Mr. Sunshine (2018)

Working together for the third time, Writer Kim Eun-sook and Director Lee Eung-bok forged yet again another drama into a landmark. Masterfully melded with realism and romanticism, Mr. Sunshine offers an indelible image of the waning age of the Korean Empire. By far the most ambitious K-drama ever mounted, it's a legendary saga of romance and war told in an unforgettably cinematic style.

Every episode is like a mini-movie offering hardened yet vibrant characters, panoramic views, and emotionally-gripping action, climaxes, and plot twists. Further enhanced by heart-rousing OSTs, it's one of those black pearl-rare dramas that keep the viewer entranced right from the episode's very beginning and wired up to its last scene only to re-watch the whole episode again to fully savour and comprehend its magnificent scale and dramatic mystique.

Aforesaid praises aside, this drama is worth watching for the intelligent and memorable characterisations by a constellation of the brightest acting talents ever assembled. Protagonist or foe, adult or child, in main, supporting, or cameo roles - we've grown to either hate them or adore. It stars Lee Byung-hun as the righteous, enigmatic, and romantic USMC Capt. Eugene Choi; Kim Tae-ri as the sharp-shootin' spunky noblelady Go Ae-sin; Yoo Yeon-seok as the hapless romantic gang boss Gu Dong-mae; Kim Min-jung as the enchanting hotelier/fencing femme fatale Kudo Hina; Byun Yo-han as the noble-hearted dashing nobleman Kim Hui-seong; Choi Moo-sung as the hardy yet hearty gunner Jang Seung-gu; Kim Kap-soo as the famed potter/RA's revered leader Hwang Eung-san; Kim Eui-sung as the uber-wicked Lee Wan-ik; Lee Ho-jae as the venerable Lord Go; and many more.

In watching Mr. Sunshine, we've witnessed how noble, self-abnegating love works; how character is built; how unlikely friendships are formed; how loyalty is won; how cultural stereotypy of femininity is 'lunged' at and/or 'sniped'; how grace and equanimity can be maintained under surmounting pressure; and above all, how to make a difference esp. in a period of constant change and great tumult.

Two and a half hand-spans and back, we circumspectly yet excitedly nagivated the intricate terrains of Eugene's and Ae-sin's hearts as we concurrently entered into a world of history. At the end of our long journey, some of us have been left intrigued and wondering thus warranting a peer-back with critical eyes through the fog of time to re-examine important world events at the dawn of the 20th century. It is without a doubt that Mr. Sunshine not only left us overwhelmingly entertained but also edified.

Kudos to Kim Eun-sook for her astute and dynamic story-telling; to Lee Eung-bok for his meticulous and gorgeous camera work; to all the actors for their topnotch performances; to the crew for their diligent and painstaking efforts; and last but certainly not least, to fellow fans of Mr. Sunshine for helping make the drama an immensely enjoyable watch down to the last minute through your percipient comments, clever reviews, and delightful artworks.

Until next time.

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Maybe not your typical kdrama

To quote a line I heard somewhere before: This is not a love story, this is a story about love. There are no kissing scenes, there is no PDA, very little flirting. But there is more meaning in the way the characters talk to each other, look at each other, act for each other.

One of the reasons I really like this show is the character interactions. You don't just care for the 5 main characters, you learn to love everyone around them as well. The first few episodes are focused mainly on the development of the character backgrounds and understanding the role of each character (because there are SO MANY). Many people got bored around the middle part which I agree I felt too. But stick to the story and it won't disappoint. Or maybe it will? Hehehe. Starting episode 14, the story really kicks off and the plot moves a lot quicker.

Maybe not everyone will like how it ends but I think it's what makes it so meaningful for me. (I still don't think I'm over this story)

If you're looking for a story with a good plot, loveable characters and great cinematography, I suggest you give this a try. You will both love and hate this drama.

