[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

[andy78]

11 hours ago, CarolynH said:

I think Hansu and Sunja have more than a physical attraction.  What they have in common is that they are both survivors.  Sunja is young, but remember she knew what to do when the money lenders called in the loan

i feel the same about them...ep 6 was great...i can't wait for ep 7...

[syntyche]

Pachinko Ep 6 Review: Minha Kim Gives Birth to a Baby Boy, Lee Min-ho Risks It All for the Child

 

 

The sixth episode of Pachinko premiered on Friday and it was high on emotions and drama. The series, streaming on Apple TV+, has been a slow-burner since the first episode. Thankfully, with episode 6, Pachinko finally picks up the pace and delivers one of its most moving episodes so far. The sixth episode features Sunja (Minha Kim) giving birth to her baby while Pastor Isak (Steve Sanghyun Noh) faces the harsh reality. On the other hand, Solomon (Jin Ha) is reunited with Hana (Mari Yamamoto).

...

Pachinko episode 6 packs in the metaphors and drama. The slow-cooking broth has finally come to a boil in this episode. It comes as a sense of relief that Jin Ha is finally fitting into the series. The actor helped keep the episode together, even if he has had minimal lines. However, it is Mari Yamamoto who steals the show. She beautifully presents Hana’s inner and external battles with the characters and herself. She manages to hold your attention even when Youn Yuh-jung is in the room.

 

The episode’s final scene also has me excited for Pachinko episode 7. After Sunja having hinted that she lost her first son — seemingly referring to her child with Hansu, it seems like Hansu is going to not leave Sunja and Pastor Isak so easily.

 

https://www.news18.com/news/movies/pachinko-ep-6-review-minha-kim-gives-birth-to-a-baby-boy-lee-min-ho-risks-it-all-for-the-child-5000131.html

 

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

 

Why ‘Pachinko’ Cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister Didn’t Distinguish the Dual Timelines

...

“Because we have these two significant timelines, we talked a lot about, ‘Should we distinguish?’ and Koganada and I really agreed very, very quickly that one should not distinguish between the times visually,” he said. “We thought it would be far more interesting if we kept the visual similar so it is more a contemplation about space than about different times, almost to make the times feel as if they were to happen simultaneously, which, you know, in one way in Sunja’s character it happens simultaneously [through] her memory and identity.”

...

Hoffmeister did share how some “Chapter One” scenes came together.

A montage of scenes out in nature as well as day to day life develop the bond between young Sunja (Yu-na Jeong) and her father Hoonie (Dae Ho Lee), including a scene where she meets him out in the fields where he works, and he shows Sunja a dragonfly.

 

“It’s very simple. It was sunset and we had 20 minutes,” Hoffmeister started. “That’s actually a funny story. We had scouted a very specific field in that village where we were shooting, and that field had burned down like literally three days before we wanted to shoot there. It was really difficult to change the schedule so we had to really look for a field and literally, almost by chance, we found this little spot, and we just raced there at the end of the day, and the sun was setting and we had a steady cam. We literally walked into the field with a camera and then we just shot for 20 minutes almost continuously. That very much lives of the moment that it was created in.”

 

 

Sunja’s father Hoonie (Dae Ho Lee) dies in the first episode, leaving Sunja and her mother to fend for themselves. In her grief, Sunja runs out to the beach where her father has watched her dive to the ocean floor for abalone, wading into the water and almost being overtaken by the tide.

“That was actually quite a technically difficult bit because we were shooting in this one little cove near Busan, and we needed a big crane, a technotelescopic crane, that weighs like a few tons. It’s a very complicated technical apparatus,” Hoffmeister said. “We had to hire ship that would actually take the crane onto it, drive the crane into the cove and lift it off the ship  onto the ground. And once that sits there, it can’t move anymore. We prepped that sequence for literally weeks. because we really have to make sure where to place the crane. Then the ship really came lifted that thing off, and then we shot the sequence with her walking in the water, and that was just so touching because the moment when she actually enters the water it was actually rising because the tide was coming in, and it almost goes over her. It’s just beautiful.” 

 

As a self-proclaimed outsider to the countries and cultures within “Pachinko,” Hoffmeister still hopes the show carries meaning for every viewer.

 

“This is also a conversation between different Koreans about what it is to be Korean and also a tribute by some of the younger generation to the hardship that they feel their parents or grandparents have gone through,” he said. “[There’s also] this idea of how history shapes us, how our personal decisions shape us, how there is a lineage between generations, how trauma can be passed on without saying. There’s a whole lot of metaphors and themes that everybody can relate to, and I think it would be lovely if you would as a viewer have the same experience that I have, that you start by the curiosity of the setting, and then find yourself in it. I think the fact that it’s all in Korean, Japanese, subtitled, there’s lots of interesting things that also make a point about what visual storytelling entertainment in a streaming environment can also be.”

 

https://www.thewrap.com/pachinko-cinematography-florian-hoffmeister-interview/

 

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

 

21 hours ago, pixie0622 said:

@syntyche I recommend that you try to get the book while watching the drama.  Unlike other dramas made from a novel, this one actually went beyond the novel to flesh out the characters and their roles in each other’s lives.  The book is a good supplement to know the characters vs their screen portrayals.  For example, Haruki, the guy Solomon met on the street while searching for Hana (episode 5)—in the book, he’s a cop and gay, in love with Mozasu, and therefore an outcast of society just like Hana.  Thus when he was presented as living in a house with other people, I knew that he was living among outcasts like himself after leaving his family (he was married in the book).  Which also explains why he was visibly disappointed with Solomon when the latter offered to give him money.  “Just because I am poor doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”  There’s also the element of parallelism between Haruki and Hana who are both Japanese facing societal biases and Mozasu & Solomon who were both born in Japan (and thus see themselves as Japanese) but felt prejudiced against for being ethnically Korean.  

 

As a migrant myself this series brings back some happy and not so happy memories while trying to survive and adjust to a new culture. Facing prejudice on the sole basis of your skin color was part of my and my sons’ lives in America.  Being away from your core family and learning to thrive among people who were brought up differently was a constant struggle.  My son, who came to America when he was only 7, recently returned to his birth country and had his own “Sunja moment”.  Despite being Americanized, his subconscious self remembered the smell and feeling of “home” that he has long forgotten.  He instantly felt the blood connection with family members that no FaceTime or Zoom meetups can replicate.  

 

This drama delivers warmth and comfort of Family.  I never failed to shed a bucket of tears over every episode.  Almost every scene has a moral message about life, family and adopted family who surround you.  The book was a beautiful saga of a family’s (or even race’s) endurance through prejudice, discrimination and terror, but the TV show more clearly shows us their humanity and determination to survive despite the odds. 

