Tomorrow with You – Full Review
Welcome to Tomorrow with You -Full Review. A man travels through time in the hopes of saving his own life. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Tomorrow with You
♥ Aired: February 3 – March 25, 2017
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Netflix and Viki
♥Genre: Time Travel Romance
♥Starring: Lee Je Hoon and Shin Min Ah
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The Story
Yoo So Joon has the ability to travel through time, as long as he doesn’t go beyond March 25, 2019. That is the day of his death. By investigating the accident that kills him and the mysterious woman who seems to hold a key to some of the details, he is hoping to postpone his imminent demise. But can love and fate be manipulated to give him the happy ending he is searching for?
The Leads
Lee Je Hoon as Yoo So Joon
Yoo So Joon is a successful CEO of a real estate company, who should have died in a subway accident. But instead, his life was miraculously saved by a random stranger. After the accident, he finds that he can use the subway to travel through time. But knowing the future isn’t always a blessing. So Joon learns that he will die in a car accident in 2 years. Hoping to prevent his death, he begins investigating the accident. When he finds out that a woman also dies at the scene, he becomes curious about her and wonders if she holds the key to stopping it. On a whim, he decides to marry her in the hopes of changing both of their futures. Now he is determined to save both of them, but fate is hard to alter and he has twice as much to lose.
Yoo So Joon is emotionally detached and more caught up in the future than he is in living in the present. In the beginning, his relationship with Ma Rin was just a means to changing his own fate. But once she wins his heart, his whole perspective in life starts to shifts. Every drama I watch with Lee Je Hoon makes me respect him more as an actor. As So Joon, he is likeable and vulnerable, even as he wrestles with his natural inclination to act out of selfishness. The transformation from someone who only looks out for his own well-being to a man determined to save his marriage and the woman he loves is gradual and believable.
Shin Min Ah as Song Ma Rin
Song Ma Rin is a washed up child actress, who is more famous for the disaster her life has become, than the one role that originally got her recognized. Ma Rin’s mother still lives vicariously through her daughter’s short-lived success. Dreaming of becoming a professional photographer, Ma Rin works with a friend for an online clothing company, while hoping to be discovered. When she first meets So Joon, she believes that destiny brought them together and she is thrilled when he proposes to her quickly. But after the wedding, So Joon’s secretive attitude and regular disappearances make her wonder if she has made a mistake in marrying him so soon. And as she begins to learn his secrets, things only become more complicated.
Song Ma Rin is quirkly and outgoing. Her brash personlity hides the deep insecurities of having lived life in the lime light as a young person who never had the skill to succeed past that one role. Shin Min Ah has a contagious smile and energy that makes her characters come to life. I can’t imagine a better actress to place this role. She was able to portray Ma Rin as goofy and random, without overplaying it. Ma Rin is the kind of character I would love to hang out with in real life. Full of confidence and transparent about her feelings, she is also vulnerable and eager to find someone who will accept her just as she is.
Supporting Characters
Baek Hyun Jin as Kim Yong Jin
Kim Yong Jin is the villain for this drama. He has a presence in both lead character’s lives as the new husband of Ma Rin’s long-time “friend” and an executive at So Joon’s company. Out of greed, he begins skimming money from the company, but he continuously over-extends himself and ends up in deep financial trouble. Desperate for a way out, he discovers So Joon’s secret and tries to use it against him.
Jo Han Chul as Doo Shik
Doo Shik is a mystery man who becomes friends with So Joon as a fellow time traveller. Acting as friend and counsilor, he is the one who encourages So Joon to marry Ma Rin. Eventually, So Joon finds out that Doo Shik is actually Ma Rin’s estranged father. Although he wasn’t honest with him from the start, Doo Shik shares So Joon’s goal of saving both So Joon and Ma Rin from the fatal accident they have both seen in the future.
Kang Gi Doong as Kang Gi Doong
Kang Gi Doong is So Joon’s best friend. While So Joon is the CEO of their company, Gi Doong is behind all of the day to day details that help it’s success. In the beginning, besides Doo Shik, Gi Doong is the only person who know So Joon’s secret about being a time traveller. Gi Doong is in love with his and So Joon’s other childhood friend, Shin Se Young, although she only has eyes for So Joon.
