A Korean drama and a Netflix original, ‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ was released on November 3rd, 2023, created by Lee JQ, Kim Nam-su and Lee Nam-kyu. The twelve-episode drama expresses the experiences of nurses working in a psychiatric unit, exploring the trauma of their patients and their own experiences. 

This series tackles taboos and stigmatisation of mental health, dissipating stereotypes and reasons that everyone experiences emotional suffering, no matter their age, gender or social class. It accentuates the pressure of Korean culture and high standards that everyone is expected to meet, and as a result, encourages everyone to work at their own pace and prioritise their mental health. 

‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ unveils mental disorders like social anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mania, schizophrenia and paranoia. Setting an ambience of melancholy and reflection but also an extreme level of compassion and awareness of mental disorders that are often disregarded. It breaks free from subconscious stereotyping of mental health; presenting the patients with their in-depth backstory and shifting a wholly different perspective by developing the image of their courage and determination to get better. 

They push the euphemisms, taboos and boundaries that have not been addressed, showing the danger of subconscious neglect, and undermining mental health.

This programme was stunningly orchestrated, with a mix of multiple genres: comedy, drama, romance and friendship, creating a mature and heartfelt series, resulting in an immersive experience for the audience.

The audience receives the backstory and torments of every character, producing a further coat of empathy and relatability to all characters. Different dilemmas are developed for the audience to relate to, leaving the audience admiring every character for their flaws and their perseverance to be healthy again. Especially as all the characters and scenes were perfectly charismatic, resulting in a breath-taking end. ‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ takes you on an emotional roller-coaster but in the end, sunshine prevails.   

"All of us are standing on the border between normal and abnormal." – Jung Da-Eun (Park Bo-Young).

‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ is a cathartic and touching masterpiece which encapsulates insights into mental health and its commonality. Leaving a plethora of emotions; tears of pain and delight. It adjusted my perception on many levels; it is a deep and meaningful programme. If everyone watched and understood it, we’d live in a more compassionate and forgiving world.