Descendants of the Sun


Descendants of the Sun is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, and Kim Ji-won. It aired on KBS2 from February 24 to April 14, 2016 for 16 episodes. KBS then aired three additional special episodes from April 20 to April 22, 2016 containing highlights and the best scenes from the series, the drama's production process, behind-the-scenes footage, commentaries from cast members and the final epilogue.
The series was a major hit in South Korea where it drew a peak audience share of 38.8%. It received several awards, such as winning the Grand Prize in television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards; and was named the Most Popular Show of the year by Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation.
The show was broadcast across Asia where it was hugely popular, and has been credited with a rise in tourism to Korea. A local adaptation has aired in Vietnam, and adaptations are planned in China and the Philippines.

Synopsis

Yoo Si-jin is the captain of a South Korean Special Forces unit. He and his friend Master Sergeant Seo Dae-young are off-duty when they witness a young man stealing a motorcycle and apprehend him. The thief, Kim Gi-bum, is injured during the chase and therefore sent to the hospital. Dae-young realizes his cell phone was stolen by the thief and goes to the hospital along with Si-jin to retrieve it.
In the emergency room, Si-jin meets Dr. Kang Mo-yeon for the first time, and is instantly attracted to her. Mo-yeon mistakenly assumes Si-jin is part of the thief's criminal gang after hearing him being addressed as "Big Boss", which is actually his call sign. He proves his identity with the help of army surgeon Yoon Myung-ju.
Si-jin and Mo-yeon begin to date, but due to Si-jin being called in for duty, their dates are interrupted halfway. Si-jin receives his orders to be deployed on a peacekeeping mission in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk. Meanwhile, Mo-yeon is upset because she had been passed over for professorship in favor of a less-capable colleague who had familial connections to the hospital management. When Si-jin returns and meets Mo-yeon again, she directly asks him to explain his sudden disappearances and his job but he is unable to go into too much detail due to the highly :wiktionary:classified|classified nature of his assignments. They talk about their views on life and realize how different they are. Si-jin, as a soldier, kills to protect lives while Mo-yeon, as a doctor, honors the Hippocratic Oath and tries to save lives. Due to their philosophical differences, they agree to part ways. Dae-young, on the other hand, faces a dilemma on whether to continue his relationship with Myung-ju or risk being forced out of the army for breaking fraternization rules by Myung-ju's father, who is a three-star general and commander of the Special Forces.
Eight months later, Mo-yeon rebuffs the romantic advances of the hospital director and, as a result, is assigned against her will to lead a team of medical volunteers to Uruk. There, Si-jin and Mo-yeon reunite and both gain a deeper insight into one another's jobs as their respective teams endure an earthquake and a viral epidemic. While in Uruk, Mo-yeon accidentally confesses her feelings and the two officially start dating. She gradually comes to terms with the possibility of him being killed in action and the fact that she may never have full disclosure of his whereabouts. In the meantime, the usually stoic Dae-young finally works up the nerve to show more affection toward Myung-ju after she nearly dies in quarantine after being infected with the virus.
Si-jin and Mo-yeon continue their relationship after returning to Korea, until Si-jin and Dae-young are sent on a classified operation in which they disappear and are assumed to be dead. Months pass, and Mo-yeon mourns Si-Jin's death, deciding to commemorate his passing by volunteering with a medical team sent to Albania. This is where Si-jin eventually finds her on the day of their one-year death anniversary, after he and Dae-young are rescued from captivity by "a friend from afar", a soldier from North Korea whom Si-jin had helped before. Si-jin and Mo-yeon along with Myung-ju and Dae-young are all happily reunited with each other.

