[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

[twinkle_little_star]

13 minutes ago, syntyche said:

"Pachinko" author Lee Minjin: "Ajumma is going to Seoul." Included in the U.S. Delegation at the Inauguration

 

"Ajumma is a delegate. As a Korean-American, I am honored to represent the United States."

 

Lee Min-jin, the original author of "Pachinko," which is drawing global attention for the Apple TV+ series, will visit Korea as part of a delegation to celebrate the inauguration of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol. Lee expressed her joy when she shared the list of envoys announced by the U.S. administration on social media on the 4th (local time). "I support and value the friendship between Korea and the U.S.," she said, adding that she posted the flag emoticons of both countries side by side. Lee described herself as an ajumma, saying, "Ajumma has become a member of the delegation," and "I am going to Seoul." Lee also wrote the Korean word "Ajumma" in the novel Pachinko.

 

Lee moved to the United States with her parents when she was seven years old and worked as a lawyer, becoming a full-time writer since 1995. In 2007, her debut novel "Free Food for Millionaires" was well received, and in 2017, she published her second full-length novel, Pachinko. Pachinko is the story of a Korean resident in Japan who has lived for four generations from Yeongdo, Busan, to Osaka in Japanese colonial era. The drama 'Pachinko' based on the novel has become a hot topic around the world. The drama recently concluded season 1 and confirmed the production of season 2.

 

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

 

 

*waving hands* hai @syntyche .. Syntyche  hai @nina_mitrokhina ... Nina Mitrokhina..  thank you, we appreciate the time you spent sharing that article for us. 

 

 

source :

 

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

[nina_mitrokhina]

‘Pachinko’ spans 8 decades, puts white rice at center of table

 

Hosted by Evan Kleiman May. 06, 2022

 

 

Spanning over eight decades and four generations, “Pachinko” was adapted from Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel.

 

The Apple TV+ drama “Pachinko” follows a Korean family across eight decades, starting in rural 1930s Busan and ending in late-1980s Tokyo. In the third episode, an elderly Korean woman living in Japan named Sunja (played by Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung) waxes nostalgic about her homeland over a bowl of white rice. The emotion is completely lost on her grandson, but is worthy fodder for discussing the legacy and complicated history that are contained in a few simple grains.

 

KCRW: Can you explain the role of food in the series and its changing symbolism across generations?

 

Ellen Freund: In each era of the family, food plays a major part. It speaks to where they are financially, where they're living, what sort of relationships they have, whether they're taking care of others, taking care of themselves, whether it's showing love, or whether it's trying to convince someone of something.

 

This series is based on Min Jin Lee's 2017 epic historical fiction novel. Is food as significant in the book as it is in the TV show?

 

Mara Lepere-Schloop: The novel is so descriptive in experience and so much about process. Food is a huge component of that, and true to any immigrant story or a story of displacement. When you lose all tangible objects, when you're forced to move from place to place or country to country, the only signifiers of your homeland are often language, cultural traditions, and food. And I think that it's a really brilliant device that [showrunner Soo Hugh] employed to conjure back to different time periods, because the way Soo structured the series is that we're jumping through time, and it's not chronological like the novel is. So where food in the novel becomes part of the rigorous detail, in the television series, it becomes our entry into memory.

 

There’s a scene in the third episode where Sunja recognizes that a bowl of white rice was grown in Korea by its nutty sweetness and texture. Later, we see the process in which her younger self is served white rice traditionally prepared by her mother on her wedding day. What was your process for that, and did the actor have to learn how to manage the more traditional pots and fire?

 

Freund: We started in Korea by gathering our actors together and taking them to a few different teachers who could help us with all of the different processes. One of our first stops was to a house that was outside of Seoul, where the two young Sunjas and the mother were taught to make fire. They had an outdoor fireplace, and it was the home and workshop of a woman who had repeatedly won the kimchi-making contests for years in Korea. Then we learned to wash the rice and cook the rice. The washing of the rice with the little rattan baskets was a very specific move. The actors learned to use the basket to wash the rice and the correct flip of the wrist.

 

How did you go about finding the cookware for the different eras?

 

Freund: It was pretty difficult. The set decorator Hamish Purdy and I went to Korea in advance and we shopped at antique markets and in modern pottery places. It was difficult to find the quantity of things we needed. And there were also budgetary constraints and repeats. So for instance, the cook pot where we cook the rice when we're in the village had to be a modern pot, because I needed four of them so I could cut the bottom out [to] add a window for the camera. And so I could shoot a repeat of the beautiful crust of the rice. I had to source a pot that looked appropriate for 1930 or 1922 and then get a number of them. It was the same with dishware. It was okay if it was cracked, because it would have been cracked.

 

I ended up not being able to use anything modern because it just felt wrong. It always felt too shiny, or too matte, or the shape was wrong. And so I ended up using mostly older dishes to give that feeling of being appropriate. The rice bowl was another one that was a difficult decision, because the one that worked best was the brass rice bowl. But there were many discussions about whether they would have been able to afford the brass or whether, if they had brass, they would have sold it. The same way that we would discuss things like, “Yes, they had chickens, so they would have eggs. But wouldn't they sell the eggs, rather than eat the eggs, because they needed the money?”

 

Were the scenes of the Busan fish market filmed at a real fish market? How much of the seafood was real?

 

Lepere-Schloop: This was a real journey. We made “Pachinko'' during the pandemic and we stumbled into production in a very haphazard way, and without a full production plan when we first arrived in South Korea. We knew that if we started filming in October, that, [for] a number of reasons, we needed to be out by Christmas and we wouldn't be able to return because of visas and quarantines and all sorts of things. So we basically had this ticking clock of the number of days we could shoot in South Korea.

 

Number one on that list was the Busan fish market from the 1920s timeline, because we knew how hard it would be in Vancouver to source the product. So we searched and we looked everywhere in South Korea for this fish market location or a place we could build it. Long story short, we couldn't find it. So eventually we just had to concede it wasn't going to happen in South Korea. We did shoot the actual Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan for the 1989 storyline. That was amazing. Thus began a half-year mission to source product for the market that we had to completely dress from scratch in Vancouver. We not only had to do it from scratch, but we also had to maintain it for two-and-a-half weeks of filming in a historic museum that wouldn't allow us to spill a single drop of water.

 

Freund: The sourcing of the fish and trying to find the seafood and eels became very complicated because we had to try to make them look appropriate for the era. I had to be able to source the correct eel and keep them alive, and then substitute the dead eels, for which I made an animatronic eel that could wiggle on command.

 

I found some irony in that there was never any food in the pachinko parlor.

 

Lepere-Schloop: That was actually something that I was very disappointed to find in my research, that there wasn't a little cafeteria in pachinko parlors. Because when we first started designing the set, we really wanted to bring that in in some way, to get more contemporary Japanese food and drinking. And what we found was that people would often bring their own food, and there's actually refrigerated lockers in a lot of parlors, but there wouldn't be places for them to eat. They just eat at the machines.

 

But the prize area of parlors, particularly in the ‘80s, were more like what we would imagine a grocery store to look like. There was a refrigerated section where you could win a durian or get a carton of cigarettes. And what we found in some of the research is that with prizes, especially if they were stuffed animals or things like that, that there were often stalls or windows around the corner from a lot of parlors where there'd be these under-the-table rackets where you’d bring the stuffed bunny that you won, and you'd trade it in for cash. And we didn't get to really feed into that in this season. I'm not sure if that's going to be something that's touched upon later, but I'd love that detail.

