Mr. Sunshine (TV Series 2018) Poster

(2018)

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10/10
An epic Korean Drama not to be missed!
daybidcho16 July 2018
This is an epic drama loosely based on the history of Korea from the perspectives of different but engaging characters. It is set in the time where Joseon (Korea) is fought over between different countries with America and Japan. The main character is played by Byung-Hun Lee, who is a phenomenal Korean actor and opposite of his role is Tae-ri Kim who is a newer actress. Byung-Hun Lee has many years of experience and is a well known Korean actor and he has appeared in numerous American films such as G.I. Joe and R.E.D. Both the actors bring fierce intensity to their roles with their well acted scenes and show such emotion through their lines, looks and even their stares. The supporting cast is also superb as they tell their own stories in this conflicted time. All in all the drama has great production value and truly keeps you mesmerized through it's weekly episodes. If you are a fan of Korean dramas or even if you aren't familiar with them, then this is a great series that you can watch.
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10/10
Emotional
deadgirl_dreaming10 September 2018
Haven't watched such a good series in years! Every episode feels like a movie. The cinematography and visuals are stunning, the score is hauntingly beautiful, the characters are full of depth and you can't help but develop an overwhelming attachment to them. Amazing actors. This has become My favourite series of all time
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10/10
Hollywood should be envious
ackermanle5 August 2018
Do not let the cheesy title of this series fool you. This is extraordinary from many points of view. Historically, it is based on an actual setting, something very few people in this country would know about Korea, Japan and the USA. Within that framework, the clash of cultures, where values are different and honor prevails. The aesthetics of the production are something to marvel at. And then, the characters, who behave in accordance to strict rules surely strange to us behaving in ways that are, ultimately, quite fascinating. The love relation develops strangely, slowly and far from any courtship you could ever imagine. That gets performed by the two main characters in rather fascinating fashion as well. I do not recall seeing a picture where a still face and a minimal movement could unload so much expression. Actress Tae-ri Kim packs more beauty and feeling in still silence than any actress I can recall; she deserves stardom just for such incredible skill. I have seen five episodes, and I am mesmerized.
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10/10
A Virtually Unparalleled Series in the History of Television!
spasek22 February 2019
I have been watching movies and shows for over forty years. And, yes, this show is THAT good! After watching "Descendants of the Sun" only a couple of years ago, I was wondering how long it would be before another grand series came about; a series that resonates with the heart and soul; a series with a crisp story and fantastic performances by the actors. And along came "Mr. Sunshine."

I can only think of a couple of series that are on par with "Mr. Sunshine." "Band of Brothers" is one and "Descendants of the Sun" is another.

What is truly sad is that much of the world is quite ignorant when it comes to Korean history, I'm sure. It's a country that always seems to be at odds with Japan, and sometimes China and Russia as well. Its turbulent history has too often been plagued by invasions or other countries attempting to gain control of the small peninsula.

"Mr. Sunshine" tells of the time when Korea was, once again, fighting against Japanese occupation in the beginning of the 20th century. With virtually no real army to speak of and a king with little power on the throne, Korea or "Joseon" found itself relying on rebel guerilla tactics to try and prevent the Japanese from a complete takeover.

Several characters find themselves unknowingly intertwined with each other at the outset of the series. One boy finds himself quickly orphaned and making his way to America to begin a new life. He returns to Joseon years later as a U.S. Marine Captain. Little does he know how the turn of events would pull him into the conflict between his previous homeland and Japan.

The story's focal point is on three men who all happen to have feelings for the same woman, Go Ae-shin; a woman with a background as terrible and wrought with horror as the marine captain's. And yet, she is the heart and soul of the rebel forces. It is admirable and captivating to see this woman spearhead the rebellion, as well as her willingness to do whatever it takes to help her country. Tae-Ri Kim is perfectly cast, giving Ae-shin tremendous depth and complexity to her character.

