Park Seo Joon’s long-awaited return to melodrama Surely Tomorrow has arrived with a thud. Airing its first episode to disappointing ratings of just 2.7%, it struggled against competitors like Taxi Driver 3 and Moon River. Viewers quickly took to social media to express their displeasure – with some even joking that the cinematography looked like it had been shot “in a steam-powered bao bun”.
The drama begins with Gyeong Do (Park Seo Joon), a journalist who accidentally sparks a scandal by reporting a celebrity affair, only to realize that the woman at the center is his unresolved first love, Ji Woo (Won Ji An), now the wife of one of the actors. The story traces their college days full of innocent banter, emotional tension and unexpressed trauma.
Despite the emotional setting, critics say the plot follows an old, predictable formula without introducing anything new. Gyeong Do and Ji Woo’s reunion, now steeped in regrets and “what ifs,” does little to reinvigorate the genre.
Many viewers criticized the slow pace, calling the first episode “a test of patience.” Static scenes persist too long, characters barely express emotion, and the pace of the story advances slowly. What’s worse, color grading opts for muted, washed-out tones, giving images a lifeless and repetitive look.
In a strange attempt to rejuvenate Park Seo Joon, now 36, the production applies heavy soft-focus filters during flashbacks. Although intended to smooth wrinkles, it backfires. “Did they film it inside a Turkish bath?” one spectator joked. Others joked that they had to check if their TV was broken due to the blurry images.
Netizens’ reactions:
“I’m not sure if I’m watching a drama or a trip in the fog in Sapa. I thought my glasses were fogged up.”
“Park Seo Joon under this filter? Even he can’t help but look like he’s in a sauna.”
“Nice actors, but in every frame it seems like there is a bao steamer in front of the lens.”
“The slow pace isn’t a shame, but this is painfully slow. I’m out.”
“I finished episode 1 thinking my TV had a resolution problem – apparently it was the show.”
