Master's Sun has it all: horror, romance, a healthy bit of angst, and a touch of sunlight (or is it a beam?)that rises in the heart and fills the viewer with warm fuzzies and peals of laughter.
One of the greatest strengths of the show was it's acting. Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub absolutely oozed chemistry, appeal, and gave us such balanced but fantastic performances. So Ji Sub made me fall for his acting (and him) by the first episode. Seo In Guk was great as well, and at times, had me falling for both of the leads.
Storywise, I feel that the show did its best to indicate that the ghostly world isn't as scary as it seems, which plays well into the evolution of Gong Shil, Joong Won, and even Kang Woo. However, there were times where I felt that the story forgot earlier elements or threw them away. Nevertheless, the story was fairly solid.
Overall, I really enjoyed Master's Sun. When I say "really enjoyed," I mean that I'm already having separation anxiety from the brightness that was this drama.
I will definitely be watching this again.
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The story was very interesting and I thought it was done really well; however, towards the ending I felt that it lost its charm a few episodes before the ending and became too serious and very cliche. It was able to redeem itself in the end though.
I also agree with everyone that they were a little too metaphor heavy and I found myself having to rewind some parts just to fully understand what they were trying to say.
The actors were of course brilliant and I saw no flaws whatsoever. I absolutely loved the cast and their characters.
The music.....it got annoying. It is definitely not a soundtrack I will be listening to again. The instrumental version of the songs were nice but the other songs just did not stand out to me at all and were more of a nuisance than anything.
Overall I think this makes it to the list of 2013 dramas to watch because it was a good drama and it had a cute romance which is a plus for me.
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Although I've seen Gong Hyo Jin's previous work I haven't seen anything with So Ji Sub but he blew my mind away! Maybe it was his always demanding character or almost never changing expression but he was sooo different from all the other 'CEO' characters I've seen I couldn't quite believe how captivating he was. I'm a sucker for pretty faces and although Gong Hyo Jin is an awesome actress she is not exactly my style (a girl speaking) but she did her job brilliantly and now I can't imagine anyone else taking her part. Kim Yoo Ri was quite a funny character even if she was a bit bitchy at the beginning later on her antics made me giggle. As for Seo In Guk he was plain cool as usual. Music of course was beautiful too. I still listen to Yoon Mi Rea's 'Touch Love'- such a heartwarming song. I'm really glad I waited until the whole drama finished airing and then watched it in a week or so :D Will definitely was this drama again because it is a pure masterpiece, they should win all of the awards available.
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I can't believe how long it took me to finally decide to watch it! I should have seen it sooner! That is my only regret.
At first I was kind of sceptical about this drama, not knowing what to think of a horror and supernatural korean drama, thinking it wouldn't be as great as it appeared to be... I was so wrong. I could not have enjoyed it any more. It had everything, from good comedy to almost horror (I really got the creeps in some scenes) with a really touching (though frustrating at times) romance.
First, I absolutely loved the story : it had a mysterious overall plot that left you on your toes for most of the drama (more mysterious than I first thought), while also adding short plots that changed every episode, and they were interesting and greatly contributed to the progress between the two leads and were in no way unnecessary to the show. The romance in this show wasn't awkward at all, it was a proper fall in love over time and not at-first-sight kind of romance. It left much more room for the comedy and the mystery. I found myself really looking forward to the next episode, squirming with delight when something good happened, and it brought tears to my eyes when something sad happened. The good thing with this story is also that, you also create a connection with all the other characters, event the cameos (the short-plots), the show left plenty of room for the small roles to poke at our feelings and move us just as the leads do (or maybe I'm just an emotional wreck). Overall, this story had good progression, fulfilled it's duty to make us laugh, cry, dream, and also scare us (seriously, not kidding, they did a great job with those special effects, because I was affected ^^). Great plot!
When it comes to the acting, it was absolutely great! So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin had am-a-sing chemistry, I really want to see them in another drama together. The acting was very good, and I think this drama is underrated acting-wise (story-wise too), I think it deserved many more awards than it actually got. I really want to applaud Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub, just excellent! I would not change anything about the cast!
For the music, I fell in love with a few songs, not all of them, but it was a pretty good OST, that I probably will still be humming in a few months time.
For the re-watch value... definitely! There would be less suspense, but the cute relationship and great comedy and story are worth every minute! I would definitely re-watch!
Overall, I highly recommend this drama, to anyone (though I'm sure not everybody would agree with me) and I am still kicking myself about not starting it sooner. So watch it now!