Things I Liked
♥ Lee Jung Eun as Mom
No one plays the eccentric, emotionally unstable mom like Lee Jung Eun. She brings her own special flair to the role of Cha Boo Shim. Behind every great childhood actress is a desperate “momanger” and I loved Lee Jung Eun for this part. Cha Boo Shim’s character gives us great insight into where Ma Rin’s insecurities stem from and why, after all this time, she still hasn’t been able to put them behind her.
♥ Second Lead Couple
Kang Gi Doong is adorable and watching him pine for Shin Se Young while So Joon barely even notices is just sad. So, I was thrilled when Se Young finally wakes up to the fact that she had a great guy who had been waiting for her the whole time. They are a cute couple and I was glad we got to see them together in the end.
♥Relationship Development
The relationship story arc in “Tomorrow With You” is one of my favorites. It is realistic and hard-fought from beginning to end. Especially for So Joon, who begins their relationship as a means to an end rather than having any emotional attachment. Neither character is perfect, and neither is their relationship, and that makes their story so much more interesting to watch.
Things I Didn’t Like
Why Can’t Ma Rin Time Travel?
Maybe I’m missing some famous time travel lore here, but I don’t understand why both So Joon and Doo Shik can time travel but Ma Rin can’t. I guess she could be the catalyst that enables them, but it still seems a little weird to me. I have heard a fan theory that it could somehow have something to do with gender, but that seems even more far-fetched to me. But then, I guess if you keep the rules vague, you can get away with the subtle inconsistancies.
Confusing Time Lines
Time travel stories have a tendancy to be a bit challenging at times, and “Tomorrow With You” may have been more confusing because the rules weren’t always clearly defined. Whatever the reason, there were times when the past, future, and present blurred into a confusing mix.. In my opinion, it was never impossible to follow, but it did take some focus to remember what had already happened and what was still to come.
The Villain
This actually has nothing to do with Baek Hyun Jin’s portrayal of Kim Yong Jin. I think he did a fine job as a villain who we could intensely dislike. It’s just that, I think the real villains in this drama were time and destiny. Having a human villain seemed kind of pointless, and this was further proven when Yong Jin gets caught, yet our lead couple’s situation is as dire as ever. In the grand scheme of things, the character just seemed a bit pointless.
The Ending
Fans couldn’t help but doubt, right up until the final minutes whether we would see a happy ending or whether we would have to watch So Joon die to protect his love. But in the end, all was well. Kim Yong Jin is caught by the police and punished for his crimes. After many failed attempts, So Joon finally makes it back to the present before March 25, 2019. Gi Doong and Se Young have become a happy couple. Doo Shik and Ma Rin’s mom are spending time together again, which is unfortunately short-lived. On the fated day, So Joon attempts to save Ma Rin’s life, but it is Doo Shik who comes to the rescue at the last minute and dies instead. The drama ends on a time jump to March 2022, where So Joon and Ma Rin are still together, even though they spend breakfast bickering about So Joon’s time travel and Ma Rin’s refusal to learn to cook. So Joon leaves for work in a huff, but in the car he gets one of the e-mails Ma Rin sent to him from the past and he is reminded of how important each day is. He calls Ma Rin to apologize and asks her on a date. And that’s it. Life still isn’t perfect for this quirky, stubborn couple but their love is as strong as ever.
Should I Watch
“Tomorrow with You” is my perfect kind of drama. It offers a beautiful slow-burn romance that is genuine and realistic to keep you emotionally satisfied, while also giving you an intricate time travel plot to keep your mind engaged. But even with the mysterious time travel element, this drama is never rushed , so if you aren’t in the mood to settle in while this one takes it’s time unfolding, you should probably skip it. While the plot is tight and well-done, the bending of time and space does get complicated, so if confusing plot scenarios frustrate you, this one isn’t a great choice. But if you are looking for an unusal story that will keep you guessing right up until the end with an amazing lead couple, I would definitely give this one a try. I give “Tomorrow with You” a 9 out of 10 ramen.
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