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[Drama 2018] Mr. Sunshine, 미스터 션샤인 - Winner of Critics’ Choice Award for Drama category


Go Seung Ji

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July 12, 2018

 

Big-budget drama has great ambitions :

‘Mr. Sunshine’ from Kim Eun-sook debuted with massive ratings

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

11201237.jpg
A scene from the latest drama from writer Kim Eun-sook, “Mr. Sunshine,” which premiered last weekend with an almost 10 percent viewership rate. [JOONGANG ILBO]

 

The magic of writer Kim Eun-sook is working again as her latest drama “Mr. Sunshine” on tvN is expected to be another huge hit after its first two episodes had viewership ratings of almost 10 percent last weekend according to Nielson Korea. 

 

Kim is one of Korea’s most influential drama writers, whose recent hits include “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” and often feature top local stars. 

 

Lee Byung-hun, of Hollywood film “G.I. Joe,” plays a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, who moved to the U.S. when he was young after being discriminated against for his family’s social status. He comes back to Korea when the country first gets electric power and when people from Japan, China, the U.S. and Russia start to come. 

 

The series is set in Hanseong (the former name of Seoul) in early 1900s, an uncommon setting for a period drama, as most historical dramas and movies deal with stories from the Japanese colonial period from 1910 to 1945. 

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Kim Eun-sook

 

The drama’s director Lee Eung-bok said that he wanted to shed light on those who inspired many people to become activists to fight for Korea’s independence. 

 

“There aren’t many memories of those who fought hard to stop Korea from being ruled by Japan [around] 1905 while there are many pieces that focus on fighting against the Japanese authority.”

 

“[The struggle] also has some universal elements as many countries are attacked by foreign influences as they go through the process of modernization.”

 

The show’s unique setting required a budget of 43 billion won ($38.3 million) to create. Since the show’s background isn’t often used in shows, the production staff needed to make a whole new set as well as research historical artifacts to make the scenes as accurate as possible. The production staff built a nearly 20,000 square-meter (4.94 acre) outdoor film set in Nonsan, South Chungcheong and a 6,600 square-meter indoor set in Daejeon, and filming began in September. 

 

“Period dramas offer a good frame where some philosophical subjects can be discussed as the story uses certain historical background [already] known by many,” said Korean literature professor Yun Seok-jin of Chungnam National University. “Countries in Northeast Asia are going through some [changes] now and if Kim brings up a [meaningful] message through this work, the writer will become recognized as a master [in the global community.]”

 

Although many worry that the drama has invested too much money into its production, it doesn’t seem too hard for the production team to at least break even. 

 

The show’s production company Studio Dragon made an announcement that it had signed a broadcast license deal with Netflix last month. The company did not reveal the exact amount but the deal is expected to be worth at least 28 billion won, as the companies are required to make a public announcement when they make a deal that’s worth more than 10 percent of its annual sale from the year before. The company’s annual sale last year was about 286.8 billion won. 

 

The show airs on Netflix one hour after the original show on tvN ends in Korea and English-speaking countries, and a day after in Japan. The show will become available in other regions on July 19. 

 

BY MIN KYUNG-WON [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]

 

@charray That's right, if we have such pretty teacups.. then we must drink real tea or coffee! :lol: And enjoy lovely pastries along with it, too.th_coffee1.gif

 

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IG credits as stated
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8 hours ago, bedifferent said:

 

Going to make an attempt to answer.  People, please correct me if I'm wrong :lol:

 

1) No. Dong Mae's childhood has not been shown or is his first time meeting Ae Shin, also as a child I believe.  There were images of the two as children in Park Hyo Shin's MV.  She of Aegisshi blood and he's a baekjeong's son. I'm curious on how they ever met.  Ae Shin is leaps ahead of her time as a modern woman who is frustrated with gender inequality.  Right now, she's focusing on fighting for her country from the outsiders.  I hope we get to see Ae Shin finding out more about the prejudices toward the different clases/people in Joseon, in the class divide that she is a part of.

