A complicated poem saved by the bell
Choi Yu Jin fled to America after his slave parents were murdered. Due to the harsh treatment which he endured for being a slave in the Joseon period, Eugene feels no love or kinship towards Joseon. In America, he is known as Eugene Choi and has climbed his way up to be a distinguished figure by joining the American military. Several years later, he is stationed in Joseon during an American expedition. There he meets a noblewoman Ae Shin who by day seems to be a quiet lady but by night she's running across rooftops with her sniper rifle, secretly fighting for Joseon's independence. He falls for her but he isn't alone as she is also loved by her joyful quirky fiancee Hee Sung and a yakuza Dong Mae whose heart is a black box. Neither of them is really sure if the other is a friend or foe. This makes three relationships that look like they can never be: Ae Shin and Eugene, Ae Shin and Dong Mae, Ae Shin, and Hee Sung. This is not a love square but a love pentagram because there is also a mysterious hotel owner Kudo Hina who is also a fencing master. So there is lots of love but no one's really happy, yes it's very sad.A few things that draw me into this drama are first, I know this is a show of quality and I'm gonna enjoy it. There is an artistic flavor to how every scene is set up and shots from the color grading to the music to the overall backdrop are very breathtaking. However, it's not glamorizing life, for every gorgeous breathtaking sunset there's a brutal portrayal of war and violence and death and these scenes are visually engrossing. Second, it was deeply rooted in real important history and also it is set in the early 1900s which doesn't feel that long ago, there was real political scheming in this drama that still left an impact on today's society.
The five leads came from multiple cultures but don’t really belong anywhere, their stories are so full of heart and their arcs are so noble. I think a lot of diaspora like me can relate to Eugene as a character who doesn't belong to either Joseon or America, he's in this gray area. He is a very nuanced character and he holds the whole drama together. Even though he's happy being accepted by the American, as the show progresses he becomes more and more interested in the Korean culture and he wants to find his roots. I just love that his one bullet was used with such wisdom and just such grand effect. Ae Shin is a very compelling character, I love Kim Tae Ri played this role with such unbelievable complexity and nuance that I want to watch her and everything that she does: she gets a lot across with simple looks and she also has an extremely royal noble way about her presence. Kudo Hina, the hotel owner is truly one of the best most complicated female characters and the script took her exactly where I wanted it to.
I absolutely loved the iconic Dong Mae with the double swords at his hip and his sweaty hair, open chest, and half ponytail. Simply Yoo Yeon Seok acting was amazing as the dark and tragic Dong Mae. Hee Sung is such a man with tremendous growth, he goes from this total privilege boy to a guy running an underground newspaper to spurn on the resistance and I was so proud of him at the end. I really loved when he realizes his fiancee is not going to be with him and he respects it, he still loves her but he is respectful. His character was so well written and played so amazingly by Byun Yo Han.
However, I didn't enjoy a significant chunk of my watching experience as the story goes on because this show is very heavy with political maneuvering. It's really taking 20 episodes' time to set up and I got bored but I keep watching for the main characters. Also, there are a lot of different languages being spoken there's Korean, Japanese and then there's American English with a very weird accent. I'm very sensitive to dislike English-spoken very weirdly in Korean dramas. It feels like they're trying to over-pronounce things correctly. These elements dominate the screen time and are really too dry to watch. It is so unfortunate because there are a lot of actions with gunfights and fist fights within each episode and when they do action, these scenes are so well-choreograph almost perfection! I wish there had been a bit more action and bromance moments.
