Hangul: 태양의 후예
Original Air Date: February – April 2016
Plot: A special forces captain and a doctor cross paths and their lives and occupations entangle.
Watched Because: Way back in 2019, about 6 months into my Kdrama watching on Netflix, I finally splurged and got a Viki subscription. My friend highly recommended this and it was also on the top of Viki most popular of all time list.
My Review:
In my three years of watching Korean Dramas, I have managed to watch this FOUR times. And I am not big on rewatching dramas, so that’s saying something right there. This is hands down one of my favorite, if not the favorite drama of all time. This is also the drama I recommend first to people asking what they should watch. This is also the drama I’ve suggested to male friends who aren’t into Korean Dramas. Every single person I have recommended it to came back to tell me they loved it. So if you haven’t seen it yet, just stop reading and go watch it please!
I will be the first to admit, that the writing in this drama is very over the top. It is a series of pretty ridiculous natural and manmade disasters after another. But why does it work so well? Song Joong Ki. Periodt. Everything about him as Captain Yoo Si Jin is swoony, sexy, cute, adorable and yet incredibly manly. How in the world can he pull that all off at the same time? This is the drama that catapulted him to the top of my favorite actor list and I am currently working my way through all his other dramas and movies. Song Hye Kyo plays his counterpart, the intelligent and no nonsense surgeon, Kang Mo Yeon. Their chemistry was amazing. It wasn’t until a few months after I watched it did someone tell me that they got married and divorced after filming this drama. I wasn’t around for all of that gossip happening live and their personal lives don’t have an impact on my liking this drama. All I know is that Captain Yoo and Doctor Kang had sizzling chemistry on screen. I also liked that they had a fairly healthy relationship. They communicated their feelings well. Doctor Kang explained why she was hesitant to get in a relationship with a soldier and didn’t hide her reasons. For his part, Captain Yoo gave her a lot of space and I also loved how he apologized to her for advancing too fast when she wasn’t ready.
In addition to the main leads, DOTS was able to deliver multiple relationships that was executed well and helped to elevate the whole drama
- The bromance with Captain Yoo and Master Sergeant Seo Dae Young (Jin Goo) almost out shone his romance with Doctor Kang. I loved the deadpan responses of Master Sergeant to Captain Yoo’s goofiness.
- The romance with the second leads Master Sergeant and First Lt Yoon Myung Ju (Kim Ji Won). I love that there wasn’t a love triangle an if anything, they mocked the idea of a love triangle between Captain Yoo and First Lt. Yoon. I think they had a very realistic relationship and it was executed well.
- The Medical Staff. The writers did a great job of giving each of the staff members their own personality, back stories and issues they were dealing with both personally and career wise. The additional budding romance with the two older medical staff members was also heartwarming to watch. They also brought nice comic relief when tensions were getting to high. The supporting cast brought added depth to the drama.
- Master Sergeant Seo Dae Young and Private First Class Kim Gi Bum (Kim Min Seok). Many dramas have the second leads only job to support the main lead, but I liked that they gave Master Sgt. Seo his own side story of mentoring Kim Gi Bum. For someone who is looked down by his status in the military, I liked that he was shown to be a great mentor and helper to the next generation of military soldiers.
A majority of the drama took place in a fictional country called Urk, but in real life it was Greece. The on location filming instead of a set build in Korea brought another level of realism and transported you to this new world. The cinematography was gorgeous. There were beautiful scenic shots of the Greek beaches and towns. Oh I want to go there so badly once this pandemic is done! Greece is high up on my to go in life list!
The writers kept the plot moving with one crisis situation after another. As I mentioned, it’s not very realistic, so it’s best not to scrutinize and enjoy it for what it is. Especially those two CPR scenes. Even I know, with no medical training, that is no way to give CPR! The writers also gave a more romantic view of service in the military. The message of loyalty to your country and the importance the military plays to protect the lives of its citizens was carried throughout the show. Through all the serious issues, the writers were able to balance the death and emotional scenes with great banter and repartee between the cast. Oh and the shirtless scenes of the soldiers doing their morning run was just the cherry on top!
Decedents of the Sun has become one of those classic Korean Dramas that everyone must watch. The writing is funny, the acting is great, the location is beautiful and the characters are all endearing and loveable. Yes, it’s a little over the top with the crisis scenarios and some unrealistic medical scenes. But all that adds to the epic fun this drama brings.
Final Opinion: Must See….like super highly recommend, all time favorite must see!
kdrama binger 
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