 

2) You mean the American businessman that came to buy pottery? He's not fluent in the language.  He even asked Yoo-jin to teach him.  You do raise a good question regarding Wan Ik.  How did a poor butcher's son comes to be a trusted interpreter.  It does highlight how ill prepared the Americans are on this mission.  If you come in hope of establishing some diplomacy, I think you would  want to bring your best resources.

 

3) Yes, same King Gojong who is older.  In episode 1, he was underaged so the regent was in charge until he becomes an adult.   At this point in the drama, I think he has returned after the exile and has declared himself the first Emperor of Korea. @solarisk could you help us out regarding this.  I know the drama skipped over the Sino-Japanese war that you mentioned.

 

@solarisk Thanks for the above post. Think we will eventually see the Russo-Japanese war in this drama later on.  

Do you have any guess why the title is "Mr Sunshine"?  Is this going to be the code name for Eugene as he becomes a freedom fighter?  Interesting that he can speak Japanese too.

@bedifferent..kamsahanida!! Appreciate the gesture...

 

Some of the questions were already answered as I browse through this thread and other forums discussing this drama but you have summed it really well. As for the second question, yes, I intended as an irony too actually..hehehe..it is not like KES to not be meticulous about the details, so I presumed that there must be a significant reason for having English speaking Korean as an interpreter when there is already a Korean speaking American..but I just could not put my finger on it except maybe it is just to introduce the villain of the drama in a setting where the villain is the most advantageous of all since he could grab hold on any intelligence info which he used for his own benefit... 

 

Anyway, tqvm again chinggu...

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6 hours ago, inna75 said:

As for the second question, yes, I intended as an irony too actually..hehehe..it is not like KES to not be meticulous about the details, so I presumed that there must be a significant reason for having English speaking Korean as an interpreter when there is already a Korean speaking American..but I just could not put my finger on it except maybe it is just to introduce the villain of the drama in a setting where the villain is the most advantageous of all since he could grab hold on any intelligence info which he used for his own benefit... 

 

I think his character highlights the reason for miscommunication between US -Joseon. We will get to see  Wan Ik and Heena’s story eventually.  He’s a good villain.  You can attribute his resentment on the lord-peasant relationship of the time but I truly think he is just a bad apple, from the ruthless way he treats his family. Ae Shin has no idea yet he’s her parents’ killer.

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23 hours ago, bedifferent said:

 

Going to make an attempt to answer.  People, please correct me if I'm wrong :lol:

 

1) No. Dong Mae's childhood has not been shown or is his first time meeting Ae Shin, also as a child I believe.  There were images of the two as children in Park Hyo Shin's MV.  She of Aegisshi blood and he's a baekjeong's son. I'm curious on how they ever met.  Ae Shin is leaps ahead of her time as a modern woman who is frustrated with gender inequality.  Right now, she's focusing on fighting for her country from the outsiders.  I hope we get to see Ae Shin finding out more about the prejudices toward the different clases/people in Joseon, in the class divide that she is a part of.

 

2) You mean the American businessman that came to buy pottery? He's not fluent in the language.  He even asked Yoo-jin to teach him.  You do raise a good question regarding Wan Ik.  How did a poor butcher's son comes to be a trusted interpreter.  It does highlight how ill prepared the Americans are on this mission.  If you come in hope of establishing some diplomacy, I think you would  want to bring your best resources.

 

3) Yes, same King Gojong who is older.  In episode 1, he was underaged so the regent was in charge until he becomes an adult.   At this point in the drama, I think he has returned after the exile and has declared himself the first Emperor of Korea. @solarisk could you help us out regarding this.  I know the drama skipped over the Sino-Japanese war that you mentioned.

 

@solarisk Thanks for the above post. Think we will eventually see the Russo-Japanese war in this drama later on.  

