[Current Drama 2022 & 2024] 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

[syntyche]

Pachinko: the exciting series that everyone is talking about that will bring back the fever for Korean productions

 

Available on Apple TV +, this epic drama that tells the saga of a Korean family in Japan has become the most talked about series in recent weeks.

 

After the success of Parasite and The Squid Game, the Korean audiovisual industry is determined to show that its ability to attract all kinds of audiences is not a flash in the pan. And although its production capacity is already at the level of countries with a greater presence in international fiction, it never ceases to amaze us that its creations become a must for any fan of cinema and television series. The latest to do so is Pachinko, the exciting series that everyone is talking about that promises to revive the fever for Korean productions.

 

Premiered on March 25 on Apple Tv+, this Korean-Canadian co-production is based on the book of the same name by Min Jin Lee, which has been edited in Spain by Quaterni. An epic and romantic drama set in South Korea and Japan in the 20th century, from 1910 to the 1990s. To achieve this, the narration is divided into two timelines, that of the girl Sunja and that of herself when she is an old woman.

...

Composed of 8 episodes, of which we can already find five on Apple TV +, Pachinko has the usual quality of the platform to tell an exciting and complex story without being a complication for the viewer. Epic and intimate in equal parts, Pachinko is outstanding in all its aspects, from the interpretation of its protagonists to its setting, through the development of the characters or its ability to place the audience in an environment that can be as alien as it is distant , in which it is not difficult to empathize with the characters.

 

In Pachinko everything is beautiful, from its initial credits to its impressive aerial shots in which the rurality of the beginning of the century contrasts with the urbanism and modernity of the end of that time. With identity as the central core of the story, the qualities of this production are many. But it is striking that from a starting point as hackneyed as a family saga, a story has been built that surprises and excites, both for what it tells and for how it is told.

...

Shot in the two languages of the countries in which it is set, and in English, Pachinko is a blockbuster as spectacular as the story it tells . A fiction to take into account that will place the Korean industry at the world epicenter of audiovisual creations in its own right, and not because it was a fad, as has happened with The Squid Game. And that serves to confirm that the ability of Apple TV + to enter the crowded universe of streaming has not been a passing whim, but a careful commitment that places it as one of the essential platforms for lovers of audiovisual fiction.

 

https://www.mujerhoy.com/actualidad/pachinko-serie-coreana-appletv-de-que-va-por-que-tienes-que-verla-20220411202910-nt.html

 

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Pachinko Casting Call-out

 

Follow along to meet some more of the #Pachinko cast

 

The Academy Award®-winning Yuh-Jung Youn plays Sunja in her twilight years. Her resilience defines the journey she makes from young girl in a Yeongdo fishing village to a life spent in bustling Osaka.

 

 

Sunja’s grandson, Solomon, is played by Jin Ha. He’s a young Korean salaryman making a name for himself in 1980s Tokyo.

 

 

And Jung Eun-Chae is Young Kyunghee, Sunja’s sister-in-law, and closest friend in 1930s Osaka. Tune in to #Pachinko, now streaming on Apple TV+

 

 

 

[Photo Photo]

On 4/10/2022 at 10:25 PM, CarolynH said:

Glad you stayed with the drama!  Did you read the novel?  Having read the novel, I knew that there was Sunja's backstory to cover.  I think it was important to show how Sunja's parents helped her become the strong woman that both Hansu and Isak fell for.  It's how she persevered through all the hardships.   

 

No, I haven't. Is it in English or Korean?

[syntyche]

 

 

'Pachinko' with the scent of Mugunghwa, is a hot topic both inside and outside. As of the 12th, when five of the eight episodes were released, it took the first place in Korea (based on Kinolights) among OTT original content such as Netflix, and in the United States, it had 3.4 times more viewers (based on Parrot Analytics) than the average of local drama users in the last month did. The conservative British daily The Telegraph praised "This quiet Korean masterpiece puts our drama to shame."

... 

Netflix and Apple TV+ thought about investing in this drama, and in the end, 'Pachinko' came out with an apple mark (Apple logo). 'Pachinko' has Korean actors (Yoon Yeo-jeong, Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha) as the main characters, and more than 60% of the lines are written in Korean.

 

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/469/0000669191?sid=103

[CarolynH]

2 hours ago, Photo Photo said:

 

No, I haven't. Is it in English or Korean?

I assume that it is available in many languages.  It doesn't follow the book, so perhaps it is better that you watch the show before reading the novel.

[nina_mitrokhina]

<Pachinko> Reasons for being attracted to Lee Min Ho

2022.04.13 CULTURE

 

<Pachinko> Go Han Soo, played by Lee Min Ho, is a complex and subtle character. Being in a conflict between love and ambition, he gradually turns into a villain. Go Han Soo is a handsome villain and he has a charm that transcends all of that.

 

 

The name Lee Min Ho is worth it. Through the dramas "Boys Over Flowers", "Heirs", "Legend of the Blue Sea" and "The King: Eternal Monarch", he rose to Hallyu stars and top stars. Everyone wants to work with him because he is tall, handsome, plays well and guarantees box office success.

 

<Pachinko> is Lee Min Ho's first work on an online video service (OTT). Not only the platform has changed, but also the characters. Go Han Soo is a character full of ambition to succeed and true to his instincts. He had to make an important decision as he often took on cool and fantastic characters. So, I auditioned for the first time in 13 years since Flowers Over Berries. So he took on the role of Go Han Soo. In an interview for Pachinko, Lee Min Ho said, “I have always played with the burden of the ratings and box office. If it was <Pachinko>, I thought I would be able to freely act with the entity's emotions without such a burden." He also expressed his affection for the character.

 

To play Go Han Soo, Lee Min Ho focused more on the inside than on the outside. I didn't deliberately go on a diet or make it look clumsy. Because of this, I'm more interested in Lee Min Ho's acting skills. As the episode progresses, Hansoo Go changes. From a good person to a villain who will do anything to achieve the desired goal.

So the eyes are gradually changing. If not for Lee Min Ho, who would be able to portray Go Han Soo? Lee Min Ho said, “Instead of asking us to learn the history of Korea through this work, we are here because of the sacrifices and efforts of our ancestors and older generations. I hope we have time to reflect on ourselves and think about what we can do for the next generation." The mentality is also excellent. That's why I said, "Lee Min Ho will be the winner anyway"? There are reasons to look forward to Friday.

 

Pak Khanbitnuri
Translation from Korean google

 

https://www.gqkorea.co.kr/2022/04/13/이민호에게-끌리는-이유/?utm_source=naver&utm_medium=partnership

[nina_mitrokhina]

Apple TV Plus And HBO Max Are Lapping Netflix With Quality Content

 

 

Paul Tassi
Apr 12, 2022

 

While no one can compete with Netflix on volume, at this point, it’s hard to say that they’re leading the streaming wars in terms of overall quality content. Over the last year or two, two contenders have emerged that have produced some absolutely incredible series that Netflix simply has been unable to come close to matching. That would be HBO Max and Apple TV Plus.

 

All you have to do is look at the 2022 content slate to see the disparity starting to widen. So far this year, here are the biggest series that each service has given us:

 

HBO Max (which includes HBO): Peacemaker, Julia, Minx, The Gilded Age, Tokyo Vice, Euphoria, Our Flag Means Death, Raised by Wolves

 

Apple TV Plus: Severance, Pachinko, Slow Horses, The Afterparty, Servant

 

Netflix: Inventing Anna, Pieces of Her, Bridgerton, Vikings Valhalla, Archive 81, In From the Cold

 

While some of this may be a matter of preference, I don’t think it’s particularly close. Shows like Euphoria have become almost Game of Thrones-level popular among Gen Z at this point. Severance and Pachinko are probably two of the best new series in the last several years. Julia is absolutely going to win Sarah Lancashire an Emmy...

 

Apple TV Plus has been especially impressive. After a slow start, they have really managed to find some deeply fantastic gems, and are now producing must-watch television on a more consistent basis than their rivals. Oh and they casually just won the Oscar for Best Picture with CODA... 

 

Obviously Netflix isn’t going anywhere as market leader, but if you can expand your budget to a few more services, I’d argue HBO Max and Apple are your best value for the money right now, probably more than Netflix itself as it continues to jack up prices repeatedly. We’ll see what the rest of 2022 holds.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2022/04/12/apple-tv-plus-and-hbo-max-are-lapping-netflix-with-quality-content/?sh=6492f54d67ed

[nina_mitrokhina]

Lee Min-Ho Pachinko interview: Why the oppa is “thirsty” for challenging new roles

 

DEX LEE APR 13, 2022

 

"Lee Min-Ho Pachinko interview: Why the oppa is “thirsty" for challenging new roles | CNA Lifestyle" in YouTube

 

 

 

Korean superstar Lee Min-ho sat down with CNA Lifestyle’s Genevieve Loh to share why it was “heartbreaking” to play anti-hero Hansu in Pachinko, his “thirst” for new characters and how we might see him pop up in a Singapore production. 

