[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

[Snoe Whyte]

I’m so excited about LMH’s new drama but I’m kind of wary about his character, Hansu. But I trust LMH’s choice to portray the dark character.

 

So, according to Wikipedia the story will focus on Hansu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko_(2021)

 

The name refers to a pachinko gambling machine. Although, the adaption of the novel in the TV series, the series will also unfold the dark side of Hansu, silent leader of the yakuza.

[syntyche]

 

8 hours ago, CarolynH said:

Thanks for adding the family tree @syntyche 

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

I know we are all wondering how the contents of Pachinko will fit into 8 episodes.  Perhaps the episodes are longer than the 1 hour that we're used to with many kdramas.  At a certain point, though, when I watch dramas with longer episodes, I'm thinking "how much longer is this episode?"

 

@CarolynH I had to do some backreading to find the family tree.  It is indeed a helpful guide on the characters of this novel/drama. Thanks, @1ouise.

 

@JoannaID  thanks for the actor info. 

 

Hello @lupeace @Heilo @Time loop @madmad min @Edgar Pordwed @Wis dom @Ameera Ali @noor ul ain  @Snoe Whyte welcome all to the thread!

[CarolynH]

@syntycheIt suddenly occurred to me that I could have helped you search, since I was pretty sure it was @1ouiseIf I just looked at her posts it would have been easier

[backstreetboysfan]

Thanks for adding the family tree @syntyche .

[Hohoho]

14 hours ago, Heretorant said:

Have you seen The Haunting of Hill

House? Each episode is told from one person’s point of view but somehow, the story adds up in the end. There’s a possibility the execution might not follow chronological order. 
 

Just me or do you guys also feel there’s a lot of pressure on this drama already? I’m feeling a bit nervous. 
 

 

 

Even when it was not official yet i already felt a bit nervous. I am happy and excited LMH get to be a part of this big project but yes the pressure is there. This is based on a very beloved novel around the world and people who have read the novel would definitely compare the series and the book. From the official revealed casts it seems to me theyve change some things so surely there will be opinions about that.

But despite my worries i trust lmh's decision. This is a very big deal for him and his career. I believe this is like preproduced right? So the entire series' script must have been complete and lmh and his staff read them all and accepted. And also the people behind this project are great too. So we just have to put our trust in them. Hoping and praying this will be daebak! Cheers!

[leeminhosny]

 

[syntyche]

Pachinko Actor Profiles

 

Jin Ha (Devs, Love Life) plays Solomon, an ambitious, charming young man who will be forced to reckon with his family’s past.

 

 

Jin Ha was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Hong Kong and USA. He graduated from Columbia University, majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures. He also is a proud alumnus of NYU Tisch Graduate Acting. He speaks Korean, Mandarin and Spanish and plays the violin.

Jin Ha is known for Devs (2020) and Hot Air (2018).

He starred as Aaron Burr in the Chicago company of Hamilton: An American Musical and as Annas in the Grammy®-nominated, Emmy® award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC (2018).

He also originated the role of Song Liling in the first Broadway revival of David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly, directed by Julie Taymor.

 

Filmography

Devs (2020) 

Love Life (2020)

Hot Air (2018)

 

https://devs-fx.fandom.com/wiki/Jin_Ha

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7949518/

 

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Anna Sawai (Fast & Furious 9, Ninja Assassin) portrays Naomi, a savvy career woman in the male-dominated world of high finance.

 

 

Anna is a Japanese actress. She also was a leader of Japanese girl group FAKY. Born in New Zealand. Anna is perfectly bilingual and is a great all-round performer who is respected by the members of the group for her intelligence and leadership skills. With her stunning “Asian beauty”, bilingual communication skills and her diverse career starting as a child actor, which includes a role in a Hollywood movie, Anna truly represents what FAKY is all about.

 

Filmography

Fast and Furious 9 (2021)
Ninja Assassin (2009)
Giri/Haji (2019)
Annie

 

https://fastandfurious.fandom.com/wiki/Anna_Sawai

https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/anna-sawai

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3660091/

 

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Minha Kim (Call, After Spring) is set as Teenage Sunja, a heroic young woman on the cusp who forges her own path in a hardened country that is not her own.

