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CallieP
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Posts posted by CallieP
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On 4/3/2022 at 7:14 PM, CarolynH said:
I'm probably going to sound like a broken record, but this is really bugging me. Why did Hansu's father in law chose Hansu, a Korean man, to marry his daughter. Couldn't he find a Japanese man? I hope this question is answered in ep 7.
So after Episode 7, we can answer your question, Hansu meets his future wife at almost the end of episode 7. Ryoichi's daughter. He already recognizes Hansu's potential, he takes him under his wing and he has a young daughter.
I will talk more about this episode later. Still digesting it. The final scene of Hansu is mesmerizing and haunting.
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Found this on YouTube. Very cute. Worth a watch of LMH from then till now.
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58 minutes ago, syntyche said:@CallieP i thought Apple would be strict and wouldnt let him announce his next work until after Pachinko season 1 has ended its release. But he was able to announce Ask the Stars well within the first of week of release. If his scenes in season 2 are minimal, then maybe they should just allow him to do other work, so that Pachinko becomes a side hustle of some sort. It's a waste to lock him up again for another 2 years
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Exactly, he is not getting younger, if he does a drama or movie or both a year and this is additional, then I do not mind but 2 years for total of less than 1 1/2 to 2 hours of screen time and not the lead, NO. We already waited too long for Pachinko season 1
even though it was a great opportunity but not to be stuck in it. If it was like LJJ in Squid Games, that is another matter. At least he has Chapter 7 but it is a small consolation. ATS has 20 episodes, I think. Pachinko is a great series but I really wanted more screen time for Hansu.
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19 hours ago, syntyche said:
I was actually planning on that already. Maybe both questions? Or a question about whether we're interested to watch upcoming seasons if confirmed, but that may already be a given
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@nrllee i love your insights! Thanks for highligting why the two men are drawn into Sunja. And how the singer's brief encounter with Sunja became a defining moment for her.
Please do share your other insights on the previous and upcoming episodes
yes, I love the scene with the singer singing the lament and the Korean migrants below feeling so much nationalism and pride when listening to the familiar song. It was a powerful moment. One rebellious act against the rulers.
Really excited to watch Episode 7.
Interesting that Shim Wan has read script for 2nd episode with scenes of Hansu but if it is going to be minimal, I don't know if I want LMH to be restricted to doing nothing else for another 2 whole years. If he is also Noa... then perhaps, a dual role. It is female centric and Sunja is the main focus.
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5 hours ago, pixie0622 said:
I too find the time shifts a bit jarring at times. The showrunners wanted to juxtapose the past with the present as a way of saying that this family’s history continues to plague the next generation. From The Guardian: “”The virtue of this cutting back and forth is to reinforce the sense that the drama’s Korean characters have of living under a curse. “There is a curse in my blood,” Sunja’s mother says at the outset: all three of her sons have died in their first year and, now pregnant with Sunja, she fears the girl will die too. Later our drunken fisherman worries: “It’s too much, living with this hate. Our children will be cursed. How can all this ever end?””
I interpreted the intercutting of Hana/Solomon convo with the Hansu/Sunja forest scene as a juxtaposition of the imbalance of power: the more powerful (Hansu & Hana) preying on the innocent and lovestruck (Sunja/ Solomon). As Hansu was Sunja’s first love, so was Hana to Solomon—both forbidden loves destined to fail but continued to torment them. But yes, a full-on, uninterrupted “mushroom gathering” scene would have been a lot more satisfying
Your explanation of their intent in the juxtaposition of Hansu/Sunja and Solomon/Hana is probably right. Time shifting is fine but too much may not be the best decision. At least finish one scene before shifting forward or backwards instead of bits of a scene back and forth. I must admit though I don't mind it too much as long as it is not LMH's scenes that is being shifted to another person.
3 hours ago, Lindyloo421 said:CallieP - I feel the same as you regarding LMH being in another 3 series.
It was a long two years between TKEM and Pachinko and we already look like having a year’s wait to see Ask the stars.
Hansu is present throughout the book but often only in a background way even though he makes big differences to Sunja and Noa’s lives.I keep wondering with the wonderful way that Pachinko and LMH has been received whether he will get a Hollywood film offer.
