Skip to main content

Introducing Season 3 of K Drama Chat

Joanna and Sung Hee introduce the show that K Drama Chat will cover during Season 3 - Mr. Sunshine. Mr. Sunshine is a hit show on Netflix from 2018. The show is about 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 Captain in the US Marine Corps. He gets sent to Joseon by President Roosevelt, under the guide of “taking care” of an American allegedly selling secrets to the Japanese. Captain Choi meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), an aristocrat’s granddaughter who refuses to sit quietly, marry, have children and embroider butterflies all day.

Jen is taking a couple of months off from the show so Joanna and Sung Hee are taking this opportunity to recap and review a historical (saeguk) K Drama, which Jen is not a fan of. Before diving into Mr. Sunshine, Joanna and Sung Hee are taking it easy for a couple of weeks. In this episode, they talk about Mr. Sunshine, and the shows they are currently watching.

Listeners, start watching or rewatching Mr. Sunshine now so you’re ready when we start analyzing the first two episodes in a couple of weeks!

References:

 

Comments

  1. KarlybApril 21, 2025 at 7:46 AM

    Just wanted to say a belated thank you for your series of podcasts on Mr. Sunshine. I had a hard time getting into this series because of the violence, but your podcast really helped me to understand background of the story. I eventually fell in love with all of the characters. I’m just back from a K drama tour to South Korea, and was surprised how much I loved visiting Sunshine Studios! You actually get to go inside the sets, and I was able to sit at Eugene Choi’s, desk, at the bar, and behind AiSun’s writing desk. It made the series come alive to walk inside the Glory hotel, stand on the street car, and walk through the town. Thank you again for helping me enjoy this K drama. Check out my @karlyb Instagram - I will be posting a story about this later today. Thanks again for all your thoughtful podcasts!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for your comment on this episode!

Popular posts from this blog

5.4 - Review of Episode 4 of Mr. Queen

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 of Mr. Queen, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Kim Jung-hyun as King Cheojong, Seol In-ah as Jo Hwa-jin, Na In-woo as Kim Byeong-in, and Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan. We discuss: Then songs we played during the recap: Conspiracyby Kim Deuk-su  and Lost Memory by Howl.  Last week’s episode was so funny, while this episode is really dark and there are bad guys everywhere.  The Queen has figured out that it was the King who tried to kill her in the alleyway.  The King is still desperately trying to figure out what the Queen knows.  The many plots to frame someone for the Queen falling into the lake.  The Queen accuses the King of going after her because she’s weak; this makes him wonder if the Queen is plotting against him or if she really is someone different.  Jo Hwa-jin goes to Grand Dowager Queen to confess they she pushed the Queen into the lake When the King tries to defend Jo H...
1 comment
Read more

11.5 - Podcast Review of Episode 5 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be ing Episode 5 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum Yang Gwan-sik. We discuss: The song featured during the recap: Spring in a Heartbeat by Park Sung-il, a beautiful instrumental piece that plays during the heartwarming scene of Ae Sun and Gwan Sik on their boat with their growing family. The complex and emotional back-and-forth between two timelines—Ae Sun and Gwan Sik’s love story and their daughter Geum Myeong’s journey—and how it adds depth to the drama. A powerful conversation about shame, gender roles, and vulnerability inspired by Gwan Sik’s struggle to provide for his family and Brene Brown’s research on shame. Ae Sun’s desperate visit to her grandmother, who gives them money to buy a boat—a game-changing gift that symbolizes hope and a fresh start. The emotional weight and cultural significance of the language used between Ae Sun’s grandmother an...
17 comments
Read more

11.1 - Podcast Review of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 1 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik. We discuss: The song featured during the recap: Midnight Walk by d.ear. The song feels nostalgic and represents Ae-sun’s longing for the past. The deeper themes of family, love, and survival that make this show feel unique compared to other historical K Dramas. The emotional opening with an elderly Ae-sun reflecting on the word "eomma" (mom) and how it carries deep significance throughout her life. The realistic and historical setting of Jeju Island, which makes this drama feel different from the more fantastical K Dramas we have covered before. The contrast between the English title, When Life Gives You Tangerines , and the Korean title Pokssak Sogatsuda , which means "You’ve worked hard" in Jeju dialect. The introduction of young Ae-sun and Gwan-sik and how their childhood relationship sets t...
17 comments
Read more