Cast

Main

Alpha Team Members

Descendants of the Sun was fully pre-produced before airing which is a departure from the live-shoot production format that characterizes most Korean dramas. The drama is Song Joong-ki's comeback project after serving his two years of mandatory military service. The production cost 13 billion won to produce.
Initially, there were doubts about the profitability of the drama, as a story involving a soldier may not be enough to garner a very high successive rate. This is revealed when SBS were reluctant to continue with the project. It was then passed to KBS. According to local reports by Newsis, lead actor Song Joong-ki was not the first choice of writers and directors for the hit South Korean series, as he was deemed too slender for the role of a heroic special forces officer. Song was later cast as the producers decided to change the character of the role. The 6 June episode of tvN's The List 2016 revealed the names of four actors who rejected the role before Joong-ki was chosen. As per the show, the A-listers who passed the role includes Won Bin, Jo In-sung, Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin and Kim Woo-bin. Reportedly, the actors were skeptical on sporting the army style short hair. It is also said that the artists expressed slight discomfort on portraying a role of a soldier and could not commit with the pre-production format of the show.
On June 12, 2015, lead actors Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo filmed their first scene in Seoul. On September 28, 2015, the entire cast and crew departed for Greece. The team resided in the country for approximately a month to shoot episodes crucial to the drama's plot. According to Greek and South Korean news portals and blogs, filming mainly took place in Zakynthos, Arachova, Lemnos, and Navagio. The series' location was modelled after Iraq, a remote area located at the margin of Balkan Peninsula; but changed its name to Uruk to avoid diplomatic conflict.
On November 25, 2015, it was announced that actor Song Joong-ki injured his arm while filming an action scene for the drama on November 23. On December 7, 2015, Song Joong-ki returned to work only 2 weeks after he was injured and spotted filming at a station in Seoul. The MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea in 2015 also seriously hampered filming schedules. The outbreak claimed the lives of 33 people, according to WHO.
The location which served as the Mowuru Company's base camp was set at the exhausted Taebaek Hanbo Coal Mine while earthquake scenes were mostly filmed at the Samtan Art Mine. Filming also took place at Camp Greaves DMZ Experience Centre, once a US Army base camp during the Korean War. Filming at Haesung Hospital was actually done at the Seoul St Mary's Hospital.
The crew wrapped up the last shoot in the early morning of December 30, 2015. The director's cut, which feature a re-edited version of the last and 16th episode, as well as deleted scenes, a music video and behind-the-scenes footage, was released in the second half of the year.
Due to the success of the drama, an OST concert was held at the Grand Peace Palace at Kyung Hee University in Seoul on May 14, 2016; and featured performers of the drama's soundtrack.

Pre-production

After the success of Descendants, the industry saw a shift toward pre-production of Korean dramas. This is because pre-production allowed producers to secure investment and distribution in a carefully planned fashion; and allowed the show to air simultaneously in China, thus bringing greater profits. Kim Won-seok, co-writer of Descendants, said the system helps raise quality of the drama. However, apart from Descendants, none of the other pre-produced dramas thus far such as ', Uncontrollably Fond and ' have been successful.

Legal

Production company NEW said that there have been hundreds of violations of their publicity rights by businesses, in an attempt to take advantage of the drama's success. The announcement came about when lead actress Song Hye-kyo sued jewelry firm J.Estina for using her pictures for promotion though the contract ended in January. J.Estina said in a press release that it abided by the contract with production staff of Descendants, which allowed it to use stills from the episodes as one of the main sponsors of the series. However, NEW refuted the claims, saying that the jewelry firm's arguments lacked legal grounds. Song eventually won the legal battle, and donated the damages received to charity.

Original soundtrack

The soundtrack of the series topped local music charts. Preorders for the soundtrack album surpassed the 10,000 mark, and eventually sold over 60,000 copies.

Reception

Descendants received immense popularity both locally, with a peaking rating of 40%, making it the first weeknight series to do so in the country since Moon Embracing the Sun in 2012; as well as internationally, where it has been sold to 32 countries and translated into 32 different languages. The success of the drama helped revive the Hallyu wave that was in decline over recent years, boosting tourism and spreading Korean culture. The series was also watched in North Korea, one of the most secluded countries in the world.
The drama's success factors were attributed to its elaborate screenplay, beautiful love story and the co-production between South Korea and China. The Korea Times said, "At a time when Korean melodramas are said to have been losing steam, 'Descendants of the Sun' brought fantasy together with a number of different genres to create a high quality production." and "the drama appeals to viewers' desires for justice in a society that appears to lack it." The drama also earned plaudits from president Park Geun-hye, who praised the drama for instilling "patriotism" among young Koreans. She also called Descendants an exemplary case of the positive effects of cultural content on the manufacturing industry.

