Sunny

The life of an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As consolation, she's given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband's electronics company.

Sunny (2024) is an American dark comedy mystery series created by Katie Robbins for Apple TV. Rashida Jones plays Suzie Sakamoto, an American woman living in Kyoto whose husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and son Zen (Fares Belkheir) vanish in a mysterious plane crash. To cope, she is given Sunny, a domestic robot built by her husband's electronics company and voiced by Joanna Sotomura. The engine of the show is Suzie's search for answers while she navigates a city and a household that feel foreign to her, with her mother-in-law Noriko (Judy Ongg) and a cast of neighbors and acquaintances pulling her in different directions. Each episode mixes unsettling clues with awkward humor and the quiet intimacy of a woman forming a bond with a machine that seems to know more than it should. The ten-episode first season is a single continuing story rather than a case of the week, moving at a measured pace. Its tone is deadpan and melancholic, with wry comedy sitting beside real grief and a persistent sense of dislocation in the streets and homes of Kyoto. Its mix of mystery, science fiction and domestic absurdity will appeal to viewers who enjoyed Lost in Translation, Westworld and Humans, and anyone drawn to offbeat, character-driven television.

Audiences rate the single season mixed, with a moderate following for its offbeat blend of dark comedy and mystery.

• Lost in Translationshared dark comedy tone, expatriate outsider unease, and mystery-driven domestic drama
• Westworldshared android companion premise with emotional interiority and ethical unease
• Humansshared quirky dark comedy tone around loneliness and an artificial companion

Created by

Katie Robbins

Release Date

2024-07-09

Episode runtime

37 min

Rating

6.5 / 10 (119)

What is Sunny about?

After her husband and son vanish in a mysterious plane crash, an American expatriate in Kyoto is left with Sunny, a domestic robot from her husband's company.

What is Sunny like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sunny as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Sunny violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Sunny as mild.

What did critics think of Sunny?

Audiences rate the single season mixed, with a moderate following for its offbeat blend of dark comedy and mystery.

Which shows are like Sunny?

Shows with a similar feel include Lost in Translation, Westworld, and Humans.

How long is Sunny?

Sunny: 1 season, 10 episodes.

Is Sunny still running?

No, Sunny was canceled.

Where can I watch Sunny?

In United States, Sunny streams on Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel.