[Drama 2018] Tomorrow Is Sunny as Well / Sunny Again Tomorrow, 내일도 맑음

[jimb]

The treatment of abortion in this K-Drama is radically different from others I have seen.

 

In most dramas pregnancy is a uniformly happy event and the issue doesn't even arise.  It doesn't even arise in most dramas in which the pregnancy, at least initially, is not a happy event.  In only a couple of dramas has abortion even been mentioned, and in both cases the doctor warned the pregnant woman that abortion was illegal in Korea.

 

In contrast, when Lee's Sister tells her parents that she is pregnant, their first response is to ask what "she is going to do about it."   In its way, their question is more surprising than Lee's Sister's statement that she doesn't plan to bring the fetus to term.

 

Can anyone with knowledge of Korean culture and politics weigh in on this?  Is the drama evidence of evolving Korean attitudes on abortion, or an effort by the writer to change those attitudes?  

 

If a woman in Korea needed an abortion, would it readily be available illegally or quasi legally in Korea, or would she have to travel to China or another nearby country?

[jayakris]

21 minutes ago, jimb said:

when Lee's Sister tells her parents that she is pregnant, their first response is to ask what "she is going to do about it."   In its way, their question is more surprising than Lee's Sister's statement that she doesn't plan to bring the fetus to term.

 

Can anyone with knowledge of Korean culture and politics weigh in on this?  Is the drama evidence of evolving Korean attitudes on abortion, or an effort by the writer to change those attitudes?

 

I was going to post on this too.  It totally surprised me when the parents even asked that question about what they are going to do about the baby.  Being a Hindu, I don't have any scripture-based opinions on abortions, but I found that whole conversation very distasteful.  Why would parents not be happy with the first baby?  Unless the baby is known to have some serious genetic problem, I didn't think that any grandparents anywhere would even ask the question like the dad did - on whether they were having the baby.  What???? ... To the small extent I know, I don't think the Korean society is any different in this than other cultures.   I have no idea what the writer was trying to do here.  It was totally weird!!!

[angelwingssf]

46 minutes ago, jayakris said:

 

I was going to post on this too.  It totally surprised me when the parents even asked that question about what they are going to do about the baby.  Being a Hindu, I don't have any scripture-based opinions on abortions, but I found that whole conversation very distasteful.  Why would parents not be happy with the first baby?  Unless the baby is known to have some serious genetic problem, I didn't think that any grandparents anywhere would even ask the question like the dad did - on whether they were having the baby.  What???? ... To the small extent I know, I don't think the Korean society is any different in this than other cultures.   I have no idea what the writer was trying to do here.  It was totally weird!!!

 

I think in one of the previous episodes, the father had talked about them having a child soon and they both had said that they did not want one.  So, the questioning by the father did not seem odd to me, because, it felt that it was a continued conversation from the prior one only in this case, Hana is actually pregnant and the dad might want to know what they planned to do.  

 

That said, some of the women are truly not mothers and they become more abusive if they have to give birth to the child and have to rear the same.  If Hana displays such kind of behavior it is better that she abort the child - as I feel that her mother is the same.  HG grew up with all his pain bottled up and only opened up to a decent person after meeting HN and IMO he probably carries his father's genetical characteristic.  

 

As a human being, the conversation was very distasteful, probably changing of times and influence from the west and the internet about open conversation among family. Since South Korea is pretty advanced in just about everything like many other countries in the world,  I wish the writer could have included a "Congratulations" first, before the conversation about keeping the child.  

[darr]

3 hours ago, jayakris said:

 

I was going to post on this too.  It totally surprised me when the parents even asked that question about what they are going to do about the baby.  Being a Hindu, I don't have any scripture-based opinions on abortions, but I found that whole conversation very distasteful.  Why would parents not be happy with the first baby?  Unless the baby is known to have some serious genetic problem, I didn't think that any grandparents anywhere would even ask the question like the dad did - on whether they were having the baby.  What???? ... To the small extent I know, I don't think the Korean society is any different in this than other cultures.   I have no idea what the writer was trying to do here.  It was totally weird!!!

Korea is among the first countries with the lowest birth rate in the world. They attribute it to crazy lifestyles that don't give room for having time and the money to take caŕe of new born as living expenses in the capital where almost everybody reside is very expensive.

 

Some countries extends maternity leave up to six months or even a yr and I read somewhere that it's not so in Korea and if you want to look for creche, u got to book ahead and wait for like a yr( an episode in "charles my neighbour") So the aim is defeated.

One of the partners have to stay at home for the child.

