Pachinko is an emotional, expressive flashback through history that honors the impact of Japanese colonization of Korea on Koreans in the 20th century. It is based on the novel by Min Jin Lee, written by Soo Hugh for Apple TV+ series
Pachinko pays homage to the stories that didn’t make it into the history books, including the women trying to keep households alive. It’s an impressive work , narrated in eight episodes. It premiered on Apple TV+ on March 25, 2022.
Directed by: Kogonada
Written by: Soo Hugh
Genre: Drama
Original Release Date: March 25th 2022 – April 29 2022
The Actors in the drama includes Lee Min Ho as Koh Hans, Youn yuh-jung as Kim Sunja ,Soji Arai as Baek Mozasu, Jin Ha as Solomon Baek, etc.
WHERE WAS PACHINKO FILMED?
Pachinko was filmed across countries, known locations are Busan,South korea and Vancouver, Canada.
PLOT OF PACHINKO
The plot of Pachinko range widely and spans through four generations of a Korean family who immigrated to Japan in the early 20th century. It shows us what the Korean immigrants experienced in Japan during the Second World War through the life of one particular woman, Sunja, who desires to raise her sons, Noa and Mozasu, and give them a better life in their new homeland.
Its an epic series, here is a brief summary of pachinko.
Episode 1
The first episode shows a history of family conflict, which will be uncovered in with time. It also shows Sunja’s life which is chronicled in the series as a child, teen, and elder . Sunja was a child when Japan colonized Korea in the 1910s. She wants to help her family prosper. She also befriends a fisherman. The brutality of the Japanese police and extreme poverty shows the struggles of the nation.
Sunja now a wise, old grandmother.The show alternates between the two main timelines.Solomon Baek her grandson and A businessman is sent to Tokyo to close a deal.Solomon has a chance to go back to his family. The book’s name comes from the Pachinko Parlour, owned by his father. Solomon who was wary of his father, was told by his old grandmother Sunja that he would be safer back in America because he was ashamed of his father.
Episode 2
Koh Hansu is indebted to the man after a traumatic altercation.He tries to win Sujah affection by showering her with presents , but she declines the presents . The two began interacting daily as he joins her by the stream where she does her laundry and she began liking him after seeing his gentle side.
Solomon wants to make a name for himself and get an old woman to sell her building .He used his charm to get a meeting with the owner.He gifts her a watermelon and bids one billion dollars for the property.He can’t get her to sell it because of the differences in their generations.This episode end with two bitter sweet scenes.
Episode 3
Sunja tells Koh Hansu that she is pregnant and surprisingly he is overjoyed by this news. She talks about them getting married and he told her that he has a wife and three daughters back in Osaka. He then promised her great riches and proper education, but he cannot marry her. Sujah is heartbroken.
Fast forward to the present Sunja’s best friend and sister-in-law Kyunghee, who she has been caring for, passed away after battling with cancer for a long time.
Solomon ask his grandmother sujah for help to close his deal, so the both of them head to the land owner’s place . The two old women bond over discussions of returning home to korea one day.
Towards the end of this episode we see that teen sujah isn’t well, she’s scared to tell her mom about her pregnancy and Koh Hansu’s refusal of marriage. She finally tells her mom and apologizes, the two women are seen weeping on the floor.
Episode 4
Koh Hansu walks into a tailor shop to confront Isak. Talking about Isak’s illness and the clothing he wears. Isak keeps his cool which angers koh.
Sujah family and friends wish her well. They have her gifts. Oh the painful good byes while the newly wed couples depart for japan. This scene is so heart breaking but I am sure its not close to being the most emotional scense in this master piece.
Forward to the present old sujah seen packing her bags, oh she is finally going to her motherland Korea. Meanwhile solomon closes his deal with the land owner.
At this point both Sujah and Solomon make some vital realization. The emotions that come with this scene normally comes at the end of series but the director of Pachinko was able to get that in just episode 4 .
Episode 5
This episodes start with Sujah and Isak arrive at Japan, although isak brother doesn’t seem happy to see them . Sujah feels like an outcast since speaking her language was frown at there . She just keeps mute and watches the two brothers talk.
Kyunghee is pleased with seeing sujah she lays down tray of food, upon seeing it sujah begins to cry feeling home sick. Isak brother feels sujah wants to trap isak. Mean while in bed Isak and Sujah talk to each other and end up making love.
Fast forward to a month kyunghee washes sujah clothes and she begins to cry that the fragrance of her home town is gone , kyunghee tells her she will have to learn to live with it.
Sujah sells her wrist watch which was gifted to her by Koh for 300 yen to pay yoseb debt.
Forward to the present Sujah is seen walking around Busan enjoying the view .
Solomon is back in Tokyo and plans to go back to New York but heard Mr Andrews having problems with his finances, the stunt with the deal will have him pay.
Sujah pours Kyunghee ashes into the sea, sujah also tries to find out the details of isak burial but the location has been developed there’s a big complex in the place now.
Sunja tells Mozasu to have them board the return flight. Mozasu says that they still have a couple of days left, she says that she thinks she must go. Moreover, she expressed her happiness over the shortened distance and says that she can comfortably come back anytime.
This episode comes to an end when Hana calls him again. She’s crying, and she tells him to come as fast as he can. He asks where, but the call has been ended.
Episode 6
The beginning of this episode takes us back to the 70s , Hana dreams of running to America with Solomon she persuades him to steal a candy and he was caught, his father had to come bail him.
In the 80s we see Hana dying from Aids. Her mom and Mosazu( Solomon dad) have spent a lot of money searching for her and finally find her in this tragic condition, this scene is emotional as she interact with her mother.
Back to the 30s Sujah water breaks and she begins to go into labour. Isak has gone to look for his brother Yoseb who is angry at kyunghee and sujah for paying off his debt.
This episode has the same repetitive styles with earlier episodes which is tiresome, although there are still some touching moments.
With the final two episodes away we can’t wait to see what will happen next because there seem to be no end game.
