Mr. Sunshine

I just watched a masterpiece . The drama excels in every aspect from OSTs to Cinematography , this is one of the best, Definitely in my top 10. This is when we realise that responsible creators are most important in the industry. They didn't try to make a fool out of the viewers like most of the others do. They valued our time and work hard to bring the best out. It's all evident in this drama from start to end. The casts were amazing. I was amazed by the FL from Little forest and Handmaiden. She is subtle yet strong in the way of representing the character. LBH as always was superb and mostly, cool and stylish . Yoon Seok was admirable as well playing a bit of both good and bad shade. The actors done the role brilliantly and maturely without the regular dose of cliches that K-actors produce. Must watch!!!!!

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Maybe my review will change

I am currently on episode 15. Eventhough the cinematography is beautiful, and the cast does great work, I still can't think of a reason why other viewers are calling this a "masterpiece".

I would like to think I'm missing something due to a language barrier. ChatGPT made me realise that Korean, oftentimes isn't translated as should.

So the deep love that is supposed to be transmitted through dialogue and looks alone is a little lost on me.

The story in itself can be intriguing, but sometimes too long winded with all the political plots.

This is only my tenth K-drama, and I've seen some I really didn't like.

This one isn't that bad, but I can't really say it's the best.

I stil have 9 episodes to go. I'll come back then.

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Just watched the last episode, and, goodness!!...I feel as if I have been put through the wringer! This gorgeous 24 episode series is full of wonderful acting, beautiful cinematography and heartfelt music. It is a historical fiction of a young man who is forced to flee Korea because his life is in danger. He comes back years later as an American soldier and ready to take revenge on those who hurt his family. The drama that surrounds him sets the course in the path he takes, whether it ends in happiness or tragedy.

I love films that make me care for the characters, even the not-so-good ones because the writers have taken the time to flesh them out and not make them one dimensional villains. The female characters are very strong. No Mary Janes here. The acting is out of this world, pleased that they were able to cast a very talented ensemble. This is a show that doesn't not leave you. The historical situations were fascinating. It has been a real pleasure waiting for new episodes to come out weekly. Watch this. You will not be disappointed

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Wow, after watching 24 episodes of Mr sunshine, I do not know how to feel exactly. At first, I found the show to be extremely slow-paced and boring but something about it kept me going. I felt it was too slow-paced especially with respect to the relationship between the two main leads, I would have thought that the lure in the forbidden affair between the yu jin the slave and Aeshin the noble would be capitalized but all we got were long stares and heartfelt goodbyes. I actually felt more chemistry between dong mae and aeshin even though it was a bit on the obsessive side on his part. However, the historical part of the drama held it together as it gave its audience a glimpse of what Joseon went through at that time. I loved the acting, I felt the cast really got into their roles and delivered their best, I loved that it did not end up with the typical revenge troupe, I thought the story would just be about Yujin coming back for revenge, but I liked how the drama pointed out that at the end of the day, there is a choice not to go down that path. I also loved how in the end there were no fixed heroes or villains, this can be illustrated by Hina and Hui seng who refused to follow their father's footsteps and chose to fight for their country.
The tragic, yet hopeful feel the drama gave off at the end was beautiful but I would have loved it if they did not kill off the whole cast leaving just Aeshin

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Indeed a Masterpiece.

This was a complex and sophisticated story but it was not hard to understand, I really enjoyed watching this and I'm glad it was not a waste of time. Every episode felt like a movie thus this is not a bingeable show. Mr Sunshine is not for everyone, it's really mature, detailed, slow paced and long. To my surprise I never got bored watching this I was so invested in it. The best thing I like about this drama is the character development as well as the characters. Every character was unique and developed in some way and it was interesting watching their relationships blossom. As for the two leads considering their age gap, they had amazing chemistry. You would feel every emotion while watching this. I cannot necessarily rewatch the whole thing, this is one of those dramas that I love but I can't bear to rewatch. Do I think it needed 24 episodes? no but each episode led up to something thus it was worth the watch.

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if one wishes to explore the artistry of South Korean cinema, this series is a must-watch!

So, what can be said about this magnificent series, one of the masterpieces of Korean cinematography? Let's start with the incredible Lee Eung-bok, such a brilliant screenwriter! I am absolutely a fan of her work. The script is the heart of any film or series—if the foundation is weak, what can be built upon it? Here, the plot is breathtaking, and the character development is masterfully handled with precision and depth.

We grow attached to all the protagonists, and despite the dramatic and often tragic themes, the series beautifully portrays love and sacrifice. It shows to what extent true love can give up everything for the survival of the beloved—whether it's a child, a soulmate, or even one’s homeland. Sacrifice is at the very core of this story.

