Mr. Sunshine: Um Raio de Sol (2018)

CANNOT begin to describe how beautiful this show was. Extraordinary is an ordinary word for this show. A masterpiece, so unique and so so beautiful in each and every aspect of the willingness of this show to be beyond its imaginary reach.
This drama has so much potential and great cast. I watched the lead's movie sometime back, "I saw the Devil" and instantly liked him. In this show, he looks much more mature and is paired up with a fairly young actress, but they make a striking pair. I was rooting for them all along.
The story is a massive hit. Other characters play their parts almost brilliantly, there is nothing I dislike about this show.
Must watch, it is beautiful!

Leia Mais

Utterly Glorious, Must-Watch Brilliant Masterpiece full of Historical Importance - PURE GOLD

"The first English words she learned were gun, glory, and sad endings."

I'm not even sure where to start talking. EVERYTHING about this drama is excellent. It's got it all: Beautiful cinematography (the COLORS, the SETTINGS, the COSTUMES - ALL stunning), a perfect cast, intricate and complex plot/s (absolutely zero fillers - the intensity and suspense is Off The Charts), diverse characters with amazing dynamics, all the while immersing you in the historical setting and times of (the end of) Joseon Korea.

It's a time of shifting allegiances and complex politics and the inevitable shift from the ancient, dynastic/aristocratic society to the brave new modern world of electricity, trains, and guns. Not to mention the shift of power from the Joseon royals to colonialist, imperialistic Japan.

Love the fact that there are so many various nations and languages presented here in their original languages and cultures. The cultural crossroads being presented is flawlessly done. Not to mention the fact that characters from essentially all walks of life/all classes/backgrounds you can imagine are represented in their own right. All of which make for some extremely interesting and fantastic relations on-screen.

Probably the most beautiful and rewatchable historical kdrama ever. I love it so much that I want to imprint it in my mind and relive ALL the moments (actually I had rewatched many episodes twice already). Absolutely wrecked me with how solid it is. I love each and every one of the main characters: all very relatable and all very heartbreakingly REAL and ICONIC in their respective ways. There's family, friendship, bromance, companionship, brotherhood, (slow-burn and honestly THE MOST romantic) romance/s, and heartwarming and funny banter to balance out the seriousness of it all: it doesn't pull any punches in its intensity and realism.

Some may complain a bit about the pacing: I actually like it for what it is because the slower, more drawn-out scenes allow me to reflect back on previous, more fast-paced scenes and information. And also I think it's a great opportunity to ponder about what the characters are thinking (but which they're not saying aloud). No minute feels wasted here.

I've seen the other two Kim Eun Sook and Lee Eung Bok team-ups - GOBLIN as well as DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN - and those are great. Yet this is a Whole New Level in yet another completely different genre.

The more I think and reflect on this show the more I love it and appreciate its brilliancy and exceptionalism. I feel honored to be able to journey alongside these beautiful people.

Definitely the gold standard for historical dramas. I will never get over it.


"The steps we took resembled who we are.
The article one wrote instead of a will. Opium that burned through one's broken body in the amount of the life he had left. The Korean flag that was given to a man who was forever a foreigner.

Will our final destination be somewhere between glory and a sad ending?
Maybe we just didn't know how to stop. Or perhaps, we had no reason to stop. Maybe it was love of our own country."

Leia Mais

This series cinematography and visuals was what got me hooked. It felt like I was watching a high budget Hollywood production, each episode felt like a movie in itself. Casting was on-point maybe except for Ae-sin who I think have very soft features to be a gun slinging sniper. At times she looks like a teenager who seems out of place in that chaotic Joseon era. The main characters deep and tragic history and development was superb. However, the main fault for me was that having the 3 male leads with such powerful characters go after Ae-sin.
I mean, I get their deep history with her but I feel like a more interesting storylines could have been explored if the plot did not stick to this "love quadrangle" until the very end.
Ae-sin's passiveness and poker face acting just didnt do it for me. There was Hina who was a unique lovable character but Dong-Mae failed to even realize her love for him because he just had to get Ae-sin. I cried so hard when Hina died in Dong-Mae's back while confessing her feelings to him. They were not even given a single day to spend together after she waited for him for 3 years ?.
The finale made up of the last 2 episodes were just dang good! I mean I have never been satisfied with a kdrama ending like this for a loonggg time. As expected in a war death came and a piece of my heart died with each characters passing. Each death may seem rushed at the end but it was artistic and meaningful and heart wrenching to the core. Ae-sin as the last man standing was as it should be. All in all this is a series definitely worth watching! ❤

Leia Mais

Beautiful but ultimately hollow symbolism

I have finished watching MR SUNSHINE, and there was so much that I loved about this prestige kdrama. The writing of the heroine was SO good in how it discussed and defied some of the worse kdrama-heroine tropes. There was amazingly trenchant and deeply nuanced social criticism, gorgeous cinematography, lots of fascinating history, the warmest and most positive depiction of Christianity I've ever seen in a kdrama, men who drink respect women juice, the beautiful and angsty Gu Dong-Mae, FABULOUS period clothing, and rivals in love learning to put aside their differences in favour of shooting imperialists.

