Mr. Sunshine

Kim Tae-ri and Lee Byung-hun Bring Mr. Sunshine to Life: A Historical Drama Like No Other

Mr. Sunshine is a stunning historical drama, but it’s Kim Tae-ri’s performance as Go Ae-shin that truly stands out. She brings a perfect balance of strength and vulnerability to her role, commanding every scene. Her chemistry with Lee Byung-hun’s Eugene is electric, and despite his veteran status, Lee’s subtle, deeply layered portrayal of a man caught between duty and personal feelings is a perfect match for Tae-ri’s fiery and passionate character. Together, they create a dynamic, emotional powerhouse at the heart of the show. Mr. Sunshine beautifully blends romance, patriotism, and sacrifice, with both leads delivering unforgettable performances.

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so slow

I watched this drama because it has so many good reviews, it was well watched and just known as one of the top dramas in the kdrama world (not to mention that literally everyone is in it in some way or another).

It started well, the historic background really gripped me and made me watch further. The main story as well as the sub plots were all very interesting and made me want to find out what would happen next.
But then the story started to slow down, like reaaaally slow down.

Before I get to the rest of the story, I just have to say the main love story just did not convince me at all. Their scenes were poorly written if you ask me because at some point they were just in love and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it happened or when. And their scenes were unnecessarily dramatic. Their long gazes, the dramatic music... it would work if I had been convinced from the start but I wasn't so it was just boring and skippable. However, the last episodes changed a bit and from the moment they get fake married, I really like the couple. Their heart wrenching ending also made me bowl. But again these were the last episodes.

The rest of the story is kind of the same. Starts interesting, especially with Eugene assassinating that minister, the smuggling of that one patriot etc. but then the story sort of forgets it's potential for exciting moments. There were some funny moments, some interesting ones but they hardly kept my will to finish the show intact. I honestly only finished it because of the historic background which was really interesting, especially in those last episodes. And there we are again, those last episodes saved the show to me. They were exciting, the love story was finally interesting, things started moving along and I finished those episodes with no problem.
Also, someone here said the historic background doesn't feel as meaningful for a global audience but I fully disagree. The story about the rebels was my favourite and it was incredibly touching to see how many people from different life paths all came together to try and save their country. I feel like I learned a lot and was just moved by the resilience Korean people showed in the faces of their oppressors.

All in all, this drama was okay. The cinematography is amazing, the casting was obviously great and the OST has some gems. But it should've been shorter, 24 episodes all longer than an hour is just way too long to keep the audience gripped (although many would disagree i guess). But I still think if you have a good attention span that you should watch it.

Some other things that annoyed me:

- Hina finding out about her mother's death. I don't know why the minister had to use her only to tell her her mother passed away. I know he gave his reasoning but it felt dry and just lazy idk
- all the men being in love with one woman while not even properly knowing her and who she is. Very unnecessary.
- we get zero closure for Hotaru. Plus we don't really learn anything about her until the end and the story felt cliche when i feel like it could've been way more meaningful to the whole plot. Idk she's just there and then she's not and that's just lazy writing to me.
- Hina dying??? like I know she wanted to but then she didn't want to but then she did? It would've been a lot more meaningful to let her die in the hotel or let her live. The way it happened was only so that she could confess to Dongmae which at that point felt unnecessary. Why did they even start that love line?????
- Dongmae having 309403924 battles and dying several times until actually dying like ??????
- the French... girl

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Mr. Sunshine? It should have been Mr. Trample on my feels

This drama's been on my watchlist since forever and I never got round to actually watching it. Why? Because I didn't think it would pull me in the way it did. I didn't know much about the Japanese annexation of Korea and I was never in the mood for all the drama that was going to come with it. Or a harsh truth.

But I'm glad I finally got to watch it.

