[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

[nrllee]

22 hours ago, Photo Photo said:

 

Still doesn't change the fact that he is a cheater and Sunja would have never dated him if she knew he was married. He tricked her.

I agree. There was a power imbalance.  He took advantage of her naivety.  He betrayed her trust.  The fact that he proposed what he did to her afterwards, that he would just provide for her in the future but he would never marry her meant that he never did intend to marry her.  That was his plan all along and he thought she would just go along with it.  He thought money and security for her future would solve everything.  He did not factor in her moral fibre and strength of character. 
 

And that’s why Isak’s act of marrying her despite knowing her circumstances was so extraordinary.  He gave the baby a name (his surname) and a family.  He returned respectability to SunJa so she could live openly again.  Not the life of shame (of being a mistress and a “kept woman”) that HanSu offered her.  So who was the bigger man at the tailor’s shop?  Not the man with wealth and status.  But the man who did the right thing, and lived with authenticity.  
 

The book outlines Isak’s act of sacrifice much more poignantly (source - https://www.litcharts.com/lit/pachinko/characters/baek-isak)

Quote

“The widow told me about her daughter only yesterday. And last night before my evening prayers, it occurred to me that this is what I can do for them: Give the woman and child my name. What is my name to me? It’s only a matter of grace that I was born a male who could enter my descendants in a family registry. If the young woman was abandoned by a scoundrel, it’s hardly her fault, and certainly, even if the man is not a bad person, the unborn child is innocent. Why should he suffer so? He would be ostracized. […] Maybe my life can be significant—not on a grand scale like my brother, but to a few people. Maybe I can help this young woman and her child. And they will be helping me, because I will have a family of my own—a great blessing no matter how you look at it.”

 

[syntyche]

 

https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/pachinko-makeup-hair-interview/

 

SH: I love that scar, and that was Kogonada's idea. Bizarrely, when I met Minho [Lee Min-Ho, who plays Koh Hansu] for the first time, I noticed a scar on his face, exactly where we intended it to be. It was such a shock. I realized, in some ways, it was fated. @actorleeminho

 

cr: rebeccalee.ca IG

 

 

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5 hours ago, madmad min said:

Finally S1 Finishes.

 

I have few questions lol.

 

1. What to watch now...omo

2. Spoiler

  Reveal hidden contents

When the  No House selling HALMoni saw the dogs she shouted at the guy holding them, who was the guy and why did she run away inside her house? I know solomon implied that his Now Semi partner uses his method aka to kill her so the house can be released, but I didnt get the scene context.

3. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Isak was the actual instigator? Did I miss reading in the book, I thought he used to just say some encouraging words but not work entirely against the Emperor.

 

4. Is there a News for further Seasons???

 

BabY Noa is such a smart kid, I can see the resemblance somehow for a moment when the Japanese Guy said you look like your father I though he meant Hansu and not Isak lol.

Kyunghee had a much more prominent presence in the book, the actress trying to ferment Kimchi did not look convincing lol.

I love how they draw parallelism, and How Noa is a mysterious part to he entire story.

Also Solomon when he gave the suggestion man oh man how I wanted to hit him, he made me madder than Hansu ever did. 

The last scene of Sunja noticing and trying to attract buyers for her fresh kimchi , the struggle that showed was real. Min Ha the actress is very powerful in some parts while she portrays emotion, have to give to her.

 

 

Also thanks for the Poll.

My fav scenes in the series were.

1. When solomon started dancing and Older Sunja finally breathed her homeland's air.

2. Noa and the kid talking.

3. Solomon and Dad fighting, Mozasu hopefully has more screen time in next season , have seen too less of him.

 

 

hi @madmad min, season 2 is already confirmed! Although no schedule for release yet.

 

Baby Noa is a gem! He's got some feistiness, from both parents, I guess. I like that scene too, with him and the kid. 

I remember reading they had them take kimchi-making classes from an expert; I guess she needs more practice heh.

 

[syntyche]

Pachinko - Man of Instinct/Apple TV+

The video that contains the stories recorded during the Pachinko filming was introduced on the channel Lee Min Ho Film and AppleTV contents. As the video was filmed & edited with a lot of effort, I hope that the characters are delivered well.

 

cr: shin_kiroo IG

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[CallieP]

12 hours ago, syntyche said:

@CallieP, saw this article on why young Hansu wore a kimono and his dad did not in episode 7. Interesting read.

 

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

 

 

Thank you for answering my question on why Hansu wore a kimono.  Interesting indeed

5 hours ago, nrllee said:

I agree. There was a power imbalance.  He took advantage of her naivety.  He betrayed her trust.  The fact that he proposed what he did to her afterwards, that he would just provide for her in the future but he would never marry her meant that he never did intend to marry her.  That was his plan all along and he thought she would just go along with it.  He thought money and security for her future would solve everything.  He did not factor in her moral fibre and strength of character. 
 

And that’s why Isak’s act of marrying her despite knowing her circumstances was so extraordinary.  He gave the baby a name (his surname) and a family.  He returned respectability to SunJa so she could live openly again.  Not the life of shame (of being a mistress and a “kept woman”) that HanSu offered her.  So who was the bigger man at the tailor’s shop?  Not the man with wealth and status.  But the man who did the right thing, and lived with authenticity.  
 

The book outlines Isak’s act of sacrifice much more poignantly (source - https://www.litcharts.com/lit/pachinko/characters/baek-isak)

 

Agree that Isak is the better person but he is a pastor, a religious person and he realizes he would be dead if her mother did not nurse him to health.  This is the way he can return the favor, he also realized the strength behind Sunja and he wanted a strong woman next to him.  So for these reasons he proposed to Sunja.

5 hours ago, syntyche said:

Baby Noa is a gem! He's got some feistiness, from both parents, I guess. I like that scene too, with him and the kid

Yes, baby Noa is feisty.  My favorite scenes is Hansu at the tailor and Hansu with Noa.  I also like the scene where Sunja realizes that Hansu is married and will not marry her.

[CallieP]

13 hours ago, syntyche said:

As soon as I finished post-production, which was also a long process, the Apple team was like, “So you don’t think it’s going to take another four years do you?” I could hear the fear in their voices. I know the responsibility. Once you present a show, you have to be on a cycle or else you’ve lost your audience. And I think so much heavy lifting was done in conceiving of the show that the second season will hopefully go much faster.

 

Yes, I definitely hope it does not take 4 years, maybe end of 2023.  I also hope Hansu has a greater presence.  Too little of Hansu in Season 1 and too much Solomon in my opinion.  Hansu is a more interesting figure, a Rhett Butler as mentioned in an article above.  Hope LMH diversifies too while filming Pachinko. He can do two projects, after finishing his scenes, he can start on another project.

