MBC Fri-Sat Fantasy Drama Tomorrow Goes From Promising Premiere to Freefalling Ratings Through Episode 6
This is like taking a nap while it’s sunny out and waking up to thunder and lightning a mere hour later. MBC Fri-Thurs drama Tomorrow, based on the same name webtoon about grim reapers rescuing suicidal people, premiered at a really promising 7.6% ratings in episode 1 but since then has fallen and then fallen some more. Episode 2 went down to 3.4% but episode 3 went up tp 5.4% but since then it’s gone back down and the most recent episode 6 was a mere 2.7%. That’s extraordinarily low for a drama with a big name cast, a cool concept, and came out of the gate with solid audience feedback. So what happened? I was waiting for time to catch up so I don’t know if the drama spiraled into boredom for audiences so it’s simply a good enough drama with diminishing buzz. K-netizens are split – some criticizing Ro Woon as the male lead, others saying the story is too childish and simplistic, and others saying the drama is good and it’s not clear why the ratings are low.
.jpg)
It’s a fiction, so a lot of things don’t make sense but i’m watching it . I don’t consider Ro Woon as the lead , for me all the squad is the lead .Perhaps suicide theme is not what people want to watch actually. I’m more astonished by the ratings of the new KBS week end drama .My liberation notes is not for everyone . Lee Jun Ki is doing fine .
Yes I agree, this is more like an ensemble cast like The Uncanny Counter where there are four leads sharing equal billing.
Yeah, Hyun-Jae’s ratings are a bit middling for the timeslot but at least they’re still in the 20s. When those dramas finally sink into the teens, that’s when you know it’s finally the end of Korean television.
There was one a couple years ago that actually spent quite a bit of time in the teens IIRC, the oldest brother was in it as SL but the writer fell in love with the character and Yoon Park lost the girl and screentime. Plot and actors do matter for that timeslot, apparently, because the drama that followed it went right back up in the ratings.
Boring. The premise was cool, but after the first episode, the story is repetitive. No clear conflict also, so there really isn’t any dramatic tension.
KBS weekender? I’m surprised the ratings are going down instead of up like most weekenders but then again, I’m not. Viewers like shouting and makjang plots. This writer always manages to take an interesting premise and make it boring and the actors are rather flat.
*what i mean by “don’t make sense” it’s the fact that suicidal persons can’t be helped like this . The team stop them but after they have to go through theraphy or medication . Ep 6 was a very emotional one as it was about a veteran of Korean war, and it made me thought about how Ukraine is going through . And how many humans lose their life everyday to fight for their country and liberty .
But nodody says the opposite. But they get the case when the person is on the edge to commit suicide. They are Grim Reapers, their role is to stop it. After, it’s the person who needs to take the decision to get better and how to do it. Now, therapy is not easy for Koreans, it’s not something well accepted. This drama showed how people with depression or any problem are seen as weak by everybody else. They should keep their issues for them. It’s what the society expects from them…
Depression is seen as a weakness even in western countries . I’m under medication since years now and i finally accepted it . I don’t have anymore a problem to talk about it and i even try to help some people when i see the signs . I have seen “Strong people” who used to see depression as an excuse , commiting suicide after losing a job, or a divorce…Depression is the illness of this century .
I don’t see the western countries society is as judgemental as the asian one. We can get work stopping for burn out and still being paid.
Not as judgemental, i didn’t say otherwise , but it’s still seen as the illness of weak people . Even in western countries . Only people who experience it knows . In Tomorrow we only have seen people wanting commit suicide because of losing a lover, not being able to get a job,… But chronic depression it’s seen as a fake illness for many people . Because ” When you want , you can ” which is philosophically ridiculous .
The message is the opposite. People thinks they don’t try enough, they’re weak, etc. The team is giving them just something to hold. But after, it doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s just it’s not the Grim Reaper’s role anymore, because they’re not psy.
But the friend, it wasn’t a trauma, it was his life. The fact to be poor, his studies, he missed his friend. He was in deep hole and they helped him.
I find myself agreeing with each point of feedback. I think the drama is quite good but also don’t care for Rowoon as ML and think the outcomes to the cases of the week are too simplistic. I wish they would at least show the suicidal people receiving therapy after the squad leaves. I think the drama was always destined to struggle with the combination of suicide and fantasy, but Again My Life has the corruption angle Koreans seem to like and Saturdays are a bloodbath.
I like tomorrow but I do agree about roo won. I don’t know if the problem within him or his character that’s written for the drama or both combine but I dislike it. Kinda annoying but can’t figure it out what makes him be annoying. Still i won’t drop it because other assemble actors makes me enjoy the drana
Maybe it would have fared better on other time slots. MBC thought it had a chance with Rowoon fresh from a successful sageuk fusion to appeal to younger audience.
Also out of curiosity was the webtoon popular? Because I suddenly thought of Yumi’s Cells which didn’t get high ratings as well.
But the difference with Yumi’s live adaptation was that the leads were terrific and the episodes were entertaining.
It should produced another saeguk instead
Today’s episode had a really good payoff that was well done and emotional, but it was a big of a drag to get there. So the pacing is off. While I like the procedural aspect, there needs to be more insight into the stories of the individual members of the team. I think like Mystic Pop Up Bar, this would have been better a 12 episodes.
