what I appreciate best about mbc tomorrow is how all the main four proudly and regularly drink ‘respect women’ juice:

choi joon-woong? goodest boi, actual puppy, will cry pure tears for you

lim ryung-gu? actual momma’s boi, beats up r*pists, an absolute icon

park joong-gil? simp for his wife, no to victim-blaming, will probably savage (or burn) people who call women sl*ts

koo ryeon? QUEEN, ‘you will never be able to shame me’, epitome of dignity 

it’s funny how koo ryeon is actually the LEAST vocal as a feminist among the four of them. 

sometimes a family is just two estranged parents: the independent, cool mom and the cold, stern dad and their two adopted kids aka the tsundere, devoted, filial first child and the overexcited—oversized at that—pure-hearted maknae huh...?

KIM HEE SUN as KOO RYEON in TOMORROW (2022), episode 13: Spring

This was the vibe that I felt with the trailer. Dumbass me didn't check the synopsis nor the trailer with contexts. Just saw Rowoon being flustered and I was like cool found the new drama.

And what a ride. I've to say this was not perfect but this needn't be perfect actually. The plots they incorporated were far braver than needed. Each of the weekly, sometimes biweekly, topics could spawn numerous works and still we won't get to the bottom of it.

They put the topic in front of us and even if we get uncomfortable we know that they're the truth of our times. Even if they solved all the issues as easy as a dramatic court speech, as easy as a heartfelt talk, they get the ball rolling.

The characters were infuriatingly loveable. By the time the leads stories were unleashed, you are already in love with them and the pain becomes unbearable then.

Also I cannot specify how beautiful the ending was. They just gave the signs that Jun woong has his thread tied to a lovely person. And left us at that.

Sure I wouldn't mind a spin-off showing stuff like Jun woong meeting cho Hui as a human. Sure I wouldn't mind Jun woong rejoining the RM team after 50 years. Sure I wouldn't mind seeing joong gil and koo ryeon falling back to each other and easing all their pain and heartaches.

But I'm happy with what I got. And hopefully it made people wonder and reflect upon the power of words, online and offline. Because that seems to be a severe problem with these tiring times.

it has been like a few weeks? since tomorrow finale and i still can't stop thinking about joongryeon.

joong-gil and koo ryeon loved each other so deeply that even fate couldn't stop them from being together. a broken red thread led to joong-gil going through two reincarnations, in which, he probably didn't end up with a partner. his regret and sadness that happened in his first life remained in his heart for a very long time. this led him to making a deal with the jade empress to take away his memories. there was no point for him to remember when the person he loved... the person he wanted to save isn't there.

koo ryeon became a grim reaper only to see her husband (ex, i guess) be her superior. seeing her husband again who has no idea who she is probably tore her apart. she still loves joong-gil but she couldn't do anything when the red thread that once tied them together was split. to her, there's no point rekindling old flames when fate can't guarantee it.

i could go on about koo ryeon's pain because of joong-gil's disapproval to her being the team leader of risk management team and joong-gil who finally remembered everything and the shit he put koo ryeon through... plus the fact that joong-gil possibly had romantic feelings for koo ryeon despite being a grim reaper who's also her superior but i lack the vocab to do that 😂

Tomorrow (2022) - 내일 - Whump List

List by StayDandy Synopsis : Choi Joon Woong seeks a job, but it's hard for him to get hired. One night, he witnesses a man trying to end his life and decides to stop him. He gets acquainted with grim reapers Koo Ryeon and Im Ryoong Gu, who belong to a crisis management team. Their purpose is to prevent people from committing suicide. After Joon Woong ends up in a coma and becomes half-human and half-spirit, he is employed by a company of grim reapers as the newest member of the crisis management team. (MDL)

Whumpee : Choi Joon Woong played by Kim Seok Woo "Rowoon" • Im Ryung Goo played by Yun Ji On • Park Joong Gil played by Lee Soo Hyuk

Country : 🇰🇷 South Korea Genres : Action, Thriller, Drama, Fantasy

Note : This is a Full Whump List • Adapted from the webtoon "Tomorrow" (내일) by Llama (라마) • TW : The entire show covers heavy topics such as suicide, depression, eating disorders, ptsd, assault ... to name a few - that is the whole point of the show. Viewer discretion. • My favorite episodes are highlighted in pink : 00

