I discendenti del sole

I have recently learned to love Korean TV, having been wowed by Mr Sunshine and Crash Landing on You. I also loved Its Okay to Not be Okay. So I came to this wanting it to be of a similar standard. But it isn't. Not for me anyway.

I did not invest in the central relationship. The characters shed plenty of tears but never made me feel that their relationship was real. The story threw lots challenges and disasters their way, but none of it made me care what happened.

Having said all that, it is a moderately diverting drama, perhaps more likely to be enjoyed if you come at it with low expectations.

The title song was what I heard first, which made me search for 'Descendants of the Sun' and read the plot which didn't have much to offer apart from a usual romance story. The person who showed me the song was speaking very highly of the drama and was even generous enough to provide the episodes. Then I started watching in gratitude mostly and to be honest, I didn't regret that for a moment - but the opposite!

'Tae-yang-eui hoo-ye' belongs to the type of drama that carry a simple story but with its emotional scenes, heartwarming music and soft touches makes it remarkable and attaching to a viewer. It has powerful sub plots running alongside and the visuals including the cast as well as the venues are also an eye candy.

What I liked the most in the story is not the main love story between Shi-Jin 'big boss' and Mo-Yeon - 'the lady doctor' (although it is also emotionally appealing) but the power struggle and the demanding relationship between Dae-Yong and Myeong-Joo. I beleive the actors playing those two roles have done more justice to the roles compared to the main duo. But overall the story is empowered and flows nicely with typical lover quarrels and romantic moments placed perfectly between occasional humor and action. Yes you read right, Action ! I'm not talking about the Adrenalin rush you might have felt when Myeong-Joo's recording was played on loudspeaker which was a much needed breakthrough that came with humor. But there were plenty of military scenes and rescue scenarios I was very happy to watch as a boy. One more reason to drop a star in the rating is the poor budget that the producers have got when they have such nice action scenes which are diluted with careless visual effects and props.

But overall this drama is excellent as a love story because it has the perfect blend between pain-joy, hope-disappointment and expectations-reality which is true in a real world love story as well. Yes, there are some over exaggerated moments of romance or maybe action, but it is essential for us to bond with the characters, hope them to do things that we want and to take pleasure in them getting what we want( and occasionally not getting it to break 'our' hearts). It is indeed an emotional roller coaster ride for a spectator and I really liked it. Anybody with a heart , anybody who have loved before can relate to at least one small incident that happens between the couples in the drama and indulge in their own memories - which can be eventually painful - but we embrace that pain with love.

The only exceptional and unnatural character developments that I saw are of the rich-kid doctor and the unearthly attractive tech-mech-doc guy. But that is tolerable ~ it's fun. It also had its emotional moments with bitter truths of life - like when the disaster struck power plant worker took a decision about his life, which is a nice touch additional to the romance, comedy and action in the story.

So to sum up

(+) typical but rich romantic scenes

(+) humor that doesn't bore you

(+) picturesque backgrounds ( I didn't know Urk was at Greece right till the end :/ )

(+) last but not the least ~ Awesome music



(-) can be improved action scenes

(-) a bit more less filler plots

makes 'Descendants of the Sun' a nice story to watch and a pleasant gift to share. Personally I enjoyed a lot watching the sweet romance and love struggles in a drama - which I thought I might never do again. So I would like to thank the person who shared this beautiful work of art with me for giving me the taste of a locked out world. :)

One of the most well written and beautifully shot Korean dramas, amazing and fresh plot and we'll built characters and satisfying ending.one of the best shows and detailed writing work I ever seen in the WORLD.

A brilliant drama. War, earthquake, surgery, romance, exotic scenery.....a feast for our eyes. Nowhere to breathe. Simply excellent.

I thought it is a good idea to rewatch in 2023. But in one second, I regret. Whenever I see the main couple, I thought of their divorce. The part 2 reality show in a way ruins all the original sweetness. Life is harsh admittedly. I am not blaming anyone. Fate is the culprit. What I could do is to keep looking forward for new story, hopefully cheerful one, from writer Kim.

This drama is not just aesthetically gorgeous- the cinematography is seriously nothing short of a masterpiece- but also carries a message that is just as beautiful. This is one of the most critically acclaimed dramas of time, with special praise given to the the heart tugging storyline and the beautiful layered performances from the strong cast.