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Imponente affresco storico

Imponente drama storico sulla perdita dell’indipendenza coreana e conseguente annessione giapponese nei primi anni del secolo scorso. Nello sfondo storico si intrecciano le vicende dei vari personaggi principali dei quali seguiremo l’evolversi nel tempo.
Un ragazzino fugge negli Stati Uniti dopo lo Shinmiyangyo del 1871, Farà ritorno in Corea qualche anno più tardi come ufficiale dei marines. Durante la sua permanenza conoscerà la nobile Go Ae-shin che fa parte di un movimento ribelle.
Nel frattempo i giapponesi inizieranno dapprima a considerare la Corea come loro protettorato per poi infine annetterla nel 1910.
Serie bellissima ma non semplice, ventiquattro episodi di oltre settanta minuti ciascuno (sostanzialmente dei piccoli film) possono davvero mettere alla prova. Sarà facile passare dalla risata alla lacrima in pochi minuti.
Tuttavia la bellezza dei costumi, della fotografia e delle scenografie la rendono davvero notevole. Così come la caratterizzazione dei personaggi tra cui lo strepitoso Goo Dong Mae uno dei migliori personaggi mai scritti in un drama.
Serie che consiglio decisamente anche se alla fine l’unica cosa chiara sará che coreani e giapponesi non si amano (non è vero sará chiarissimo anche il resto)

“Gun, glory, sad ending”

Voto 9,5

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Obra prima e depressiva!

"Adeus, Mr sunshine. Até breve no nosso país independente."
Desde o começo Mr sunshine em surpreendeu, a história é tão linda, tão rica em informações, sentimentos, cenário, personagens. É tão deslumbrante assistir toda essa luta, a luta do povo de Joseon, eles deram a vida até o fim e não temeram nada. Eu fiquei emocionada até o fim de ter conhecido essa história. Tive a oportunidade de ver atores que já conheço atuando em personagens nunca vistos por mim e dando um show. As amizades (ou alianças) que surgiram foram tão bem construídas, a trajetória deles foi tão incrível.
O amor dos personagens, pelo país, pelo amor deles. A vida valeu a pena pra eles até o fim!
Eu tinha tanto pra falar mas agora tô sem palavras pra explicar a grandeza que esse drama foi. Meu segundo drama histórico e não me arrependo de ter assistido ele agora, a luta deles me inspira a escolher diligentemente na minha primeira eleição.
Parabenizar todo o grupo que participou desse trabalho incrível, cada pessoa contribuiu pra essa história ganhar vida. Tae ri já tinha toda a minha admiração, que ATRIZ espetacular. Os parceiros dela em cena Byung hun, Yeon seok (te amo), a min Jung e o yo han, viraram meu quinteto fantástico, esses cinco transformaram tudo. Quando as duas estavam juntas eu via o poder das mulheres e quando os três se encontravam quase como imã que juntava eles foi a amizade nascendo de uma árvore. Eu senti toda a melancolia, raiva, dor, tristeza, amor e os pequenos momentos de felicidade que perduraram nesses 24 episódios. Todos eles mereciam a felicidade mas a história que eles estavam escrevendo era sobre algo muito maior. Mr sunshine foi sem palavras para descrever mas não foi algo pequeno.
Ressaltar também duas coisas: As transições das cenas eram perfeitas e que um drama do diretor e escritora de dots e goblin não poderia dar ruim certo? e certeza que as cenas que eu vi teve referências de goblin.

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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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For those who have not seen this series and have a question for them

For those who have not seen this series and have a question for them, it is really worth their time
First of all, I have to say that this series is about the era of Japanese colonization of Korea, and naturally, it has a very political theme, so if you are one of those people who do not have patience while watching the series, you will not like it.
But if you are someone who really cares about the quality and value of a series, start watching it now
This series may be slow until episode 5 or so, but after that, you will connect with each character as if they were members of your family (even the minor characters). The final episodes, unlike the first episodes, are full of sadness and pain and tears Beautiful and valuable
This is a story of lovers, but a romance where you learn another concept of love. A concept that I have never seen in any movie before

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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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Mr. Sunshine: Um Raio de Sol - Drama Intenso e Emocionalmente Desafiador

"Mr. Sunshine: Um Raio de Sol" é uma série que se destaca pelo seu drama intenso e envolvente. A trama nos leva em uma jornada através de personagens cativantes e complexos, que enfrentam desafios emocionais e dilemas morais ao longo da história.

