Richly crafted and visually mesmerizing, Mr. Sunshine is a sweeping tale of romance and political intrigue. From the first scene, the most apparent thing about this drama is the beautiful cinematography. I felt like I was looking at pages of a graphic novel - each scene stunning and carefully composed. As the drama progressed, I was thankful that the characters and story are on par with the quality of the visuals. On the surface it is a dramatic love story set during a turbulent time in Korean history. But it's also a stirring story about identity, patriotism and the characters' relationship with their homeland. The great acting, visuals and character development make this drama a notch above the rest for me.

You know how lots of dramas start off strong and peter out? This one starts strong and gets stronger and stronger as it progresses. The story pacing seemed a bit slow to me at first. There may be a few too many dramatic pauses. But it's worth it. As the plot unfolds it really builds to an exciting crescendo that wouldn't have been as powerful or heartbreaking if we hadn't been given the time to really know the characters. The last few episodes are so powerful I can't get some of the images out of my head. It finishes strong.

The story centers around 5 main characters - each intriguing and well portrayed - each with a particular viewpoint and relationship with the country of Joseon. There is Eugene, the slave who escapes to America as a young boy and returns for revenge, Ae Shin, the badass noble woman who leads a double life as a rebel and Dong Mae, the fearsome swordsman with a fatal weakness. Hina is the tough, enigmatic hotel proprieter and Hui Seung is Ae Shin's affable fiance. These characters play off each other marvelously. I love the unspoken and begrudging admiration that develops between them - even when their motives are sometimes at odds. I fell in love with them and I cried for them all.

There are so many pieces to the story and its put together perfectly - a great balance between the history, love story and thrilling action scenes. There's even a little humor and cuteness. Mr. Sunshine is a beautiful historical drama - well written, exciting, emotionally stirring and heartbreaking. Don't miss it!