This drama has a fantastic and unlikely bromance between Eugene, Dong Mae, and Hee Sung at its core. Whenever they were on screen together, they made me so happy because they blurted out humor and heart to the drama. I was not expecting these three weird trio were going to be so beloved and it was definitely the highlight of the drama for me. Without giving any spoilers, the finale is an absolute masterpiece, which is really impactful! I dropped my heart because it just gave such cathartic blows. It feels like I was being rewarded for all the time I sit through and overcome the frustrations I had in the first 20 episodes. Thus, my overall impression is actually really positive as time goes by. I'm glad I watched it and the way it impacted me when it's done makes me feel like I came out a better person. If I can divide my enjoyment value, I would give up 1-20 a 7 and ep 21 - 24 a 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
"split personality" review
in reality, i hate to rain on somebody's parade, and since a lot of people truly love this drama, i apologize, but what must be said must be said.i can not relate to this drama but from a truly split personality perspective, since it has the "good, the bad, the ugly" and more. all that the other viewers write about it is mostly true - mind-bogglingly beautiful scenery (the scene where ae-shin is walking with eugine on the icy lake takes your breath away and will stay with you forever etched in your visual and emotional library, whether it's in your brain or in your heart, and the entire story is kind of symbolic of walking on thin ice at all times), in general the choice of sites in the drama can be used for tourism in korea - guaranteed to work even today, the cinematography is up there with the most outstanding dramas and/or movies from all times, the characters especially the main 3 males and the female hotel owner hina are extremely multidimensional, like it is in real life and their continuous development is very satisfying, the acting of all actors is as good as it gets, especially lee byung-hun as eugene choi (i first saw this actor in "all in" while i was chasing after ji sung, and discovered lee byung-hun, and the rest was history... his charisma, his manly charm, his superb acting, his ability to go from extreme toughness to extreme softness - he was raised to my top best korean actors from that moment on) and he does not disappoint in "mr. sunshine", he stays true to himself as an artist, as always gives it his all, and shines with unmistakable inner beauty. one more thing that i noticed, when he gazes at ae-shin or even other people, he slowly blinks just one time, and the blink is like a cat that blinks to his/hers owner expressing love, it's really special, if you know cats. the other actress that i enjoyed very much is of course the adorable, mysterious, badass kim min-jung as kudo hina, she truly kept me on my toes, with her non-ending french designers dresses, hats, jewelry, her quirky intelligence and female intuition, her courage, her undeniable charm. these two characters or i should say actors kept me wanting to see more and more of them, even when i wanted to just leave this show many times throughout, the slow paste of it drove me crazy, the lengthy looking in each others eyes for minutes at a time without any movement or action - i wanted to scream enough already, we get the idea, we are not dumb... the heart breaking good byes between ae-shin and eugen, too many, not justified and always coming back together just to say good bye again - really? some other things that annoyed me to no end i will mention later here... the other two characters that is worth mentioning is yoo yeon-seok as goo dong-mae, perfectly cast in this role, so strong, gorgeous looking, evil, always with endless pain bubbling to the surface, always staying a step ahead of death, and byun yo-han as kim hee- sung, the typical spoiled rich brat, always gambling, loosing and drinking on the account of others. both of these characters, one was born in the lowest class of that society, the other was a son of the richest aristocrats in this area. dong-mae like a ticking bomb on the verge of exploding and taking down all around him no matter how, who or what. kim hee-sung, the aristocrat, who loves all things beautiful, easy going, trying to charm everybody no matter who, making a joke out of any situation. frankly, i did not like these two all the way till the last third of the drama, and then they kind of woke up, tapped into their own morals, grew on me and developed into characters that slowly charmed my heart and i got deeply invested in them all, only to be devastated at the brutal end. the question for me, was it worth spending so many annoying hours of this drama, to finally get to the last third part and especially the last 5 episodes, to finally get so emotionally attached to this characters only to be completely heart broken at the end? i truly did not answer that question yet. and now the most baffling part of this drama - the main female character, ae-shin. i think her character was completely screwed up by the writers, she was the only one one- dimensional as it can be. yes, they wanted to show her burning patriotism for her country and cause, but they deprived her of humanity. wasn't she a physical body like all of us? didn't she have emotions that a woman would express through some kind of affection to the love or her life? the one who gave up ALL that he had in this world for her, his adopted country that he was so proud of, his military career that he loved, his best friend, and finally his own life in exchange of hers. (by the way, eugene choi succeeded somehow to express his love without touching her ever, but it felt like he was stopped by her inner desire to avoid any physicalness) and at all times, there was not a single hug, kiss or any other form of expressing love. how on earth can that be? even when they got married, no hug, no kiss - nothing. and i understand the writers or directors idea of showing extreme patriotism above all, but show at least something... something that would move us and make us believe that she really loves. that was my greatest disappointment and the biggest flaw of this drama. and last but not least i wanted to mention the politics in this drama, that was supposed to be kind of the background to anything else, but took over and became the major part of it. although interesting in terms of korean history (and made me truly hate the japanese cruelty), it was too much of it and became simply boring many times. now that you know "the good, the bad and the ugly" you decide if this drama is for you, if you can tough out to the third part of the drama.