 

https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/mothers-day-culinary-journalism-bagels/ellen-freund-mara-lepere-schloop-pachinko

[syntyche]

 For the "Pachinko" Costume Designer, Every Garment Carries Significance

 

Since its much-anticipated debut in late March, "Pachinko," based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, has captivated viewers with its gripping story of one Korean family through four generations. While "Pachinko" is a work of fiction, the Apple TV+ series — like the book — effortlessly weaves historical authenticity into the lives of its fictional characters. In fact, authenticity was the "bedrock" of the show, as Soo Hugh, the creator, showrunner, writer, and executive producer, has frequently spoken about maintaining the historical accuracy of Korea throughout the 1900s. Hugh captures the era through the characters, the beautiful sets, the vivid food, and of course, the clothing.

 

In only five months, costume designer Kyunghwa Chae procured all of the period garments of "Pachinko," about 80 percent of which were custom-made. Others were discovered from vintage shops in Japan and France. While Chae has been a regular on Korean film sets for the past two decades, "Pachinko" was her first US-based project, a feat she didn't take lightly. "Since I was the only Korean amongst a primarily foreign staff team, I felt a great sense of responsibility to play my part in the authenticity [of the show]," Chae tells POPSUGAR.

 

The costumer "completely fell in love" with the original novel, and after a single meeting with Hugh, she wanted in on the project. As historical truth was key for Hugh, Chae and her team consulted historians and professors, and pored over books, photographs, and photo albums that belonged to people who had lived during the early 20th century.

 

Ahead, Chae walks POPSUGAR through what came of the tireless research, the evolution of the hanbok, navigating various time periods in three different countries, and more.

 

While hanboks are known to most as colorful, traditional Korean dress often worn for special occasions, the mostly custom hanboks we see in "Pachinko" are relaxed, worn-in, and of soft, light hues.

 

"This traditional garment really captures the story and the identity of the Korean people," Chae says. "The hanbok may seem similar across different time periods, but actually, there is quite a subtle difference in the jeogori (the hanbok top), blouse, skirt, and goreum (the ribbon used to tie the blouse). In these small details, we wanted to make sure everything was accurate, so we received very thorough advice from our historians and our advisors."

 

She adds: "During the Japanese colonial rule, we were known to wear and love the color white; Koreans are known as 'the people of white clothes.' The basic concept inspiration for the wardrobe started from white, which also symbolizes the people of Yeongdo's resistance to the Japanese. I wanted to make sure the clothing fabric was of soft color tones, like a watercolor kind of vibe. The color of Sunja's purple jeogori is similar to shade of the mugunghwa, Korea's national flower. This is significantly different from those flashy, shiny clothes and hanboks that you would see in other previous period dramas that feature the royal family."

 

The Importance of Fabrics

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

"Washing our clothes is a very important part of [Korean] culture," Chae says. "As you can see in 'Pachinko,' many characters wash their clothes at the streams. I wanted to make sure the fabric looked to be washed many times and worn out, so it would look as if it had been worn by these people for a long time."

 

She continues: "Even if the characters were living in the same time period, let's say the '30s, I wanted to show how some people were really fashion leaders trying to catch up with the trendiest fashion, whereas other people would wear clothes that were really worn out from the '20s. Yangjin, Sunja's mother, wouldn't have been able to afford those trendy clothes. She would wear costumes of the past."

 

Sunja's Journey to Japan Through Clothing

 

In episodes four and five, Sunja travels from her small village in Korea to Osaka, Japan, and her journey is also told through her clothing. "When she boards the boat to Osaka, she wears the durumagi (a hanbok overcoat), and then when she arrives, there's that great shift to a Western-style wardrobe," Chae says.

 

The blue durumagi also happens to be Chae's favorite garment. "I remember when we first made it and Sunja (Minha Kim) tried it on, everybody was really blown away. I adore the scene where Yangjin gifts that durumagi to her daughter. It means more than simply a costume — it symbolizes a mother's love. As we were working on these clothes, of course, making them historically authentic was important, but I tried harder to make sure the wardrobe would embody something more than that, like a mother's love or the solidarity of a family and so forth. Just like Yangjin's serving of white rice to her daughter and her newlywed husband symbolizes her love, the blue durumagi also carried a lot of significance."

 

 

"When Sunja was young, living in Korea, she had very loving parents and a happy life, although they weren't well off," Chae says. "In that regard, I wanted to use very warm color tones like peach and pink colors as the main inspiration for her clothes. But after she moved to Japan, I shifted to cold colors like blue shades since she had departed from those times of love and had begun to face a harsh reality."

 

She adds: "We were also aware that in this time, there were certain Korean people who were wearing Western clothes, but average Korean people would've worn hanbok. So we started off primarily with hanbok, and after Sunja moved to Japan, we wanted to show her wardrobe change gradually as she got used to life in Japan more and more. Her fashion items would change item by item. We thought about where would she have gotten these clothes, and we concluded that those cardigans and the Western items would've come from Kyunghee's wardrobe."

 

The Difference Between Hansu's and Isak's Suits

 

"For hanbok, we had to triple-check to make sure everything was correct by referencing YouTube clips, books, and more. However, for men's suits, there were more pictures and references to go off of. I wanted to make Hansu feel like plastic, kind of artificial, amongst that natural landscape of Yeongdo."

 

Spoiler

 

On the other hand, she continues: "If you look at Isak's clothes, his shirt's collar is more of a round shape, which was popular and in fashion in the 1920s. His clothes are a little bit more outdated, and there was no shine at all. Whereas for Hansu's clothes, we would use a lot of silk and make sure they were very shiny. Hansu was emanating more of a rigid, artificial vibe, and Isak gave off a soft, organic, natural vibe that would blend in more naturally with the hanbok that the people of Yeongdo were wearing."

 

The Biggest Challenge

 

Spoiler

 

"Rather than wrestling over a specific piece of clothing, I think the fact that we were short on time was the challenging part," Chae says. "We had to make a lot of costumes within a short span of time, so everything was very difficult as I tried hard to choose the right color and fabric that I had in my mind."

 

https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/pachinko-costume-designer-interview-48808978?stream_view=1#photo-48812021

 

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

 

'Pachinko' prop master shares how they recreated 1938 Japanese market

 

The drama series is told over eight episodes in three languages: Korean, Japanese, and English.

Prop Master Ellen Freund shared how the crew recreated the Japanese market.

 

The first season of "Pachinko" is now streaming on Apple TV+, but let's dive into some behind-the-scenes first.

 

In a post on Twitter today, Ellen Freund, the Prop Master for the series, talked about how the crew recreated the Japanese marke where Sunja starts her kimchi business. Freund said that they featured a lot of vendors including carts for medicinal herbs, lanterns, and tea in order to recreate an authentic market in 1938 Osaka.

 

“This scene in the market really signals Sunja’s growth. And awareness of the situation and the truth of life in Japan.” -Ellen Freund | Prop Master

 

 

“We had a lot of vendors. So a cart with medicinal herbs. Or the lantern cart. Or a tea cart. All of these things… in order to create a market street in 1938 Osaka.”

 

 

 

https://www.imore.com/pachinko-prop-master-shares-how-they-recreated-japanese-market

 

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

 

hey @twinkle_little_star good to see you on the thread 

 

[twinkle_little_star]

2 hours ago, syntyche said:

 For the "Pachinko" Costume Designer, Every Garment Carries Significance

 

Since its much-anticipated debut in late March, "Pachinko," based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, has captivated viewers with its gripping story of one Korean family through four generations. While "Pachinko" is a work of fiction, the Apple TV+ series — like the book — effortlessly weaves historical authenticity into the lives of its fictional characters. In fact, authenticity was the "bedrock" of the show, as Soo Hugh, the creator, showrunner, writer, and executive producer, has frequently spoken about maintaining the historical accuracy of Korea throughout the 1900s. Hugh captures the era through the characters, the beautiful sets, the vivid food, and of course, the clothing.