Like I said, I didn't know much about that part of Korean history and I was swept away by how the drama told its story. In the beginning we follow a young slave boy who comes home and watches his parents be punished by their owners. The family that owns them is vicious towards their slaves and treats them like assets rather than people. Young Yu Jin has to watch his father being beaten to death and his mother trying to sacrifice herself in an attempt to save Yu Jin from ending up dead as well. He has to run and get away from his home as far as possible. And so he does. Broken and exhausted, Yu Jin manages to board a ship headed to New York and starts a new life there. He becomes a soldier in the American military and changes his homeland from Joseon to America.
Almost 30 years later he get deployed to Joseon in a time where Joseon is being ripped apart by influences from outside. Americans are stationed there as well as the Japanese and the French. The country has been opened up to the world outside and more and more koreans are adapting a western lifestyle by cutting their hair, wearing foreign fashion and eating foreigner's foods. There's also industrialization. There's a tram going through the city, there's electricity and talks of a railroad being build.

It felt like Joseon changed overnight and all the traditions among the korean people had been forgotten instantly. I've been so used to historical kdramas that come with a set of cultural traditions like the hairstyles, the way they talk among social groups, the social hierarchy etc. etc. This drama shocked me to the core as I watched how much of those cultural things were taken away from Joseon as the Japanese hold on the country grew stronger and stronger. And I did what I should have done ages ago. I read up on this party if Korean history because I felt is was important to be able to fully understand the story. I'm not saying everyone who wants to watch this show should read up on it. It's a great watch on its own but the show touched something deeper and I wanted to understand what.

There were moments I welled up because of how huge the impact of it all truly was. And that's what I love most about the show. Not the romance. Not the acting. Not the characters. But the way they showed how dangerous it was back then. The variety of characters they used to show the impending doom was the cherry on top this pretty but sad story.

Yu Jin, the slave boy, returns to Joseon as an American soldier by the name of Eugene Choi. He's the acting American consul at the American embassy and captain to a squad of soldiers. He's a man belonging to no country if it comes down to it. America will say he's a Joseon man if things turn sour but Joseon will not accept a Joseon man from America and only see him as a foreigner. And thus he's the perfect candidate for the role of consul in a torn up country where things could go awry easily.
During his stay he meets Ae Sin, an assassin with the same target as Yu Jin. Both are weary of each other first but soon became fond of each other.
Ae Sin is a noble born into a wealthy family and enjoys life in luxury. Or so most think. In secret she's learned how to wield a gun and has become a vital part of the Joseon rebellion. She wants nothing more than protect her home country from those invading it. When she meets Yu Jin, a seemingly Joseon man, she thinks he wants the same but he doesn't care about Joseon. Until he starts to care for her, that is.

I could go one about all the characters that appear and made a deep impact on me as watcher. Even those I didn't much care for in the beginning made me feel all the feels at the end. This show was an emotional rollercoaster especially when it came to its close. It's not a show I will forget. It's become one of those shows that one must have seen when they watch kdramas. A classic if you will.

Positives:
- The story is told so well. There were a lot of moments I got goosebumps by how the scene was done or how the characters reacted. It all felt so real because I knew it was based upon a true story when it comes to the Japanese-Korea timeline. It made an even bigger impact when I thought about current happenings in the world. I felt very small all of a sudden.
- The main couple. I wasn't really familiar with Lee Byung Hun (other than watching Squid Game and not really paying much attention to his character there) and I must say his acting blew me away. Yu Jin too was a very real character to me. He didn't drop everything in order to save his girl but actually went into situations by thinking things through. The same goes for Ae Sin. She falls for Yu Jin, deeply, but she doesn't become this lovesick girl who only functions when her man is near her to protect her. Instead she becomes this badass gunner with a passion for Joseon and wanting to protect her home above all else.
- For once the American actors (or English speaking ones) were good at their jobs. I've seen too many kdramas with Englishmen in it to portray Americans and they always act like robots trying to mimic human behaviour. It always throws me off but in this drama I could finally enjoy some great American acting too.
- I loved how they added different languages in this and the ability of some of the characters to speak more than one language. It's accurate to the timeline but I'm really glad they actually included it into the show.

