Mr. Sunshine takes you to late 19th century Korea, during Joseon dynasty. It follows young Eugene Choi, who runs away to America and becomes a soldier. He comes back as U.S. Marine officer and falls for aristocrat Go Ae-shin. The show shows struggles of Koreans, with political chaos and Japanese invasion. With a talented cast, it’s popular for its gripping story and beautiful visuals. It’s a must-watch!

Meet the characters from Mr. Sunshine

Eugene Choi

Eugene is that quietly heroic type who arrives like a cool breeze and then proceeds to be 87% composed dignity and 13% accidentally adorable awkwardness. He’s a former Marine with rigid principles and a soft, stubborn heart — basically a walking honor code with a cigarette habit he claims he doesn’t need (lies, he totally needs it sometimes). He moves through scenes with this weird calm that makes you trust him immediately, but also you know he’s carrying a whole suitcase of secrets and old guilt. Also? He has a tiny obsession with menus and etiquette, which is oddly charming and slightly infuriating; I swear he once corrected someone’s fork usage mid-battle (maybe not). In the story he’s the protector who’s torn between two worlds and you keep hoping he’ll get some proper rest and cake.

Go Ae Shin

Go Ae Shin is ferocious, practical and endlessly stubborn in the best possible way — like a whirlwind who trained with knives and manners both. She’s noble-born but refuses to sit pretty for anyone; instead she learns to shoot, fight, plan, and generally ruin the patriarchy’s day, all while looking unexpectedly elegant with a bad attitude. She has this tiny soft spot for small animals and classical music (I think?) which clashes deliciously with her habit of snarling at rude men, and sometimes she actually bakes? No, wait — maybe she tried once and it exploded. She’s the kind of character who will save you and scold you afterwards, and you’ll happily take both.

Goo Dong Mae

Goo Dong Mae is chaotic intensity personified — scary as hell one minute and painfully human the next, like a thunderstorm with pockets of sunshine that smell faintly of smoke. He’s violent, ambitious, and utterly unpredictable, but there’s also this weird poetry to him: he collects grudges like collectible cards and occasionally reads them aloud (probably). He hates the world and loves his own rules, and somehow he’s both the monster you fear and the tragic figure you can’t stop watching — headache-inducing but magnetic. Also, apparently he likes flowers? That sounds wrong but I definitely remember a scene where he softens over something tiny; don’t ask me to explain, I’m still unpacking it.

Kim Hui Seong

Kim Hui Seong is the smooth, buttoned-up bureaucrat who smiles with one set of teeth and schemes with the other — the kind of man who makes poison look like tea. He’s elegant in the worst way, obsessed with hierarchy and appearances, and will sacrifice decency for “order” without blinking (and he genuinely believes he’s doing the right thing, which is the scary part). He collects compliments and power moves in equal measure, and yet there are these little off-moments where he hums children’s songs alone? It’s maddening and fascinating; he’s the gloved hand that signs documents that change lives, and you’ll love hating him.

Kudo Hina

Kudo Hina is subtle and sharp and quietly modern in a world that’s not always ready for her, like a calm blade wrapped in silk. She’s observant, clever, and fiercely loyal — the kind of person who notices a smudge on a uniform and remembers your birthday, which is oddly intimate and slightly creepy in a good way. She speaks softly but when she acts, it lands; also she has this habit of fixing other people’s collars and also hoarding tiny trinkets, which somehow makes her less intimidating and more human. Sometimes she seems inscrutable and then she’ll burst into a goofy smile and you’ll be like, oh right, she’s just a person who’s been through some stuff and is still choosing kindness.