 

In only five months, costume designer Kyunghwa Chae procured all of the period garments of "Pachinko," about 80 percent of which were custom-made. Others were discovered from vintage shops in Japan and France. While Chae has been a regular on Korean film sets for the past two decades, "Pachinko" was her first US-based project, a feat she didn't take lightly. "Since I was the only Korean amongst a primarily foreign staff team, I felt a great sense of responsibility to play my part in the authenticity [of the show]," Chae tells POPSUGAR.

 

The costumer "completely fell in love" with the original novel, and after a single meeting with Hugh, she wanted in on the project. As historical truth was key for Hugh, Chae and her team consulted historians and professors, and pored over books, photographs, and photo albums that belonged to people who had lived during the early 20th century.

 

Ahead, Chae walks POPSUGAR through what came of the tireless research, the evolution of the hanbok, navigating various time periods in three different countries, and more.

 

While hanboks are known to most as colorful, traditional Korean dress often worn for special occasions, the mostly custom hanboks we see in "Pachinko" are relaxed, worn-in, and of soft, light hues.

 

"This traditional garment really captures the story and the identity of the Korean people," Chae says. "The hanbok may seem similar across different time periods, but actually, there is quite a subtle difference in the jeogori (the hanbok top), blouse, skirt, and goreum (the ribbon used to tie the blouse). In these small details, we wanted to make sure everything was accurate, so we received very thorough advice from our historians and our advisors."

 

She adds: "During the Japanese colonial rule, we were known to wear and love the color white; Koreans are known as 'the people of white clothes.' The basic concept inspiration for the wardrobe started from white, which also symbolizes the people of Yeongdo's resistance to the Japanese. I wanted to make sure the clothing fabric was of soft color tones, like a watercolor kind of vibe. The color of Sunja's purple jeogori is similar to shade of the mugunghwa, Korea's national flower. This is significantly different from those flashy, shiny clothes and hanboks that you would see in other previous period dramas that feature the royal family."

 

The Importance of Fabrics

 

"Washing our clothes is a very important part of [Korean] culture," Chae says. "As you can see in 'Pachinko,' many characters wash their clothes at the streams. I wanted to make sure the fabric looked to be washed many times and worn out, so it would look as if it had been worn by these people for a long time."

 

She continues: "Even if the characters were living in the same time period, let's say the '30s, I wanted to show how some people were really fashion leaders trying to catch up with the trendiest fashion, whereas other people would wear clothes that were really worn out from the '20s. Yangjin, Sunja's mother, wouldn't have been able to afford those trendy clothes. She would wear costumes of the past."

 

Sunja's Journey to Japan Through Clothing

 

In episodes four and five, Sunja travels from her small village in Korea to Osaka, Japan, and her journey is also told through her clothing. "When she boards the boat to Osaka, she wears the durumagi (a hanbok overcoat), and then when she arrives, there's that great shift to a Western-style wardrobe," Chae says.

 

The blue durumagi also happens to be Chae's favorite garment. "I remember when we first made it and Sunja (Minha Kim) tried it on, everybody was really blown away. I adore the scene where Yangjin gifts that durumagi to her daughter. It means more than simply a costume — it symbolizes a mother's love. As we were working on these clothes, of course, making them historically authentic was important, but I tried harder to make sure the wardrobe would embody something more than that, like a mother's love or the solidarity of a family and so forth. Just like Yangjin's serving of white rice to her daughter and her newlywed husband symbolizes her love, the blue durumagi also carried a lot of significance."

 

"When Sunja was young, living in Korea, she had very loving parents and a happy life, although they weren't well off," Chae says. "In that regard, I wanted to use very warm color tones like peach and pink colors as the main inspiration for her clothes. But after she moved to Japan, I shifted to cold colors like blue shades since she had departed from those times of love and had begun to face a harsh reality."

 

She adds: "We were also aware that in this time, there were certain Korean people who were wearing Western clothes, but average Korean people would've worn hanbok. So we started off primarily with hanbok, and after Sunja moved to Japan, we wanted to show her wardrobe change gradually as she got used to life in Japan more and more. Her fashion items would change item by item. We thought about where would she have gotten these clothes, and we concluded that those cardigans and the Western items would've come from Kyunghee's wardrobe."

 

The Difference Between Hansu's and Isak's Suits

 

"For hanbok, we had to triple-check to make sure everything was correct by referencing YouTube clips, books, and more. However, for men's suits, there were more pictures and references to go off of. I wanted to make Hansu feel like plastic, kind of artificial, amongst that natural landscape of Yeongdo."

 

On the other hand, she continues: "If you look at Isak's clothes, his shirt's collar is more of a round shape, which was popular and in fashion in the 1920s. His clothes are a little bit more outdated, and there was no shine at all. Whereas for Hansu's clothes, we would use a lot of silk and make sure they were very shiny. Hansu was emanating more of a rigid, artificial vibe, and Isak gave off a soft, organic, natural vibe that would blend in more naturally with the hanbok that the people of Yeongdo were wearing."

 

The Biggest Challenge

 

"Rather than wrestling over a specific piece of clothing, I think the fact that we were short on time was the challenging part," Chae says. "We had to make a lot of costumes within a short span of time, so everything was very difficult as I tried hard to choose the right color and fabric that I had in my mind."

 

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

 

'Pachinko' prop master shares how they recreated 1938 Japanese market

 

The drama series is told over eight episodes in three languages: Korean, Japanese, and English.

Prop Master Ellen Freund shared how the crew recreated the Japanese market.

 

The first season of "Pachinko" is now streaming on Apple TV+, but let's dive into some behind-the-scenes first.

 

In a post on Twitter today, Ellen Freund, the Prop Master for the series, talked about how the crew recreated the Japanese marke where Sunja starts her kimchi business. Freund said that they featured a lot of vendors including carts for medicinal herbs, lanterns, and tea in order to recreate an authentic market in 1938 Osaka.

 

“This scene in the market really signals Sunja’s growth. And awareness of the situation and the truth of life in Japan.” -Ellen Freund | Prop Master

 

“We had a lot of vendors. So a cart with medicinal herbs. Or the lantern cart. Or a tea cart. All of these things… in order to create a market street in 1938 Osaka.”

 

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

 

hey @twinkle_little_star good to see you on the thread 

 

*bowed head* my pleasure @syntyche , Syntyche. 

 

 

source : 

 

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

[nina_mitrokhina]

Pachinko: An excellent multi-generational family historical drama.

 

Tanpopo - May 7, 2022

 

Since its announcement, "Tanpopo" has generated curiosity because "Pachinko" is an extremely large-scale film produced by AppleTV+, the script of which is adapted from the novel of the same name by author Lee Min-jin, which is one of 10 books. Best of 2017.

The plot revolves around Kim Sung Ja, a girl born and raised in Busan, South Korea. Her fate begins to change when she meets Ko Hansoo.

 

Ironically, Soon-ja got pregnant after learning that Ko Hansoo had a wife in Japan. Later, a church priest named Baek Isak helped Sun-ja by marrying her and moving to Japan.

 

The life of Koreans living in Japan at that time was not easy. Discriminated, they fought for survival. Pachinko follows Sun Ja through decades of reversals, heartbreaking tragedies, and major world events.

 

At first, Tanpopo watched Pachinko just out of curiosity about what Lee Min Ho called "marking the path for the next 10 years," but the more he watched, the more fascinated he became.

 

Although Pachinko is popular in Vietnam for its "laying in bed" scene and sharp lines from Ko Hansoo (Lee Min Ho), Tanpopo personally advises everyone not to rush to drop the movie or watch it later!

Tanpopo wants to say that pachinko is not for those who "ride a horse to see flowers". The film has a dense plot with multiple generations, many events and each character has a depth of soul, once realizing, Tanpopo feels like plunging into a deep blue ocean.

