Mr. Sunshine (South Korean TV series)

Mr. Sunshine 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.

The series earned eight nominations and a Best Actor win for Lee Byung-hun at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards.

While it received critical acclaim for cinematography and storytelling, as well as its strong female characters and portrayal of the lower classes, Mr. Sunshine was also subject to a certain amount of criticism for what was perceived as inaccurate representation of historical facts, with some accusing it of being "pro-Japanese", while others argued that it actually enforced stereotypes of the Japanese as villains and the Americans as heroes.

Synopsis
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 U.S. 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.

Main

 * Lee Byung-hun as Eugene Choi / Choi Yu-jin
 * Kim Kang-hoon as child Eugene Choi / Choi Yu-jin
 * Jeon Jin-seo as young Eugene Choi / Choi Yu-jin
 * A captain of the United States Marine Corps and former Joseon slave. After witnessing his parents' death at the hands of their owner, Eugene manages to escape to the United States where he becomes an officer in the Marine Corps and fights in the Spanish–American War. He later returns to Korea on a diplomatic mission and falls in love with Go Ae-shin. Eugene has to choose between helping Ae-shin in her fight for independence or maintaining his neutral position as an US military officer.
 * Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-shin
 * Heo Jung-eun as child Go Ae-shin
 * An orphaned noblewoman and member of the Righteous Army. Her parents were independence fighters who died in Japan due to their colleague's betrayal. She is raised by her paternal grandfather, Go Sa-hong, who helps her train as a sniper under Jang Seung-gu.
 * An orphaned noblewoman and member of the Righteous Army. Her parents were independence fighters who died in Japan due to their colleague's betrayal. She is raised by her paternal grandfather, Go Sa-hong, who helps her train as a sniper under Jang Seung-gu.


 * Yoo Yeon-seok as Gu Dong-mae / Ishida Shō
 * Choi Min-young as young Gu Dong-mae
 * The son of a butcher who flees to Japan upon his parents' death and becomes a samurai and member of the Mushin Society, which is part of Yakuza. He believes that it is the unjust Korean social hierarchy that killed his parents and returns to Joseon with a mission of helping the Japanese overtake the country.


 * Kim Min-jung as Kudo Hina / Yi Yang-hwa
 * An influential widow who runs a hotel in Korea. Her father, Yi Wan-ik, forced her to marry an old, rich Japanese man. Upon her husband's mysterious death, she inherited the "Glory Hotel" and successfully operates it on her own. In order to atone for her father's shameful misdeeds and to also find her mother, Hina helps Yi Jung-mun in the fight against the Japanese government and the pro-Japanese officials.


 * Byun Yo-han as Kim Hui-seong
 * A nobleman who is considered to be the richest after the Emperor in terms of land ownership. He is emotionally tormented by his grandfather's past deeds and lives for over a decade in Japan to avoid marrying the woman his family chose for him.

Korean government

 * Lee Seung-joon as Emperor Gojong
 * Kang Yi-seok as young Gojong
 * The Korean monarch who desperately fights for the country's sovereignty.


 * Kang Shin-il as Yi Jung-mun
 * An anti-Japanese official loyal to Emperor Gojong. He secretly commands the Righteous Army.


 * Kim Eui-sung as Yi Wan-ik / Rinoie Hiroaki
 * Kudo Hina's father. A selfish and cruel pro-Japanese official who is responsible for the deaths of Go Ae-shin's parents.


 * as Yi Deok-mun
 * A pro-Japanese nobleman. Yi Wan-ik's assistant and the abusive husband of Go Ae-sun.


 * Choi Jin-ho as Yi Se-hun
 * The arrogant and corrupt Minister of Foreign Affairs whose actions indirectly led to the deaths of Eugene Choi's parents.


 * Jung Hee-tae as Police Commissioner Jung
 * Shin Mun-sung as Postmaster Yoon
 * as Doctor Matsuyama
 * A Japanese doctor secretly working for Yi Wan-ik.


 * as Yi Wan-yong
 * An infamous pro-Japanese official and one of the Five Eulsa Traitors.

Righteous Army

 * Kim Kap-soo as Hwang Eun-san
 * An accomplished potter who helped a young Eugene Choi flee to the United States. The leader of the Righteous Army.


 * Lee Si-hoon as Yoshino Kō
 * A Japanese man working as an assistant for Hwang Eun-san.


 * Choi Moo-sung as Jang Seung-gu
 * Sung Yoo-bin as young Jang Seung-gu
 * A gunman who trains Go Ae-shin to become a sniper. Due to a misunderstanding he initially despises the Emperor, but eventually becomes the head of the palace guards to protect him.


