Mr. Sunshine (2018)

so slow

I watched this drama because it has so many good reviews, it was well watched and just known as one of the top dramas in the kdrama world (not to mention that literally everyone is in it in some way or another).

It started well, the historic background really gripped me and made me watch further. The main story as well as the sub plots were all very interesting and made me want to find out what would happen next.
But then the story started to slow down, like reaaaally slow down.

Before I get to the rest of the story, I just have to say the main love story just did not convince me at all. Their scenes were poorly written if you ask me because at some point they were just in love and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it happened or when. And their scenes were unnecessarily dramatic. Their long gazes, the dramatic music... it would work if I had been convinced from the start but I wasn't so it was just boring and skippable. However, the last episodes changed a bit and from the moment they get fake married, I really like the couple. Their heart wrenching ending also made me bowl. But again these were the last episodes.

The rest of the story is kind of the same. Starts interesting, especially with Eugene assassinating that minister, the smuggling of that one patriot etc. but then the story sort of forgets it's potential for exciting moments. There were some funny moments, some interesting ones but they hardly kept my will to finish the show intact. I honestly only finished it because of the historic background which was really interesting, especially in those last episodes. And there we are again, those last episodes saved the show to me. They were exciting, the love story was finally interesting, things started moving along and I finished those episodes with no problem.
Also, someone here said the historic background doesn't feel as meaningful for a global audience but I fully disagree. The story about the rebels was my favourite and it was incredibly touching to see how many people from different life paths all came together to try and save their country. I feel like I learned a lot and was just moved by the resilience Korean people showed in the faces of their oppressors.

All in all, this drama was okay. The cinematography is amazing, the casting was obviously great and the OST has some gems. But it should've been shorter, 24 episodes all longer than an hour is just way too long to keep the audience gripped (although many would disagree i guess). But I still think if you have a good attention span that you should watch it.

Some other things that annoyed me:

- Hina finding out about her mother's death. I don't know why the minister had to use her only to tell her her mother passed away. I know he gave his reasoning but it felt dry and just lazy idk
- all the men being in love with one woman while not even properly knowing her and who she is. Very unnecessary.
- we get zero closure for Hotaru. Plus we don't really learn anything about her until the end and the story felt cliche when i feel like it could've been way more meaningful to the whole plot. Idk she's just there and then she's not and that's just lazy writing to me.
- Hina dying??? like I know she wanted to but then she didn't want to but then she did? It would've been a lot more meaningful to let her die in the hotel or let her live. The way it happened was only so that she could confess to Dongmae which at that point felt unnecessary. Why did they even start that love line?????
- Dongmae having 309403924 battles and dying several times until actually dying like ??????
- the French... girl

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My Roman Empire

This tale is a marathon. It's not for viewers who can't sit through a slow burn or prefer direct conversations. It is most definitely not for the lighthearted, either.

Buckle up; you're in for a fangirl review (read: this could've been finished within 3 lines if I held little affection for it).

I find sageuks enjoyable, but Lee Byung Hun isn't my style. Luckily, their ad ran on YT before, which was intriguing enough. So, first and foremost, cheers to the editing team for their stellar performance from start to finish.

It's 2024. About five years since this masterpiece floored my entire existence, yet Mr Sunshine remains my most beloved kdrama. As someone who lives in a nation that perennially suffers from the consequences of colonialism, this series brought me an overwhelming level of respect for my ancestors, who fought bravely and relentlessly despite the odds being stacked against them. Choosing to live for one's homeland every day is a daunting task. It requires selflessness and primacy. Only those who risk losing something genuinely precious to them can commit to a cause that keeps on taking without any assurance of giving recompense. To devote one's life to their country, they must love their family so fiercely as Eugene and Ae Sin did, enough to let love go and ultimately let love rest.

Mr. Sunshine is a well-rounded production. The cinematography was stunning. The soundtrack was epic. The costume department ate and left no crumbs. The character portrayal was magnificent. I could not think of a single actor or actress who fell short in their delivery. The humor? The banter? The flirting? Sure, kdrama was already popular when this aired. But imagine if it ran post-pandemic? When streaming's the new norm, sageuks are increasingly gaining more popularity, and kdrama has reached unparalleled heights. It would have effortlessly dominated trending searches.