 

 

Kim Min Ha was born in 1995 in Seoul, South Korea. She went to Hanyang University, Department of Theater and Film Studies.

 

Filmography

Killerswell: Our Space (2019)
After Spring (2018)
Investigation Partners (2018)
School 2017 (2017)

 

https://www.hancinema.net/korean_Kim_Min-ha-I.php

naver.com

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11297211/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

 

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Soji Arai (Cobra Kai, Legacies) is Mosazu, a dedicated father and successful businessman, concerned for his son’s future.

 

 

Soji Arai was born in Niigata, Japan. After graduating from Waseda University, one of the top private institutions of higher education in Japan, he began acting with the Bungakuza theater company. In 2002, he made a major impact on the Tokyo theater world with his starring role of Max in Bent directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Soji also starred in many other plays including the multi-theater-awarded production of Angels in America, Desire Under the Elms, Three Sisters, Blood Wedding, Balm in Gilead and the world premiers of Strangers on a Train and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. In 2009 he was introduced to world wide audiences as Toshi, Brittany Murphy's love interest in "The Ramen Girl". In 2013, Soji moved to Los Angeles to continue his American career.

 

Filmography

Cobra Kai (2021)
Dead of Night (2019-2020)
Legacies (2019)
S.W.A.T. (2019)
SHE JANG (2017)

full list:

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1670590/

 

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Kaho Minami (Angel Dust, Household X) plays Etsuko, a vibrant, independent woman who longs to be reunited with her estranged daughter.

 

 

Kaho Minami is a Japanese actress of Korean descent active in film, television and commercials.

Minami starred in Gakuryu Ishii's 'Angel Dust'. She has also appeared in films such as Masayuki Ochiai's 'Infection', Tian Zhuangzhuang's 'The Go Master', and Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's 'Sketches of Kaitan City'.

She was married to actor Ken Watanabe on December 3, 2005 . In addition to Watanabe's two children, she also has a son from her previous husband, Hitonari Tsuji, with whom she divorced in 2000.

On May 17, 2018, it was announced by her agency that she had divorced from Watanabe.

 

Filmography

Miss Osaka (2021)
And Live (2019)
Blue Hour (2019)
Detective Zero (2019)
21st Century Girl (2019)

full list:

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0590907/

https://mydramalist.com/people/5701-minami-kaho

 

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Youn Yuh-jung’s Profile

 

Youn Yuh-Jung was born in South Korea, June 19, 1947. She is a reputable actress that has been around in film and television industry for nearly 50 years. Youn is best known for starring in Woman of Fire (화녀) (1971), The Housemaid (하녀)(2010), The Taste of Money (돈의 맛) (2012) and The Bacchus Lady (죽여주는 여자) (2016).

 

Youn Yuh-jung’s Career And Family

- She majored in Korean Language and Literature at Hanyang University.

- When she was still a freshman, she passed the open auditions held by TBC in 1966 and dropped out of college, to make her acting debut with the television drama Mister Gong in 1967.

- Youn rocketed to fame in 1971 with two memorable portrayals of femme fatale. Her first film, which is titled Woman of Fire became a critical and commercial hit, for which she won Best Actress at the Sitges Film Festival.

- Then she starred in MBC period drama series Jang Hui-bin where she played the titular infamous royal concubine.

- What makes the audience like Youn’s acting is because she was not afraid to play risque, provocative characters. This shown in The Insect Woman (충녀) (1972) and Be a Wicked Woman (천사여 악녀가 되라) (1990). Audiences found Youn’s fast way of speaking and atypical appearance refreshing and she frequently took roles in TV dramas depicting a modern woman of the new generation, notably in Stepmother (새엄마) (1972).

- At the peak of her career, Youn retired after she married singer Jo Young-nam in 1975, then immigrated to the United States.

- In 1984, she returned to Korea and permanently resumed her acting career.

- However, their marriage did not last and they got divorced in 1987.

 

Filmography

 

https://channel-korea.com/youn-yuh-jung-profile/

https://asianwiki.com/Yoon_Yeo-Jung

 

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Since her debut in the supernatural thriller film Haunters as Young-sook, the model-turned-actress has been in the spotlight, with several movies and TV shows throughout her decade-long career. From her breakthrough role as a film student and an aspiring actress in Nobody's Daughter Haewon to playing alongside veteran actors in the likes of films The Fatal Encounter and The Great Battle to small screen appearances in Dr. Frost and The Guest, she has showcased her innate talent in acting that South Korea's entertainment industry can truly consider as a gem. She last starred in The King: Eternal Monarch, wherein her character is the first female prime minister of a parallel universe called the Kingdom of Corea.

