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Mr. Sunshine (2018), a historical romantic drama focusing on Korean patriotism during the Joseon Kingdom – you can’t break the spirit of a nation

Mr. Sunshine (2018) starring Lee Byung-hun, is a historical romantic drama focusing on Korean patriotism during the Joseon Kingdom – you can’t break the spirit of a nation

NETFLIX – Mr. Sunshine (Korean: 미스터 션샤인) is a 2018 Korean historical romantic drama starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri. The series, directed by Lee Eung-bok from a script written by Kim Eun-sook, consists of 24 episodes. Mr. Sunshine highlights the beginning of the century in Joseon when the society is disturbed by the intersection of several international cultures (American, Japanese, Chinese), each with claims of dominance, with painful deeds and actions for the population. The Kdrama Mr. Sunshine focuses on the state of patriotism of the population to maintain the native Korean spirit that the foreign forces wanted to annihilate. The series points out that the spirit of a nation can not be destroyed. Hangul 미스터 션샤인 | Genre Historical, Romance, Melodrama
Directed by Lee Eung-bok | Written by Kim Eun-sook
Release date September 30, 2018 | Episodes 24

Facts

The total budget of Mr. Sunshine was $34 million, ranking among the most expensive Korean dramas ever made.
Mr. Sunshine is the comeback series of Lee Byung-hun after 9 years of absence.
The Netflix series Mr. Sunshine is the sixth highest-rated drama in Korean TV history.

The supreme sacrifice of Eugene Choi is the symbol of the continuity of the struggle for the independence of Joseon.
The series depicts historical events such as The Battle of Ganghwa (1871), The Japan-Korean Treaty of 1905, The Battle of Namdaemun, the assassination of Empress Myeongseong and Gojong’s forced abdication.

Mr. Sunshine – WHAT’S THE STORY?

The series Mr. Sunshine shows the fate of the people of the Joseon Kingdom before the Japanese annexation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On the one hand, we have the perspective of Choi Yoo Jin, a child born into slavery in Joseon whose parents were killed, who fled to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (American Expedition to Korea). After many years, he returned to his homeland as an American soldier – Eugene Choi. On the other hand, we see the kingdom of Joseon through the eyes of a young aristocrat Ae-Sin, who believes in rebuilding the glorious power of her homeland and freeing it from the influence of the colonists. Go Ae Sin is an intelligent, fearless, and patriotic girl. In the daytime, she is a respected noble, but in the dark alleys, she has no name. Go Ae Sin fights alongside her Militia comrades to defend the interests of Joseon.

Mr. Sunshine – WHAT’S THE STORY? cast sub english online korean drama kdrama romantic fantasy series netflix

On one of her mission, Ae Sin meets Eugene Choi. The two eventually meet several times, and she discovers that this Korean man, dressed in Western clothes, is actually the American consul. Our protagonist doesn’t even know Eugene Choi’s name, and the culture shock makes this love story very emotional. Captain Eugene Choi, who was sent to take charge of the American consulate in Joseon, becomes interested in Ae Sin even though it’s forbidden for an American to get into a relationship with a Korean woman. He also knew that couldn’t leave the United States precisely because that was the only way he could protect his love. The closer he gets to Ae Sin, the more he distances himself from his causes. Eugene Choi will participate with Go Ae Sin in dangerous actions with a patriotic tone. But what is Eugene’s goal: Does he want to protect or destroy the country? As the answer emerges, the love between Eugene Choi and Ae Sin has grown and the future has become even more uncertain. The only certainty we have is that Go Ae Sin would not abandon her country and would be willing to sacrifice everything for Joseon’s independence. Mr. Sunshine is a complex story about love and heroism.

Mr. Sunshine (2018) – Main Cast and characters

The action of the Kdrama series Mr. Sunshine revolves around 5 characters. Three young people, who left Joseon, came back filled with the lessons learned abroad. Lee Byung-hun portrays Eugene Choi / Choi Yoo-jin, a slave child who, after witnessing his parent’s murder, escapes to the United States, where he becomes a captain in the United States Marine Corps. Kim Tae-ri portrays Go Ae-shin, an aristocratic woman, part of the Righteous Army. A patriotic girl raised by a dignitary grandfather who taught her to handle a rifle and to defend the interests of the Joseon Kingdom. Yoo Yeon-seok as Goo Dong-mae / Ishida Sho, son of a butcher, flees to Japan, where he becomes a ruthless samurai and member of the Musin Society, which is part of a Yakuza group. Sent to Joseon, he will sabotage the actions dictated by the Musin society, preventing the oppression of the Koreans at the cost of his own life. Kim Min-jung portrays Lee Yang-hwa / Kudo Hina, the widow of a rich Japanese who runs “Glory Hotel” in Joseon. She will act for the patriotic interests of Joseon, sacrificing her life and the hotel by setting it on fire to sabotage the Japanese army. Byun Yo-han portrays Kim Hui-seong, the richest man after Joseon’s emperor, who lives in Japan. He is the promised fiance for Go Ae Sin, arranged by their families. In the beginning, he refuses to marry her, but when he meets Go Ae Sin fallls in love with her, only to realize that there is no place left for him in her heart.

Captures all four seasons in South Korea!

Mr. Sunshine will feature the landscapes of South Korea in all four seasons. The production tean traveled great distances to find the ideal scenery to recreate the the perfect illusion of the Joseon era.

Incredible resources spent on costumes and extras

Certain scenes, like the Spanish-American War, required the hiring of additional actors to play these war scenes. In total, the production employed an incredible 10,000 extras for the filming, each wearing the appropriate period costumes!

Using a huge 26,000 square meter set!

The Kdrama series “Mr. Sunshine” invested heavily in creating a one-of-a-kind set. The production team created an outdoor set in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam Province, to show us what the Korean Empire and Japanese colonialism looked like in the early 20th century. The Daejeon studio was also large, reaching 7000 square meters, including the sets for the US Embassy office and the Glory Hotel.

Filming locations

Mr. Sunshine, is set in 1971, when three American ships invaded South Korea, and 1900, the year the modern period began in Korea. To reproduce the historical realities with great accuracy, the production team filmed in the locations where those respective events took place.

The filming included visiting the main cities of Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Incheon. Plus, many country areas of Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Chungcheong provinces, cover an area of 40,000 km! A few historical events depicted in the series includes the assassination of Empress Myeongseong, Gojong’s forced abdication, and the Russo-Japanese War.