WithSquid Gamehaving concluded with a shock ending to its third season, viewers may well be wondering what they’re going to do without the show, and we have the answer inMr. Sunshine. During the past four years, we’ve grown accustomed to anticipating the next chapter of Gi-hun’s fight to end the games, principally against his arch nemesis, Lee Byung-hun’s Front Man.
While Netflix’s landmark series might not be returning anytime soon, the best villain actor inSquid Game’s castalso gives a superb performance in another show that’s already available to stream on the platform.Lee Byung-hun stars as the central protagonist inMr. Sunshine, a 2018 K-drama set around the time of the first Sino-Japanese War.
Watching this show afterSquid Gamemakes you realize how special an actor Byung-hun is. Eugene Choi couldn’t be further from Front Man Hwang In-ho as a character, and yetMr. Sunshine’s title star is just as convincing in this romantic period dramaas he is in his most iconic role. For history buff K-drama fans, the series is unmissable.
Lee Byung-hun Stars In Mr. Sunshine, One Of The Best K-Dramas Of All Time
Mr. Sunshineis among thebest historical K-dramasever made, and arguably one of thebest series to have come out of Koreain any genre. The limited 2018 release features Kim Tae-ri opposite Lee Byung-hun in a romantic tale of two Koreans brought together by the geopolitical context of their time, but separated by class barriers.
Byung-hun’s character is actuallya U.S. Marine officer serving in Korea. He was born a slave in the Korean kingdom of Joseon, but was raised in the United States following his father’s brutal murder. He returns to Korea a very different man from the boy who left, but he’s still considered unsuitable to marry Kim Tae-ri’s heiress Go Ae-shin.
Yet, despite the gap between their social classes,Eugene Choi and Go Ae-shin are bound together by more than a mutual attraction. They’re both patriots looking to defend Korea from colonization by the Japanese Empire. Ae-shin might look like nobility, but as a member of a civilian militia called the Righteous Army, she’s certainly no damsel in distress.
In this way,Mr. Sunshinecombines insight into Korea’s modern history with a lively mix of romance, action, and social commentary. It’s the perfectK-drama for those who aren’t typically fansof Korean TV shows, as well as avid followers of Lee Byung-hun’s impressive acting career.
Byung-hun Has Been A Major Name In Korean TV & Film For 30 Years
TheFront Man’sSquid Gameending appears to tease a possible American spinofffor Lee Byung-hun’s character, suggesting that he could be the only star of the record-breaking series set to continue in his role now that it’s over. This possibility is a tantalizing prospect for fans of the show who can’t get enough of Byung-hun’s iconic villain.
AcrossSquid Game’s three seasons, the Front Man has become a contender for one of thebest TV villains of all time, thanks to the actor’s jaw-dropping performance as this ice-cold, double-crossing Machiavel. The way Lee Byung-hun owns the part of Hwang In-ho makes it difficult to imagine him playing anyone else.
Nevertheless, it’s important to remember thatByung-hun was already a major star of K-dramas long beforeSquid Game. In addition toMr. Sunshine, the actor played the lead role in the 2012 period dramaMasquerade, which is still among the highest-grossing Korean movies of all time. He also starred in the 2016 remake ofThe Magnificent Seven.
More recently, Byung-hun led an all-star cast in Um Tae-hwa’s hugely acclaimed 2023 disaster thriller filmConcrete Utopia. Meanwhile,his very first major role was way back in 1995, as the title character in the limited TV thriller seriesAsphalt Man. Almost 30 years before he became the Front Man inSquid Game, Lee Byung-hun was already becoming a star.
Lee Byung-hun Gives A Totally Different Performance In Mr. Sunshine Compared To Squid Game
He Plays A Conventional Hero As Opposed To A Machiavellian Villain
It’s inMr. SunshinethatSquid Gamefans really get to see a different side to the actor, as he plays a conventionally heroic protagonist who’s as sensitive as he is resilient. The 24-episode seriesshowcases Byung-hun’s abilities as a romantic lead, something we never really get to see inSquid Game.
Even in his most action-heavy scenes,Eugene Choi is impassioned by his feelings for Go Ae-shinand expresses his emotions openly. Lee Byung-hun leans into the melodrama we’re used to seeing in Korean limited series, but does so with a certain stoic gravitas, drawing on his natural charisma.
Anyone who loves to hate the Front Man will find rooting for Eugene Choi similarly rewarding.
Choi is a highly sympathetic rolethat appears worlds apart from the unfeeling amorality of Hwang In-ho. Other than the fact thatMr. SunshineandSquid Gameare arguablyByung-hun’s two best TV shows, they have very little in common. But if we place them side-by-side, it’s easy to see why he’s regarded as one of the greatest-ever Korean actors.
So, if there’s now aSquid Game-shaped hole in your weekends, there can be few better ways to fill it than going back through Lee Byung-Hun’s best career performances, starting withMr. Sunshine. Anyone who loves to hate the Front Man will find rooting for Eugene Choi similarly rewarding.
Mr. Sunshine
Cast
Mr. Sunshine is a historical drama television series that takes place in the late 19th century during the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea. The story follows Eugene Choi, a young boy who travels to the United States and returns to Korea as an American soldier, and Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-sin, an aristocrat’s daughter who dreams of modernizing Korea.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