 

https://topsearchesnews.com/lee-min-ho-pachinko-interview-why-the-oppa-is-thirsty-for-challenging-new-roles-cna-lifestyle/

 

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Lee Min Ho and 'Pachinko' Kim Min Ha have dominated the OTT charts for 2 weeks in a row

 

With only three episodes left, Apple TV+'s Pachinko, starring Lee Min Ho and Kim Min Ha, continues to take the world by storm, topping the OTT ratings.

 

The series based on novels takes first place ahead of new and already released dramas.

 

Patinko remains number 1 in the OTT rankings

 

 

(Photo: Kim Min Ha's Instagram)

 

Korean media Kino Lights, a rating and recommendation service provider, has released its latest chart showing the best TV shows across all platforms.

 

Pachinko has held the number one position for two consecutive weeks since its world debut on March 25.

 

It is based on 100,000 drama, movie and TV entertainment data, and trend data from domestic and foreign media on Netflix, Wave, Teabing, Disney+ and Watcha.

 

On the other hand, Episode 1, which was released on YouTube, has over 10 million views.

 

While "Pachinko" remained undefeated, MBC's fantasy action "Tomorrow" came in second.

 

In the Friday-Saturday series, stars Kim Hee Sung, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Yoon Jin On transform into angels of death, while SF9's Rowoon becomes a rookie grim reaper.

 

In third place is SBS K-drama 'Business Proposal' with main stars Ahn Hyo Seop, Kim Sejeong, Seol In Ah, and Kim Min Kyu.

 

Translation from spanish google

https://pandrama.net/news/2022/04/lee-min-ho-pachinko-de-kim-min-ha-dominan-el-ranking-ott-por-dos-semanas-consecutivas/

[syntyche]

Apple TV+ drama 'Pachinko' praised for the attention to detail and accuracy of all the languages and dialects

 

Various languages appear in the Apple TV+ original drama 'Pachinko' as the main characters are immigrant families who left their homeland during the Japanese colonial period and went through various countries. Korean, Japanese, and English are all used in one story, as well as different dialects of these languages. The Busan and Jeju dialects were used in the Korean language, and the dialect used by Korean-Japanese immigrants was also refined by seeking advice from Korean-Japanese individuals.

 

Several translators and dialect experts worked hard to create dialogues for people of different generations who went back and forth between Busan, New York, and Osaka. Hwang Seok Hee, who participated in the script translation, shared about the work process in a video interview. Hwang Seok Hee is famous for his translation of film subtitles for movies such as 'Deadpool,' 'Spiderman,' and the drama 'Game of Thrones.'

 

 

According to Hwang Seok Hee, the original script for the drama was all written in English by a team of American writers, including screenwriter and producer Soo Hugh. Although Soo Hugh is Korean-American, she does not speak Korean fluently. Therefore, Hwang Seok Hee was asked to translate the English script into Korean. Hwang Seok Hee explained there were Korean lines in the script that were rather written awkwardly and had to be changed. Additionally, Hwang Seok Hee had to communicate with the writers to convince them that certain slang used in the Korean language to be included in the script.

In one scene, when Go Han Soo (played by Lee Min Ho) was trying to pick up Sun Ja's bag, Sun Ja (Played by Kim Min Ha) shrinks away from him. That's when he says, "Don't worry, I won't eat you" (direct translation) in Korean. Originally, the line was written in English, "You must know it. I mean no harm," and translated awkwardly into Korean. Therefore, Hwang Seok Hee worked to make the Korean lines more natural. 
 

He explained, "In English, 'I won't eat you' is very awkward. In Korea, we know what that phrase means and the line is more natural using that expression. So I had to communicate these things. When there were English sentences I couldn't find the exact Korean phrase to do justice, the writers would change the English sentence. It was a unique and fun experience."

 

Another expert was hired to add different dialects to the Korean-translated script.

 

Hwang Seok Hee explained he had worked with theater actors Jung Ma Rin and Byeon Jong Soo to add the Busan dialect and Jeju dialect to the script. When the actors read the script in their native dialect, the audio was recorded to refer to while finishing the script.

 

The drama has been praised for properly expressing the Jeju dialect. As the Jeju dialect differs greatly from the standard language, there are often times when even Korean dramas would make minor changes in the intonations. However, 'Pachinko' has properly expressed the difficult Jeju dialect.

 

Translator Hwang Seok Hee explained, "I worked with actor Byeon Jong Soo before to seek advice on the Korean dialects. He told me that he never had to use such an old dialect. Even when I re-read the script, I couldn't understand it even though I helped translate it. I think the production team for 'Pachinko' made a bold decision." He added, "We were going to soften the dialects if the actors had a hard time memorizing the lines but the actors also said they would practice. And in fact, they did a wonderful job expressing the dialect."

 

Also, the Japanese script for the character Solomon, who is a Japanese-born Korean, was also edited by Japanese language experts. The script was looked over by Japanese translators to change certain expressions to sound much more natural.

On top of that, the completed script went through a verification process by historians. The historians checked whether words such as 'honey' or 'wife' were actually used at that time. The script was also modified during the process of communicating with the actors playing each role. 

 

Hwang Seok Hee explained that the editing process was countless. He explained, "The original script was given different versions and were named white, gold, pink versions every time there was a change. I can't even remember how many colors were used."

 

The translation process continued for more than a year, and the actors were not allowed to do any ad-libs and had to speak strictly according to the script.

Translator Hwang Seok Hee said, "if the subtitle translation I did before was a job that just translated the script that was already said by the actors, now, I was able to see the script come to life as the actors said the lines that I translated." He added, "If it was a simple subtitle translation, then it would have been finished in 8 days but I had to work on this for over a year and had countless meetings at night. I don't think I would be able to have another opportunity to work on a project this deeply. I am so grateful and honored to be able to translate such extraordinary work."

 

https://www.allkpop.com/article/2022/04/apple-tv-drama-pachinko-praised-for-the-attention-to-detail-and-accuracy-of-all-the-languages-and-dialects

 

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How the Prop Master for ‘Pachinko’ Crafted Perfect-Looking Comfort Korean Food

 

Apple TV+’s sprawling epic “Pachinko” recreates Korean history, in the kitchen and on the plate

 

The television adaptation of Pachinko, based on the international bestseller by Min Jin Lee, follows one family over the course of eight decades, from the rural community of Yeongdo in 1930s Busan to the fast-paced world of 1989 Tokyo. The story focuses on Sunja, played by three separate actresses over the course of the show, as she tries to survive the persecution of Koreans in Japan throughout the 20th century.

 

But beyond the specific family members at the core of Pachinko, food plays a central role in the story: the Busan fish markets, where Sunja helps her family’s boarders hawk seafood and where she meets the intimidating fish broker Hansu. The bowls of white rice, made and served with such care by Sunja’s mother on the night of her wedding, taken for granted by her grandson decades later. The kimchi Sunja makes with her mother, and then sells in the markets of Osaka. Food helps keep her family afloat, but it also signals love, power, and comfort.

 

To make those food scenes come to life, Pachinko prop master Ellen Freund, who has worked on shows like Mad Men and movies like A River Runs Through It, spent years researching, sourcing, and building menus for each scene, developing a methodical spreadsheet of each scene’s dishes and time-appropriate cookware. She pored over Korean prints from the Joseon dynasty, trying to capture the era’s kitchens and serving traditions. She worked closely with Soo Jin Kim at Seoul’s Food & Culture Academy to make sure every ingredient, cooking technique, and bowl of rice was true to what would have been available at that moment in history, for the family at the center of the story. Eater chatted with Freund to understand the story behind the food in Pachinko, from the page to the table.

 

Spoiler

 

Eater: What immediately struck you about Pachinko when you became familiar with the material?

 

Ellen Freund: The history — not just of the family. We had to move from the rural nature of the family, through the cities, through Busan, and then through to Japan. It has such history.

 

I understand that you worked with Soo Jin Kim at the Food & Culture Academy to help with the food scenes and props. How did you two get together and what did you learn about Korean food in the process?