As atuações são sólidas, dando vida aos protagonistas e secundários de forma convincente. O elenco expressa as emoções dos personagens com habilidade, trazendo autenticidade às cenas mais intensas.

A direção cria uma atmosfera envolvente, transportando o espectador para o cenário histórico retratado na série. A ambientação é bem trabalhada, embora em alguns momentos possa parecer um pouco exagerada.

O enredo oferece uma variedade de reviravoltas emocionantes, tornando difícil prever os desdobramentos da história. No entanto, em alguns momentos, a trama pode se tornar um pouco arrastada, perdendo um pouco do ritmo.

"Mr. Sunshine: Um Raio de Sol" apresenta uma produção bem cuidada e alguns momentos tocantes, mas ainda assim, não conseguiu conquistar o posto de minha série favorita. Essa avaliação é baseada em uma perspectiva pessoal, e embora eu reconheça suas qualidades, sinto que falta algo que me conecte profundamente com a trama, algo que vá além da excelência técnica e da atuação magistral.

Recomendo "Mr. Sunshine: Um Raio de Sol" para quem busca um drama emocionante com personagens bem desenvolvidos e uma imersão no contexto histórico. Apesar de não ter sido minha escolha favorita, tenho certeza de que muitos apreciarão a riqueza da trama e a intensidade das emoções apresentadas.

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This is one of the most unique shows when it comes to cinematography. I think Kdramas overall has its own style of camera work and mood setting. However, Mr. Sunshine really made me feel as if I was watching a movie. When I think of it in my mind, it felt like one continuous 24-hour long movie. In other dramas, there are cuts in each scene and conflict whereas here, every transition either from scene to scene or the changing of conflict is smooth. I really comment both the director and also the story for this.

Speaking of the story, I really love the concept. Anything that has to do with a revolution or an overthrow of an oppressive system excites me. I do think it is very well done. There is a build-up to every significant event and each character's motivations and choices are deliberate and truthful. I loved that every character stayed in character or when there was development, the writer took the time to flesh out for the most part. In my opinion, the most lackluster part of the entire drama is the romance between the main leads. Maybe it was because I didn't love Eugene's character or maybe I didn't like the actor, but it just didn't click or made me feel for them.

Aside from Eugene, I truly believe that the characters make this show. Because the writer does such an amazing job at character development, I fell in love with every character despite the flaws that they have. The characters were so complex, especially Kudo Hina and Gu Dongmae. However, my favorite character is perhaps the simplest of them all, Kim Huiseong. His character started off as the arrogant, cowardly rich boy hiding behind his family, but as the show progresses, you see him grow to have such a kind and pure heart. He went from hiding behind his family to baring the sins his ancestry committed and taking the blame as well as atoning for both his and his relative's mistakes. There's also so much more to his character. I feel like that shows how much the writer does with everyone. None of the characters that matter are ignored.

The things I don't like about this show and why I didn't rate it higher are pretty small, but to me, they really make or break a drama. For example, the music they used at certain scenes felt off. I feel like since this was on Netflix, the soundtrack had more English lyrics that just felt off in moments where there was so much Korean pride in the drama. Even in the Korean tracks, none of the songs stood out to me except for maybe the Suhyun song. They were nowhere near as memorable as Goblin or Descendants of the Sun. I also felt that the acting by the Americans and specifically Minister Hiyashi were stiff majority of the time. There were a lot of crucial moments that were suppose to make the audience feel something and in my opinion, it fell short because of the over the top line delivery. The actor who played Kyle Moore was the best actor out of all the Koreans but even his line delivery felt forced. Minister Hiyashi and other Japanese actors such as the bald soldier felt less like a person and more like a cartoon. The Japanese were treated like 2D character but those two were the worst.

Mr. Sunshine could have been a near-perfect drama but the very things that make a Kdrama memorable weren't executed as well.

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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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