(Having just watched Daniel Craig in No time to die I was imagining Minhoin that sort of role- sigh!)
Hansu is present in the book, heard but not seen, right? We need Hansu to be seen, not just heard.
It will be great if he gets a Hollywood offer like a James Bond type of movie, however, his greatest drawback is his English. He should have applied himself harder when he was younger instead of playing games. Furthermore, he is such a perfectionist, he may not accept one if he feels he can't do his best. He should get a personal trainer and speak nothing but English day in and day out. I have listened to a couple of white men who learnt perfect Mandarin in 10 years. Their accent sounds like an authentic Chinese from China, no western accent at all.
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22 hours ago, pixie0622 said:
Hey guys! I’ve just recently recovered my Soompi account and thought I’d drop by here to digest some discussion of this great new K-drama. But it seems that no one has initiated any discussion? Am I in the right place even?
I’m aware that many of us bought the book as soon as it was announced that LMH was going to be in it. I’m sure that many of us are really very much into the story by now, so I figured that there will be plenty of discussions on how the drama is unfolding vs the book, or how the characters differ from how we initially thought they were.
I also thought that since many of us Soompiers are immigrants or were raised by immigrants, this would be the K-drama where we can find similarities in our own life and share our collective thoughts about discrimination, being “out-of place”, etc.
Am I right or in the wrong thread?
You are in the right thread and there are less viewers new and old commenting here. You could start with your feelings since you have read the book. I haven't read the book yet so it is hard to compare. The series is really well made, the three Sunjas are perfect for their roles, in fact I told CarolynH that I thought every actor there even those with bit parts fit their roles perfectly.
However, I am one of those who dislike the continuous going back or forward in time. It is okay to do it some of the time but not so frequently. For viewers who are not familiar with the characters, it can be confusing. The part that irked me the most is when Sunja and Hansu were in the forest and about to make love, and here they have Solomon and Hana interspersed with that scene. It felt so disjointed. I wanted the events up to the lovemaking be continuous and reveal the emotions between Sunja and Hansu, their wanting each other. Solomon on his phone call with Hana had no business disrupting that beautiful and important scene in the forest which started with looking for mushrooms and ending into the love scene. It just spoilt the mood for me. An important scene that changed Sunja's life and it was broken into several parts.
I like the scene between Hansu and Isak, when Hansu insulted Izak but Isak unknowingly scored points against Hansu when he mentioned his son which was actually Hansu's that that must have pierced Hansu in the heart. His son with the other man and he could not do anything about it. You see his eyes go darker and darker into the recesses of his mind. Pretty strong stuff.
16 hours ago, pixie0622 said:@CarolynH Hola chingu
Yes, it would’ve been great to be at his 1st-ever premiere in LA. But it was an invitation-only event unlike the usual ones.
I read somewhere that the book and the TV drama beautifully supplement each other, unlike other adaptations. And I agree with that assessment, totally. The drama fleshes out the key characters beautifully, while the book provides good foundation for a linear understanding of the story.
I really hope that the drama gets renewed for at least another season because they cannot cram the remaining stories in the next 3 episodes
I also imagined Sunja and Isak to be similar to the actors that portray them. But I imagined Yoseb to be bigger than Isak, and Hansu’s wife to be less pretty. I can’t wait for the next episode—Hansu’s story.
I am not enjoying Solomon’s story as much as the others’. Especially in the last episode when he blamed his grandma for getting fired from his job. And who’s this Mamoru Yoshi? Is he Zainichi too?
Yes, I hope there will be the other three seasons to complete Pachinko and I will definitely watch them. I don't know if I want LMH involved in it though since his role is so minimal, like 17 seconds in Episode 5 and 1 minute in Episode 6. I don't want him wasting another 2 years on his life just waiting for Pachinko to be released before he can start his next drama. He excelled as Hansu but I felt that there could have been more of Hansu helping Sunja, not just mentions about it , for example when he helped Solomon as a kid , we knew he was behind the scenes but it would have helped to show him contacting the chief of police to drop the charges, etc. There were opportunities to have more of Hansu's scenes.