There are many very beautiful, very poetic details in the film, such as when young Sun Ja (Kim Min Ha) eats her last meal before leaving - white rice, and the older Sun Ja (Yong Yoo Jung) sheds tears when asked to leave, again try old rice.

 

Through him, Tanpopo learns that Sun Ja has spent her life remembering the subtle changes in the taste of rice between her homeland and Japan. Tanpopo takes the story told in the film as one of carefully rendered emotional beats set against a historical setting.

However, due to its long plot and too many characters, Pachinko will be quite confusing for those who haven't read Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel. Above all, each actor's performance was impressive, leaving a deep imprint on Tanpopo's heart.

 

Veteran actress Yoon Yoo-jung performed well in scenes with her son Mozasu (Soji Arai), a pachinko shop owner, and grandson Solomon (Jin Ha).

 

And Kim Min Ha, the beauty who played the role of Song Ja in her youth, is truly a "heavenly" discovery of the film crew. The director really didn't make a mistake when he cast Min Ha as a heavy character like Sun Ja so that she could turn this unfortunate but intelligent woman into an extremely close one to the audience.

 

 

In a segment with Lee Min Ho or in conversation with others, Min Ha proves that she will become the brightest star in the Korean entertainment industry in the future, despite her deviant beauty.

 

Talking about Lee Min Ho, Tanpopo gives him a lot of compliments. Don't rush to watch Pachinko because of the "rolling in bed" scene with Ko Hansoo's character, then denigrate this show! Lee Min Ho really did a great job as Ko Hansoo, who fell in love with poor Sung Ja and secretly helped her even though they couldn't get married.

 

 

It is worth noting that Ko Hansu also has a story that goes back to the 1923 Kanto earthquake. To be honest, Tanpopo was deeply moved to see Lee Min Ho's performance as Ko Hansu, especially the episode about the character's origin.

 

With a great cast and a solid story, Tanpopo isn't all that weird to hear that Pachinko has finally been renewed for a second season by AppleTV+. Tanpopo suggested that Lee Min Ho's Ko Hansoo will have more acting space in the second season, and the story of Noah, Hansoo and Song Ja's son, will also be revealed. What do you think of Pachinko, let Tanpopo know!

 

Translation from Vietnamese google

https://www.dienanh.net/pachinko-cua-lee-min-ho-bo-phim-ve-gia-dinh-da-the-he-xuat-sac-47735.html

[Thong Thin]

@agenth  thanks for tagging me.

 

Finally, I managed to finished Ep 7 and Ep 8 and I found these 2 episodes the impact on life for love and survival.

 

When Hansu found out abt his dad debts,he forego his dream of going to America where he might have a bright future, but he rather  stay back to work for Ryoichi to settle his dad debt. Bonding between father and son is so deep that he rather get beaten up by his dad.

 

Little Noa is very clever and talented, he speaks well in Korean & Jap.

I love how he act as a translator back to Sunja in Korean at the police station and underground meeting with the Jap guy & lady. He is a real gem. 

 

The scene where Sunja was trying to sell her first kimchi in a foreign land where nobody might have heard & taste kimichi esp of its pungent smell. 

However, she fought hard to sell in order to feed his 2 sons and she is not fear of failure.

By observing how those peddlars sells their produce, she tried her very best by speaking in Jap & Korean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CarolynH]

Interesting results from the poll--with Hansu giving advice to his son as the favorite scene defeating Noa running to Isak after his father's arrest by 1 vote!  Thanks to all who voted!

[syntyche]

2 hours ago, CarolynH said:

Interesting results from the poll--with Hansu giving advice to his son as the favorite scene defeating Noa running to Isak after his father's arrest by 1 vote!  Thanks to all who voted!

 

Quite interesting results, indeed. In the pre-finale poll, Hansu won as the most favorite character, while the most favorite scene for episodes 1 to 4 is when Hansu was telling Sunja about his father and his childhood.  

 

It's either we are all LMH fans, or he just hands down slayed his character as Hansu! Looking forward to Season 2!

 

Thanks to all who voted and posted their comments!

 

  

 

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Nico Muhly Mixed Acoustics With Electronics For ‘Pachinko’ Music: “The Idea Of An Orchestral Sweep Felt Wrong” – Sound & Screen

 

"Pachinko" composer Nico Muhly onstage for the Apple TV+'s panel at Deadline Sound & ScreenJerod Harris/Deadline

 

When it came to setting the soundtrack for Pachinko, composer Nico Muhly realized he had some heavy lifting to do in helping to tell the multi-generational story about a Korean immigrant family.

“It occurred to me the music couldn’t work too thematically,” Muhly said during a panel for the Apple TV+ series at Deadline’s Sound & Screen music event. “The music had to function as a big, big bridge, not just about this family but about the bigger forces that caused them to move where they did and all the terrible things that befell them at those times.”

 

Spoiler

Nico Muhly performs onstage during Apple TV+’s “Pachinko” panel ThursdayJerod Harris/Deadline

 

To help contribute to the sound of the sweeping saga, Muhly mixed both acoustics and electronic sounds. “I found it very interesting thank you very much,” Muhly said, laughing. “The idea of an orchestral sweep felt in some way wrong. Yes, it’s a sweeping story but it’s also a tragic and intimate one. Tiny little things happen between two people. I felt like, for me, the orchestra wanted to exist both in this gigantic space but also in quite a small intimate environment. And for bringing us into the ’80s, I didn’t want to make it [sound like a] melodrama. I wanted to make it more…these are the sounds of that era, in an early sense, bubbling around.”

 

Working with creator-showrunner Soo Hugh was made easier, Muhly said, because she had a “total vision of this thing before anything was shot. She had all the music spotted before she wrote anything. It gave me a good framework to start at and fight against.”

 

Muhly’s past credits the 2017 miniseries Howards End and the 2020 movie Worth starring Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci.

 

https://deadline.com/2022/05/pachnico-nico-muhly-interview-sound-and-screen-1235018211/

 

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Why Pachinko is already one of the best series of the year

...

Both heartbreaking and filled with gripping stories, the series created by Soo Hugh acts as a necessarily useful reminder for today's viewers of how history has silenced a whole series of tragic events. Pachinko is certainly educational and makes no apologies for it. We will remember the staggering seventh episode which temporarily dislodges the program from its sentimental troubles to recount the Yokohama earthquake in 1923. In addition to the massive damage caused by it, the tragedy had cost the lives of thousands of Koreans, lynched by Japanese who saw them as threats to their survival. The number of victims is between 2,500 and 6,000 Koreans. Even today, many historians debate on this subject. Decades after the liberation, the series also demonstrates how the power relations between Japanese and South Koreans remain and contribute to making the past a gaping wound where all resentments, personal and professional, interfere.

 

The strength of large frescoes often lies in their ability to broaden their field of exploration, to start from a microcosm to better question the unsaid of a society. Pachinko never hides this ambition, even if it means sometimes giving the impression of abandoning his characters to settle the unresolved disputes of History. The fact remains that the breath with which each event is told is enough to thrill us for a little over eight hours, as majestic as they are overwhelming.

 

https://www.gqmagazine.fr/pop-culture/article/pourquoi-pachinko-est-deja-lune-des-meilleures-series-de-lannee

 

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Korean Celebrities Who Recently Regained Popularity 

 

Korean celebrities may make or break their career in just a single move, may it be a project or being involved in a controversy. 

Interestingly, these K-drama stars were among the public figures who were able to turn their lives around.

As noted by a media outlet, KBS' "Entertainment Company Live" made a rundown of five South Korean celebrities who regained their fame recently. 