 

https://metro.style/people/celebrities/the-king-eternal-monarch-actress-jung-eun-chae/25414

https://asianwiki.com/Jung_Eun-Chae

 

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Noh Steve Sang Hyun is a model and actor. He has modeled for notable magazines including GQ Korea, Marie Claire and fashion house DKNY. He has acted in two 2015 episodes of Netflix's popular sci-fi drama Sense8 as the driver to Bae Doona's character Sun Bak. He also is in the award winning film Seoul Searching as the character EO.

 

Filmography

300 Year-Old Class of 2020

Alice

Fight Hard, Love Harder: Season 2

XX

Seoul Searching

 

https://mydramalist.com/people/16415-steven-sanghyun-noh#:~:text=Noh Steve Sang Hyun is,Bae Doona's character Sun Bak.

 

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Jung Woong-In

 

Jung Woong In is a South Korean actor. Born on January 20, 1970, he made his acting debut in the 1995 film “Rehearsal.” His role in the 1998 television drama “Eun Shil” garnered him the Best New Actor Award at the 1999 SBS Drama Awards. Jung Woong In has since starred in many popular films and television dramas, including “I Hear Your Voice” (2013), “Empress Ki” (2013), “Endless Love” (2014), “Splendid Politics” (2015), “Yong Pal” (2015), “Sweet, Savage Family” (2015), “Monster” (2016), “My Sassy Girl” (2017) and “Switch” (2018). He also appeared on the popular variety show “Dad! Where Are We Going?” in 2014.

 

https://www.viki.com/celebrities/15521pr-jung-woong-in?locale=en

 

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Spoiler

 

 

Yu Matsushita

 

Originally from Chiba, Japan, Yu Sarah Matsushita moved to Vancouver to pursue her acting career. She has trained extensively in various dance forms, including ballet jazz, lyrical jazz, modern dance, contemporary, hip-hop and tap. Additionally, she has been trained professionally for theatrical singing. In Japan, she attended numerous performing arts schools including The Royal Ballet Company where she performed in multiple recitals. Yu dedicates herself to performing arts, regularly receiving vocal, stunt, martial arts, and dance training as well as completing a 2 year, full time intensive Professional Film and Acting Conservatory at New Image College of Fine Arts. She has appeared in several film and television projects and recently performed in Metro Theatre's pantomime Aladdin as a principal dancer.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7682632/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t1

 

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Spoiler

 

Kerry Knuppe

 

Kerry Knuppe is an enrolled Oglala Sioux tribal member from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. She moved to Los Angeles after breaking into the film industry with her lead performance in SXSW Audience Award winner Skills Like This (2007). Kerry recently filmed Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series Ratched (2020) and has a pivotal Native American lead in Heartland about the 2016 Standing Rock-Oil Industry standoff due out in 2020. You can also find Kerry as a lead in Like a Country Song (2014) with Billy Ray Cyrus and in The Craigslist Killer (2011) with Jake McDorman. She's guest starred on network TV shows S.W.A.T. (2017), Vegas (2012), Revenge (2011), and Mistresses (2013). She portrayed 'The Woman' in "Death of a Salesman" starring Rob Morrow at the Ruskin Theatre, 'Laura' in "The Glass Menagerie" at the Greenway Court Theatre, and is an Actor's Studio lifetime member where she continues to study.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1944279/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t5

 

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Spoiler

 

Martin Martinez

 

Martin has been working in the industry since the age of 15. He has always worked for what he wanted and knew at a young age that Hollywood California was his destination. Born and raised in Sacramento California as Martin Mequelhin. He changed his last name to Lion when he registered as an actor because casting directors couldn't pronounce and say it correctly before finally setting on Martinez. In Sacramento, he did odd jobs to make ends meet, booking modeling gigs in print and runway as well as acting projects on his own. Two short films he did, "Sweet Pills" and "Love and Lost" were one of a few shorts that were picked to be shown in select IMAX theaters in Northern California. His drive and a strong interest in the industry finally moved him to Los Angels California in 2016.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8537732/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t6

 

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Spoiler

 

Andrew Jaehyun Park

 

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Andrew moved to Canada when he was 13. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.Comm degree and went to a film school to pursue further study of acting.