Episodes on List : 10 Total Episodes : 16

*Spoilers below*

01 : Choi Joon Woong is kicked in the chest & sent flying … falls off a bridge, drowning … gasps awake in a hospital … [spirit] looks back at his comatose body … trapped, aware, in his comatose body … panicking, breathing heavily

02 : Kicked protecting someone

03 : [flashback] Bruised from a school fight … [spirit] gets too close to his body; [body] starts to seize, tachycardic, shocked with defibrillator, [spirit] becomes dizzy, in pain, collapses … [spirit] thrown down a hall (away from his body to stop the reaction)

05 : Im Ryung Goo in a fist fight, strangled, thrown against a wall

06 : Joon Woong has a bloody nose & split lip from a [not shown] fight … *personal note: this episode had me bawling

08 : Beat up in a fist fight.. knocked out.. wakes tied up.. gassed, passes out

11 : [past life flashback] Ryung Goo in a fight & beat up … high on drugs, dies of an overdose … [present] collapses with grief

14 : (at end) [past life flashback] Park Joong Gil grieving

15 : (replay of scene) [past life flashback] Grieving

16 : [body] Joon Woong comatose in hospital … [spirit] held up by his throat, thrown … Joong Gil in a 4 to 1 fist fight, beat up.. bruised, interrogated while kneeling with his hands cuffed behind his back (that imagery tho 0.0) … Joon Woong wakes from his coma

More Whump Lists for this show: ALittleHurtWithYourComfort

Ngl Jw just being able to waltz in jade emperor's office while others all seem to go there by her request makes me think jw is directly toed to the emperor too maybe he was the first ever grim reaper and just wished to be human to be kind to ppl cus of the anount of hurt that othrs suffer from what we see from 2 lives that we see of him he is like overrely compassionate and now he just doesnt remember would make sense why they would leave him to be a grim reaper while in coma i dont think it was because he got into that coma cus he met reapers

Omgggg anon that's actually a really good theory! First ever grim reaper I always knew that pure hearted boy was special!!

I did find it sus from the beginning that the Jade Emperor made him become a grim reaper it was basically a blackmail and I'm grateful to her. But yeah she definitely had a secret motive. And yes compared to others he does seem to talk to her more. Even Joong-gil and Ryeon only go to her when they have questions or complaints but Jun-woong is definitely different. For someone as busy as her still making small talk with him, her telling him you are the same as ever and not clarifying what she means. When he asked her the punishment was to harsh for the ones who took their own lives and she just told him to remember the value of life. She's hiding a lot. And isn't it weird she just showed him Koo Ryeon's past like that even though he's part of her team letting him see all of it idk feels like it would be a privacy breach unless he was there and he needs to see it for some greater plan to work...

So ever since I read this I've been thinking what if Jun-woong was the grim reaper who escorted Koo Ryeon and maybe Joong-gil too (really curious when and how he died). Escort grim reapers are kinda important to the departed souls and I find it really weird we still haven't met the one who escorted Ryeon. Since she's good at keeping a straight face she never openly reacted to seeing him meanwhile Joong-gil doesn't remember much but he especially seems to dislike Jun-woong. There must be a reason for that other than the fact he's still just hurt by lohl leaving him like that and decided to hate the new team completely when Jun-woong didn't even do anything wrong, he just got caught in the crossfire of things.

What if Jun-woong is her son or grandson and maybe after escorting these two he decided to reincarnate for his love of humanity. And she's now always checking up on him for both family reasons and their secret reasons? We really don't have episodes left to unpack his last reincarnation but if he's someone who's tied to the Jade Emperor herself then we just need some big reveals and everything will fall into place!

#RYEONAH —  This blog is a study in: death, suicide, the choices you make, the afterlife, inner turmoil, sins, reincarnation & the ties that bind you. RYEONAH is an independent, highly selective, canon (& slightly canon divergent) & headcanon-based, mutuals-only roleplay blog for Koo Ryeon of MBC's & Llama's webtoon Tomorrow.

This blog contains HEAVILY TRIGGERING CONTENT THEREFORE (suicide, depression, death, assault, violence & more). YOU MUST BE 21+ to interact. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS BLOG; YOU WILL BE BLOCKED ON SIGHT. I work over 40 hours each week (so I do apologize in advance for being slow!), so activity may be sporadic during the week. As such, this blog will PRIMARILY be ACTIVE on weekends!! Please read the RULES before interacting && following this blog due to the nature of the series content. PERSONAL & NON-RP BLOGS, PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS BLOG! Raised from hell by Morgen — She/Her, 24 years old && only uses the beta editor with access to xKit rewritten!