 

Interestingly, these 3 K-drama stars topped the rankings as noted by KBS' "Entertainment Company Live."

 

Youn Yuh Jung

 

 

Of course, the list wouldn't be complete without veteran actress Youn Yuh Jung. 

 

She might be one of the pillars of the entertainment industry in South Korea; the 74-year-old star made history after bagging the Best Supporting Actress trophy during the 2021 Academy Awards. 

 

The Oscar winner took home the highly coveted award for her role in "Minari."

 

This 2022, she made some noise after landing the role of Sunja in the Apple TV+ series "Pachinko" with Lee Min Ho and Kim Min Ha. 

 

https://www.kdramastars.com/articles/124887/20220507/korean-celebrities-regained-popularity-lee-junho-youn-yuh-jung.htm

 

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Why do premium soap operas drive us crazy? The answer of three experts

...

A checkered lineage

'Pachinko', an Apple TV+ fiction that has just aired its first season, has been the latest critically successful series to get on this bandwagon. Her vision of the story of a checkered South Korean bloodline is full of passion and drama, but she is careful not to compromise his cache of luxury series with exaggeration. The journalist Víctor M. González was quick to point it out, at the beginning of his weekly broadcast, as a candidate for the best series of 2022.

 

"I don't think 'Pachinko' is a premium telenovela," González counters. “To me, it has more elements of classic melodrama. I think the development of characters and themes is slower and more nuanced than it would be in a soap opera .” What if it were melodrama, then, that bridge that we seek between the world of prestigious series and that of soap operas?

 

"Melodrama is very versatile, it adapts to different historical contexts and allows empathy to be generated," answers Helena Galán, professor of Audiovisual Communication at the Carlos III University of Madrid. "At the end of the day, it connects from emotional experiences and universal plots with themes such as love, family, money, power... Although the formats change over time, the idea of capturing viewers from the emotion and with quality scripts it always works".

 

However, the case of 'Pachinko' is more complex. Putting to appraise the aura of distinction, that premium packaging, that surrounds the Apple TV + series and that the usual soap operas do not have , we could start with its visual aspect, taken care of to the extreme by the video essayist and festival filmmaker Kogonada , who directs half of the episodes. Or by the very philosophy of Apple's on-demand service, built around exclusivity and the 'deluxe' experience.

 

https://www.elconfidencial.com/television/series-tv/2022-05-07/locos-telenovelas-premium-respuesta-expertos_3415844/

 

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Lee Min Ho's handsome son has the talent to become a big star?

 

Lee Min Ho became more and more famous globally after starring in the TV series Pachinko with Kim Min Ha .

 

Lee Min Ho plays the character of Koh Han Su, a Korean- Japanese man with ties with the yakuza.

 

Kim Min Ha , who plays the character of Kim Sun Ja, gave birth to and took care of her child with Koh Han Su, named Noa in Japan.

 

Noa is played by a child actor named Park Jae Joon.

 

Park Jae Joon as Lee Min Ho and Kim Min Ha 's son has a handsome face that steals attention.

 

 

Park Jae Joon with bowl bangs made many fans praise him in Kim Min Ha's Instagram comment column .

 

Spoiler

 

Park Jae Joon is indeed suitable to be cast as Lee Min Ho 's son because of his adorable and handsome visuals.

 

Park Jae Joon himself is a child actor who has appeared in famous Korean dramas.

 

Only 8 years old, Park Jae Joon has successfully become a supporting actor in famous dramas such as A Business Proposal as little Kang Tae Moo, Thirty Nine as Choi Hoon, then there is Doom at Your Service , Hi Bye Mama and others.

 

Wow, maybe Lee Min Ho 's son in Pachinko will be a big star in the future. What do you think of Park Jae Joon's figure? So cute and talented! 

 

https://jaktimnews.pikiran-rakyat.com/infotainment/pr-894425115/gantengnya-putra-lee-min-ho-yang-dilarikan-ke-jepang-berbakat-jadi-bintang-besar?page=3

[syntyche]

BTS’s Namjoon is conquered by “Pachinko”, the series by Lee Min Ho and Minha Kim

 

 

The BTS leader is no stranger to “Pachinko” fever. Apple TV original series had Youn Yuh Jung, Minha Kim, and Lee Min Ho among its lead actors.

 

The story of “ Pachinko ” also conquered Namjoon . On April 7 (PET), the BTS leader revealed on social media that he enjoys the Apple TV original series , which featured Oscar winner Youn Yuh Jung and 'King of Hallyu' Lee in the main cast. Min Ho, along with breakout actress Minha Kim.

 

Based on the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, the epic drama co-produced between South Korea and Canada hit the streaming platform on March 25, 2022 with the release of its first three chapters . Every Friday since then, he released a new episode until completing the 8 of the first season .

 

Namjoon and “Pachinko”

 

The BTS star published a photo in insta stories where a scene from “Pachinko” can be seen from his TV screen. In this shot appear Youn Yuh Jung, a veteran actress who plays the elderly version of the protagonist Sunja , along with Jin Ha, an actor who plays the heroine's grandson, Solomon.

Fans were pleasantly surprised by the update, as they were unaware that RM was also a fan of the series, and it was widely spread on Twitter.

 

 

https://larepublica.pe/cultura-asiatica/2022/05/07/bts-namjoon-es-conquistado-por-pachinko-la-serie-de-lee-min-ho-y-minha-kim-para-apple-instagram/

 

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“Pachinko”, Series from Apple TV+ which raises the issue of Korean history during the Japanese colonial period 

 

The new Apple TV+ series set against the backdrop of Japan's leadership in Korea entitled “Pachinko” is gaining attention because of historical humanitarian issues raised through the quality of large-scale production.

 

After the busy CODA film graced the Oscars 2022 nomination stage, Apple TV+ became the first streaming service whose original film won the Oscars category. “CODA” has received a lot of support and public attention because its core focus on the issue of deaf disability is packaged in a touching family storyline.

 

Following the success of “CODA”, Apple TV+ released a new original series entitled “Pachinko” which highlights various human and female issues in history against the backdrop of Korea under Japanese occupation in 1910-1945. This story is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name by a South Korean female writer, Min Jin Lee. Lee explained that she wrote this book to break the stereotype that people who are classified as women of color, immigrants, or working class people are not seen as people who can write their ideas into a book, “but no matter,” concluded Lee before opening his story.

 

Spoiler

The series adaptation of this book was purchased by Apple TV+ three years ago from the producer and writer, Soo Hugh, who as a career woman of Korean-American blood automatically falls into the “but no matter” category that Lee emphasized in his book. Soo Hugh, said that in this project, Apple TV+ did not pursue marketing at all but because of the principle of admiration which was also wrapped in affection. 

 

In her decision to bring up stories that are part of his personal history, Hugh says, “For a long time, the western world thought their stories were the only stories. This shows the strength of the diaspora that we call for; no, it's not the only paradigm. We want to (tell) our own story too.”

 

The adaptation process involved many creative experts including Korean-American directors, Kogonada and Justin Chon and was brought to life by a line of well-known South Korean actors such as Young Yuh-ja, winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the film "Minari" in 2021, actor top Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha, Anna Sawai, and many more. The latest trailer for the series adaptation can be seen here and the full episodes can be watched sequentially on Apple TV+.

 

This story is about Korea's struggle under the Japanese military regime which is still one of the biggest wounds in Korean history. Hugh emphasized that the history that happened decades ago is not the past that has been completed. Looking at what is happening right now between Ukraine and Russia, this is an example of a mistake that keeps repeating itself. Therefore he hopes this film can convey a piece of the picture about the what, who, where, when, and why of war and colonialism.

