When the male voice singing “Time After Time” infiltrated the screen I knew I was in for a good movie. The song set the tone for what preceded. The film Sunny had the perfect balance of hilarity, sentiment, drama, and heart warm. The feel was very much like Age of Youth in terms of discussing edgier topics, along with the undying loyalty and love each girl showed each other.
It gave a Reply Series feel as well, as it dipped back and forth between the present and past, covering the lives of a group of tightknit girlfriends. Going through the comments section on DramaFever I saw its high praises and figured it was just what I needed.
If you just finished Age of Youth or the Reply Series and are looking for something with the same realistic coming of age value, give Sunny a try.
A Lesson in Making Moments Matter
This movie manages to reinforce that moments are just that, moments. They are not forever, and we should cherish and record the ones we can as they pass. This sounds like a very basic ‘live in the moment’ quote, but the message at hand has a bigger implication than ‘YOLO‘.
Sunny successfully establishes a point that people ignore. When you look back to this present moment, you’re not going to remember what you wish you had been doing, which crush you were crying over, or what friend stabbed you in the back. You’re going to think about who you laughed with and cried with; who you leaned on when you were in the dumps and the insane things you got into.
After finishing Sunny, I thought to myself that memories are something that should be taken advantage of in this Snapchat age. Though frowned upon for “taking away from living in the moment”, when you look through your Snapchat memories from years ago there are many that you can’t help but continuously cackle and smile at with a warm feeling in your heart.
Videos of you and your loved ones that you replay over and over again as you think “wow that was a much happier time” and “I want to be at that level of happiness again”. Sunny shows that there’s no such thing as ‘that’ specific level of happiness. Each moment in time has a different ambiance and every moment should be lived to the fullest.
You can’t exactly relive a moment perfectly, but you can recreate it, and revisit it whenever you’d like. Sink into the sweet, sometimes solemn feeling of nostalgia just as the girls of Sunny do.
Bittersweet Happenings
Self-reflection took place during and after watching Sunny. A thought that crossed my mind while watching the movie, was that no matter what happens relationship-wise, I hope I look back at the person I fancied with at least a hint of fondness for the good moments. Likewise, no matter how far apart I may drift from a good friend, I hope they don’t leave such a bitter taste in my mouth so that I don’t allow myself to think about the good times.
I really envied how many precious moments the girls got to create together. The way that things were effortlessly happy for them, and how they still had moments filled with innocence despite the calamities they faced. As for those, I was kind of expecting something super heartbreaking to happen. There were sad moments, but they did not take over the theme of the film. These moments of sadness were done in a subtle or humorous manner.
*Minor Spoiler Alert* Another thing that was done nicely that I noted was the action scenes, such as the brawl between the protesting youth and police officers that the girls of Sunny got mixed up in. The soundtrack and movements were beautifully selected for that action-fueled scene. Also, can I just say I’m so happy that A BOY DID NOT COME BETWEEN ANY OF THESE GIRLS! *Spoiler End*
#FRIENDHSIPGOALS
As far as characters go, I did not have a favorite character. Each character contributed to the film in her own wonderful way. In another life, I hope to have a badass friend group with dance moves and phrases as memorable as those of this gang of best friends.
On a side note, I cannot help but gush at how well cast the adults playing the older versions of the girls were! Each adult actress was completely representative of the child she was portraying, from looks to mannerisms, and managed to further emphasize how strong the bond between the girls was.
If you just finished Age of Youth, this movie is seriously worth your time. It gives you the same sense of friendship, hilarity, and shenanigans, all beautifully wrapped with a bouquet of amazing soundtrack music and realistic, fun characters.
Did you have a favorite character in Sunny? Are there any other films or tv series that remind you of Age of Youth or the Reply Series? Let me know in the comments section below!
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Love and peace,
Driven By Seoul 