 

We only have two weeks until the last episode, so I may be able to read the book after the release of the series, if time permits. I guess both media, the book and the adaptation, have their own strengths in telling the rich story of these multi-dimensional characters.   

 

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

21 hours ago, CallieP said:

 

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.

 

 

The colonization of the Japanese, not only over Koreans but also over other Asian countries during World War II, is still a touchy subject to this day. Especially on the issue of comfort women - imagine victims already of the same age as Sunja, who are still demanding justice for the crimes committed then against them by the Japanese soldiers. 

 

There are articles now that say that there is a campaign meant to inform the world about the truth on the history of Japan's oppression of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period, which Pachinko has shed a light on. Apparently, there is some literature that says otherwise, that it is the Koreans who oppressed the Japanese during those times, and so the campaign aims to correct that distorted history.   

 

Meanwhile, there is some resistance among the Japanese on how history is presented in Pachinko. Understandably, it was also not widely promoted by Apple in Japan. 

 

There is a school of thought that say that the Japanese have superiority complex, or think that they are the superior race, which precisely fueled WW II. Again, as this is a touchy subject, I will leave it at that.  

[syntyche]

 

Pachinko episode 7 clip - People like us

 

 

First look at Hansu and his father!

[syntyche]

[Apple TV+ Press]

Episodes & Images
EPISODE 7 - Chapter Seven

 

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

Premiere Date: April 22, 2022

 

 

 

[CarolynH]

I wonder if Hansu's father died during the earthquake?  It seems to make sense, but it's not the way that I pictured Hansu's father's demise.  Hansu didn't seem that torn up about his father's death, unless he is hiding his true feelings.  Interesting.....

[nina_mitrokhina]

“Pachinko” actress Kim Min-ha, “First impression of Lee Min-ho? He’s really tall… I was overwhelmed”

 

https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2022/04/19040601/lee-min-ho-kim-min-ha-19042022-thumbnail-780x470.jpg

 

April 19, 2022

 

Kim Min-ha told a behind story about her experience of working with Lee Min-ho.

Kim Min-ha appeared on SBS Power FM’s “Park Ha-sun’s Cinetown”, which aired on April 19th, and revealed her first impression of Lee Min-ho, with whom she worked together in Apple TV’s drama “Pachinko”. In this series, Kim Min-ha plays the young Sun-ja while Lee Min-ho plays Han-soo, drawing keen attention.

 

 

Regarding her first impression of Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha said, “I met him for the first time at the final audition. He was extremely tall” adding, “I felt overwhelmed when doing the script reading with him for the chemistry part between Han-soo and Sun-ja. It was so amazing”.

 

https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2022/03/27082658/pachinko-lee-min-ho-27032022-3-1024x568.jpeg

 

She continued, “He treated me comfortably. I also feel comfortable when sharing personal things with him. I felt very thankful when he told me to act everything I wanted to do”, expressing her appreciation for Lee Min-ho.

 

https://kbizoom.com/pachinko-actress-kim-min-ha-first-impression-of-lee-min-ho-hes-really-tall-i-was-overwhelmed/

[nina_mitrokhina]

The best outfits of male god Lee Min Ho

 

Charming and timeless fashion outfits by Korean Actor Lee Min Ho

Lee Min Ho's new drama "Pachinko" aired on PW in PW style

 

Li Yen / APRIL 19, 2022

 

 

After being absent from the small screen for 2 years, Lee Min Ho has finally landed a new job. From the Korean drama "Pachinko" that finally came to him, a Hollywood production team was assembled. In addition to Lee Min Ho, the cast also includes character Kim Jin (Kim Min Ha) and Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars Yin Yuzhen (Yoon Yoo Jun), etc.

 

 

A drama about a wealthy Korean businessman who falls in love with a poor girl and leaves her. After that, the girl and the man who is ready to marry her move to Japan to start a new life. This opened up a painful history of blood and tears for a family of four generations of Koreans who immigrated to Japan.

 

It's been 16 years since Lee Min Ho made his debut, and his representative work is Boys Over Flowers. His lofty image penetrates into the heart of every spectator.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Min Ho Han chose a new role and participated in the audition to change his role, and he plays a businessman on behalf of Gohan, more mature and reserved..

 

 

Retro gentleman character modeling

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

The old generation social society is popular in China. In the play, he wears a laconic gray suit with suspenders inside, which adds to the retro feel of the age...

 

Translation from Chinese google

https://www.iconsingapore.com/gallery/fashion/lee-min-ho-drama-pachinko-charming-timeless-fashion-outfits/

[syntyche]

Pachinko Named One of the Best Korean Dramas of 2022

 

 

Since its release in late March, Pachinko has received rave reviews from critics. The series adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel is rated as one of the best Korean dramas in 2022. "A rich life depiction exists and is depicted appropriately in Pachinko," wrote Ian Freer, a contributor to Empire. Meanwhile, in his review in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Lloyd rate, Pachinko is a slick melodrama series.

 

With a complex theme and a large story scale, Pachinko is difficult to compare with other Korean series today. Scriptwriter Soo Hugh adapted the novel in eight episodes without compromising the essence of the story. The stories of women's struggles, the resilience of the newcomers, and the history of Korea-Japan are well summarized in a dynamic back-and-forth flow. Pachinko also implies a strong life expectancy even though it is not shown through lively dialogue or smiling faces.

 

Although the focus is on Korean families, director Konogada assesses, Pachinko has a universal story. “Even to this day, families have to make choices to survive. Firmness and persistence will continue to be an eternal task for us,'' he explained. Meanwhile, scriptwriter Soo Hugh stated, Pachinko will have another season. ''There are still so many stories left from the eight episodes we have,'' he explained.

 

TRIVIA PACHINKO

• Youn Yuh-jung admitted that she was nervous about casting. He deliberately rejected all the scripts that had been submitted in order to explore the role of Sunja.

 

• After officially getting the role of Baek Solomon, Jin Ha immediately contacted the dialect coach Kang Yu-mi. He carried out in-depth linguistic research which he judged to be equivalent to a doctoral thesis.

• Pachinko was worked on with a budget of KRW 100 billion (Rp 1.17 trillion). The scale of production is also large. The design team worked on a replica of the Korean fish market during the Japanese occupation era, complete with 1.5 tons of seafood.

• Lee Min-ho explained that when he studied Korean-Japanese history, he felt pressured to see photos of Koreans who were almost never seen smiling.

 

• Min-ho judged that some of the scenes in the seventh episode were the most emotionally draining for him.