 

In its delivery, "Pachinko" is packaged in the form of a period drama full of elements of love, human conflict, power, culture with large-scale production quality. In contrast to the approach of films made by other major streaming sites, which has a tendency to start historical series with action scenes here and there, Hugh carves a story and a slow-burn drama atmosphere.with solid story building. One thing that worries Apple is how much history there is to explain in this series and what is the ideal context for delivery so viewers don't feel like they're watching a raw history book. Apart from that, Apple supports all the organic approaches that Hugh chooses.

 

Looking at the number of original projects that Apple TV+ has worked on so far, it appears that they are focusing on the selling point of their films and series through a slower, but more engaging approach than being dictated by mainstream wills. From “CODA”, “Pachinko” to the hit feel-good comedy series “Ted Lasso”, Apple TV+ seems to adapt a broad genre but has a common thread of a unique approach that fits with Apple's own  brand image

 

https://www.whiteboardjournal.com/ideas/film/pachinko-serial-dari-apple-tv-yang-angkat-isu-sejarah-korea-di-masa-penjajahan-jepang/

[imgreatgal]

Thank you @syntycheyes i definitely enjoyed season 1 and hoping season 2 will come to us like yesterday. I want to know what happen to Noa, it seems like something bad happened to him after what Mozasu said "he was raised right but look what happened to him"

[syntyche]

1 hour ago, imgreatgal said:

Thank you @syntycheyes i definitely enjoyed season 1 and hoping season 2 will come to us like yesterday. I want to know what happen to Noa, it seems like something bad happened to him after what Mozasu said "he was raised right but look what happened to him"

 

Looking forward to Season 2! But until then, if you haven't read the book yet, maybe you should avoid spoilers. 

 

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Emmy Digital Magazine

“Step inside some of the best supporting performances of the year”

Pachinko: Lee Minho

 

 

[CallieP]

15 hours ago, syntyche said:

It's either we are all LMH fans, or he just hands down slayed his character as Hansu! Looking forward to Season 2!

 

Thanks to all who voted and posted their comments!

 

It is because we are all LMH's fans

[confusedheart]

Spotlight: Young Bright Stars of Tomorrow

 

Chingus, let's show our love and appreciation for the bright young child artists in K-dramas. 

 

Let's celebrate their talent in our new Spotlight: Young Bright Stars of Tomorrow.  

Don’t forget to vote for your favourite Former K-drama child artists. 

 

 

 

 Re : @confusedheart @partyon @Sleepy Owl @agenth

[syntyche]

PACHINKO / The series dedicated to the love of mothers

 

Among the most beautiful TV series of the year is added Pachinko, a dramatic story of a family of Korean origins condemned to immigration over more than 70 years of history. The series is produced by Apple TV + and all eight episodes are available on April 29. Produced in the United States, it is part of the cinema phenomenon of recent years which has seen South Korea become a reference point for global production.

...

Pachinko therefore remains a colossal work dedicated to sentiment, maternal love, the unbeatable strength of women. Cinematography, music, costumes are only extraordinary frames of a masterpiece centered on a woman able to react to difficulties and pain. Her strength grows every time in proportion to the oppression suffered, without ever exceeding, without ever losing wisdom and humanity. You are often moved, of course, but above all you remain petrified in the face of human cruelty and ecstatic in front of the ability that human beings themselves have to remedy the limits of their own species.

 

https://www.ilsussidiario.net/news/pachinko-la-moglie-coreana-la-serie-dedicata-allamore-delle-madri/2337421/

 

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[Photoshoot] Kim Minha. "Sunja" is a kid who knows how to collapse"
 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

The fashion magazine WWD Korea recently released a pictorial with Kim Min-ha. Kim Min-ha posed with Korean fashion props such as jade bina, jade ring paper, and socks along with Choi Jeong-hwa's representative works against the backdrop of Ungyeong Historic House, which houses modern and contemporary Korean history.

 

"Pachinko" is a chronicle of the hopes and dreams of a family of Korean immigrants who left their hometown with an indomitable will to survive and prosper, and Kim Min-ha played the youth of a strong Sunja. In an interview, Kim Min-ha said, "I didn't want to lose my unique strong-mindedness," adding, "she's not the kind that says she's not hard because of her ego. She admits it's hard and cries like a baby in front of her mother. She focused on this look and she continued to try to be honest with herself. There are aspects of her that she does not want to show to anyone, whether in acting or in her daily life. She tried not to bother with it as much as possible,” she said.

 

When asked how her definition of an actor has changed while filming "Pachinko," she said, "She is a person who tells the story of learning. The power of the story is very great. When I was young, I gained courage by watching actors and works, and I also thought I would like to be a person who can give courage to someone."

 

Kim Min-ha said, "There were times when I had a hard time working as an actor. "I think it's this way, and whenever I feel like I'm not talented and want to quit, I've been reminded of why I started and why I wanted this job in the first place," she said adding, "By conveying the story, I can give someone strength and make their voice come out." I thought I could do it, and I trusted that idea and tried."

 

https://www.msn.com/ko-kr/entertainment/news/화보-김민하-선자-는-무너질-때-확실히-무너질-줄-아는-아이/ar-AAX2c4i

 

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'Pachinko' Season 1 Spoiler Free Review - A Riveting Tale of Four Generations That'll Leave You Speechless

...

Lee Min Ho gives what can I only describe as his best acting performance to date. I knew he had it in him. His character is so interesting and you can clearly tell he's put a lot of effort to transform into Han Su. While this might be a slight spoiler, I think it's important to say to Lee Min Ho fans. If you expect to see him a lot in the series, you'll be disappointed, while he is a focal character in the story, I felt he was more of a supporting character in this season rather than one of the main characters. I don't know how much this will change in the future but I've seen people express their disappointment over this. This is my favorite Lee Min Ho drama in recent memory too. I think it will be very difficult for him to top this off. I want to see him play more roles like this, roles where he isn't the prince in shining armor. I want him to play an even worse character in an upcoming project. I think it will be very interesting to see how he takes on such a character.

...

https://www.jazminemedia.com/2022/05/pachinko-season-1-spoiler-free-review/

[confusedheart]

Spotlight: Young Bright Stars of Tomorrow

 

Chingus, let's show our love and appreciation for the bright young child artists in K-dramas. 

 

Let's celebrate their talent in our new Spotlight: Young Bright Stars of Tomorrow.  

Don’t forget to vote for your favourite Former K-drama child artists. 

 

 

 

 Re : @confusedheart @partyon @Sleepy Owl @agenth

[nina_mitrokhina]

Shocked by the cost of popular Korean projects: Song Joong Ki's films are nothing for Lee Min Ho

 

In addition to the content, script, and cast, the cost of producing a film is also something that the audience is very interested in and discusses. Let's take a look at the extremely high-budget Korean films of recent times.

 

"The King: Eternal Monarch" (30 billion won ~ 600 billion dong)

 

 

The King: Eternal Monarch by Lee Min Ho surprised the public when it was revealed that the cost of making the film was nearly 600 billion VND.

The film crew had to spend a lot of money on the use of special effects and effects. In addition, significant investments were made in costumes, props, supercars, helicopters, etc. to create a monumental superproduct.

 

"Pachinko" (100 billion won ~ 1900 billion dong)

 

 

The final boss can't help but mention the huge Pachinko project featuring cult A-list star Lee Min Ho, who recently made a splash.

In addition to the famous stars, the most expensive thing in this film is the scenery. The Pachinko team also revealed that the production cost of this work is 100 billion won (~1900 billion VND). It showed the monumental scale of the film, which is considered to break all Hollywood standards.

 

What name will break the record of these huge trillion dollar projects? Let's wait for Korean movies to air in the near future.