The book said Noa looked like Hansu, if LMH does both roles then that would be great if not LMH should not tie himself to the show for just half an hour of an 8 episode series.
12 hours ago, syntyche said:Hey @pixie0622! Welcome to the thread! I also expected that there would be plenty of discussions here on the comparison between the book and the drama. I haven't read the book yet unlike most Minoz, so I'm bravely taking on the route of commenting from the perspective of someone who learns about the story for the first time as the series unfolds. I post my reviews on each episode, and try to start discussions on the characters and comparisons with the book, but I guess it doesn't spark much discussion.
Or maybe Minoz are just caught up with the minimal scenes of LMH in the series. Anyway, much-awaited episode 7 focused on Hansu is coming up, so maybe we'll get some discussion here. Thanks for dropping by and do continue posting your comments here.
I also hope that the series gets renewed. It's originally meant to be over four seasons, so other characters and settings, we are yet to see in the upcoming seasons, if it gets renewed. Hopefully it does, considering the praise and positive reviews it has been getting.
I am amazed how good Kim Min Ha is, the role seems tailored for her. I wish they showed more of her relationship with Hansu and a hotter love scene. I thought it was pretty mild for an American series.
LMH is good at any role he chooses to do, I wished he could have been given the opportunity to show more of Hansu's ruthlessness as well as his caring of Sunja and her family.
9 hours ago, Lindyloo421 said:Hi Pixie - what you said about similarities in our lives struck a chord with me
because when I was ten my family uprooted and moved. I won’t go into too many details but our first year was horrendous and my mother had a complete nervous breakdown. Of course we came through it all and acclimatised but it left scars. I think what Pachinko shows is how some people are stoic and brave and have the personality (if that’s the right word) to battle their way through and others struggle so hard. If you compare Sunja and Kyunghee you get a feel for this.
This show highlights in such a brilliant way what a terrible soul-destroying thing prejudice is.
I have read the book and really hope Apple TV agree to the 4 seasons as there is so much more to see- particularly in regard to Noa. I think the book also shows the duality of Hansu in a very vivid way- the way he protects Sunja throughout her life through his love for her and his son - and contrasts that with his cruel, vicious side which is well displayed in a scene with a girl in his car who does something disrespectful. Maybe we will see more of this side of Hansu in ep. 7 and 8.It was fun to discuss TKEM because it was obviously fiction but even though
Pachinko is also fiction it feels so rooted in reality and is so emotional that it feels harder to break it down and discuss it.
I really hope it wins some awards because everything about it is well done
and the entire cast are incredible. I can’t wait to see LMH in episode 7.
It was a big surprise to me at how brutal the Japanese were to the Koreans, Japanese, Koreans and Chinese are pretty close in ethnicity but the divisions are still there. I think Japanese tend to be from the warrior class and thus more aggressive and belligerent. They are willing to commit harakiri and suicide bombing from their planes so perhaps violence is the part of the warrior class DNA?
It is the same story worldwide when immigrants and the conquered are often the victims of the cruelty of the ruling class or the conquerors. It does not matter whether they are Japanese, Dutch, British, French or Americans. Those that are dislocated are often at the mercy of the victors or the colonizers.
@syntyche Great review on Episode 6. I like the part with the old lady helping since she has experience with birthing pigs. She sounds brusque complaining about the cries but good at heart to help the suffering Sunja. Kindness where you least expect it. Isak thinks he is weak and leaning on Sunja but he shows he has a lot of wisdom when he talks to his older brother, and the young man. He is kind and both he and Sunja does complement each other. Sunja and Hansu is more magnetic attraction, love at first sight.
Another scene worth noting is the exchange of Isak with the young man, upon the request of the latter's mother. "We are not men. Not to them. And this humiliation, it drives us to drink, and to fight, and to return home to beat our wives. There, at least we know we're not the lowest. There's even someone lower." This is such a sad reality during a time of oppression, where the inequality transcends into the home which is supposed to be a safe haven. Add to that some machismo culture, and it is the wives who are eventually taking the brunt of it all.
