With one episode left, Apple TV+'s 'Sunny' finally redeems its quirky theme
Contains spoilers for 'Sunny'
KYOTO, JAPAN: If you have been following 'Sunny' on Apple TV+, you'll agree that it's not your regular mystery show. Katie Robbins, the show's creator, has infused it with elements of quirkiness, making it a mixed bag. At one moment, you are all in for the mystery, the other moment the bizarreness makes you question if the show is worth your time. And if you think the show might take a serious tone towards the end, you are wrong!
'Sunny' continues to surprise us with Episode 9 as it shifts the focus from Suzie Sakamoto's (Rashida Jones) investigation and sheds light on Sunny, its role in Suzie's life, and the dangers that come with it. But don’t let its bizarreness fool you—this is a pivotal episode where many of the lingering questions are answered. Its subtle approach to addressing a serious contemporary issue deserves appreciation.
'Sunny' talks about the one thing that most people don't
It's 2024, and people are more aware of mental health issues. They understand what depression means and recognize the importance of seeking help without feeling ashamed or fearing judgment. However, depression and loneliness are not the same. 'Sunny' tackles the growing problem of loneliness, a topic that isn't discussed often.
People are becoming lonelier and technology is the only thing that has been comforting them. It's easier for people to isolate themselves with their gadgets instead of socializing. In 'Sunny', Masa Sakamoto (played by Hidetoshi Nishijima) battled with the problem of loneliness. After the death of his father, he locked himself up. His loneliness stemmed from years of neglect by his father, compounded by the revelation that he was born as a result of his mother's affair with another man.
For years, it was just Masa and his laptop inside the room. Things started to change for him only when he coded and trained a robot to understand human behavior and act accordingly. Masa was eventually able to beat isolation and wanted to develop robots that could help others who have been battling with the same problem.
Masa called loneliness a "global epidemic" and he isn't wrong. People in the world are suffering and there's not enough discussion of how dangerous it could be for humankind.
Sunny's subtle attempt at eliminating the taboo
No matter how self-aware we become, it is harder to reach out when one is lonely. Masa in 'Sunny' understands the vicious cycle and points out the need to break it. However, self-awareness isn't enough especially when people around you don't understand what you are going through.
Noriko Sakamoto (Judy Ongg) watched her son, Masa seep into loneliness for years, and yet, when he openly talked about it in 'Sunny' Episode 9, she called it a "phase". She was uncomfortable and embarrassed every time Masa talked about his battle with loneliness. Noriko's reaction depicts how people are still not ready to accept even though they have seen the problem up and close.
AI's role in tackling loneliness
'Sunny' on Apple TV+ is much closer to the reality than you think. We may not have robots like Sunny in real life yet, but our lives are now surrounded by Artificial Intelligence, programmed to be our ultimate companion.
Our patterns and behavior are now being read and interpreted by technology, similar to what is shown in 'Sunny'. In the show, Masa finds solace in AI. Isn't that true for us as well? We are glued to our mobile phones all the time, seeking validation and conversations through them. AI chatbots have arrived to replace human conversations.
The show points out that AI cannot replace humans, no matter how perfectly you code them. It's a lesson for all of us who try to find comfort in technology instead of developing real human emotions.
'Sunny' is available to stream on Apple TV+.
