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The makers of the MBC K-drama Tomorrow have responded to allegations made by BTS Army regarding a scene featured in episode seven, which aired on April 22. Fans of BTS member V alleged that his date of birth was used along with his name Kim Tae-hyung inappropriately. The makes of the show, starring Rowoon and Kim Hee-seon, released a short and terse statement on Tuesday.
According to media reports, the makers of the show said in a statement:
“They are merely a combination of numbers, and there are no other intentions behind them.”
The statement comes in the face of objections to the scene from fans, who gained momentum within hours on social media. It must also be noted that the show faces challenges with low viewership ratings in its native country.
Which scene in Tomorrow offended fans of BTS?
The scene that offended BTS fans had a character adding a name to the death registry or “Registry Of The Entering Dead” according to the show. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that one of the names in the registry is Kim Tae-hyung and the date of birth against the name is "1971.12.30."
Although V's year of birth is not 1971, the date and month match with that of the BTS star. V was born in 1995 and not 1971. Another entry in this registry also caused a stir. It was of a Kim Yoo-rim, who is not connected to BTS at all. However, the date of birth listed against this name — 1997.9.1 — is a match with that of youngest BTS member Jungkook.
A screenshot of the scene has been shared on popular online forum theqoo by a fan, and it immediately caused a stir in the BTS fan base.
Details of the Korean drama series Tomorrow
Tomorrow touches upon the sensitive topic of suicide ideation. It touches upon different causes that lead to individuals considering suicide as their only way out. Body dysmorphia, bullying, post natal depression, survivor’s guilt, sexual violence are some of the issues that the show has touched upon so far. While the show in itself is wonderful for what it aspires to portray, the viewers do not seem to have warmed up to the idea.
The show stars Rowoon, Kim Hee-seon and Lee Su-hyeok as grim reapers who accompany souls on their rightful afterlife journey. Rowoon and Kim Hee-seon characters — Choi Jun-woong and Koo Ryeon — are in a special team which was formed to lessen the burden on hell.
On the show's version of hell, people who die by suicide are considered to be sinners and populate hell. However, due to logistical reasons such as overpopulation, Choi and Koo are assigned to stop people from dying by suicide.
The fantasy theme helps the show touch upon this sensitive topic with nuance and sensitivity. Tomorrow airs Fridays and Saturdays and can be streamed on the platform Netflix.