 

Also I don't know if childcare operators are plenty in Korea. It's still believed widely in their culture that the mother will put her life on hold as soon as she gives birth  until children have reached a certain age.

Some companies don't want a nursing mother.

 

So Hanna and her dad are simply re-echoing what happens in their society. 

Though a developed country, trying to  maintain their spot among leading nations  in South East Asia and the world has its disadvantages on the family circle.  Its a competitive driven economy and as usual in a patriarchal society, women bears the blunt in real life.

Sometime this yr while watching kbs news, was shocked that it stated they have the lowest birth rate in the world now. I will try and look for that.

As I was searching for the new on kbs, I came across one written by the "economist" that South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world right now. And it will get worst as time goes on.

Forget drama, Korea is deeply patriarchal and I'm surprised that a country where majority are atheists can still discriminate against working mothers, young and single mothers.

 

We Watch dramas where a child without a father is stigmatized and called founding.

Who has time for things like this? Is that supposed to be an issue?

Instead of seeing working nursing mothers as amazons, these people usually look down on them. Anyway what do I expect when for you to even get work ur face has to be taken into consideration since almost every young person relies on plastic surgery to survive in Korea or be mocked forever as ugly.

Sick society.

[meoooooowwww]

@darr way nice and helpful information you give to us!  I do not know much about Korean culture, but as you can look from the celebrities' life style most of them are getting married at age 32/33 and above and there are many of them too already reach age 40 something and have not married yet. Some of them are want to enjoy their single life first and enjoying making money meanwhile some of them too already get want they want in their life and the only thing they do not get is finding their soulmate. Another point I want to add is I have watched a Korean celebrity confessed that after a few months of marriage, she's pregnant. At that time she was so shocked and a bit sad as she wanted to enjoy her honeymoon phase with her husband (her husband is a celebrity too). Luckily, her husband is okay and persuade her to accept the fact. So, what I want to say is HannaxLeo are like the celebrity couple I mentioned above. Maybe, Hanna is not mentally and physically prepared to be a mother as she wants to focus on open her own business first. I can make conculusion this drama has portrayed some of things that really happen in their culture.

[jayakris]

What you are saying, @darr and @meoooooowwww is correct, as far as the trouble of bringing up a kid is concerned.  In fact, I have a former PhD advisee of mine from Korea who got married somewhat late at around age 35 to somebody who was over 40, and had a long discussion with me about whether they should have a baby, because she was very worried about how to raise a kid while having a career, and then about the husband being retired by the time the kid even finishes school.  Whether they would even have the income to send the kid to college then, and so on... It shocked me somewhat to hear people having that kind of worries right after a happy marriage.... So what you say is true.

 

But that is not what was surprising about the drama episode conversation.  The above are worries about whether to get pregnant and have babies.  Not the case after the pregnancy is confirmed.  Then it's a different question of whether to abort the baby or not.  Once somebody is pregnant, even if it was not planned, I don't believe it is normal in Korea for the couple and the grandparents to be discussing whether to give birth to the baby, whatever the social or economic worries there are.  It is not something that the grandparents would even consider as a possibility,  and not something that even a most shallow woman (like HanNa) would dare to talk about with a casual "no" like she did at the dinner table!  That was my impression, at least, about Korea.

 

By the way, @darr, Korea does not have a majority of atheists.  It is only 10 to 15% at best.  Some 30% are Christians and about 15% are Buddhist.  There are around 40% of people who just don't affiliate themselves with any of the religions (including traditional Sindo/Shaman etc), but they do not claim to be atheists either.  Most Koreans do have religious beliefs of some kind or other, and do have relatively strong beliefs of right or wrong as well.  Just a side issue... thought I would point out.

[Jerry Lewis]

 Abortion is morally wrong. Abortion is murdering the feotus. Hana says no to keeping the baby. How is she going to getting rid of the baby? If a couple does not want to have a baby, then they should have taken protection. Abortion should not be view as a normal thing to do cause it bring harm to the mother.

Clearly I think the writer should not brought this conversation just to increase air time. The writer is good in plotting bad things.

[dramaninja]

Please dont start this abortion debate its always the woman's choice period. Got enough of this nonsense in America here where man want to keep telling woman what to do with their bodies.

 

Being  a black guy  myself living in America  I think you can understand how nasty it is over here and how terrible people are  when I say this.

 

Anyways another new week is about to start!

