Trigger Warnings: Suicide, sexual abuse
Tomorrow begins with Choi Jun-woong (Rowoon) struggling to land a job, a reflection of Korea’s cut-throat job market. But in a surprising turn of events, he jumps into the Han river to save a stranger trying to commit suicide. Unfortunately, this lands him in hospital in a state of coma. However, his soul is seen to be stuck at Jumadeung, an organisation where Grim Reapers are hard at work to collect souls and keep the balance between life and death. Jun-woong soon finds himself paired with Koo Ryeon (Kim Hee-sun) and Lim Ryung-gu (Yoon Ji-on) to work in the risk management team, which prevents suicide cases.
Together, the team tracks several cases, involving both humans and non-humans, living through various situations, but unfortunately, trying to end their lives. The risk management team tries to help them live through to the end of their lifetimes. Although there are well-timed comic moments, the drama itself deals with a number of pertinent and quite difficult topics that both pertain to socio-political issues as well as personal difficulties.
At the backdrop is Koo Ryeon’s dark past, as someone from hell itself and who had herself taken her own life centuries ago. Although the drama is largely undeniably fantasy, reality is threaded throughout the episodes, which make it relatable and worth the watch. The ending is particularly satisfying as the conclusion of a journey which is arguably difficult sometimes.
Trivia
The K-drama is based on a webtoon of the same name by RaMa. It is available for free on LINE Webtoon.
The tale of Grim Reapers is as old as time and we have seen numerous pop-culture depictions of them over the years. With Tomorrow we see a new side to them, Grim Reapers who save people!
The Telegraph OST Picks
My Loneliness Calls You by SURAN: The melodious notes of this song are accompanied by an acute yearning that perfectly encapsulates the relationship between some of the characters in the story.
Still Love You by Yoo Hwe Seung (N. Flying): This song tells the tale of a hard goodbye while still wishing the best for the other person. Yoo’s vocals are filled with raw emotions and perfectly complement the scenes in the drama.
Genre: Fantasy
Where to Watch: Netflix
You will love it if you love:
- Multiple stories in one drama
- Dark pasts that get resolved
- Comic moments
- Dashing fantasy beings to save the day
The Telegraph rating: 4.5/5
Characters We Treasure
Rowoon as Choi Jun-woong: Chaotic and passionate, Jun-woong is one of the most lovable K-drama leads you might ever encounter. He is enthusiastic, often leading to mistakes but has a heart of gold that is always keen to fight for what is right.
We also loved him in: Extraordinary You, The King’s Affection
Kim Hee-sun as Koo Ryeon: Badass and gorgeous, Koo Ryeon’s pink hair and powerful punches make for a memorable character. Although she is stoic and no-nonsense, it is easy to see how deeply she cares for those around her.
Lee Soo-hyuk as Park Jung-il: The dashing Grim Reaper collected quite a lot of hearts from fans with his charm and powerful vibes. He has a long past with Koo Ryeon, who he seemingly hates now and only watching the series till the end will provide you with answers.
We also loved him in: Doom At Your Service, Scholar Who Walks the Night
Yoon Ji-on as Lim Ryung-gu: Strict about getting off work on time, Ryung-gu struggles with his past but is nevertheless a fun character who cares about his teammates more than he would like to let on.