Mr. Sunshine: Um Raio de Sol (2018)

Mr. Sunshine is a powerful historical drama featuring a story of romance, politics, and rebellion. Many pieces make up Mr. Sunshine which both widens its appeal but also runs the risk of being too ambitious. I chose Mr. Sunshine to be my first K-Drama precisely because I have a soft spot for all of these genres. Mr. Sunshine did not fail to impress and it ended up exceeded my expectations.

I will immediately note that this drama was perfectly cast. Every actor is a natural fit for their role and each character is very memorable. Among the main characters, Lee Byung-hun as Eugene Choi and Byun Yo-han as Kim Hee-sung stand out in my mind. Even the side characters feature great acting with Choi Moo-sung as Jang Seung-goo and Lee Seung-joon as Emporer Gojong.

The characters of Mr. Sunshine are intriguing enough to pull the show through its slowest parts. The mains come from a wide variety of backgrounds offering unique perspectives on the rapidly changing society of the setting. It is particularly interesting in that the show offers the perspectives of those born in the lower classes of Joseon society with Eugene Choi, who was born a slave, and Goo Dong-mae, who was born into a butcher family, considered to be the lowest tier in Joseon's caste system. The show also gives a voice to women of the late Joseon era. Protagonist Go Ae-shin is a noblewoman longing to gain more education and get involved in the politics of her nation against the wishes of her tradition-minded father. Kudo Hina is a successful businesswoman, a rarity in Joseon at the time of this setting, who operates a hotel hosting primarily foreigners. Unlike other characters, her loyalties are not immediately apparent and she acts as an interesting bridge between the other main characters. Lastly, Kim Hee-sung is the second-richest nobleman in Joseon but lacks ambition and purpose, causing him to waste his time with womanizing and drinking. Surprisingly, it was Kim Hee-sung who ended up being my favorite due to his fantastic development.

Great attention is paid to the details of Mr. Sunshine's story. For example, the first episode is essentially a long prologue but the viewer does not realize that literally every line uttered in the first episode is built upon throughout the story and nearly every character with a speaking role becomes an important character later in the story. The show is not afraid to demonstrate this with plethora of flashbacks, which admittedly can be excessive at times.

Romance is a main feature of the story. There are even two love triangles involving to some extent all of the five main characters. Fortunately, the drama never becomes "guess who this character will chose!" It is evident from the beginning who each character loves and also that their feelings will not be fickle.. The drama from these love triangles come from unrequited love and love that breaks Joseon societal norms. I was skeptical of the romantic element for the first half of the story but all doubts were put to the rest when I saw how the romance builds on itself in the second half.

Emotions are powerful in this show. The emotions in scenes are amplified by a striking soundtrack that never seems to run out of heart-wrenching melancholic songs. Viewers should certainly be aware that they are not in for a picnic of a drama. However, the drama is not always go cruel and dark, especially in the beginning. For every scene showcasing Japanese cruelty to Koreans there is a romantic scene or comic relief. The writers are smart enough to pace these scenes of wildly different emotions from each other. Viewers won't go from viewing two servants cracking jokes immediately to an execution.

Perhaps the greatest point to make about Mr. Sunshine is that it is an evocative show. At times it can feel like propaganda with its uncompromisingly negative portrayal of the Japanese yet slightly positive portrayal of the United States. However, the show is not afraid to be critical of Joseon society. Three of the main characters have tragic backstories literally caused or exacerbated by the backwardness of the ultra conservative culture. The other two characters rebel against their society's culture and norms, albeit in very different ways.

Aside from the show's politics, I have a desire to write about this drama's character development, romance, the emotionally powerful soundtrack, the impressive cinematography, the metaphors and symbolism. I may write a analysis of these topics in another spoiler-heavy review.

Do not expect to get the best war story ever told or the best romance ever written with Mr. Sunshine. Mr. Sunshine is a jack of many genres, but a master of none. This will be absolutely fine if you enjoy historical romantic dramas with a story about war and rebellion. Like me, you will be easily able to get through the slow pacing approximately episodes 3-13. If you are not a fan of these genres it will be more difficult, but I still recommend to give Mr. Sunshine a shot.

Leia Mais

This series was amazing.

1) the acting & characterisations were superb
The bromance was the highlight of the series. The three lead men brought humour, pathos & tragedy into their story. The females were fear even skilled & powerful. All made choices for love & freedom with courage.

2) the female characters where strong
All the female characters- from young to old; main characters to the side characters were amazing. They

3) the story was captivating & beautifully shot
The series cinematography was gorgeous! The story is a real roller coaster- heartwarming, thrilling & heartbreaking.

Just beautiful.

Leia Mais

Le pondria un 10 pero no puedo.