Economic effect

The drama's success helped boost Korea's economy; contributing in a rise of tourists, overseas sales of products and creating new jobs. Descendants has been reported to have earned 3 billion won from product placement advertisements and 10 billion won from sales of related sound tracks and video-on-demand service. According to reports, the direct and indirect economic effects of Descendants are estimated to hover above 1 trillion won.
The "Two Tone Lip Bar" lipstick that Song Hye-kyo wore in a scene on the show has broken sales records for Aritaum in South Korea with Laneige subsequently hosting its own Descendants of the Sun makeup event on its homepage. The product became so popular that it sold out four days after its release on the popular Chinese shopping website, 11th Street, owned by its Korean parent-company, SK Planet. The same product also experienced "double digit growth" in Singapore.
Laneige, Dal.Komm Coffee, KGC Cheong Kwan Jang Korean Red Ginseng, Subway and Hyundai all reported a surge in sales after exposure of their products in the drama. The popularity of the show has also led to KBS launching several merchandise of the drama, such as cookies, memory sticks, emoticons and commemorative medals, which were specially created and sold to fans.

Cultural impact

Filming locations and sets of the show underwent restoration by the government, due to the demands by both local and foreign tourists. Camp Greaves, the former U.S. military camp near the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, north of Seoul, was turned into a park composed of separate zones focusing on natural scenery, culture and arts, and military experience. The Taebak film site was also re-modeled as a tourist site, where visitors can browse the medical camp and military base wearing costumes with the same design as those worn by the cast.
The set in Taebaek was featured on popular variety shows 2 Days & 1 Night and Battle Trip. Navagio, one of the iconic locations where the "relationship between the lead characters blossom", experienced a surge in popularity among Chinese and Korean tourists.
The success of the drama has given rise to the popularity of "soldier talk", a style of Korean speaking only used in the military. There is also a spike in the number of young men wanting to join South Korean special forces units for their mandatory military service.
After Samgyetang was featured in the drama, it gained wider appeal among the Chinese.

Criticism

However, there has been controversy surrounding the use of product placement in this drama. Some critics argued that there was excessive product placement in the drama and that the use of product placement undermined the drama's content and artistry. Kim Si-hyoung, cinematographer of Descendants admitted that product placement was excessive, but argued that they were “essential,” as he and other production staff found it hard to secure revenues from TV advertising.
The series also drew criticism for its unconvincing plot and unrealistic storyline. Critics say that the drama ironically reflects what today's Korean society lacks, such as the cohesive military culture; and also pointed out deeply embedded sexual discrimination featured in the drama. The drama was also accused of missing a noticeable plot, and kept with the terrestrial tradition of being overly predictable.

Ratings

In this table, represent the lowest ratings and represent the highest ratings.

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

Asia

Government mouthpiece People's Daily praised it as "an excellent advertisement for conscription" showcasing South Korea's "national spirit" and "communitarian culture". However, its popularity in China caused concern with the country's Ministry of Public Security, posting a warning on its official Weibo account against the drama warning viewers "watching Korean dramas could be dangerous, and even lead to legal troubles". It was part of a growing concern among Chinese officials at the time who were wary of the growing influence of Korean pop culture on the Chinese populace since the similar success of My Love from the Star which aired in 2014.

Adaptation

A Chinese film adaptation produced by Huace Film & TV and directed by Zhang Yibai is planned. A book based on the script is also planned for release.
A Philippine television adaption produced by GMA Entertainment Group. Starring Dingdong Dantes and Jennylyn Mercado. It premiered on February 10, 2020 on the network's Telebabad line up.
A Vietnamese television adaptation titled "Hậu duệ mặt trời" starring Song Luân, Khả Ngân, Cao Thái Hà, Hữu Vi, aired beginning in September, 2018 for 48 episodes.

Sequel

As per KBS's Head of Drama, Jung Sung-ho, said the sequel is in planning, and filming would likely to take place in Greece. The sequel, this time, will be co-produced by Jidam Inc., the production company behind the hit and award-winning TV dramas My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol and Jang Bo-ri is Here!.