Recaps and review from the blog, The Writers Room......
Mr Sunshine Episode 24 Recap (Series Finale)
September 29, 2018The Writers Room
Mr Sunshine Episode 24 Recap (Series Finale)
A Seating arrangement has been made below the throne at the king’s court. The officials walk in to get their pictures taken. Al the traitors are present and Lee Ji Yong (among the officials) says that the photographer is the grandson of Kim-Hyeon Seob, a former minister at the Palace. Hui Seung stands with his camera and the others ask why he is doing a petty job like this. Hui Seung says that there is no other honour than writing history. They tell him to take a good picture as it is for the history books. As Hui Seung gets ready to shoot, he says with a grim look that they will be remembered for generations. He shoots the photos.
At night, Deok mun lies dead at Hwawollu as Eugene removes the list from Deok mun’s pocket. He gets up as Dong mae walks in saying he knew someone will die in this room (Taylor was killed in the same room). Eugene says he took Hwawollu back for Dong mae. He says it may have some blood on it, but it is his. They hear more gunshots.
Ae-shin (in disguise) runs on the roof as she hears the gunshots to see what is happening. She sees the Japanese soldiers shooting down Haman, Mr Haengrang and the others and is shocked.
Link below for continuation of the recaps.
https://thewritersroomchennai.in/2018/09/29/mr-sunshine-episode-24-recap/
There is a review of the last episode and the drama itself at the end of recaps which I quite like. I had posted it below for your reading pleasure.
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Review
This was indeed a tragic ending for all the leads.
The scene with the human chain revisits the fact that people of Joseon are strong-spirited even years after the battle of Ganghwa. It goes to prove how the country managed to retain sovereignty for this long. Haman’s last words to Ae-shin was heart-wrenching as she was a mother-figure to Ae-shin.
It was a delight to see the 3 male leads back at the bar finally raising their glasses together. It is unfortunate that they didn’t get to spend more time with each other when the friendship finally blossomed between the 3.
Dong mae died like a true warrior. He fought till his last breath and was satisfied during his death as he managed to leave a mark in Ae-shin’s life. The scene where his apparition looks at his dead form and then disappears was well made.
Hui Seung’s character was one that evolved the most out of all the characters. He ended up recording history and managed to get it to keep it from falling into the hands of the Japanese. His importance wasn’t recognised much by the people back then but it definitely would have been recognised later on. He single-handedly shook up the Japanese with his words.
Eugene sure is Mr Sunshine, true to the title. His love was true and selfless as he always walked in the same direction as his ladylove. It seems like it was Joseon’s good fortune that Eugene ended up loving a patriotic Joseon woman, for he was the one who delayed Joseon’s fall by many days if not years. His character leaves a lasting impact and stands out even after the series has ended.The words on Eugene’s headstone were thoughtful and suited his sentiment. The last scene also emphasises that he was only a helper and never considered himself a patriot.
Ae-shin ended up paying a heavy price for choosing the path of being a patriot. Her ending shows the extent of loss a person faces when they choose their country over their loved ones. In a very small span of time, she lost everyone who cared for her and protected her all along. I wonder how much impact Dong mae’s words (spoilt noble fool) had on her life and if it was also a factor which made her want to prove herself to her country.
It was interesting how Eugene meets another figure from history- Frederick Arthur Mckenzie. The interview and scene with them taking a photograph (which exists in history) were well made. The brutality of the Japanese soldiers never fails to make an impact, especially in the scenes which shows Eun san, Hui Seung and Eugene’s death.
It would have been a consolation if we would have known some more things like, who found Hui Seung’s box that he had buried, if Ae-shin ever found out that Eugene was in prison for those 3 years, whose hands the nesting doll fell into and if Eugene’s letter was read by anyone, the situation in Joseon in 1919.
The Series promised us a story about the unsung heroes during Joseon’s struggle for freedom. It was interesting that the unsung heroes who stood out were the loved ones (Eugene, Dong-mae, Haman, Mr Haengrang etc) of the freedom fighters. They deserve more praise as its not their cause to begin with and they joined the cause because the person whom they care for feels strongly for it.