[nohamahamoud2002]

I consider JE worse than her mom. She pushes her to act like this all the time by threatening suicide or murder. SH wanted to tell JH about HN at the beginning but JE prevented her. She blackmailed her by threats. Now SH is afraid to be exposed so she will do anything to prevent it, she is sacrificing herself for her selfish daughter. She is greedy and jealous of JH, but at least she loves her daughter JE. 

[girrlit]

3 hours ago, nohamahamoud2002 said:

I cobsider JE worse than her mom. She pushes her to act like this all the time by threatening suicide or murder. SH wanted to tell JH about HN at the beginning but JE prevented her. She blackmailed her by threats. Now SH is afraid to be exposed so she will do anything to prevent it, she is sacrificing herself for her selfish daughter. She is greedy and jeolous of JH, but at least she loves her daughter JE. 

So this.

I hated that they tried to do a little redemption thing with her, and pin it back on her mum.

Though it looks like they have given up on that thank goodness.

[jayakris]

6 hours ago, dramaninja said:

Please dont start this abortion debate its always the woman's choice period.

 

Hey, the writer brought it into the discussion, not us.  Maybe she wanted to make exactly this point and send a message.  But when you try to make a point about woman's choice by showing a shallow and thoughtless woman saying a casual "no" about keeping a baby that she and her husband conceived carelessly, the writer would only lose support for that message that those like me certainly support.  But more of my issue was that it just looked unnatural for the would-be-grandparents to be asking the couple about it, and I felt it was weird writing.

 

Perhaps the writer wants to have some time-killer story line available if needed, like Leo talking her out of her worries in his own understanding ways, and HanNa finally agreeing that she had not thought enough about it all.  That way we get the woman's right preserved and see the message that the woman has the final say in it, but also get the right message that the woman's choice is to be exercised only with proper and educated deliberation by the woman about what she is doing and how it would affect others like her husband.

 

Anyway, I agree that we should move on from this topic which may only bring up heated passions and arguments among us..

 

4 hours ago, nohamahamoud2002 said:

I consider JE worse than her mom. She pushes her to act like this all the time by threatening suicide or murder. SH wanted to tell JH about HN at the beginning but JE prevented her. She blackmailed her by threats. Now SH is afraid to be exposed so she will do anything to prevent it, she is sacrificing herself for her selfish daughter. She is greedy and jealous of JH, but at least she loves her daughter JE.

 

In fact even SH's first thought when JE told her about it, was to run to her sister and tell her about it, unlike JE who immediately started scheming about it without telling anybody, right after seeing HN's wallet picture.   Wasn't there even an argument when SH tried to talk HN out of it, before giving up and deciding to turn evil, out of her love for her daughter.  You make a good point that JE is the real evil psychopath here, while SH has at least some reason of saving that psychopath from herself.  I mean, she even saw the psychopath nearly kill HN with her car.

 

[dramaninja]

1 hour ago, jayakris said:

 

Hey, the writer brought it into the discussion, not us.  Maybe she wanted to make exactly this point and send a message.  But when you try to make a point about woman's choice by showing a shallow and thoughtless woman saying a casual "no" about keeping a baby that she and her husband conceived carelessly, the writer would only lose support for that message that those like me certainly support.  But more of my issue was that it just looked unnatural for the would-be-grandparents to be asking the couple about it, and I felt it was weird writing.

 

Perhaps the writer wants to have some time-killer story line available if needed, like Leo talking her out of her worries in his own understanding ways, and HanNa finally agreeing that she had not thought enough about it all.  That way we get the woman's right preserved and see the message that the woman has the final say in it, but also get the right message that the woman's choice is to be exercised only with proper and educated deliberation by the woman about what she is doing and how it would affect others like her husband.

 

Anyway, I agree that we should move on from this topic which may only bring up heated passions and arguments among us..

 

 

In fact even SH's first thought when JE told her about it, was to run to her sister and tell her about it, unlike JE who immediately started scheming about it without telling anybody, right after seeing HN's wallet picture.   Wasn't there even an argument when SH tried to talk HN out of it, before giving up and deciding to turn evil, out of her love for her daughter.  You make a good point that JE is the real evil psychopath here, while SH has at least some reason of saving that psychopath from herself.  I mean, she even saw the psychopath nearly kill HN with her car.

 

Sorry I am little on edge here.

[UnniSarah]

6 hours ago, nohamahamoud2002 said:

I consider JE worse than her mom. She pushes her to act like this all the time by threatening suicide or murder. SH wanted to tell JH about HN at the beginning but JE prevented her. She blackmailed her by threats. Now SH is afraid to be exposed so she will do anything to prevent it, she is sacrificing herself for her selfish daughter. She is greedy and jealous of JH, but at least she loves her daughter JE. 

