Mr. Sunshine (2018)

Si empiezas a ver el dorama quizás no te enganché, pero te recomiendo seguir viéndolo.
A mi me pasó, me vi los primero 15 episodios sin pena ni gloria, me gustaba la historia y los personajes pero se me hacía lento y el guión un poco simplón (quizás por la traducción de Netflix). Pero aun así lo seguí viendo, menos mal.
Es un dorama con mucha presencia bélica, me gustan los históricos pero no había visto ninguno de está época y me sorprendió bastante pues desconocía la historia y lo que sufrió Corea entre 1900-1945.
Destacaría la fotografía, pues es asombrosa y sinceramente la calidad de la serie es increíble. En el primer capítulo hay escenas con croma, horrorosas, supongo que por falta de presupuesto y luego mejoraron la calidad consiguiendo escenas espectaculares a nivel de efectos, muchos personajes, etc.
La banda sonora es muy bonita, aunque no creo que ninguna canción sea para escucharla muchas veces fuera del dorama como, por ejemplo, la de Descendant of the Sun que por cierto, salen muchos actores de este mismo dorama.

Ahora bien, si los primeros 20 capítulos están bien los 4 últimos son de una calidad suprema y por la que deberías ver este dorama. Por favor, tened cerca algo para secar vuestras lagrimas.

Hasta la fecha el dorama con el que más había llorado fue Moon Lovers, pues con este creo que he sufrido aun más.

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This drama was heartbreaking. I've been crying for the last couple of episodes because of it. This drama started of really good and really caught my attention. However, episodes 9-18 were not the best. Those episodes had interesting scenes, but it got boring. I'm really giving this show a 9/10 because this isn't some simple drama. It definitely is not for everyone. Episode 20 onwards were magnificent. I fell in love with all the characters; Eugene, Ae shin, Hina, Hui sung, Dong hae and more. I don't see myself watching this series again, because I don't think I can put myself through that sadness again. All actors and actresses were absolutely amazing and I'm really happy to have watched such an amazing show.

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Very memorable, very touching

This was one of my first historic K-dramas, and my-oh-my, did it leave an impression!
It must be at least a year and a half (probably more) since I watched it, and I have watched endless hours of K- and C-dramas since, but this still has a special place in my memory.

First of all: The acting was top-notch. They brought their characters to life in such convincing ways, displaying their inner and out emotions so you can’t not connect. That goes for both the main leads, and several of the supporting.

And then: The script. How it weaved the love story into the depiction of this difficult time in history. It made me interested in finding out more about this part of South Korea’s history, as not really something we learn about here where I live (or it’s just that I’m too old so don’t remember from my school days 🤭).

The cinematography and music was also good as far as I can remember.
This is one of a handful of dramas I highly recommend to my friends, and one I can see myself watching over again.
Warning: You will probably cry.

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too slow pace drama and too long

Well, the first 10 episode is so slow paced that I almost dropped the drama. It was very boring but I sticked to it as it has really high rating. Then I got hooked and like the story but again from 17 episode I got bored and had to skip sceen to finish the drama. I have to say 24 ep is to much specially if its really slow pace.

It is really sad story of Joseon and the people that tried to change the faith of their country but sadly they had to suffer 40 years under Japans ocupation and after that their country was divided.

The last two episodes are really emotional as you know their deaths will not change anything.

Overall its nice drama but its too long.

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Satisfying Ending, But Sad At The Same Time (SPOILER FREE)

I am always skeptical about giving a drama 10 star, but this one deserve it. Is it a cinematic masterpiece? What is so different about this show?

NARRATIVE is the key point which makes this show different from other historical kdrama's. There are two types of narrative in a show first goal oriented or second is journey oriented, But this drama delivers both goal and journey oriented narrative. The length of this show is one of the plus point why its so good, as the story didn't compromise in its world building and character development.

SHIFT, usually show only builds one aspect at a time, but in Mr. Sunshine, in a single real time scene they will shift to multiple aspect and develop the story simultaneously. (for ex. leads interaction with supporting cast)

Why Mr. Sunshine is UNIQUE, Once Quentin Tarantino said "Telling a story, we don't tell a story we tell a situation. A story is something which constantly unfolds", And this is the one reason why this show stand out so much. The show HOLDS INFORMATION till the end.

