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

[Ahpheng]

 

[rubie]

Looks like another set of behind-the-scene snippets have been released today. The previous set unfortunately, have not appeared on Youtube .. only on Naver. But luckily, thanks to the continuous sharing by MR.SUNSHINE fans on IG, we're able to enjoy the making film as well.

 

Kim Tae Ri's NGs during the English lesson scene  thanks to Kim Tae Ri Fan Page and Chungmuro Crumb

 

[blademan]

Stills for this week  

 

 

[rubie]

August 2, 2018

 

'Japanese are bad, Yanks are good, kinda' 

 

Japanese imperial Army Sgt. Tsuda, played by Lee Jung-hyun, captures the stereotype image of Japanese. Courtesy of tvN

 

By Oh Young-jin The Korea Times

 

The period drama "Mr. Sunshine" on tvN has many elements for success _ a stellar cast and an intriguing plot and exquisite props, all made possible by a large budget.

 

But I have a bad taste in my mouth watching one episode after another, wondering what causes it. 

 

It didn't take long to find it out. 

 

It was the stereotypes hidden in plain sight: "Japanese are bad _ cruel, ruthless, crafty and backbiting _ while Americans are good _brave, honest, compassionate and challenging, well sunshine." This typeset is camouflaged by bit of qualification that serves as a fig leaf to our collective sense of shame. 

 

This dramatic banality is reinforced by the cast of characters. Because the drama is set in the turn-of-the-century Joseon Kingdom that fell to imperial Japan, it is to a degree inevitable that its Japanese characters are portrayed as vicious, crafty, warmongering villains, but it brands all Japanese as such, with no exception. 

 

Japanese Imperial Army Sgt. Tsuda, played by young method actor Lee Jung-hyun, represents the thread. 

 

The squint-eyed Tsuda, with a shaved head, lacks discipline when he goes after the protagonist, U.S. Marine Capt. Eugene Choi, played by top-dollar actor Lee Byung-hun, without gaining permission from his superiors. 

 

Lee is cold-hearted when he rummages through the pockets of a fellow soldier _ who dies on his behalf _ for wage envelope.

 

With his face smeared by splashes of his colleague's blood, he makes a dark statement: "Wage day was yesterday. I know where he put his money." 

 

Then, holding the hilt of the sword is Japanese Consul Hayashi. It can only be guessed that that dirty name is part of Hayashi Gonsuke, a real Japanese diplomat who played a key role in Japan's absorption of Joseon. The makers of the program declare it is a mixture of fiction and history. 

 

There are two cases of "He who touches pitch will be defiled therewith." 

 

One is Lee Wan-ik _ played by veteran actor Kim Eui-sung _ who reminds one of Yi Wan-yong, a Korean Benedict Arnold. 

 

In one of the first scenes in "Sunshine," Lee goes to Ito Hirobumi, promising to hand over Korea to him. Hirobumi was Japan's prime minister and first resident-governor in occupied Korea, who was killed by Korean independence fighter An Jung-geun. 

 

In reality, Yi helped Japan's takeover of Joseon. In the drama, Yi shows up clothed in tailcoat and high hat, which means to be a hint of disdain for the Joseon of that time, corrupt, rudderless and clueless.

 

The second is Goo Dong-mae, played by heartthrob Yoo Yeon-seok, who is born as a Korean untouchable and is a kind of master-less samurai or ronin who preys on people in the Japanese district. He suffers from a constant conflict of identity but would work for the highest bidder. 

 

U.S. Marine Capt. Eugene Choi represents Koreans' stereotype good about America. Courtesy of tvN

 

In contrast, Capt. Choi is as good as all Japanese characters are bad. 

 

He is the son of slaves who escapes to the United States thanks to a combination of sacrifice and good luck _ sacrifice from his mother, who threatens to kill the master's daughter-in-law to buy him time to get away, and good luck from a good-hearted carpet beggar who wants Korean porcelain.

 

In the opening scene, Choi is complimented by President Theodore Roosevelt for his outstanding contribution in the Spain-U.S. War. 

 

When he returns home, he is an instant hero who also captures the mind of an upper-class lady, his opposite Go Ae-shin, played by a charming Kim Tae-ri. Choi and Go, who secretly trains to be a patriotic markswoman, meet for the first time as the two assassinate the same pro-Japanese American. 

 

Then, Choi helps her get away. The two slowly fall in love as Go becomes interested in Choi and an America that this American with brown eyes represents. 

 

One memorable scene has it that Choi stares down an entire Japanese platoon and humiliates its leader Sgt. Tsuda., saying, "Touch you and it would be tantamount to declaring war against the United States." 