Hello everyone  Annyeonhaseyo

After watching episode 101,  I was lost for words and as the drama progresses I can still admit I can be at lost for word to what happened. Someway drama can really surprises me and feel so much anger and be saddened at what is happening. 

@nohamahamoud2002 I totally agree with you on the JE subject. JE doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. I am so glad you brought up the fact that SH wanted to let Jin Hee know the truth about SJ. But JE manipulated her mom with her own insecurities. This is one of the reason I can never forgive JE. I remember this scene in particular when she reminded her mom , that she ( SH) never loved her (JE) unconditionally and this why SH is acting so EVIL. SH see’s HN as a stepping block for her daughter. All her actions is to keep her child happy. She is so afraid of her child getting hurt that she is losing sight that her child has an unhealthy obsession about her aunt (Jin Hui).  I think deep inside JE, she wishes that Jin Hui was her mother. The way JH used to take care of her daughter was so different from how SH raised her children. She would put pressure on them but not JH.  In episode 4 , we saw the way JE stuck like glue to Jin Hui. The look of jealousy on JE’s face or fear of losing her position in JH’s eyes. Even Halmeoni said JE stepped in as a daughter for Jin Hui. 

Now that JE’s mother is doing all kind of crazy things, JE still doesn’t see how huchbhee mom loves her. The moment SH gets caught she will not stand by her mother. Sometimes I fee that JE doesn’t know what she wants. I don’t think she loves DK but is obsessed with the act of being loved unconditionally. Still not learning the real meaning of love. Until she does and really experience true/real love and understanding the meaning of sacrifice. 

 

 I fear that in the end JE might in fact lose her mind because she acowants to be HN. HN/SJ the person everyone loves, protect and stand by. The Sunny personality she shows to everyone. Sadly JE doesn’t know that having that sunny personality isn’t always fun. She choose to live like that to be happy, that is one of the reason HG fell in love with her. If JE had put aside her hate, she would have learned that about HN and realized that HN’s life is just as hard as JE. 

I remember the JH and SH conversation that had lessoned SH’s jealousy of JH how JH was alway envious of SH. SH was shocked and their relationship had gotten a bit better until JE manipulated and brought back her insecurities for her sister. Smh smhsh 

 

[darr]

@jayakris,according to Wikipedia, and from 2015 national census,

56.1% of South Koreans don't have affiliate with any religion.

Among those affiliated, protestants are 19.7%,

Buddhism 15.5%,

Catholics 7.9%

While other religions make up 0.8%

 I knew that already before I became involved with their entertainment that Korea is predominantly atheist.

Atheists don't affiliate themselves with any religious believe. 

Google will always show Korea as an atheist country anytime it's mentioned among countries. It's ranked number 8 as at 2004 and is above USA and below UK in ranking.

[nohamahamoud2002]

I think that JE is going to pay heavily for what she did to HN. But I don't know how DG will treat her. He is very weak. Now I hope he doesn't forgive her. May be the end will be left open for DG and JE. I predict that he will leave her, and she will suffer so much from rejection by JH, and those around her. I don't know about her father. He is not evil, but I don't know how he will react when he knows what JE did. But the only way for JE to pay for her evil deeds is by being rejected from all around her, and abandoned by DG. 

 

Perhaps she will have at some point to confess to DG of what she did, like some viewers predicted, DG might connect the photo of HN with the one in JE's room. When he asks JE about it, she will not be able to deny and she will break down and tell DG everything. If he supports her, she might atone for what she did. She is already on the brink of breakdown. It is not clear, but DG has to play a role here.

 

PS: when SH saw the card of "sunny again tomorrow" she confronted JE. JE didn't deny the fact that SJ is HN. She knows her mom will support her.

So she knows that DG, like SH, loves her very much. So she will be able to tell him about HN when he sees the photo again.

[awsparkle]

7 hours ago, nohamahamoud2002 said:

I cobsider JE worse than her mom. She pushes her to act like this all the time by threatening suicide or murder. SH wanted to tell JH about HN at the beginning but JE prevented her. She blackmailed her by threats. Now SH is afraid to be exposed so she will do anything to prevent it, she is sacrificing herself for her selfish daughter. She is greedy and jeolous of JH, but at least she loves her daughter JE. 

@UnniSarah

 

I think JE and SH are a lot alike as are all the other mothers and daughters in this story. Han Na is like her mother in being materialistic, thoughtless, and shadow.  JE is very much like SH and they feed off of each other's weaknesses to get the other to conform to their way. . Then there's HN who is like JH but she's also like EA. In all these daughters some things were inherited and somethings were learned by example. 