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Could have a much better ending…
watched the whole episode….the More i watched the more i have to force myself to finish. Things are moving Too slow. The slow and lingering gaze between the main leads becomes monotonous and loosing its magic. The longings are too cruel. Then it’s just tragedy after tragedy after tragedy.This movie is a tragedy.
I saw the high ratings and expectations were high. There few who has similar views on how bad this drama, thank you for being honest and took the time to share with everyone.
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1
1This review may contain spoilers
This KDrama is more like an epic movie that (fortunately) doesn't want to end over 24 episodes
"Mr. Sunshine" is pure epic! Visually stunning! Heartbreaking. With a fantastic cast! In addition, there is a vivid and at the same time gripping history lesson (dealing with the turn of the 19th / 20th centuriy). The KDrama is more like an epic movie that (fortunately) doesn't want to end over 24 episodes. Complex characters, interwoven developments with sudden twists, cinematic camera, unforgettable soundtrack, everything seems handpicked, nothing off the shelf. The budget was correspondingly high, but it isn't just good because it was expensive. Rather, it is made with a lot of love from front to back and down to the last detail. There are hardly familiar motifs that we have often seen in variation. Everything is precisely coordinated in all scale levels. The personal decisions that the protagonists make over and over again in the course of the story remain unpredictable until the end.Historically we learn about the relationship between Joseon and the Japanese, but also with the rest of the world. The story takes place before the country becomes a Japanese protectorate - in that brief window of time when Joseon (after a long period of isolation) became the Greater Korean Empire and then opened up to the rest of the world. For this reason, the USA also play a role in here, because the States - like Russia and Japan - are ready and waiting to get involved in the imperialist competition for the largest slices of the cake Joseon is offering. The country is rich in raw materials and therefore hot property. "Mr Sunshine" provides a vivid and gripping introduction to those geopolitical complications.
------------------ SIDE NOTE --- Historic setting: Joseon and the rest of the world ...
Since the 17th century, Joseon rather had itself isolated from the outside world. This rigorous attitude ultimately led to the first military confrontation between Joseon and the USA, which marks the kick off point to the plot of "Mr. Sunshine". In 1866, an American ship, the SS Sherman, entered Korean waters via the Taedong River. Since it did not turn around immediately when asked, there were violent arguments in which the ship was ultimately set on fire. This was followed in 1871 by the battle off the island of Ganghwa-do, in which the USA wanted to rescue the survivors of the shipwrecked crew and at the same time establish the first prerequisites for trade relations. However, since the desired diplomatic gesture of the Korean apology did not happen to take place, the Joseon garrison on the island was radically wiped out by the American warships and their crew. This first conflict with the USA went down in history as 'Shinmiyangyo'.
King Gojong came to the throne in 1873 and, in contrary to previous national policy, decided to open up his country in the hope of flourishing trade and technical innovation. Japan pushed ahead and forced the Japanese-Korean friendship treaty of 1876 on the king, including military pressure, too. However, this was a contract between unequal friends... In the course of the international processes that had been initiated, King Gojong also sought contact and trade agreements with Western countries.
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During this time, "Mr. Sunshine" stages its main plot, in which protagonist Eugene, as US officer of loathed Korean descent, is supposed to sensitively, competently and diplomatically represent the interests of the USA with a consular mandate. But there is always more life has to offer... Eugene has to meet the love of his life, face his roots and reconsider his values in life. He can´t help it: he has to take a stand...
It is said that not everything is historically 100 percent precise, but the historical circumstances provide plenty of material for pure epic drama at its finest. Thrilling. Unforgettable.
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However, the 20 episodes leading up to them were largely very boring. There were great moments of bromance, humor, and even some just all around aesthetically pleasing scenes, but a majority of the screen-time was focused on politics and it was just so boring because I already knew what was coming. I wish we had focused more on the characters earlier on since they are so, so great. Eugene Choi, Goo Dong Mae, and Kim Hee Sung had me rooting for them the entire time...and not just to "get the girl" but to be successful in whatever direction their lives were going because they all were so genuine and had such depth.
Go Ae Shin is one of my all time favorite leading ladies. She isn't your typical lead at all and I love how she took her destiny into her own hands. She was strong, funny, and cute all at once so it did not surprise me in the least that all three guys mentioned above were smitten with her (as opposed to many a drama where I can't figure out why guys are falling left and right for the heroin). Kim Tae Ri was fantastic and I give her so many props for standing next to Lee Byung Hun and holding her own, it really shows how talented she is as an actress.