 

I learned so much, from every ingredient to the growing seasons, to what poor people versus rich people ate, the way they would prepare foods, the way they would eat, how cooking vessels would differ, how the serving dishes would differ — it’s endless.

 

We took some of the actors out to learn to make a few different things: how to start a fire, how to cook the rice, how to cook vegetables, how to clean vegetables. We took them to the home of a woman who was a champion kimchi maker. We got to experience this incredible lesson from her and her husband, who taught us about starting the fire. And then we had a meal like no other I’ve ever had, something you couldn’t possibly get in a restaurant.

 

One of the challenges was trying to make sure that our food continued to look proper for the era. For instance, an Asian pear is now valued for its size. On Mad Men, we had the same problem: Apples in the ’60s do not look like apples today. So you really have to seek out those items and learn what they would have really looked like. When you’re making kimchi, did your head of cabbage really grow as big as what I can now purchase in the market? I didn’t think so. So we had to seek out different varieties of cabbage that would be a little smaller, or just really trim down the present day ones to make them look like they might have existed in 1930.

 

Can you give me a few more examples of specific things you couldn’t use in the early-20th-century scenes, versus the scenes that take place in the ’80s?

 

Well, we had a limited budget, so we went to many pottery villages to try and buy pottery that would look appropriate, but it really doesn’t look appropriate. It’s too shiny, or it’s too matte. It has too much texture to it because that’s popular now, or the shapes are a little weird. So I really tried to stick with older items, and I didn’t care if they were cracked because their dishes would be cracked. I would go into a store and find a stack of dishes, but everyone would say, “Oh no, that’s Joseon dynasty, that’s $100 a plate,” and, well, we can’t afford that. So we tried sandblasting dishes, we did so many things. But ultimately, I hope that the ones that ended up on the top layer were the ones that were the really old dishes.

 

I’d find rattan scoops for cleaning the rice, but some of them were decorative items — people hang them on their wall, so they’re either too big or too small. Finding one that really looks like you can use it was difficult. The shape of the metal pot that sits above the fire, we needed to use modern ones to get duplicates, because in the rice scene, they cut a hole in the bottom so the camera could look up through it. So to make that match, we had to use a modern one and it was difficult to find a modern one that satisfied the look. Rice bowls were another thing: There were many arguments among the food team about whether the characters could have brass, or if it was too expensive.

 

Talk to me about menu planning. Was there a specific list of dishes you had in mind, that you assigned to different scenes?

 

I went through and broke down every scene that had food in it, I made a list of the possible dishes, and my food team and I discussed what not only would be appropriate for the scene, but what could hold up well enough for a day of shooting. There’s some things you just can’t do; you’re risking the health of your actors. Because of the poverty level we were dealing with [in the plot], there wasn’t a lot of meat, there wasn’t a lot of fish. With the help of the food team, we created photos of what each of these dishes would look like, and then at that point I would discuss it with the directors and [writer] Soo Hugh. Then we would go through and take each one of those dishes and figure out what it was served in, what utensils were used. We then had to make sure we had the proper cooking utensils and cutting utensils and mixing bowls, all of the things that one might need to make these dishes.

 

There are so many fish markets and open-air markets throughout the show — how did you and set director Hamish Purdy build the markets to be true to the era? What research goes into creating a market?

 

Hamish and I wished that we had shot the 1930s-era fish market in Korea, but it ultimately just did not work with the schedule. We had to create that fish market where we meet Hansu, and it was a big deal — acquiring real fish, acquiring fake fish, setting it up every day, having to pull it down every day. We weren’t allowed to drip anything onto the wood. It was a very, very tall order, and it took a good portion of our budget and energy. A few people did nothing but that.

 

There’s a lot of research out there about the Japanese markets — the tea vendor, the ramen vendor, the dried fish vendor. We built all the booths, the kimchi cart that Sunja makes. We were working off references, but we created it from scratch. The whole art department got together to make the food over a number of days, so we did have to keep it to things that can survive, because we had no refrigeration out there. Hopefully what we did was give enough of an impression of what it was like.

 

What are particularly interesting and exciting props related to food that the average viewer might miss?

 

The depths with which we created the kitchens, the amount of items within there that were authentic — you could have gone into that kitchen, and there was everything you needed to live that life. It was true both of the set in the village, and the 1989 house — it had an enormous stock of things that belonged there, that were real, that made it totally authentic and comfortable. What I consider one of my most important jobs is to make an actor feel comfortable: They need to walk in and feel that they live there. And I think that that was achieved.

 

Food in Pachinko seems to be representative of both love and power: It’s how people express and contextualize wealth, but it’s also how people show their love for one another. Were the thematic elements of the food and Pachinko reflected in specific prop choices? How?

 

The wedding scene in the ’80s, with the financial boom, the idea was that power, that incredible wealth, is displayed on those plates. But to me, the food in Pachinko represents comfort: The way Sunja and her sister-in-law created these meals, the way they kept their family together.

 

https://www.eater.com/23015697/pachinko-apple-tv-korean-food

 

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Pachinko Is a Hit. It Was Nearly Impossible to Make

 

Executive producer Theresa Kang-Lowe was told Pachinko would never sell. Now it's being hailed as one of the best shows of the year.

 

Theresa Kang-Lowe executive-produced Pachinko on Apple TV+, the series based on the book of the same name by Min Jin Lee that’s already being reviewed as one of the best shows of the year. The sixth episode will be released this Friday, April 15. Here, she opens up about the series’ creation.

 

Spoiler

I am the daughter of immigrants. My role, as I see it, is as a bridge. My life has been defined by bridges—crossing them, building them, and when necessary, acting as one.

 

Growing up with my Korean immigrant parents, it felt like I was living simultaneously in the place where my parents came from and the place where we lived. This feeling of being in two places at once was formative. I credit my childhood as a first-generation American with my ability to see seemingly disparate things coming together. 

 

“I dreamed of stories about Asian and other ‘foreign’ cultures reaching a global audience.”

As an agent and then partner at the talent agency WME (William Morris Endeavor), being a bridge meant forging connections: between artists with incredible stories to tell and Hollywood, an industry that can be elusive to even the most promising voices. Getting to the point where I could create those opportunities for my clients meant crossing several bridges of my own—I started out in the mailroom at WME.

 

A few years ago, when I left WME and founded my company Blue Marble Pictures, my aspiration was to be another kind of bridge, one that connected audiences with art. I wanted to focus on making stories that are considered “foreign” feel familiar. I dreamed of stories about Asian and other “foreign” cultures reaching a global audience.

 

Pachinko, my latest project, now on Apple TV+, is a realization of my dream, and the dream of so many other people. Pachinko is a time-shifting epic—intercutting between several time periods, countries, and languages—that follows a family through multiple generations in Korea, Japan, and the U.S., examining the choices that individuals have to make in order to survive. Our series was adapted by a Korean American woman, from a novel by a Korean American author. Of the 637 cast members, approximately 95% are Asian. That feels staggering to say.

 

Even though the show is now being hailed as one of the best of the year, I know firsthand that this series was nearly impossible to make.

 

In 2020, I entered into an exclusive producing deal with one such streamer, AppleTV+, impressed with not only their global reach but their global outlook. As a woman, and particularly as an Asian American woman, I wanted to be closer to the storytelling process and, crucially, to be in business with a company that understood not only the unique perspective I bring to the work, but also the diverse audiences I imagined it reaching.

 

Four years ago, when I first read the novel Pachinko, it blew me away. When I sent the novel to several Asian American screenwriters, they all passed on adapting it. They liked the book, but they thought, “This adaptation will never sell. It has to be told on an epic scale in Korean and Japanese with nearly an all-Asian cast.” I understood why they were wary of Hollywood not “responding” to the pitch. Back in 1993, a major studio green-lighted The Joy Luck Club. It wasn’t until 2018—25 years later—that another major studio made Crazy Rich Asians.

 

Pachinko’s screenwriter and showrunner, Soo Hugh, whom I represented as an agent, had just come off the critically acclaimed series The Terror. She had many options, but I was certain that if she read the book she would feel that it was an adaptation for which she could craft a deeply moving pitch that felt universal but specific to this Korean family. And she did! She called me and said, “I cried reading the book. I’m in.”

 

“One thing I learned early on…is that you have to open your own doors.” 

 

The next step was selling the pitch. With any project I take on, my company Blue Marble strategically approaches the pitch meeting, specifically by ensuring there are executives in the room who will understand it. To “cast” the room of studio executives for this project, we looked for people who were Asian American, POC, children of immigrants, parents, and avid book readers, who would understand the story on an intrinsic level. There are fewer diverse executives who are decision makers in Hollywood than one would hope for, though this is slowly changing.