La razon por la que le quite un punto es porque la pareja principal de este dorama nunca me hizo sentir nada (hasta el final que si senti feito) pero en general la pareja me parecieron mas un par de amigos que otra cosa, no importa si los pjs se decian amarse, yo no lo senti mas que como amor de amigos y admiración

Mejor personaje? Goo Dong-mae definitivamente, toda su historia y evolucion es demasiado buena, incluso su final a pesar de ser triste es elocuente y deja ver que el personaje nunca dejo de ser fiel a sus ideales, hasta el final por eso y mil raones mas lo considero el mejor personaje de este dorama ademas de que ser el que mejor quimica tuvo con la protagonista, quimica que no se exploto lamentablemente pero bueno.

Kudo Hina fue una sorpresa, pero realmente es el segundo personaje mas impresionante de este dorama y otro que me hizo sentir mil cosas, ami parecer merecia un mejor final pero igual que dong mae, final elocuente y llevando sus ideales hasta el final.

La historia me hizo llorar y fue epica, solo me falto un romance mas creible, es lo unico a lo que le pongo un pero
eso si, al final el ultimo sacrificio de eugene si me hizo sentir mal, fue muy buena escena aunque ya algo tarde para el dorama


-1
-Romance
-Escenas de despedida cada 3 min (me voy, no nos volveremos a ver, se vuelven a ver 20 min despues -En el capitulo-) despues del capitulo 20
-Los saltos de tiempo super extraños, donde los protagonistas se encontraban y sugerian que habia pasado mucho tiempo, pero el espectador mas perdido que adan en el dia de las madres,.
-Algunas escenas cortadas, no dejaban sentir la "tristeza" que querian transmitir (por suerte en escenas claves no hizieron eso)
-la relacion de los protagonistas fue muy inestabie, creo que ni ellos sabian que estaban enamorados
-ah y no hubo ni un beso, aunque lo agradezco un poco

+1
-Historia bien contada, no soy de Joseon y al final del dorama queria hasta pelear ;-;
-Buenos personajes y evolucion de cada uno indistutible
-Musica de 10, cada momento tenia musica que me erizaba la piel
-Sad ending, pero realista y esos son mis favoritos
-Goo Dong Mae, si.

Leia Mais

So many sad moments, but 100% worth the tears

I love the cast's diverse linguistic skills - makes it feel very authentic because the time frame the series is depicted in. Lee Byung Hun is a marvelous actor and really expresses Choi Yoo Jin(Yu-Jin)/Eugene's emotional conflict, sadness of loss and the slow increase in his subtle, but growing smiles... are indeed like sunshine, they're so beautiful to see. Kim Tae Ri does a beautiful job & I can appreciate the dynamic of her being a strong woman working toward bettering herself to achieve her goals but still hold a playful, musing air when (as Go Ae Shin/Ae-Sin) she interacts with Choi Yu-Jin. At times there were a few places where she seemed a little stiff.

The 2nd leads, Yoo Yeon Seok (Gu Dong Mae / Ishida Sho), Byun Yo Han (Kim Hui Sung), and Kim Min Jung (Kudo Hina / Le) are amazing in their own right. The chemistry, conflict, emotion of their characters were conveyed well. Each contributed something memorable for their characters, even as I type I remember each of them; that's how great a "felt" impression they left for me. The dynamic of the relationships between all the characters in this story flows nicely and is masterful as the the threaded connections slowly shorten bringing all of them together for better or for worst.

In some episodes, there were cuts in a particular scene that weren't cleanly edited so the transition & time flow were smooth, but it added to the effect/benefit of another character in the following scene. It also made it feel like the progression of time was longer than what it was.

So many sad moments, but 100% worth the tears

Leia Mais

A True and Special Gift! Simply Magical in unlimited ways <3

There are Shows that impact you in a way that is hard to Describe. They change how you see the world how you see so many things in our lives. Mr. Sunshine was a Show I started knowing nothing about knew only a few Cast Members. It Ended being without a doubt one of my fave shows ever for sure in my top 5 all my life. I believe for it to be in that level it has this true power and Gravity behind everything Cast, the Locations the Music the list is endless it all just inspires so much. Love Hope Friendship in a series that is dark in topic yet beautiful in Substance. I feel shows that touch on history they might not be 100% True yet they paint a picture for those who were not there, not born yet or even live in that land to be able to witness something that needs to be remembered. <3 Mr Sunshine is a true Gift and the Cast was perfect 1000% Each of them created something Magical to share with the fans <3 Thank you all <3 This series has impacted me profoundly Tears and Laughter that I needed in my life today. One other thing for me I almost took my life in recent years and since those dark times in my life I embrace so much of the wonders of life the little things that inspire you to live a better life that make life worth living and those moments that I am blessed to still be here to witness or feel that otherwise I would have been gone to be a part of. Mr. Sunshine is 1000% That I am happy to have been alive to see this even if I am a few years late to have shared it in the moment with other Fans..... I know I am missing so much I want to share The Cast all I can say everyone brought their Gold Performances to create this beautiful and breathtaking Creation in the same breathe its Heartbreaking and Inspiring all Remarkably Done on so many levels.......... The Music is so beautifully inserted into moments perfectly


Thanks for opening my eyes and touching my Heart to a time in History I knew Nothing about


Dan

Leia Mais

I am at loss of words

Mr. Sunshine has redefined perfection. From cinematography to dialogues to story, acting. This show is perfect on every aspect of filmmaking and storytelling. This show is brutal, it is beautiful, it is honest. This show will rip your heart into pieces an you will still keep watching because it is that beautiful.