[imgreatgal]

Thank you @agenthyes i heard that season2 is confirmed yeay! 
i havent had time to watch the last episode so i barely glanced thru all the posts here. Hope i will have time and come back to read. 
Anyway i was happy to have 45mins of lmh at episode7. We got to know more of Hansu as the episode was mainly on his backstory

[CarolynH]

3 hours ago, imgreatgal said:

Thank you @agenthyes i heard that season2 is confirmed yeay! 
i havent had time to watch the last episode so i barely glanced thru all the posts here. Hope i will have time and come back to read. 
Anyway i was happy to have 45mins of lmh at episode7. We got to know more of Hansu as the episode was mainly on his backstory

I also like knowing more about Hansu.  While I'm still not fully satisfied, at least we have more of an understanding about Hansu's background.  There's another part of the book that I found lacking; I hope there's an explanation in Season 2 (or 3).  

*****

I enjoyed the unexpected stories of the "Sunja's" at the end of ep 8.  Man, some of those women look great for their age, don't they? 

*********

As someone who read the book, I was satisfied with the adaptation.  I knew the story was not going to be linear, so the jumping back and forth didn't bother me.  

***********

Adding another favorite character-Ryoichi.  He's not what I expected; pleasantly surprised that he took Hansu under his wing when he could have left Hansu to fend for himself.

[chickfactor]

The transformational moments. In the finale, it was thrilling when Sunja was at the market selling kimchi for the first time. At first she was timid and scared, and I felt awful for her when the other people at the market were frowning and yelling at her to take the smelly pungent kimchi away. But she forged ahead, and she found a little spot for herself. And although you could see how scared she was at first, she found her voice and began shouting for people to try her kimchi. She spoke in Japanese at first, but eventually her voice rose, and the last thing you hear is her shouting in Korean, "This is the food of our country!" And then I burst into tears. That was how she survived in this foreign land, with two kids to raise and her husband having been taken from her, by holding onto who she was.

 

A similar moment was when Hansu speaks to Noah. He tells his son to be better than anyone, so that no one can look down on him. People won't stop hating him, but they will be forced to respect him. And that is the song of immigrants everywhere.

 

This show was a gem. I hope they get all the seasons to tell this story to the end.

[nina_mitrokhina]

The Tragic History of Korea Revealed to the World... Pachinko Box Office Significance [Star in Focus]

 

2022.05.01
Reporter Kim Bo Young

 

 

[Edaily Star in Reporter Bo-young Kim] Apple TV+ "Pachinko," which tells the story of Korean immigrants from the Japanese colonial period to 1989, graced the first season finale with the interest and support of viewers around the world. It usually takes months or even years for a popular OTT series to complete the next season and release it to the world. Apple TV+ broke this practice with pachinko.

Even before the regret of the end of Season 1 was dispelled, the cast and crew were announced as they confirmed the production of Season 2, raising expectations. This is a testament to the level of global expectations and attention to pachinko. What does it mean that foreign media and the public around the world are enthusiastic about the hidden history of Korea, embodied in OTT in the US? We looked back on the secrets and accomplishments of four generations of Korean families in Pachinko, which has enchanted the world beyond national borders.

 

Simultaneous recognition of the original and video... "Best Drama"

 

"You won't find a more compelling and heartbreaking performance than Pachinko this spring."

 

This assessment was given by the authoritative French magazine Le Figaro in the Apple TV + "Pachinko" program. Pachinko, released on March 25, is a remake of the hit novel by Korean American Lee Min Jin. Although it is an American work produced by an American team, it is about the painful life and struggles of Koreans living in Japan for a long time to survive, set in Korea and Japan during the Japanese colonial period. Apple TV+ has captured the attention of the world by putting a very large budget of 100 billion won on this epic drama that sheds light on the colonial history of ordinary Koreans. There are even estimates that Apple TV+ has abandoned Japan, where Apple has a large market share, due to pachinko.

 

Pachinko was selected as Novel of the Year by the New York Times and USA Today in 2017, and was also selected by the BBC as one of the 10 Books of the Year. The Korean version of the novel was also so popular that it sold out within days of being sold. The remake of the series "Pachinko" also received positive reviews from foreign media, critics and the public throughout its broadcast. Pachinko received a 98% fresh rating from 43 critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the leading content criticism site in the United States. The "Popcorn Index" rated by viewers was also 92%.

 

Foreign media are also enthusiastic about it. Canadian media "Globe and Mail" called it "not the greatest drama of the year, but the best drama of the last few years", Forbes called it "a gem not easy to see", and Rolling Stone called it "the perfect combination of original and video" made. New York Magazine said, "Nothing can last forever, but I want to watch Pachinko forever. It's a portrait of suffering."

 

Pachinko is directed by Sung-ja (Kim Min-ha and Yoon Yo-jong) who travels freely between three cities (Busan, Osaka and Tokyo) from two perspectives in the 1910s, 20s and 1980s years. Impressively, the point of view and place in the play are randomly configured, like a seons who lived a life that fluctuated like waves with time. In the 8th episode of Season 1, which ended on the 29th, Song Ja (Kim Min Ha) went looking for her husband Isaac (Ro Sang Hyun), who was arrested by the Japanese police, with the help of her young son Noi (Park Zhe Zhong). At the end of the video, there were interviews with real Koreans in Japan, which touched the viewers.

 

Viewers are looking forward to what story will unfold in the new season and what new performances from Korean actors such as Yeo Jong Yoon, Min Ha Kim, Lee Min Ho (played by Ko Han Soo), Jun Woo Han, and Eun Jung will show.

 

Teresa Kan-Ro, General Producer of Pachinko, also expressed her desire to continue production for the next season, saying, “There is a desire for Season 4 to continue as it is known, but the timing still seems right. A little bit longer."

 

 

"A story drawn through the eyes of a frontier man"... Representing a mysterious charm

 

The achievement of Pachinko itself is significant in that it revealed to the world the tragic history of Korea, associated with the Japanese colonial period, which was not given due attention in other countries. Rian Daly, critic for NME, a British popular culture magazine, said: “He portrays a delicate story between Korea and Japan that has not received much attention from the world so far. Yes," he analyzed. Le Figaro also praised the foresight that Apple TV+ decided to release "Pachinko" before Korean culture such as the film "Parasite", Netflix's "Squid Game" and the popularity of K-pop caught the world's attention, as it is now .

 

He is also predicted to receive an Emmy, the highest award in the American broadcast industry. Indiewire, an American film magazine, has predicted that "Pachinko" along with "Squid Game" will be nominated for an Emmy Award this year.

 

Experts draw attention to the fact that "Pachinko" appears to contain a Korean story, but was filmed by a Korean-American team, as well as Korean actors such as Jinha and Park So Hee (Soji Arai), Korean Americans, and Koreans living in Japan were together with Korean actors.