 

Go tries to learn English, an effort representing her yearning for independence. At one point, she offers to propose "love" with Choi, not knowing its meaning but Choi takes up her challenge. 

 

Their tryst and pull-push maneuver can remind one: first of a Korea that asked for U.S. help in staving off Japan's takeover and second, of a Korea that was abandoned by the U.S. just before the 1950-1953 Korean War. 

 

In the first, the U.S. turned its back on Joseon as it cut a secret deal called the Taft-Katsura Memorandum, under which the U.S. conceded Korea to Japan in return for recognizing its influence over the Philippines. In the second, the Acheson Line was declared to exclude Korea from the U.S. defense perimeter, inviting the North to invade the South less than six months later in 1950. 

 

The drama relies on selective memory in favor of the fact Americans vanquished the Japanese and liberated Korea at the end of World War II and then helped fight back the communists. 

 

One pivotal twist is Choi being a Korean who becomes an American by the combination of circumstances and choice. Perhaps the writer or director of "Sunshine" may have worried that Koreans couldn't stomach seeing a foreigner take the hand of the yangban lady. Antidote of kind is David Mclinnis, an American major and Choi's superior officer, who plays a goofy part to help highlight the American side of Choi. 

 

The Japanese are more open to mixed love with Americans or people of other nationalities in movies, with one of the many examples being "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise, although it is a Hollywood movie.

 

It is food for thought as to why we obviously are so steeped in the concept that "Americans are good and Japanese, bad." Is it because Americans are less evil than the Japanese? Or is it because the U.S. is stronger than Japan? Either way, surely, this stereotyping is limiting our imagination. 

foolsdie5@ktimes.com 

[Ahpheng]

you can watch the full BTS here https://movie.daum.net/tv/episode?tvProgramId=80204&order=recent&exEpisodeId=344924

[rubie]

No stress to the happy cast   .. only anxiously impatient viewers waiting for the weekend to arrive..

 

Cut by Chungmuro Crumb

[imhoooked]

On 8/2/2018 at 7:14 AM, rubie said:

 

 

I disagree with the article in some aspects...one is that it implies, someway, that the Korean audience wouldn't accept a different point of view. I think any nation wouldn't accept a different portray of imperialism. Imperialism wasn't a blessing for any nation invaded, the history proves that it brought more bad consequences than good.

The point is to understand that it was an ideology of some point in the history. Americans could look good in Korea, but they didn't in Central and South America, Japan could look bad for Korea, but they didn't in Europe. Europe could look good in America, but they didn't in Africa. It was a time were Machiavelli's realism ruled the international politics, and hard power (aka military power) was used to overthrow sovereign countries. To consider the people of some imperialist nation in the past bad or good just because the doings of their leaders is not fair.

Obviously there were good people there too. I think KES hints that with the Japanese friend Eugene has in US, but she couldn't go any further because it would defenitely hurt Koreans to watch a fictional drama with a favorable portray of Japanese people. More than what KES wants, I think the way the drama show both sides is how people saw them back then. Japanese bad and American good.

Fortunately the world changed a lot nowadays, and even with lots of problems, imperialism seems just in history.

[Adwina Oltariani]

Is it saturday yet? i cant hardly wait!!

I'm new to the thread.. nice to meet you all~

[rubie]

Hello hello @Adwina Oltariani, welcome welcome to the drama thread but you're actually quite an old soompi soul, right.  

 

Can't wait for the weekends, indeed! The conclusion of the HUG awaits! 

 

Btw.. Kyle has his own fan art now. Maybe.. he's MR.SUNSHINE? 

 

Art by ry_logic

 

[bebebisous33]

4 hours ago, imhoooked said:

 

I disagree with the article in some aspects...one is that it implies, someway, that the Korean audience wouldn't accept a different point of view. I think any nation wouldn't accept a different portray of imperialism. Imperialism wasn't a blessing for any nation invaded, the history proves that it brought more bad consequences than good.

The point is to understand that it was an ideology of some point in the history. Americans could look good in Korea, but they didn't in Central and South America, Japan could look bad for Korea, but they didn't in Europe. Europe could look good in America, but they didn't in Africa. It was a time were Machiavelli's realism ruled the international politics, and hard power (aka military power) was used to overthrow sovereign countries. To consider the people of some imperialist nation in the past bad or good just because the doings of their leaders is not fair.

Obviously there were good people there too. I think KES hints that with the Japanese friend Eugene has in US, but she couldn't go any further because it would defenitely hurt Koreans to watch a fictional drama with a favorable portray of Japanese people. More than what KES wants, I think the way the drama show both sides is how people saw them back then. Japanese bad and American good.