No issue with the actors and it is an ensemble drama with Kim Hee Sun really the lead.
Lost the comedic vibe. ‘Cause if you can’t laugh at death, you ain’t zen.
The Grims are helping clueless humans. None of us are getting out jof here alive.
I just can’t get into Ro Woon. I watched Extraordinary You and the King’s Affection and I’m not sure if it’s his acting or the characters he plays but he just doesn’t draw me in.
Każdy ma prawo do swojego zdania. Ro woona znam jako członka zespołu SF9. Jest dobrym piosenkarzem i tancerzem . Jako aktor stara się odgrywać role, które proponują reżyserzy. Jego dorobek aktorski jest jeszcze nieduży. Dajmy mu szanse. W Tommorow gra dobrze, tworzą zgraną grupę Żniwiarzy.
I like it enough but I agree that the drama lacks nuance and is overly simplistic to the point where it can be sometimes offensive, especially in the first 2 cases. I think it’s gotten better this week though.
The main characters actually don’t have to do much and are not fleshed out. Think Law & Order, where the heavy-lifting is really on the guest actors of the week and the main characters are sort of the frame. Ro-woon’s character is one-note and I can see how some would find his puppy behavior grating, but I like him because his character is the only one who injects some warmth and sympathy into this drama which veers too much on the cold and detached side. Episode 6 is a wonderful episode though. If you decide to skip the drama, at least watch that episode.
The other actor Lee Soo Hyuk is good.
Rowoon is still lacking in the acting department.
Needs to do more supporting roles first.
Comparing other better actors like Kim Min Gue and Seol In Ah have been playing supporting roles for some time and yet to land good lead roles.
I did watch the first 2 eps, and tried to finish ep 3 but can’t. Rowoon’s acting turns me off. I also can’t help to compare it to Uncanny Counter, and compared his acting to JBK.
I loved this drama. The four actors are great in their role. People always prefers the cold and cool guy (and Lee So-Hyuk is perfect in this role, his uniform in the last episode was so great on him. His past as a model makes him looking very good in this role) but the heart of the show is Jung-Woong, he’s the one who always finds the little detail that will bring joy to the people they need to help : who made laugh the bullied girl, chicken for his friend, the amputed friend of the veteran.
It’s not an easy theme, talking about death and suicide in each episode. But this drama make me laugh and cry in each episode. They brought so many questions about karma and fate or social themes : poverty, bullying, search of a job, etc.
The last episode was incredible in emotion. I cried during the whole episode.
I enjoy this drama though, some people said it’s too simple to close the case but maybe they didn’t want to drag story more than 2 episode. Nothing wrong with Rowoon’s acting but his character a lil bit annoying sometimes (in the webtoon his character more annoying than drama) but he gives balance in grim reaper team. Hope it can climb back again on next Friday, not expecting much on Sunday because the competitor are too strong
Ep 6 was emotional and I enjoyed it with a little bit of tearing. I felt the previous cases were dragged too long. Also though I like Rowoon, his character here is annoying a lot. By now he should know what’s up and tone it down.
For such a serious subject, I find the drama is too shallow. Problems are not explored in depth, leaving me with big question mark if those problems worth taking one’s own life. Solutions offered are too simple, that by the end of each story, I have big question mark again, why there are so many cases in real life if solutions are that simple, do humans really change their outlook of life that quick?
Story of the war veteran was not believable. The 91 year old man doesn’t seem to be the type who would commit suicide. He has so much regrets, but one bird-eye view of Seoul at night washed them away. While I don’t think the drama should dwell too much into his sad life, neither it should just end the whole plight that easily.
I’m glad again my life rating is increasing. Revenge drama is still has their own charm…
I personally feel like Rowoon is a side character, and is just there as a foil to the rest of the Grim Reapers. He’s new to this and isn’t as numb to seeing people die. I see him more as a narrative tool (typical enthusiastic, emotional, rash rookie). While his acting still needs work, I do feel like he’s trying. He doesn’t stand there like a cardboard like some idol actors (I’m talking about you CEW). The focus has always been on the people whose cases they have to solve, and Kim Hee Sun’s back story.
I like the premise of Tomorrow, and do think they could do a better job at addressing a lot of these very real societal issues (e.g., school bullying, how we treat our veterans, difficulty for youth to find a job despite having a degree or being very qualified). I’m also curious to know more of Kim Hee Sun’s history. I feel like her fiance from her human life is probably Lee Soo Hyuk, or am I thinking too much into this?
Podoba mi się Twoje zdanie. Mamy podobne przemyślenia.
Hello, the writer of the article should really give us the links to the sources from where she gets this info. Because i havent seen knetz criticizing Rowoon as male lead rather i have only read praise for him. And if you are talking one or two comments about of knetz critizing plz even best of best actors get criticized for their acting. And plz the ratings do not matter. Its 2022 where many OTT platforms are much more prioritized than watching it on TV. Also the ones in tge comments who are saying that Rowoon is lacking and all and he is just a side character plz wakeup all you are doing is bashing an actor to praise your fave(2nd male lead) and you guys are not the cating experts you think you are.