Daily Dose of Sunshine

 For a few episodes of "Daily Dose of Sunshine" I thought it was verging on a rom-com, but it is a more than satisfactory drama.  There are a few relationships to follow, but the setting in a hospital psychiatric ward gives mental health a focus.  All sorts of mental disorders are brought to our attention.  

A Colo-rectal doctor with a patient in the psychiatric ward has his own OCD problem.  His rival for the attention of Jung Da-eun has a panic disorder which affects his ability to get a good job.  Patients with schizophrenia and suicidal tendencies are among those requiring care from psychiatric doctors and nurses.  Some of the staff are detached or at least apparently so, but many put in long hours and get attached.

There is prejudice against mental illnesses.  The main character Jung Da-eun goes through a serious bout of depression and when she goes back to work has to endure strong distrust from the relatives of patients that would demoralize anyone.  Staff is mostly supportive, but when hospital directors learn of the re-hiring they become concerned for the hospital's image.  We see that she and those she cares for are better off for her experience.

Among the general public depicted there was embarrassment associated with mental illness.  Discrimination was pretty blatant.  A supervising nurse pointed out that anyone could become mentally ill and we should not be judgmental.  An end theme was that everyone is balanced between normal and abnormal.

Rosalynn Carter died while I was watching the end of this series.   One of her many accomplishments was her work bringing mental health to the public's attention.  There was an unhealthy stigmatism in America which she helped to alleviate.  We need more like her.

A personal beef.  IMDB gave more coverage to the dubbing actors than the original actors and I believe was misleading.  Nonetheless they gave it a higher than average rating and some very favorable reviews.  I watched the subtitled version, but the actual actors even in the dubbed version deserve the major coverage.  Dubbing is important to more fully appreciate the story for those who are turned off by subtitles, but the original actors are more critical to understanding.

There is a plot with a few sub plots and romance and humor, but likely you will remember the theme surrounding mental health and perhaps ponder how you might fit in.

The series was based on a webtoon by Lee Ra-ha who was a nurse drawing on her personal experiences.

Jae-gyu Lee is the director.  He actually has 9 film credits as an actor and only 2 as director.  I would say he does a pretty good job presenting the actors credibly. 

J. Q. Lee, writer has 9 credits as director, but this is first credit for writing.

Music was by Mowg.  He came by that name as a corruption of Mowgli of "The Jungle Book" when friends in New York noticed a resemblance.  He had fled to New York to get away from his parents who disapproved of his musical interests.  He plays different instruments, but is well established as jazz bass guitarist.  With many awards he has over 66 film credits including "Masquerade" (2012), "Miss Granny" (2014), "The Age of Shadows" (2016) and "Burning" (2018).   While checking http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/comparing-two-grannies.html bear in mind I actually bought two selections of Mowg's as well another of his from a different movie.

Min Kyung-Shin was the editor with at least 4 film credits.

Park Bo-young played the lead who went through a period of serious depression.  While in high school she did a television ad.  She got off to a fairly good film career, but got tangled with legal issues and was not in films for a few years.  She went on to be a leading lady with prolific awards in major hits.  She has 26 film credits including "The Werewolf Boy" (2012).  She has also been prominent in several charitable projects.

Yeon Woo-jin played the colorectal doctor with the obsessive compulsive disorder.  He started as a fashion model and went on to have 30 film credits including "Thirty Nine" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/korean-mini-series-to-watch.html which includes Thirty-Nine was well as a few other interesting series.

Jang Dong-yoon played the man with a panic disorder.  He has 18 film credits.

Lee E. Dam played a nurse colleague who didn't really want to be a nurse.  She has 5 film credits.

Chang Ryul played Dr. Hwang who provided good advice.  He has 11 credits including "My Mister" (2018).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/01/my-mister-is-slow-drama-with-emotional.html

"Lee Jeong-eun played a supervising nurse.  She was an assistant director in theatre and later got involved with musical theatre.   She also had been an acting teacher.  An early film of hers was a small role with "Mother" (2009) her first collaboration with famous director Bong Joon-ho.  A few years later he gave her a role as the pig's voice in "Okja" (2017).  Then he gave her most famous role in "Parasite" (2019) which won a lot of big awards including for her.  She has 46 film credits also including "The Attorney" (2013), "The Wailing" (2016),  "My Holo Love" (2020), "Hometown Cha-cha-cha" (2021), "Juvenile Justice" (2022) and "Our Blues" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html

Mental health is portrayed in many worthy movies and series.  As a series this one is easy to follow and understand.  I highly recommend it.

Korean Mini Series Capture more Attention

Interest in Korean tv series is increasing.  Netflix must find them rewarding as they keep offering more and more.  There is quite a variety.  Here are some I have watched in the last months.

 "Our Blues" (2022) A series of relationships on Jeju Island, which had been presented to me as a sort of honeymoon destination, but here is a fishing enterprise.   Based on co-workers in fishing boat and fish mart.  There are 14 or so characters who appear in most episodes.  Two single fathers (who don't like each other)whose young children become pregnant.  Old resentments and disappointments  misunderstandings.  A woman been through several relationships with a Down syndrome sister who she keeps secret and then abandons relationships when it might be revealed.  There is a jarring relationship between a mother and her son.  In the end most of the conflicts have been resolved.  As with many Korean dramas the action is slow and complicated.  This one was very satisfying.  Among the cast were at least two that have made an impression on the American market:  Lee Jeong-eun appeared in "Okja" 2017) and the Oscar winner "Parasite" (2019).    Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html   And Lee Byung-hun who appeared on "The Squid Game, " very popular series on Netflix.   Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/10/squid-game.html

Some other series of interest seen during 2022.

"Misaeng" (2014) was recommended to see an early quality series.  About  a business internship with a group of young people and their adventures.  The main protagonist was relatively disadvantaged, but eventually wins acceptance by his humble persistence.  The character playing a mentor role, Lee Sung-min shows up in a more current  "Juvenile Justice" (see below).  Part of film was filmed in Jordan.

 

 

 

"Thirty-Nine" (2022) gets its title from the age of three close female friends.  They are all single and in different kinds of romantic relationships--one with a married man, another with a business partner and one with a younger man.  The romances proceed predictably, but one of the women learns she has a fatal disease and that disrupts the relationships.  One attraction for me was Son Ye-jin who was the female lead for a very popular series, "Crash Landing on You" (2019).  She is now married to her co-star from that series, Hyun Bin.  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html

 

"Twenty Five Twenty One" (2022)  is a sweet story involving maturity, friendship, failure,  A young woman has a dream of being a top fencer.  The older man (4 years) is the son of a bankrupt .  We follow her fencing career and his media career.  There are a few satisfying romances, but not everything works out the way your might predict.  

My Liberation Diary (2022)  When told how difficult a task would be one character says "I beat the odds (100 million to one) when I was conceived."  Three siblings, all somewhat introverted and all of them long distance commuters.  A stranger enters to work for the father of the three siblings.  He is not talkative, drinks to excess after work, but is a very good worker.  His background does play a role, but there are other elements.   The dialogue and a strange plot keep the viewer engaged, but it is a slow moving story.

 

 

 Some other series that had been blogged about earlier this year.  

My Holo Love   science fiction/romance  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/my-holo-love-mixes-science-fiction-and.html

Science fiction appeals to those of us who like to fantasize about inventions, but it can also be a tool to better understand human behavior.  People represented as holograms with artificial intelligence (plus emotional feelings) is exciting and forces humans to look at ourselves.

My own experience regarding science fiction went through stages and I now appreciate that it can be a very useful tool.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/09/conversion-can-sneak-up-on-you-too.html
 

 My "Juvenile Justice" thoughts at:     http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/03/juvenile-justice.html 

Courtroom dramas are popular, but juvenile cases are rare.  This series takes a look at how juveniles get involved.   Some of those in the justice system become hardened and others look for excuses.  The public is resentful that violent juveniles can get away literally with murder.   Topics include test cheating, bullying, prostitution, blackmail, and of course murder.  Kim Hye-su, a veteran actress plays the main tough judge who also provided one of my favorite laughs, "Hyena" (2020).