 

One thing I learned early on, from my first days in the mailroom at WME, is that you have to open your own doors. You cannot wait for others to open them for you. From then on, my mandate has been to be a disruptor, and to champion diverse stories and storytellers. That means opening doors for myself, and inviting others in.

 

At one network we wanted to pitch, there were no Asian American executives. I realized that my former assistant, Jaime, is an assistant at that network. I called a senior vice president and told her, “I would love to have my former assistant sit in on the pitch, she’s Korean American. It would be great to have her hear it.” That network ended up making an offer. Jaime—and that VP—both got it right away. They believed in our story. A few weeks ago Jaime celebrated with us at the Pachinko premiere.

 

My parents came too. This was the first time they attended a premiere with me. For them to share in the experience of a Korean-language series their daughter produced, in a theater, to see it treated very well by Apple—it was amazing. I’m hoping that after people see the show, they call their loved ones—a parent, sibling or grandparent, or just watch it with family. There is a woman like our protagonist Sunja in every family. Although Pachinko tells the story of Korean families, it is a story of families relatable to the world over.

 

I want them to watch it, too, because the success of the series will have a domino effect. If this show works, it will open the door for other diverse stories to be made by the major studios and streamers, distributed to global audiences.

 

I look forward to the new kinds of stories that will be told—to the bridges that we will continue to build between what is foreign and what is familiar.

 

https://www.glamour.com/story/pachinko-is-a-hit-it-was-almost-impossible-to-make

[syntyche]

 

The Main Differences Between Apple TV's "Pachinko" and the Book

 

Apple TV's series "Pachinko" is a thoughtful, tender drama that explores one family's incredible story through multiple generations. The series is an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. At the center of "Pachinko" is lead character Sunja (played by Minha Kim and Youn Yuh-jung), a Korean woman who has endured many struggles in her lifetime, from getting pregnant as a teenager to immigrating to Japan to give her children a better life.

 

Like most book-to-screen adaptations, "Pachinko" differs from its text counterpart in a handful of ways, including the timeline of events and the absence of main characters. If you love "Pachinko" on Apple TV but are curious about how well the series resembles the book it's based on, here are the main differences between the two.

 

1 The Language in the "Pachinko" TV Show vs. Book

 

 

Despite "Pachinko" taking place in Korea and Japan, the original text of the book is written in English. The series, however, is told in three different languages — Korean, Japanese, and English — to add authenticity to the story and its characters. For viewers who are unfamiliar with the main languages spoken in the series, there are color-coded subtitles (yellow for Korean and blue for Japanese) to help differentiate between both languages.

 

Showrunner Soo Hugh spoke to Forbes about the significance of language change. "I can't imagine why you would want to do a show like this all in English," Hugh said. "You lose so much of the nuance of what it means to code switch between two cultures, the two worlds. You can't get any of it. Even within the languages there's subtle nuances."

 

2 The Chronology of the Storytelling in the "Pachinko" TV Show vs. Book

 

 

In the TV show, multiple storylines are told at the same time and oftentimes out of chronological order. The show gives viewers glimpses into Sunja's early adolescence and adulthood in the early 20th century, all the way until her elder years in the 1980s. Additionally, Sunja's grandson, Solomon (Jin Ha), also endures his own struggles with his cultural identity — but this is also told in conjunction with other storylines taking place over different periods of time.

 

During an interview with Time, Hugh explained the reasoning behind the creative decision to present events out of order. "The greatest thing about film and TV is playing with time," she said. "All of a sudden, when we moved things around, the show became a thesis statement of, 'How do you have a conversation with the past? How do you, from the past's point of view, leave something indelible for the future?'"

 

In the book, however, the story is told chronologically. The story begins with Sunja's parents struggling to have a healthy child during the early 20th century and concludes in the 1980s when she's an old woman reflecting on her life.

 

3 The Character of Noa in the "Pachinko" TV Show vs. Book

 

 

As Sunja's story unfolds in the TV series, viewers are introduced to several significant people in her life, including her son, Mozasu (Solomon's father). Mozasu is the owner of several pachinko parlors and appears to be close to both his mother and his son. So far, Mozasu is the only son of Sunja presented in the show, but in the book, she has another son.

In the book, Sunja has two children, Noa and Mozasu. Noa is the child of Koh Hansu (Lee Minho), a Korean-born, Japanese fish broker whom Sunja fell in love with as a teenager.

 

After she reveals to Koh that she's pregnant, he tells her he's married and offers to take care of her, but only as his mistress. Sunja rebukes his offer and instead marries a kind but sick minister named Baek Isak, who vows to embrace Sunja's son as his own. Along with Noa, the two have one child together, a boy named Mozasu.

 

4 Solomon's Love Interest in the "Pachinko" TV Show vs. Book

 

Spoiler

 

Solomon's story in the series shows his struggle to be taken seriously in his career while also highlighting the differences between him and his grandmother's generation. Another aspect the series explores is the rekindling of an old love interest, Hana.

 

Hana is referenced multiple times in the series, first in an interaction between Solomon and Etsuko (Mozasu's girlfriend and Hana's mother). In this tender scene, it's revealed that Solomon loved her and still thinks about her even though she's missing. Throughout the series, Hana calls Solomon at work from an undisclosed location, and the two keep in touch through brief phone calls.

 

While Solomon is single in the TV series, in the book, he's in a committed relationship with Phoebe, a Korean American whom he meets while attending Columbia University. Despite their serious relationship, the couple ultimately break up after relocating to Japan.

 

5 Hansu's Characterization in the "Pachinko" TV Show vs. Book

 

Spoiler

 

In the TV series, Sunja meets Koh Hansu, a fish broker who often frequents Sunja's town of Busan. Hansu is a respectable man, and both fishermen and merchants take him very seriously. Sunja and Hansu first lock eyes at her village's market, but they don't get to know each other until Hansu intervenes when Japanese boys attempt to sexually assault her at the market.

 

After this event, Sunja and Hansu form a relationship, and Hansu opens up to Sunja about his poor upbringing, his dreams, and life in general. He's characterized as tender and loving at first, but after Sunja reveals she's pregnant, he acts cold and controlling of her.

 

The book paints a different picture of Hansu. Rather than their relationship blossoming from an emotional connection, it's formed by Hansu's persistent pursuit of Sunja. The book presents Hansu as a man who's aware of his power and influence over others. He uses this to woo Sunja, pressuring her into caving into his romantic advances.

 

6 Sunja's Storyline in the "Pachinko" TV Show vs. Book

 

Spoiler

 

In the TV series, Sunja's life as a young adult is examined in great detail. From losing her father and helping her mother tend to their boardinghouse to getting pregnant and leaving for Japan, the subtle details throughout this storyline add more nuance to Sunja's position in the world. Furthermore, these events help examine her roles as a daughter, lover, mother, and immigrant.

 

While Sunja's youth is explored in the book, it's not as detailed as in the series. In the "Pachinko" book, Sunja's adult life is more prominent in the story as she tries to assimilate into Japanese culture and work relentlessly to provide for her two sons.

 

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/pachinko-book-vs-tv-show-differences-48782065?stream_view=1#photo-48782066

 

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Pachinko | An epic novel, between resistance and hope, for the best TV series of the year

...

Unlike the novel from which it is based, the series moves and alternates on two temporal planes. An impressive work that, thanks to a simply perfect writing and the careful, emotional, engaging direction of Kogonada and Justin Chon, does not weigh down the vision or the story. The credit is also - and above all - to showrunner Soo Hugh that Pachinko wrote and produced it over a four-year period. Perhaps her name might not tell you much but she is the signature behind another wonderful TV series of recent years: The Terror . Divided between Korea, Japan and the United States, Pachinko is recited in as many languages and moves between the early twentieth century, with the Japanese occupation in Korea, up to the end of the 1980s.

 

Pachinko is about identity and tenacity, survival and loss. An epic and popular tale. A family saga that touches on themes strongly anchored to the history of the Korean people but which has in itself a seed of universality such as to break down any linguistic, historical and cultural barrier. Majestic in staging and historical reconstruction, Soo Hugh's series is also the story of a female resistance capable of enduring the unimaginable and, despite everything, never stop blooming, letting the light filter through even in the darkest of scenarios. 

