Park Seo-joon’s new drama Surely Tomorrow is showing little sign of a ratings rebound, leaving the actor facing another bitter result in his television career. The series has remained stuck in the low 3% viewership range for three consecutive weeks, weighed down by criticism over its sluggish storytelling, excessive plot devices, and debates surrounding the lead actors’ performances.
JTBC’s Surely Tomorrow tells the story of a man and woman who dated and broke up twice in their twenties, only to cross paths again in their thirties under scandalous circumstances as a journalist reporting on an affair and the wife of the man at the center of the controversy. Park Seo-joon plays entertainment reporter Lee Gyeong-do, while actress Won Ji-an stars as his first love, Seo Ji-woo.
The project carried particular significance for Park Seo-joon. It marks his return to a romance drama for the first time in seven years since What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, and his first appearance in a TV drama in five years following Itaewon Class. Public attention was heightened further after his previous appearance in the 70-billion-won production Gyeongseong Creature failed to deliver strong results, putting added pressure on this comeback.
Now halfway through its 12-episode run, with six episodes aired, the drama has yet to find its footing. Ratings opened in the 2% range, briefly climbed into the 3% bracket by episode two, and have since stagnated. Given the current trajectory, a sudden surge appears unlikely.
Much of the criticism centers on the drama’s frustrating pacing and overdone scenarios. Viewers have pointed out the awkward emotional restraint between characters who supposedly share a long romantic history. Episode five, in particular, drew backlash for a fantasy-style dance sequence between Park Seo-joon and Won Ji-an, which many felt broke immersion. The scene, reminiscent of La La Land, led some viewers to argue that the drama relies more on familiar clichés and “crowd-pleasing” elements than on carefully building emotional depth.
Won Ji-an has also faced renewed scrutiny over her acting. While not considered disastrous, critics note shortcomings in emotional nuance, vocal delivery, and line projection, as well as a subtle lack of chemistry with Park Seo-joon. Similar criticisms followed her first leading role in the 2023 drama Heartbeat, suggesting lingering doubts about her growth as a lead actress.
Adding to viewer discomfort are what many describe as excessive stylistic and narrative choices. Flashback scenes frequently use overly soft, filtered visuals that distract rather than enhance nostalgia. Despite the drama’s 15+ rating, episode two sparked controversy with blunt dialogue explicitly suggesting outdoor sexual encounters, prompting complaints that the level of sexual expression felt unnecessarily provocative.
Still, with roughly half the series left to air, there remains a slim possibility for recovery. An industry insider commented that while the drama has clear weaknesses, scenes depicting the characters’ youthful first love manage to capture moments of genuine tenderness. The 11-year age gap between Park Seo-joon, born in 1988, and Won Ji-an, born in 1999, has also proven less distracting on screen than initially feared. Whether future episodes can reverse the downward trend, however, remains to be seen.
Sources: naver
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