Negatives:
- The amount of times I thought a certain character to be dead only to have him show up in the next episode was maddening.
- For the amount of hours I spent rooting for Yu Jin and Ae Sin to have a life together, I'm really disappointed of the fact that there's no kiss between them. It's the only thing I wanted for them. The lovestory is great, don't get me wrong, but I longed for something more. The barely hold hands, they hug less than 5 times and they never go any deeper. I don't want to nag about it but I just feel like they could've done at least one kiss.

Overal I really recommend this drama if you're in for a slower paced, hit-you-in-the-feels, kind of drama.

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When a show takes itself too seriously

If you enjoy a good plot, you won't find it here. This is a very character focused drama. In every episode, there are scenes upon scenes of flashbacks and characters reminiscing on their tragic past. We know this guy and that guy had sad childhoods. We've already seen that in the last 20 flashbacks and teary scenes. We don't need more. There is no actual plot to be derived from it.

I am on episode, 6, and nothing has happened so far. Instead of developing an actual plot, the drama abuses every possible cinematic cliche, including stills, slow motion, dramatic music. If the showrunners wanted us to derive something profound out of it, the only thing I derived was boredom. I am not sure why this drama is so highly rated. There is no plot. Characters do the same things in every episode and there are melodramatic tropes everywhere.

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Mr. Sunshine clearly takes itself VERY seriously. It tries to be a grand, sweeping drama dealing with Life and Death, Revenge, and Loyalty to the Cause. I use capitals because I feel like the Drama uses capitals to pound those issues into one’s head, having no subtlety and nuance. The cinematography employs every overplayed melodramatic stereotype in the book, including slow motion Epic Battle Scenes and dramatically backlit heroes staring far far away into the distance. The distant stare is an attempt to inject profound meaning and gravitas into the scene but it comes across as affected and pretentious. To make sure that we know there is a Very Important Moment to be had the music swells portentously to end in a dramatic crash or, during scenes filled with bathos, wails mournfully in the background. To make matters worse, the writing is simply horrible. The characters are your by-the-dozen stock, sterotyped figures. Beautiful heroine who is a kind, much loved and sheltered aristocrat by day and a crackshot rebel warrior by night? Check. Her loyal jolly sidekick servant? Check. Steely but sensitive hero with a tragic past? Check. Seemingly cold-blooded, but really just hurting inside, leader of a ruthless group? Check. Sharp and hardened woman who cooly plays both sides but falls in love with the hero? Check. One-dimensional and physically unattractive villains? Check. And on and on. The dialogue plods along leadenly and predictably, the plot does likewise. Finally, the acting, or, rather, lack thereof is cringe worthy. Please, someone, hire a bunch of competent English-speaking actors to move to Korea for a year and act in all movies and dramas requiring their presence. I don’t know whether Koreans simply hire English-speaking people off the streets because they look the part but I am tired of watching these “actors” woodenly standing while woodenly delivering their wooden lines. And the writer makes matters worse (if possible) by making them stock, stereotyped characters. That not only makes the foreign actors look stupid but it also unfortunately makes Koreans look stupid by implying that Koreans are not smart enough to see beyond stereotypes. I know that that's not true. I’m not as sure about this writer.

One example (of many) of Mr. Sunshine’s writer's cringe-worthy attempts to be clever is the plot point around the meaning of the word “love." I mean, come on, the heroine is soooo interested in the word that she brings it up with Mr. Lead Guy yet when she starts to learn English she somehow fails to find out first thing what it means? As a device to score cute couples points it was hilariously bad. Nope. I watched four episodes (which were three too many) then skipped around trying to figure out why people raved about this drama. It's a mystery to me.

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Was it the actors... or the script?

The synopsis is jam packed with potential. International conflict, romeo and juliet romance, the visible shift of societal roles right before the turn of the century... and yet... there were times when the show was lacking.
Lacking what?
Well, depended on the scene. Many times it was a lack of chemistry. Other times it was a lack of logic. Sometimes it was a lack of humor. At times there was a lack of sympathy.

