Pachinko

Pachinko is an Apple TV+ drama adapted from Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel of the name. Created by Soo Hugh, it begins in Busan in 1915, during Japan's colonial rule of Korea, and follows Kim Sunja through decades of migration, separation, and family responsibility. As a teenager, Sunja, played by Minha Kim, falls for Koh Hansu, a Korean fish broker based in Osaka, portrayed by Lee Min-ho. When Hansu reveals that he is married, Sunja accepts an offer from the minister Baek Isak and travels with him to Japan. Her decision establishes the family's life as ethnic Koreans in Osaka. Season one moves between Sunja's earlier years and 1989, where her grandson Solomon Baek, played by Jin Ha, works in London and Tokyo finance. Youn Yuh-jung plays the older Sunja, returning to Korea with Solomon and confronting memories that the family's silence has not erased. Isak is played by Steve Sanghyun Noh, while Sunja's sister-in-law Kyunghee is played by Eunchae Jung. Han Junwoo plays Mozasu, Sunja's younger son, and Soji Arai plays the adult Mozasu. The show uses Korean, Japanese, and English dialogue, reflecting its characters' changing locations and the discrimination Koreans faced in Japan there. The first season premiered on March 25, 2022, with three episodes, followed by weekly releases until its eight-episode run concluded on April 29. Its production was notable for filming in South Korea, Japan, and Canada, rather than treating all settings as interchangeable locations. Hugh served as showrunner and wrote the premiere, “Chapter One,” directed by Kogonada. The season's directors also included Justin Chon, who directed “Chapter Four,” and English filmmaker and artist Kogonada returned for “Chapter Eight.” The series received an Emmy nomination for its main-title design and won a Peabody Award in 2023, recognition for its ambitious historical storytelling. Season two premiered on August 23, 2024, and continues the narrative across Osaka and Tokyo during World War II and the late 1980s. It follows Naomi, played by Anna Sawai, a colleague tied to Solomon's corporate work in Tokyo. The season also emphasizes Sunja's older son Noa, whose adult version is played by Kang Tae-ju. Pachinko's title refers to the Japanese arcade gambling machines that later become central to Mozasu's livelihood. Instead of presenting history only through official events, the drama ties colonialism, war, and postwar opportunity to one family's choices, including Sunja's endurance, Hansu's complicated protection, and Solomon's career.