Tomorrow (2022): An Afterlife Alliance

Taking the afterlife trope and twisting the ever so generic plot, this webtoon adaptation is a much watch for all the K-drama fans!

Do you believe in the idea of Grim Reapers? Do you believe there is life in the afterlife let alone an organization that escorts souls and tracks the life of the people living on earth? Tomorrow with its star-studded cast feeds you the ultimate fantasy making you laugh, and cry whilst tackling important issues

Quick Synopsis: A group of Grim Reapers is assigned to save the lives of people who are on the verge of ending their lives.

Trigger Warnings: Self Harm, Suicide & Sexual Assault

The show opens up with a mysterious woman with pink hair walking in an empty basement towards a car, as we approach closer to the scene we see a group of people inside trying to end their lives by suffocating themselves. Soon we realize that the woman is the head of the Risk Management Team at Jumadeung, Koo Ryeon. As the plot thickens, we stumble upon Ryeon's partner, Lim Ryung Gu a stoic-faced man who often picks his nose. On the other side, we have Choi Joon-Woong. Desperate like other young adults, he's trying his level best to survive this race called 'life' but he is up to no good as he witnesses rejections after rejections. Soon they cross paths when Choi Joon-Woong witnesses a suicide attempt and in the midst of saving the man, he becomes the victim and is left in a comatose state. Now, since he interfered in someone else's case, he became collateral damage, becoming a half-human and half soul. To get back to the land of the living, Choi Joon-Woong makes a pact with the jade emperor, where he is asked to provide his services to this afterlife organization in return for his life in the land of the living, like a barter system.

The South Korean Drama industry is vast, it has a great number of fantasy dramas to offer that grapple with the afterlife trope. But what makes this one any different? we have the same plot where the main lead ends up in another world and signs a contract in exchange for his survival. What makes it different is the fact that it deals with serious issues so sensitively as if walking on a treacherous road.

Every episode deals with a vital theme where Koo Ryeon (Kim Hee-sun) and her subordinates (Yoon Ji-on & Rowoon) try to boil down the negative energy of their clients. The show serves you with cinematically pleasing shots. One thing that I appreciated about the show was that they covered the concept of mental health keeping individuals from all walks of life, they showed the whole spectrum. From a TV show producer who wants to end her life with the arrival of her old high school bully, A woman who blames herself for being sexually harassed by a man, and an aged woman who considers herself the sole cause of her best friend becoming a comfort woman during the Japanese Imperialism era, the show covers the cycle. It also proves that age does not define your mental state of being.

I've emphasized throughout that they've tackled social issues in a delicate manner, in a way we, the audience will not only understand the character's pain but also maybe understand how to deal with it in real life.

Despite grappling with dark themes, the show has its fair share of comedy, serving you with the sarcastic humor the trio makes sure to make you chuckle a little in between a heavy stream of tears. For instance, being new to this whole ordeal, Choi Joon-woong is bound to emote human sentiments, which is surely going to interrupt their work causing a tiff between him and his team leader, Ryeon. This causes a series of giggle-worthy moments as Ryeon puts him into his place with her immortal powers. The writers of the show made sure that they deep dive into the back stories of all the characters, defining their current actions with a clear in-depth into their past.

Another aspect that I liked about the show was the portrayal of Grim Reapers. As we've seen in Korean Dramas, there are not many times when we see a female playing the character of a Grim Reaper, even in western dramas for that matter. Women are hardly seen as 'evil'. Ryeon (Kim Hee-sun) breaks those stereotypes and carries the show with her phenomenal acting, playing the typical cold-stoned team leader who doesn't care about anyone and just wants to finish her task and be left alone. The cast has done an amazing job getting into the skin of their characters.

One of the characters that caught my eye was Park Jung-il (Lee Soo-hyuk), the head of the escort team. His character starts off with utter disdain for the risk management team, as he does not believe in the idea of 'being saved'. A man who only believes in fulfilling his duties without an ounce of emotion on his face. And only aggression when someone interferes with his work. You see his character development in this 16-part series, as we dig deep into his personal traumas and his lack of knowledge as to why he keeps on having the same recurring dreams. As his past with Ryeon unfolds, we are taken back in time and served with some awe-worthy moments that'll make your heart melt and perhaps sympathize with Jung-il's character. The range of emotions and the power he resonates whenever he is on the screen is mesmerizing, falling into the typical tsundere category.

To conclude, the show is an emotional ride. Tomorrow is yet another afterlife trope but with a new perspective in the television world. With amazing performances by Kim Hee-sun, Lee Soo-hyuk, Yoon Ji-on, Rowoon & Kim Hae-sook. The show is intricate storytelling of human lives, their emotions, and their plight. Watch it with a box of tissues right next to you.

You can stream the show on Netflix

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