But the show has a major flaw - a flaw that was particularly interesting to me, because it's the precise sort of flaw that I would be most prone to. The screenwriter, who does such brilliant work in so many other ways, is clearly most fascinated by the themes and symbolism she keeps bubbling away in the story's subtext. The problem is that these themes and symbolism - which delightfully clever - are not actually supported by the storytelling, and particularly by the characterisation.

And it's a really fun, rich, resonant bit of symbolism: Ae-Sin is not just a character in the story, she's the living embodiment of Joseon Korea. She's beautiful, desirable, noble, privileged, gradually awakening to a life of hardship and struggle and resistance. Each of the three male leads in the story has a different complicated relationship with her. Eugene has run away from Korea, but returning as an adult cannot help falling in love with the land and the people in defiance of the nobility who mistreated him as a boy. Gu Dong-mae was horribly oppressed by his homeland but cannot help loving it anyway; the Korea which oppressed both men also saved their lives through small acts of kindness. And finally, Hee-Sung, Korea's richest son, is her approved betrothed, but past injustices committed by his family against the people Ae-Sin cares about stand between them. The three men fall in love, not with Ae-Sin, but with their homeland. They express their love for the woman by sacrificing themselves for the homeland; in dedicating themselves to her, they cannot help dedicating themselves to the fight for freedom.

This is why the story had to have a sad ending. None of these men can espouse the whole country; they can only die for her, while Ae-Sin - Korea itself - lives on, alone and victorious, even in exile.

This symbolism is itself delightfully rich, deftly painted, and rewarding to think back upon once you see it. There's only one problem: it doesn't. make. sense.

From the very start of the show, I felt a little impatient with the writing because the relationships between the heroine and her three suitors are so poorly developed. The feelings come out of nowhere. Take Gu Dong-Mae, for instance: he last met this woman when she saved his life as children. Now, it just takes a brush of her dress across his fingers to get him pining madly for her. Hee-Sung, after avoiding her for the best part of a decade, gets one glimpse of Ae-Sin at the washing-line and just like that conceives an undying passion for her. The central relationship, between Ae-Sin and Eugene, doesn't fare much better. The problem is that the story demands each of the male leads to sacrifice himself for Ae-Sin by the end of the show, and I simply couldn't understand why they should. They all have multiple other women pining for them, and Ae-Sin doesn't give two of them the slightest encouragement to hope. I wanted them so badly to find happiness with one of the other women, and they never did.

What MR SUNSHINE needed was not primarily rich and complex symbolism - it was believable characterisation and relationship development. As it was, the lack of substance to the relationships cheapened the grand historical tragedy which was being told. When at the climactic moment the last of the three leads sacrifices himself for the heroine, it felt cheesy and unintentionally funny, rather than tragic.

I loved so much about this story, but the heart of it never clicked for me, and it's a crying shame that with all that budget and talent, it wasn't better written. And that, for me, will be the central tragedy of MR SUNSHINE.

Leia Mais

I've heard a lot about this drama and that's one of the main reason why I watched it and wow oh wow! It took me by surprise!

I knew this drama is good based from what I've heard but I never really thought it would be THIS good. It exceeded my expections by 1000%. I'm really not the biggest fan of dramas about war or was set during that period but somehow I just found myself wanting to watch the episodes consecutively. I just can't seem to stop. And I really don't know what is the reason for this. I thought to myself, I wasn't a huge fan of anyone here, not really a huge fan of the main couple BUT something about this drama just makes me keep wanting to watch more.

would 100% recommend this drama to every one. The sexual tension between the FL and the three MLs are no joke, really did not know whom to ship her with since all the three guys are amazing in their own ways. During the initial episodes you can already tell that the three MLs are genuine. Really love their brotherhood. But what kept me from enjoying their mischievous acts in the beginning might be because I already foresaw that their ending won't be a happy one.

The last episode made me cry a lot. This drama might be a fiction but watching these types of films makes you realize what type of life our ancestors had. What sacrifices were made for us to live a life that we are living now. It gives you a deeper appreciation on the things that we have now. The last episode also made me realize that choices we make now, big or small, will somehow have an effect on us which is why always choose to be kind no matter what. This was shown in the beginning of the last episode. I literally had goosebumps when the people tried to protect Ae Shin. It was such a touching moment.