• Kim Min-ha said, in the scene where Sunja shared rice with her mother, she couldn't stop crying. He admitted that he had cried several times when he saw a bowl of rice on the set.

• Soji Arai, who plays Baek Mozasu, is the third descendant of Zainichi, a term for Korean descent who lives or has Japanese citizenship. Both Arai's parents are Korean, but he was born when they had been living in Japan.

 

https://www.jawapos.com/entertainment/music-movie/17/04/2022/pachinko-disebut-sebagai-salah-satu-drama-korea-terbaik-2022/?page=2

 

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

 

You absolutely must see this series

 

»Pachinko «, Apple TV +

 

A real epic that hasn't been seen in the cinema for a long time. Told about the period from 1915 to 1989, across several generations of a Korean family, in three different languages and enriched with a cornucopia of historically conditioned tragedy.

 

The film adaptation of the novel of the same name by the American journalist Min Jin Jee inspires with the courage to make grand gestures and at the same time with the intimacy with which it is told about the Japanese occupation of Korea, about the attempt of a later generation to build a new life in the USA, of renunciation, pain, family and – of course – love.

 

https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/tv/serien-tipps-slow-horses-pachinko-wolk-like-me-ptolemy-grey-landscapers-a-410fc36d-3629-4301-8c82-5a87182ce214

[twinkle_little_star]

22 hours ago, syntyche said:

Pachinko Ep 6 Review: Minha Kim Gives Birth to a Baby Boy, Lee Min-ho Risks It All for the Child

 

The sixth episode of Pachinko premiered on Friday and it was high on emotions and drama. The series, streaming on Apple TV+, has been a slow-burner since the first episode. Thankfully, with episode 6, Pachinko finally picks up the pace and delivers one of its most moving episodes so far. The sixth episode features Sunja (Minha Kim) giving birth to her baby while Pastor Isak (Steve Sanghyun Noh) faces the harsh reality. On the other hand, Solomon (Jin Ha) is reunited with Hana (Mari Yamamoto).

...

Pachinko episode 6 packs in the metaphors and drama. The slow-cooking broth has finally come to a boil in this episode. It comes as a sense of relief that Jin Ha is finally fitting into the series. The actor helped keep the episode together, even if he has had minimal lines. However, it is Mari Yamamoto who steals the show. She beautifully presents Hana’s inner and external battles with the characters and herself. She manages to hold your attention even when Youn Yuh-jung is in the room.

 

The episode’s final scene also has me excited for Pachinko episode 7. After Sunja having hinted that she lost her first son — seemingly referring to her child with Hansu, it seems like Hansu is going to not leave Sunja and Pastor Isak so easily.

 

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

 

Why ‘Pachinko’ Cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister Didn’t Distinguish the Dual Timelines

...

“Because we have these two significant timelines, we talked a lot about, ‘Should we distinguish?’ and Koganada and I really agreed very, very quickly that one should not distinguish between the times visually,” he said. “We thought it would be far more interesting if we kept the visual similar so it is more a contemplation about space than about different times, almost to make the times feel as if they were to happen simultaneously, which, you know, in one way in Sunja’s character it happens simultaneously [through] her memory and identity.”

...

Hoffmeister did share how some “Chapter One” scenes came together.

A montage of scenes out in nature as well as day to day life develop the bond between young Sunja (Yu-na Jeong) and her father Hoonie (Dae Ho Lee), including a scene where she meets him out in the fields where he works, and he shows Sunja a dragonfly.

 

“It’s very simple. It was sunset and we had 20 minutes,” Hoffmeister started. “That’s actually a funny story. We had scouted a very specific field in that village where we were shooting, and that field had burned down like literally three days before we wanted to shoot there. It was really difficult to change the schedule so we had to really look for a field and literally, almost by chance, we found this little spot, and we just raced there at the end of the day, and the sun was setting and we had a steady cam. We literally walked into the field with a camera and then we just shot for 20 minutes almost continuously. That very much lives of the moment that it was created in.”

 

Sunja’s father Hoonie (Dae Ho Lee) dies in the first episode, leaving Sunja and her mother to fend for themselves. In her grief, Sunja runs out to the beach where her father has watched her dive to the ocean floor for abalone, wading into the water and almost being overtaken by the tide.

“That was actually quite a technically difficult bit because we were shooting in this one little cove near Busan, and we needed a big crane, a technotelescopic crane, that weighs like a few tons. It’s a very complicated technical apparatus,” Hoffmeister said. “We had to hire ship that would actually take the crane onto it, drive the crane into the cove and lift it off the ship  onto the ground. And once that sits there, it can’t move anymore. We prepped that sequence for literally weeks. because we really have to make sure where to place the crane. Then the ship really came lifted that thing off, and then we shot the sequence with her walking in the water, and that was just so touching because the moment when she actually enters the water it was actually rising because the tide was coming in, and it almost goes over her. It’s just beautiful.” 

 

As a self-proclaimed outsider to the countries and cultures within “Pachinko,” Hoffmeister still hopes the show carries meaning for every viewer.

 

“This is also a conversation between different Koreans about what it is to be Korean and also a tribute by some of the younger generation to the hardship that they feel their parents or grandparents have gone through,” he said. “[There’s also] this idea of how history shapes us, how our personal decisions shape us, how there is a lineage between generations, how trauma can be passed on without saying. There’s a whole lot of metaphors and themes that everybody can relate to, and I think it would be lovely if you would as a viewer have the same experience that I have, that you start by the curiosity of the setting, and then find yourself in it. I think the fact that it’s all in Korean, Japanese, subtitled, there’s lots of interesting things that also make a point about what visual storytelling entertainment in a streaming environment can also be.”

 

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

 

 

We only have two weeks until the last episode, so I may be able to read the book after the release of the series, if time permits. I guess both media, the book and the adaptation, have their own strengths in telling the rich story of these multi-dimensional characters.   

 

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

 

The colonization of the Japanese, not only over Koreans but also over other Asian countries during World War II, is still a touchy subject to this day. Especially on the issue of comfort women - imagine victims already of the same age as Sunja, who are still demanding justice for the crimes committed then against them by the Japanese soldiers. 

 

There are articles now that say that there is a campaign meant to inform the world about the truth on the history of Japan's oppression of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period, which Pachinko has shed a light on. Apparently, there is some literature that says otherwise, that it is the Koreans who oppressed the Japanese during those times, and so the campaign aims to correct that distorted history.   

 

Meanwhile, there is some resistance among the Japanese on how history is presented in Pachinko. Understandably, it was also not widely promoted by Apple in Japan. 