 

Translation from Vietnamese google
https://m.baomoi.com/choang-voi-chi-phi-cua-nhung-du-an-xu-han-dinh-dam-phim-cua-song-joong-ki-chua-la-gi-voi-lee-min-ho/c/42533894.epi

[nina_mitrokhina]

Pachinko: An Ambitious and Epic Family Portrait of Resilience

May 8, 2022

 

 

Min Jin Lee’s bestselling and award-winning novel Pachinko begins with a simple sentence: “History has failed us, but no matter.”

As the author revealed in her extensive New Yorker profile, it took her close to 10 years to research and write the 496-page tome. She filled Banker Boxes with endless notes, sources, and interviews to provide a confident foundation to finally pen the story of Sunja and her family through four generations. In the same interview, Lee astutely noted that “learning how to write stories is really different from writing facts.” The same can be said for adapting those stories for the screen, as Apple TV+ has done with Pachinko.

This review contains spoilers.

Pachinko, in both its forms, attempts to “create portraits of people rendered invisible.” It purposefully rebuilds the histories that have been buried. The TV show does so with the help of a few history makers themselves, including Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn, K-drama legend Lee Min-ho, and lauded directors Kogonada (After Yang) and Justin Chon (Blue Bayou).

Although a novel and a serial drama are two different mediums of storytelling, Apple TV+’s approach to Pachinko is relatively faithful to the original text. However, while the general pieces of this epic story are brought to life in the gorgeous cinematography and excellent acting, the show tries to fit too much into the eight one-hour episodes.

But first things first. From the get-go, viewers notice the color-coded subtitles. Blue indicates dialogue in Japanese, while yellow notes dialogue in Korean. This color treatment is also reflected in the opening credits: the title flashes before viewers in three different languages before landing on “Pachinko” in English. These subtle visual cues foreshadow the fluidity and layers of language—and with it, identity—that are explored in the show.

Sunja’s youngest son, Mozasu Baek (Soji Arai), for example, often blends Korean words in his mostly Japanese sentences. (He was born and raised in Japan, but Korean is his native language). This interweaving of language is even more poignant because the words he does say in Korean are “mother” (“eomoni”) and “grandmother” (“halmoni”).

Despite the discrimination ethnic Koreans experience in Japan, the Korean language persists just like the people. And as Pachinko highlights, this discrimination is clear in each of the four generations. It is seen when teenaged Sunja (Minja Kim) immigrates to Japan, and she and the other Koreans are shoved into the hold of the ship while the wealthy Japanese are seated in the banquet hall above. It is seen when a young Koh Hansu (Lee Minho) witnesses the Japanese blame Koreans for the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 and brutally murder them (“Chapter 7”).

It is seen when teenage Solomon Baek (Yoon Kyung-ho), Sunja’s grandson, stupidly tries to shoplift a piece of candy from a store owned by a Japanese man at young Hana’s (Jung Ye-bin) coaxing. It is seen again when an older Solomon (Jin Ha) gets fired from the bank he works at in Japan, feeling the flames when an important deal falls through. His coworkers essentially spit out that they “knew he would be like this,” scoffing that he was not trustworthy because of his Korean heritage.

Pachinko ties the past and present together through Sunja’s family. The drama, however, also juxtaposes the stories of Sunja and Solomon by establishing parallel plot lines. One follows Sunja in her youth growing up in Korea and immigrating to Japan through flashbacks, while the one follows her grandson in 1989 Tokyo as he navigates business and family turmoil.

While this choice in storytelling works to the extent of covering more ground in a shorter amount of time, this method fails to capture the significance of the novel’s deliberate chronological organization. The two main Pachinko posters suggest Sunja will be the central force of the story, given the obvious hierarchy of scale with Minja Kim front-and-center. While there are moments when she definitely is, the drama always returns to Solomon, his business dealings in Japan, and an emphasis on his relationship with the mysterious Hana (Mari Yamamoto).

This circular framework makes the direct connections—and its differences—between this family’s past (young Sunja) and the present (Solomon) crystal clear, such as their varying understanding of white rice. More juxtapositions in the Korean diaspora experience are emulated in the opening credits. A montage of old photographs and film footage contrast with the carefree dances of the main characters in a bright pachinko parlor. An amalgamation of crisp suits and flowing hanbok add to this cultural blend planted in change alongside the 1967 song by The Grass Roots, “Let’s Live for Today.”

Yet underlying thoughts of home, survival, family, and sorrow form the foundations of each episode, named “Chapters.” Despite these benefits, the circular nature of the show is also a pitfall for breeding confusion, especially if viewers are not familiar with the novel or even the basic cast of characters.

This is no fault of the incredible cast. All of the Sunjas—from her as a young girl (Yuna Jeon) to her teenage years to her as a halmeoni—bring her personality to life. Sunja’s fortitude and strength to stand tall despite loss is clear through each of her ages. Young Noa, Sunja’s oldest son, too, leaves an impression. Although Noa appears briefly in the last episode, it is intriguing to watch how he navigates his zainichi (Korean diaspora residing in Japan) experience, whether that be translating for his mother at the police station or witnessing a fellow Korean classmate be bullied for his ethnicity.

One of the other strengths of “Pachinko” is its gorgeous cinematography, illuminating sweeping landscapes and intimate moments of human connection. Chon and Kogonada often use silence to elevate the small, almost mundane parts of life into scenes that burst with emotion. The scene in “Chapter 4” where Sunja’s mother, Yangjin (Inji Jeong), lovingly washes white rice for her daughter’s wedding meal is one example. Understanding the context behind this action imbues the moment with heavy melancholy. Beforehand, Sunja’s mother went to the market to try and get two bowls worth of white rice. However, the Korean seller was reluctant because he needed enough for his Japanese customers, per the orders from Japanese officials. Discrimination cut through even a (semi) joyous occasion, like a marriage.

Thus, when Sunja’s mother actually washes the rice she managed to acquire and cooks it, the scene is close to a religious moment. The reverence for which this mother exhibits is plain. Besides, this is the last meal she will have with her only child before she sails off to Japan. Who knew when mother and daughter would see each other again, if ever? Despite the impending feeling of doom and finality, Sunja’s mother expresses her love through her determination to feed Sunja one more meal.

However, the Pachinko adaptation also inserts new plotlines, which were hit-or-misses but mostly misses. The first change was the inclusion of an older Sunja traveling back to Korea with Mozasu. Although this return contrasted with the parallel narrative of her younger self leaving her home country, its significance got drowned out by everything else. Jumps between the 1930s and the 1980s, between Sunja’s teenaged self and her youngest grandson in Japan, only convoluted the narrative. The same thing can be said of the extensive focus on Solomon and Hana’s relationship, which started off with sporadic phone calls and concluded with watching the latter lose her battle with HIV. This 1989 plotline took priority in the overall Pachinko arc, with Sunja seemingly relegated to the backseat.

A fascinating part of Pachinko the novel was how Min Jin Lee laid out the stories surrounding Sunja, from her father to Solomon, in chronological order. This organization allowed readers to join the family in their experiences and directly witness the growth of the members. We remember when Sunja was born, and we think about that when Solomon enters the world, for example.

Another change that only seems to add more “action” to hook in watchers who were not familiar with the original work is the addition to Baek Isak’s character. In episode eight, it is revealed that he was arrested because of his involvement with the burgeoning worker’s revolution. Meanwhile, in the book, Isak went to prison (and died) because a parishioner was caught saying the Lord’s Prayer instead of worshiping the emperor.

This new plot came out of nowhere; the only precedent to this was Isak’s short conversation with the young man who worked on the railroad. It also barely captured 10 minutes of the final episode, leaving the tense arrest scene feeling rushed. However, it was heartbreaking to witness young Noa chasing after his father’s carriage, refusing to give up.