 

Jung Dok Hyun, a popular culture critic, analyzed, “The reason Pachinko is so different from Japanese colonial period dramas filmed in Korea is because it reflects the perspective of those who grew up in Korea, the United States and Japan." He continued, "The film crew is looking at the Korean scenery, which we missed because it felt so familiar," he said. cinema The video itself gives a strange feeling of mixing different nationalities, ”explained the secret of popularity.

 

He also said: "It's impressive to face the painful history of the past and to look at the world from a perspective that embraces and embraces diversity rather than a confrontation that differentiates generations," he added.

 

Boyoung Kim (kby5848@edaily.co.kr)

Translation from Korean google

https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/018/0005204870

[syntyche]

4 hours ago, CarolynH said:

I also like knowing more about Hansu.  While I'm still not fully satisfied, at least we have more of an understanding about Hansu's background.  There's another part of the book that I found lacking; I hope there's an explanation in Season 2 (or 3).  

*****

I enjoyed the unexpected stories of the "Sunja's" at the end of ep 8.  Man, some of those women look great for their age, don't they? 

*********

As someone who read the book, I was satisfied with the adaptation.  I knew the story was not going to be linear, so the jumping back and forth didn't bother me.  

***********

Adding another favorite character-Ryoichi.  He's not what I expected; pleasantly surprised that he took Hansu under his wing when he could have left Hansu to fend for himself.

 

Yes, the real-life Sunjas do look great for their age, with some of them already in their 90's or even reached a hundred years. I understand that old people in Japan live healthy lifestyles, so they live longer and are still strong for their age.

 

Ryoichi is quite a character, too. Being a yakuza master, I expected him to be ruthless, but he practically stood as a father figure to Hansu when he lost his own father.  

 

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

 

8 hours ago, imgreatgal said:

Thank you @agenthyes i heard that season2 is confirmed yeay! 
i havent had time to watch the last episode so i barely glanced thru all the posts here. Hope i will have time and come back to read. 
Anyway i was happy to have 45mins of lmh at episode7. We got to know more of Hansu as the episode was mainly on his backstory

 

hey @imgreatgal, I hope you enjoyed watching season 1. Now on to the wait for season 2. 

 

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

 

4 hours ago, chickfactor said:

The transformational moments. In the finale, it was thrilling when Sunja was at the market selling kimchi for the first time. At first she was timid and scared, and I felt awful for her when the other people at the market were frowning and yelling at her to take the smelly pungent kimchi away. But she forged ahead, and she found a little spot for herself. And although you could see how scared she was at first, she found her voice and began shouting for people to try her kimchi. She spoke in Japanese at first, but eventually her voice rose, and the last thing you hear is her shouting in Korean, "This is the food of our country!" And then I burst into tears. That was how she survived in this foreign land, with two kids to raise and her husband having been taken from her, by holding onto who she was.

 

A similar moment was when Hansu speaks to Noah. He tells his son to be better than anyone, so that no one can look down on him. People won't stop hating him, but they will be forced to respect him. And that is the song of immigrants everywhere.

 

This show was a gem. I hope they get all the seasons to tell this story to the end.

 

Great review @chickfactor! The show has a great storytelling on laying first the foundation, so that those transformational moments have a greater impact.    

 

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The 'Pachinko' finale highlights the real-life women whose stories aren't found in history books

 

(CNN) At the center of "Pachinko," the Apple TV+ adaptation of Min Jin Lee's epic novel, is a character named Sunja -- a woman born in Japanese-occupied Korea who leaves her homeland for the imperial country in the early 20th century.

 

It's a sweeping tale of immigrant resilience, of identity and belonging, of historical trauma that echoes through generations. But though its themes are universal, "Pachinko" is rooted in a specific history, a critical chapter of which is at risk of vanishing.

 

That reality makes the final minutes of the season especially remarkable.

 

The eight-episode season, which chronicles how Japanese colonialism shapes the lives of Sunja and her descendants, ends with documentary footage of real-life Sunjas -- Korean women who moved to Japan between 1910 and 1945 and remained there after World War II. The resulting interviews with these first-generation women offer a glimpse into that period not found in history books.

 

"This was a group of people whose stories weren't considered important enough to record or tape," showrunner Soo Hugh recently told CNN. "There's not that much photographic evidence, especially from that first generation. That told me that this was a story worth telling."

 

The eight women briefly profiled at the end of "Pachinko" are almost all more than 90 years old -- one has surpassed 100. They faced countless hardships and systemic discrimination in the country they now call home but, as the season's closing sequence says, they endured. Yet, Hugh said, many of them had been made to feel that their lives weren't noteworthy.

 

Afraid that the women's stories might be lost to time, Hugh felt an urge to include their voices in the series. She wanted to honor their experiences for the world to see.

 

Spoiler

'Pachinko' captures a painful history

 

"Pachinko" protagonist Sunja leaves her village in Korea in the 1930s for Japan after unforeseen circumstances lead her to marry a man bound for Osaka. When she arrives, she discovers that life for Koreans in Japan is largely one of struggle and sacrifice.

 

For many Koreans of that generation, Sunja's experience is a familiar one.

 

In "Pachinko," Sunja (Minha Kim) and her husband Isak (Steve Sanghyun Noh) leave Korea for a new life in Japan.

 

As Japan sought to expand its empire in East Asia, Koreans migrated to Japan in large numbers. Some moved to the land of their colonizer in search of economic and educational opportunities -- others had little choice in the matter. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were conscripted as laborers during Japan's war efforts and made to work long hours for scant pay, while some Korean women were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military. Along with grueling work and substandard housing, Koreans encountered racism and discriminatory treatment.

 

"I came here at 11 and started working at 13," Chu Nam-Sun, one of the Korean women interviewed for the series, says in the documentary footage. "I grew up in sadness. So it's hard for me to be kind to other people. I do wonder if that's because of how I grew up."

 

Koreans who migrated to Japan during colonial rule, as well as their descendants, are known in Japanese as Zainichi, which translates to "residing in Japan." Jackie Kim-Wachutka, a researcher who consulted on the show and conducted the interviews at the end of the season, has spent decades documenting the experiences of Zainichi Korean women.

 

When she started interviewing first-generation Zainichi women 25 years ago, she realized she was learning about a history that was rarely written about: What everyday women did to survive.

 

"They were really painting a canvas of migrant life and everyday struggles," said Kim-Wachutka, whose book "Hidden Treasures: Lives of First-Generation Korean Women in Japan" became required reading for the "Pachinko" writers room. "And their everyday struggles were not only about their home. The majority of the women worked outside of the home."

 

Sunja (Minha Kim) and her mother (Inji Jeong) navigate the hardships of life in Japanese-occupied Korea.