Fortunatly the world changed a lot nowadays, and even with lots of problems, imperialism seems just in history.

I disagree with the article too. To me, it seems that people have a short memory. USA and Americans are not just portrayed in a good light. Sure, Kyle and EC are shown in a positive way. Just because Kyle and EC are Americans helping AS and indirectly the Righteous Army, this doesn't mean that all Americans are nice.

First of all, it is clear from the start that EC and Kyle were sent to Joseon for American interests. The American imperialism is also revealed in the beginning:

-  The battle of El Caney ensues in Cuba during Spanish-American war.

- Kyle mentions the Philippines, America is interested in this country.

To conclude, the American government is acting like all other imperialistic countries. 

Secondly, the violence EC experienced in the USA (the gangs) underlined the racism. Only in the Army, EC could find acceptance. Finally, Logan and his wife are definitely bad persons. The former is a traitor as he wants to get rich himself (helping Japan for his own interest), while his own wife looks down on Korean people and even mistreats them. Here, the racism is visible. 

    

[bedifferent]

On 8/1/2018 at 8:03 AM, skinnyjeans said:

 

Remember what EC said to AS in the pharmacy when she asked if he wanted to destroy Joseon? He said that it's not entire Joseon, but only to that certain family.

 

Kyle is not his mentor, he's simply his best friend. Some people or things influence him that makes him HIM, but how EC perceives things matters as well.

 

 

Hello ~~~

 

What I like about Eugene is that he tries hard to define his enemies and purpose.  In a turbulent time as this, it's easy to be confused at who or what you are fighting for.  It's clear to Eugene up to this point that his fight is personal, on a smaller scale, to help Ae Shin and her cause.  To bring closure to his own grief.  He's not ambitious or calculative to try get something beneficial for himself.  He's a reluctant hero.  Contrast this to everyone else who is trying to get a piece of Joseon, his personality is more of self preservation.  I'm not sure I make sense here. 

 

You're right.  Eugene needs someone to reflect off.  Ae Shin is absolute in her beliefs.  Eugene is more pragmatic and a strategist.  He truly has a military mind and sensibility.  

 

On 7/31/2018 at 8:24 PM, tzupi said:

Then I realized that Eugene was unhappy with the advice: he wanted Kyle to take the pawn certificate and set Eugene free of the burden of thinking what to do with it. But Kyle returned the document to him and advised him to return it to its rightful owner. For Eugene, this means prolonging his association with the people Eugene wants to avoid. (afterwards, following upon Kyle's advice, he visits the emperor's minister and at the end of their conversation, he explains to him that coming there was an act of courage--contrast with the moment when he pawns the document and says that the little boy is again scared.)

 

For me, the interesting part now is how Eugene would get involved in the fight. I'm wondering whether AS would be the one to drag him in, for ideologically there is a big divide between them: he was a slave, she is an aristocrat. (AS might be open-minded, but Eugene might still think that their life experiences are vastly different and she is idealistic.) It is telling that at the end of episode 8, he does not embrace her: while AS is all in, he is not yet all in. It is not that he does not love her: the moment Eugene shows the strongest resoluteness yet is the moment he picks the gun from her and shoots himself to cover for her. It is that he is not fully behind her fight: all the time he helped other people, he did it reluctantly. (this is why Eugene's help remains a puzzle for the Gunner--although now the gunner understands Eugene's motivation: he is just in love in AS, no ulterior motives.)

 

On the last point you made, about Lee Wan Ik (this is the traitor, isn't it?): is it clear that he is the son of a butcher?

 

Thank you for your thought-provoking comments. I am very curious what you (and of course other people on the forum) think about Eugene not embracing AS at the end of episode 8. 

 

Love what you said.  Yes, it takes courage to be involved and do the right thing.  All Eugene has done on behalf on Ae Shin is easier as he associates them with helping her.  To do for others, for strangers, on a grander scale burdens Eugene. Ae Shin slowly pushes him into caring for this country and its people.  It's as if he's a little boy again looking at the sky wondering his place in this universe.  The black bird Ae Shin is complicating his peaceful life and view.

 

I like Ae Shin and her fighting spirit.  Yet, I can't help but wonder if her views and opinions are limited by her sheltered aristocracy.  Not a fault of her by any mean.  No doubt her heart sympathizes with the people and the cause.  It's that she has rarely experienced hardship and cruelty first hand, to see the coin from both sides.   I don't think age can substitute for experience.  Empathy is important in a leader.  You have to share experience with others to gain loyalty and respect.  Ae Shin represents the heart and soul of the Righteous Army.  I think she still has more to learn to make her a great leader so looking forward to see her experience just that in the upcoming episodes. 