 

There is a school of thought that say that the Japanese have superiority complex, or think that they are the superior race, which precisely fueled WW II. Again, as this is a touchy subject, I will leave it at that.  

 

 

 

hai everyone. 

@syntyche ,..hai   I watched this while it was airing and I very much enjoyed all the theories here on the thread just as much as the drama itself.  strong independent individuals whereby I loved this drama deeply and who wouldn't fall in love with all characters who are smart, decisive and loyal even the love line was mature without any misunderstanding? there's nothing romantic about an older man seducing a young, innocent girl and offering to set her up as his mistress in one country while he has a wife and three daughters in another. it will make me cry.  that's not a star-crossed lovers type of situation as some fans and Apple TV+, seem to be framing the Koh Hansu and Sunja relationship in Pachinko and it turned out to be in episode 6 for Sunja, who gave birth to her son Noa and Kyunghee helped Sunja without any hesitation in a flashback. Sunja's first son, Noa, is the son of Koh Hansu. this means that the son that we see a lot of, Mozasu, is the legitimate son of Isak, Sunja's husband. I'm sure Sunja's emotions can impact conflict resolution in a meaningful way and sometime derail attempts at reconciliation through negotiations. in summary, episode 6 shows Sunja back to square one, which brings plenty of unsurprising drama and an apparent 'love triangle.' maybe Koh Hansu is two-timing because the preview mentions that he feels like he's cheating? hopefully, episode 7 will expand on this. 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

source : 

 

https://tv.apple.com/us/show/pachinko/umc.cmc.17vf6g68dy89kk1l1nnb6min4

 

[nina_mitrokhina]

'Pachinko' hits box office amid global acclaim... Apple TV+ raises expectations too

 

Press center | Reporter Shim Jae-min
2022.04.20

 

[Sightsun News Shim Jae Min / Designed by Lee Yoon-ah Pro] Apple TV+ The original Korean series Pachinko, which was anticipated by Yeo Jong Yoon and Min Ho Lee before its launch in Korea. Pachinko is the second Korean original series to be released by Apple TV+ after Dr. Brain starring Lee Sung Kyun, and its excellence is recognized around the world.

 

 

Based on the novel of the same name by Korean-American writer Lee Min-jin, Pachinko explores our nation's turbulent history through the history of the Zainichi family of Korea, which experienced turbulent times from the 1910s to the 1980s. Pachinko, which follows the lives of four generations of Korean Zainichi families, tells the story of a four-generation family, mostly from the perspective of sunji, traveling back and forth through different eras.

 

These "pachinko" include the March 1st Movement, Japan's expropriation of Joseon rice, forced labor of Koreans such as the Chikuho mine, the emergence of Koreans oppressed in the Japanese colonial period such as comfort women in the Japanese military, and the massacre of the Great Kanto Earthquake. which happened among those who went to Japan.

 

The Apple TV+ series Pachinko is based on a novel written by Lee Min-jin, a 1.5-year-old Korean-American who immigrated to New York when he was 7, and tells the turbulent story of Koreans living in Japan. The novel, published in the US in 2017, was the subject of discussion, including being nominated for a National Book Award.

Thanks to the popularity and mastery of the original novel, the Apple TV+ series Pachinko is garnering attention not only in the United States, but around the world. It is a "masterpiece" valued at 100 billion won and has already been mentioned as a hot topic during the production stage thanks to the casting of Yoon Yeo Jung, who became the first Korean actress to win the Best Actor award. at the American Academy Awards last year, and Hallyu star Lee Min Ho.

 

After the release of Apple TV+, American media such as the Apple New York Times, The Washington Post, and Newsweek praised Pachinko, and the drama, which was released for free on YouTube, has surpassed 10 million views. In particular, the British publication Globe and Mail called it "not the greatest drama of the year, but the best in the last few years."

 

Interest in Apple TV+ Pachinko continues into the original novel. According to online bookstore Aladdin, on the 31st of last month, sales of the first and second books of Lee Min Jin's "Pachinko" novel from the 22nd to the 29th increased by 15.2 times compared to the same period last year. This work ranked 1st and 2nd in the bestseller category in the novel category and 3rd and 4th in the overall rankings, respectively. Readers aged 40 made up 37.9% of the total.

 

In the midst of such praise and interest, Apple TV+, which has not been much enjoyed in the past, is also hard at work looking forward to it. With the launch of the Korean service, interest in Apple TV+ soon faded, and within 5 months before the release of Pachinko, there was no new Korean content. The first video that Apple TV+ released on the Apple TV+ Korea YouTube channel on the 25th of last month had 15.4 million views as of the morning of the 6th, and was originally only available for free until the 1st of this month, but it was released as is.

 

It's unusual for Apple TV+ to host its content on YouTube rather than its own platform, and to aggressively promote the free viewing period for longer than originally planned.

 

As Apple TV+'s Korean original series Pachinko, which continues to generate worldwide interest and praise, becomes another global hot topic in 2022, expectations are rising as to whether it will continue the K-content boom. In addition, we hope that the names of Korean directors, writers and actors will once again be proudly named at various award ceremonies.

 

Translation from Korean google
https://www.sisunnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=161858#_ace

[syntyche]

Kim Min Ha Starstruck by Lee Min Ho’s Presence During Filming of ‘Pachinko’

 

 

Kim Min Ha talks about working with A-listers Youn Yuh Jung and Lee Min Ho for Apple TV+'s "Pachinko."

 

Being a newcomer in the industry, the 26-year-old actress expressed her gratitude for being given the opportunity to act alongside some of the biggest celebrities in South Korea. 

 

Kim Min Ha Admits Being 'Overwhelmed' By Lee Min Ho in 'Pachinko'

 

During her interview with SBS Power FM "Park Ha-sun's Cinetown," Kim Min Ha reveals her first impression of Lee Min Ho. 

 

As cited by a local outlet, the rookie actress confessed that she was starstruck by the Hallyu star's presence in "Pachinko." She pointed out that the 34-year-old actor is a big thing in Korea adding that she "felt overwhelmed" working with him. 

 

Moreover, she also described her experience as "strange" but mentioned how Lee Min Ho made things easier for her. 

In the eight-part series, the Hallyu actor took on the role of Ko Hansu, an enigmatic outsider and a wealthy merchant who was stunned by Sunja's captivating beauty, played by Kim Min Ha. 

 

Playing the character of the teenage Sunja, she embarked on an illicit romance. Unfortunately, after becoming pregnant, Ko Hansu reveals that he is already married and has kids in Japan.

 

As the story progressed, "Pachinko" featured the older but wiser female protagonist played by the Oscar-winning star Youn Yuh Jung. 