I think when I first started watching Mr. Sunshine I was disappointed because it wasn't really what I expected from writer Kim Eun Sook. Some of her trademark elements were there (especially when it came to the bromance/humor) but overall it just wasn't what I wanted it to be so I was upset. Once I got over that though and was able to watch the drama for what it was instead, I was able to appreciate it much more. This time period is made for epic stories and is so emotional and tragic. Every time I watch a drama or movie that takes place during this era I feel for the Korean people so hard. Having lived in South Korea, I've witnessed first hand the effect the terrible things that happened during the Japanese Occupation has had even today...there is still a huge scar. Mr. Sunshine in particular was an interesting story because it started right before the occupation, instead of in the heat of it as other shows I've seen previously have. That made it even harder to watch because you can see all the pieces falling into place leading up to this horrible time period you know is coming. So while watching, I knew exactly how it would all end. In a way, that made finishing this drama easier. I won't lie and say I still didn't bawl my eyes out...but at least I was expecting it. I still have some issues with the way certain things went down (not *what* happened so much as *how*) for our characters here but overall, I'm satisfied.
Conclusion: watch it for it's historical significance, beautiful cinematography, and lovable characters. Be patient with the story. Bring a box of tissues.
Ps. Was anyone else expecting Gakshital to just show up in the end? How epic would that have been?? (haha).
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Maybe a Masterpiece for the regional audience¿¿..??
Historical dramas could be a lot more meaningful to regional audiences who may have lived through it. However for a global audience looking for pure entertainment this may not have such a deep impact.Everything was okay for me and I would've given it a 7 or 8, but there was a jarring situation.
Taking the risk of being cursed by the star -obsessed fans of the region, I must say that the lead couple was JARRING.
They were mismatched and uncomfortable with each other, there was no chemistry, in fact there was a certain distance or coolness to the relationship that went against the storyline.
The FL - as brilliant as I've seen her in other dramas- had one singular expression throughout. She looked like a 12 year old obstinate child. That's it. It didn't waver.
All the 3 male leads falling in love with her was a bit ridiculous to watch.
The romantic thread between these 2 totally mismatched and chemistry-less leads just messed up the drama for me.
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I watched Goblin and I really liked it, it did set my standards for Korean Dramas before... Now, from the same creators comes 'Mr. Sunshine' - they set the bar too high haha.
CJ E&M's TVN has been producing really great movies and series lately and it makes me proud to be a partner of CJ E&M and DIA TV through my YouTube channel.
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This drama isn't too fast paced nor too slow paced. Each episode is important, each scene is important. The cinematography in each episode is breathtaking. The storyline is simple as , set in joseon time.
Story line : I will honestly give the storyline a 10. As I said before the storyline is different, the script the dialogues is well written and each epusode really captivates you. The romance in this drama was done well not too fast nor too slow. Both main leads were pleasant to watch and as their love grows we all really do crave for more. The love story in this drama is very much different than other drama love story I am telling you now. This drama is about the war between Japan-korea and it really does educate us if you're into historical dramas lol.
Acting : EVERYONE DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOBBBBBBB. They really did drop main casts to 2nd main casts to supporting casts to minor casts. I am very well impressed with them. Plus the chemistry between all was really different and intriguing. Lee Byung Hyun honestly never fails to impress me, I'm glad KES picked him for the job. He really done a great job as expected from him. Kim Tae Ri has now gained a fan ! Ha ha. She did wonders with her acting! Her facial expressions were great her dialogues her accent she did it well. Not one once of awkwardness. The chemistry between her character and LBH character was extremely good. You can't feel any awkwardness or any any gap between the two as you're too immense into their love and their adventures together. Kim Min Jung I watched her previous drama didn't like her role much but her acting here was awesome!!! She is one of my favourite characters so fearless. The actress did a amazing job at it and it is really hard to portray the role well but she did it and she also gained a fan! Yoo Yeon Seok is God damn attractive!!! He never fails to impress me and his chemistry with all the casts was pleasing to watch YYS really mastered his role well, he makes you want to hate him and love him at the same time. Last but not least Byun Yo Han - you'll end up just loving him he's really funny. The actor did a good job at it too and I'm glad KES picked him. Nethertheless everyone did great. The supporting cast did to (I would write their names out and talk about them but it would be too long lol!) Thank you KES for choosing them.