 

Just as Sunja sells kimchi at the markets to keep her family afloat, the women Kim-Wachutka met through her research went to great lengths during Japan's colonial period to make a living. They resorted to brewing bootleg alcohol and journeyed to the countryside for rice they could sell on the black market. Whatever skills they had were put to use.

 

"In all of these women's stories, I see so much of Sunja in 'Pachinko,'" she said.

 

So when Hugh came to her with the idea to interview some of these women for the adaptation, Kim-Wachutka gladly agreed. It was important to her that viewers see the parallels between the show's characters and real people who lived that history.

 

Women like Sunja struggled and survived

 

Despite Japan's hostile treatment of Korean migrants, Sunja stays in the country even after its rule over Korea ends.

 

For successive generations of Sunja's family, including the series' other central character Solomon, Japan is home -- even though they are often made to question whether they truly belong.

Though Sunja and her family find that life is difficult for Koreans in Japan, they remain and raise their children there.

 

While the majority of Koreans in Japan returned to their homeland after World War II, the women that Kim-Wachutka interviews at the end of "Pachinko" are among the estimated 600,000 Koreans who stayed.

 

"I can't go to Korea," Chu Nam-Sun tells Kim-Wachutka in a mix of Japanese and Korean. "I can't go to my country, so this is my hometown now."

 

The Koreans who remained in Japan did so for various reasons, Rennie Moon wrote in a 2010 article for Stanford University's SPICE Digest. Some families had finally achieved a measure of stability and didn't want to risk starting over again, others felt their children had integrated into Japanese culture and yet others simply couldn't afford the journey back.

 

"I don't like saying this, but my children couldn't live in Korea," Kang Bun-Do, 93 at the time of her interview, says. "So I made sure they assimilated into Japanese society."

 

While Koreans in Japan were considered Japanese nationals under colonial rule, that changed after World War II, rendering them effectively stateless. In the decades following the war, they were subject to numerous exclusionary policies due to their supposed status as foreigners, compelling many Koreans to choose between "passing" as Japanese to bypass discrimination or asserting their Korean identity despite the inherent challenges.

 

Yuh-Jung Youn as the older Sunja in "Pachinko."

 

As Zainichi Koreans successfully fought to regain many of their rights in the '70s and '80s, blatant discrimination began to decline, John Lie wrote in a 2009 article for the journal "Education About Asia." But though Japan has since apologized for some of its actions during its colonial rule, racist attitudes toward Koreans persist to this day.

 

Life for the first-generation women interviewed at the end of "Pachinko" has been marked by struggle, but that isn't all that defines them. Ri Chang-Won alludes to how proud she is of her son and her grandchildren. Chu Nam-Sun is shown flipping through a photo album, marveling at how long ago those memories seem. Still, she hasn't looked back.

 

"There were no hardships for me in the life I chose for myself," she adds. "I made my own way, my own path, so I have no regrets whatsoever about the path I chose and walked down."

Their accounts help us reckon with the past and present

 

In sharing these stories with the world, Hugh said she wanted to ensure that the women had agency and that they didn't feel that they were being used for the show. And in the end, she said, many of them described the experience of being interviewed as a form of healing.

 

A particularly revealing moment comes at the end of the footage, when Kim-Wachutka comments on Ri Chang-Won's bright smile. Ri doubles over laughing, as if astonished to receive such a compliment. When she finally regains her composure, she speaks once more.

 

"I'm sure it must have been boring, but thank you for listening," she says of her story.

 

The stories of first-generation Zainichi women, much like the Sunja's journey in "Pachinko," open up important conversations around race, oppression and reconciliation -- not just as it relates to Koreans in Japan but in communities all over the world, Kim-Wachutka said. Listening to their stories, she said, can help us reckon with the injustices of the past, and perhaps avoid repeating them.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/29/entertainment/pachinko-apple-tv-plus-finale-zainichi-korean-women-cec/index.html

 

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'Pachinko': 5 differences between the book and Apple TV+ show

 

Warning: This article contains major spoilers.

 

"Pachinko," the highly acclaimed Apple TV+ series based on Min Jin Lee's national bestseller of the same name, wraps up its first season on April 29 with its series finale.

 

The TV series, which is told in three different languages (Korean, Japanese and English), follows four generations of a Korean family in Korea and Japan throughout the 20th century.

While the series created by showrunner Soo Hugh stays mostly true to the book, there are, of course, a few notable exceptions.

 

Here's a look at the five major differences between the book and the TV show, which was renewed for another season ahead of its season one finale.

 

1. There's a non-linear timeline in the show

 

The first major difference is the narrative structure. The book unfolds in chronological order, while the series functions on a non-linear timeline, interweaving events both past and future from the novel.

 

The first generation follows the couple Hoonie and Yangjin; the second, their daughter Sunja, her former lover Koh Hansu and her husband Baek Isak; the third, Sunja's children, Noa and Mozasu; and the fourth, Mozasu's son, Solomon.

 

The TV adaptation largely cycles between moments centered around the novel’s central character Sunja, who is portrayed by three different actresses at three different stages in her life.

Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung plays Sunja as an older woman, while Kim Min-ha and Jeon Yu-na portrays Sunja as a young adult and child, respectively.

 

2. Phoebe doesn’t exist in the show

 

Spoiler

 

Both the TV show and the novel explore how Solomon (Jin Ha), Sunja’s grandson, navigates early adulthood across the United States, Japan and South Korea in the 1980s. But missing from the adaptation is his Korean American girlfriend: Phoebe.

 

Solomon met Phoebe while attending Columbia University in New York City. She later follows him to Tokyo where they intend to wed, but when a business deal falls through at his company, Solomon is broken up by Phoebe, quits his job and works for his father’s (Mozasu’s) pachinko business.

 

In the TV series, Phoebe’s character appears to be replaced by Solomon’s female co-worker, Naomi (Anna Sawai). While nothing romantic comes out of their friendship, the two find comfort with confiding in one another as colleagues throughout the show's first season.

 

3. Kyunghee's fate is different in the show

 

Spoiler

 

Kyunghee — Sunja's sister-in-law — became one of Sunja's lifelong friends and confidante as the two struggled to navigate life as Korean women in Japan.

 

In fact, at the end of the novel, after she visits her father's and husband's grave in Korea, Sunja returns to where, as Lee writes in the last sentence of the book, "Kyunghee would be waiting for her at home."

 

The series, however, depicts Kyunghee (Jung Eun-chae) dying of an undisclosed illness in Japan, which prompts Sunja to go on a trip to visit her father's grave.

 

4. Bokhee's fate is also different

 

Spoiler

 

As a teenager, Sunja befriended two orphaned sisters, Bokhee and Dokhee, who worked as servant girls at her mother's boarding house in the small fishing village of Yeongbo, South Korea.