Through three male characters from different social backgrounds, we see contrasting paths:

One, a former slave who became an officer—a righteous man, yet one who denies his cultural roots and struggles with his identity.

Another, born into poverty, who took a harsh road and became hardened—a mercenary, valuing neither his own life nor that of others.

And the third, a noble-born, a wealthy libertine who seems carefree at first but rebels against his family in his own way and lacks true purpose in life.

All three are tied by a red thread to a courageous, idealistic young woman who fights for her country’s independence.There is also a metaphor through the heroine, who represents Korea and its people (rather the ideal): educated, fighting, loved by all, and for whom people are willing to die. As the series unfolds, we watch her grow, losing some of her naïveté while inspiring change in these three men.

The entire cast is phenomenal, with even the supporting actors leaving a strong impression. The dialogues are well-crafted, and, of course, a special mention must go to the highly talented director, who masterfully balances emotional moments with lighthearted and touching scenes. The cinematography is stunning—the colors, the transitions, the framing—all beautifully executed.

And finally, the music! Absolutely breathtaking. The instrumental pieces, the piano moments, the songs—all perfectly harmonized with the story.

In short, if one wishes to explore the artistry of South Korean cinema, to understand what they excel at, and to discover a historical drama with a feminist touch, this series is a must-watch!

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One of the most hectic & hard dramas to make are the historical ones due to the setting & environment they have to make & did marvelous job with this one.. it reminded me a lot with bridal mask as both have the same setting.. but I don’t know why I had the feeling from the beginning what ending would be like & I was right with hunch.. for me.. I actually didn’t like the romance between the two leads as much as I loved the relation between the three men.. their enemy / friendship feelings between them were amazing whichever actually drove me to watch until the ending..

The characters & acting were marvelous, Lee Byung Hun is great in any role he does & he did his role perfectly & it’s suited him perfectly.. but Gu Dong Mae won my heart fair & square.. his acting, his role & his background story were all great that touched my heart.. it’s my first time seeing Yoo Yeon Seok & he actually win a spot in me with his great acting.

My only problem were Go Ae Sin character.. I don’t know exactly what it was but I found her character the least interesting in all.. Kim Tae Ri is a great actress & she did her best in this role but I feel that her age wasn’t suitable for this role especially with her baby face which made her look more younger.. I believe that Ha Ji Won would suit this role more action wise & age wise.. she is one of the top actresses who aces action roles most.

I believe that this drama can go shorter as I skipped many scenes which didn’t affect the story.. also I found the middle part were lengthy & a bit boring because of the fillings.

In the end I didn’t regret watching it.. the ending was full of tears with me but I knew it would end like this.. a memorable show indeed..

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Boring Man, Lovely Lady

Go Ae Sin (played by Kim Tae Ri) was captivating. She was so beautiful and dangerous. She fell in love with Eugene Choi (played by Lee Byung Hun). Eugene Choi was so boring and seemed lost most of the time. He fell in love with Ae Sin, but you could barely tell if he had any emotions. She learned English to be able to say and write his name, at first. She wrote I Missed You. Ae Sin asked Eugene to write it and he would not. She was so full of life. She even would jump off the third floor balcony of the hotel all the way to the ground. Eugene finally told her that he missed her several episodes later. I believe that he drained her emotionally, because of his robot-like demeanor. Mr. Sunshine was Mr. Boring or Mr. Lifeless. If it was not for Ae Sin, I would have stopped watching this drama around the 5th episode. I will never watch this drama again.

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...along with the rest of the characters (R.I.P).

I came for nuest's "and I", stayed for the show.

The actors were amazing and went above and beyond expectations. Later on I found out the main actors are pretty good well known actors (western action film star and the handmaiden cough cough) also the supporting actors are amazing as well. I didn't know that about them but luckily kpop exists and it's what brought me to check this show out in the first place.
So the music was a A+ for me. There's definitely a few that make me want to cry along with the scenes.

At first I really loved AeShin and Eugenes romance, but Dong Mae was such a good runner up (lol). It kind of breaks your heart that he lived the way he did. I also fell in love with Hina! Kim Min Jung needs more roles like these.
I read about how the accuracy of the history might be off, but who cares? It's a good fiction story anyways, even if they got a few details wrong lol.

I didn't give it a perfect 10 because a few things made me go, "but wait, couldn't they have just done this?" or "that doesn't make sense!" etc. For example, the train... also, dong mae- why u HAVE to fight the musin society? and the hotel- couldn't they have just- anyways. You get what i mean.

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