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The rest of the cast, I loved; including Hwang Sun Hee as our baddie Ha Na! Talk about making you hate them while they barely had screen time? She did a good job. And let's not forget Choi Jung Woo as Sec Kim. He will go down in drama history as the first Secretary I've totally loved (since Secret Garden) but even more so. His character's love for Joong Won was so evident! The little side romance (or no romance between Seo In Guk and Park Hee Bon was super cute! We are all glad the 'Little Sun' finally got her man.
And last but not least, let's give it up for Uncle (Lee Jong Won). I'll never forget his final words when he saw Gong Shil leaving Joong Won's apartment: Bang Shil, FIGHTING!!
SO BUYING THIS!!
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I used the term "finally" but it doesn't mean it was boring, it's just this one was my first Korean drama to watch while it was still airing so it was a bit of a tough ride (having to wait each week for the next installment with all the cliffhangers)
Right into the review then.
Story (9):
Stories about ghosts and the ability to see them seem to be the trend in Korean dramas the current seasons, but it's safe to say Master's Sun was the first among them (as far as I know).
It was publicized when they first announced the drama that it was a brand new genre "Comedy/Romance/Horror" and it certainly felt NEW.
The story was quite fresh and entertaining, not free of flaws of course but still very enjoyable overall.
The Story mainly concentrated on the couple and Tae Yang's abbility, but there was that second plot that was going on at the background (the mystery behind the incident in the male lead's past that left a trauma), and while it was very interesting and intriguing at the beginning it started to drag just a tiny bit later, but thank God it was cleanly settled early not in the final episodes.
As for the extra episode, it might have caused the last few episodes' story to become a bit stale, but thankfully didn't destroy the drama, on the bright side you can say it gave the viewer more time to enjoy the main plot free of that one side plot.
As for the characters, I personally loved the character development in this one loads.
It's not the usual over-used pattern, where a spoilt chaebol with issues gets attracted to the perfect hard working poor woman and that love makes him change into a more mature person, rather it's a story about a couple who both had their own issues to deal with and their love each other gives them courage to face them and deal with them eventually making them grow into more strong characters that know just well what they want to do and decide on their own how to realize that.
I also want to admit how I was afraid at first that there would be resemblances in the characters with Greatest Love (might be because Gong Hyo Jin was common actress and how So Ji Sub's acting and hand gestures seemed a wee bit similar to Cha Seung Wons' Dok Ko Jin) but was I totally mistaken. There were very few scenes where you're reminded of Dok Ko jin but Joung Won's definitely a different character.
I especially liked how both characters were fast on realizing their own feelings not the "what is this feeling?" kind of idiocy that's elaborated in many Korean Rom-Coms but rather they were smart enough to acknowledge how they were attracted to each other and went right away to dealing with that (in a bit of an eccentric manner but any how)
ADORED nearly all the side characters in this one especially Secretary Kim and Joung Won's Aunt and uncle Not much the light-mouth security guy and didn't particularly enjoy his relationship with Gong sil's sister.
Acting (10)
PERFECT!!! I don't want to say it this way but Gong Hyo Jin stole all the lights in this one, imo. She was soooo convincing, lovable & cute at times and scaring clingy at others, witty and playful at times and heart-wrenching lonely and sad at others. I have to congratulate the producer on his choice, no other actress could have delivered Tae Yang any better.
So Ji Sub on the other hand, it's my first drama of his and well I can say I was satisfied with his acting. I know it's got nothing to do with acting but on a side note I hated most of his outfits in this one save for a few casual ones near the end. How can a CEO of a large department store have such a terrible fashion taste!!! But he was still attractive to be honest :D
Script (7)
Here comes my problem with this drama. I'm not saying I didn't like it and also I've always considered myself a Hong Sister's fan, but to be honest that witty and heavy on the metaphors script that's considered their forte or signature can be a bit boring, especially if one's watched several of their dramas. In funny moments it's fun, but using too much metaphors in even serious scenes besides aaall the characters feel like they share the same conversation skills it feels a bit unrealistic at times. It might be just me though.
Directing (8)
It was over all fine, nice camerawork as well. though sometimes it felt distracting with all the close ups on hands and off the topic stuff (clothes and such) and there were some mistakes with sequence in some of the scenes (clothes changing all of a sudden) but those were all small things that definitely don't waste a drama.
Music (10)
I wanted to reduce some points coz some of the vocal songs kept playing at always the same type of scenes that it felt a bit
repetitive, but I just couldn't bring myself to. The OST in this one is just MARVELOUS TAEBAK! I love all the instrumentals and also the vocals, and wish all Korean dramas' OST cover all the songs played in the drama this way(I know it has to do with he production budget but it's just so frustrating to find the long-awaited OST missing your favorite BGMs like in IHYV)
By all means, please do give Master's Sun a chance, especially if you're a rom-com lover. If you're not much of a rom-com fan,....then there's a high possibility you've never watched a hong sister's drama, then I think you should watch this one all the more. It will definitely feel fresh.
