Left my heart torn apart
Super high stakes, unpredictable, outstanding cinematography, beautiful OST, amazing directing and screenplay, incredible acting performances - a masterpiece!I was hesitant to watch this since I’m usually not a fan of historical dramas but I was blown away.
I just finished the show and after bawling my eyes out for hours, this has left a permanent void in my heart that I’ll never forget.
The beginning and first half was sometimes a little slow paced for me to be honest but it builds up for the later half so that at that point you’re so attached to the characters it’ll crush you.
There’s a lot of like political stuff you might not understand unless you really pay attention to what’s going on all the time and every little scene is important. Even when it was slower it still had me glued to the screen and kept me interested which really surprised me.
And the second half I literally couldn’t take my eyes off.
(Not that I could see a lot through my waterfall of tears lmao)
The only thing that bothered me a little sometimes was the acting skills of the foreign actors on the show. As an actor myself I just wish they could find some foreigners that are actually actors. The Korean actors though just WOW! Incredible. Especially the 3 second leads too I am in love with their characters.
Also it got me really interested into researching more about the actual history of that era.
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This review may contain spoilers
Heart Stirring Journey
I never thought I would write a drama review but Mr Sunshine changed all that.If you are the type who can easily figure out the punchline to a story based on a few words, please only read this after you have finished this drama. Assuming of course, you prefer to get immersed in the story without knowing where the story will lead.
“This is my history” “This is my love story” launched me into more tears the second time I re-watched this scene the day after I finished the whole drama. Although the drama ended with hope, I was unable to shake my feelings of sorrow for the tragic end for so many of the characters.
Lee Byung-hun was phenomenal as Eugene Choi, displaying a range of emotions from commanding to charming to endearing where he said, “... the beginning of revenge or the end of jealousy”. Certain scenes where the lighting showed his age made me appreciate him as an actor even more after finding out he was older than me and that he had also starred in Squid Game.
I loved how the relationship between Eugene Choi, Gu Dong Mae and Kim Hui Song developed into one of trust and brotherly love. I found Kim Hui Song annoying at first but was moved to tears when he burned the marriage letter. Gu Dong Mae was the cool bad guy which had some of the wittiest remarks when the 3 of them had drinks together.
Kuno Hida was the alluring hotel owner that was cool, calm and collected with a fabulous wardrobe of western dresses. She was a multi-faceted character that was a Japanese widow-hotel owner to most, a Korean daughter of a villain to few and an undercover supporter to the King that no one knew about. I particularly liked her role in getting Lady Ae Shin back to Joseon from Japan and her letter to the King after blowing up her hotel.
The attention to detail for the costumes and settings were on point. The wars and fighting sequences were very graphic and realistic. The scenes with the battleships were so real that I found myself wondering how much cgi was used. So it was a surprise to be able to spot 2 scenes which looked like it used blue screen.
This story was one of the best I’ve seen. But above all, the story telling was very real, without the usual unrealistic back stabbing and plotting that most historical dramas portray. Brilliant!!
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História emocionante. Fotografia linda. Músicas que te prendem. Emoção em todo lugar.
Entrou para a minha lista de favoritos com toda a certeza! Comecei a assistir com nenhuma pretensão, mas logo fui captada pelo o enredo, história e personagens. Amei o fato de eles darem forma não somente aos personagens principais, mas também aos secundários que roubavam a cena em qualquer momento que apareciam!Cada cena e simbolismo foram trabalhados tão excepcionalmente no decorrer da história, que mesmo os telespectadores que não são coreanos (como eu), podem identificar e sentir o sentimento de revolução. Admito que chorei de soluçar no último episódio, mas o meu coração tem a vontade de assistir de novo e de novo. Eu gostaria de esquecer todas as cenas para poder revê-las e poder sentir todas as emoções como se fossem novas novamente.
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MUST WATCH DRAMA
If you haven’t watch this drama then you don’t need to consider it at all anymore, just WATCH IT !! You’ll never disappointedI have watch k-drama for 10 years and this drama is my TOP 1 on list.
I write this review after I watch this drama like 4 times and it always make me cry whenever I watch this.
Waitind Kim Eunsook’s masterpiece, eventhough after this drama she has one drama starred by Lee Minho but I think that this is the best so far, thankyou kim eunsook for writing such a masterpiece ❤️❤️
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The drama has no KISSING scenes but oh my gosh they got to pull off the chemistry of the leads and the side couples so good. Loudly crying face I heard that Kim Eun Sook had help in writing this drama and I truly applaud for the Mr. Sunshine crew and cast.
The OST was also amazing and it was so unique. I also liked how the drama didn’t just revolve around a love story but it also incorporated patriotism and nationalism. So many characters were beautifully flawed that’ll make you love them even more.
I’m so glad that they made this drama somehow empowering for women. I felt like any time, I could practice fencing or even holding a gun. They gave off such strong female characters that you’ll love and admire so much.
LET ME ALSO INCLUDE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. Yes, it’s so beautiful. It’s like an overlapping scenery between the modern and the old age of Korea and it’s just so unique to my eyes.