It is true. Black men in the US have so little power in society so they bring their frustrations home and the wife or family sometimes bear the brunt of their helplessness. It seems to be the same in all societies when the poor bear the brunt. The Covid pandemic really showed this class disparity. The office workers get to work at home while Amazon warehouse workers, the factory workers, the grocery store workers, and poor minorities bore the brunt of the virus.
Thanks for sharing your story Pixie.
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3 hours ago, Lindyloo421 said:
It was bad enough in TKEM days with people saying that drama was underperforming on SBS when in actual fact it was doing incredibly well on Netflix.
Please don’t let’s start doing that about Pachinko.
Let’s just enjoy the moment- the incredible worldwide review - the numerous positive articles about the drama and LMH’s acting- the fact that
12 million watched Episode 1 of Pachinko when it was released to Korea only YouTube.I agree with what CarolynH said - Apple cares about quality- and it shows in every frame of Pachinko.
I agree, when TKEM came out it did very well in international Netflix, especially in new areas like Africa, Middle East, India, South America. Even in Africa, the boyfriends were bemoaning that their girlfriends were besotted with LMH and forgot about them. One even wrote an open letter to LMH complaining about his effect on this poor guy's girlfriend.
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Even if it under performed in network ratings, it was # 1 in Waave and Netflix Korea. It was the first K-drama that did so well in streaming outlets. Others would follow suit culminating in Squid. Haters would like to blame everything on LMH and he seems to shoulder the responsibility but hardly any of the complaints were about him. In fact, I would say, if LMH was not the lead, the drama would have not done well at all. It was because of LMH that the drama received worldwide attention.
The failure was on KES, concentrating on the wrong aspects of the drama, for instance, too much on the murders itself and the police investigations. It was confusing. Then the fuss with the logo and set design. Then the in your face PPL. It should have had more scenes with Le Gon and his bodyguard or more episodes to flush out the story. They were a hoot. Network ratings should not matter. SK is only a small population. In fact Squid was not that well-liked in SK from what I heard. I am sure its ratings would be just normal (not 30% like Married). However, it was a runaway hit on Netflix. Go figure.
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2 hours ago, willenette said:
@nina_mitrokhina thanks for sharing this. The underperformance of “Pachinko” to date has been a surprise, given the strong cast. I feel that it has possibly been overshadowed by the more popular Netflix offerings. I’m surprised why being an Apple TV+ drama, this streaming platform has little exposure outside the United States. Five episodes have been released so far, with three more to go.
Why do you say Pachinko is under-performing? What are you hearing from the grapevine?
1 hour ago, CarolynH said:I don't think you can compare Apple to Netflix. The majority of Apple's content is original and Apple cares more about quality rather than quantity. Sure, I like and watch Netflix, but IMHO, Apple's content is better.
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Did anyone else read, according to the Dazed interview, that there will be a 20-30 min leeminho film?
Yes, agree that Apple is just starting up and does not have many subscribers. Some may be watching from illegal sites and we will not know the numbers.
Anyone has any info about the 30 minute LMH film? @willenette, anybody else. Excited to watch that.
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9 hours ago, 1ouise said:
es! Kim Young-ok is a treasure.
So sad and subtle the way she explained how she and Donghee ended up as comfort women.
I also appreciate the young actresses playing Donghee and Bokhee:
I thought Hansu helped them by getting them factory jobs in Manchuria. I must have misunderstood. LOL!
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https://variety.com/feature/2022-emmy-predictions-best-drama-series-1235225790/
I thought Pachinko would be in the top 8. Somewhat disappointed. Succession, I couldn't even watch it.
Pachinko
In 1910, Japan annexed Korea. This annexation turned into a 35-year occupation, marked by the extraction of Korean resources and erasure of Korean culture, sexual slavery of Korean women, and the forced removal of millions of Korean citizens to places all over the globe, including Japan.Adapted from Min Jin Lee’s 2017 novel, Apple TV+’s latest drama series, Pachinko, is the story of one Korean family — or more
Synopsis of Pachinko Episode 1 -4 (warning spoilers) Episode 5 above.
https://www.vulture.com/article/pachinko-miniseries-episode-1-chapter-one.html
https://www.vulture.com/article/pachinko-miniseries-episode-2-chapter-two.html
https://www.vulture.com/article/pachinko-miniseries-episode-3-chapter-three.html
https://www.vulture.com/article/pachinko-miniseries-episode-4-chapter-four.html
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The cover of Singapore publication, U Weekly, features an actor of the Korean drama "Pachinko" - Lee Min Ho!