I really felt sad for the three male leads but I feel more for Kim Hui Seong and Go Dong Mae because I think they weren't given the recognition that they deserved.

This is me just rambling on because it has just been 10 minutes since I finished this drama and my thoughts are all over but bottomline is THIS IS A MASTERPIECE. IF YOU HAVEN't WATCHED IT YET PLEASE DO.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

Phenomenal

Mr Sunshine has gone well beyond a drama to a masterpiece in its own right. I just finished watching it and I have to say it is easily one of the most stunning dramas that I have ever seen. The performances of every actor involved were so evolved that every character came to life in a gripping and heart wrenching manner and yet there were so many times when I found myself smiling and falling in love with even the secondary characters at the way they could still manage to find humour in such difficult times.

All in all this was a story of epic proportions and a true epitaph to all those who fought so hard to keep their own national identity and independence. Thank you to all those involved in the making of this wonderful piece and to the fallen and those who continued the fight I salute you. You brought a story that needed to be told not just to the generations of those who followed but to the entire world. Well done.

Leia Mais

It is hard for me to pinpoint how I feel about this drama. It had a lot going on for it but also had a lot of flaws. It had some of the most beautifully shot and memorable scenes, yet so much of the drama was filled with skippable fluff.

The setting of the drama is what initially attracted me. At the turn of the century, it is an important time for Joseon, where their fate for the next few decades, even up to our day and age, would be determined during that time. One of the themes that were emphasized in this drama is the injustices some Koreans went through at the hands of their people, especially due to hierarchy. This resulted in many people with a grudge against their own country, especially against the nobles.

Another very strong point about this drama is the character development. Other than the Japanese antagonistic, and the depiction of some traitors, many of the characters were given layers and layers, that you can't help but feel for. Of course, it all bloomed thanks to the talented actors behind it. Starting with Kim Tae Ri playing the character with a mission Go Ae Shin. This character could've easily become overbearing (think Gaksital FL), yet here she remains constant. As the story goes on, you can't help but be driven by her plight. And that is what happened with all 4 other leads. Eugene Choi on the other hand is the character I connected with the most. The feeling of not belonging to neither country can be lonely. You see him struggle daily trying to understand where he stands. I admired how he never felt ashamed of his origin and felt for his pain and grudge against those who caused it. Then you see his grudge falter as he is met with people that kept challenging the preconceived notion of his birthplace. Lee Byung Hun really gave his all for this character, especially towards the end.

Watching Yoo Yeon Seok after seeing him in "Hospital playlist" it is difficult to accept that is the same person. Looks aside, his character is the most pitiful and toxic. He has no problem slicing anyone in half if they got on his wrong side, yet he won't hesitate to protect them if he sees anyone being unfairly treated. The most tragic character is Kudo Hina / Lee Yang Hwa played by Kim Min Jung. Having been sold off previously like some commodity really shaped her personality. She is all about being in control, however, the one thing she could never control is the action of her parents. This breaks her time and again throughout the drama. You can also sense the sadness in her eyes. Finally, Kim Hui Sung played by Byun Yo Han was the main reason for me for starting this drama. He was the actual sunshine here. His smile lightened my day, even when you could feel the heavy burden behind it.

Of course, what made this drama memorable is a large number of supporting characters. Gunner Jang was a character I followed and rooted throughout. This story was as much his story, as it was Go Ae Sin's story of a man who rejected the leaders of his country but chose its people. He was the forever rebellious Jang. Another character that stood out is the king. He was frustrating for most of the drama, but as the story went on, you realize how helpless he felt, and how carefully he chose his actions to protect his people. Being in his place is the most crumbling experience. There were many more, too many interesting characters.

The horror of colonialism is really well exposed here. The actions the Japanese did makes you wonder if it was possible to lose one's humanity to this point. Now, I do not know if what was portrayed was exaggerated. Some instances couldn've been, while others not. However, I do know the dangers of collective brainwash. When being constantly fed on how those "other" people are less than you, your brain accepts it and you become desensitized. Seeing what my beloved Japanese people did was really conflicting. But that is the truth of becoming a colonizer. Though they suffer a lot later due to losing the war, I think that was a blessing in disguise. It helped them reflect on what they have become and change. That opportunity was never offered to those that never lost a war.

Action scenes were great overall, but especially the sword fights with Gu Dong Mae. The scenery was beautiful, and some scenes were haunting. The train scene will probably go down as one of the most beautiful scenes in my memory.