He is known for Kim's Convenience (2016), The Handmaid's Tale (2017), and Crusader (2018).

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8335352/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t9

 

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Spoiler

 

Paul Syre

 

Paul Syre is an actor and cinematographer, known for It's the AZN (2018), Seolleongtang (2019) and Pachinko.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8538267/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t11

 

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Spoiler

 

Miho Suzuki

 

Miho Suzuki is an actress and writer, known for Warigami (2019), Colossal (2016) and Cosmic Dawn.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6587967/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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Spoiler

 

 

Sean Kohnke

 

Sean Kohnke is known for his work on The Predator (2018), Deadpool 2 (2018) and Skyscraper (2018).

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2421402/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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Spoiler

 

 

James Cousineau

 

James Cousineau is an actor and director, known for Back 2 Business Canada (2021), The Optimist (2017) and The Now.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9828993/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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Spoiler

 

 

Mari Yamamoto

 

Mari Yamamoto was born in Japan and grew up in London and Tokyo. She is completely bilingual in Japanese and English. She has a BA in International Relations from ICU(Tokyo) and studied acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York for two years. She was a member of The Bats at The Flea Theatre in Tribeca NY for several years, performing in various off-off Broadway shows. She works internationally, appearing in films made in the US, Greece, Singapore, Japan and Czech Republic.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4590767/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

 

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Spoiler

 

Felice Choi

 

Born and raised in South Korea, Felice left home to seek adventure and travel the world before settling down in New York and becoming a proud citizen of the USA. Her experiences living in the U.S. as an immigrant have given her unique insight into the challenges new arrivals face and the opportunities they embrace. This knowledge bestowed on her new emotional dimensions and spiritual depth inspiring her to become an actor. Over the years, she gained acting experience, taking classes and being cast in commercials and film roles. She relishes the opportunity to deeply explore the inner life of any character she plays, no matter how small the role.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2938379/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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Spoiler

 

Ryo Hayashida

 

Ryo Hayashida is an actor and writer, known for Midway (2019), The Park and Debris (2021).

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7959329/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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Spoiler

 

Andrew Woo

 

Andrew Woo is an actor, known for Pachinko.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12581705/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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Spoiler

 

Dan Yang

 

Dan Yang is an aspiring actor born and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. He speaks two languages, English and Korean. He works in Law Enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff. He is also a musician and can plays Drums, Guitar and Bass on his free time.

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12578554/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

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I summarized the actor profile from different sources. Link to this post also available on the first page of this thread.  

 

[syntyche]

5 hours ago, CarolynH said:

@syntycheIt suddenly occurred to me that I could have helped you search, since I was pretty sure it was @1ouiseIf I just looked at her posts it would have been easier

 I was going to backread anyway.  With all the hype last week, I got lost in the pages of the LMH thread 

 

Welcome to the thread @Hohoho! 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, Snoe Whyte said:

I’m so excited about LMH’s new drama but I’m kind of wary about his character, Hansu. But I trust LMH’s choice to portray the dark character.

 

So, according to Wikipedia the story will focus on Hansu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko_(2021)

 

The name refers to a pachinko gambling machine. Although, the adaption of the novel in the TV series, the series will also unfold the dark side of Hansu, silent leader of the yakuza.

 

4 hours ago, Hohoho said:

Even when it was not official yet i already felt a bit nervous. I am happy and excited LMH get to be a part of this big project but yes the pressure is there. This is based on a very beloved novel around the world and people who have read the novel would definitely compare the series and the book. From the official revealed casts it seems to me theyve change some things so surely there will be opinions about that.

But despite my worries i trust lmh's decision. This is a very big deal for him and his career. I believe this is like preproduced right? So the entire series' script must have been complete and lmh and staff read them all and accepted. And also the people behind this project are great too. So we just have to put our trust in them. Hoping and praying this will be daebak! Cheers!