Thanks for reading my extra-long review!
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I was bit worried at first because the Hong Sisters drama can pretty much be a hit or miss but I LOVED this. It was romantic and down right HILARIOUS! I laughed so much throughout this drama.
The cast is great. I already love Gong Hyo Jin and I think she did a great job but who surprised me is So Ji Sub. When I first heard about this I was surprised that they picked him as the lead for such a wacky drama. So Ji Sub is a great actor I just worried that this wouldn't be the role for him but I was so wrong. So Ji Sub steals the show with his witty humor and cute love for his big sun. By the end of the drama I fell in love with his character.
Speaking of characters I must commend the Hong Sisters for their development of Tae Yang. I enjoyed how her character developed over time. It was truly great to see. They could have done it because of the extension but I think they still did a good job of it. I loved all of the characters in the end as well. Kang Woo, the Little Sun, Secretary Kim, The Trash Man Ghost, and many more. The chemistry between not only the leads but the whole cast is what makes this drama truly amazing.
As for the plot, I think the Hong Sister's pulled out a gem. I really liked the idea of this drama. The romance, comedy, supernatural with a bit of horror sprinkled on top. I was a bit worried because of some the devices that they were using towards the end but they ended up using them very well. Everything about the plot wasn't perfect but I still ended loving this drama anyway.
I usually don't pay attention to the music as much while watching a drama but I couldn't help but notice it on here. The music is great. They had a great soundtrack and I was so ready to download the OST.
This drama has a lot of re-watch value. I'll probably be watching this again in a couple of months. Half of me wishes the drama wasn't over.
Overall, Master's Sun isn't perfect but that still doesn't mean it doesn't shine brightly. The cast has great chemistry. So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin have amazing CHEMISTRY and there romance with each other is what carried this show. It has all the elements of an amazing drama. If you like romance, comedy, and a bit of horror then you'll love this drama as much as I did.
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The story for this drama was quite different to any other Korean drama I had watched, so it was really interesting. It pulled me in right away! I couldn't wait each week for the next episodes. At first the ghosts were a bit frightening... but then the ghost theme gradually became less noticeable, having more emphasis on the actual romance of the leads. There wasn't really a particular storyline (like with revenge...), but more just the storyline of why or why not the main leads can be together (which was kinda all determined by the ghost seeing power). Overall it was still veryyyyyy interesting to watch!
Acting/Cast:
The cast for this drama acted great! There was great chemistry between the main leads and the secondary leads. I realllllly liked So Ji Sub's character and Gong Hyo Jin's character. They both changed drastically through the duration of the drama. Gong Shil went from a clingy, whiney girl to a mature, independent woman. Joong Won went from a heartless, money hungry man to a devoted, loving man. I loved seeing their characters change.
Music:
This drama had realllllly good music. I even listen to it now just in my normal playlist. It helped to create the emotions and set the scenes better. Whenever I hear the songs again from the OST, they bring back happy, sad, funny moments from the drama... and makes me want to watch it all over again.
Rewatch?
Definitely! It has not a boring moment during the whole drama. I could watch it all again and still feel as good as I did the first time I watched it. I secretly wish it went for longer so I could watch the lead character's chemistry for longer.
Overall:
If you haven't already watched it... watch it! It is really interesting! You won't be disappointed... I hope. It is already very popular and highly rated, so it is worth a go.
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Story: It was different, but not original. I also like The Hong Sisters(the people who wrote this drama). I think this was their best drama yet. The characters where fleshed out well.
Acting: The leads(Go Hyo Jin & So Ji Sub) have amazing chemistry. I haven't watched many of their dramas yet, but I will soon. I heard So Ji Sub was in a lot of melodramas, but he was so funny! It took me by surprise that I laughed a lot in this drama because of him! The other characters were funny was well.
Music: It was good, but not memorable. The ost was great, but I wouldn't listen to the songs over & over.(my opinion only!)
Rewatch value: This was an adorable drama. I would rewatch everything! Mostly the funny, cute & sweet moments. But I would rewatch it for the love story as well.
Watch it if you like the following:
The Actors in it(So Ji Sub, Go Hyo Jin, Seo In Guk & the 2nd female lead(which I can't remember on top of my head)).
The Comedy. . .
The Romance. . .
And
The Horror/paranormal aspect. . .
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It had been a great allegory of the complexity of being different or having unconventional beliefs from the rest of the world and worst the difficulty of being understood by someone especially your loved ones.
The agonies of dealing the situation and the dilemmas in pursuit of comfort had been interpreted well. Reasons on how the characters were able to tolerate each other's world had also been justified. And the behavior of the people around the protagonists had precisely illustrated the true nature of people where they only believe what they see.