 

https://hotcorn.com/it/serie-tv/news/pachinko-recensione-serie-coreana-apple-tv-plus-storia-vera-trama-cast-spiegazione-lee-min-ho-jin-ha/

[syntyche]

 

What is more eye-catching is 'Pachinko' of OTT Apple TV+. It is a Zainichi family drama from the 1910s to 1980s. Apple TV made the best-selling work of Lee Min-jin, a Korean-American writer, led by Korean-American producers, directors, and actors. In addition to Yoon Yeo-jung, Lee Min-ho, and Jung Eun-chae, rookies discovered by Apple TV, Kim Min-ha and Roh Sang-hyun, display impressive performances. "Pachinko" had many suggested platforms for filmmaking, but writer Lee Min-jin chose Apple TV, the only one who promised to cast Asian actors.

 

Apple TV's strategy of introducing "Pachinko" as Netflix's opponent was effective. The reaction from all over the world is hot. There are favorable reviews such as "Brilliant Korean Epic," " Korean Drama Different from Squid Game," " Much More Artistic," and " Tribute to Immigrants Around the World.". There are many foreign viewers who have learned about the unfortunate past between Korea and Japan. When some Japanese netizens attacked it as "false fabrication, "foreign netizens responded by saying, "Learn history properly," and " Apologize to Korea.". Instead of directly portraying the tyranny of Japan, the drama was restrained and hidden, but the emotional resonance was greater. The details of Korean culture were also marvelous.  It is ironic that American dramas that are not Korean let the world know the tragedy of our history. It is questionable why we couldn't make such dramas.

"Pachinko" is a work of diaspora about the lives of overseas Koreans following " Minari," which won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for actor Yoon Yeo-jung last year. It is the expansion of the Korean Wave that met diaspora culture and art. Because it is a story of immigrants, strangers, and minorities, "Pachinko" has universality. It is also a women-centered narrative that is strong these days with strong women. It is possible because they were overseas Koreans who were sensitive to national identity.

 

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/025/0003187206?sid=110

[syntyche]

Apple TV+ American drama "Pachinko" is expected to hit Jeju
 

 

Pachinko is a work written by writer Lee Min-jin and is being aired for eight times from March 25 to April 29, with the story of a father (Jeong Woong-in) who lived in Jeju taking his son (Lee Min-ho) to Japan.

 

While filming Pachinko, the production team, including writer Lee and Soo Hugh, who were in charge of the screenplay for the drama, insisted on adding Jeju language, considering such background settings, and the main actors spoke in Jeju language from the first episode.

 

In particular, in the 6th and 7th episodes, the main characters Lee Min-ho and Jung Woong-in are expected to act while speaking the Jeju language.

 

Byun Jong-soo, a Jeju-based actor in charge of coaching, said, "It could leave a huge impression from Jeju's point of view that Jeju language acting will be aired through the U.S. drama " Pachinko."

 

Meanwhile, Pachinko is a series of dramas broadcast on Apple TV+ in the U.S. based on the novel of the same name by Korean-American writer Min Jin Lee.

 

Pachinko deals with the lives of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period and the lives of four generations, including the parents of the protagonist Seonja, based on the stories of Japanese and American immigrants.

 

In particular, the drama is said to reflect the reality of the time as accurately as possible, with the production team consulting dozens of historians and experts in related fields and collecting testimonies from Korean residents in Japan.

 

http://www.jejumaeil.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=313982

 

*******************************

 

So actor Jung Woong In will play Hansu's father and would be shown this 6th and 7th episode

 

[nina_mitrokhina]

Apple TV+ Jeju American drama Pachinko hits the jackpot

 

Kang Dong Woo, 2022.04.14

 

Acting to reflect the will of the American production team "I want to inform a vanishing language Jeju,” Jeju-born stage actor Byung Jung-soo took over training with local comrades in March last year.

 

 

While Green Apple TV+'s original series, the American drama Pachinko is showing signs of being a global mega hit, the drama's protagonist is supposed to be from Jeju, which is expected to generate worldwide interest in Jeju Island.

 

While the Apple TV+ original series Pachinko, which follows the lives of four Korean Zainichi families, is showing signs of being a global mega hit, the drama's protagonist is supposed to be from Jeju, which is expected to generate interest in Jeju. Island around the world.

 

"Pachinko" is a 30-year work by writer Lee Min Jin. It tells the story of a father (Jung Woon In) who lived in Jeju and his son (Lee Min Ho) who went to Japan. with his son (Lee Min Ho).

 

During the filming of Pachinko, the production team, including this writer and drama writer Suhye So, took this background into account and insisted that the Jeju language be included, saying "I want to inform the endangered Jeju language", so the scene where the main actors perform in Jeju language

 

1. It comes out from time to time.

 

In particular, in episodes 6 and 7, it is known that the main characters Lee Min Ho and Jung Woon In will focus on performances in the Jeju language.

 

Jeju-born film actor Byung Jung-soo, who was in charge of coaching, said, "From Jeju's point of view, Jeju can make a huge impression on the world because Jeju language acting is broadcast through American drama." Pachinko, not Korea." “In this job, Jeju, it was a pity that there wasn’t a lot of language, but I was so happy and it was a really good experience,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Pachinko is a series that airs on Apple TV+ in the US and is based on the novel of the same name by Korean-American writer Min Jin Lee.

 

Based on the lives of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period and the stories of Japanese and American immigrants there, Pachinko follows the lives of four generations, including the protagonist, Sung-Ja's parents.

 

In particular, this drama is controversial in Japan, as the production team is known to reflect the reality of the time as accurately as possible by consulting dozens of historians and experts in related fields and collecting testimonies from Koreans living in Japan.

 

Translation from Korean google

http://www.jejumaeil.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=313982

 

*****

 

Apple TV+ well-done content theme

 

2022.04.14

 

 

Pachinko is the most Korean and global story!

 

Warmly capturing an epic on a grand scale, Pachinko is a story that begins with forbidden love and is a work that paints an unforgettable chronicle of war and peace, love and separation, victory and judgment, the journey back and forth between Korea, Japan and USA. Depicting the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family who fled their hometown during an era of oppression, Pachinko mesmerizes the world by transcending borders and languages.

 

The story of a young "Sung-ja" (Kim Min-ha) who decided to live as a foreigner in order to live proudly for herself, and an old "Sung-ja" (Yoon Yeo-jeong), an old woman who took root in an unfamiliar land after a few decades, leaves a deep impression in each series and causes enthusiastic responses from the audience. Particularly with Yeo Jong Yoon, who supports the center of the play, actors Lee Min Ho, Kim Min Ha, Jung Eun Chae, Jung In Ji, Han Joon Woo, and No Sang Hyun, who span a wide range of generations, heighten the immersion with their passionate performances. that fit perfectly into the character.

 

Here, from the early 1900s to the 1980s, a production that carefully explores time imbues the play with a vivid sense of reality. Next, in Episode 6, which will be released on April 15 (Friday), it is predicted that a "Sunja" figure will be drawn, which is highly adaptable in an unfamiliar country, maximizing expectations. "Pachinko", which conveys deep emotions to the world through this very Korean story.

 

Translation from Korean goole

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/140/0000047089?sid=004
 

[nina_mitrokhina]

[Yang Sung Hee's Every Moment] A New World of "Cultural Power"

 

2022.04.13

 

Yanhee Yang, columnist for JoongAng Ilbo

 

 

The Apple TV+ drama Pachinko tells the story of Zainichi spanning four generations from the 1910s to the 1980s. It is based on the bestselling book by Lee Min-jin, a 1.5-year-old Korean American. It receives a warm response from all over the world. [Photo by Apple TV+]

 

More attractive is OTT Apple TV + "Pachinko". This is a Zainichi family drama spanning four generations from the 1910s to the 1980s. Apple TV is based on the 1.5-year-old Korean-American author Lee Min-jin's best-selling book, created by Korean-American producers, directors, and actors. In addition to Yoon Yeo Jung, Lee Min Ho and Jung Eun Chae, Kim Min Ha and No Sang Hyun, who have been discovered by Apple TV this time around, will also have impressive performances as Korean actors.

 

Pachinko had many offers to make the film, but screenwriter Lee Min Jin chose the Apple TV, which was the only one that promised to play an Asian actor. Apple TV with "Pachinko" as a rival to NetflixThe strategy worked. The reaction around the world is stormy. "Great Korean Epic" "Korean drama other than 'Squid Game'. It continues to be well received, such as being "much more artistic" and "a tribute to immigrants from all over the world".

