Watched the new retro-futuristic series “Sunny” from Apple. It breaks all records, certainly high ratings

This week, the Apple TV+ streaming service released a very unusual series, Sunny. The projects are about an American woman named Susie, who lives in Kyoto. The heroine lost her husband and son, and instead received a mysterious robot, Sunny. Does it sound intriguing? No? And in vain!

The series received high marks on the film portal Rotten Tomatoes, where film critics gave it a 90% rating, literally falling in love with it.

We decided to figure out why the project deserved such love, and have already watched the first two episodes, we are in a hurry to share our impressions.

Briefly

• We were shown the future, it is from the past
  James Cameron didn’t scare us with that
  Drama with secrets
  It’s an interesting experience.

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We were shown the future, it is from the past

What is the series about?: The plot of the new 10-episode series revolves around Suzy Sakamoto (Rashida Jones), an American woman living in Japan in the near future. After the tragic death of her husband and son, Suzy finds herself in an emotional dead end. The situation is complicated by the mysterious robot Sunny, whom she left with her husband.

The series is based on the novel Dark Manual by Colin O’Sullivan. Screenwriter Katie Robbins adapted the story, moving it to an alternative near future where high technology has become an integral part of everyday life.
The visuals of the series are one of its strong points, helping to create a unique atmosphere and anchor the show in a future world. Visually, it is reminiscent of futuristic films and series such as Minority Report and Divide.

Kyoto, where the events take place, is an interesting mix of traditional and futuristic. The city resembles the future as it might have been imagined in a science fiction film about 50 years ago. Historical architecture and tranquil religious sites contrast with tall buildings and cutting-edge technology. This combination creates unique retro style.

The interiors often use natural materials such as wood, creating a cozy yet technological look. All’s like in Apple.

The robots themselves in the series, including Sunny, have a friendly and attractive design. Sunny, with her orange screen displaying a cartoonish expression, evokes sympathy and trust. Her white plastic body and simple lines emphasize cleanliness and minimalism. All this is very reminiscent of “Eve” (the extraterrestrial vegetation assessor) from the famous cartoon WALL-E.

At the same time, the special effects themselves were used sparingly but effectively in the series, emphasizing the science fiction aspect of the story and suggesting an appropriate future world.

But most importantly, many of the visual technologies in Sunny emphasize an integral part of everyday life. Much like the assistants voted today. And that important.

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James Cameron didn’t scare us with that

The series covers many aspects related to the creation and use of artificial intelligence, as well as its limitations on human life. These themes are explored through the characters’ interactions with AI, emotional experiences, and potential dangers that lie in future technologies.

There are moments in the series that highlight the risks of AI abuse. These are not the dangers that James Catherine warned about in his action films, but much more prosaic. Potential threats are already closer.

For example, domestic robots can behave unpredictably, which leads to unexpected consequences (the opening scene is a great example of this). There is also a “dark manual” – a hacker’s guide that allows you to reprogram the robots to perform any task. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

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Drama with secrets

The central emotional conflict in the series is Susie’s grief over the loss of her husband and son. Her interactions with Sunny illustrate how a person can find solace in technology, but also actual isolation and the inability to confront grief in traditional ways.

Flashbacks and memories reveal the main character and his secret life as a genius roboticist. This creates emotional tension for Susie, who tries to understand who her wife really was. The series captivates this mystical atmosphere and unexpected turnsThe relationship between Susie and Sunny, as well as the main character’s attempts to unravel the mysteries of the past, make the series truly interesting.

Additionally, the flashback scenes sometimes take on a surreal, dreamy tone, adding depth and emotional charge to the main plot.

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This is an interesting experience, we recommend watching it.

Sunny skillfully balances comedy and drama. Susie engages in comical arguments with a robot, which creates a sense of ease and humor. At the same time, the series touches on deeper themes of loss, loneliness, and the search for meaning in life.

The author is able to convey both the tragedy of the situation and moments of lightness, creating a multi-layered and fascinating plot. At the same time, the opening scene still looks as alien as possible and it is unclear what relation it has to the main plot. But it clearly did not work out here.

Overall, the new series Sunny is an original and daring drama that makes us think about how technology can change our lives and how we cope with loss and loneliness.

Special shout out to the cool animated opening credits in 20th century style, set to a catchy 70s pop song. We love this vintage.