The drama had flaws (since I don’t believe there’s a what you call a PERFECT drama since there’s always room for improvement) like it’s a slow pace, but I’m glad it improved as through the episodes.
This drama was so beautiful, once again. The ratings are well deserved. Watch this drama my dear moots, it’s beautifully painful but worth it.
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One of the best kdramas out there
This is my first review here and I just gotta say, this drama is amazing. I know that not everyone will enjoy this but I can assure that it's worth watching for many people. It's also a very sad drama so if you hate that then this probably isn't for you. In the first episode I actually dropped it cause it was very boring but after giving it another chance, it ended up becoming my top fav kdramas. There's not much to say about this drama except that it's great and I suggest you shouldn't have too much expectations to it. You also have to be very patient because this drama is slow at first, but it gets better and better each episode. Overall, I love this drama and I can pretty much recommend it to anyone!!Was this review helpful to you?
dont judge a drama by its actors
Okay, first of all I’m like “omg the male lead is like way older than the female lead”BUT I suddenly decided to watch this drama after reading the reviews here. Ngl, everyone like this drama so much. (now i know why huhuhu)
The first episode kinda slow but then things got more and more interesting with every episodes. Istg, I cried thru out watching this whole drama.
AND I LOVEEEEE THE WAY THE LEADS ARE POTRAYING THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER ><
THE SCRIPT WAS AMAZINGGG AND THE CINEMATOGRAPHY GOT ME HOOKED SERIOUSLY. Every scene was shot at a very nice angle was
B E A U T I F U L
I also like how every characters have a detailed story of their own like this drama shows every character’s struggles T_T
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one of the ultimate kdrama's
going into this drama I did not know what to expect, but the moment I started i could not stop myself. this drama is so so so so so so so good. every element was beautifully thought off and executed, each character was amazingly casted and 'acted as well. i'm not a fan of historical dramas but this drama holds a special place in my heart. the romance in this drama is not one that you would expect, the chemistry is amazing, very explosive. cinematography was another huge part which made this drama all the more better. it is a MUCH WATCH. there was not a second that was boring. you will express all sorts of emotions watching this drama but that's the best part, you will feel for certain characters and i just found myself being completely immersed in this drama. you will not regret watching this!Was this review helpful to you?
First Kdrama I watched and just one of the best shows I've seen period.
Goddamn this show is fantastic. The characters, story, acting, action everything is just so well done. Such great production values and cinematography. I can't speak too specifically on the show since it's been a while since I've seen it but it has still strongly stuck with me. I absolutely loved how Eugene's and Koe Ae - shin's relationship developed, their romance was beautiful. All the supporting characters are strong. Eugene's confrontation of the people who wronged him as a child was great and what a great performance by Lee Byung-hun, the boy who plays him as a kid also does a wonderful job. I do remember finding the Samurai guy to be a little too edgy sometimes but he has a great story nonetheless.As far as re watch value goes, I would watch it again but some of it is pretty sad so maybe one day.
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It Is My New Favorite Kdrama
I am not going to lie, I probably will NOT watch it again EVEN THOUGH it's my favorite. If you have been a long time kdrama fan, you know how TVN is. Not only is this a TVN show but also a historical drama so you know they are not afraid to kill some characters. It is a heartbreaking story but more than that, it is just so beautiful to watch. It is a real masterpiece. The visuals are appealing and the storyline is interesting. I love how well written the characters are and their relationship with each other. I can say this is one of the best kdrama I have ever watched. You are going to be deeply attached to all the characters and that is the reason why you might cry the most. Everything is great but I still think it will hurt me if I rewatch it.Was this review helpful to you?
An Epic Story of Love and Sacrifice
This drama affected me more than any I have ever seen. The acting and story fit together perfectly.I was brought to tears multiple times; tears of joy, rage, and love. All of the actors and actresses moved me with their performances. The story illustrates the tragic history of Japan and Korea. This is must see drama in my humble opinion.
I wish this series could be successfully adapted to a full length movie with international distribution.
Kudos to the wonderful actors and producers of this magnificent story.
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The focus of this drama is about relationship between the king, the righteous group, friends, and most of it is about patriotism and justice for sure. It’s not so much about romantic relationship though the drive between 3 male characters’ action is towards the main female protagonist which i can totally understand, who wouldn’t fall in love with a gorgeous, brave and smart lady like aeshin? Ohhh, i like her a lot, i think aeshin is my most favorite female lead in kdrama right now.
I think they have the most profound love that stands through hardship, i really like how they respect and help each other, oh it’s too perfect and beautiful. It’s rare to get this kind of respect in your relationship nowadays. I admire their characters a lot. Huhuhu.
The cinematography is excellent, acting is also excellent, music is awesome. The journey watching this show is really enjoyable. I like a cold hard truth show like this one, i can finally say that i like your drama, kim eun sok. I don’t know how to explain this drama, you should watch it yourself coz it’s hard to explain without spoiling the story hahaha. Ok.
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