 

Many foreign viewers learned about the sad past between Korea and Japan. When some Japanese netizens called it "fake and fake," overseas netizens responded, "Study history properly" and "Apologize to Korea." Instead of directly describing the tyranny of Japan, the drama hinted at restraint, and the emotional resonance was stronger. Details of Korean culture are also perfectly preserved. An ironic landscape where American dramas, not Koreans, tell the world about the tragedy of our history. It begs the question why we couldn't make a drama like this.

 

“Pachinko” is a diaspora work that explores the lives of overseas Koreans, following “Minari,” which won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Yoon Yeo-jung last year. Maybe this is the spread of the Korean wave, which met with the culture and art of the diaspora. Because it is a story about immigrants, strangers, and minorities, "pachinko" has universal versatility.

 

With strong women at the forefront, it's also a female-centric storytelling that's strong these days. This was possible because they were overseas compatriots sensitive to national identity, and in recent years in Korea, new and recent history has become the main subject of the camp struggle, and there is a moment that it was not welcomed as material for cultural creativity.

 

BTS propaganda, "Pachinko" or the recent Hans Christian Andersen award, which is called the "Nobel Prize for Children's Books", or the promotion of our content and creators is no longer new. Top Netflix Japanese Drama in the Last 11 Days At 10, 7 Korean dramas were uploaded. No matter how hard you try to refrain from "kukppong", your cultural shoulder shrugs. This means that the new world of the cultural center is just around the corner...

 

Translation from Korean google

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/025/0003187206?sid=110

[syntyche]

The film with the first "hot" scene of Lee Min Ho is praised

 

 

Not only being praised for the content, the breakthrough change in acting of the main cast, the drama "Pachinko" of Korean handsome - Lee Min Ho also has many worthy points. 

 

Pachinko is based on the 2017 best-selling novel by writer Min Jin Lee. The drama began airing on March 25 and  has "stormed" on the Korean small screen after two weeks of its release. The film chronicles the intertwined journeys of a Korean immigrant family across four generations, three countries and two continents. 

 

A poignant, soulful and heart-wrenching story, the series revolves around the life of Sunja, a strong Korean woman with a tragic fate. Pachinko recreates the events in Sunja's family from her birth in the 1910s to the Japanese occupation of Korea with its consequences until the end of the 20th century.

 

The work is directed by two directors Kogonada and Justin Chon with the participation of famous Korean actors such as Lee Min Ho, Youn Yuh Jung, Kim Min Ha, Jin Ha...

 

Playing the female lead Sunja in the film are two actors Youn Yuh Jung and Kim Min Ha through different stages of life in Pachinko . The two women portrayed the character of Sunja separately.

 

"It was great to talk and act with Mrs. Youn Yuh Jung. She is a movie legend, not only in Korea but around the world," young actress Kim Min Ha said of the Oscar-winning star. - Youn Yuh Jung. 

 

In the series, Lee Min Ho plays the role of "a boss" Koh Hansu. His character is the son of a poor family in exile in Japan, returns to Korea to trade and meets the poor girl Sunja (played by Kim Min Ha).  

 

It is known that Lee Min Ho took on the villain role for the first time and although he was only a supporting role, Koh Hansu was an important link throughout the film. To get this role, Lee Min Ho did not hesitate to go through several rounds of auditions, participate in interviews with the production crew. 

 

Lee Min Ho revealed, the character Koh Hansu attracted him from the moment he read the script because of his personality as well as his complicated interior. In particular, this role proves the transformation and maturity in the acting of the Korean handsome man. He decided to break the image of a male god for a long time to challenge in the form of a complicated inner role. 

 

Most of Lee Mi Ho's audience praised the actor's change. Many people expressed interest when they saw an image of Lee Min Ho's ambition, effort to possess the girl he loved, while others reacted when the idol had daring "hot" scenes. . 

 

Before these comments, Lee Min Ho frankly said, "At the present time, I want to change people's view of me. It will no longer be the role of the rich and pompous son that I used to be. My image will become more diverse. I always yearned to renew myself and tried to find that for a long time until I read the Pachinko script ." 

 

In addition, Pachinko is a historical drama and uses many languages because the main characters in the film are immigrants. They are far from their homeland and have established careers in many different countries. In the series, Korean, Japanese and English are used frequently. 

 

To create the film using flexible language, many translators and experts have worked together to build dialogue for the characters in the film. In Pachinko , the main characters are people of different generations. They live back and forth between Busan (Korea), New York (USA) and Osaka (Japan).

 

Translator Hwang Seok Hee - who participated in translating subtitles for Deadpool , Spider-Man, Game of Thrones, shared: "The original script of the film was written in English by a group of American screenwriters, including both screenwriter and producer Soo Hugh. Soo Hugh is Korean-American but she doesn't speak Korean fluently. So I was asked to translate the English script into Korean."

 

In addition, the Japanese script for the character Solomon - a Japanese-Korean was also edited by many Japanese language experts. The Japanese translator also reviewed the script to change a few expressions to make the characters' lines sound more natural.

 

The Korean media has given many compliments to Pachinko for the feat and professionalism of the whole crew with the desire to have a vivid and true historical film.

 

https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/phim-co-canh-nong-dau-tien-cua-lee-min-ho-duoc-khen-ngoi-20220413164344833.htm

 

 

 

[syntyche]

bluemarblepics IG update

 

Heartbreak. Hope. Finding and losing family. Justin Chon directs Chapter Six, releasing tonight on Apple TV+

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[syntyche]

Pachinko Apple TV+ homepage

 

Episode 7 Coming 22 Apr

 

As a young man in 1923 Yokohama, Hansu is thrown into a cataclysmic disaster that will change everything

 

 

Episode 6 now available!

 

[CarolynH]

It's here ep 6!

*****

@1ouise was right about Jung Woong In as LMH's father!

[syntyche]

 

Here’s Why You Should Watch Lee Min Ho Starrer Series ‘Pachinko’ If You Haven’t Already!

 

 

Korean superstar Lee Min Ho's highly anticipated historical drama was awaited by many fans all across the globe, but somehow still managed to get unnoticed by viewers. Here's why you should watch it if somehow you missed it too!

The Hallyu wave has swept many parts of the world and its now, riding high here in India, there’s no doubt that the Korean culture and its art being welcomed in India, with open hands. If you’re too, a K Drama fan or most importantly, Lee Min Ho fan, have watched ‘Boys Over Flowers’ on repeat, ‘Pachinko’ is sure, a treat for you.

 

This historical drama is available to watch officially on Apple TV+ and this series is sure to take a special place in your heart, read to know why this series deserves to be on your watchlist ASAP.

 

1. The drama takes you across generations

This drama takes you across generations, which spans from 1883 to 1989. The storyline, made of different and intriguing characters, revolves around Sunja, who falls in love with a wealthy fish broker. His mysterious personality is later revealed, when Sunja finds out, that he isn’t all that she thought he was, and that he is actually a married man. But it’s too late for Sunja, who already by this point of time, is pregnant with his child. While Sunja is being offered to live the life of the rich fish broker’s mistress, her self respect doesn’t allow her to do so, and thus, marries a soon-to-die Japanese minister instead. He agrees to give her child his name, as she leaves for Japan with him. Despite her leaving Korea, and her ex-lover, who is also the biological father of her child, her decision has a long-lasting impact on the generations to come.

 

2. First Multilingual Korean Series

The Lee Min Ho starrer, is genuinely one of its kind, with the series being shot in 3 different languages, English, Korean and Japanese. This is because the series character Sunja travels with her family across these countries. Serie producer Soo Hugh said, “It was never a question that it would be in the languages; I don’t understand how else you could tell the story of colonization because language is part of that. I just don’t think you can possibly do this story without doing the three languages.”

 

3. More Than Just A Series

For the unversed, the drama series is actually an adaptation of the novel of the same name ‘Pachinko’ by Min Jin Lee. To exactly quote US Ex-president Barack Obama, “The book is named after a popular game in Japan that’s a bit like a pinball machine — a game of chance where the player can set the speed or direction, but once it’s in play, a maze of obstacles determines the outcome. Staying true to the nature of the game, Min Jin Lee’s novel takes us through four generations and each character’s search for identity and success” The drama reveals the struggles Koreans who lived in Japan faced metaphorically, with respect to employment because of the Japan government’s restraints.

 

4. The Star-Studded Star Cast

As if Lee Min Ho, the top Hallyu star, wasn’t enough to make heads turn, the drama series also casts many other well-known artists like Youn Yuh-Jung as Sunja, who’s known for her role in Oscar-nominated Minari, Anna Sawai as Naomi, known for her roles in Ninja Assassin, F9, and Giri/Haji, Jung Eun-Chae as Kyunghee: A co-star of Lee Min-ho’s in The King: Eternal Monarch, Jimmi Simpson as Tom Andrews, Simpson is known for his work on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Westworld, House of Cards, The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror and more.