While the drama had all those great things going for it, it still took me so long to finish. I lost my motivation to watch due to the lack of direction for the story to take. Each episode was between 75 - 80 minutes, with much of it had the characters walking around and eating dessert. The actual story starts at around episodes 19-20. Yes, it took THAT long for the story to take off. That is too much fat needed to shed. There is also the mix of history and myths that bothered me, and no reasoning given for actions that took so long to be taken. For example, the Mori character made no sense. They used it to turn the Japanese colonization of Korea to be some family centuries-old conspiracy when this had nothing to do with the truth, nor the overall story. Just added drama that didn't amount to anything. The portrayal of America is also in the same vein. On one hand, it's treated like this paradise, only to be brought down to reality by our Korea-American hero. One line said really stood out:

"America & Britain lent Japan a total of $410 million dollars, and 40% of it is being spent on the war. The two countries basically forced Japan into the war. Hence, America will never help Joseon. The Russo-Japanese war will result in a great deal of profit for America”

The music was overall negligible, but there was some sweet background that brought peace to the scenes.

It was overall a good drama to watch if it wasn't for the dragginess. I do recommend it to all.

Leia Mais

The Best Korean Drama. PERIOD.

It's my favorite korean drama EVER. Nothing can beat this one ever. It's perfect in many ways. It's a crime not to watch and even greater crime to not like it. It's SO PERFECT! It was so captivating that after 2 years I still haven't rewatched it yet. I dwelled so many emotions and energy while watching it. Just thinking about it makes me happy and bitter at the same time. I made it my routine to listen its AMAZING soundtracks. THEY ARE MAGNIFICENT! I still listen to them every other day. Which is also the reason why the drama still feels so fresh to me. It's a top tier korean drama in every way possible. Watch it and love it. It will leave a big impact on your life and mind.

Leia Mais

So, how do I begin this? It hasn't been five minutes since I finished this drama and I'm here writing a review about it just because I feel like exploding, and I cried like a baby. This drama was too much!

I've waited long enough for this drama to air last year. The moment they released its trailer, I knew that I should definitely watch it. So there came the month of July. I initially planned on watching this while it was on-going but the pacing from episodes one to nine was too slow for me. But good thing I picked it up again.

The element of getting yourselves on the edges of your seats was there, the element of anger, grievance, love, friendship, just... everything. I loved how well-rounded the characters were especially the five leads; they never tilted, they went forward to the paths where they knew they belonged.

Go Ae Sin had only one goal in her life and that was to save her motherland. Eugene Choi, a foreigner on the land of his roots, ended up saving the country who abandoned him. Gu Dong Mae loved only one woman and went on taking the road that would lead to her safety. Kina Hudo, a Japanese woman by name, yet a patriotic Joseon by soul. And lastly, Kim Hui Seong, the man who just wanted to know what his heart really desired.

This drama was like a movie extended to twenty-four episodes. The cinematograhy, the music, the costumes, the production design... everything was perfect. It was perfectly executed. The story-telling made you feel the feels, so is the topnotch acting of everyone--the support roles were really something, too. This drama was really deserving to bag the "Drama of the Year" award.

Thank you for lighting up the flaming desire in our hearts. Let us not say goodbye, rather, see you again.

Leia Mais

The most stunning piece of art and cinematography I've ever seen...

I cannot express enough my applause and love for this drama. It is just so full and so profound in many ways that captivated my heart and soul. The story was so well written that bound every single character in the drama, no matter how small their role was. The scriptwriter really succeeded in retelling a wartime story in such a new and passionate way. Usually, when I watch historical or wartime dramas and movies, I just consider myself as an audience and watch them because they are entertaining, informative, or dramatic. But with Mr. Sunshine, I really felt that the drama touched my heart and soul, leaving me feeling the same way with every character in the drama, and made me feel like I was just right there in the drama, standing beside these characters. The love lines between the characters are well developed, too, with portrayals of different ways of loving and caring for others. There's one thing that's interesting about the chemistry between the two main characters: even though there were almost no intimate acts (kiss or something more than that, the best they did was hugging, and I wish there was even one kiss scene), the love that both characters have for each other is very existent, it's like their affections for each other were oozing out of their eyes and body movements, it's just something that you can feel it even without having to look at it with your eyes. Really great acting and chemistry!
Everything else than that, the cinematography, the OST, the scene set-up, the acting, were all top-notch. The drama gives the audience all kinds of emotions: heartbroken, happy, comical, angry, frustrated, disappointed, excited, and so on. As I said, this is a profound and fulfilling piece of artwork that deserves applause and appreciation.

Leia Mais