Mr. Sunshine (2018)

It's an okay masterpiece

Note: The title needs quotes around the word "masterpiece" but the system wouldn't allow me.

Before deciding to watch this drama, I came here to get an initial feeling of what this drama might be like. To my surprise, most reviews here were calling this a masterpiece and a must watch so I immediately went to watch it. I have just finished it and I have no idea if those revieweres were watching the same drama I did -- it's not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, in my opinion.

The story is really good. The music is good too, it didn't stand out to me as either great or terrible which is good. The cast is really nice too. The cinematography is really well done! Sadly, that's where the positives end.

The direction of this drama is not great. Too many episodes for what it ended up delivering. The characters are almost 2 dimensional as they make decisions that sometime seem random or make no sense. There's romance but sadly I didn't care for it one bit and I was not convinced of how and why the leads loved each other.

This drama could've been at least 8 episodes shorter! There are plenty of wasted "prolonged" scenes of characters just seemingly staring at each other as if the actors were trying to remember the next line. Some scenes were completely useless and added nothing of value; just fodder to pad this show.

The important bits were not given focus -- be it the characters or the political story. I do enjoy a good slow burner, with "good" being the operative word here. This drama overstayed its welcome and to be honest, I was bored for 99% (hyperbole) of the time I was watching it. I could not give it attention as I had the urge to fast forward past the useless scenes. My partner kept me from doing that and while she liked it more than I did, she still found it needlessly padded and slow.

I get the reason it's slow is to immerse people into the world and the characters and that the nature of political events unravelling is usually slow but this was needlessly slow. If there was a criteria for direction, I would've given it a 1.

Want a similar story with a far better pace? Watch Bridal Mask.

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If you're into cheesy love stories then this isn't the drama for you. If you're into historical dramas, tragic then this is the drama for you! The story can be difficult to understand however if you pay attention you'll be fine or if you read comments LOL. This drama is really beautiful and I hope you give this drama a chance.

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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Cinematographically perfect but story...

I have serious disappointments with this drama. Cinematographically perfect. The soundtrack is wonderful. The acting is so awesome. The outfits are great. But i think there is a problem with the progression and finale of the story. The script could have been written better.

First it was extremely stagnant until almost episode 15. So I think it should have been at most 16 episodes. Also, it was unnecessary for all men to fall in love with just one woman. Hina was a lonely and powerful character who deserved to be loved. She was more patriotic and brave than Ae-shin. There was incredible chemistry between him and Dong-mae. You can feel that sexual attraction even when they're just side by side. What a pity! I am most sorry that such fates were written on them. Moreover, this screenwriter wrote the second couples very well in his other dramas. E.g. descendants of the sun, goblin, hwi-seong was my favorite character in the drama. cute but lonely character who is happy with simple things. his way of death was ridiculous. He had to survive and support the struggle with his writings. What a pity! There was no chemistry between the main couple. I couldn't feel this throughout the drama. all I saw was the extreme age difference between them. moreover, the way the man died was very dramatized. it didn't affect me at all. Also Ae-shin's character was contradictory. For her, love was more important. It went beyond the patriotic woman image that was featured in the first episodes. I could not understand what she wanted to do. She couldn't make me feel her patriotism.

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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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This one of the best things I've ever seen. It touched me in ways I didn't expect and I think that it will stay with me for a long time. The story is very strong and the drama is made very well made but that is nothing compared to the cast and the characters they portrayed.

The five main characters are a dream to watch. You feel for them very strongly early on and even if you think that some of them are a bit extra, they get under your skin.

I loved Eugene the most, though. His relationship with Ae-sin was my favourite part of the drama. It reminded me of Jane Austen's Emma - he accepted her, admired her, let her be herself and loved her so very much.

If I loved it less, I might be able to talk about it more.

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Tvn keep being strong!
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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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!

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Hands down, the best kdrama I've ever seen.

I would honestly say that I really have high expectations for this drama. It was created by DOTS and Goblin creators so what should we expect right? It was so good that it exceeded my expectation. The storyline was old and based in the past but it was fresh; very new. The twists and rollercoaster ride they added to history made everything perfect.

There were so many things I want to say about it while watching but now that I finished it, I was speechless. I was so attached to the drama that a part of me felt left. It was a lovestory, but it wasn't just about romance. It's about love for family, love for friends, love for strangers who turned to family, love for comrades, love for the people and most especially love for the country. Just when I think I know the word 'love', I was just as clueless as Go Ae Shin, and no language can explain it.

The five actors really gave justice to their characters. I love how 5 different people from different countries with different plans ended up with the same goals. There were bad blood at first, but suddenly turned to fondness, and all became allies. The characters were all so unique and well written. Kim Hui Seong may be narcissist but he was never arrogant. He was so loving, selfless and precious. Go Dong Mae is evil, and he really is. But when it comes to the people he values, he is willing to risk everything. Who wouldn't love Kudo Hina? She's a strong woman who doesn't need any man in her life to back her up. As for Eugene Choi, oh my god, I love him so much. And Go Ae Shin? She's the best! Despite being noble and being untouchable she still stood tall and fought for the people who are powerless.

I was first skeptical to start because I've seen the age gap but it never bothered me. Thank God I really gave it a try.

"Guns, glory, sad endings"

I was wondering why those words were kept being mentioned in the first episodes and realized that the whole story revolved around those three words. The guns, where it all started. The glory, as every characters strove for their beliefs. And sad endings, because endings means good byes.

P.S. If you're planning on watching it get your tissues ready. It will be a fun but painful ride.

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There are many aspects to this drama but what struck me most are the many faces of love portrayed here. There is the mother who wills her son to run away and live, the mother who chases her son away because she doesn't want hom to suffer a life like hers, an aristocratic grandfather who allows his beloved granddaughter to learn gunnery and attend a western school so that she will be better equipped to face the new world, a slave soldier who loves a noblewoman with a love so warm and protective though he knows he can never have her, a Japanese samurai heading a violent gang, obsessed with a love for her born out of a single act of kindness and an aristocrat, born to wealth, having known no hardship at all, frivolous, lighthearted, till he learns of the terrible things his family did.
Everyone of the five main characters touched my heart in different ways. The acting was on point. The humour was delightful especially as the relationship of the three men moved to a different level of empathy and understanding. The scenes in which Ae Shin learns English and Eugene learns Korean were delicious!
And most beautiful of all was the love story of the American Joseon soldier who didn't belong anywhere and the plucky young Go Ae Shin who fought to protect her motherland. He loved her but he hated Joseon and yet he helped her in every way he could. This is the best love story I have ever watched in a kdrama and I find myself going back to their scenes together again and again.

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