Mr. Sunshine

Mr. Sunshine is a 2018 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. The series aired every Saturday and Sunday on tvN starting from July 7, 2018, and ended on September 30, 2018. It premiered internationally on Netflix. Upon its final broadcast, Mr. Sunshine was the third highest-rated drama 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. While it received critical acclaim for cinematography and storytelling, as well as its strong female characters and portrayal of the lower classes, the series also received 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 (Lee Byung-hun), who was born into slavery in Joseon. After escaping to the United States at the time of the 1871 Shinmiyangyo, he becomes a Marine Corps officer. When he returns to Joseon for a mission, Eugene meets and falls in love with an aristocrat's granddaughter, Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), who is part of the Righteous Army. However, their love is challenged by their different classes and the presence of Kim Hui-seong (Byun Yo-han), a nobleman who has been Ae-shin's betrothed since childhood. Eugene also encounters Gu Dong-mae (Yoo Yeon-seok), a ruthless samurai, and Kudo Hina (Kim Min-jung), owner of the popular "Glory Hotel". At the same time, he discovers a plot by the Empire of Japan to colonize Korea and soon becomes embroiled in the fight for his birth country's sovereignty.