Do you have any guess why the title is "Mr Sunshine"?  Is this going to be the code name for Eugene as he becomes a freedom fighter?  Interesting that he can speak Japanese too.

 

Yes, it's Gojong. The regent in charge was the staunch isolationist Heungseon Daewongun. During the time skip, Heungseon gets outed by Gojong's wife, Empress Myeongseong, and the empress herself gets assassinated by the Japanese because she sided with the Russians. This incident traumatized the whole nation, not to mention Gojong himself. There's a brief mention of this when Ae Shin's grandfather chastizes her as a warning that women shouldn't get into politics. This is an MV about Empress Myeongseong:

 

There's a good Korean musical about her too. So the drama is missing a very significant historical character along with the Sino-Japanese War. Basically, the historical setting was like this:

 

Heungseon Daewongun - Confucianist. Usurper. Allies with China.

Empress Myeongseong - An empress trying to get into politics. Allies with Russia.

Emperor Gojong - Wrong place at the wrong time. Tragic.

 

No idea about the name "Mr. Sunshine".

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@solaris thank you so much.  Not sure if is possible, looks like we have some changes, can it be possible to know what the character description said now on tVN drama website? Drama started shooting almost a year ago.  

 

Hmmm, Dong Mae character.... how much and what will be changed.  YYS scenes are not stand alone scenes either.  For a partially preproduced drama... a challenge in editing to keep up with airing schedule but a blessing also for having footage already.  Fighting YYS!

“Mr. Sunshine” Changes Details Of Yoo Yeon Seok’s Character After Controversy

 

tvN’s “Mr. Sunshine” has acknowledged the controversy over Yoo Yeon Seok’s character Goo Dong Mae.

 

yoo-yeon-seok-mr.-sunshine.jpg

 

On July 13, the drama’s production staff stated, “It was said that the character of Goo Dong Mae romanticized the pro-Japanese stance, and that it didn’t reflect the true historical context of the time. Therefore, the staff has modified the entire character. The parts that we’ve already finished filming will be modified according to the new character description as well.”

 

They continued, “We had absolutely no intention of romanticizing the pro-Japanese. Our intention was to portray the devastation of a man born as a peasant during a violent time, whose life and family were shaken to the core by the soldiers, and forced to live a fate that he could not change. As it is a drama about a sensitive age, we now realize we should have been more careful about our efforts.”

 

On “Mr. Sunshine’s” official website, the character description for Goo Dong Mae has changed. Previously, it had stated that Go Dong Mae was part of the Black Dragon Society, which many people pointed out was historically pro-Japanese.

 

Source (1) (2)

 

 

f131735008044900588(0).png

태어나보니 백정의 아들이었다. 백정은 사람이 아니었다. 백정의 딸과 아내는 보란 듯이 욕보여졌고 백정의 사내들은 칼을 들었으나 아무도 벨 수 없으니 날마다 치욕이었다. 마주치면 기겁했고 비껴가면 침을 뱉었다. 막무가내의 매질이 외려 덜 아팠다. 소나 돼지만도 못한 존재, 그게 동매였다.

소, 돼지로는 살 수 없어 각설이패를 쫓아 부락을 나왔다. 춘궁기는 길었고 형들의 매질은 모질었다. 양반의 횡포보다 천민이 천민에게 부리는 행패가 더 잔인했다. 조선 바닥 어디에도 백정의 아들 동매에게 더 나은 세상은 없었다. 

일본으로 건너간 동매는 그곳에서 저처럼 칼을 다루는 낭인들을 따라 떠돌았다. 열 살부터 칼을 잡았던 동매였다. 동매의 칼은 급소만 노렸고 깔끔하고 신속했다. 수장은 자신의 눈에 든 동매에게 ‘이시다 쇼(石田 翔)’라는 이름을 내렸고, 그 이름은 동매의 세상을 바꿔놓았다.

