The Korean drama is based on the New York Times bestseller by Min Jin Lee, following one Korean family across three time periods in three different languages (Korean, Japanese, and English). The premiere is an exceptional introduction to this epic saga.
Pachinko is a triaged masterpiece that reveals Korean history through this series. This latest Korean series directed by Kogonada and Justin Chon brings out the image of love in difficult times and the tale of an immigrant Korean family across four generations.
Pachinko portrays the harsh reality of the Japanese invasion of Korea and its aftermath shots trickle down across generations.
Sunja, the Protagonist of the series, and her role was super perfectly played by Academy winner Yuh Jung Youn as old age Sunja, actress Minha Kim equally shines with her portrayal of Sunja’s teens. The narrative follows the novel in great detail as Yuh Jung Youn beautifully holds together the two timelines, past and present.
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SUNJA, MODEST GRILL, AND A GRANDMOTHER!!
It all begins with Sunja, the modest and observant youth belonging to poor-working class Korean families in the early 1990s.
she is the one who wishes to help her family to prosper while the Japanese brutality and poverty played in the nation. It transcends Sunja’s innocence when she falls for Hansu who has connections with organized crime in Japan and gets pregnant with his child.
Scared to disgrace the family for bearing a child out of wedlock, Sunja is offered help from a young pastor who proposes marriage and a new life in Japan. In present 1989, she is now a wise, old grandmother.
The show seamlessly alternates between these two, main timelines in “Chapter One” as a youth girl and as the Grandmother and hints at these injustices but describes the family conflict and I think upcoming episodes will clear it for us.
Each character brings their best out to be done for the story with their honest shades of grey. Lee Min Ho deserves a special mention for shedding his boy-next-door appeal and stepping into the anti-hero character.
Besides impressing with well-tailored suits and fedora hats, his versatile acting chops get tested here to the fullest followed by Jin Ha packing a punch with his sincere role. All in all, it is a super perfect treat for the Korean fans out there.
The cinematography captures the extreme beauty of landscapes and makes the eyes cool. Sunja’s home covers the green forests of the past contrasting with the cityscapes of the eighties which makes us clear about the difference in generations.
The characters’ role was finely captured and feasted to the people. This heart-touching story continues with eight episodes to make us feel fly high with Korean smiles.
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