The cover of Issue 853 will be available on April 8th (Friday), and each copy is only $2!
But where can you buy it @syntyche ?
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12 hours ago, syntyche said:
Hi. I think @JoannaID is from Indonesia. The offline stores in the website seem to serve locally only. Well, now that the brand got LMH as their ambassador, they should consider shipping worldwide for interested overseas Minoz.
Lee Min Ho must have a huge fan base in Indonesia. Is that a correct assessment?
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Wonder when filming will start. It is April and I hope filming will start soon and the open ceremony.
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29 minutes ago, syntyche said:
Is 'Pachinko' the film that will help the veteran Korean actress bring home her 2nd Oscar?
This article is getting it totally wrong. Youn could win an Emmy but not an Oscar since Pachinko is a series not a movie. Oscars are only for movies
. Writer should do her homework.
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He looks so youthful in his Azarine ads compared to Koh Hansu. So cute
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4 hours ago, syntyche said:
Ooh, the tension between Hansu and Isak. Hansu is clearly irked by Isak, as he bluntly criticizes the fit of Isak's suit and him clinging to the past. Isak, on the other hand, has that silent confidence and he knows exactly how to hit back - by mentioning his marriage to Sunja and having the suit fixed for it to maybe, one day, fit his son, well, Hansu's biological son. The shift from displeasure and arrogance to hurt and perhaps jealousy can be seen clearly on Hansu's face.
Okay, so maybe I'm convinced of Isak's abrupt decision to marry Sunja, when he said that she and her mother risked their lives to save his. A noble deed indeed, considering how scandalous it is back then to be an unmarried woman to be with child.
Another impactful scene is when Sunja's mother was buying white rice for her. Rice is such an important food staple to Asians, and despite being so expensive then, she painstakingly convinced the merchant to sell her some rice. That rice being Sunja's last taste of her own country before she leaves home, and then fastforward to old Sunja having that emotional moment as she tastes the homeland rice cooked by grandmother in the last episode, makes us understand the value and meaning of seemingly ordinary things such as rice.
The juxtaposition of scenes of Sunja's mother packing up her clothes as she leaves home, with those of old Sunja packing up for her trip back home decades later, is one of those moments where the poetry between the parallels of the generations is intricately shown.
The confrontation of Sunja and Hansu highlights the personalities of these characters. Sunja may be young and naive, but she is smart and tough enough to stand her ground against Hansu's rather tough persuasion. Hansu, on the other hand, is practical to the brink of cruelty. Indeed, we again see the shift of Hansu's emotion to hurt and anguish as Sunja fled the scene.
Another emotional scene is mother and daughter's farewell scene. The thought of that moment possibly being their last time together definitely tug at our heartstrings.
Yet another intense scene is grandma's signing of official documents. For Solomon and the bigwigs of the company, it's all about the money and what they would gain from the transaction. But for grandma, her hold on that land signifies her triumph in the country which has discriminated against her family for years, and wouldn't even let them rent. Again, the scenes where grandmother walked out of the contract signing; singer taking her own life; Solomon running away and dancing his heart out in the rain; and old Sunja, back in her homeland, being able to feel again the rush of waves against her feet; all blended well as if to show how the characters are being freed of and having overcome the chains of their adversities.
Syn, I want to commend you for this awesome review. You voiced out what I felt perfectly about Episode 5. I did not take the time to do it as it would take me too long. Yes, you can see Hansu's face go dark with anger that someone else is taking care of his son, and then the pain that followed the loss he feels at not being there at his birth. However, since I did not read the book but understood from the drama is that Sunja never revealed to anyone who the father was so I don't think Izak intentionally meant to irritate Hansu by mentioning his son. It was coincidental that those words knifed Hansu and caused pain in response to Hansu's insult. Karma.