I really enjoyed learning about this time in Korea's history. America apparently played a part, but we don't cover our 19th century relationship with Korea in public highschool. So this was all new information. And it was captivating. I had questions. I looked for answers. This show was 1/2 entertainment, 1/2 history lesson.

The part that was meant to be all entertainment was the sludge. The script expected us to celebrate and praise the characters who actually did the least. I, and the audience, had to watch our male and female lead in slow motion glamour shots, each monologuing about their struggle to balance emotion and... (shrugs) something else, then dramatically part ways to accomplish nothing beneficial to plot in the interim. Why did the writers waste my time with them?

Side characters were the value of this show. Let me be clear, this cast was huge. There's a lot of side characters. I'm not praising all of them. There's a handful. Their presence made the story interesting. Watch it for them.

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The best historical kdrama ever

The direction is masterful, the photography sumptuous, the costumes meticulously crafted, the sets spectacular. Every shot looks like a painting, and the direction is slow but incisive, capable of giving the right emotional weight to each scene. The soundtrack is intense and meaningful.
The acting is of the highest level. Lee Byung-hun offers an intense performance, showing Eugene's inner conflict with extreme sensitivity. Kim Tae-ri, although young, holds her own with great dignity and strength. The performances of the supporting characters are also remarkable, especially the samurai and the hotel owner who enrich the narrative with their personal stories and complex motivations.
Despite the sometimes slow pace, Mr. Sunshine remains an ambitious and deeply touching work. It is a great television work that combines history, action, drama and romance in a compelling and emotionally devastating mix.

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The story - for only koreans

ㅅㅗㅑㄴ ㅑㄴ 솓 ㅠㄷㄴㅅ ㄴ새교 ㅑ ' ㅍㄷ ㄷㅍㄷㄱ ㄴㄷ두 . ㅅㅗㄷ ㄱㄷㅈㅁㅅ초 ㅍ미ㅕㄷ ㅈㅁㄴ ㅜㅐㅅ 새ㅐ 해ㅐㅇ ㅁㄴ ㅑ 쇄ㅕ홋 , ㅐㄴㅅ ㅈㅁㄴ ㅜㅑㅊㄷ ㄴ새교 ㅈㅁㄴ 새ㅐ. 얀치믇ㄱ:ㅐㅟㅛ 랙 ㅏㅐㄱㄷ문 ㄱㄷ퍋ㅈ.
ㅠㅛㄷ 뭉 소무ㅏㄴ 랙 ㄱㄷㅁ야ㅜㅎ . ㅑ 애ㅜ'ㅅ ㅗㅁㅍㄷ ㅡㅕㅕ초 새 ㄴ묘 ㅗ돋 . ㅐㅏ ㅠㅛㄷ!! ㅑ ㅗㅁㅍㄷ 새 ㅈ걋ㄷ 500 촘ㄱㅁㅊㅅㄷㄱㄴ 내 뮤ㅐㅕㅅ 솓 ㄴ새교 ㅑㄴ ㅁ 햐기 좨 ㅗㅁㄴ ㅠㄷ두 ㅏㅑ우메ㅔㄷㅇ 뭉 ㅑ ㅡ ㅜㅐㅅ ㅇ개ㅔㅔㅑㅜㅎ ㅑㅅ . ㅔㅣㅋ 애ㅜ'ㅅ ㅇ개ㅔ ㅑㅅ :(! ㅑㅅㄴ ㅁ ㅜㅑㅊㄷ 샤싣!!!!

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A masterpiece

Masterfully executed, this was like watching a work of art being created - like a DaVinci, a Michelangelo - each stroke perfectly placed on a canvas - and the best part, I was a witness! - yes people, I am talking about Mr. Sunshine.
The story, the acting, the costumes, the breathtaking cinematography, the carefully chosen music - with each episode we (watched it with my buddies Tamara Jones and Ana Patricia Ramos) witnessed the exquisite peeling of an onion as the plot evolves: a dance of the hearts; a cause worth fighting for; the resilience of the oppressed - it was picture perfect!
I highly recommend it ( it is now tied for my number one spot) , but it is not for the faint of heart - bring your Kleenex box.

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