Drama Review: Tomorrow With You

Tomorrow With You is the pre-reproduced Korean drama that aired in 2017. The script is written by Heo Sung-hye (All About My Wife) and the drama directed by Yoo Je-won (Oh My Ghostess, High School King of Savvy). If any of those tickle your fancy, this one may too!

Plot Summary: The story revolves around Yoo So-joon, a CEO of a real estate company, who has the ability to travel through time via a subway; and his wife, Song Ma-rin, a former child actress who is an aspiring photographer. So-joon foresees his future-self die unless he marries Ma-rin, which he does. As time passes, he learns to love her selflessly.

Rating: Must-Watch (5/5) A thoughtful drama in every way.

K-Drama review Tomorrow With You

The most unique aspect of the drama is the perpetual feeling of restraint. This ambiguous trait is masterfully crafted through bright but subdued color palette. You can’t see one place fully, it’s hard to read the character, and it’s surprising learning their perspective and feelings. These factors make you feel a little on edge, something unidentifiable is withheld, pushing you back to a spectator that gets to peek into someone’s world.

K-Drama review Tomorrow With You

The stand out the actress is Shin Min-a, who did a fantastic job bringing Ma-rin to life. The character is quirky. She has many unique mannerisms that make her a delight to get to know. Some examples of her unique attributes are her tone of voice, word choice, and point of view. Up to this point, her life has been unconventional, at a young age, she becomes a famous child actor. But things went downhill and as an adult, she is it amateur photographer and borderline alcoholic. The scenes of her drunken behavior are pathetic, embarrassing and make you cringe, for instance, rolling around in public areas. Shin Min-a acting is so good, and the character feels so real. At the beginning (with good reason) she thinks So-joon is creepy. But further down the line falls for his tricks and warms up to him. It’s a huge relief when she gets a clue and taps into her emotional boundaries and self-worth.

K-Drama review Tomorrow With You Lee Je Hoon

Our leading man, Yoo So-joon (Lee Je-hoon) is a mixed bag. One the one side of the coin, he’s selfish. It is this attribute that leads him to approach Min-rin. He manipulates her and their relationship. Often playing the hot and cold game to tweak his future. Once it’s definite that he needs to be with her to stay alive, he immediately and intensely pursues her. In episode four, they have a serious conversation that illustrates their dynamic. Ma-rin thinks his proposal absurd, and with full sincerity, she poses the question. “Let me ask you one thing. Do you love me?” and after a long pause he responds with a deceitful play on words, “I think I’ll die if I don’t marry you”.
On the other side of the coin, once he made up his mind to be with her, for the most part, he is all in. It is obvious he plans on staying married for the indefinite future as well as have children with her. He sees his assets as theirs (apart from future goods), has no interest in infidelity, and stands up for her. Despite his shallow intentions, he does meet many of her needs, such as a home, protection and a place to belong. On a side note, it catches you off guard how soon he initiates hanky-panky activities. Part form one small conversation you have no idea he is very attracted to her. Another thing, something feels off about the character. I can’t quite put my finger on it, it may be how the character is written or Lee Je-hoon is not the best man for the job.

K-Drama review Tomorrow With You Shin Min Ah

Of course, no drama is without its flaws and Tomorrow With You is no exception. The main qualm is several of the supporting characters. Apart from a teeny-tiny addition to the main arch, are redundant and two dimensional. A few examples are Park Joo-hee (Shin Se-young), and her unrequited love, and some catty behavior. There is also the toxic relationship between Kim Ye-won (Lee Gun-sook) and Ma-rin. Personally, I feel the story can be just as interesting if the two are on better terms.
All in all, Tomorrow With You is an excellent and well-balanced drama. It is a good choice if you are in the mood for something slow, that provides food for thought.