Live in the present: a life lesson from soap opera 'Tomorrow With You'

'Tomorrow With You' is a soap opera that aired on tvN in February and March this year.

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Stephanie Pradnyaparamita

Photo = tvN

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the 'present.'”

 -- Bil Keane

Among the number of Korean soap operas that have been aired on TV, "Tomorrow With You" (내일 그대와) (tvN, 2017) is one that really caught my intention. Despite the fact that the ratings were not as high as "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 도깨비), tvN’s previous soap opera in the same time slot, there are valuable lessons that can be learn from this show. 

"Tomorrow With You" is a romantic comedy and of course fictional show that consists of 16 episodes. It aired on tvN on Friday and Saturday nights. The story is about Yoo So-joon (played by Lee Je-hoon) who has the ability to travel into the future by riding a subway car to a mysterious spot between Seoul Station and Namyeong Station. He gained this ability after a tragic accident at Namyeong Station that killed his parents. Ever since, he has been able to travel to the future, back and forth, and even buy or bring things from the future to the present. 

In this show, Yoo So-joon married Song Ma-rin (played by Shin Min-ah), a photographer from an online clothing store. To make a long story short, everything that happens between Yoo So-joon and Song Ma-rin has already been foreseen by Yoo So-joon, even their marriage, which seems to have been made in a rush after he saw a picture of them in a wedding dress and a suit. Not only marriage, but he can also foresee accidents, the status of the relationship, and even his time of death. Even though it's a romantic comedy, viewers feel empty every time they watch the show. Every scene in the show is dark, even in scenes that take place in broad daylight. 

After watching this show, one of my lecturers posted these questions on her social media account. Have you ever wondered how you would feel if you already knew the future? How would you feel if you already prepared for everything, even for difficult situations that might come up? Would you still feel the excitement of a happy moment? Knowing the future is quite an ability, but there are a lot of things that would be sacrificed in the present, like any sensation or satisfaction that one may have, because there would no longer be a mystery. Just like in the show, Yoo So-joon might prevent some problems that would happen in the future, like a scene where he chooses an area for his company to investment. However, is he satisfied with the result? Does he still feel the excitement or joy, like when he gets married? Would it be at the same level if he didn’t know beforehand? 

"Tomorrow With You" is a good example of what Fritz Perls (1893-1970) called the “here and now”. Perls was a psychiatrist and psycotherapist, born in Germany. The “here and now” is Perls’s term for a person with a healthy personality. According to Perls, a person with a healthy personality lives in and from the present moment. Having some plan for the future is important because it's one of the ways to grow. Not to forget the past is also a thing, because the past may bring lessons. However, never let your guard down because of too much anxiety for the future, nor too many regrets for the past.

In the early days of his marriage, Yoo So-joon went to the future, to around three months after they were married, and he saw his sorrowful life because his relationship with his wife wasn't going well. After that, he went back to the present. He seemed to be stressed that he might face such a future, even though in the present he had a happy newlywed life.

There was also the episode where Yoo So-joon knew that the future Song Ma-rin would tell him to leave her as soon as he got back to the present. The stressed Yoo So-joon ruined his present life. This caused the present Song Ma-rin to tell him to choose between her and the future Song Ma-rin, who the present Song Ma-rin considered to be “another woman.”

This soap opera lets us reflect upon the importance of the present. The future may be important, but living our current life and meaning every single moment that we have is the most important. Such “here and now” people feel safe in their current life and admit that the life that they have is reality. They immerse themselves in the everyday happenings around them and put earnest meaning to it. Experiencing any impulse, excitement or increased adrenalin is good to have in one's current life, in the here and now. 

wisdom117@korea.kr

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