While some backlash has been against the Apple TV+ library, with particular series falling under a critical eye for being self-indulgent and pretentious, Pachinko is not one of them. After a stellar debut season, the series returns after a two-year absence, showcasing the power of storytelling through its gorgeous and meticulous portrayal of a family in crisis.
Pachinko showrunner and writer Soo Hugh (The Killing), in this adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel, has masterfully layered themes that run so deep you could almost call this a drama of decadence. The show tackles provocative subjects like cultural trauma, identity, social class, and perhaps the most crucial theme of all: Resilience.
Pachinko returns to its story, focusing on both past and present timelines. The show takes a significant leap, with the past shifting from 1915 to 1945, during Japan’s involvement in the Second World War. The storylines seamlessly immerse the viewer in the anxiety-ridden atmosphere of the time, where the mere mention of a character living in a city like Nagasaki evokes a sense of impending, ominous doom.
Discrimination against the Korean community remains at an all-time high in Japan, and the war only exacerbates the situation. Sunja (the wonderful Minha Kim) is still raising her two teenage sons, Noa (Kim Kang-hoon) and Mozasu (Eunseong Kwon). She moves her family to the countryside to avoid the bombings, an eye-opening sequence that brings the family’s story back to their humble beginnings.
As we jump ahead 44 years to 1989, Solomon (Civil War’s Jin Ha) is still in Tokyo, navigating the region’s financial boom. While some may frown upon this story arc, others will find it fascinating. Solomon represents his family’s sacrifice to give him an education and a better life. Jin Ha’s character is a remarkable example of Western education and influence being reintroduced into Eastern culture.
This storyline involves a cutthroat real estate deal that may have severe consequences for his relationship with his girlfriend, Naomi (Shogun’s Anna Sawai). While this plot fails in obvious comparison to the Japanese countryside in World War II, which does a phenomenal job of transporting the viewer to another time and place, it doesn’t make it any less critical to the overall storytelling that is just as crucial.
Pachinko is a knockout series—a tour de force historical epic that never loses its incredible emotional impact despite its ambitious scope. From Nico Muhly’s emotive and profoundly effective score to Florian Hoffmeister and Ante Cheng’s visually rich cinematography, as well as the heart-wrenching and soul-stirring performances of Minha Kim and Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung, Pachinko is unlike any other series on television, whether streaming or on network.
Pachinko is a series that profoundly consumes you and should be savored for its emotional depth and rich storytelling. It achieves what only the very best movies or shows can do by taking you to another time and place then tying in modern themes that we are still struggling with today.
You can now watch the second season of Pachinko on Apple TV+!
What did you think of Pachinko’s second season? Let us know in the comments below!
Pachinko is a series that profoundly consumes you and should be savored for its emotional depth and rich storytelling.
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I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.