AFFILIATED WITH: @hehosts

Everything on this blog (theme, header, icons, dash icons & banners) was COMMISSIONED for me by: @cerberuscommissions

I still think that despite how dark this episode got with Jung-gil's choice to use the Reaper Contract at the WORST POSSIBLE TIME that he and Ryeon can still come out of this together.

The issue for them is that they have yet to gain the clarity and closure on their past life together that they both sorely need. They need to address their pain and regrets with one another so that they can both finally understand the pain they've caused one another. Only then can they forgive, heal and take their first step into the future.

And while their ties of fate have long been severed I would point out that they've still managed to be together and to care for one another. It was choice upon choice upon choice that they made, choices that they would never have had if they had been human. They chose to be together and that's important.

While it's a completely different show this does remind me of the Good Place where they show that Soul Mates aren't just some magical bond that ensures that you will be together with that person. It's a choice that you make and continue to make, to choose to love and be with a person over and over and over again despite the differences that appear after every rebirth.

Koo Ryeon and Park Jung-gil chose one another despite their bond being destroyed, either one of them could have turned away, Ryeon could have turned away after seeing Jung-gil as a reaper but she didn't, she stayed with him and fell for him all over again. Jung-gil could have rejected a reaper from Hell but he chose not to, he kept her by his side and gave her her own team. And by the looks of the promo he's choosing her again by taking responsibility for her actions and she's choosing him again by presumably going to save him from Hell.

Tomorrow - 9/10

I want to start out by addressing the major criticism I have of this show- and it’s a big one. The show is designed to deal with some real serious fucking issues, like suicide, eating disorders, poverty, bullying, and the loss of a child to name a few. But it also deals with them in an overly simplified manner that ultimately does a disservice to those very topics. Suicide is central to Tomorrow because the show centers on a team of Grim Reapers whose job it is to help those at risk of suicide and stop them. So everything gets tied up very neatly at the end of the episodes and like... life isn’t that simple. The severe punishment for the souls who commit suicide also seems like a very cruel and old fashioned point of view.

HOWEVER, if you can kind of just accept that this show’s vibe means that it is going to ‘solve’ the problems that might lead one to commit suicide and that the entire view of suicide presented on the show feels lacking in compassion... it’s actually a really great show? I know that sounds crazy to say, but the show has some really fantastic characters and good storytelling. It tells some absolutely heart wrenching stories through the people whose lives the Reapers are there to save, and over the course of the show the complex lives (and past lives...) of the main characters are explored.

One of the fun things about this show is the way the afterlife is portrayed. It’s basically run like a company which gives definite Dead Like Me vibes (lol that show is probably a deep cut for most people- I doubt many people today remember it). Idk it just tickles me to see the grim reapers working in an office like environment.

So yes, Tomorrow centers on a team of Grim Reapers who form the Risk Management team, and it is their job to help those who are at risk of suicide. Well, one of the team members is only half a Grim Reaper. Choi Jun-woong, got caught up in one of the RM team’s missions and ended up in a coma, so the director offered him a temp job as a Grim Reaper until he wakes up. There is a lot to unpack in the past lives and trauma of the other two members of the RM team, Koo Ryeon and Lim Ryung-gu and it’s really compelling television. I was especially obsessed with Koo Ryeon’s backstory and her journey. Like... I have actively sought out fic on AO3 about her. And I may or may not have been wearing red eyeshadow because of her.

Then you have the more episodic stories as we meet the people that the RM team has been sent to save. Like I said, sometimes the resolution seems too easy, but many of the stories really packed an emotional punch. One story focuses on a Korean War veteran that had me in tears. Another shines light on the plight of ‘comfort women’ during the Japanese occupation of Korea. There is even a story featuring a dog and his owner. The way that these stories intersect with the main characters and their experiences really elevates the show.