The siblings only made a brief appearance at the beginning of the novel, but their fates remained unclear after Sunja married Baek and moved to Osaka, Japan.

 

In the novel, several decades after Sunja left her hometown, Sunja's mother cries while remembering Bokhee and Dokhee, who she surmises were exploited by Japanese soldiers while Korea was under Japanese colonial rule.

 

The show, however, leaves no room for interpretation. Instead, it includes a scene revealing that Bokhee had in fact survived many years after Sunja left from Korea to Osaka.

 

In a stroke of serendipity, the two long lost friends are reunited as Sunja attempts to find her father's grave while visiting Korea following Kyunghee's death.

 

During their emotional reunion, Bokhee explains what happened to her and Dokhee after Sunja got married and left the country, later detailing the tragedy of how her sister died.

 

5. Noa's character is absent from the show

 

And perhaps most notably and largely absent from the show is Sunja's firstborn: Noa.

 

Spoiler

Noa — the son of Sunja and Koh and the adoptive son of Baek — grew up in Osaka where he excelled in school and tried to blend into Japanese culture as much as he could.

 

Noa later was accepted into a prestigious university in Tokyo, which Koh offers to pay for under the guise of an older Korean man giving back to a younger generation — all without his son knowing the real identity of his paternal father.

 

When he finally discovers the truth, Noa drops out of school, begins a new life under a different name and becomes estranged from his family for 16 years. But after Koh tracks him down and Sunja visits him, Noa takes his own life.

 

The first season of the TV series only features Noa growing up as a child, whose death is only mentioned in passing throughout the show.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/pachinko-differences-book-apple-tv-show-rcna19382

 

 

[syntyche]

Pachinko Ep 8 Review: Lee Min-ho And Minha Kim Series Finale Lives Up To All Our Expectations

 

After the emotionally heavy seventh episode, Pachinko returns on Friday with its season finale episode. The episode balances the life of a young Noa, Hansu (Lee Min-ho) and Sunja (Minha Kim)’s son, set in 1938. Having recently turned a hyung (older brother), he is unable to tackle the division of attention from his parents. On the other hand, Hana (Mari Yamamoto) is spearheading her end.

...

Unlike the previous episodes of the season, the finale episode of Pachinko season 1 had several high moments. The episode offered every character a space to shine. While the emotional turmoil that each character went through was beautifully portrayed, the episode also left breadcrumbs for us to follow in the second season. As always, the series finale lived up to the expectations of delivering a visually appealing episode.

 

With the season coming to an end, there is no doubt that Minha Kim and Lee Min-ho were the stars of the first season. It is to see what the second season holds for fans.

 

https://www.news18.com/news/movies/pachinko-ep-8-review-lee-min-ho-and-minha-kim-series-finale-lives-up-to-all-our-expectations-5081089.html

 

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

 

Apple’s Pachinko has been renewed for a second season

 

 

Ahead of Pachinko’s season 1 finale, Apple has just renewed its adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel for a second season.

 

Today, Apple announced that it’s moving forward with more of series creator Soo Hugh’s multigenerational story about a family of Korean immigrants surviving and thriving in Japan throughout the 20th century. In a press release about the renewal, Hugh was mum about what’s next for Pachinko, but she called out the show’s fandom for having been vocal about its desire for more.

 

“Words cannot express my joy in being able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this indomitable family,” said Hugh. “I’m grateful to the amazing team at Apple and Media Res studio for believing and supporting this show, and to our passionate fans who have cheered us on. It’s an honor to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew.”

 

There’s no word on when Pachinko’s second season will begin production or air, but Pachinko’s season 1 finale hits Apple TV Plus hits today.

 

https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/29/23048824/pachinko-season-two-pickup-soo-hugh-apple-tv-plus

 

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

 

'Pachinko': Acclaimed Apple TV+ Drama Renewed For Second Season

 

Following its debut on Apple TV+ last month, ‘Pachinko’ has been hailed by critics as one of the year’s best new shows.

 

We've some great news for fans out there this Friday morning. Ahead of the Season 1 finale tonight, Apple TV+ has officially confirmed the renewal of Pachinko, Soo Hugh's acclaimed drama series chronicling the lives of a Korean immigrant family across four generations.

 

The sweeping work, epic in scope and tone, has been celebrated by critics since its inception as one of the best new series of the year. In our review, we called it "a masterful tapestry of an adaptation," continuing:

 

"It finds beauty in the lives of everyday people just trying to make it to tomorrow. As the characters’ interlocking lives become fully drawn, we are lucky enough to see a complete portrait that is wholly original and endlessly enthralling. Pachinko is a triumph of visual storytelling that goes in its own direction and finds a destination that leaves you absolutely floored in how masterfully it executes its vision."

 

Creator, writer and executive producer Soo Hugh said:

 

“Words cannot express my joy in being able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this indomitable family, I’m grateful to the amazing team at Apple and Media Res studio for believing and supporting this show and to our passionate fans who have cheered us on. It’s an honor to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew.”

 

A bulletin from Apple TV+ offers a small glimpse into the season finale. "In this Friday’s season finale episode, Sunja learns that Isak has been arrested and searches for him with the aid of her young son. Solomon makes a fateful decision." We can't wait!

 

Pachinko stars the Oscar-winner Yuh-Jung Youn, known to wider audiences for her ravishing role in Minari, as the older Sunja. Lee Minho plays Hansu, Jin Ha plays Solomon, and Minha Kim plays teenage Sunja. Rounding off the ensemble are Anna Sawai, Eunchae Jung, Inji Jeong, Jimmi Simpson, Junwoo Han, Kaho Minami, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Soji Arai, and Yuna.

 

And here's the official synopsis for Pachinko:

 

"Pachinko chronicles the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive. Starting in South Korea in the early 1900s, the story is told through the eyes of a remarkable matriarch, Sunja, who triumphs against all odds."

 

The first season of Pachinko is available to stream on Apple TV+ right now.

 

https://collider.com/pachinko-season-2-renewed-apple-tv-plus/

 

[syntyche]

So I now have a new favorite character - little Noa . That kid is amazingly smart and articulate. At a young age, he was already exposed to the inequalities of his world, but he knows how to stand his ground. This can be seen during his talk with his schoolmate, and especially while he was translating for Sunja during her conversation with Hasegawa, Isak's comrade. When Sunja raised her voice, he would do so, too, while translating. He was brilliant in that scene. I know that showrunner Soo Hugh would also translate for her immigrant parents while she was a kid living in the US. So I understand how this scene of a son translating for his mom could be relatable to second generation immigrants.   

 

 

Such a heartbreaking scene when little Noa was running to Isak when he was being taken away by the police. His love for his father is moving. Isak's love for Noa and raising him like his own is commendable. 

