During the end of the 1950s, the DEFA Studio's management noted the public's demand for entertainment and responded by producing a series of light comedies, relatively free from ideological messages.
[7] Krug's biographer Ralf Schenk wrote that On the Sunny Side "proved wrong the known saying that if DEFA would produce a comedy, the audiences would remain at home and cry.
"[8] Sabine Hake noted that, while the studio consistently opposed the concept of a star system, the film turned Krug into East Germany's only "genuine screen idol".
[9] Ina-Lyn Reif wrote that the state's artistic establishment perceived Krug as "capturing the younger generation's mood" after the release of On the Sunny Side.
[10] Sabine Brummel commented that the film "virtually lacked a political statement", an uncommon feature in DEFA's productions up to that time, and even presented a realistic depiction of the workplace: the construction team did not accept Ottilie as their manager because she was a woman, and the Workers' Brigade leader was incompetent.