 * Seo Yoo-jung as Hong-pa
 * Jang Seung-gu's wife. A skilled archer and rower.


 * Jang Dong-yoon as Jun-young
 * A young nobleman eager to fight for Korea's sovereignty.


 * Oh Ah-yeon as So-ah
 * A Korean-born geisha who is part of the Righteous Army.


 * Im Chul-soo as Jeon Seung-jae
 * A Righteous Army member and one of the close friends of Go Ae-shin's parents.


 * Ji Seung-hyun as Song Yeong
 * A cousin of Go Ae-shin's mother. He served as an official at the time of the Shinmiyangyo incident and now lives in Japan supporting the Righteous Army.


 * as Yi Sang-mok
 * A jige carrier and Righteous Army member who is briefly captured by Gu Dong-mae.


 * Lee Soon-won as Park Mu-geol
 * The bell keeper who is secretly a member of the Righteous Army.


 * Lee Dong-hee as baker
 * A Righteous Army member and the owner of a French bakery/candy store.


 * Park Sung-hoon as blacksmith
 * A friend of Jang Seung-gu who is talented in fixing machinery.

Japanese government and army

 * Kim In-woo as Itō Hirobumi
 * The first Resident-General of Korea.


 * Jung In-kyum as Hayashi Gonsuke
 * The Minister and de facto leader of the Japanese legation.


 * Kim Nam-hee as Mori Takashi
 * A Japanese colonel of noble blood. Sadistic and cruel, he has a heavy dislike for Korea. Eugene was his neighbour in New York City.


 * Gong Dae-yu as Sasaki Soyu
 * An arrogant Japanese major serving under Mori Takashi.


 * Yoon Dae-yul as Hasegawa Yoshimichi
 * The Governor-General of Korea under Itō Hirobumi.


 * Lee Jung-hyun as Second Sergeant Tsuda
 * A fanatically loyal Japanese NCO officer who will lash out at anyone near him.


 * as Second Sergeant Yamada
 * A Japanese NCO officer.


 * as Hyung-ki
 * A Korean man who works as a translator at the Japanese legation.


 * Jeong Tae-ya as Suzuki
 * A man working at the Japanese legation who develops an enmity with Gu Dong-mae.

Go family's household

 * Lee Ho-jae as Go Sa-hong
 * Go Ae-shin's paternal grandfather. He was a great scholar and the Emperor's teacher. A firm believer in the sovereignty of Korea, he very reluctantly allows Ae-shin to join the Righteous Army.


 * Lee Jung-eun as Ms. Ham-an
 * Go Ae-shin's loyal maid.


 * Shin Jung-geun as Mr. Haeng-rang
 * Go Ae-shin's manservant.


 * Kim Na-woon as Lady Cho
 * Go Ae-shin's paternal aunt and maternal figure.


 * Park Ah-in as Go Ae-sun
 * Go Ae-shin's cousin and the first wife of Yi Deok-mun. Unable to bear a son, she is regularly abused by her husband.

American legation

 * David Lee McInnis as Kyle Moore
 * A major in the United States Marine Corps who is both the direct supervisor and friend of Eugene Choi.


 * Jo Woo-jin as Im Gwan-su
 * An English interpreter working at the American legation. He later becomes an English translator for the Emperor.


 * as Son Do-mi
 * Kim Min-jae as adult Son Do-mi
 * A young boy who works at the American legation, where he teaches hangul to Eugene Choi. Son Su-mi's younger brother.


 * Lorne Edward Oliver as Horace Newton Allen
 * The corrupt American Minister who considers Eugene Choi more Korean than American.

Kim family

 * Kim Eung-soo as Kim Pan-seo
 * Kim Hui-seong's grandfather. A cruel and extremely wealthy nobleman responsible for the deaths of Eugene Choi's parents.


 * Kim Dong-gyun as Kim An-pyeong
 * Lee Hak-joo as young Kim An-pyeong
 * Kim Hui-seong's cowardly father.


 * Kim Hye-eun as Yun Ho-sun
 * Park Ji-yeon as young Yun Ho-sun
 * Kim Hui-seong's mother.


 * Jung Min-ah as Yeon-ju
 * Kim Hui-seong's wife and Jun-young's sister.

People around Gu Dong-mae

 * as Yuzo
 * Gu Dong-mae's loyal subordinate in the Mushin Society.


