See You At Work Tomorrow! recently wrapped its run but I just started it a few days back. If you have been following my blog for past few years, you must know that I’m a huge fan of Seo In Guk. I didn’t watch his last few shows because they did not interest me much. I’m delighted that finally one of his dramas is making me excited again!

See You At Work Tomorrow!, at its core, is a workplace romance. What sets it apart are multiple things — it has a contemplative tone in its narrative. The show is slice-of-life in nature, rather than the colorful, ebullient, dramatic Kdramas we are used to. The characters have so many layers and we see those layers gradually.

Synopsis:

Cha Ji Yoon (Park Ji Hyun) is a corporate worker who’s tired of both work (her boss is rude, he never acknowledges her work and takes credit when he can) and dating (she broke up with her boyfriend few months back). She crosses paths with Kang Si Woo (Seo In Guk), the cynical boss with a terrifying reputation. Unexpectedly, she regains spark in her life as she gets to know him more and more.

I really like Ji Yoon, who has excellent work ethics. I love that she is someone who clocks in and clocks out right on time — something that workplace folks often think is a bad thing to do — it’s not, as long as you are doing your work properly. She is kind and caring. But she is not a pushover and knows how to answer back when needed. She is also practical in some ways. She is also funny, chaotic at times. It’s hilarious how initially she misunderstands Si Woo’s interest as romantic.

At first, the drama feels like a single point-of-view novel where we see things from Ji Yoon’s perspective and know very less about Si Woo. But that’s a deliberate choice as we see him and get to know him bit by bit. I love that he is not a stereotypical cold natured and eccentric boss. He is actually kind, caring and cool outside of workplace. I was actually surprised that he was so normal lol. Love his little smiles and giggles. But he is someone who follows certain rules for his day to day life and has same passion for work as Ji Yoon. I also find it refreshing that the leading man is not a CEO or a super rich man. He is a corporate employee in a senior position.

One of my favorite aspects of the show is how Si Woo starts to notice Ji Yoon. It’s not attraction due to her looks or personality. It’s about her work and passion and skills. And then as they start to interact more and more, he also starts liking her nature. They work well together and I’m so glad it’s not a bickering relationship. I simply love their normal dynamics which gives us swoony moments too. There is also certain nostalgic element to the show, like how we see the electronics repair shop.

I also appreciate how the leading man is a divorcee. Something we don’t usually see in dramaland. I also like how we don’t see any jealous women in the office. Be it Ji Yoon’s friend and colleague Yun No Ah (Kang Mi Na) or another manager who is also Si Woo’s ex-wife.

Coming to things I did not enjoy as much. Ji Yoon’s arc with her ex-boyfriend Cho Ga Eul (Choi Kyung Hoon). I just could not get invested in their backstory. I did not like his pushy attitude, particularly his constant insistence on getting back together when Ji Yoon had already made it clear that she wanted to end things. Another arc I’m not invested in is No Ah and her ex-boyfriend — I hated how she was begging repeatedly to get back together. I’m not really into the track with the new guy too. Maybe it will change as the drama progresses. I do like her a lot (she is so sweet) and hopefully we will have a satisfying trajectory for her too.

So far, See You At Work Tomorrow! is working really well for me. I really like its quiet, contemplative approach to romance and the way it takes its time with the characters and their relationships.