 

We have seen how Solomon had basically an identity crisis all throughout this season. And I wondered the significance of Hana with all these. With Hana's last wishes telling him, "It's time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Whatever it takes, grab it all. Show them no mercy. Because what mercy did they ever show us? Do it for me," it seems that that is the pivotal point for Solomon to finally figure out what to do moving forward. I sure hope he does make the right decision, though. 

 

I seem to remember reading that Hana's illness was not disclosed in the book. So the writers choosing AIDS as her illness in the adaptation makes sense to embolden Solomon to do "whatever it takes to grab it all". Hana seems to also have experienced discrimination, I'm guessing due to her illness which had a social stigma during the 80's. And quite an ordeal for her mom Etsuko to actually agree with her going on a "long sleep." They say no parent should have to bury their child.

 

Quite a liberating scene when Solomon wheeled Hana off to the hospital's roof top - to "Hawaii" - for her final moments. The background music made the scene even more surreal (one would wonder why a modern American song would be played during this scene, interspersed with that where Sunja was chasing after Noa. The background song "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," is a song widely considered to be written about Anne Frank, a victim of WWII, the same war Sunja has survived through). 

 

Spoiler

And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me

 

The background story on the Kanto earthquake has again put some context on Hansu's advice to little Noa. "So bad it split our world into a before and after," "Never look back, always forward." When the great earthquake struck, the young, bright-eyed Hansu is past. He is now and has been a strong-willed, relentless merchant who refused to just survive, but to be better than everyone else. And the best way he knows to be a father is to impart those words to Noa. I remember how elated he was when he learned of the news (or assumed) that Sunja is carrying his son. He must have big dreams for him who would carry his name. And it seems that the watch he gave him symbolizes that, considering its origins and what that watch meant to him. 

 

 

Yoseb is yet again "offended" by Sunja's decision to earn money for their family. But he can never suppress someone with a fortitude like Sunja. 

 

I can imagine the delight when the Pachinko producers finally saw Minha Kim's auditions for Sunja's part. She does embody Sunja, for her transformation from innocence to fearlessness. In the scene where she was struggling to push that cart of kimchi amidst the people frowning and yelling at her, I also felt uneasy and scared for her. But then I also slowly felt her triumph as she sold her first kimchi, and having more confidence on selling her country's food - her mother's special recipe. Which also brings me to her father's words, "She needs to know there's such a thing as kindness in this world. She'll grow up stronger for it." Kudos to the merchant who offered Sunja some space to sell her kimchi.

 

 

The interview on real-life Sunjas added a layer of humanity to the story of Pachinko. One woman struck me as she said, "I made my own way, my own path, so I have no regrets whatsoever about the path I chose and walked down." It's intriguing and somehow a relief, that despite the hardships, she still had no regrets on the path she chose. And now that the series has been renewed, it would be more interesting to see how Sunja's story would further unfold and somehow echo the stories of these real-life Sunjas.    

 

[CallieP]

 

Indie Wire predictions for 2022 Emmy Awards:

 

Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“Bridgerton” (Netflix)
“Euphoria” (HBO)
“The Gilded Age” (HBO)
“The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Pachinko” (Apple TV+)
“Severance” (Apple TV+)
“Squid Game” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“Succession” (HBO)
“This Is Us” (NBC)
“Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” (HBO)
“Yellowjackets” (Showtime)
“Yellowstone” (Paramount Network)

 

https://www.indiewire.com/feature/2022-emmy-predictions-74-primetime-emmys-awards-1234718955/

 

Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Adam Scott, “Severance” (Apple TV+)
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Brian Cox, “Succession” (HBO)
Courtney B. Vance, “61st Street” (AMC)
Damson Idris, “Snowfall” (FX)
Ewan McGregor, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Disney+)
Jason Bateman, “Ozark” (Netflix)
Jeremy Strong, “Succession” (HBO)
John C. Reilly, “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” (HBO)
Jonathan Bailey, “Bridgerton” (Netflix)
Kevin Costner, “Yellowstone” (Paramount Network)
Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game” (Netflix)
Lee Min-Ho, “Pachinko” (Apple TV+)
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter: New Blood” (Showtime)
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” (NBC)

 

https://www.indiewire.com/feature/2022-emmys-best-actor-drama-predictions-1234719936/

[andy78]

i finished ep 8...i can't wait for next season...great drama and actors...

[CallieP]

https://tvline.com/lists/emmys-lead-actor-drama-dream-nominations-2022/brian-cox-succession/

 

This Emmy selection by TVline that was posted earlier by Nina or Syntyche,  as I  read through the link, I  noticed that TVline's dream nominees were only seven  per group.  Best Drama included Pachinko and best actor LMH.  No one else in Pachinko made the line up.  There was best supporting male nominations but not best supporting female .  It is a real honor that TVline felt that LMH was one of the top 7 best actors for a drama series. He had such a small role but he was noticed. 

 

Golderby.com is another site that included LMH, as well as IndieWire.  I guess LMH will be on all Emmy Nominations lists even though in Variety, he is #15. The fact that he is even in the list is an achievement compared to the time he has in the series . 

[syntyche]

RENEWED AND CANCELLED TV SHOWS 2022

 

FIND OUT WHICH SHOWS ARE RETURNING AND WHICH ARE ENDING IN THIS LIST OF 2022'S RENEWED AND CANCELLED TV SHOWS.

 

Want to know if your favorite television series is among the latest cancelled TV shows? Bookmark this page to learn about Netflix cancelled shows, when network series get the axe, and which cable TV limited series are being reworked as anthologies to squeeze every single drop of fan love out of them.

...

 

 

Apple TV+ has continued its love story with Pachinko. Creator Soo Hugh’s adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s historical drama about a Korean family who immigrate to Japan has received a second-season order. A love story and a tale of discrimination and prejudice, the first season is Certified Fresh with a 98% Tomatometer.

 

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/renewed-and-cancelled-tv-shows-2022/?cmp=TWRT_Edit_RenewedCancelled_Pachinko

 

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

 

“Pachinko”, which tells the life of people like Sun-ja, has a touching ending… The production of Season 2 has been confirmed

 

In episode 8 of “Pachinko”, interviews of Koreans in Japan were included after the story of Sun-ja ended. Regarding the reason, Soo Hugh explained, “This drama is a fiction, but I believed it was important to include their testimonies directly since they were the first generation of Zainichi, who actually went through that era, the root of the story”.

 

Historian Jackie Kim gathered testimonies from women (Korean residents in Japan), and the production team of “Pachinko” made sure that their oral testimonies were accurately contained. Soo Hugh said, “I was so touched to see one of the interviewees cry and say, ‘I didn’t know that anyone would be so interested in my life’”.

