Episode 1 of "Sunny" kicks off with a chilling scene, a robot brutally terminating a Japanese man's life, leaving him immersed in a ghastly pool of his own blood. The narrative shifts, following Suzie Sakamoto, a woman whose world shatters upon learning of the tragic demise of her husband and son in the Flight 405 plane crash. They are not alone in their quest for closure; many are seeking solace in the aftermath of this disaster.
We are seemingly immersed in a near-future world where robots and humans coexist, not as futuristic as "Humans," but the small, nimble droids wandering around are a telltale sign of this era. Suzie harbors a deep-seated resentment towards robots, stemming from a past incident where one had taken her mother's life.
New to the intricacies of Japanese customs, Suzie finds herself uneasy about the rui-katsu ceremony, a ritual where loved ones gather to mourn, while "The Handsome Man" gently wipes away their tears. This involves dialing the deceased's phone number, listening to their voicemails, as a way to grieve. Suzie hesitates but eventually succumbs to the emotional onslaught, only to find the phone ringing incessantly, refusing to go to voicemail. Does this mean her husband and son are still alive? Or is there a darker mystery at play?
News reports of Councillor Ito's death, due to a fatal fall at his home, add to the mounting intrigue. After a shopping trip, Suzie returns home to find a mysterious man, Yuki Tanaka, waiting outside her door. He reveals that he once worked with her husband and presents her with a gift: a state-of-the-art robot named Sunny, a project he's been secretly developing for years. Sunny is tailor-made for Suzie and responds only to her commands.
Once Yuki departs, Suzie immediately switches off the robot and conceals it in the closet. But Sunny is relentless, repeatedly turning itself on, its jovial demeanor clashing sharply with Suzie's troubled state. Exasperated, Suzie decides she must confront Yuki and unravel the mystery surrounding this enigmatic robot.
In the midst of a jubilant Christmas celebration, she unexpectedly appears at his office, only to encounter the wrong Yuki Tanaka. This youthful figure, half-drunk, reveals that Masa, her husband, was a fearsome and demanding boss. Clearly, Suzie had been blissfully unaware of the full extent of her husband's character. After a bit of sleuthing, she stumbles across the chamber we witnessed at the series's inception, its blood-smeared floor concealing the remains of an unknown victim. Could it be the Councillor whose demise had dominated the news? This revelation, coupled with reports of Masa's intimidating nature, suggests a darker truth.
At the cocktail bar, Suzie engages in conversation with the barmaid, voicing her concern about the safety and reliability of bots. She posits that the councillor's death was the result of a rogue bot and advises Suzie to deactivate them entirely for safety's sake.
Unbeknownst to her, Suzie is being observed by a watchful eye. As she returns home, she accompanies Sunny, the bot, to a nearby bridge and leaves it there. In the tranquility of her bedroom, Suzie scrutinizes pictures of the Councillor, noticing the identical red tire marks on the ground. It seems to be a clue pointing to the robot's involvement. However, upon waking, she finds Sunny inexplicably returned, performing Masa's familiar kiss-hand gesture, emphasizing once again that it was programmed solely for her.
