Historical Drama in the Time of Global Streaming Platforms: Envisioning Transition in Mr. Sunshine

Abstract

This article examines 2018 South Korean historical drama Mr. Sunshine as an example showcasing the impact of global streaming platforms on local television production. As a locally produced show targeting the international market and later purchased by Netflix, Mr. Sunshine offers an interesting case study of the local industry’s response to changes brought about by global streaming services. This article analyzes how the creators’ acute awareness of the threats and opportunities posed by the increasingly transnationalizing media industry is reflected in the text of the historical drama set in the time of modernization and the approaching Japanese occupation. It argues that Mr. Sunshine’s visual and narrative construction of early twentieth-century Korea, which emphasizes the unrealized potential of transitional times and Korean people’s agency in shaping their own history, indicates a perceived parallel between the setting of the show and the conditions of its creation.