South Korean drama See You at Work Tomorrow, starring Seo In Guk and Park Ji Hyun premiered on streaming platform Amazon Prime Video. The show is based on the 2020 Kakao webtoon Back to Work!
by McQueen Studio. The lead couple play the roles of characters Kang Si Woo (Seo In Guk), a strict department manager, disciplined in every way, earning him recognition amongst higher officials. While Cha Ji Yoon (Park Ji Hyun), a professional with seven years of experience, recognised by her colleagues for her work and discipline in certain areas. With different personalities, will this duo be able to form a bond?
What happened in episodes 1 and 2 of See You at Work Tomorrow?
In the opening episode, Cha Ji Yoon, who works at Saeum Electronics, is being asked to inspect her work at the factory by her boss. Despite being talented and experienced, she finds herself overlooked, underestimated and stuck in a loop, which she is not able to get out. With office politics in the background, Cha Ji Yoon’s ideas, for which she was asked to make a report on by her manager, are stolen and presented as his own.
While Ji Yoon is dealing with troubles put by her boss, Kang Si Woo enters the picture, who is known for his cold and blunt behaviour. However, as the episode progresses, Ji Yoon and Si Woo meet several times in certain circumstances, leading to revealing the softer and fun side of Si Woo, who also has an eye for recognising talent when he sees it.
While Ji Yoon’s boss discourages her, Si Woo, on the other hand, in the progress of the second episode, acknowledges her work and gives her the confidence she has been lacking. Instead of taking credit for ideas, he encourages her to believe in her own abilities, creating the foundation of their evolving relationship. With the pressure of corporate life, the duo somehow find their footing in establishing their bond, which will hopefully be shown in the upcoming episodes.
What works?
So far in both episodes, there has been a spark between Seo In Guk and Park Ji Hyun. The tension could be felt in the scene whenever they were together. Unlike several office romance dramas, See You at Work Tomorrow definitely showcased the reality of stress and anxiety one faces being in a corporate life. The struggles faced by Ji Yoon and Kang Si Woo felt authentic and natural.
Having watched several shows of Seo In Guk, the actor definitely has chemistry with every female lead he has worked with. Be it with BLACKPINK member Jisoo in Boyfriend on Demand, Doom at Your Service with Park Bo Young or The Smile Has Left Your Eyes with Jung So Min. His romantic pairings with the majority of female leads have been deeply emotional and have always been the major highlight of his filmography.
What doesn’t work?
With two episodes already, more depth and development of the leads were not shown much, especially of Kang Si Woo. Unlike any other K-drama, the supporting cast has not yet received enough screen time to leave a strong impression. Hopefully future episodes change that perspective.
Final verdict
So far, the first two episodes of See You at Work Tomorrow have definitely delivered what the makers have promised. With people having interest in watching office romance tropes that are not cringey and overtly dramatic, See You at Work Tomorrow is a must-watch. While the story relies on familiar genre tropes, Seo In-guk and Park Ji-hyun’s chemistry, combined with the drama’s grounded approach to office life, makes for an engaging start.