The cast is simply magnificent from top to bottom. Every role, no matter how large or small, is handled with immaculate precision and depth. However, there is, to my mind, one who stands out just a hair above the rest. And that is Byung-Hun Lee as Eugene Choi, the marine captain. The man has a regal distinction that very few actors in history have been able to pull off with such ease. He may appear to be emotionless in many of his scenes, but to make such an assumption would be wholly inaccurate. I've said many times: an actor/actress who can say more with their eyes than with words, is a true master at their craft. Byung-Hun Lee is such a performer. I cannot imagine anyone else playing this part with the integrity and depth that he brings to Eugene Choi.

This is quite literally a "Do not miss!" series. With 24 episodes, each at about 75 minutes each, you are in for a wonderful treat. This is a show to savor. One might be wishing to quickly move on to the next episode, but I found myself stepping back and letting each episode soak within me instead. Like a perfect French dessert, you relish taking your time and savoring each bite. This is such a series.
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10/10
Great show with beautiful cinematography
easternautumn23 July 2018
I am a huge fan of Korean shows, and this one is no exception. It is a beautiful story, with just as beautiful cinematography and rich characters. As others have written, the first episode kind of goes all over the place, but it is worth sticking around, because you basically figure out who is who in the second episode.
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10/10
Eye Candy for Aesthetes, History Buffs, and Romantics
Revuer22331 July 2018
The show is set in early 20th century Korea, few years away from being occupied by the Japanese Empire. The ruling Joseon dynasty has finally opened up their ports to Western powers and modernization is happening at an unprecedented pace for historically xenophobic Koreans.

The setting is a playground for showmakers to flaunt the beauties of multiple cultures: Korean, Japanese, and Western. And they flaunt them masterfully, coupled with the beautiful Korean geography. For every episode I was overtaken by the aesthetics of the show.

The show is also a subject of interest for history buffs. As Westerners watching the show, Korean history is probably the last thing we would be interested by. It is interesting to see how the show portrays adapting Korean people and how foreign involvements in Korea during the period played out. Also, the main character features a Korean-American Marine Corps captain. Sounds far-fetched? Surprisingly not, I have found.

And, of course, the romance. I should not say too much, but I will say that the show will make you cheer for the male and female leads.

In sum, this show offers no other show has to the greater international audience. I found Netflix to be quite dull when it comes to recent originals. But Netflix really outdid themselves this time around.
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10/10
Gorgeous Cinematography!
kristinleanabunch16 July 2018
We just got done with the first episode, and my husband and I enjoyed it immensely. The cinematography work is stunning, the battle scenes are well choreographed and realistic, and there is some great acting in this show. The story line is shaping up to be an interesting one. There is a lot going on in this first episode, and you may find yourself frustrated at first, trying to figure out the timeline and characters, as there are flash forwards and more than one story line, but it looks at least for now, that they will start merging fairly quickly. I highly recommend this show.

UPDATE: We have moved through the first 5 episodes, and this show just keeps getting better and better!
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10/10
Extraordinarily Brilliant!!
unrivaledraj12 September 2021
So I just finished the series. And this is the first thing I'm doing, writing this review , because it's so overwhelming.

I loved the show from the beginning, but it was a little slow for my taste, but understandably because it's set in 19th century. So I dragged the first 15 episodes for around 2 weeks(I usually finish a season in couple of days), but the last 9 episodes are absolutely a blast. It picks up pace so quickly and things get in motion flawlessly. Now about the show.

It's a masterpiece, storyline, plot, character development, acting , background score everything is absolutely amazing. Hats off to everyone for making something so amazing, it's definitely gonna etch a mark in the mind of viewers. Recommended to everyone, especially to those who don't watch korean dramas. I have watched more than 100 shows from different countries and regions and this is among my top 5 shows.