 

I must apologize.  I was wrong, Lee Wan Ik is the son of a poor farmer.  Sorry, I remembered wrong.

 

I don't think he can reciprocate the hug yet.  No doubt, he was surprised.  To hug her back means making a commitment that Eugene is fully awared of and not taken lightly.  There's the unknown fact to Ae Shin that he's a slave's son.  There's the fiancee in waiting.  There's the fact that he is a soldier on a mission with a full knowledge that he was sent on a temporary mission to Joseon, a mission he apparently has already completed.  He knows a little of what the US' intention and plan in this East Asia's conflict.  To hug Ae Shin back will force Eugene to choose a side, which will have implications greater than just simply a commitment in a personal relationship.

 

It's unfortunate that this drama is being heavily scrutinized even as it only aired 1/3 so far.  History, even dramatized as this one is, should be told and seen from different angles.  Each individual and his/her story is one we can learn from.  To the cast and crew, fighting!!! Will be watching all your stories unfolded till the end.

[rubie]

Photos: pd.coffee

 

Actress Kim Hye Soo sends a coffee truck supporting good friend Kim Min Jung ~

 

[Ahpheng]

 

[Seoulmemories]

Does anybody has any idea, how many eps have they filmed before the broadcast and which ep are they filming now? 

 

I seems to see scenes of ep 8 in trailers which meant they have done quite alot for the past one year. I am just hoping the live shoot dont affect the quality of the drama. So many kdramas are wondeful for the first few eps and then spiral downhill. Just keeping my fingers crossed.

 

@rubie thanks for the article, I agree with most of it but I do understand the writer has to take sides and create some solid positioning of the characters.

-------------

The thing to note is this writer's forte is in romance, that is her track record. Even for D.o.ts, she had a co-writer that wrote the war stories. I am happy that since she grown into great success, she was given the go ahead to write this period drama which is really her first foray. Goblin just had abit of flashbacks but Mr Sunshine is her most ambitious work so far, being fully set in period history and she actually picked a really difficult time period to write, very few kdramas dare or have the budget to set themselves in that period.

 

The other recent drama that is set in similar time which I can remember is another of Lee Joongi's work: Gunman in Joseon. Over there, he was also a sad character that went to Japan and came back with a new Japanese identity. Another parallel to Goo Dong Mae. As far as I remember, perhaps, being on a smaller scale, the audience having so much of an issue with Japanese portrayal in that drama. 

 

So anyway my point is, Mr Sunshine's writer strength is in romantic angst, and her effort to expand into bigger dimension of a tumultuous time should be commended.

 

Most of all, just take her story with a pinch of salt.

[Ahpheng]

 

[rubie]

Source: tvN

 

MR.SUNSHINE Special Effects: Before & After SFX

 

Spoiler

 

 

[bedifferent]

@rubie those CGI is $$$ budget 

 

 

 

They  are releasing 2 OSTs in a row.

 

Mr Sunshine OST Part 5 - MeloMance (Love) 

 

 

to be followed by OST part 6 -  My Home (Eugene's Song) with music box's Greensleeves melody incorporated in to the song.

 

BTS

 

 

Smiling DM (minus angst) exists! 

 

Spoiler

BFF

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ahpheng]

 

[philosophie]

Sorry if this has already been answered. I’m a bit confused about the secret document EC gave to the pawn shop. Had the king been embezzling money and that was what the estate was about? Or is it like the deed of the whole country? 

 

Also, does AS and her master work for the king? Cause if I remember correctly AS’s grandfather was the kings favorite scholar and seems to have had ties with his son and the gunner master by knowing about their allegiance to fighting foreign influence on their homeland. I’m just curious if they have support from the king cause I’m always wondering like when I thought Gunner jang would get arrested for selling the gun or AS caught during the mission when DM shot her if they end up getting pardoned by the king cause they’re like his shadow army no one knows about. Basically does the king suppo AS’s group? Also are he and Hina allies too swing how she got a doc from them and burned it after telling EC to use translator? If that’s the case and DM and EC also turn to the other side aka Joean then maybe story will lead to all these characters working together to keep their country from being controlled by another nation.

[rubie]

KENZO sends a coffee, tea and snack truck to support actress Kim Tae Ri (their FLOWER by KENZO model) at Gyeongsang Province where the drama filming is located at. The production staff & crew also received gifts of KENZO fragrance products.

 

Kinda explains the Flower references in the drama.. no? 

 

Photos: coffeewang_on_the_block