So there you have it. I’m rating Tomorrow so high because I enjoyed it as a television viewing experience, BUT I do think that it’s important to note that the show’s view on suicide and the causes and solutions to suicide is pretty... unenlightened and simplified.

look the concept of tomorrow (2022) is solid. i love the way it deals with mental health issues and suicide. what i also liked about it is that the relationship between koo ryeon and park jung gil at the end is not fastened back together like as if they didnt have centuries of regrets between the both of them. it is left ambiguous, they are still treading on ice imo and i like it that way. butttt there is still some sort of swoony person in me and wishes they could have restarted their relationship, but i am not going to say that i am dissatisfied with the ending. and park jung gil apologises and admits to the fact that it was his pride that made him go on that killing spree and not really ryeon's safety and honour.

i am very, very satisfied with the way things were tied up and ended.

but i have to say, after watching mystic pop up bar, uncanny counter this didnt strike me as soemthbg special. i like that they particularly dealt with suicide cases and that made the show different and emotional and indeed, a good piece of art, but this is not something i would watch more than once. i would rate it a 5/10.

I want to talk about my theories for the kdrama “tomorrow”. First i want to go into a bit of background of the characters before going into theories. Still is all speculation and theories with actual history mixed in. So far what I’ve gathered and theorized since episode 9, this is a long ass take but I thought it was fun to write out. Also I am not going to talk about Jun Woong since we already know his past more than the others.

First off is Koo Ryeon. I believe Ryeon is originally from a time when the Qing dynasty took over the Korean peninsula. If the make-up and fashion departments did their histories justice, then the clothing and hair styles are indicative of the Joseon period. During this time the northern Qing invaded Korea and captured many of the young women and took them back as war time wives or captured slaves to the Qing men. Many of these women tried to escape and a lot of them were unsuccessful. After the Qing lost their hold on Korea the women who hadn’t left China yet did so, but to the displeasure of the families they went back too. These women were seen as traitors and embarrassments to the families they were taken from.  If they had been married before being taken, they were widowed or the family as a whole was ostracized.

 From this we can guess that this time period is mid-1630s. From the snippets we have seen of her life so far, she and some mysterious boy (his name was never mentioned) were brotheled at a young age. As a teenager she had loved this boys righteousness and the willingness to serve for the country/ emperor and do what was right. This carried over to adulthood. We see snippets of an adult Ryeon getting things thrown at her and her head bleeding. I am going out on a stretch her but perhaps Ryeon was taken by the invading Qing and after some time she came back and is being viewed as a traitor. Later on, we see from Joong Gil’s nightmare that he is confronted by Ryeon after he kills a couple of drunk guys at night. Its almost to quick but it appears Ryeon is pregnant, or the wardrobe department had a heyday with dressing her.

Another time we see her in mourning clothes. Yes, mounting clothes. She is dressed completely in white, with her hair down and tied with a white ribbon. Traditionally the mourning period is 3 years. If this is true, then my theory of her being pregnant could hold up due to losing the baby, it doesn’t explain why Joong Gil is there or why he is also in white (but why is he there? Is he the mystery boy from Ryeon’s childhood that she married?). From the very beginning we see the Jade emperor confronting Ryeon as she is staggering out of hell. Many religions hold a foundational view on murder and suicide, and this is, if you commit these crimes your punishment is hell or the equivalent. Confucianism and Buddhism view life as precious and should not be harmed but I can see why they would throw in modern views to keep the trend going. There is also the cycle of karma that is being included thanks to Kong the dog and the ballerina/musician. We know that Ryeon made a deal with the Jade Emperor, that she is to work for them as a grim reaper till she is supposed to save “that one specific person” with whom she hasn’t met yet. Ryeon, and ourselves, don’t know who that is yet. Since becoming a grim reaper she has been wearing that hot pink, red eyeshadow. Perhaps that is in remembrance to her past husband? A time when she was truly happy? Or perhaps to cause harm *cough* to Joong Gil? Or to perhaps bring a memory back upon meeting that one person she is supposed to save? Who knows but it is a staple to her look.

We have seen that “the red string of fate” is also a big factor in this show. Its in the opening sequence, connecting all the main actors, Ryeon wears a bracelet out of the broken fragments and so far, within this show, it means that who ever you share the strings with you are meant to keep being in their life, no matter how many times you reincarnate. The Jade Emperor has told us that you will forever be intertwined with this other person unless you cut that fate yourself, through suicide and I think murder….. im looking at your Ryeon and Joong Gil, that whole mourning scene and her trying to stab you with a broken ceramic shard… im on to you guys…

 Second is Park Joong Gil. From what I can gather, Joong Gil is from a wealthy or well-known family, his behavior and mannerisms invoke a sense of wealth. He is obviously well educated and was taught to view the emperor in good light. In our first flash back from his POV we get his “nightmare”/ past life remembrance. He is angry and very frustrated, as he slays a couple drunken men for their awful remarks, once again I think this is about the Qing women survivors returning home. 

