jdberner

I remember avoiding Mr. Sunshine for its awkward title. I expected another Korean comedy that I find occasionally sophomoric. This is not a comedy, but a very well crafted drama with a compelling storyline, brilliantly created and acted characters (nicely done sub-characters too), and gorgeous cinematography. It's an historical epic with a backbone of truth, yet fleshed out engagingly. It covers the final decades of Joseon as Korea tries to dance with the western world while keeping Japan at bay. Its secondary and tertiary characters are positively Dickensian in their insistence on being real and not stereotypical (there are exceptions, of course). Obviously it's some of the Korean characters that are cast in the best light, because it IS a Korean drama, after all. By far not the worst choice to start on Korean dramas - there is very little comedy one needs to acclimate to.

As hard to believe as it might seem, this series is also 'fresh'. It is truly original - it hasn't been done before. Midway through the first episode, something else of significance occurs, and somehow the makers of this drama managed to convince the people who make the trailers not to include it - or even allude to it. I am only midway through the second episode, but I can already tell you that this is not similar to other shows or books in the spy/suspense genre. It is also somewhat refreshing, because it isn't dominated by the sort of paranoia that bedevils Australians and others. The writing is deft; plot and dialogue flow together seamlessly. The acting is very, very credible.