I believe Izak being a pastor and good Christian realized that he would have died without Sunja's mother's care so this is one way to repay his debt. He probably doesn't condemn others but understand weakness or love can lead one to make mistakes. He is forgiving and kind. Furthermore he can bring Sunja to his God.
Oh yes, the buying and cooking rice is a beautiful scene, so much love is shown by such simple gestures. The juxtaposition (perfect word) of the packing of clothes in the past and the present was another scene that really worked.
The confrontation of Sunja and Hansu highlights the personalities of these characters.
The confrontation between Hansu and Sunja, she knew she did not want to be a mistress, she rather be a single mom or married to another man, money did not attract her. If he would not marry her, he would not have her even though she probably longed for him but never showed it. She is strong in that way.
Hansu on the other hand is brutally honest to her. When he gently asked her to be with him, gently touching her face, filled with love and in his own way pleading to her for a chance. When she was stony and unrelenting, he hit out and insulted her cruelly. Frustrated that he could not impress on her that the world is never fair, to live and be successful he has to be married to a Japanese to maintain his status and then he can give her the life she deserves. If he gave that up, he would be stepped on and poor again, something he probably vowed would never happen to him again based on his back story from what we know. Since snippets revealed that he was a very good and kind youth but circumstances made him what he is today, a cynical, hard and ambitious adult.
Oh yes, the goodbye scene, both Minha and the actor who played the mother aced that scene. Just perfect...
The intense scenes you mentioned, the old lady not wanting to sell, all the money in the world was not enough to top the satisfaction she felt at denying the Japanese what they coveted and having sweet revenge for all the hurt and pain of the past. Solomon finally understanding her hesitance at signing the contract. Finally he felt liberated himself to dance in the street. The singer belting out her country's song at her last moments of her life so her fellowmen could hear something familiar as they go forward to the unknown. Her killing herself to show she had control of her own destiny. All powerful scenes.
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Episode 4 was really excellent, the goodbyes between mom and Sunja, and the the people in the boarding house were really touching. The mom trying to buy rice that is kept for the Japanese. Rice was such a special commodity then. Then she lovingly prepared it for her daughter and son-in-law. Sunja sobbing and hugging her mother when the time came. It was all so believable. Every bit actor in the cast rocked, from the mother to the sellers in the market. The girls working in the boarding house knowing their lot has no hope of a married life while talking at the stream while washing their clothes.
At the start of the show, Hansu putting down Isak, when he heard Isak mention marriage, you see his inscrutable face slowly darken and you can imagine the pent up turmoil, anger and hate held back and suppressed. The love of his life is getting married to another person. Losing the one thing he really wants but yet not willing to give up what he already has.
The scene where Hansu tries to change Sunja's mind one more time. Then he angrily said he would not even remember her. You know he is lying. The back and forth worked well here with old Sunja packing to go back home and Sunja's mother packing for her daughter to leave for Japan. That worked very well as you see the connection between past and present. The old lady rethinking her plan to sell her property to the arrogant Japanese who still looks down on her. Very poignant. Great episode. Wish there was more of LMH and Sunja though.
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https://www.pressreader.com/malaysia/the-star-malaysia-star2/20220331/281479279926240
Interview with LMH from Star Newspaper from Malaysia. Starlifestyle, twitter had a clip of this article. This is a easier read.
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10 hours ago, willenette said:
@CallieP thanks for sharing this. Same here - love it because it's candid. I also love the 1st photo - where we can see him smiling happily in front of the mirror.
Yes, it has been trimmed from the Pachinko premiere so it is shorter.
As for the hot scene, did he have a double? I doubt it, why would he. It didn't even show his face so he might as well do the scene since he is obviously good at kissing scenes, Personal Taste, LOTBS and TKEM kissing scenes created a stir...
11 hours ago, CarolynH said:I didn't think that scene was that intimate, was it? Now I have to watch again
I agree, I wanted more
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I like the picture of him looking at his cell phone. Really cute.
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10 hours ago, babypekkle420 said:
They make very endearing/adorable comments about Lee Min Ho too.)
I listened to almost over 1 3/4 hours but only heard one endearing/adorable comment about Lee Min Ho that he refused to dance. They commented about Hansu but not about LMH.