동매는 짐승을 잡는 짐승 같은 놈으로 제 앞을 막는 모든 것들을 찢어발기고 집어 삼켰다. 조선이고 일본이고 어차피 사람이 아니긴 마찬가지였으나, 적어도 이곳에서는 소, 돼지가 아닌 맹수였다. 모두가 동매를 두려워했다. 몇 해가 지나자 더는 일본 땅에서 동매를 대적할 자가 없었다. 저를 따르는 무리가 생겼고, 동매는 그들을 이끌고 일본을 떠났다.

조선으로 돌아온 이유는 딱 하나였다. 유일하게 자신을 응시해주던 한 여인의 눈동자. 그녀의 눈빛엔 경멸도 멸시도, 하물며 두려움조차 없었다. 바로, 조선 최고 사대부댁 애기씨, 애신이었다. 사람구실을 하면 할수록 고애신, 그 이름 하나만 간절해졌다. 그러면 안 되는데, 세상 모두가 적이어도 상관없겠다 싶어진다. 

그런 애신 앞에 자꾸 알짱거리는 미국놈이란 사내가 심히 거슬린다. 꼭 새치기 당한 기분이었다. 가진 적도 없는데. 오직 애신을 사랑해서, 사랑에 미친, 사랑해서 미친, 동매는 그런 사내다.

 

http://program.tving.com/tvn/mrsunshine/3/Contents/Html?h_seq=3

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@bedifferent   Not sure how they are going to change the character. He had already appeared in the scenes in episode 2 wearing a kimono with a Japanese sword. So many scenes to reshoot. Hope it will not affect the actor or the flow of the story. I had been looking forward to this drama for 1 year. Sigh...

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@charray with only 2 episodes down with barely any backstory on Dong Mae, as a viewer, I regret not able to see the original intention of KES on her character.  The concern here also ties to how we will react to Dong Mae later on as well.  Whatever we feel toward the character, or I think Ae Shin more importantly, will clash with who he is and what he did as the leader of the Black Dragon Society.   

 

Dong Mae is the character I am looking forward to knowing, was hoping for the conflict and character growth that could give us more than just a tragic second third male lead.  Thought his character is an interesting one that straddles many hemispheres in the drama just like Yoo-jin who also is finding out about himself.  Please don't make Dong Mae to one typical romantic side character. :huh:

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14 minutes ago, bedifferent said:

@charray with only 2 episodes down with barely any backstory on Dong Mae, as a viewer, I regret not able to see the original intention of KES on her character.  The concern here also ties to how we will react to Dong Mae later on as well.  Whatever we feel toward the character, or I think Ae Shin more importantly, will clash with who he is and what he did as the leader of the Black Dragon Society.   

 

Dong Mae is the character I am looking forward to knowing, was hoping for the conflict and character growth that could give us more than just a tragic second third male lead.  Thought his character is an interesting one that straddles many hemispheres in the drama just like Yoo-jin who also is finding out about himself.  Please don't make Dong Mae to one typical romantic side character. :huh:

 

Because of how he had appeared in episode 2, he will still have some connection to Japanese due to how he had dressed even if he is not the leader of Black Dragon Society. How are they going to explain the connection to the Japanese then? So strange. So sad that we viewers are not able to see the original intention of Kim Eun Seok.

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10 minutes ago, charray said:

 

Because of how he had appeared in episode 2, he will still have some connection to Japanese due to how he had dressed even if he is not the leader of Black Dragon Society. How are they going to explain the connection to the Japanese then? So strange. So sad that we viewers are not able to see the original intention of Kim Eun Seok.

 

Yeah.  One route they can take is to have him be a wanderer/gypsy of some sort, vagabond, hired swordsman?  But there are some violent scenes of Dong Mae, are they going to cut all that out and reshoot?  Also, the preview for E3 showing him running after Ae Shin... they may have to do editing and switch scenes around in E4.

 

Netflix has 12 episodes up in queue.

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