Like I said. OVERWHELMING!!!
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9/10
Every frame is perfect
malucitab6 August 2018
This is the most beautifully done series I've ever seen. Each frame of each shot was like a painting. The story is your typical historical k drama but because the cinematography is so on point it becomes like a beautiful story book. It's worth binge watching over and over again.
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10/10
Absolutely Captivating!
wheatley-2023018 December 2020
Being British I struggled somewhat with the array of characters with unrecognisable names in episode 1 but I stuck with it and was hooked by the end of episode 2. Each further installment dragged me deeper into this enchanting love story set against momentous historical events.

Over the years I have watched many good television series. But this is the first time I have ever finished a series and immediately watched it again.

P. S. I have just watched this yet again and still find it wonderful. Contrary to less positive reviewers, for me this series is packed with incident. In particular the last half dozen episodes fly by at a thrilling pace. I suppose the first half dozen episodes proceed more sedately, focused as they are on the beautiful love story at the centre of this drama, as well as developing the sparky relationships between the 5 main characters in this ensemble piece. But it is that love story and those relationships that bring so much emotional heft to the story. As I have already said I was captivated by the end of episode 2!
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9/10
This is your fight, I'm only helping you
alaningle717 May 2020
Very enjoyable series telling the early struggle of Korea to overcome Japanese influence and occupation. As with many Korean dramas we have lots of strong characters with fascinating back stories. All 3 male leads love a Korean noble lady who is also a freedom fighter and only one can win her heart. The series is well filmed and acted and the director wrings out the emotions very well. As it should be with all good series I was very sad to finish it.
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Worthy of an Emmy Award
levodis-8550916 February 2019
Without a doubt, this is the best film (i.e., TV series) I have seen in the past five years. From a technical standpoint, it has everything; great story line & plot; directing, blocking, the acting was superb, cinematography techniques (...I was particularly impressed with the use of the camera angles including the use of the Dutch Tilt, slow-mo, top-down angles; movement through and across the frame, tracking shots and rack focusing); and the lighting; use of colors; variation in the music content; sound and visual effects. From an emotional point of view, I was continually surprised by the manner in which the audience is led into the use of symbolism as the story unfolds (great writing!). For five days, I was completely obsessed with the next episodes and the sequential development. On at least five different occasions, I was brought to tears and the finale left me exhausted emotionally. I spent the next two days, doing research on this film hoping to find something that would mention the film's success and developing my comments. Obviously, this was a big budget production and I sincerely hope that the producers and all those that had a vested interest consider this production an enormous success whether the economic return met their expectations or not. Congratulations and thank you. From an artistic perspective, this film is worthy of at least an Emmy Award - if not more. This film truly moved my heart.
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6/10
Great cinematography, story is a mess
ninchenbienchen5 December 2020
This show started out quite well, though it took at least 3 episodes to understand what was even going on and where the story was headed. Or where I thought it was headed. Because this show can be divided into three parts and as a whole I couldn't manage to pinpoint what the message and the purpose of this show was.

The first part is about the backstory of some key figures in this show and how and why their lives evolved the way they did. This part is really sad and bloody.

The second part of this show nothing much happens. The story doesn't evolve much and you feel like you're going in circles because only small incidents keep happening but the problems with Japan and all really take a backseat in this part. So I'd say this is the part where the focus is on the main couple and the key characters around them. The thing is: even the relationship of the main couple didn't evolve much, they hugged three times and that's it. Don't expect to see a kiss either. It was kind of weird to see a story about a couple that was apart a lot and skipped most of the key milestones in romantic relationships but are supposed to be the loves of each other's lives.

The third and last part is all about the Japan & Korea treaty and its consequences as in Korea losing their sovereignty and the so called righteous army trying to defend their country. Not much romance here either, only lots of blood and tragic deaths.

So what was the purpose of this series? I don't really know. Neither the romance part convinced me much nor the historical part because major facts of how it even came as far as the treaty and Korea losing its sovereignty weren't well explained or depicted. The show made it seem like Korea and the emperor just sat back and watched until it was already too late. A quick research told me that this show has been openly criticized for having done poor research and not explaining and the depicting the events better and after watching this show I must say I agree.