On 3/27/2022 at 5:23 PM, imgreatgal said:I’ve missed Lee Gon so actually i was waiting for the premier of this drama to see him again
I have to say this is a good drama and i wasnt really confused with the jumping of of timeline back and forth.
Anyway i’m here to ask if anyone of you notice in the ‘hot scene’ between Sunja (Kim Min Ha) and Han Soo (Lee Min Ho) its not Lee Min Ho. His side angle looks different from LMH’sI cannot believe LMH would not do his own kissing scene. It is just the angle. It is just speculation, I think.
On 3/27/2022 at 5:41 AM, syntyche said:Chingus, drop in your comments and thoughts on the episodes!
It is really good, great cinematography, story and directing. The characters do an awesome job, all of them. I did find that the scenes were a little short, I do not mind the going back and forth but wished each scene was longer especially the scenes with Hansu and Sunja. I wanted more sexuality between Hansu and Sunja, like in the book
, thought the hot scene was too short.
LMH and Min Ha has great chemistry. I was a bit disappointed that LMH only had a few scenes in Episode 3, I was expecting much more. LMH did not disappoint, hot and awesome.
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2 hours ago, Lindyloo421 said:
Blimey our LMH is going to be busy isn’t he. There is the new drama ,
a magazine shoot, and apparently he will become ambassador for an Indonesia
beauty firm called Azarine and also an ambassador for what looks like a Malaysia firm called Cuckoo in April.
One of the directors- I have lost the quote but think it was Justin Chon- said it was like LMH was like a Beatle with the number of Canadian fans cheering for him and calling his name whilst they were filming. I don’t think they originally realised how big a star LMH is!!
What is the magazine that he is shooting for and when will it be out? Any interview?
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even though it was a great opportunity but not to be stuck in it. If it was like LJJ in Squid Games, that is another matter. At least he has Chapter 7 but it is a small consolation. ATS has 20 episodes, I think. Pachinko is a great series but I really wanted more screen time for Hansu.
Yes, it would’ve been great to be at his 1st-ever premiere in LA. But it was an invitation-only event unlike the usual ones.
, thought the hot scene was too short.
[Drama 2022] Pachinko, 파친코 - Lee Min Ho, Youn Yuh Jung, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Minha Kim, Soji Arai, Kaho Minami - Streaming on Apple TV+ | Season 1 & 2
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My thoughts on Episode 7. First the criticisms: I did not like the 4.3 aspect ratio of the episode. It made the scenes much smaller even on my 50-inch big screen TV. This episode is specially about Hansu, seeing his experiences through his eyes. The small screen made it harder to see the expressions on Hansu’s face, LOL, plus the darkness in many of the scenes produced the same effect, making it harder to watch Hansu’s reactions. Furthermore, his unruly, thick mop also hid his eyes. It would have been more effective to understand Hansu if we could have watched his eyes more clearly. What is the saying? Eyes are the windows to the soul? Don’t want to be nit-picky but I think the editing flubbed the boxing scene. I saw Hansu with the crowds at the ring prior to him and his dad walking in. Uh-oh!
One thing I am curious why Hansu wore a kimono but his dad did not?
To be honest, I thought Hansu's father was murdered by the Japanese vigilantes and Hansu himself badly hurt by them after the earthquake. I did not expect Hansu to be a tutor and the father a bookkeeper. I expected them to be dirt poor and doing menial labor since he told Sunja they only owned one set of clothes when they lived in Jeju. Somehow they moved to Japan and landed there during the earthquake and ended up being hurt and killed by the vigilantes. It would explain the ruthless Hansu. However, I had to rethink after watching the episode and below is my new conclusions...