It was saddening that the story of all the leads ended more tragically than that of their predecessors. With respect to history and the timeline in which the series has been set, a sad ending was expected; but the finale did not leave a lasting impression as compared to its previous episodes. The series finale delivered only a sad ending for the characters and nothing more.
Series Review
The series got off to a slow start but it started picking up pace after the third week. This drama is deep-set and emotive. The show was initially criticised for discrepancies with respect to actual history. This made me curious and I read up on the country’s history during the timeline too.
The drama is set in the timeline when the Joseon slowly fell into Japan’s control. The makers have done a great job in showcasing how hard the patriots and citizens struggled to stop the inevitable. The brutality of the Japanese and the spirit of Joseon is depicted well.
Mr Sunshine shows life and the love story of Eugene Choi till his death. Eugene Choi’s characterisation is extremely impressive. He is truly the great and noble one as addressed by the other characters. His memory shines brightly and is everlasting like the sun.
The show showcases the life of people from various backgrounds in Joseon during the Japanese invasion, how their lives are impacted by it and their feelings towards their motherland. Since the show takes some time to develop we get used to Joseon’s atmosphere and the locals and it creates an impact when we see Joseon change during the invasion. The supporting characters grow on us as we continue to watch the series.
The plot is complex with a series of subplots. The romance plot also started suffering after a point of time as there was a constant wavering and sometimes selfishness in the character-sketch of the female lead. The series also kept seeing new characters that kept cropping up even when it came into the final week. For a series that showed a lot of promise in the beginning, the finale could have been better. Despite that,
What makes Mr Sunshine worth watching are-
Dialogues
Bromance
Uniqueness of the Romance
Character sketches
Cinematography
Exceptional performance by the actors
The songs and themes
The romance in Mr Sunshine is unique and interesting with the language barrier acting as a bridge that contributes to the bond in relationship between the leads Go Ae-shin and Eugene Choi. It was refreshing to see a deep relationship with almost no physical intimacy between the lead pair, which is rare. The ironic part is that despite there being two other leads, Ae-shin’s patriotism towards her motherland seems to be the hindrance to their relationship. Eugene always seems to be struggling to make her love him more than Joseon.
The bromance in this series is the best I’ve seen so far. Despite the 3 leads liking the same woman, the scenes with the three main leads are extremely good. The rivalry was shown in a light-hearted and humorous way.
The cinematography is mindblowing as it displays all the four seasons and the sets are picturesque.
The Series promised us a story about the unsung heroes during Joseon’s struggle for freedom. It was interesting that the unsung heroes who stood out were the loved ones (Eugene, Dong-mae, Haman, Mr Haengrang etc) of the freedom fighters. They deserve more praise as its not their cause to begin with and they joined the cause because the person whom they care for feels strongly for it.
Lee Byung Hun has given an exceptional performance in his role as the majestic Eugene Choi. His portrayal of the extremely intelligent American soldier who was born in Joseon does full justice to the role of Mr Sunshine. Eugene Choi is an unwavering and righteous personality who loves selflessly and his character stands out among the rest. He will be remembered as a foreigner who helped Joseon putting his life on the line to keep his lady love safe.
Kim Tae Ri has portrayed the female lead Go Ae-shin excellently. She deserves praise as the character involves various kinds of emotions to be brought on screen and she has delivered it perfectly.
Yeo Yeon Suk’s performance as the brooding and daring swordsman Gu-Dong mae is laudable.
Kim Min Jung has done a great job in portraying the calm, composed but fiery Hina Kudo who creates an impact with her performance.
Byun Yo-han has perfectly portrayed the role of Kim Hui Seung, a charming man who becomes an important addition to the freedom movement.
The supporting cast’s work is praiseworthy as they constitute the spirit of Joseon.
Patriotism is an emotion highly felt in the countries that celebrate an independence day. Now and then we need a series to show us how tough it was to fight off invasion and gain the freedom that we take for granted. Mr Sunshine did that by delivering this piece of work in the form of a tragedy.
-By Soul Sword-