At the end, the story was able to provide a good figurative interpretation on how important it is to know and understand oneself first before trying to know and understand others especially when it comes to settling down in a relationship.
By the way, my criteria per review and how I rate each category are discussed in my profile.
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Amazing combination of horror, comedy and romance
Watched this in 2020, after falling in love with Gong Hyo Jin in It's Okay Thats Love, and proceeded to watch all the drama she has been in.As a disclaimer, I am not someone who loves the horror genre, as I am a scaredy cat. So it took a lot ouf of me to start watching the Master's Sun, especially after I saw the trailer for it. I'm glad I did, this show stands firm as one of my favorite shows, and has made me proclaim the Hong Sisters as one of the top writers in SK right now.
The Hong Sister's mastery of the fantasy elements has resonated across the different dramas they have written. Although not all their dramas have been great, like Big for example, they have hit enough home runs that they are given a pass for some of their poorer dramas. They Hong Sisters, formulaic style revolves around the heavy usages of metaphors, symbolism, and a slow burning romances. And for Master Sun, I would not have it any other way. This kind of slow burning romance, unconciously makes us more attentive to every micro emotions showed, every tear shed, and every loving embrace, intensifying the love of the couple in the latter episodes. Now on to the review.
The ghost genre has been done multiple times before in the past, but in this reviewers honest opinion, this may be the best and funniest portrayal of it. The basic premise of the show portrays GHJ character as a women who can see ghost and is deathly afraid of them, and SJS's character as a man who can make the ghost disappear. What then follows is a Ghost of the Day type of storytelling that chronicles the adventure of our two leads. Each episode not only comes with a beautiful ministory within the plot, but serves to move the plot along. These mini stories also does a great job of building up each character, complete with flaws and strengths.
It is very satisfying to see the growth of both characters as we accompany them on their many "Ghostbuster" like escapades. By ep 17, you will rejoice, and cry tears of joy when you see how far both of these character travels. And like with most Kdrama there will be many hindrances in the way; but the way the couple deals with them, and the micro emotions that they allow to momentarily seep out is so endearing and romantic. In a lot of ways, I would comment that the journey is almost as good as the destination itself.
I also especially liked the use of symbolism and metaphors by the Hong Sisters here, who used parellel stories of Candy and The Goat and the Wolf. In fact these stories will serve as the central theme for the show. The stories of candy and the goat and wolf serve as a backdrop the main couples emotional struggle. And your vieweing experience is actually increased dramatically if you just took a quick look at the synopsis of both of these books to help you understand the hidden emotions that the character are feeling, although GHJ and SJS does an excellent job of pushing those emotions thru carefully guarded words and facade.
The acting of both leads are amazing, and the chemistry is electrifying. In fact as some commenters have suggested, a quick watch on youtube of the behind the scenes antics of the two main leads will have you shipping them in real life. GHJ is at one of her best here, she is absolutely, adorable here, even more adorable than in Pasta, and her acting is on another level here, I won't spoil much, you will just have to see.
SJS, one of the king of melo, shows his comedic chops here, and it is fantastic. SJS really portrays these brooding, rich type very well. And since we are so used seeing him in these type of roles, it becomes very refreshing to see him in a role where he doesn't take himself seriously. The scenes where he tells GHJ to get lost are comedy gold, because even us as viewers can't take him seriously, so we know GHJ probably doesn't either. The supporting cast in this are great, they really elevate and compliment the main leads. The writers do a great job of giving them their own backstory, and even their own romance.
The music... I have it on my playlist and hear it probably 3-4 times a day, it's that good!
Anyway, I would definitely recommend at least 1 rewatch of this, as the heavy usage of metaphor in the earlier scenes become more clear when you've watched the whole episode. Watch this show, you will not regret!
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The acting was really good though, I really like Joo Joong Won hand move of saying "get lost" to Tae Gong Shil, I even did it many times with him when he was saying it to Tea Yang lol. Gong Hye Jin acting was fantastic, really really love her acting, So Ji Sub though is the comedian one to me, his way of talking to Tae Yang makes me laugh.
There's so many things to talk about in this drama, but the main point is that they extracted the end in the last two episodes, I was slightly bored in the middle of the drama, but it didn't last long, however these two episodes were really boring to me, so many unnecessary things were added I mean there weren't many main things that happened they could've just put it in one episode, seriously?!!
THE MUSIC IS SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOODDDDD, so good so good so good, it was immediately added to my favorite list.
Overall it really deserves a 9 but then the ending wasn't that great, and also I don't think I'll watch it again, it's enjoyable for the first time. but I don't think it will be for the second.
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