Mr. Sunshine (South Korean TV series)

Mr. Sunshine (Korean: 미스터 션샤인) is a South Korean television series written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok, starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-ri, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Min-jung, and Byun Yo-han. The series is set in Hanseong (present-day Seoul) in the early 1900s, and focuses on activists fighting for Korea's independence. It aired on tvN from July 7 to September 30, 2018, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:00 (KST), and premiered internationally on Netflix.
Upon its final broadcast, Mr. Sunshine was the third highest-rated series in Korean cable television history, with the last episode reaching 18.129% and netting an average rating of 12.955%, the highest average rating ever recorded for cable television at the time. Critically, it was acclaimed for its cinematography and storytelling, as well as its strong female characters and portrayal of the lower classes. At the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, it received eight nominations and a Best Actor win for Lee Byung-hun. However, the series was also criticized for what some perceived as an inaccurate representation of historical facts, accusing it of being "pro-Japanese", while others argued that it actually enforced stereotypes of the Japanese as villains and the Americans as heroes.
Mr. Sunshine centres around Eugene Choi, who was born into slavery in Joseon. After his father is beaten to death and his mother dies protecting him, young Eugene escapes to the United States at the time of the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident with the help of a Christian missionary. He grows up in New York City and becomes a Marine Corps officer.
When he returns to Korea as a captain serving in the US legation in Hanseong, Eugene meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a nobleman's granddaughter who is secretly a freedom fighter and sniper for the Righteous Army. However, their love is challenged by their different classes and the presence of Kim Hui-seong, a nobleman from a prominent family who has been Ae-shin's betrothed since childhood.
Eugene also encounters Gu Dong-mae, a ruthless samurai; and Kudo Hina, the Joseon-born widow of a wealthy Japanese man and owner of the popular "Glory Hotel".
As he discovers a plot by the Empire of Japan to colonize Korea, Eugene soon becomes embroiled in the fight for his birth country's sovereignty.
Unlike most sageuk dramas dealing with the Japanese occupation of Korea, Mr. Sunshine takes place before the Japanese annexation, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has a heavy focus on the Righteous Army and depicts the lives of people who fought for Korea's freedom. Real-life historical events such as the Shinmiyangyo incident, the Spanish-American War, the assassination of Empress Myeongseong, the Russo-Japanese War, Gojong's forced abdication and the Battle of Namdaemun are portrayed or mentioned.
Historical figures such as Emperor Gojong, Itō Hirobumi, Hayashi Gonsuke, Hasegawa Yoshimichi, Horace Newton Allen and the Five Eulsa Traitors appear as recurring characters, with others, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Ahn Chang-ho, Imperial Noble Consort Sunheon, Park Seung-hwan, and Frederick Arthur MacKenzie, also making cameo appearances.
On May 29, 2017, it was announced that Kim Eun-sook had begun writing a new series with the working title Mr. Sunshine. A representative from Hwa&Dam Pictures stated at the time that it would be aired in the spring or summer of the following year. The drama is the third collaboration between Kim and director Lee Eung-bok, after Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017). In June, Lee Byung-hun was officially cast as the male lead, in his first television role since Iris (2009), and Kim Tae-ri was announced as the female lead the following month. The drama marked film actress Kim Tae-ri's small-screen debut. Kim Sa-rang was originally cast in the series, but backed out in February 2018 due to scheduling conflicts. She was replaced by Kim Min-jung.
The drama was first pitched by Studio Dragon to SBS, but SBS passed on the project due to financial and advertising constraints. Filming began in September 2017 and took place in various parts of South Korea including Busan, Daegu, Gokseong County, Gyeongju and Hapcheon County. Several sets solely devoted to the early 1900s setting of Korea were built on a 20,000 m site in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, and another indoor set was built on a 6,600 m site in Daejeon. 1,000 extras were hired for a battle scene. To obtain the series' distribution rights in over 190 countries, Netflix invested ₩30 billion (US$26.2 million) in Mr. Sunshine.
The music was composed by Nam Hye-seung, who is known for her work on many Korean dramas. Mr. Sunshine's score was recorded at the newly opened Synchron Stage Vienna in Austria. Nam Hye-seung travelled to Vienna to attend the recording in person.
Critics praised the drama for its "deep storytelling" and its ability to raise viewers' awareness of history. The Korea Times applauded the drama for shedding light on those deemed peripheral in society, such as women and the lower classes, and for successfully laying out contradictions and hope in the fast-evolving late Joseon period; it also praised the show's strong female characters. Time's Kat Moon chose the show as one of "The 10 Best Korean Dramas to Watch on Netflix" and argued, "Besides serving up stunning cinematography, the show introduces two of the most dynamic female leads from the K-drama world". Collider's Devon Forward listed it as one of "The Best Korean Dramas on Netflix Right Now".
Mr. Sunshine has been criticized by some for what was perceived as inaccurate portrayal of Joseon's culture. In particular the character Gu Dong-mae, who had been portrayed as a member of the Black Dragon Society, a pro-Japanese organization, was criticized, with many feeling that the series tried to justify his actions against Joseon. However, the series has also been criticized for the exact opposite: enforcing stereotypes of the Japanese as villains and the Americans as heroes.
The production house responded to the criticisms by stating that the organizations and characters portrayed in the series are fictional and that they will modify the character description of Gu Dong-mae accordingly. The Black Dragon Society was changed to a fictional organization, the Mushin Society.
At the time of airing, Mr. Sunshine recorded the third highest ratings in Korean cable television history with its final episode reaching 18.129% and netting an average rating of 12.955%, which was the highest average rating ever recorded for cable television until the release of The World of the Married in 2020.
An 8.9% viewership rating was recorded nationwide for the series' first episode. It became the highest premiere rating in the network's history and remained in this position for the next three years, when it was surpassed by Hospital Playlist 2.
The drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).