I gave music a 10 as well because the music really did go well with the drama overall. It was soft and slow and I do actually listen to the songs in YouTube. Really soothing.
Rewatch I gave it a 10 because I will deffo rewatch this drama later on maybe a year after or so. This drama is worth the rewatch.
This drama will not bore you.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a drama I will watch countless times. Absolutely sure about it.I'm completely satisfied with the male lead's charming, exquisite performance. If he did not already have an fairly decent ability in English language, then he sure learned it quite perfectly for this drama.
The way Choi Yoo Jin mesmerized me with his manners, his looks, his perfect devotion to the female lead. I think it's one of the best performances from a male actor I've seen in Korean dramas. Any woman would love him, any King would honor him. And surely anyone would want to be defended and protected by him.
I haven't seen Kim Tae Ri play in dramas. It surely is something to regret, I'll fix that mistake quickly.
She plays with this fervent fire and dedication, that you might see in other actors, but at first notice, I can't think, who would fit more perfectly into this role. The gentle yet unbending nature of the role is perfectly acted out by this female lead. When I looked her play Go Ae Sin's role out, it made me want to be her. The courage emerging from fear and doubt, with such victorious indignation. It takes me a step farther, to look at women of that society more closely and to ardently admire of the nature of women in all the times of the world.
Not as a feminist, but just as a fair judge of character, I wonder, how many people with this kind of nature have there ever been in this world and will there ever be...
Also I would like to point out that, when in a hurry to get to the plot's important moments and as usually a person with busy life, there was not a moment in this drama, that I had the heart to skip. Everything fitted so perfectly. There was not a moment that would have left a question mark, as why would they add this or that scene here/there. And this is one of the most important points of any drama. How well does the story flow and how much does it make you want to skip to the important parts. This, for me, had not a second of it.
Also, one extremely important point. The side characters, everyone was important for the story. They added coulor's to the story, that will make it possible to remember them as much as the male/female lead.
Not just the lead actors, but also every other actor was perfect for their position in this drama.
Hope you like the review :) This is just how I feel :)
#BTW! Music is over the top. You can just drown into the emotions and the deep feelings in the drama's OST!
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A beautiful story
This story takes a while to get into. The first episode is a bit confusing but after a few episodes I began throughly enjoying the story and the characters.Best Parts:
The characters are so beautifully written and complex. Many of the characters are neither good or bad but are somewhere in the gray area.
The cinematography is gorgeous. This show looks beautiful and it is obvious that the production team put their best effort to make this show look great.
Weaker Parts:
I would say my only complaint is some of the characters I wish we spent more on screen time with them.
A bit of warning: This show can get a bit violent/ bloody.
Overall: This is become one of my favorite dramas and I think the drama with the best production value I have ever seen. I recommend the watch.
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Others might feel it's too slow but for me, I appreciate the build up, episode by episode, I get to pay more attention to the character's circumstances and what makes them who they are as opposed to the typical in your face descriptions. Cinematography definitely is key in this build up, it extremely inviting and captivating, I couldn't take my eyes off my screen in fear that I might miss something.
If you're looking for a historically accurate account, this isnt for you.
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There's no doubt that "Mr.Sunshine" is focused on everything visual.
- Beautiful natural landscapes/background and scenery.
- Amazing and epic cinematography.
- Good color work, light and shadow.
- Classic and cultural clothing.
- Great graphics and effects.
- And even a great sound work.
It is beautiful.
The drama is very descriptive, detailed and symbolic.
The drama has a deep love story, which is something I usually don't like, but surprisingly, this drama hits my favourites and was quite funny. The comedy is so subtle and well tailored into the scenes.
Lee Byung-Hun is one of the best korean actors and the most popular internationally and Kim Tae-Ri has so much talent. A she proves that in one of the best movies, "The Handmaiden", so these two actors accepted these roles because, they knew this drama would be different and epic.
Amazing support characters.
Even though 3 leads love the same woman, their love is pure and everyone of them is willing to sacrifice. I really like the fact that there is no jealous relationship that turned people into evil beings.
The drama also shows girl power with such badass and awesome female characters, which I completely loved!
You can wait for 10/10 from all actors.. Acting, characters, excellent.
Mr.Sunshine is a truly piece of art.
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