‘Hollywood cinematography’ on Netflix’s ‘Mr. Sunshine’ makes South Korean TV drama a hit
Healthy audiences wowed by epic scale of stunning visuals in opening two episodes of big-budget 24-part romantic drama starring actor Lee Byung-hun
Stunning cinematography has helped to make the blockbuster Netflix television romantic drama Mr. Sunshine, starring veteran actor Lee Byung-hun, a hit with audiences.
The series, which premiered on the online streaming entertainment service last Saturday, shows what a Korean television series can do with a budget of 40 billion won (US$36 million).
The first two episodes of the 24-part weekend drama impressed viewers with their scale and stunning cinematography, which gave viewers the impression they were watching a Hollywood wartime romantic drama.
Lavish computer graphics have been used for the graphic battle scenes where many nameless civilian soldiers fought for their kingdom, Joseon, under the pressure of foreign powers, to depict the most tumultuous time in history when “yesterday seemed distant, today seems strange and tomorrow, fearful”.
The programme is the first epic blockbuster written by star screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, whose successes include pan-Asian smash-hit television dramas Descendants of the Sun and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.
The first two episodes focused on telling the backstories of the leading characters in the fast-evolving Late-Joseon period, where slaves were freed and foreigners and Western culture were introduced before Japan annexed the Korean Peninsula.
Reflecting viewers’ high expectations for the drama, the first two episodes received 8.9 per cent and 9.7 per cent viewership ratings, which surpassed the ratings of Guardian’s initial two episodes, which saw its first episode gain a rating of 6.3 per cent.
The drama, which features Lee and rising star Kim Tae-ri, is set in Korea in the late 1800s and early 1900s.