I have been watching Korean shows since last 10 years and i have not seen a show as great as this.
I was completely ignorant about such a painful history of the Korea. I don't know how many shows or movies South Korea has made on Japanese colonization, but I must say this has got to be their best work.
I have never cried as hard as i did while watching Mr. Sunshine. It felt like they were my own countrymen. Being from India, a country that had been enslaved by The British for 200 years, I could relate so much of their pain and sacrifice. I have heard stories all my life about the martyrs and the freedom fighters of my own country. Never did I think i will see the same stories of another country.
May be all countries who fell victim of Imperialism still bears the scar of our ancestors.
I wish this show had a happy ending, but real life did not have happy ending. So this story has what real life had. At the end they had gun and glory. Happy Ending followed decades later.
I can go on and on about this show so may be this is enough. Please watch this show, no matter what.

Lastly, I must say each and every frame of this show is so picturesque that often i found myself pausing the show and staring at my computer screen just to grasp the beauty of the show.

Leia Mais

Despite the title, Mr. Sunshine is no romantic fairy tale. Handsome Captain Eugene Choi returns to the land of his birth after 30 years in the USA where he carved a brilliant career in the military, only to find that nothing has changed for the better and the kingdom is now threatened by the increasing presence of the Japanese army.
Joseon's King/Emperor, lacking the support of his ministers and betrayed by many, does not want to create a confrontation with a superior military force fearing it would plunge the country into a bloodbath, so he gives in too often and finally loses the throne. Joseon-Korea ended up under Japanese occupation for 36 years until the end of WW2.
Eugene falls in love with Ae-Shin, a noblewoman fighting for her country, and protects her at the risk of his life and career. Lee Byung-hun makes an excellent captain, his calm demeanor and composure thinly veiling the anguish of his childhood and his now all consuming love for Ae-shin.

Leia Mais

One of the Kind Drama

This is one hell of a damn good drama that will shatter your heart to a million pieces. It is a lush, breathtaking, and stunning epic historical drama set during the Joseon period of tumultuous change with foreign influences each having their own agendas on what they want to get out of Korea.

The areas the drama really excelled in:

- Impressive Immersive Storyline, very well written, good pacing, and tight plotting.
- Well thought out character back stories and narrative storylines, the viewer feels emotionally invested in the main characters. It is one of the best portrayals of strong female characters, Go Ae Shin and Kudo Hina top my list of favorite female characters.
- Excellent Acting, each of the main and support actors played their parts so well. They really captured the nuances and grey areas of their characters.
- Stunning Cinematography and Production, so many scenes where the cinematography just captures your attention. It is done exceptionally well with deliberation and it is simply breath taking.
- Great Chemistry between the leads and love interests
- Amazing OST, some of the songs are ethereal, sad, and whimsical at the same time.
- While it deviates from actual history and inserts fictional aspects to it along with some controversy, it still highlights a fascinating and absolutely tragic time. It explores the greed of corrupt internal traitors, sacrifices and the courage some make for a better future, meddling foreign countries with their selfish self interest, and Joseon caste system politics that leads to devastating childhood loss and trauma and makes their love forbidden.

It will be considered one of my top dramas for a while.

Absolutely stunning watch.

Leia Mais

It feels like a movie. There's too much to take, given that it is only a drama series. I cried for the least expected scene I could think of, I cried for the last scenes when the patriotism of the characters was shown, it really striked my heart, and I was just surprised when I felt the tears in my face. I never thought I'll have that strong feeling for something that's way past behind my generation, especially not even in my own country, I never thought that flashbacks from my learnings about our own country's history would appear and I would reflect again that much. And with that I really want to thank the producers, directors, the whole team of this drama for showing it to the world, inferior countries like us( I'm from the Philippines which was conquered by Americans that time ) do have this kind of story that must be told again and again for generations to see. The only reason I didn't give it a perfect 10 is because I longed for the romantic scenes for the main characters and was disappointed until the end, I felt the love, yes, but not having even a single kiss scene, even in the cheeks makes me really sad.

Leia Mais

Amazing and Powerful show with a great way of delivering history

Have always wanted to know about the history of japan's invasion of korea, and this show gave me a glimpse and a bit of knowledge on that history.
Just makes me reflect on how our ancestors fought for our countries.
Loved the way the story was told, soo powerful!
Definitely one of my favorites and also very close to my heart! Hats off to the cast and crew for making such a great show possible and delivering it to us! Really grateful.
It's just great to see the history through a show, really shows us how it was back then.
Highly recommend it if you haven't watched it yet!

P.s: First review..lol..so sorry if I didn't do it right

Leia Mais