This series remained faithful to its storyline. The plot was cohesive, the pacing was well-timed, the arrangement of symbolisms, forces, politics, and relationships was deliberate, the build-up was masterful, and the ending made sense. Every single moment was touching. The direction was devastatingly beautiful. My heart sings for every lingering gaze, touch, tone, and even the blockings. This was the best collaboration of Director Lee Eung Bok and Writer Kim Eun Sook (Descendants of the Sun & Goblin / Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, some supporting casts appeared in these projects too). This was also Kim Eun Sook at her peak. She has penned multiple bangers, but nothing hits quite like this period fiction.

I can never forget how there was not a single kissing scene. The first romantic kdrama I watched without one. The leads had an explosive chemistry — their impact was simply undeniable. There was no need for physical demonstrations of feelings. Their dialogue was already pure poetry. Their passionate, quiet confessions and mutual pining? It would take years before it can be outdone, let alone be comparable.

It's simply revolutionary.

Once in a while, I'll think about flames and pinwheels and trains and scraps of confessions in matryoshka dolls. I'll think about the man with no country to call his. I'll think about the woman who longs for Joseon's liberation, wearing a ring that honors a love long gone.

I'll forever be scarred by guns, glory, and sad endings. I'll be reminded of my people and how they helplessly came to terms with their unfavorable fates. May they reunite with their loved ones in the afterlife and be at peace knowing their sacrifices will be remembered, even if those who remember have to perpetually argue against their fellow countrymen who have forgotten.

To me, this story is comparable to the creation of the universe. So, whoever plans on writing a wartime romance should take notes because Mr. Sunshine shows how to do it properly.

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Guns. Glory. Sad Ending.

I wish that I could go back in time and watch this show for the 1st time, that’s how good it is.

It’s heartbreaking. it will rip you to shreds, but you can’t help but surrender. The love portrayed here can be felt to the core, no fluff. There are no kisses, but the love is so real you can almost touch it.

This show holds a very special place in my heart, right next to CLOY. I love it so very much. I gave the show a 9.5 because I didn’t like how it ended, but after careful review and gave it a solid 10 because it deserves nothing less — this masterpiece.

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Mr. Sunshine was the first kdrama that I ever watched and oh boy, did it set a high bar. From the costumes to the music, the production quality is really high. The story is compelling and while the romance(s) are very central to the show, there's enough going on outside of them that you never feel that things are being neglected in favour of romance.

I've watched it through all of the way twice and loved it just as much the second time.

Spoilers beyond this point!
I am not, and will never be, over the ending. I just cried through the last few episodes. Full sobs as pretty much everyone died.

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A SAD PATRIOTIC DRAMA

Where is Mr. Sunshine? Because we don't see him in the drama, all men were serious deep sober men, but I love this drama so much. Background story was about invasion of Americans and Japanese into Jeseon Empire and how this Eugene Choi who born into slavery, run away to America and graduated as US Marine Corps officer, he returned to Korea as Consulate officer and investigate the murders and missing rifles. This drama has the elements of dramatic suspense, a noble lady who's expert with guns and amazing sniper without anyone knew about it, she met Eugene Choi while they're both on the mission. If you're talking about man with uniform, Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun) is the man, with calm steady confident demeanor he's the type of person that you won't mess around while an aristocrat's grand-daughter, Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), who is part of the Righteous Army, kept herself dignify by defending her beloved country. They both fallen in love but they both born from different class not to mention Ae-Shin has Kim Hee-sung (Byun Yo-han), a nobleman who has been Ae-shin's betrothed since childhood. 3 men loved her deeply; Eugene Choi, Kim Hee-Sung, Goo Dong-Mae and none of these guys stay alive at the end.

I love the character of Kudo Hina, she's an amazing woman - Glory Hotel owner who's using her beauty and charms to move around the elites and helping the cause, with her smile and soft spoken she killed people with her gun and sword. She's braver and more dangerous than any men because she's doing it without a flinch of eye and strong determination. Blow up her own hotel to kill Japanese that resulting her own demise, the ending was so sad, everyone died and unhappy ending. The best thing about this drama is the production did not fake of anything, the actors spoke English, France, Japanese as good as their Korean without sound like gringos. This is a great drama with beautiful background setting, top notch acting and casts, beautiful flowing story line, it's simply the best serious Korean drama so far.