 * Kim Yong-ji as Hotaru
 * A mute Japanese fortune-teller living with Gu Dong-mae.


 * Hakuryu as leader of the Mushin Society

Glory Hotel employees

 * Shin Soo-yeon as Son Su-mi
 * Son Do-mi's elder sister who holds a valuable object.


 * Kim Si-eun as Gwi-dan
 * A maid at the Glory Hotel who is secretly working for Gu Dong-mae.

Others

 * as Kim Yong-ju
 * A former friend of Go Ae-shin's parents who betrayed them to Yi Wan-ik.


 * Kim Byung-chul as Il-sik
 * A slave hunter who diverted and became the co-owner of a shop that takes care of any need.


 * Bae Jung-nam as Chun-sik
 * A slave hunter who diverted and became the co-owner of a shop that takes care of any need.


 * Jason Nelson as Joseph W. Stenson
 * An American missionary. He helps Eugene Choi escape to the United States and is a paternal figure to him.


 * Ariane Desgagnés-Leclerc as Stella
 * An American missionary working as an English teacher in Korea.


 * as Yun Nam-jong
 * A student at Stella's English school who later becomes Kim Hui-seong's assistant.

Special appearances

 * Lee Si-a as Eugene Choi's mother
 * as Eugene Choi's father
 * Choi Jong-won as Grand Internal Prince Heungseon
 * Emperor Gojong's father.


 * Yoon Kyung-ho as Jang Seung-gu's father
 * A gunner killed during the Shinmiyangyo incident.


 * Im Se-mi as Gu Dong-mae's mother
 * Shim Wan-joon as Gu Dong-mae's father
 * Jin Goo as Go Sang-wan
 * Go Ae-sin's father who is killed while plotting to assassinate Yi Wan-ik.


 * Kim Ji-won as Kim Hui-jin
 * Go Ae-shin's mother who is killed by Yi Wan-ik.


 * Kim Joo-ryoung as Imperial Noble Consort Sunheon
 * Emperor Gojong's concubine and a close friend of Kudo Hina.


 * Park Jeong-min as Ahn Chang-ho
 * A Korean independence activist living in the United States.

Historical background
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.

Main historical events described in Mr. Sunshine

 * The Battle of Ganghwa: A major battle that occurred on June 10, 1871 between the United States and Joseon. On June 1, American ships came under fire when they entered the Ganghwa Straits to establish trade and ensure the safety of the shipwrecked sailors of the SS General Sherman, which was destroyed by the Joseon army. As a result of Joseon's refusal to apologize, on June 10, USS Palos and USS Monocacy fired their weapons against the Choji Garrison on Ganghwa Island. The incident is thoroughly portrayed in Mr. Sunshine as one of its character, Jang Seung-gu, fought in the battle as a teen and lost his father. 
 * The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905: Signed on November 17, 1905, this treaty effectively gave diplomatic control over Korea to the Empire of Japan. While Mr. Sunshine does not depict the treaty and its effects in detail, it contains a scene in which Kim Hui-seong takes pictures of the Five Eulsa Traitors.
 * The Battle of Namdaemun: Fought between the Korean and Japanese armies on August 1, 1907, the battle took place at the Namdaemun Gate in Hanseong. It was caused by a revolt of the Korean army after an order of disbandment was issued through the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907. The battle scenes are extensively illustrated in Mr. Sunshine.

Production

 * To obtain the series' distribution rights in over 190 countries, Netflix invested ₩30 billion (US$26.2 million) in Mr. Sunshine.
 * The series is the third collaboration between writer Kim Eun-sook and director Lee Eung-bok, after Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017).
 * The drama marks film actress Kim Tae-ri's small-screen debut.
 * The drama was first pitched by Studio Dragon to SBS, but the latter passed on the project due to financial and advertising constraints.
 * 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.
 * 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 m2 site in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, and another indoor set was built on a 6,600 m2 site in Daejeon. 1,000 extras were hired for a battle scene.
 * It was originally planned in 2009 to be a sports-themed period drama set in the 1920s and 1930s, also featuring an American lead character. Shin Woo-chul, Kim Eun-sook's collaborator for the "Lovers" trilogy, was attached to be the director at the time.

Original soundtrack
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.  Part 1 

 Part 2 

 Part 3 

 Part 4 

 Part 5 

 Part 6 

 Part 7 

 Part 8 

 Part 9 

 Part 10 

 Part 11 

 Part 12 

 Part 13 

 Part 14 

 Part 15 

Reception
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".

Criticism
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.

Viewership
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).