 

It's a common notion that books tell the story better than film adaptations. On the other hand, if adaptations religiously follow the book, then viewers might as well choose reading the book over the film. That is why screenwriters and directors exercise their artistic freedom, I suppose, in presenting the story on film as they see fit. Besides, books and films are different media, and the manner of storytelling on these may differ for the same material. Regardless, I trust the whole team behind the adaptation of Pachinko.

 

LMH said in his fan meeting in 2017 that he thinks he should act in a deep love story someday. Well I also hope that he would portray a deep character. Hansu is indeed quite a challenge for him, and I applaud him for taking such risk. He has a whole team behind him to back him up on his decision and do the necessary homework before accepting this role. I also trust his chosen direction for his career now that he's on his thirties. 

 

[backstreetboysfan]

Welcome to the thread @Hohoho! 

[nina_mitrokhina 5misnina]

Officially going to star in the Pachinko drama, Lee Min Ho is ready to spread his wings to become a Hollywood star.

 

 

The name Lee Min Ho is now familiar to Indonesians. The popularity of actor Lee Min Ho is beyond doubt.
Lee Min Ho is now known in various parts of the country, especially in Asia itself, the name Lee Min Ho is no longer a new name.

Thanks to his capable acting in various dramas he starred in, he made his name even more known to the public. Not only that, Lee Min Ho has even been trusted to be the Brand Ambassador of various advertising products.

 

 

In Indonesia, Lee Min Ho has now officially become the Brand Ambassador for Indonesian e-commerce products, namely the shopping company Lazada. The handsome face of this 33-year-old man now often appears in Indonesian television advertisements.

Previously, Lee Min Ho successfully starred in a drama titled The King: Eternal Monarch with Kim Go Eun. Recently, Lee Min Ho has shocked the public again with a new drama that he will star in.

The reason is, Lee Min Ho has received an offer to play a drama entitled Pachinko. The announcement of Lee Min Ho's name into the cast has even been reported.

The latest news is that the drama will begin production starting October 26. In this drama, Lee Gon's exhibition will compete acting with a number of other Asian actors.

The drama Pachinko itself is a work adapted from Min Jin Lee's novel, which tells the story of four generations of Korean immigrant families who struggle to achieve their dreams.

The journey begins when forbidden love starts to enter the lives of the characters, which then makes exciting trips from South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

During the trip, many stories had to be shared, starting from war, peace, love, victory and loss.

Lee Min Ho himself will play the character Hansu, a stranger who is full of puzzles. He is suspected of having a relationship with the crime mafia that is peppered with romance stories.

Lee Min Ho will compete acting with Jin Ha, Minha Kim, Anna Sawai, Kaho Minami, and Soji Arai.

The series will be written by Soo Hugh, who also plays the executive producer. Meanwhile, Justin Chon and Kogonada entrusted the directorial role.

With Lee Min Ho's appearance in the drama, of course Lee Min Ho's name will be increasingly known to the public. The film, which not only airs in Korea, is set to penetrate the gates of Hollywood.

That way, Lee Min Ho may not become a Korean actor anymore, but Lee Min Ho will become a Hollywood actor later.

 

https://padangkita.com/resmi-bakal-bintangi-drama-pachinko-siap-siap-lee-min-ho-lebarkan-sayapnya-jadi-bintang-hollywood/

 

[Nikaa]

Tomorrow is Monday!!   D-Day!!
 

 

hope to get some pics from filming site. Minoz! You can do this!! 

[syntyche]

Pachinko

by Min Jin Lee

 

 

 

#1 Harper’s Bazaar: Best Books of 2017

#8 Paste: 45 Best Books of 2017

#15 Joseph Salvatore: Best 50 Books of 2017

#26 Gina Vaynshteyn: 27 Best Books of 2017

#53 Entropy: Best Books of 2017

Book Riot: Best Books of 2017

New York Times: 10 Best Books of 2017

Chicago Public Library: 10 Best Books of 2017

John Freeman: 22 Best Fiction Books of 2017

New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2017

Barack Obama: Favorite Books of 2019

 

https://www.yearendlists.com/books/pachinko-901c8c2a-488a-4059-80b2-bdb20386206d

 

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Pachinko

Finalist, National Book Awards 2017 for Fiction

 

 

Min Jin Lee

 