 

5. It’s Aesthetically Pleasing And Authentic To Watch

Among many other factors that make the series one of its kind, is the authenticity with which the series was shot. Youn Yuh-Jung, who plays the older Sunja said, “When she speaks Japanese, her Korean accented Japanese was like my first-generation grandmother. That was killer. I think many Zainichi viewers will cry when they hear her in Pachinko.”

 

https://lehren.com/entertainment/hollywood/reasons-to-watch-lee-min-ho-starrer-series-pachinko/119653/

 

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Unexpectedly, this is Minha Kim's journey to star in 'Pachinko'

 

 

'Pachinko' is a series currently streaming on the Apple TV+ streaming platform. One of the actors in the drama is newcomer Minha Kim.

 

Although the older version of her character, Sunja, was played by Korea's top actress Yuh-Jung Youn, the appointment of the younger version of Sunja from an unknown actress was not without reason.

 

"We needed someone special," series executive Soo Hugh told The Hollywood Reporter.

 

Minha Kim auditioned for almost four months by acting out a number of scenes from the series.

The scene covers Sunja's evolution from an innocent teenager in a Korean fishing village in the 1930s, to becoming a mother of two living as immigrants in Japan before World War II.

 

“She has no connections [in the industry]. He got the role because it was hard not to accept her,” said the director, Kogonada.

 

Kim, who studied acting in college, has only appeared in indie films and web dramas, plus a small role in the drama 'School 2017'. Suddenly, she was selected for a role in a Hollywood project.

 

“At some points I felt [there was] pressure, but at other points I relaxed and trusted the crew,” said Kim. “I believe that having a little intensity and stress helps me a lot.”

 

Kim's way of preparing before starring in this series was by reading the original material for 'Pachinko', the original novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee in 2017.

 

Kim's research process does not stop there. She learned about Zainichi, an ethnic Korean living in Japan, and also talked a lot with his grandmother who grew up when Korea was under Japanese imperial rule.

 

With a myriad of preparations that he went through, of course 'Pachinko' deserves to be added to your watch list. Airs exclusively on Apple TV+ every Friday.

 

https://cineverse.id/tak-disangka-ini-perjalanan-minha-kim-bintangi-pachinko/

 

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Park So-hee - "My dream is to be the best 'Zainichi actor'"

 

 

Park So-hee, a third-generation Korean-Japanese actor, plays the role of Mozasu, the second son of Seon-ja (Yun Yeo-jeong) in the drama 'Pachinko'. 

...
In the drama 'Pachinko', which depicts the life of a Korean-Japanese living proudly despite being discriminated against for being from a colony of Japan, Park So-hee is the only 'real Korean-Japanese' among the actors. Born in Niigata Prefecture in 1975 as a third-generation Korean-Japanese, he graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo and started as an unknown actor. Having obtained American citizenship while working in Hollywood, he is challenging the global stage with his unique identity as a 'Korean of American nationality who was born and raised in Japan'. 

―The drama 'Pachinko' is very popular.

I am glad to have this opportunity. As a third-generation Korean-Japanese, I think that acting in a drama depicting the life of a Korean-Japanese is really meaningful. I am proud of being the only 'real Zainichi' in this drama.

...

https://www.donga.com/news/Culture/article/all/20220414/112881119/1

 

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Pachinko topped the bestseller list four years after its release
 

Spoiler

 

The novel "Pachinko" topped the bestseller list four years after its publication thanks to the popularity of Apple TV+ dramas.

 

According to Kyobo Bookstore's bestseller ranking for the second week of April on the 14th, the first volume of "Pachinko," a novel by Korean-American writer Lee Min-jin, rose four notches from last week's fifth place.

 

Pachinko, which was published in March 2018, began its run to the top when the drama of the same name was released late last month. Currently, online orders have been suspended since the 13th due to the imminent expiration of the copyright contract between the publisher and the author.

 

An official from Kyobo Bookstore said, "The news of the suspension of sales has drawn more attention amid rising interest in the drama. Sales have soared due to readers' anxiety that it is difficult to obtain for a while because the news of the re-release has not yet been reported."

 

Among readers, 31.5 percent were in their 40s, followed by 30.4 percent in their 30s and 17.3 percent in their 50s. By gender, women accounted for 71.0 percent, more than double that of men (29.0 percent).

 

https://www.mk.co.kr/news/culture/view/2022/04/335694/

 

 

[syntyche]

Discovery of "Pachinko" Roh Sang Hyun

 

 

It is the discovery of a prominent actor. This is about Noh Sang-hyun, who plays the role of Isak, the husband of Sunja, who is affectionate and religious in "Pachinko."

 

Apple TV+ original series "Pachinko," which was released on the 25th of last month, is based on the best-selling book of the same name written by Lee Min-jin. It is a story that begins with forbidden love and depicts an unforgettable chronicle of war and peace, love and separation, victory and judgment, going back and forth between Korea, Japan, and the United States.
This work, which deals with the story of the hopes and dreams of Korean immigrant families, has been well received for its passionate performances by actors, rich narratives and visual beauty set in real history.

 

Roh Sang-hyun is making a deep impression by playing the role of Isak, the husband who led Seon-ja to a new life. Isak, a pastor of upright belief, learns about the situation of Yangjin, the owner of the boarding house and the mother and daughter of Seonja, who has saved his life from his lung disease, and thus suggests a new start with marriage to Sunja.

 

Roh Sang-hyun is making a deep impression as he naturally melts into the role of Isak, based on his warm visuals and stable acting skills. Women's hearts fluttered with his confession of feelings to Sunja in a low voice and carefully taking care of her when she gets motion sickness on the boat heading to Japan.

 

In particular, he is active in forming a tight tension by showing a perfect chemistry with Kim Min-ha, who plays the role of Sunja, and meeting with Han Soo (Lee Min-ho) at a tailor's shop, a former man of Seonja.

 

Roh Sang-hyun, who is gradually building filmography by appearing in web dramas "We are Peaceful Brothers," "XX" and "Fight Hard, Love Harder: Season 2," is giving off his strong presence by playing Isak in "Pachinko."

...

In fact, expectations are high for Roh Sang-hyun, who spent his childhood in Boston, the U.S., and graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Babson University, one of the prestigious universities.

 

https://www.mk.co.kr/star/broadcasting-service/view/2022/04/333000/

 

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Building the World of ‘Pachinko’ in K-Drama Backlots and ‘Enemy Architecture’

 

Unable to shoot in Japan due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Apple TV+ drama plotted a "crazy matrix" of seamless transitions between regions and eras.

 

Soo Hugh, Kogonada, and Justin Chon’s eight-episode adaptation of the best-selling novel “Pachinko” ably translates the epic scope of its century-spanning source material to the screen. Rather than following author Min Jin Lee’s lead and moving linearly from 1910 to 1989, the series cuts from decade to decade, making dramatic connections between generations.

 

“Pachinko” also moves through several locations, following Sunja (Minha Kim) as she grows up in the Korean fishing village of Yeongdo during the Japanese occupation and eventually migrates to Osaka, Japan. To create breadth across settings, production designer Mara LePere-Schloop built and modified sets and locations in Korea and Vancouver, plotting a “crazy matrix” of seamless transitions between regions and eras.

 

Making matters even more complicated: “Pachinko” was unable to film in Japan due to COVID-19 restrictions. Maximizing what resources they had, LePere-Schloop and location manager Bong Hoon Cho tackled  the unenviable challenge of shooting Korea as Japan, navigating traumas and tensions that linger from the 35-year Japanese occupation of the peninsula.

 

The Invisible Matrix Between Yeongdo and Osaka

 

 

“Production wanted to have all the locations nearby. But Mara was willing to see the options,” Bong said with a laugh. This made the shoot “very hard,” LePere-Schloop admitted, but the fruits of their labor show on the screen. “I think people thought I was crazy because we were constantly capturing little nuggets that we’d eventually attach together,” she said. Sections shot on opposite ends of the globe were connected in a single scene. For example, when Sunja leaves the boarding house for Joseph’s house in Osaka in Episode 4, LePere-Schloop said, “It’s probably 20 different locations in 10 different cities.” Sunja starts her journey in Yeongdo, built in the village of Hahoe, a UNESCO World Heritage site with the hanoks (traditional Korean homes) LePere-Schloop needed. “Somehow Bong worked his magic and we were able to clear the site and build the house, which had this beautiful view of the mountains and Ongsan.” As a historic site with oversight from the United Nations and the South Korean government, it’s a wonder Bong pulled it off. “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” he said.