 

While Kim Min Ha dished her thoughts regarding her whole experience filming the Apple TV+ series, she went on to praise the veteran actress for showing her support throughout the show. 

 

Kim Min Ha Thanks Oscar-Winning Youn Yuh Jung

 

As her interview continued with "Park Ha-sun's Cinetown," the actress said that Youn Yuh Jung was a great senior actor. 

She said that the veteran star perfectly portrayed the older version of Sunja. 

Academy Award-winning Actress Youn Yuh Jung

 

Despite not seeing her often on set, Kim Min Ha mentioned that she met the "Minari" actress at the global premiere of "Pachinko."

 

Moreover, she also expressed gratitude for saying "so many good things" about her. 

 

As noted by various media outlets, Youn Yuh Jung shared that she was "surprised" by Kim Min Ha's acting skills despite being a rookie actress.  

 

"Since we played the same character, we couldn't meet each other during the whole filming process. I met her for the first time recently, and as soon as I saw her, I said, 'You did so well,'" the veteran actress said, adding that her younger "Pachinko" co-star "has done such a great job" portraying the role. 

 

Not only did Kim Min Ha receive the approval of the South Korean veteran actress, but also millions of viewers praised her for giving justice to the character of Sunja. 

 

https://www.kdramastars.com/articles/124682/20220419/kim-min-ha-starstruck-lee-min-ho-presence-filming-pachinko.htm

 

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"A story that will make you cry." The reason why "Pachinko" captivated the world

 

Apple TV's original drama "Pachinko" is receiving favorable reviews from viewers for portraying a grand story with warm sensibility.

 

Pachinko, released last month, is a story that begins with forbidden love and depicts an unforgettable chronicle of war, peace, love and separation, victory and judgment between Korea, Japan, and the United States.

 

The first favorable point is the story of "Pachinko," which closely captures the magnificent narrative of four generations of Korean immigrant families. "Pachinko" unfolds with an unfamiliar landscape of the 1980s, where everything changed from the era of oppression in the early 1910s, where peace and confusion coexist.

 

From the childhood of the bright Sunja (Jeon Yu-na), to the teen Sunja (Kim Min-ha), who faced a turbulent period, and the old Sunja (Yoon Yeo-jeong), who took root in a strange land as a stranger, it gives a heavy resonance by portraying human sacrifice and strong mental strength.

 

"A surprisingly moving series with bold development, intellectual ambition and dazzling cinematography," CNN rave reviews that "will captivate you every moment, and sometimes make you cry." It is receiving favorable reviews from media around the world, including "Empire Magazine," which says it perfectly shows how the past continues affects the present from one generation to the next .

 

The second point of favorable reviews is the feast of non-typical characters who live and breathe in "Pachinko." From Sun-ja (Lee Min-ho), who willingly chose to live a stranger's life to protect her dignity, Kyung-hee (Jeong Eun-chae), who is in chaos in a rapidly changing environment, Yang-jin (Jeong In-ji), a strong mother who wants to protect her daughter in an era of oppression, Lee Sang-hyun, delicately imbuing the complex of characters.

 

It is also praised for its well-made works that closely examine the times and cultures. "Pachinko" vividly captures the booming times of New York and Japan from Yeongdo in Busan in 1915 to 1989 through locations in Korea, Japan and Canada. In order to convincingly portray the decades of history and the setting that crosses various countries, the production team made a principle of thorough historical research.

 

In particular, it was possible to create a high-quality production that captured the vivid times by receiving detailed advice from experts in various fields, including the making of Korean and Japanese tiles and the subtle differences in Japanese and Western suit materials. In addition, string-oriented music that heightens emotions captivates viewers' ears and adds an intense resonance.

 

The eight-episode "Pachinko" is released every Friday.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://biz.chosun.com/entertainment/tv/2022/04/19/6Y7JHGNB5XUPTJDGZFMIXA4ZW4/

 

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It is the drama "Pachinko" which became a global hit within a month after it was aired on Apple TV.

It tells the story of Koreans in Japan who stayed in Japan after liberation and lived a life of discrimination for four generations, based on the original novel by Lee Min-jin, a Korean-American novelist, first became famous as a New York Times bestseller.

 

Our reporter met with writer Lee Min-jin in New York for the first time among the media.

 

History has let us down, but it doesn't matter

 

During the Japanese Colonial Period, the drama "Pachinko" depicts the life of a Korean-American family who leaves their hometown and wanders around a strange world.

 

The author said that Pachinko is a story about a home.

 

"Pachinko is actually a novel about home. What is home? As an immigrant, as a human being, as an overseas Korean, I think a lot about losing a home. "You have a desire and a passion for home." Yes, that's right."

"The story of losing a house" contained the writer's life.

 

The author, too, had to emigrate to the United States at the young age of seven with his father who lost his hometown in the war.

 

And, another story I heard in my early 20s.

The story of a Korean-Japanese middle school student who killed himself after being bullied for being Korean made me write a novel.

 

"He wrote (in the school yearbook), 'I hate you,' ' Go back to your country,' ' You smell like kimchi.' I thought it couldn't happen. If you were born in that country, how could you do that to a friend who was born in my country? This thought never crossed my mind."

 

Solomon is the main character in the first draft of the novel.

 

I was a successful third-generation Korean-Japanese woman working in the United States.

 

But the lives of more than a hundred Zainichi people I met during my four-year stay in Japan changed the main character of the novel.

They were called ugly and criticized at, but they had to be tough to live, and the life that they survived was the real story of the Zainich.

 

So the main character became Sunja.

 

"I've been working day and night, breaking my nails... and I'm going to raise my child without anything lacking."

"Korean women who came to Japan (in the Japanese Colonial Period) raised pigs at home, were caught secretly making alcohol, and asked their children to go out to the street and pick up the waste. When I heard that, I thought, 'Yes, Seonja. The main character should be Seonja'"

 

History has let us down, but it doesn't matter.

 

The first sentence that the author is most attached to.

"History never records what ordinary people were like. But from what I've found, ordinary people are tireless, strong, excited, and fight hard to survive. That's why I wrote 'it doesn't matter'.

