Origin and release year: South Korea (2023 – A Daily Dose of Sunshine)

Korean title: 정신병동에도 아침이 와요

Starring: Park Bo Young, Yeon Woo Jin, Jang Dong Yoon, Yoo In Soo, Lee Jung Eun, Lee Sang Hee, Lim Jae Hyuk, Lee E Dam, Park Ji Yeon, Jeon Bae Su, Park Jeong Yeon, Yoo Ji Su, Chang Ryul, Go Eun Young, Shin Hee Gook, Kim Jong Tae, Kong Seong Ha, Jung Woon Sun, Cha Mi Kyung, Roh Jae Won, Kwon Han Sol, Kim Yeo Jin, Park Sung Yeon, Gong Min Jung, Hwang Young Hee

Director: Lee Jae Gyoo

Screenwriter: Lee Nam Gyu, Kim Da Hee

Synopsis: Jung Da-Eun (Park Bo Young) works as a nurse. She is transferred to neuropsychiatry from the internal medicine department. This is her first time working in neuropsychiatry, so everything is difficult and awkward for her. Nevertheless, Jung Da-Eun tries her best to deal with the patients. (AsianWiki)

This was definitely one of the best K-drama offerings of the year and yet there’s so little hype surrounding it.

One of the things it did extremely well that many K-dramas have failed to do is explore mental health with the ultimate sensitivity that it needs. There were no inappropriate jokes or over-exaggerated gestures for the most part, which a lot of dramas have made the mistake of doing.

With that said, this drama had quite an interesting storyline and the side stories were just as intriguing. Each character had depth and there were barely any open ends by the end of the final episode. This even came down to the consistency in character quirks which often tend to disappear in most dramas.

Whilst some of the events in the drama were quite shocking/triggering, the drama was well-balanced in a sense. Yeon Woo Jin and Jang Dong Yoon’s characters did a great job at providing a bit of comic relief.

Of course, Park Bo Young’s role can’t be ignored either. Her acting was nothing short of spectacular – as always. The same goes for Lee Jung Eun. Both actresses have the Midas Touch when it comes to whichever role or concept they take on.

This writer has to give a shoutout to Lee E Dam, as well. She really stood out in the drama to the point where you want to go through her filmography to see more. (You might recognize her from her roles in dramas like Artificial City).

This drama is definitely not recommended to viewers with mental health issues as it might be quite triggering, however, it’s highly recommended for those who can watch it.

What did you think of A Daily Dose of Sunshine? Let us know in the comments!