From this drama, I learn something about the history of Americans in Korea and in what involvements, or whether there's truth in this story line. Become a family discussion to compare notes...meticulously Americans been in Korea way before Korean War like what's in the history book told us at school. Very interesting indeed..looking inside of Korean history as well as American history in Korea.

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It`s been a while since I`ve watch something like this, seriously. I didn`t think Korea could put anything better tan Warrior Baek Dong Soo but this definitely goes hand to hand, Korean Historical dramas have some magic to it that you don`t really get from other series and this is no exception.

Writting: I`m on episode 8 and I`m truly amazed with the writting and the plod, there seems to be no word in the dialog that is unnecessary or misplaced, they all fall in place beautifully, the romantic lines melt your hard, the dramatic parts really move you and all the tension between the characters you can really feel, i think this is where this series truly excels

Acting: acting is superb, specially since I'm not korean so I don't know if its a natura representation of how they are, but they can definitely transfer your emotions. I can relate to the characters and my favorite so far is the yakuza, something tells me he will end up sacrificing himself at the end, well executed.

Plod and storyline: I`ve seen a lot of people say is its slow and that first chapter is confusing, and well i agree that it can be, but not in a bad way as everything reveals its self as you are watching and in that sence i love it, as you are always looking for answers and thinking and then you get supprised as the story seems cleaver. I also like the character development although at episode 8 there still a lot i want to know about the main characters, but i think it contributes to the mystery.

Music and visual: stunning, its like you are watching a realistic paint from Miguel angelo, and Korea (if everthing was filmed there) its beautifully it really make you go there in this part i think is superior to Baek Dong Soo. and music is spot on, it complements the beautiful scenery without been overwhelming

overall I'll give a 9.5 up to episode 8. fully recommended if you are looking to see thru cinematography which require you to do some thinking and be patient as things start to unravel, not your american show where they pack a livetime in 40 minutes, Koreans seem to like to take their time to explain things and to create an ambient, that why they are so worth watching

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Mr. Sunshine clearly takes itself VERY seriously. It tries to be a grand, sweeping drama dealing with Life and Death, Revenge, and Loyalty to the Cause. I use capitals because I feel like the Drama uses capitals to pound those issues into one’s head, having no subtlety and nuance. The cinematography employs every overplayed melodramatic stereotype in the book, including slow motion Epic Battle Scenes and dramatically backlit heroes staring far far away into the distance. The distant stare is an attempt to inject profound meaning and gravitas into the scene but it comes across as affected and pretentious. To make sure that we know there is a Very Important Moment to be had the music swells portentously to end in a dramatic crash or, during scenes filled with bathos, wails mournfully in the background. To make matters worse, the writing is simply horrible. The characters are your by-the-dozen stock, sterotyped figures. Beautiful heroine who is a kind, much loved and sheltered aristocrat by day and a crackshot rebel warrior by night? Check. Her loyal jolly sidekick servant? Check. Steely but sensitive hero with a tragic past? Check. Seemingly cold-blooded, but really just hurting inside, leader of a ruthless group? Check. Sharp and hardened woman who cooly plays both sides but falls in love with the hero? Check. One-dimensional and physically unattractive villains? Check. And on and on. The dialogue plods along leadenly and predictably, the plot does likewise. Finally, the acting, or, rather, lack thereof is cringe worthy. Please, someone, hire a bunch of competent English-speaking actors to move to Korea for a year and act in all movies and dramas requiring their presence. I don’t know whether Koreans simply hire English-speaking people off the streets because they look the part but I am tired of watching these “actors” woodenly standing while woodenly delivering their wooden lines. And the writer makes matters worse (if possible) by making them stock, stereotyped characters. That not only makes the foreign actors look stupid but it also unfortunately makes Koreans look stupid by implying that Koreans are not smart enough to see beyond stereotypes. I know that that's not true. I’m not as sure about this writer.

One example (of many) of Mr. Sunshine’s writer's cringe-worthy attempts to be clever is the plot point around the meaning of the word “love." I mean, come on, the heroine is soooo interested in the word that she brings it up with Mr. Lead Guy yet when she starts to learn English she somehow fails to find out first thing what it means? As a device to score cute couples points it was hilariously bad. Nope. I watched four episodes (which were three too many) then skipped around trying to figure out why people raved about this drama. It's a mystery to me.

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