I have a lot to say about this show so bear with me...
First of all, this is not a love story, it's a story about the sacrifices one must make in order to protect what they love, whether that’s a person or a country, as happens with the two main leads.
This is an incredible show and I really don’t understand why it doesn’t get more recognition. Even if you forget the real inspiration behind the show and the fact that it’s based on a historical period, the cinematography, the acting and the ost, all together will make you travel back in time and be a part of this epic story. You’ll totally forget that you’re watching a drama, because everything will seem so real. You will connect to every single character and wish you were a part of this rebellion. Just like Eugene, by the end you’ll feel un urge to fight along side with them. Not because it’s your country that’s on the line but because you love the characters so much that you want to stay by their side and protect them at all costs.
I think I’ve never seen a show with so many outstanding characters. One of the aspects that makes this show shine so much (pun intended) is for sure the relationships and dynamics between all the characters. And I’m not just talking about romantic ones, but comradeship, devotion, mentoring and friendship. This show has more bromances than I can count and all the characters are so beautifully written that you can't help but root for every single one of them. I must refer to one of, if not the best triangle I’ve seen portrayed on a drama: the sword, the gun and the flower. Dong-mae, Eugene and Kim Hee-sung had such a great chemistry and I can’t even put into words how exciting and pleasing their scenes together were. These drinking buddies made me shed a lot of tears but also won over my heart and made smile the brightest.
Although I love the main couple and fall for Kim Tae-ri in every single role she plays (Ae-shin was no exception, she did a brilliant job), I must admit the 3 second leads stole my heart. I think they gave the show so much depth by portraying these complex and conflicting characters in an outstanding way, making the show far more interesting.
I wish Hee-sung had someone with him on his final moments, someone to cherish him and cry for him. For someone who always seemed to smile and bring a lightness to the scenes, I always found him a bit lonely. I wish I could say goodbye to him in a prettier place, somewhere where he could look up at the world with his hopeful, charming and secretive eyes that hid so much pain, but always seemed to look for the beautiful things in sight. He had a wonderful soul and I think the writers did a wonderful job with him giving him one of the best character developments of the show.
Hina Kudo and Dong-mae… I was mesmerized by these two. Their beauty and strength in a world that never treated them well, the fact that they overcame it and did what they had to do to survive. I think they saw and understood each other on a deeper level and there was true love between them but sadly like much on this show, love isn’t always enough and life gets in the way, specially in times of war. The scenes in the beach really broke me but they were one of my favourites of the whole show. They will stay with me for a really long time and I will miss them a lot.
I must say that I had some problems adjusting with the change of pace in the final episodes of the show. I think they spend a lot of time setting the mood and the context of a very fragile state of peace until BANG the plot explodes and hell breaks loose. However, I think maybe that was necessary for showing how wars begin in the first place and countries lose their independence.
This is not the kind of show you binge watch, mostly because sometimes it's just too painful. You have to stop, recharge and keep going. Emotionally it's very challenging but it's completely worth it.
Unlike Ae-Shin, we always knew what “sad ending” meant, we knew where we were going but still a part of us always hoped for a better outcome. But as they often reminded us along the season, a sad ending was always in the horizon. That said maybe it wasn't such a good idea to watch this right after I finished Scarlet Heart (yeah I did that). I’ve seen a lot of people comparing both dramas, and I can see why. However, I think there’s a big difference between the two: Sad endings vs. tragic endings.
In Mr.Sunshine, I feel like the deaths always had a higher purpose, they’re not just used to make us suffer. They represent the character’s choices and are always aligned with their personalities and with what we know matters the most to them. I feel like every person here died for a cause, they died fighting for what they believed in, to protect who they loved and that makes it easier to cope with I think, making it more sad and less tragic. It brings the bittersweet meaning to a whole new level though.
I saw in a comment somewhere that Ae-shin represented Korea. She was the precious thing everyone protected at all costs, the thing that a lot of people risked their lives for. As heartbreaking as it is, I think the fact they all loved her and sacrificed their lives for her, it’s because she was the future. This show really does an incredible job with symbolisms and this is the major one. You can see it clearly in the final scene, where she’s holding the flag: she outlived them all because she’s the future, and she carries with her every single person who died for her, they’re all a part of her, she has in her all their spirits representing the Korean people at its finest hour and carrying them to a brighter day. This a true love letter to the Korean people, a tribute to their spirit, strength and courage.
This show made me learn a lot about korean history and I came to admire the korean people even more. I think the strength they all had to have to not give up their nation and fight for it until their very last breath was really touching and to me moved me more than any romance plot.
That said, I think this is a remarkable story, told in the most breathtaking and meaningful way, a real masterpiece. I'm very thankful for all the work they put on this show and to all the actors who brought this complex and mesmerizing characters to life that I will keep in my heart for a really long time.
It was a long journey that made me cry my eyes out, but also made me laugh, hate, hope, fear and love along with them! <3
Goodbye and see you again…