[Spoiler alert: If you have not seen Mr. Sunshine, the article below contains spoilers. Please stop reading now if you do not want the details to the episodes.]
With these two episodes, we are now halfway through the series. It’s hard to believe that it’s only halfway through when there have been so many things happening. Of course, there were many events that I have not covered because – well, there is just too much.
So here is the snapshot of what happened so far.
- Ae-shin and Eugene have an interesting first meet.
- Ae-shin and Eugene have a misunderstanding, but they are still drawn to each other.
- Ae-shin’s fiancé show up all the sudden.
- Ae-shin and Eugene admit their feelings.
- Ae-shin finds out about Eugene’s background and they “break up”.
- Eugene makes a big gesture and they “make up”.
In the mist of all the ups and downs of this new relationship, Joseon is headed into big trouble. Eugene helps to prolong the inevitable demise, but he is only one man. There are too many forces against Joseon’s autonomy and not enough allies.
The theme for these two episodes is reveal. Let’s look at what reveals our character have or what the audience finds out about what is to happen.
Ae-shin’s Reveal
As the snow fall softly around Ae-shin and Eugene, they meet in an empty alley. Eugene sees Ae-shin’s bare hands and gives her his gloves. Even with the enormous pain he had received, his only thought is of her. Ae-shin wants to apologize for her expression for it must have cause him pain. Eugene’s long story revealed Ae-shin’s prejudice, which is a hard pill for her to swallow.
“I wanted to live as a fighter. I lied to my grandfather, made my aunt worry, and became a burden to those who are loyal to me. However, I encouraged myself by believing that I was doing the right thing. However, after hearing your story, my world came crumbling down. During all of our time together, I never once took your origin into consideration. Come to think of it, I just assumed you were a noble.”
She proceeds to tell him that she thought she was different, but she’s just a noble fool that never got out of the palanquin. This of course is from Dong-mae’s remark- a noble fool living in luxury.
Eugene reassures her that this is, but a small setback and he urges her to continue – continue to move forward, continue to fight for her beliefs, continue to protect Joseon. While Ae-shin has shown her prejudice by assuming Eugene was a noble, she is clearly not like other nobles. Her pain and shame are real. Her acknowledgement of her prejudice and her shame are what sets her apart from others.
When Ae-shin hears that Eugene is going to leave Joseon, she rushes out with the intention of running to him. What stops her is her mission. Ae-shin has been forever changed by meeting Eugene and she knows that stopping to get the mission is what saved her from risking it all on him. This one moment reveals to the audience that despite how much she loves Eugene, Ae-shin will continue to choose Joseon over him.
Hui-seong’s Reveal
Hui-seong’s reveal is more for the audience than the people around him. So far, the audience has not seen much of Hui-seong besides seeing him as a fun-loving rich playboy hiding his pain. But what we discover is that he is a quick wit who is extremely perceptive and capable of strategy.
Hui-seong calls Ae-shin to the tram stop and she discovers that all the men are wearing the same suit as the one she wore during the Jemulpo shooting incident. He reveals to Ae-shin that he doesn’t care whether she wears the suit to save or sell their country.
“If it’s dangerous, come and hide. If that’s the reason why I came to Joseon, it’ll be an honor.”
Up to this point, he didn’t seem to have a purpose. Now, he will do everything in his power to save the woman he loves, even if she doesn’t love him back.
Hui-seong also makes other moves. We’ve heard Hui-seong talk about how rich his family is and how many different parts of Hanseong used to be part of his family’s estate. Perhaps, the most important inheritance Hui-seong received was the ledger. He takes the ledger to the people on the list and starts to collect money.
Hui-seong’s deep pain from his family’s cruelty and indifference has taken a toll on him for years. When the angry water carrier dumps water all over him, he acts with kindness rather than anger or entitlement. This reveal make Eugene, who watches the interaction, more sympathetic towards Hui-seong. This is the moment that Eugene’s hatred for the entire Kim’s family change and his attitude towards Hui-seong softens.
Lee Wan-ik’s Reveal
We’ve seen Lee Wan-ik’s greed and thirst for power, but he has started to reveal just how far he is willing to go.
There were four Foreign Ministers murdered – we are to assume that Lee Se-hun and three others. Because of the murders, no one wants the job. So, some of the ministers decide to throw Lee Wan-ik’s name as the next Foreign Minister because they think that he is the most likely culprit behind the murders. Lee Wan-ik wanting the position is no secret. What he is revealing by these murders is to announce to everyone, including the Emperor, that the position is his.
Lee Wan-ik has no problem searching Eugene’s room and making shady back door deals. He has obtained the autopsy report because the doctor was planning to sell it to Hina’s dead husband’s daughter. It is unfortunate that he did not do this for the sake of his daughter. He has other plans for her. To Hina’s disgust, probably sold into another marriage she doesn’t want.
Ae-shin and Hina’s reveal to each other
When a surprise visitor enters Glory hotel, Hina is troubled. Dr. Matsuyama has come to Joseon at the request of her father to take a position in the royal hospital. This doctor has the real autopsy report of Hina’s husband, which Hina clearly wants to hide from the world. In a previous episode, we see Hina’s back covered in scars, likely from her abusive husband. She has also revealed during a conversation with her father that she had something to do with her husband’s death. Now, the autopsy report can reveal her crime to the world, and she needs to stop it from happening.
Hina heads to her father’s house to retrieve this document. At the same time, Ae-shin’s mission is to retrieve the interpreter’s letters. In the scuffle, they both reveal their identity to each other. They agree to take the documents they wanted and part ways, but not before agreeing to meet later.
Ae-shin and Hina meet at the bakery and they pleasantly have some cake together. They each think the other has gotten a hold of their weakness, but they end up calling for a truce. When so many Korean dramas would pin these two women against each other, this drama does the opposite. We will see more from these two, but there is an unspoken respect for each other. Despite their different backgrounds and their share interest in one man, these women can look at each other and share a deeper connection.
What these episodes also revealed to the audience is this: we are going to see some unlikely alliances as they face a common enemy – Japan.
That’s all for today. Please join me next time for Episodes 13 and 14: Family. This asks an important question, what is a family?