I have overlooked the category of action, but Koreans are pretty impressive when it comes to tension and violence.

Just started watching on a weekly basis.  (2022) "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022) that has caused me to do something I have never done before.  I have never rated an episode of any series, but was so overwhelmed by the third episode that I felt compelled to give the episode a 10.  One of the best I have seen.  Autism is being a subject for more films as we better understand (still a long way to go) and the Asperger is drawing attention.  Hans Asperger was an Austrian doctor who got involved with Nazis, probably for practical reasons and diagnosed the condition we identify as Asperger's syndrome. Amusing in many parts as autistics lend themselves to be laughed at, but also shows what it is like to live on the other side of the derision.  Her father and her fellow lawyers make adjustments as they are forced to deal with an autistic.  Eun-bin Park plays the autistic lawyer, making her a realistic human.  Last year I watched her as the lead in "The King's Affection" (2021) where she portrayed a woman masquerading as a man who was the king having to hide her emotions in an historical drama.

One of the best explanations of how autistic people fit in the world comes from an autistic comedian--yes you read it correctly:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/04/funny-you-dont-look-autistic.html

Juvenile Justice

We all make choices, but many of our most important choices were made when we were relatively inexperienced, in fact immature.  Justice is a sort of reckoning for decisions that harmed others and we have a fairly well developed system for dealing with youth crime.

Courtroom dramas are common enough, but is not too often we watch about young offenders.  The law everywhere treats them differently.  Victims and their families often feel treated unfairly with often the perpetrators getting scant punishment.  You are likely to notice some differences with Korea, but unfortunately you are also likely to notice some similarities.

Most of what juveniles do is petty such as shop lifting, but they can do more serious damage to society.  In the first episode we see a boy confessing to a murder and the body is stomach wrenching.  We learn (spoiler) that he didn't actually do the murder, but had befriended an older girl who knew that the boy could not be prosecuted for murder.  Pinning down the details was difficult.

Other crimes involved gang rape, prostitution and blackmail involving setting up adults.  Another major case was an organized cheating scam in a private school.  The cases were often too numerous and complicated with some characters wanting more study and others pushing to resolve.  Inter-twined were politics and personal ambitions.   The victims, more so than with adult crimes felt justice was not served/

 Information is scarce, perhaps because it is a new release.

 Directed by Jong-Chan Hong who also directed "Live Up to Your Name" (2017).  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/live-up-to-your-name.html

Written by Kim min-seok.

 Kim Hye-su plays a very stern judge, Shim Eun Seok whose personal history we learn towards the end.  A black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Hye-su is a much decorated actress.  Some of her films include:  "The Red Shoes" (2005), "The Thieves" (2012), "Signal" (2016) and "Hyena" (2020) in which she contributed to one of my biggest laughs in years.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/05/frequency-and-its-extended-korean-remake.html

Mu-Yeol Kim played a junior judge Chae Tae Joo, who often accompanied Shim Eun and especially at the beginning thought she was too harsh. 

Lee Sung-min played a top judge who later tried to enter politics.  A much awarded actor his films include ""The Good The Bad the Weird" (2008), "The Attorney" (2013) and "Misaeng" (2014).

Lee Jeong-eun played the judge, Na Geun Hee.   She is a much awarded actress and her films include"Mother" (2009), "The Attorney" (2013), "The Wailing" (2016), "Okja" (2017), "Parasite" (2019), "My Holo Love" (2020) and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (2021) .  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html

 The evils of society are cyclical.  An abused youth leads to abusive parents.  Justice is elusive, but the attempt needs to be made to help mitigate the cycle.  This series covers much of the problem with an emphasis on the victims who are part of the cycle.  Worth paying attention to.

Available on Netflix in subtitled or dubbed formats.