Details

  • Last Online: 4 hours ago
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Lost in Dramaland
  • Contribution Points: 1 LV1
  • Roles: VIP
  • Join Date: July 11, 2020
  • Awards Received: Finger Heart Award3 Flower Award17 Coin Gift Award3

virgievirgie

Lost in Dramaland

virgievirgie

Lost in Dramaland
Tomorrow korean drama review
Completed
Tomorrow
2 people found this review helpful
by virgievirgie
Jun 3, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

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
Was this review helpful to you?