Now the TECHNIQUES this show has. In various episode they have some long sequence which can sometime bore the viewer, and feels like the story is stopped progressing but there are various techniques the makers used...
THE FIRST and major reason are the characters themselves, for ex. in the show Gu Dong Mae has the majority of long sequence (Here if you know Alfred Hitchcock, he is the one who is capable to make long film sequence without audience getting bore, and long sequence means more than 20 minutes.
He has a popular theory named bomb under the table, "Blows the people to smithereens, What do the audience have 10 seconds of shock"). So in Mr. Sunshine if you already know there is a bomb under the table then the long sequence will not make you bore. Here Gu Dong Mae is the bomb and you know how dangerous he is we know what he can do, so that long sequence will not be boring anymore, and you will subconsciously thinking about what gonna happen next.
SECOND is RHYTHM, this is the most important in dialogues, a dialogues needs to have a proper rhythm. Then there is a musicality in the scene, with a bit of rhyme that happens between of the words and some of the phrases. The way they created some of the good ost's and sound designs, and more importantly they fit the sound and ost in the scene, that is what worth discussing. This ost and sounds help the sequence to not feel bored.
THIRD is MUSICAL MOTIF, it is important that show have some sounds that represent some characters or a situation. To make scene more engaging they used many REACTIONS of supporting cast which is like cherry on top.
FOURTH is its CINEMATOGRAPHY, every viewer who watched the show will agree that this show has some of the best camerawork's DOP literally did his 100% to make a scene look good, and the art design over that makes an extra layer which makes it more good.
These are some techniques why the show is so good.
Now in the end, The ACTING
The cast of the show these actors did such a wonderful work not just the main character but the supporting characters too...
FIRSTLY the MAIN CAST: Lee Byung-hun (Eugene Choi), Kim Tae Ri (Go Ae Shin), Yoo Yeon Seok (Gu Dong Mae), Byun Yo Han (Kim Hee Sung), Kim Min Jung (Kudo Hina). Everyone literally nailed in their respective roles, and I can't think, that they can get the better cast that this. The chemistry they got with each other is praiseworthy.
SECONDLY the SUPPORTING CAST: When they are interacting with the main leads they all did so good that i can tell yes they are very good actors , Their REACTIONS are the most important for the story as it made a huge impact in main leads scene, as if there are no reactions it'll not be good cinematically.
Is Mr. Sunshine is a cinematic masterpiece?
For me Yes, it is a cinematic masterpiece, as it has all the elements a good show needs. It has some heartbreaks but that is best ending for every character....

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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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Guns. Glory. Sad Ending.

I wish that I could go back in time and watch this show for the 1st time, that’s how good it is.

It’s heartbreaking. it will rip you to shreds, but you can’t help but surrender. The love portrayed here can be felt to the core, no fluff. There are no kisses, but the love is so real you can almost touch it.

This show holds a very special place in my heart, right next to CLOY. I love it so very much. I gave the show a 9.5 because I didn’t like how it ended, but after careful review and gave it a solid 10 because it deserves nothing less — this masterpiece.

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Mr. Sunshine was the first kdrama that I ever watched and oh boy, did it set a high bar. From the costumes to the music, the production quality is really high. The story is compelling and while the romance(s) are very central to the show, there's enough going on outside of them that you never feel that things are being neglected in favour of romance.

I've watched it through all of the way twice and loved it just as much the second time.

Spoilers beyond this point!
I am not, and will never be, over the ending. I just cried through the last few episodes. Full sobs as pretty much everyone died.

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More gorgeous and heart-wrenching I ever thought a political drama could get

This was without a doubt the most stunning drama I have ever seen. From the gorgeous wide shots of the landscape, to beautiful indoor scene, to intimate moments between characters, the cinematography isn’t simply aesthetic, but incredibly evocative, and helps the relationships between characters bloom and the story progress. You could lend on any still of this drama and analyze the meaning of every single element within the story.
The music was also definitely noteworthy here. Sure, we get the typical drama OST ballads, but they’re mostly well-executed, and the original score is absolutely gorgeous and once again, always serves the story wonderfully. It’s also one of the best uses of music in a kdrama in my opinion. That said, Mr. Sunshine also uses silences perfectly to build up the tension or emotions of a scene.
These two elements alone are already enough for me to recommend this drama, but that’s not where it’s qualities end, far from it.
The characters were truly great, all of them full of nuance and complexity. No one is easy to understand, all of them leave you frustrated or confused at some of their actions, pushing you to try harder to understand who they are, what their motivations, and keeping you guessing. Yet, it all does feel natural and organic for them. Once again, one of the best mastery of character writing I’ve ever seen in a kdrama. The relationships between characters are just as complex and captivating. Sometimes they don’t take the paths you want them to take, but it all makes sense and it’s heart-wrenching. This is one of the most impressive character writing I’ve ever seen in a kdrama. The comic relief never feels over the top, they’re welcome moments to break up the tension, but they’re also full of emotions and softness, and make you all the more engrossed. The actors are all at the top of their game and offer incredible performances, full, once again, of subtlety and heart.
The plot, finally, is where I think most people seem to have an issue, as small as it might be. I understand why; once you’re done, the first two thirds or so seem weak compared to the last one, but I think it’s simply because as the conflict progresses, the tension is rising more and more. Thus, the comparatively calm beginning seems to pale in comparison, but that’s simply the drama doing its job right. When you’re in it, it feels intense and so compelling. At least it did for me, I can’t say I was ever bored with it. I do think the drama could have shaved off a few episodes and compressed the story a bit and it would have worked well; however I must say I really appreciate the slower pace here. Since this is the slow mounting tension of a major political conflict, it feels very appropriate that things are progressing slowly, it makes you feel like you’re living it in real time along with the characters. And like I said, the drama uses silences masterfully, and I would say the same about slowness. It feels so intense, but not because it’s nonstop action scenes; it manages to make you feel breathless and on edge while going slow, and I think that’s what’s so impressive. It’s not going to adapt to the usual drama pace, it’s going to make YOU adapt to its pace and be engrossed in it.
The plot was sometimes a little bit hard to follow, at times going a little too far in its search of subtlety and reaching a point where it’s actually just not enough information and you’re left confused, but if you just let it go, there’s nothing that’s either essential or that you won’t get a little later.
What’s most impressive is how carefully everything seems the have been thought-out. Every element serves the narrative, everything has a meaning, a reason, nothing is wasted. Comic relief can feel cheap or not match the tone, but here, it’s an element that adds value to the drama. Same goes for the silences, they always serve a purpose, same with every single element of this masterfully executed drama. Please, do yourself a favor, and watch it!

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