 

https://imnews.imbc.com/replay/2022/nwdesk/article/6360474_35744.html

 

[Kris Silva]

Apple TV+ series "Pachinko" shedding light on Korea's history and culture

Arirang News Center - April 18, 2022

 

 

FOLLOWING its release on APPLE TV-PLUS... in late March Korean drama PACHINKO has been garnering rave reviews from global audiences and critics... alike. Our Kim Bo-kyoung reports. . "Intricate yet intimate. A sweeping epic that captures the arc of history as well as the enduring bonds of family." That is how review website Rotten Tomatoes described recently-released historical saga "Pachinko." Starring Oscar-winning veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung, and Lee Min Ho and Kim Min-ha,... the drama "Pachinko" has been catching the eyes of not only global viewers' but also critics ever since its release on Apple TV+ last month. Based on the novel written by Korean American novelist Lee Min-jin,... the story focuses on 4 generations of a Korean immigrant family who have settled in Japan. Though it shines a spotlight on the main protagonist's hopes and willingness for her life,... the storyline also highlights agonizing aspects of Korea's history under Japanese colonial rule,... including forced labor and wartime sexual slavery. As well as Japan's atrocities,... the foreign media are also focusing on Korea's own cultural assets too. The New York Times pointed to Korea's traditional attire "hanbok",... saying "the evolution of the Korean hanbok is a lens into the history of the country, which is now being traced in the series “Pachinko." Highlighting the beauty and functionalism of hanbok and emphasizing that it was everyday wear in Korea before western styles were introduced,... it said "Pachinko" is offering a watershed moment in American television entertainment in that it portrays everyday Korean life in the early 20th century. Regarding the attention,... a group dedicated to sharing information about Korea with the world says the drama could be a chance for global citizens to learn more about South Korea. "In the past, Americans were not interested in Korea's history and culture that much. Now due to BTS, BLACKPINK and Squid Game,... many are becoming interested and we could use this chance to effectively let people know more about Korea..." Chronicling the tough experience four generations of a Korean family had to go through in Japan,... the adaptation of the bestselling book is serving as a cultural envoy for South Korea. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang news.

 

 

[syntyche]

‘Pachinko’: Revealing History Through the Lens of a Korean Family

 

 

Apple TV+’s recently aired series touches the hearts of Koreans everywhere

 

“In 1910, Japan colonized Korea as part of its growing empire. Under Japanese rule, many Koreans lost their livelihood, forcing many to leave their homes for foreign lands. Despite this, the People endured. Families endured. Including one family … From one generation to another.”

 

These are the first words that appear on the screen at the start of Apple TV+’s new series, “Pachinko.” 

 

The story follows, explaining that when the Empire of Japan colonized Korea, Japanese assimilation policies were implemented, resulting in a detachment from traditional Korean culture. Koreans saw their language, religion, and agricultural industry were taken away by the Japanese. They were forced to take Japanese names. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans even migrated to Japan. 

 

You’re probably wondering what the message of this great historical drama is.

 

Does it teach the contemporary generation about history? Or does it generate nostalgia in particular viewers, such as Korean or Japanese people, by forcing them to look back and consider the linkages that connect the present to the past?

 

Without a shadow of a doubt, I’m glad to declare that “Pachinko” does all of that, if not more. 

 

Based on the novel of the same name by Korean American, Manhattan-based novelist Min Jin Lee, “Pachinko” is a sweeping historical drama about one family’s experience living as “foreign residents” in 20th-century Japan. 

 

“Pachinko” tells a fascinating story of colonialism and diasporic nationalism, war and peace, love and loss, and victory and sorrow, exclusively from a metahistorical human perspective.

...

 

“Pachinko” offers us a reality check on the assumption that the age of globalization may make life easier. It suggests that globalization can also push us further away from our roots and ancestors. 

 

This story is truly extraordinary and unique, and one that should not be viewed as a typical migration story from a Western perspective. 

 

In “Pachinko,” identity is not defined in terms of binary codes: Korean or Japanese. Each story is different, and each individual is different in spite of their shared historical experience. 

 

The recounting of Sunja’s journey specifically feels nostalgic yet melancholic as it serves as a reminder of the wartime and post-war stories of first-generation Koreans and onward. 

 

However, the subtext of these memories forces us to understand what they had actually gone through in the course of history and how it affects the current Zainichi Korean generation. 

 

As an American-born student of half-Japanese and half-Iranian descent, I am moved by “Pachinko’s” message. I am reminded of what it means to preserve our legacy because it is a part of our history, distinctive and nostalgic. Growing up as an American who has to fully get in touch with my heritage, I understood why heritage is important the more I watched the series.

 

It is the treasure our parents want us to learn about and pass on to future generations. It is the link between the past and the future, something that encourages us to consider who we are, how our histories cross and define us, what our parents sacrificed and did for us and who we will become in the future with this knowledge. 

 

And most importantly, it shows us how resilient and strong people can be despite what life throws at them.

 

https://fordhamobserver.com/68804/recent/arts-and-culture/pachinko-revealing-history-through-the-lens-of-a-korean-family/

[nrllee]

Read the book a while ago so was interested to see how they would adapt it to the screen.  So far it’s good.  I know the ending and how everything panned out so I am a bit tentative about commenting because it would inevitably lead to spoilers.  
 

The book was written chronologically and the story spanned SunJa’s life through the generations.  The drama jumps between the eras which makes it a bit hard to follow (not impossible) as a result, especially if you haven’t read the book.  
 

Didn’t like Hansu of the book and it’s the same in the drama.  I must say this role suits LMH.  It’s a nice change to see him as an “antagonist”.  Loved Isak of the book and same here .  The actress that plays young SunJa is fresh faced and what I expected.  SunJa was not “striking” as a woman.  It was always her mental fortitude and strength that was her allure.  That’s why HanSu noticed her in the first place.  Whilst everyone bowed to the Japanese regime, she was stoic.  She was intelligent and navigated her way around the whole cultural shift whilst still being absolutely sure of who she was (Korean).  That was why HanSu and Isak were drawn to her.  She was the embodiment of who they wished they could’ve been.  Hers wasn’t an overt “let’s fight the Japanese by joining the resistance movement” type revolt, it was a quiet revolution where you knew that no matter what they threw at her, she would always maintain her sense of self.  She never doubted who she was and was never swayed into becoming someone else.  Men like HanSu who had lost his sense of self and was cynical due to his circumstances to survive wanted her because it reminded him of his lost innocence.  Men like Isak who had been sheltered all his life and was suddenly thrust into the ugliness of the world then were similarly drawn to her because she was this constant.  Unmovable, courageous and indomitable.  Like a rock that withstands all the waves and storms of life.  Her appeal was that she didn’t even know it herself.  I think in part it was her nature.  And in part it was her nurture.  She was deeply loved by both her parents and she never doubted that.  She never wanted to be anyone else but herself.  It’s a rare trait indeed.  

[CarolynH]

19 minutes ago, nrllee said:

 SunJa was not “striking” as a woman.  It was always her mental fortitude and strength that was her allure.  