The heroism of some korean citizens, mainly the righteous army, seemed bittersweet in that context because you don't really understand why it had to come this far in the first place.

Also, I hated the ending and not because it was bittersweet but because the female lead got more than she deserved in my opinion and because it was unfair to all the other amazing characters who deserved way better. But watch for yourself.

Like I said, the cinematography was awesome and the OST on point.

Conclusion: Great OST and cinematography, purpose/message of the show isn't clear, story lacks historical facts and better explanations of depicted historical events and how they came to be.
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3/10
Huge missed potential
patrithecho1 October 2018
Positives:
  • Beautiful costumes and set
  • Good acting by most main characters (with exceptions)
  • Beautiful cinematography, although some shots were overdone


Negatives:
  • Zero chemistry between two main characters, Kim tae Ri and Lee Byung Hun. The main story revovles around their love story, which can't be felt at any stage of the story
  • Story moves waaaaay to slow. The show needed a lot more action, twists, turns and more interesting dialogues/confrontations. There was so much potential with the historical context, that hasn't been used at all.
  • Lee Byung Hun's revenge story wrapped up too soon/handled poorly. One of the few interesting elements in the story was written so poorly. His desire for revenge just somehow fizzled out and petered out to nothing
  • Embarrassing acting by all English-speaking actors, plus the French actor. Never seen so many poor actors in one drama. How can you can not make an effort to cast actual actors from America/France/Great Britain. I'm sure there are lot of talented actors that don't cost a fortune. Instead, it feels like the production team just picked up random foreigners they found on the streets of Seoul.
  • Lee Byung Hun is a miscast. He knows how to play an action character, and I believed his rage when it came to his dead parents. Everything else (romance and humour) he just doesn't seem to be able to pull it off.
  • Unncessary love triangle/quare(?). Was that really necessary? I guess so, since it is a K drama
  • Too many cliche K drama scenes (excessive use of flashbacks, soundtrack, and characters just staring at each other for long periods of time while they are about to cry)


Overall: With all the hype, names, and money involved, definitely a huge disappointment. Regret having watched the whole show to be honest.
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10/10
GREAT LOVE STORY
maribelcolon-5871323 August 2018
Im ABSOLUTELY loving it. The writers did an amazing job with the casting( loved everyone role)and the scripts. It was, emotional, funny, educational, exciting, passionate, just a little of it all. The cinematography was absolutely breathtaking, the slow action parts bonus. First time I ever watched a Korean series with subtitle and it won't be my last. I can't say enough, but to give a chance, and watch it, and see for yourself.