 

“Pachinko” is also a work that shows changes in the content industry, which has been reorganized into the global OTT market. It is provided through a global OTT platform called Apple TV+ and is an American drama produced based on the capital power of a global media company. With a huge production cost of 100 billion won, it is a masterpiece that shows solid historical evidence, music, and art. In addition, the Korean-American screenwriter Soo Hugh and the directing of Kogonada and Justin Chon made the story more emotional.

While K-contents, such as “Parasite” and “Squid Game”, have recently achieved results in the global market, “Pachinko” is another significant work that shows the power of K-contents with the stories based on Korean and Korean history made based on large production costs. 

 

The story of the drama “Pachinko” is in the middle of the original novel. Apple TV+ officially announced the production of Season 2 on the 29th, right after the 8th episode was released. More attention is being focused on how the “Pachinko” epic will continue. 

 

https://kbizoom.com/pachinko-which-tells-the-life-of-people-like-sun-ja-has-a-touching-ending-the-production-of-season-2-has-been-confirmed/

 

 

[nina_mitrokhina]

"Pachinko" by Lee Min Ho, Master Rocco → Absorbs even time... worldwide recognition

 

2022.05.02
Kim Ga Young

 

 

[E-Daily star in reporter Ga-young Kim] Actor Lee Min Ho has been well received all over the world for his powerful performance in historical dramas.

 

In the original series Pachinko-Pachinko, which ended the first season with the final episode, Lee Min Ho took on the role of Go Han Soo, who entered young Song Ja's life and changed the trajectory. , completing an intense and unique character.

 

Through this work, Lee Min Ho has succeeded in radically transforming his acting and once again established himself as the spokesperson for a Hallyu star, receiving rave reviews from fans all over the world as well as top foreign media.

 

If Lee Min Ho showed his side as a master of romantic comedy, he perfectly mastered the character that combines tenderness and masculinity in various works such as "The King: Eternal Monarch", "The Legend of the Blue Sea" and "Heirs". ', this time through 'Pachinko' he tried an unconventional acting transformation.

 

In Pachinko, Lee Min Ho left a mysterious but powerful impression, showing the image of a businessman full of ambition and a fatal man in a dangerous and secret love. In addition, he attracted attention for his realistic depiction of a rude "bad person", unraveling the unconventional theme of "forbidden love" in his style.

 

In addition, in every situation, he was impressed with his passionate performance, in which he could freely use dialects of English and Japanese.

 

 

From anger to affection... As a colorful emotional game

 

"Pachinko" is a work that depicts the life of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period against the backdrop of real history, Lee Min Ho showed a unique presence with various emotional performances such as sadness, anger, sadness, etc. charisma in a realistic but complex storytelling.

 

Lee Min Ho showed not only his tough looks, but also a history of faithful and righteous life in past poverty, his affection for his father (Jung Woon In) and acceptance of his fate, enduring unexpected crises and humiliations. .

 

 

turning point in life

 

Lee Min Ho, fascinated by the message of "Pachinko" and the character of Go Han Soo, showed his affection for the job so strongly that he even passed the audition for the first time in 13 years. It's a message that he put his whole heart into every prep process, striving to start over as an actor.

 

In fact, on the official YouTube channel of "leeminho film," Lee Min Ho had regular face-to-face meetings, familiarized himself with the script, and showed his focus on acting just like in real life. an actor full of sincerity.

 

Lee Min Ho, who proved his various abilities such as the character's perfect digestion and new transformation into "Pachinko", was praised by many overseas media outlets, stating, "He breathed life into the character with his sincerity and delicacy." the role of the pioneer of the Korean wave.

 

Gayoung Kim (kky1209@edaily.co.kr)

Translation from Korean google

https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/018/0005205437

 

https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/408/0000153627

[nina_mitrokhina]

RENEWED AND CANCELLED TV SHOWS 2022

 

Want to know if your favorite television series is among the latest cancelled TV shows? Bookmark this page to learn about Netflix cancelled shows, when network series get the axe, and which cable TV limited series are being reworked as anthologies to squeeze every single drop of fan love out of them.

 

Pachinko Limited Series Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV

 

 

 

Apple TV+ has continued its love story with Pachinko. Creator Soo Hugh’s adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s historical drama about a Korean family who immigrate to Japan has received a second-season order. A love story and a tale of discrimination and prejudice, the first season is Certified Fresh with a 98% Tomatometer.

 

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/renewed-and-cancelled-tv-shows-2022/?cmp=TWRT_Edit_RenewedCancelled_Pachinko

[syntyche]

Pachinko Season-Finale Recap: Surviving

 

How can a series like Pachinko land its season finale? I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about this episode. After two stunning episodes in a row, I wondered if the show could make a hat-trick happen, if it could tie together all the disparate threads from previous episodes while leaving enough momentum for following seasons. But I shouldn’t have doubted; while the season finale of Pachinko doesn’t pack the same cinematic, narrative punch of its two preceding episodes, the finale did something else, unexpected and transcendent. It showed us the real-life stakes of the story we’ve been transfixed by for the last eight weeks.

...

When the title cards began to flash, explaining to the audience that of the two million Koreans forcibly moved to Japan, 600,000 stayed and became stateless people, I couldn’t believe the show would end its gorgeous first season like that. But then, Pachinko did something I’d never seen before. For approximately the last ten minutes of season one’s final episode, Pachinko switched into a documentary, showing interviews with several Korean women who stayed to live in Japan. These are real-life Sunjas. We are reminded that this story isn’t just entertainment but a political act of remembering. The struggles and joys we’ve seen on screen are not hypotheticals but realities.

 

People often like to quote W.H. Auden in saying “poetry makes nothing happen” to justify a certain nihilism, a conviction that art does nothing in the face of violence. But that line is misquoted. In truth, Auden wrote, “For poetry makes nothing happen; it survives.” Survival can be a radical act, and Pachinko is a story of survival, of perseverance, of love and family, and life in the face of a wildly violent imperialist nation. By remembering, by telling these stories and honoring the lives of women like the ones we see at the end of this episode, we are also invited to resist, flourish, and survive.

 

Pinball Thoughts

• It was a pleasure to go through this season with you all, and I can’t wait for when Pachinko returns for season two! In the meantime, happy watching, friends!

 

https://www.vulture.com/article/pachinko-season1-episode-8-recap-chapter-eight.html

 

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

 

Apple’s ‘Pachinko’ Renewed For Season 2

 

The breathtaking Pachinko series from Apple TV+ will return for a second season. This announcement came as the last episode of the first season was released on the platform on April 29. The series boasts a formidable cast made up of industry veterans like Lee Min-ho and Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, alongside newcomers like Kim Min-ha.

 

A historical epic which sweeps through South Korea in the early 1900s to Japan in the 1980s, Pachinko touches on issues of intergenerational memory, national trauma, immigration and race. The story is anchored by the character of Sun-ja, who navigates personal hardships and trials against the backdrop of societies undergoing massive upheavals.