Exactly!

*******

Anyone interested in a poll at the end of the drama?  Perhaps favorite scene or favorite character?

[nrllee]

The whole book and drama is about identity as a theme.  Who are you?  Immigrants have this crisis of identity.  Do we assimilate with the culture of the country to fit in?  How far do we take it?  Is another culture always better?  Some do it for survival.  Others to get ahead in society. 
 

In part that was why that beautiful singer did what she did after her brief encounter with SunJa at the port.  There she was in all her finery and beauty and she caught a glimpse of who she was deep inside (she felt traitorous).  SunJa in her simple hanbok, unimpressive by all world standards.  A gesture of kindness by a woman with no seeming significance.  But her indomitable untainted spirit amid all the politics and glitter was unmistakeable.  Where everyone bowed and acclimated to their surrounds (wearing their Western clothes), SunJa stood there as if a figment of a forgotten time.  And it moved the singer.  Because it made her realize how she had sold her soul to the Japanese and lost herself in the process.  Which is why she broke out into the Korean song of lament and then killed herself afterwards.  She could no longer live with the person she had become.  Very sad.

[syntyche]

2 hours ago, CarolynH said:

Exactly!

*******

Anyone interested in a poll at the end of the drama?  Perhaps favorite scene or favorite character?

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 

 

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

 

@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 

[syntyche]

MYM IG update

episode 7 preview

 

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

 

Episode 7 of Pachinko that you can't take your eyes off of Lee Minho! The story of actor Lee Minho as young Hansu, who perfectly expresses the character with his overwhelming and passionate performance, will be released tomorrow only on Apple TV+

 

 

 

 

excited to see Hansu's backstory?

 

[syntyche]

Pachinko May Have Been Seen as a Gamble to Some, but Not Creator Soo Hugh

 

“These stories are not a risk,” says the showrunner behind Apple TV+’s multigenerational saga.

 

Soo Hugh was breaking all the rules with Pachinko from the very beginning.

 

When she hit the town to pitch buyers on her new series, based on Min Jin Lee’s best-selling 2017 novel, she wasn’t able to do the traditional 20-minute presentation that you’re advised to do when shopping a show around town. “No matter what I did, I couldn’t do it with this pitch,” she tells Vanity Fair on this week’s episode of Little Gold Men.

 

Instead, her 45-minute visual presentation centered on a family album, full of references from film, that was inspired by an episode of Mad Men. “I really wanted to set the stage and bring the listener and the buyers into this mindset of you’re not watching a TV show—you’re watching a generational saga,” she says. This story, for her, was about her parents and grandparents, and she wanted buyers to understand that from the start.

 

Pitched before other international, multilingual projects like Minari, Squid Game, and Parasite broke into Hollywood, Pachinko, a show that spans generations and continents and uses three different languages, wasn’t an easy sell from the start. “Who’s going to buy a show that’s told in three languages, that’s going to be filmed mostly outside of America?” Hugh says she wondered.

 

But she says when she presented her pitch, the first buyers showed her how open they would be to it—with tears. “Once I saw those tears, I knew there was something here,” she says. “In every buyers’ meeting that we had, it was a really emotional experience, including for me—I don’t think I made it through one buyer, one pitch without crying. And to feel that it just resonated with everyone was really emotional.”

 

Apple TV+ eventually signed on for the show, which hit the streaming service on March 25 and has been met with critical acclaim. The series spans multiple generations of a family that begins with a young woman (Minha Kim) growing up in a Japan-occupied Korea who has to make difficult choices for her family after she finds herself pregnant by a married man. The story explores family responsibility, destiny, identity, and more through this sweeping drama set in Korea, Japan, and the U.S.

 

Hugh had initially hoped to film in both Korea and Japan (along with Vancouver) but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to do cut out filming in Japan (other than some exterior shots) and mostly use Korea for both countries. Hugh says the initial speed bumps of filming in a foreign country made her very nervous that the series wouldn’t ever come to fruition. “I remember those first few weeks and just thinking, This is all going to fall apart. It’s just gonna be terrible,” she says. “There were so many misunderstandings that kept happening in the beginning, and it really hurt me because I was making a show that celebrates my homeland, and there were just so many arguments. I didn’t know if it was worth it.”

 

Eventually, Hugh and her team had to accept they couldn’t make a show abroad as they would have in the U.S., and had to come up with a new way of producing a show internationally. “If you’ve ever said to me that I was going to have to reinvent filmmaking, I would have said, ‘What are you talking about?’” says Hugh, “but I think as we do more and more of these global shows, these are the conversations we’ll have to have.”

 

Once past those production hiccups, Hugh and her team were able to create a show that captures a specific time in Korea and Japan, and putting a spotlight on many traditional aspects of these cultures that don’t often make their way to the big screen in a Hollywood production. Episode four, which Hugh says is her favorite, has a gorgeous sequence capturing Sunja’s mother making her daughter and her new husband a serving of white rice, which was an expensive delicacy at the time. She says director Justin Chon and D.P. Ante Cheng took the words on the script and created an emotional, visually stunning piece. “They could have just filmed it with a neutral eye, but I think, for Justin and Ante, because rice is part of their family history, you can really feel that is a personal statement for them as well,” she says.

 

With its almost all Asian cast, a mix of new faces like Kim and well known international talent like Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung and Korean star Lee Min-ho, some in Hollywood could have seen this series as a gamble, but it is has already become a part of the growing content boom of global stories that put Asian faces front and center in a way that Hollywood hasn’t before. It’s a responsibility Hugh, who is Korean American, couldn’t think about too much while she was making the show, but has never been far from her mind. She says, “What I do hope is that if Pachinko succeeds, that people see that we’re not a risk, these stories are not a risk. To me, that would be amazing.”

 

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/awards-insider-pachinko-creator-soo-hugh-interview-credits

 

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‘Pachinko’ review

 

In the summer of 2018, my mother gifted me with a book written by a woman not unlike herself.

“Pachinko,” written by Min Jin Lee, was a book I’d think about many times after I first read it as a part of my summer reading list before junior year of high school. As one of the first books I’d read by a Korean American woman and also on the topic of immigration, I could feel the importance of this book even before the announcement of its on screen adaption. For this reason, I had high hopes for the Apple TV show that adapted such a critical story — and it did not disappoint.

...

My experience reading this book and then watching the show four years later was like no other. Maybe it was seeing the faded colors of the earlier versions of the hanboks I thought I had known so well. It could’ve also been the thought of my own grandparents, who missed Sunja’s birth by just about 15 years and grew up in only slightly better conditions.