But this adjustment sparks the question, why change the already tight story that Min Jin Lee had written? These new details and new priorities, as further stressed in the flashback form the drama took, unfortunately, breeds disappointment in viewers who especially loved the novel.

The one introduction to the drama that strengthened it was “Chapter 7,” the episode dedicated to young Koh Hansu. Flashing back even further to 1923, “Chapter 7” delves into Hansu’s experience of growing up Korean in Japan and the devastating 1923 earthquake. Not only does this hour supply a welcome background on the wealthy fish broker (and yakuza) we know, but it also allows Lee Minho to show his full acting range. Hansu may be sleek and privileged beyond belief when he encounters Sunja, but he was not always in that position. In fact, as we learn in “Chapter 7,” he also faced discrimination and violence simply because he was Korean in Japan. We learn how the phrase “how you are seen is everything” frames Hansu’s character, a sentiment that he eventually pushes onto his son, Noa.

Above all, Pachinko—the Apple TV+ drama and the novel by Min Jin Lee—honors survival and sheds light on a family history built on enduring. Short but poignant lines like “That’s called survival;” “but you’ll learn to endure it;” and “It’s not a shame to survive” linger far beyond their scenes. The drama may have arguably made unnecessary changes, but the novel’s heart was still there with writers such as E.J. Koh in the room.

Similarly to how it began, Pachinko ended with Sunja. A turning point has been reached; a new chapter has begun. Isak may be dead, and she may have two young children to provide for, but if the other seven episodes were any indication, Sunja has her fortitude and sharp wit. Survival is the goal, and she will ensure her family does just so.

Fiction intersects with living history in the last moments of the finale. Pachinko officially concluded with interviews with women whose stories reflect a similar tale. Most of these ethnic Korean women living in Japan are in their late 80s and 90s, although there was one interviewee who had just turned 100-years-old the day before the interview.

Despite the sorrow, pain, and loss explored through Pachinko and these women’s stories, the closing scene of the drama focused on a smile. An interviewer complimented one woman’s smile, in which she replied while laughing, “My smile, you say.” There are moments of joy to be found while surviving, something that should be honored, too. As “Chapter 8” was released, Apple TV+ officially announced the second season of Pachinko. Season one set a complicated foundation for telling this epic on the screen, with its successes and its misses. Here is to hoping that season 2 stays faithful to Sunja, her family, and their story.

(YouTube. Images via Apple TV+)

https://seoulbeats.com/2022/05/pachinko-an-ambitious-and-epic-family-portrait-of-resilience/

[Maui808]

I probably missed this. But why are the subs at least in episode 6 on Apple TV+ different colors?

Ok stupid me figured it out, I think. They are for the different languages spoken in this drama. When I first watched this dramas it was not on Apple TV+ and all subs were white.

[nina_mitrokhina]

Pachinko K-Drama Review & Summary: Experience the Beauty of the World We Live In

 

 Karen Simon   May 8, 2022 

Pachinko — Official Trailer | Apple TV+

 

 

Video Source – Apple TV (Apple TV YouTube Channel)

Pachinko is an intricate and intimate experience that is a sweeping epic that manages to capture the arc of history as well as the enduring bonds of the family. It was adapted from the mesmerising novel by authors Min jin Lee and the creator was Soo Hugh’s Apple TV+.

Pachinko was an emotional yet expressive retracing through history that depicts the lives of countless Koreans who were affected by the brutal Japanese colonization of Korea in the 20th century. It is a tribute to immortalize the stories of common people that would not make it to history books, including that of women who toiled hard just to keep their household alive.

It is told across eight episodes that were hour long and with high production quality in an impressive way. It is one of those adaptations that make you want to buy the book in order to fill in the missing parts of the plot.

 

Pachinko K-Drama Cast

 

Youn Yuh jung as older Sun ja
Lee Min ho as Koh Han su
Min ha Kim as teenage Sun ja
Soji Arai as Mozasu
Jin ha as Solomon
In ji jeong as Yang jin

 

Pachinko K-Drama Plot

 

The story surrounds four generations of a family with its core revolving around Sunja. She is the story’s tearful but sometimes happy eyes and also the resilient soul with overflowing fortitude. When we see her first she was an independent and brave child growing up in the 1910s,  portrayed by Yuna jeon. But she slowly witnesses how the Japanese occupation of Korea affects everyone around her and makes the adults fearful to lead their lives in pride. It makes people like her father afraid and one’s like her mother Yangjin and the two girl orphans Bok hee and Deok hee who are working at their boarding house live life at an even lower status.

As a teenager played by Minha Kim Sunja has endured throughout her young life. Though she believes in kindness in the world because of her father it is soon heartbreakingly snuffed out of her. Her experiences of first love and the real world with the fish market player Koh Hansu (Lee Min-ho) end with her heartbreak. She is left with the fate of bearing the shame of getting pregnant out of wedlock in that era or living a life split into two halves. One half which she can speak about with dignity and the other which she has to hide from the eyes of the world. This leaves her with even lesser faith in the world but just then Isak enters her life.

He was a sickly missionary on his way to Japan when he was forced to stop at Minha’s home island due to bad weather and lost consciousness in the boat. The boatman takes him to the boarding house where Minha and her mother take him in and nurse him back to health, saving his life. He later learns about Sun ja’s situation and offers her a way out by agreeing to marry her and give her unborn child his name and raise him as his own. This involves her leaving Korea for good and later we see the countless life hardships she faces in Japan as a Zainichi Korean (Korean immigrant in Japan). When we see Sun ja in 1989 as a kimchi cooking grandmother who has lived through a lot in life but holds most of it in, we also get to see flashbacks of her younger days in between.

Throughout we see older Sunja flashes back to her old life with sometimes the time-hopping editing fades her youngest face to her oldest one showing how these memories of longing have been preserved. Sun ja, one of the thousands of Koreans who become stateless, wishes to go back to Korea once more.

 

 

 

Pachinko K-Drama Review

The excitement of watching Pachinko lies in witnessing the two filmmakers at work,  Kogonada and Justin Chon who use their best shots when making films. Kogonada is a through and through wide shot film-maker who encompasses emotions out of peaceful creaks, busy fish markets and sullen boarding houses by how he places characters in the location. Whereas Chon loves to get viewers the close-up shots to capture how his characters experience to know about their joy and pain as if looking into a mirror. His directorial care is very resonant when we see him working with the younger and the older Sunja showing what toll these different systems take.
Chon episodes have breakaway musical feels too when Soloman dances in the rain to live music in the streets of Tokyo following his epiphany. The production design comes with its own emotional storytelling through its focus on clothes as a class or when it shows the creation of Korean food, and showing sentiments of the characters making us appreciate how rice from Busan is different from that of Japan. Later on in the series, we are introduced to a lot of new family members and end up undercutting them leaving their arcs a bit underwhelming. Many statements from the lives of these family members come as feeling rushed like that of Solomon’s father who runs a Pachinko parlour.
We see both the ugliness of the world bound to hurt Sunja and the profound beauty of her father’s love that endures through the generations and outweighs everything else. The series may not be the grandiose and cumulative power that it seeks but it does have many facets like the power of storytelling in front of and behind the camera to recommend it. All of the performances carry the story’s reality and history inside of them and are presented in scenes that immerse us in the period and their hard-fought spiritual journeys.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
For these reasons I would recommend streaming it on Apple TV+ or any other source or website where you can get a hand on this amazing series.

It is a K- Drama you absolutely shouldn’t miss out on and give it a watch at least once, just to truly experience the beauty of this world we live in and the story of the resilience of the countless people who live with melancholic longing in their hearts.

https://themovieculture.com/pachinko-k-drama-review-and-summary/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pachinko-k-drama-review-and-summary

 

[Dreamofsprings]

Went it will be season 2