Sweeping Epic
"Mr. Sunshine" is a grand story, taking place in Korea during the 1895-1910 time frame, as the Japanese gradually, and brutally, colonize Korea. We watch as the characters are swept from their old lives into a new, ugly era. It is a heavy story, and (slight spoiler) the ending is true to the that heaviness.What did I like?
The main characters are distinctive with their own internal conflicts. The main character, Eugene Choi, was born in the slave class of Korea; as a child he escaped to the USA, and decades later returned to Korea as an officer in the Marine Corps. Eugene maintains his American identity to the end, but paradoxically falls in love with the aristrocrat-turned-assassin Go Ae Shin. Go Ae Shin is universally respected and cherished, a symbol of what's good in Korea; when she met a boy from a butcher family (a social status similar to Eugene's), that boy, Gu Dong Mae, called her a "spoiled, noble fool", which so haunts her that she eventually joins the anti-Japanese militia. After that encounter Gu Dong Mae had escaped to Japan, where he joins a yakuza-like organization, and then returns to Korea to lead a group of swordsmen who wreak havoc on Korea. Kim Hui Seong also has returned from Japan to his wealthy Korean family, ostensibly to marry his betrothed, Ae Shin, but he struggles with a vague alienation from his social standing. Rounding out the main cast is Kudo Hina, the daughter of a traitorous and powerful Korean official; Hina is a young widow, whose wealthy Japanese husband died under mysterious conditions, leaving Hina enough money to build a large hotel in Hanseong (Seoul).
These characters engage with each other and the contrasts are interesting and entertaining. As their own personal histories become overshadowed by the growing Japanese crisis, for their own reasons they converge, and this convergence (more so than the war itself) is the center of the story. There's some off-beat humor that comes with this convergence (the humor helps to convey the convergence), as these people grow closer even with obvious reasons to not like one another.
The acting is superior. I saw the characters as people. My only concern would be that some of the bad guys were over the top, but the historical record suggests that the actors in some of the villainous roles may have underplayed it a bit.
The cinematography is gorgeous, both inside and out. I have a whole list of locations in South Korea I now want to visit. The production values are high -- obviously I don't know what exactly Hanseong looked like in 1903, but I buy the details that they're presenting.
What did I not like?
The show has action-packed war scenes looming, and yet it's character-driven with gorgeous imagery, which means some folks thought the pace was way too slow. I tend to luxuriate in these scenes, particularly as I need to read the bottom of the screen for the translation of the dialogue, but, yes, the story often drags. Scenes where Eugene and Ai Sin are alone, simply conversing with one another, could be the worst culprits.
In spite of the slow pace and the lengthy close-ups, the character development does have a bit of a hole to it: Why are these three guys so devoted to Ai Sin? She is pretty and passionate and pure of heart, and maybe that's enough. We don't really get significant personal interactions that would show the development of the relationship, and the story felt a bit thin here.
Finally, to reiterate, this is a heavy show. Between episodes, I found myself repeatedly asking "Was it really that bad?" And the answer was generally "Yes, and it's going to get worse." There is no way I could re-watch 35 hours of this any time soon, as entertaining as I thought the series was. In addition to pondering the fates of these characters, I spent so much time thinking about what really happened, and my understanding of the history of that period has gotten darker. Now I need to find some some light-hearted romantic comedy.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Slow but absolutely worth all the time put into it (May need to fast forward at times)
*Some mild spoilers*Mr. Sunshine is seriously one of my favorite kdramas of all time. Honestly it's astounding that the scriptwriter for this kdrama is the same as the one from Heirs. This is undoubtedly her best work and it will be difficult to top this. It's bizarre that not that many international fans talked about this drama compared to the Heirs etc.
The story and the characters was absolutely beautiful. I think all the main characters were nuanced and tragic in the same way.
The con of the story is honestly how slow it could be. There were times I would simply fast forward through Lee Byung Hyun and Kim Tae Ri's scenes, simply because they would be staring at one another for so damn long. Additionally, their age difference was so unnerving to me, especially because Kim Tae Ri looks much younger than her age and Lee Byung Hyun looks obviously 40.
But I understand why they casted him. His character was difficult to portray and to some I would understand why they would call him boring, but to be able to make me actually like and understand this kind of stoic character (not really he also has a lot of comedic moments without Ae Shin).
The side characters Gu Dong Mae and Lee Yang Hwa (Kudo Hina) CARRY THE HELL OUT OF THIS DRAMA. Because the main characters are the respectable and noble heros, these two are the anti-heros and much more grey but oh my god their acting and their story DESTROYED ME.
Mr. Sunshine is an experience and I'm so glad I watched it. Truly beautiful and the metaphors behind the characters elevate it way past a simple historical romance kdrama.
The OST is great. I finished the drama months ago, but I still listen to the ballads to this day and I hate ballads normally.