This episode was concentrated on Hansu, what were his youthful experiences that made him into the ruthless man that we are familiar with. Was he always like that? Turns out he was a very intelligent young man, a mathematician, bound for tertiary heights were he not born a Korean at that place in time. A brilliance recognized by his father, proud yet frustrated because he realized that their lot in life placed them in these circumstances. He wants his son to be respected, thus his anger when the American boss asked Hansu to be a messenger when he was a tutor knowing full well that if the tutor was American, he would not have been asked to deliver messages as well. It is also obvious Hansu adored his father, and treats him as his mentor and guide, listens dutifully to his father’s words and advice. They are a team. I believe Hansu remembers his father’s words that you only need to be good at one thing though you may not be able to choose what that is. "People like us, wagering our hopes and dreams against us, that is how they fool us.” Bitter words from a father who has experienced a lot of disappointment in life but still he wants his son to try his luck in the US. When Hansu balked at leaving his father behind, father responded that they will never be really far apart. "Look at the two stars in the sky". A very wise father except when it came to women. When the father borrowed his boss’s money without permission, and said Hansu has never been in love and does not understand that it is difficult to say no when you are love-struck. Hansu presciently said he would never do that. So that character is innate in him. He would never act rashly even for someone he loves. Even though he cares for Sunja, he would not face poverty again for a woman but he uses what he has to help her behind the scenes. However, in order to save his father, he was willing to give up his hopes to go to America and work for Ryoichi. When his father died in the earthquake, you see Hansu breakdown several times, he did not yet have that steely resolve. He was lost like a little child, confused, terrified at the devastation and death around him. Whimpering and crying like a kid at times. You see a very vulnerable young man. I think Hansu was in his early 20s then not a teenager. In a way, he has been protected by his father.
Ryoichi, the Yakuza boss also played an important part in redirecting his life. Giving him a job and thus his entry into the Yakuza world. Ryoichi recognizes his potential and brings him into his family by marrying his daughter off to him (which I believe is the case). When Hansu still had the opportunity to go to the US. Ryoichi encouraged him to not look back at the past but grab the opportunity and look ahead. Totally overwhelmed, Ryoichi had to point out that he was not the only one who lost a loved one that day. Now is the time to forge his destiny and not be a fool and wallow in misery. During the earthquake, he did lose a father, he saw Koreans being scapegoated and slaughtered. but yet he experienced kindness from Ryoichi and the other Japanese carpet trader. So how did he become so ruthless later in life? I think, it is growing up not having real opportunities, seeing the humiliations his father endured, taking the advice of his father and Ryoichi to heart. He resolved to be a survivor at any costs. As someone else commented, he has to be good at one thing and that is to fight to survive. With his father he could afford to be genuine and soft but now that he is alone, he has to steel himself to survive. We do see that even though he can be hard, he is fair and as a fish broker, he did pay a fair price and the fishermen welcomed his presence though they did fear him as they sensed he was powerful. Welcomed into the Yakuza, he has to be ruthless to stay at the top. Momentous events can change the course of one’s life and the survivor has to be tough and strong.
At the final scene when he looks at the distance and the camera zooms into his face. You will see his eyes change from deep despair and pain, slowly but surely darkening into a haunted, unbendable, steely look that goes deep into the recesses of his mind. I think LMH was fantastic as Hansu. Portraying a simple but intelligent young man, through the force of his circumstances to be a hard and sometimes callous person, probably hiding his vulnerability through the façade of indifference and harshness. He cruelly insults Sunja, yet he secretly protects her, and her family, like he helped young Solomon from being expelled from school and perhaps arrested. I was also amazed at his fluency in Japanese. Even though I don’t speak Japanese, I could not discern any tonal dissonance like I could with Mrs. Holmes speaking Japanese. Is Korean very close to Japanese that a Korean could easily speak Japanese compared to speaking English? I was also pretty pleased with him speaking English. You could hear an accent most definitely but he did quite well. Hansu’s father was very fluent in Japanese too.
This episode and LMH received a lot of kudos from critics and viewers. As one person commented in another website. “Episode 7 is amazing in that’s it’s enlightening, epic, entertaining and highly emotional. Many critics and gp fave episode so far. Succinctly captures tragic devastation of The Great Kanto earthquake through the eyes of Hansu whilst providing missing background details of the most compelling and pivotal character in Pachinko. It makes one rethink their initial judgment of Hansu. Unless you’re a simple Lee Min Ho hater, which I find surprising as the man is so unproblematic and has a variety of roles in his repertoire. Jealousy is an ugly thing.”