Thank you for a great series and thanks to the writers and actors. Wish you many more successes.
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10/10
A masterpiece on the beauty of the Joseon
winstow8 June 2019
Probably the people who wrote negative reviews have misunderstood the true meaning of the story. This is not a romantic TV series, this is simply a genuine hymn to the beauty and strength of the Joseon. The romantic story between the lovers is only the frame of a splendid picture depicting the Joseon of the years 1870-1920. The real protagonists are the emotions and the ardor of those who have the strength to fight for the survival of their homeland, even at the cost of their lives.
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9/10
Give this Korean story a chance
jfp66113 August 2018
Yes, this is a romance but a wonderful non-gratuitous love story. Pact with historical themes, very interesting characters, class warfare, revenge and absolution. What I enjoyed most was the pacing of the story, it rarely gets "stuck". Also the cinematography was outstanding, capturing the highlights of the story and the beautiful set locations. I highly recommend listening to this in its native language because the rhythms of actors voices would be ruined by any "dub". Cannot say enough on how much I enjoy "waiting" for the weekends to get the next episodes of this show.
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10/10
Can't get enough
taa-0153326 August 2018
I absolutely love Mr Sunshine. After watching each episode a number of times in their entirety I find myself watching my favorite scenes over and over while I wait for the newest to be released on Saturday and Sunday. The actors, the story, the landscape, the camerawork and direction are all perfect. I'm grateful to have stumbled on to it.
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10/10
The best Korean drama I've ever seen
kiffoc26 August 2018
It is an age that there are countless dramas of love storyline. Among similar TV-dramas, the one "Mr. Sunshine" is a very high quality TV-movie series. Especially, the great performance produced by male lead Lee Byung-hun and female lead Kim Tae-ri are one of the delights of watching this drama. Mr. Lee is already a great actor well-known to the public. On the other hand, in my case, Ms. Kim first got to know her through this drama. The reason why I wait for this drama every weekend is her presence. Her beautiful acting and her elegant voice are one of the main factors that make the drama distinguishable from countless ordinary love story movies. Of course, the power of the drama script and the ability of the director are indispensable. The period of the drama is from 1990 to 1905. Nevertheless, the love story of the two lovers is moving beyond the times.
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10/10
Just Amazing
ghcheese8 August 2020
I just started watching Korean shows. This one is so good. I could go on and on. I'm telling you to watch this because it is so damn good. Maybe Hollywood should start watching Korean shows. They like to steal ideas. Steal the idea of making a good movie.
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10/10
Don't let the title fool you--watch it and be rewarded with a great show!
facesofine2 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Best show I've seen in a long time. Great acting, dialogue, story, scenery, cinematography, oh my! the list goes on. I'm in love with all 5 leads. They had great chemistry between each other. The characters were perfectly cast. And I almost broke my tv wanting to kill the villains (btw, played by wonderful actors who brought me to the brink of insanity). I was waiting fervently each week for the new episodes to air. It was torture not being able to binge-watch. Now that it's over, I think I'm going to have withdrawal symptoms develop soon.

After being on the edge of my seat through the 24 episodes, I hated the ending, of course. But it was inevitable in this setting, I suppose. I didn't know much about this time period nor what happened to Korea historically (except the Korean War with US). And as the emperor lamented in one scene, no one in the world seemed to care about what was happening in this obscure part of the globe. No one knew. And those who did simply wanted no part in it. No one came to their aide. They suffered alone. I was so moved and compelled by the atrocities and sufferings that I had to google history to find out more. I only wish they had explained the title...it's a tad baffling.

Final thought, just watch it--Don't miss out on a wonderful series. Much more meaningful than Crazy Rich Asians, imho.
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10/10
No Flaws Here...
gkhege24 June 2021
It only takes one word to describe this series, Perfection... I don't even notice the subtitles. A must watch for the entire family. Enough said.
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Heartbreaking But So Good
Isle19708 July 2020
Tremendous acting and such a poignant tale. I felt like I was reading a beautiful novel and had a hard time waiting till the day was done and the kids were in bed to get back to it. I loved the length and thoroughness of the telling, and the time they took to incorporate beauty, love, heart, anguish and eternal hope. I feel like a better person for having watched it. I am inspired to research and learn more, and will be on the lookout for more from this cast and this creative team who wove a story so deep and so well, that I believe I will carry it with me forever.
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6/10
Too Long x 2
jamie_murdoch29 August 2018
Like many tv shows it starts off with great potential but falls into the trap of trying to milk every last ounce out of it. It could easily have been done in half the time. With hours spent staring blankly at each other, whispering then wandering off, only to repeat the same scene again, and again, and again. The plot needs to be a lot more fast paced and twice the amount of action. It could have benefited from getting some better quality American actors also as the ones used may as well be made out of wood. It still has several episodes to go so could rescue itself somewhat but now I'm watching out of some sort of obligation with very few enjoyable/interesting moments each episode as it's so strung out. Repeating the same scenes in the same locations....
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4/10
Tedious
breemoria6 September 2018
Photography is great as has been mentioned by other reviewers. Too much in the way artistic shots with lingering emotional framing result in boredom. My mind wanders and i wonder why i am still watching. I couldn't make it through the first episode. No likeable characters but the beastiality of man is well portrayed.
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