincerely frame some of them and hang them on my wall to read when I am feeling down. Here is an anthology of some of the best quotes in Tomorrow:
“Failure means you should try again.”
“No matter what people say, you should always be on your own side.”
“In the end, we are the only ones who can save ourselves.” (the best one)
And probably any other dialogue that aims at convincing people to keep on living!
P.S.: Can we please talk about Kim Hee Sun’s fashion in that drama and how badass she is with this pink hair and make-up!?
Once Upon a Drama 