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Daily Dose of Sunshine Review: Park Bo Young shines in complex role, Yeon Woo Jin is unremarkable
Medical K-drama Daily Dose of Sunshine starring Park Bo Young, Yeon Woo Jin, and Jang Dong Yoon in the lead roles released over the weekend. Here’s what we thought of it.
Name: Daily Dose of Sunshine
Premiere date: November 3, 2023
Cast: Park Bo Young, Yeon Woo Jin, Jang Dong Yoon, Lee Jung Eun
Director: Lee Jae Kyoo, Kim Nam Su
Writer: Lee Nam Gyu, Oh Bo Hyun, Kim Da Hee (based on the webtoon Morning Comes to Psychiatric Wards by Lee Ra Ha)
Number of episodes: 12
Genre: Medical drama, Comedy
Language: Korean
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch Daily Dose of Sunshine teaser
Daily Dose of Sunshine plot
The webtoon-inspired drama follows the life of a third-year nurse who transfers from the Internal Medicine department to the Psychiatry department. In a new and dynamic environment, she comes across multiple challenges that affect her life and those around her. The show follows her journey while nursing patients with different mental illnesses as well as her personal experience with one. It also lands her into a peculiar situation with her boy best friend, her high school mentor, and an interesting colorectal surgeon working in the same hospital as her.
Daily Dose of Sunshine characters
Actress Park Bo Young plays the role of the lead character Jung Da Eun whose kind and warm-hearted nature finds herself at the job of a psychiatric nurse at the Myungshin University Hospital after being transferred from her original department of Internal Medicine at the advice of her supervisor. 
Yeon Woo Jin plays the role of a proctologist who frequently interacts with the Psychiatry department after finding it difficult to control his knuckle-cracking habit.
Jang Dong Yoon embodies Song Yu Chan, Jung Da Eun’s best friend who runs his family’s chicken restaurant and has trouble returning to his day job in an office. He has a Tom-and-Jerry relationship with Jung Da Eun but cares for her deeply, having hidden his romantic feelings for years.
Lee Jung Eun portrays Song Hyo Shin, the head nurse of the Psychiatry department. She takes a dear liking to Jung Da Eun for her hard-working and caring personality.
Daily Dose of Sunshine initial reaction
The show is slow. It moves at a snail’s pace at first then comes at you with surprises when you least expect it. Much like its name, Daily Dose of Sunshine carries sunshine in the form of Jung Da Eun’s existence following her transfer to the Psychiatry department.
Initially, you may put it to be a typical friends-to-lovers story as Jang Dong Yoon takes over the role of Song Yu Chan, the childhood best friend who has now become a man with fear of losing Jung Da Eun and a lack of courage to pursue her romantically. On the other hand, Yeon Woo Jin’s Dong Go Geun boasts a peculiar presence right from the get-go. His entry as a doctor thinking he suffers from OCD and the subsequent chaos he causes in the show is unimpressive. His lack of demanding presence early on made it difficult for us to like him.
Acting performances in Daily Dose of Sunshine
Park Bo Young, known for her roles in shows like Oh My Ghost, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, and Doom At Your Service, takes on a much more retrospective role. In the skin of Jung Da Eun, she’s meek at first but confident the next minute, bright and bubbly one time and struggling the next. As the episodes move on, she finds herself in a predicament and deeply hurt by the happenings around her, taking her time to heal. A very mature portrayal, she is truly the star of the show.
Yeon Woo Jin and Jang Dong Yoon’s characters are opposite but kind men who each find a friend in Jung Da Eun. Dong Go Geun seeks the light that she carries while Song Yu Chan urges for her companionship, the latter compromises by staying a friend while overcoming his feelings and fears. While Jang Dong Yoon’s storyline on the show allows him to showcase some deep emotions and act with determination, Yeon Woo Jin’s role keeps him in a straight line, unable to showcase his skills.
Lee Jung Eun is fabulous as always in yet another heartfelt role. But it is Jang Ryul’s Hwang Yeo Hwan and Lee Yi Dam as Min Deul Re that have our hearts. Pouring their soul into acting, their love story made her happier throughout the run of the program. The ups and downs of their relationship were relatable and their romantic moments were sweet enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face. With a tried and tested trope, the meaningful dialogues seemed tailor-made for the actors, allowing them to get deep into their roles.
Final Review: Daily Dose of Sunshine
Daily Dose of Sunshine pendulums between being a true-to-heart show and a heartwrenching collection of stories playing out throughout multiple mental illnesses that it allowed to be brought to light. The often unrealized pain of the nursing staff is portrayed in the show, making it insightful and empathetic. Fans of medical dramas and someone who’s looking for a good cry can check it out over a weekend binge.
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