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Very memorable
I first watched this drama when I was still new to dramas a few years ago and decided to rewatch it with my husbad because he showed a little interest to the historical aspect of a different drama. And this one has a lot of History in it.This is one of those dramas that is builds up a story almost painfully slowly with lots of details. The pace varies a lot sometimes it feels like everything happens at once, other times may feel like filler episodes that packed with seemingly unnecessary details. However as the story progresses even the smallest detail is put in to place, and everything is tied together. Emotional, beautiful and worth every single moment of build up, and yes the build up is long.
It is a drama that will leave a lastning impression, with some scenes that are so powerful that no matter how many dramas you watch, afterwords they will still stay vivd in your mind .
Rewatching this drama, I noticed a lot of details that I had missed the first time, so not only do I recommend a first watch but also a rewatch.
P.S. Some of those vivd scenes came a lot earlier and others a lot later then I remembered, yet each little detain of those very memorable scenes where indeed just as I remembered them.
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The Best KDrama to Date!!!
I’m in absolute awe and in love with this drama. For those who are hesitant of watching this drama, don’t be because this drama is a masterpiece! There are no words to describe how amazing this drama is. It’s just that good! For someone like me who doesn’t watch/like historical dramas, I was very impressed by the quality and I don’t think any drama can top this one (well at least to date). The cinematography, production, costumes and OST were perfectly executed and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Pacing
It does start off a bit slow at the beginning but it does pick up the pace at episode 3 or 4. I’d also like to point out that episodes 15-17 were also kinda slow but other than that, the overall flow of the story is good and doesn’t really have any pacing issues.
Characters
- I love the female characters so much. Both very strong characters and don’t rely on anyone. We’ve got one that’s a sniper and the other who does fencing. I also just like to mention the fight scene between the two as it really showed some women empowerment. A power duo indeed!
- There’s a little bit of bromance between the 3 male characters, which I absolutely loved as well. I wish we got to see more of that.
- Ae-sin is my favourite character hands down!
- I live for Eugene, Ae-sin and Dong-mae supremacy.
OST
Every track perfectly matches the scenes and is top tier.
Cinematography
You can tell that they really thought about what shots, colour grading and angles they wanted. It was like watching an Oscar-worthy film. No doubt that this drama has the best cinematography to date.
Overall, this drama is one of the best ever made and for someone that doesn’t even like historical dramas as much, that kinda speaks for itself. This drama will always have a special place in my heart that’s for sure! I do suggest for you to really know the history before diving into this drama just so you can fully understand what is going on. I personally did a bit of research before watching. GO WATCH IT! IT’S WORTH IT. TRUST ME.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don’t even know where to start. There’s just too many layers to this masterpiece.The story and writing were beautiful. It made me google about Korean History a few times just to check fiction from fact, and to know some parts were inspired by real history just made it even more engaging. The fact that this made me curious about another country’s history... that’s a win for me.
The cinematography, oh my gosh. Your eyes will surely be in for a feast, and you’ll leave fully satisfied and in awe from almost every episode. The music also heightened the emotions.
The characters. Most dramas usually reveal their backstories mid way or towards the end as a plot twist, but the writer in this drama chose the opposite. You’d appreciate every character from the very beginning since their history is revealed as early as the first episodes. Though it got confusing for awhile, be patient and wait for all of these beautiful characters with beautiful histories meet and create an even more beautiful story for us.
Can I specially mention the bromance? They added humor in this very “heavy” drama. This is probably one of the few dramas that really had me literally laughing out loud, all thanks to the peculiar friendship of the three.
And sorry, special mention for Yoo Yeon Seok. His acting was totally out of his usual character, and damn sir, you really pulled it off. I rarely fall in love with characters, this is one of the few moments.
The heart ache. You felt for the characters, their desperation, anger and frustration for a country that was falling, and their eagerness to stand up and fight for a cause... damn, this makes you realize how lucky we are in the times we live in.
Spoiler: this one particular scene in the end made my heart ache in particular... this was when the shop that buys stuff and does favors opened again, and they started having a collection of the many things that hold too mny good memories. It gave me a familiar feeling I have about growing old- the feeling of sadness when you’re reminded of the good moments and how you’ve lost the people you’ve spent them with. This is the pain of passage of time.
Thank you, Mr. Sunshine. This was truly a treat and I’ll surely be reading articles about you for days.
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An epic saga in turbulent Joseon
Set in the troubled times of early 1900s, Joseon empire (Korea) is in decline with a number of foreign powers trying to gain control. It's a lesson in history. And if you know the history, you know how it ends. All five protagonists have their own reasons but they all are originally from Joseon and share a love-hate relationship with their motherland. All of them also carry the burden of their parents: either trying to live up to them, or living beyond their sacrifice or trying to get to terms with their cruelty.From the writer-director pairing of the Guardian and DOTS (star writer, Kim Eun-sook and Lee Eung-bok), the brilliance of the show is in its poetic writing. The first English words Go Ae-shin learns are 'gun, glory and sad endings' which defines her as well as Joseon; her character is possibly a metaphor for Joseon. The cinematography turns each scene into a painting, supported by beautiful sets and soulful music.