Min Jin Lee is a recipient of fellowships in Fiction from the Guggenheim Foundation (2018) and the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study at Harvard (2018-2019). Her novel Pachinko (2017) was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, a runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and a New York Times 10 Best Books of 2017. A New York Times Bestseller, Pachinko was also a Top 10 Books of the Year for BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the New York Public Library. Pachinko was a selection for “Now Read This,” the joint book club of PBS NewsHour and The New York Times. It was on over 75 best books of the year lists, including NPR, PBS, and CNN. Pachinkowill be translated into 24 languages. Lee’s debut novel Free Food for Millionaires (2007) was a Top 10 Books of the Year for The Times of London, NPR’s Fresh Air, USA Today, and a national bestseller. Her writings have appeared in The New Yorker, NPR’s Selected Shorts, One Story, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, Conde Nast Traveler, The Times of London, and Wall Street Journal. She served three consecutive seasons as a Morning Forum columnist of the Chosun Ilbo of South Korea. In 2018, Lee was named as an Adweek Creative 100 for being one of the “10 Writers and Editors Who are Changing the National Conversation” and a Frederick Douglass 200. She received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Monmouth College. She will be a Writer-in-Residence at Amherst College from 2019-2022.

 

https://www.nationalbook.org/people/min-jin-lee/#fullBio

[syntyche]

 

The New York Times Article

 

A Novelist Confronts the Complex Relationship Between Japan and Korea

Nov. 6, 2017

 

While living in Tokyo, Min Jin Lee interviewed Koreans — business people, pachinko parlor owners, bar hostesses — as part of the research for her novel.

 

...

“Pachinko” is a product of persistence. Ms. Lee discarded an earlier, more narrowly focused version of the novel, which she wrote in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its original main character was Solomon Baek, an aspiring ethnic Korean investment banker who is subjected to bigotry and betrayal at a financial firm in Tokyo.

 

“It was boring,” she said — big on social themes but short on fully realized human characters and relationships. “I didn’t talk to enough people.”

 

The chance for a fresh start came in 2007, when her husband, a banker of Japanese descent, took a job in Tokyo. While there, she started looking for zainichi to interview — business people, pachinko parlor owners, bar hostesses.

“The first few were hard to get because I didn’t have introductions,” she said. “But then it was like the floodgates opened.”

 

Many of her subjects told love stories. Almost every Korean she spoke to, she said, had been rejected at some point because of their ethnicity. It was startling for an American: Even considering the United States’ unbridged racial divides, the zainichi seemed inescapably stamped by difference.

 

full article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/06/books/book-pachinko-min-jin-lee-japan-korea.html

[Min2206]

23 minutes ago, syntyche said:

 

The New York Times Article

 

A Novelist Confronts the Complex Relationship Between Japan and Korea

Nov. 6, 2017

 

“Pachinko” is a product of persistence. Ms. Lee discarded an earlier, more narrowly focused version of the novel, which she wrote in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its original main character was Solomon Baek, an aspiring ethnic Korean investment banker who is subjected to bigotry and betrayal at a financial firm in Tokyo.

 

@syntyche Interesting to find out that her original main character was Solomon Baek.   Love the cover of the book, the white one on pachinko machine. 

 

[Layali]

 

Twitter Minoz cringing and crying over the despicable man that is Koh Hansu is in the novel. One thing is certain. Hansu is sure bound to polarize our emotions and I'm nervously excited to see Minho as Koh Hansu.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by MinLyn
Please put more than 3 images (including embedded tweets) in spoiler tags. Thanks.

[nina_mitrokhina 5misnina]

TV series Pachinko

 

Worries at the beginning of production

 

The author confessed that his first work was also well received. After the film and television rights were acquired, he once thought that he could see it on the screen, but the feedback he got from the producer was "Will the audience pay for all Asian actors?" .
At the MIT symposium at the end of 2018, I was asked about the film and television that Pᴀᴄʜɪɴᴋᴏ will be acquired by , "After all, this is a work where actors speak mainly in Korean and Japanese. There are only one or two works in English at the end. Will the producers in Europe and the United States agree to it?", I dare not expect too much to answer whether it can proceed smoothly and complete the distribution...

 

A masterpiece that has been deliberately ignored by Liangguo but is internationally renowned
The author himself does not intend to discuss ZZ, and has always only cared about and continued to discuss the integration of Korean immigrants with mainstream society. Pᴀᴄʜɪɴᴋᴏ is also the first work that focuses on English readers and discusses the relationship between Japan and South Korea.

