Review: Descendants of the Sun (2016 TV Series)

Sunday, June 5, 2016
It’s the biggest thing in K-TV since My Love From the Star! The internet broke with this series written by the writer of our other faves: The Heirs and Secret Garden. Get ready for fantastic female leads and magnificent male eye-candy!


“He is rich and he has no worries, so he works at an NGO… to create worries!”

The Rundown
Behind the name: 태양의 후예; Have no real idea...
Country: South Korea, 2016
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama
Network: KBS
                  Cast: Song Joong Ki as Captain Yoo Shi Jin of the Alpha Team (aka Big Boss), Song Hye Kyo as Professor Kang Mo Yun (aka Beauty), Jin Goo as Chief Master Sergeant Seo Dae Young (aka Wolf), Kim Ji Won as Lieutenant Yoon Myung Joo (Orthopedic Surgeon), Kang Shin Il as Lieutenant General Yoon (Myung Joo's father) (aka Yellow Tiger), Park Hoon as Sergeant Choi Woo Geun (aka Snoopy), Choi Woong as Staff Sergeant Gong Chul Ho (aka Harry Potter), Ahn Bo Hyun as Sergeant Im Kwang Nam (aka Piccolo), Lee Seung Joon as Song Sang Hyun (General Surgeon), Seo Jung Yeon as Ha Ja Ae (ER Nursing Team), Onew as Lee Chi Hoon (1st year Resident of Thoracic Surgery), Park Hwan Hee as Choi Min Ji (ER Nurse)
                   
                  Compare to: My Love from the Star
Hate it or Love it?  Love, love, love it!

Synopsis in a Sentence: Impressive surgeon meets impressive special ops. captain—together they save the fictional country of Urk and each-other—and the chemistry and electricity is too hot for TV! 


On Writing: The Plot
The plot is right up there, chilling in the heavens with the gods. And by this, I’m really talking about the screenplay and the witty banter between our heroine and hero! And between the fabulous cast and side romances we get to see. Oh the writing is gorgeous!
It’s original, it’s intelligent, it’s entertaining and it’s on its own level. The mutual respect for male and female characters—and in fact even the upliftment of female characters—is quite unlike what has ever been seen in K-cinema! Writer, Kim Eun Sook is responsible for churning some of our faves such as Secret Garden and Heirs, and she is at her best yet!
The dialogue and puns exchanged make the screenplay and we CANNOT wait to see what project she has next! We’ll be there just for the story!
(4.5/5)

L-R: Song, Song, Jin, Kim

On Acting: The Cast
In addition to the gorgeous, gorgeous eye candy! We absolutely loved this cast! All of them! Especially…
Our heroine, Song Hye Kyo as Professor Kang Mo Yun (aka Beauty) is engaging and multi dimensional. Song carries her character well and we love her!
The Big Boss is Song Joong Ki, Captain Yoo Shi Jin of the Alpha Team and he is everything! This is what the ROK military can do to you celebs, watch and learn.
 Jin Goo as Chief Master Sergeant Seo Dae Young (aka Wolf)  and dare we say he might be even more enticing than the lead?
 Kim Ji Won is First Lieutenant Yoon Myung-ju, AKA Rachel from The Heirs. She’s great of course!
And so is Onew from Shinee, and the entire cast who make up the Alpha Team and the Haesung Hospital Medical Team! L.o.v.e the cast!
(4/5)


On Production: The Creativity
Production is light and creative in the way that tvN does well! They’ve mastered the delivery of their romance-infused real life dramas and production is an art!
The transitions are quite on another level and the series is shot beautifully! A job well done!
(4.25/5)                                             


On Resolution: The Conclusion
The resolution is quite unique! For an almost-sappy, almost-melodramatic romantic drama this is a good, good conclusion, but I can’t give it away. You’ll have to see it to the end to know what I mean!
Go on, it’s only 16 episodes!
 (4.25/5)

The Verdict: A fabulously enjoyable series worth all 16+ hours of your time!  


Overall Score = 17/20


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