Acting is of course, wonderful, although, the brilliant Lee Byung-hun looks a tad too old for his role. He looks solemn in the serious scenes but a bit out of place when he acts silly. Kim Tae-ri is absolutely fantastic, drawing romance into her expression with barely a breathe.
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The true is that I see Mr sunshine as a masterpiece and it really set my standars so high, The cinematography is awesome and you feel like you are watching a whole movie, The characther are so well written and the actors and actresses did an amazing job portraying them, The story is interesting and keep you invested in it, Also I have all the OST in my playlist.
I am a fan of historical dramas, So I was not surprised at all by the end, But i got depressed for a week, Overall This drama is the definition of perfection.
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I cried so much that i had to paused for a while and catch my breathe, I feel like i am watching an Oscar winning serial.
Writing for a TV is a skill, and not one that many have. Having to maintain pace, coherence and continuity within sharply limited six or seven-minute segments is a remarkably hard thing to do. That the writers of Mr Sunshine succeed
The show has action, creative dialogue, and maybe the most badass TV character ever in , a good political intrigue. Excellent villains. I enjoyed the strength and conviction of Lady Ae Sin's performance, the absurdity of the Japanese caricatures. A drama of cornball sentiment, humorously anachronistic dialogue, and expensive Colonial sets.
I imagine myself in the Joseon period how frightening it would be :)) Having fought the Japs.
The rough-and-tumble of Joseon life during the Revolution and brave men struggle against his own violence.
Long live Joseon, Long live South Korea!
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This review may contain spoilers
Exemplar cinematography and beautiful patriotism
Superb! Superb! Superb!This drama left me in shambles by the end of it with its stunning but heartbreaking ending. Nevertheless, I have been deeply touched by this drama's depiction of Korean independence fighters of the early 20th century and of the unspeakable violence committed by the Japanese army and government in Joseon during that time.
Moreover, the beautiful, healing romance between Go Ae-shin and Eugene Choi was like a rose through its painful beauty.
I was also heartbroken by the death of Gu Dong-mae, as he had quickly become one of my favourite characters through his complexity and good soul.
It is also worth mentioning the stunning soundtrack of this drama, which will keep being played in my house! Astonishingly beautiful!
I will certainly keep thinking about this drama for a long time and will re-watch it for sure.
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Gun, glory, and? Well, you name it. (Also, the OSTs are OUTSTANDING).
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A Genuine Piece Of Art
I will not waste your time with a long review.There are many awesome ones with great analysis if you want to find out about this Masterpiece.Or,better,you can go completely blind,knowing the minimum.I guarantee,the experience will be greater this way.
Iam writing this to bring it up for those who haven't watched it yet and mostly for those who hesitate to start it.As i did too for a long time until few days ago when i decided to start it with a cold heart to be completely honest.
Once again words like Romance and Melodrama prevented me from start watching it,as these 2 Genres are not my cup of tea.
4 days later and just few minutes after i finished it,iam telling you this was my best watch decision in 2022.
If i had to use only one word to describe Mr. Sunshine,that would be the word "EPIC"
Epic Production/Direction/Cinematography/Acting/Music/Story/Characters.
It is a flawless,fair and square,amazing, 10!No doubts.No debates.End of story.
For me,Mr. Sunshine,is a complete Drama.It doesn't lack anything.Is not good there,average here and bad further.No, is PERFECT all the way.From the first minute to the last second you don't want to take your eyes off the screen,you don't want to take a break to use the toilet or go to sleep.
24 long episodes,over one hour each and yet after finishing, you are craving for more.You wish this journey never ends.
It is a piece of art for the eyes(amazing cinematography and visuals)for the ears(the Ost is unforgettable)and mostly for the soul.
Gosh i cried as i never had before with any other Drama.I felt so many emotions.Had shivers in my spine.Butterflies in my stomach.My heart was beating fast.Sad moments.Happy moments.Funny moments.
Great friendships.Amazing love stories.Sacrifices.Fights for a free country.
Ok i must stop here cause i can write all night.
Just pause what you are currently watching,add Mr. Sunshine to your watch list and hit play.
Make sure you have plenty of snacks and water nearby.You MUST watch this before 2022 ends,so you will have an excuse to rewatch it in 2023!
Enjoy.
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A visualy stunning historical kdrama!
This kdrama absolutely wrecked me. I'm writing this on my second watch, and it took me a whole year to rewatch this series because I always end up sobbing my eyes out lmao, but it definitely has a high rewatch value. You can tell by the stunning cinematography and production and the characters and the overall story that they made this kdrama with a lot of care. I definitely recommend this series; I feel like even people who don't usually enjoy kdramas would love this! Specially people who love period dramas!Was this review helpful to you?