 

From Yeongdo, Sunja goes to a ferry terminal built on location in Vancouver, then boards an enormous cruise ship built on a stage. Meanwhile, wealthier passengers ride in the ballroom, shot on location in Vancouver. Alighting, Sunja connects to a train shot on a backlot in Korea, disembarks at a station shot in Vancouver, walks into a busy backlot street in Korea, turns the corner into another backlot, and turns another corner into a stage in Surrey, British Columbia, where the art department also built Joseph’s house, her final destination. Though invisible, LePere-Schloop believes these disconnections may also “sell Sunja’s loss of home.” “We’re leaving the natural environment that surrounds the boarding house and the only people Sunja’s ever known, then we’re slowly stripping everything down into this industrial landscape in Osaka. We wanted to make it an overwhelming sensory experience to show how it might feel for her.”

 

From the Ferry to the Fish Market

 

 

The art department built the fish market where the wealthy merchant and fishbroker Koh (Lee Minho) first locks eyes with Sunja on location at the Brittania Shipyards, a national historic site in British Columbia. It is a modified boat-building shed with additions, including thousands of pounds of imported seafood for the exterior dock sections. The team also built several additional sets around the historic shipyards, lending an authentic sense of scale to its stunning establishing shot. “A lot of the stuff that’s right there we did in-camera, and as it pulls further and further out it starts to handover to visual effects,” LePere-Schloop explained. She also designed the concept art for the visual effects team, referencing cinematography of Busan from the period. Distributed carefully to complement her physical designs, the visual effects are practically invisible. As films and TV employ more CGI establishing shots, green screen, and stage work, the deliberate use of VFX on “Pachinko” to enhance physical space feels refreshingly tactile. “There’s no camera movement that’s trying to obscure what you’re seeing, “LePere-Schloop said This was one of those great collaborations where there were great locations, great builds, and great visual effects —– a world-enhancing, wonderful thing.”

 

Kogonada, Chon, and LePere-Schloop agreed not to overuse shots that called attention to scale. “Sometimes in epic period shows like this, there’ll be big grand establishing shots. But a lot of the time they actually detract from the story. For us, it was about providing scale but then throwing it away–not having shots that take you out of the moment with the character. But as you’re traveling with them you naturally see the world in 360.” LePere-Schloop said. The sets were designed to be shot from any angle, freeing up camera and character movement.

 

Sunja and her family often take a ferry to the fish market from Yeongdo, just across the way. Shooting the landlocked Haohe as the island Yeongdo, then connecting the ferry to the fish market in Busan took LePere-Schloop and Bong’s customary finessing. Hahoe comprises the village path, the laundry river where Koh and Sunja meet privately, the field Sunja’s father harvests, and her family’s house. But the actual connection to the coast and ocean was shot in Vancouver. Watching the show, Bong second-guessed himself, “I was pretty sure I didn’t scout that in Korea, but it looked like Korea coming from the ferry in Vancouver. For a moment I wondered, ‘Did they shoot here?’” 

 

Korea as Japan

 

Spoiler

 

In the 1980s, Sunja’s grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) moves to Japan for his first client project. He must convince Han Geumja (Park Hye-jin), an old Korean landowner, to sell her home to a Japanese company. But she’s not interested in money or in being uprooted by Japanese real estate tycoons and shoos Solomon away. “That happened to me every time I was hiring locations for Japan,” Bong said, likening his experience as a location manager to Solomon’s.

 

“The hardest thing for me was the relationship between Japan and Korea — doubling Korea as Japan.” Bong said. “Putting up Japanese signage or flags on Korean streets is very sensitive,” LePere-Schloop said. “It was a very complex situation that Bong had to navigate daily — that people were not offended and that we were keeping up with COVID-protocol.” The few remaining buildings from the Japanese occupation are referred to as  “enemy architecture,” and they offered some of the only period-appropriate locations the production utilized. The irony of the situation, on a series tackling Japan’s lasting oppression of Korea and Korean immigrants, was never lost on Bong and LePere-Schloop.

 

Bong and LePere-Schloop were primed to scout Japan, Korea, and Vancouver in February 2020. “Vancouver was really going to be about big builds on our backlots and stages, and Korea and Japan were going to be about capitalizing on locations as much as we could for scope.” Then came the COVID shutdowns, and the team had to remote scout, relying heavily on reference materials and back and forth with the scout team. In August 2020, when they could finally scout Korea in person, Bong and LePere-Schloop did an “aggressive survey” of the locations Bong had been researching. Without Japanese locations, the team had to get creative with their “assets” in Korea. 

 

“There are several backlots of different periods for K-Dramas and other shows,” LePere-Schloop said—four of which, in three separate cities, were used in the production of “Pachinko.” “ Our art department would come in and edit the Korean architecture to feel more Japanese — there was a major overhaul to make them feel appropriate.” In Nonsan, they converted a 1950s backlot into a 1923 Post-Kanto-Earthquake disaster scene; in Mokpo, they dressed streets and alleyways to look like 1980s Japan. They also shot in Seoul and Busan. As a result, walk and talks and driving scenes in Japan were again patchworks of disparate pieces conjuring the illusion of a larger whole. 

 

In the ’80s, Sunja revisits the fish market from her youth: the famous Jagalchi market, now one of the largest in South Korea. “It was one of the few times we were actually shooting Korea as Korea,” LePere-Schloop said. Consequently, Bong had an easy time securing the location. Controlling traffic and shopkeepers in the space was tough, but “many people were happy to be featured because they loved the book and because everybody was happy when a location was featured as Korea.” 

 

“Finally, I could feel relieved,” Bong said.

 

The production spread out across eight  Korean cities,“which kind of dismantles efficiencies in production,” LePere-Schloop said. The art department was living on the move, living out of their vans. On early tech scouts, they broke out into caravans of up to 20 vans due to COVID  restrictions. LePere-Schloop said: “On paper what we did was completely illogical and irrational. To be as efficient as possible, you do try to stay in one hub and have an office. There was definitely an attempt to make it only Seoul and Busan. But if we were going to be there in Korea, I felt we shouldn’t settle on something that passes. I give everyone a lot of credit because there are a lot of producers who like to boil things down to what’s most efficient as opposed to what’s best for the story. And my way made it very hard.” 

 

“Looking back, I’d never do it again,” LePere-Schloop said. “This was not easy for anybody, but I hope everyone can see the value of what we did now–because it’s all on the screen.”

 

https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/pachinko-apple-tv-plus-locations-1234716492/

[nina_mitrokhina]

Pachinko Episode 6: Was Lee Min Ho Cursed For Leaving His Wife When He Heard His Ex-Girlfriend Had A Son?

 

Ton Nge Tran
April 15, 2022

 

Han Soo (Lee Min Ho)'s reaction to his wife when he heard that his ex-lover Song Ja (Kim Min Ha) gave birth to a son in episode 6 of Pachinko attracted a lot of attention.

"Pachinko" is a film that has attracted a lot of attention from viewers due to its attractive content and well-known cast.

In Pachinko episode 6, Sung Ja (Kim Min Ha) gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Noah.

 

 

Noah's birth left her entire family unable to hide their happiness. Besides, she didn't know that in distant Osaka, Han Soo (Lee Min Ho) also heard about the situation and was happy for her.

The conversation between Han Su and his wife in Japan is remarkable. Accordingly, Soon-ja informed his wife, "I have a son, what you cannot do, another woman can."

 

 

On the other hand, Han Su claimed that the relationship between him and his wife is just a political marriage completely devoid of love.

To his wife's surprise, Han Soo continued, "Now you don't have to be my wife anymore." His words made his wife not refrain from replying that girls like Sun Ja are so easy.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

She thinks that the child that Soon Ja will give birth to will not be considered by Han Soo - a man who has a wife and three daughters, but he is unfaithful. Even made another girl pregnant and then threw her away. If the child was a girl, perhaps Han Soo wouldn't act like this.

 

 

The act of betraying Han Su's wife caused a lot of controversy. Many viewers believe that although the two got married over property, she also fulfilled her duty as a wife and mother - taking care of her family and giving birth to him.

Viewers are looking forward to the next Pachinko events that air every Friday on Apple.

 

Translation from Vietnamese google

https://saostar.vn/dien-anh/pachinko-tap-6-lee-min-ho-bi-chui-vi-bo-vo-khi-nghe-tin-co-con-trai-202204151423240596.html