 

Watching the show follow the four generations of a family just wanting to survive, your heart cannot help but ache. The themes of family and resolve come to life on-screen in a way that is so evident in the characters that one is immersed in every aspect of the performance.

The two actresses that play past and 1989 present Sunja were definitely the heart of the show — newcomer Minha Kim rivaled veteran Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung in her performance of teenage Sunja. From her accented but unwavering voice to the resilience in her soft eyes, Kim embodied Sunja’s early years as a new mother who moves to a new country in the desperate hopes she can provide the best for her son. Her performance perfectly plays into Youn’s portrayal of Sunja in her later years as she reflects on this past while her grandson, Solomon, travels to Japan in present day to close a business deal.

 

The mixture of the Korean, Japanese and English language is another feat that is tackled successfully by showrunner Soo Hugh. I greatly appreciated the commitment to historical accuracy even with the three countries tied into the story of Sunja and her family. Sunja does anything she can to survive in Japan, all the while missing her mother and how Korean rice tastes. And despite the efforts she made for all those years, we also get to see Solomon’s treatment in the bank offices, constantly seen as inferior due to his heritage. The little difference between the racism Sunja faces in Japan and the racism in Solomon’s workplace compels the question of exactly what our predecessors worked so hard for when so little changed, even decades later. Yet, the same question is answered by the hope that trickles down through each generation — the hope that one day there will be a future in which one’s children will not have to work as hard anymore.

 

“Pachinko” kicked off 2022 with an important and relevant story to tell — a story that thanks our predecessors for their hard work that paid off in the end.

 

https://dailyfreepress.com/2022/04/19/pachinko-review/

[syntyche]

How Apple’s ‘Pachinko’ Marks A Breakout Role For Actress Kim Min-ha

 

Kim Min-ha was so moved by the three scenes provided in Pachinko’s audition script that she knew she had to give the opportunity a go. With just a few acting credits in independent films and web dramas under her belt and still unattached to any management agency then, Kim went through many rounds of self-tapes, chemistry readings and interviews. Four months later, she clinched the role of (young adult) Sunja, opposite actor Lee Min-ho in the highly anticipated Apple TV+ show.

 

On how her life has changed since Pachinko, Kim is calmly taking the attention and buzz in her stride. “The week of the premiere and all the press was quite busy. Everything was kind of bizarre. I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what I'm talking. But I also learned so many things,” she shares. “After I came back to Korea, everything is still the same. Except my family is really excited about the show.”

 

Kim has come a long way. She describes herself as a “very timid and very shy girl” growing up, sweating and shivering each time she was asked to do a presentation during her schooling years. However, things were different when she was performing. “When I was singing, when I was on the stage, I was so excited, like my heart couldn't stop,” Kim shares. “So when I was in elementary school, I really wanted to be a voice actor.” This led to Kim pursuing a theater and film degree at Hanyang University, after successfully persuading her parents for over a year (they wanted her to become a university professor).

 

Carving out her own ‘Sunja’

 

In Pachinko, Kim’s responsibility as the young adult Sunja perhaps poses the most intimidating challenge — bringing to life some of the character’s most formative years and life-altering events. Besides tracing Sunja’s journey from her Korean fishing village of Yeongdo in the 1930s to Osaka, Japan, Kim also has to seamlessly connect the childhood (played by Jeon Yu-na) and older years (played by Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung) of Sunja’s life.

 

While preparing to play Sunja, Kim asked her 94-year old grandmother about her life experiences, especially during Japan’s annexation of Korea. “Hearing all these genuine experiences from a real person who lived in that era was so helpful,” Kim says. “I studied about the history of that time and I read a bunch of novels which first appeared in that era.”

Since the “three Sunjas” belonged to different time periods, Kim did not have a chance to meet actresses Youn and Jeon before or during the production of Pachinko. However, there was a mutual understanding between the three actresses about Sunja’s inner life and spirit. “There was no doubt or worry [whether] there was any difference between her Sunja and mine or these kind of things,” Kim says. “We just trust each other and I trust myself. It was a really, really powerful and weird energy. There’s a connection between the three of us.”

 

Pachinko progresses achronologically and makes leaps back and forth in time, sharpening some of the show’s themes of migration, displacement and cultural identity. This story structure places an even greater spotlight on the performances of the “three Sunjas,” as they often appear in the same episode. “After I saw the episodes, I just [felt] relieved, like wow, this works,” Kim says. “The three of us have a lot of similarities, we can see each other in each other’s faces.”

 

Kim finds a new level for her acting

 

Accomplished directors Justin Chon and Kogonada helmed different episodes in the series. “The style of Kogonada and Justin is very different but the same directions they gave me were to just be in that moment, breathe, be present,” Kim says. She fondly looks back on her days on Pachinko’s set, “It was so amazing working with them. They're all so good and they were my great friends.”

 

On set, what surprised Kim was the energy that came out of scenes shared with Jeong In-ji, who plays her mother Yang-jin in Pachinko. “I prepared scenes in my home, I set the scene and I kind of anticipate what's going to happen,” Kim shares. “But with Yang-jin, I don't know why but some kind of synergy and energy came out from nowhere. Like if I prepared 50% and then I meet her, it just comes out to 100%, 120%. I don't know where that comes from. It was very mysterious.”

 

Watching the explosive rise and rise of Korea-related content and culture, Kim feels proud and also recognizes expanding opportunities for many others in Asia too. “It's time for us to just go take the world...Everyone can spread out to the world. It's an international, global world.”

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saramerican/2022/04/20/how-apples-pachinko-marks-a-breakout-role-for-actress-kim-min-ha/?sh=5891b94f1b15

 

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All Korean drama fans should watch these 5 new shows on Netflix, Apple TV & more

 

Korean drama lovers are everywhere as K-dramas — as they’re popularly called — have become a worldwide phenomenon. Offering interesting storylines and intense plot twists, these shows just righty fill in our pop-culture diet. If like us, you too are into Korean dramas, then you sure can’t miss these 5 new shows which are currently streaming on Netflix, Apple TV and other platforms.

 

4. PACHINKO – APPLE TV

Created by Soo Hugh, Pachinko is based on a novel by Korean-American writer Min Jin Lee. This critically acclaimed drama narrates the tale of four generations of a Korean family residing as permanent residents of Japan. Their families are spread across Japanese-occupied Korea. The show’s cast includes Oscar winner Yuh-jung Youn, Lee Minho, and newcomer Kim Min-ha. A must-watch, Pachinko revolves around love, family duty, and perseverance.

 

https://www.gqindia.com/binge-watch/collection/korean-drama-fans-watch-5-new-shows-netflix-apple-tv/