 

    The origin of the names of the characters in the book

 

         The author, who graduated from the History Department of Yale University and the Georgetown University Law Center, once said that he cannot fully understand Western literature without knowing the stories of the Bible. For example, Shakespeare’s works are closely related to the Bible, so the Bible has a profound influence on her thinking and works. .
         In addition to the bottleneck when writing this book, as a Protestant, she referred to the advice of her church members and reads a chapter of the Bible every day to calm her heart and worry. The names of many male characters in the book are also taken from the Bible, which is the same as ordinary American novels. Make slight adjustments to the living environment and accent of the protagonist in the book.

 

Sunja's husband, Isaac:
Means "the one who loves to laugh"; "the long-awaited son".
In the Bible, he was offered as a sacrifice to the Lord by his father,
Personality tolerant, give up in everything, consider others.

 

Uncle Sunja, Joseph:
Means "God will give." In the Bible, he was framed and sold to Egypt as a slave,
But regardless of good times and bad times, I still maintain my integrity.
It is the Bible fragment that the author reads most often for reflection.

 

Son of Sunja and Hansu, Noah:
means "rest, comfort", "walking with God", the man who built the ark.

 

Son of Sunja and Isaac, second son, Moses:
means "people saved from water", "people like Christ."
The Bible leads the tribe to overcome all difficulties and escape from Egypt.

 

Grandson of Sunja, son of Moses, Solomon:
King of Israel, which means "peace." means sun god in Latin, means sun god in Sanskrit,
and also means sun god in Egyptian.

 

 

 

https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4563800420254562

[syntyche]

@Nikaa94 only a few hours left before Day 1 of filming starts! Considering all the secrecy on the production, I'd be happy enough to see just a blurry photo of LMH or the set  

 

@Min2206 quite a read huh? It's interesting that she had a first version of the book which focused on Solomon. And I can imagine all the effort she's put into it for years. That "immersion"/research in Japan is admirable. 

 

@Layali! Omo, I'm intrigued at how LMH will bring Hansu to life! That is indeed a challenging role.  

[Min2206]

2 minutes ago, syntyche said:

@Nikaa94 only a few hours left before Day 1 of filming starts! Considering all the secrecy on the production, I'd be happy enough to see just a blurry photo of LMH or the set  

 

@Min2206 quite a read huh? It's interesting that she had a first version of the book which focused on Solomon. And I can imagine all the effort she's put into it for years. That "immersion"/research in Japan is admirable. 

 

@Layali! Omo, I'm intrigued at how LMH will bring Hansu to life! That is indeed a challenging role.  

Yes, it was @syntyche, and I have not completed yet.  Not sure what I read are the same as the original version.   I know it's fiction.  But with the still lingering and painful issue between Korea and Japan, Ms Lee Min Jee is very brave to tackle racism and discrimination between the communities.    Very sensitive.  Admirable yes! 

And @nina_mitrokhina 5misnina - That was great.   Thanks for sharing the bit on Lee Min Jee's giving Christian names to the main characters in her novel.  She must have gone under a lot of pressure.  Glad she finds solace in reading the Bible everyday.

[leeminhosny]

 

[scrawford]

2 hours ago, Layali said:

 

Twitter Minoz cringing and crying over the despicable man that is Koh Hansu is in the novel. One thing is certain. Hansu is sure bound to polarize our emotions and I'm nervously excited to see Minho as Koh Hansu.

I cringed as well once he started to starred at sunja and the way he seduce her, “ewwww” is the right word. The man is sleezy. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, gosh this could go on so many directions. Can’t do much about the haters, if he plays good character, they would cal him “play it safe” and now he is playing a married middle age man, who is seducing minor, got her pregnant, and think that it is his best offer to make her his mistress. And he has ties to yakuza, so he is doing shady things. Lol. We will find what the reception will be. 
 

im excited and nervous that LMH is doing this, everything about ko hansu, is everything I despised. 
 

PS : Lee Min Ho is probably in Busan already now. Getting ready. Oh how I wish we can get a glimpse. But if not, I’m totally up for surprise. I hope people will respect the production if they do not want to leak any pictures.