What we have seen of Joong Gil is he is very by-the-book, strict, follows orders (like a good little soldier), and his exterior is very cold. From his interactions with the Jade Emperor and Ryeon in episode 8 and 9, he holds a lot of inner turmoil and fear. He says he continues to have the same nightmares over and over again. Constantly remembering the worst part of his past life but apparently episode 8 was the first time he saw Ryeon in his nightmare. I’m wondering if he is not remembering things correctly. Remember, in the episode where Jun Woong’s friend kept failing the police academy tests? His memories were messed up. So perhaps Joong Gils memories are messed up. Don’t forget, Joong Gil is a man of principle and believes he is righteous, he looks down on cowards and criminals. That as a grim reaper he would never take a life. Maybe what he thinks is his worse memories, of him killing those two men, are not the correct memories. The brain has a funny way of coping with trauma. If we have experienced something so traumatizing and damaging our brains will literally erase those memories and leave holes. Perhaps Joong Gil has had the same thing happen to him. Perhaps his worst memories have been locked away as a way to protect him, and they just so happen to be about Ryeon, think amnesia.

We see that Ryeon worked for Joong Gil for 200 years but I’m pretty sure that he didn’t know she was from hell (given he views those that are in hell deserve it and should stay there) during this time and it was after she was made head of risk management that their relationship deteriorated. I would like to say that Joong Gil is the mystery boy from Ryeon’s past but we know that these types of dramas like to thrown in curve balls at us from nowhere, BUT I’m not sure if I have seen Joong Gil with a frayed red bracelet that mirrors Ryeon’s. Perhaps that explains his black gloves? Maybe he is hiding something?????

Third is Lim Ryung Gu. I have been so invested in his character since the very beginning. This man has an alarm set for the same time every day. He is on the search for something, or someone. Do we know what that is or have the slightest clue? Fuck no. Ryung Gu is by the book and follows policies but is completely different from Joong Gil. Ryung is funny, in that dead pan sort of way, and that just makes him more endearing and his relationship with Jun Woong gets tighter every episode we see.  He worked for Joong Gil before being moved to the Risk Management team. Why? I’m not sure, but throughout the show so far him and Ryeon have had an agenda. They are both looking for something and Jun Woong is slowly figuring it out. Thanks for episode 9 we see Ryung Gu trailing a woman, and gasp, she is very much pregnant, like 14 months lol. Who is she? A past life lover? a past life sister? Whats with that reaction? We see Ryung Gu start to cry and omg, my heart swayed. I have a thing for beautiful men crying but I was so shocked because I have never seen this actor cry before, holy shit... and yes, i screen shot them to share, youre welcome.

And tomorrows episode we are going to see him beat the shit out a rapist? Yes please!! but aside from watching him beat the shit out of someone who deserves it remember, this is a break in his character! Mr. We-arent-allowed-to-mess-with-the-lives-of-humans is definitely messing with the lives of humans!!! I wonder if his past loved one was raped and murdered? He has such an emotional connection to sexual assult/rape victim its kinda obvious.

Anyways, this man is still a big mystery and I need to know more!

And now the most mysterious! Jade Emperor!

The jade Emperor has different meanings in different cultures but essentially, they rule over heaven, hell, and earth. They also create people’s hardships but also dish out the rewards. It’s been mentioned several times and they are always there in the end to greet the suicide survivor when they make it to heaven. They also council the grim reapers when they come to them for help. The nightmare situation with Joon Gil, the risk management team not liking the newbie at first ect. I love that they cast a woman to play this part! In past dramas or movies, it’s always a man, so this is a breath of fresh air and adds a bit of femininity to the role. So, this jade emperor is super vague and leaves holes in so many conversations. Gives you a headache trying to connect the dots. Apparently, this jade emperor already knows everything that is to come to pass. They knew about Jun Woong coming to heaven and joining the risk management team. They knew Jun Woong would do well in saving lives, so they had the red-light app updated to have the green light work. They knew Jun Woong would slowly add character development to Ryung Gu, Ryeon and Joong Gil. They let the risk management team get away with a lot more than they should now that Jun Woong is involved in the situation.

Anyways... this is just some of my thoughts. I had a bunch of gifs but they arent working so ill try again later :)