 

“Words cannot express my joy in being able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this indomitable family,” said creator, writer and executive producer Soo Hugh. “I'm grateful to the amazing team at Apple AAPL -3.7% and Media Res studio for believing and supporting this show and to our passionate fans who have cheered us on. It's an honor to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew.”

 

Adapted from Min Jin Lee’s novel, Hugh shared that Pachinko was “always conceived and sold as an ongoing four seasons” due to the sheer breadth and depth of the source material. The global attention and attraction of Pachinko will also continue to bolster Apple TV+’s original programming and efforts in the streaming industry.

 

Spoiler

In addition to Pachinko, Soo Hugh will create, co-showrun and executive produce a new Apple Original limited series, called The White Darkness. Her previous works include TV series The Terror (2018) and The Killing (2011).

 

Kogonada and Justin Chon are executive producers of Pachinko and directed four episodes each. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer served as executive producers for Media Res, the studio behind the series, with Theresa Kang-Lowe as executive producer for Blue Marble Pictures.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saramerican/2022/04/30/apples-pachinko-renewed-for-season-2/?sh=1e24e4e97dea

 

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

 

Apple TV+’s ‘Pachinko’ to return with season 2

 

Apple TV+ on Saturday confirmed the return of its Korean original series “Pachinko” with a second season.

The period drama shows the life of Korean family moving to Japan in the 20th century, presenting the universal story of immigrants throughout the world.

Based on Korean American author Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel of the same name, the series depicts the life of a Korean woman named Sunja (played by Youn Yuh-jung and Kim Min-ha), who was born to a poor family in Busan and forced to migrate to Japan during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in 1910-1945.

“Words cannot express my joy in being able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this indomitable family,” Apple TV+ quoted the screenwriter Soo Hugh as saying.

The eight-part series came to an end with its last episode released Saturday.

Coming to the viewers’ attention as one of the most anticipated projects at Apple TV+ for its multinational production and star-studded cast, including Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung, “Pachinko” won rave reviews around the world for dealing cultural identity and intergenerational memory.

The second season of “Pachinko” will also be produced in three different languages -- English, Japanese and Korean -- and released in Apple TV+.

The eight-part series, which premiered on March 25, is available on Apple TV+.

 

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220501000114

 

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

 

TV review: ‘Pachinko’ closes with masterful execution, leaves viewers in anticipation

 

 

Every choice the Kim family makes has ricocheting implications in the epic and well-crafted “Pachinko.”

 

Released Friday, the eighth and final episode of the Apple TV+ series closed off its first season and provided a firm foundation for the recently renewed second season. Adapted from author Min Jin Lee’s novel of the same name, the series follows the multigenerational journey of a Korean family that is forced by time and circumstance to separate and migrate to Japan and America, all the while yearning for Korea. The show is meticulously made – from the cinematography to the acting – and is full of history and emotion despite leaving audiences with a slightly unsatisfactory ending.

 

At the center of all the interweaving paths is Sunja, the matriarch of the family who is first shown as a child (Yu-na Jeon), then as a teenager (Minha Kim) and finally as a grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung). Though three different actresses portray Sunja at three different stages of her life, their performances feel intrinsically linked. Youn plays Sunja as a woman who reflects deeply on what she has experienced and how her past has led to her present circumstances, while Kim plays the character as a cheerful girl who comes to learn about the realities of the world she lives in too quickly. All three actresses’ performances are strong and heartfelt, capturing the range of emotions Sunja feels, from childlike joy to immense horror.

 

Cutting back and forth between the two timelines and three iterations of Sunja could have easily been disjointing and confusing, but creator Soo Hugh and directors Kogonada and Justin Chon seamlessly carry out their vision with title cards that orient viewers in place, time and thematic common threads. In the split timeline, the show diverges from the novel, which is carried out chronologically from before Sunja’s birth in the 1910s to her family and life as an elderly woman in the late 20th century. The discrepancy is not a negative change and instead works well in the translation of the story from novel to television format, keeping viewers engaged and allowing them to see two offshoots of the same overarching story at once.

 

Managing these two timelines are directors Kogonada and Chon. Despite the eight episodes being divided between the two, the narrative flow of the story is carried out deftly over the course of the season. Both directors have clear stylistic voices that are apparent in the show, whether it be through Kogonada’s thoughtful shots of the early morning landscape or Chon’s angled close-ups of the actors, but they never take away from the core emotion of the story. Rather, their differences lean into the emotional beats of the narrative at the right time, as the story starts out more restrained and explodes later on.

 

Similarly, the audience is doled bits and pieces of the story instead of being presented it all at once, which proved to be a cohesive way to tell this generationslong tale. In the first episode, Sunja is introduced as a child and then as a grandmother, leaving the audience wondering about all that happened in between to lead her from her childhood in Japanese-occupied Yeongdo to her quiet future in Japan. This method of storytelling creates a sense of suspense and anticipation, keeping the audience engaged in the characters’ journeys, while a chronological narrative may have dragged along.

 

In an unconventional move, the penultimate episode focuses on Koh Hansu (Lee Min-Ho), a fish broker whom Sunja falls in love with, and the details of his traumatic past that molded him into the person he is when he meets Sunja. It is filmed in a smaller aspect ratio than the other episodes and set completely in the past, placing it apart from the rest of the series. However, despite the tonal shift and the lack of appearances by the other core characters, the installment works well within the narrative because it reveals the source of Hansu’s motivations and cold nature, which is not fully fleshed out in the novel.

 

Ultimately, every character, from Hansu to Sunja’s grandson Solomon Baek (Jin Ha), is affected by their family’s history as Koreans influenced by Japanese colonization and personal tragedy. And though the series is thoughtful in its portrayal of a Korean family that perseveres despite circumstance, it does feel unfinished. This may be because the series was planned with multiple seasons in mind, but it is clear that the journeys of characters such as Sunja and her son Mozasu Baek (Soji Arai) have not yet fully been made known to the audience. Despite this, the show excels in its deep characterization, vibrant visuals and honest writing, which portray the universal human feelings of tragedy and joy through this Korean family.

 

With at least one more season to come, audiences should prepare to uncover more chapters in this grand story.

 

https://dailybruin.com/2022/05/01/tv-review-pachinko-closes-with-masterful-execution-leaves-viewers-in-anticipation

[Kris Silva]

 

Bluemarblepics IG post:

Pachinko is on the 2022 @goldhouseco A100 List! Congratulations to @theresakang_715 and Team Pachinko on this distinguished honor. We are grateful and humbled to be recognized among the A100 Asians and Pacific Islanders who have profound impact and demonstrate excellence at every level of culture, politics, and society. Our heroes and fellow honorees. Thank you.

See the full list at https://goldhouse.org/a100/ .