 

After SJ disappeared JE became like JH's daughter but she didn't follow her example. She followed her mothers ways because she wanted the same thing as her mother wanted from JH. Greed and jealousy were their motivators for everything they did and are doing. I agree JE is worst then her mother because she has mastered the game of manipulating the manipulator. She has manipulated and fool her whole family into believing she's this scared weakling who needs their help in order to survive. JE said in the beginning everything was hers and she has every intention of keeping it with her mother's help. SH will be seen as the bad guy and she gets to walk off happily into the sunset. What she fails to get is it's not going to happen because she caused people to suffer to get what she wanted.  They won't be able to stop the truth from being revealed because they both played and will play a part in bringing the truth out. 

 

I think the glass ball will be the key because it's how everything started. JE and HN have come full circle and the glass ball is the center. Once again JE will take the glass ball from HN only this time it won't be HN who loses everything. The owner of that ball has finally found her way back to what was precious to her.  HN loss everything because of that ball and it will be the very thing that brings it all back. She won't be the one with memory loss this time. I think it will be EA who will lose her memory this time while HN recovers her memories. EA is the one who kept HN safe and loved and HN kept EA sane and gave her love for 20 years.  

 

30 minutes ago, nohamahamoud2002 said:

I think that JE is going to pay heavily for what she did to HN. But I don't know how DG will treat her. He is very weak. Now I hope he doesn't forgive her. May be the end will be left open for DG and JE. I predict that he will leave her, and she will suffer so much from rejection by JH, and those around her. I don't know about her father. He is not evil, but I don't know how he will react when he knows what JE did. But the only way for JE to pay for her evil deeds is by being rejected from all around her, and abandoned by DG. 

 

Perhaps she will have at some point to confess to DG of what she did, like some viewers predicted, DG might connect the photo of HN with the one in JE's room. And he asks JE about it, she will not be able to deny and she will break down and tell DG everything. If he supports her, she might atone for what she did. She is already on the brink of breakdown. It is not clear, but DG has to play a role here.

 

PS: when SH saw the card of "sunny again tomorrow" she confronted JE. JE didn't deny the fact that SJ is HN. She knows her mom will support her.

So she knows that DG, like SH, loves her very much. So she will be able to tell him about HN when he sees the photo again.

I agree JE is going to pay a heavy price for what she's done. DG does love JE unconditionally but he won't be able to turn a blind eye this time. The things JE and SH did were horrific and a I'm sorry won't cut the mustard here. They both caused too much hurt and pain  to others. The people they did this too are family and their excuse for doing this is love. JE nor SH know how to love and accept love because they don't love themselves. The both tried to covet the love others and make it their own. DG will walk away and I think Hwang will too because they made them a party to their horrific actions because they loved them. 

 

JE is on the brink of a breakdown and she probably will confess to DG. The thing with JE is her need to control will kick in. She will want DG to protect her and turn a blind eye. DG on the other hand  won't be able to because his values and morals will kick in. This time he will do what's right because he knows he can't be happy turning a blind eye to the wrongs JE has done. 

[dramaninja]

 

[howa]

Does anyone feel self-centered when the drama they are watching wouldn't air because of some event or celebration they ask "How that is my problem" forgetting that they don't live in Korea and the should be grateful that they have the chance to watch them online, even more than the Koreans, so things will get canceled accordingly.

[gladys57]

@awsparkle, you've explained the highly contraversial topic "Nature vs Nurture" very well indeed! 

You've explained the differences in characters among  HN, JE & Hana perfectly! 

 

I just need to emphasis that HN is a perfect example of a child with JH's NATURE and being NURTURED excellently by EA. So she is very well adjusted with a very good personality.

JE on the other hand may have her Dad's nature but is terribly NUTURED by the evil witch SH. Thus she becomes who she is now.

 

Same here for Hana, who may have her dad's nature but is horribly nurtured by Drama Queen. 

 

I'm convinced HG has his DAD 's nature and is also nurtured by him. Which is why he's SUCH AN ADORABLE GUY! 

 

[girrlit]

2 hours ago, howa said:

Does anyone feel self-centered when the drama they are watching wouldn't air because of some event or celebration they ask "How that is my problem" forgetting that they don't live in Korea and the should be grateful that they have the chance to watch them online, even more than the Koreans, so things will get canceled accordingly.

lol

I needed that kick up the pants a bit back... but I do just like to whine..