The much awaited Pachinko, a korean-American drama television series directed and produced by critically acclaimed Kogonada and Justin Chon (4 episodes each) released its official trailer today.
The show stars ‘Minari’ fame Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho (The King: Eternal Monarch, The Legend of the blue sea), Kim Min-ha, Jin Ha and Anna Sawai. The series is based on the novel of the same name, also a New York Times Best Seller by Min Jin Lee. The novel depicts the heart-wrenching story of a Korean family’s immigration to Japan, with poverty, racism and family loyalty as its central themes.
The trailer starts with a voice-over that introduces the central protagonist ‘Sunja’ – her birth, her youth and then her older version played by Youn Yuh-jung – as she recounts her life in this 8 episode mini-series. We are shown glimpses of the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family, beginning with a story of a forbidden romance that leads to a sweeping saga taking place in Korea, Japan and America. Sunja, being the one who witnesses all of those struggles, dreams flushing and crushing, lives blooming and wearing out, love, separation, sacrifices, betrayals, births and deaths over the course of her life spanning over life changing historical events like the Japanese Invasion of Korea and the second world war. We are also introduced to Kim Min-ha who plays the younger version of Sunja, Lee Min-ho who plays Sunja’s love-interest Hansu and Jin Ha as Solomon (Sunja’s grand-child). Aided by goosebumps inducing background score and spectacular production design, Pachinko scores high in the cinematography department too, quite visibly from the trailer.
Apple TV+ launched it’s foray to the korean drama market with its first original K-drama series, “Dr.Brain” in 2021. The show was critically acclaimed and a success, also hinting at a possible second season. Pachinko is yet another bet by Apple TV+ targetting the south-korean market. With a stacked star-cast and an exceptional director at the helm, the show is touted to be a smashing hit all over the world. This inter-generational epic saga is scheduled to air on Apple TV+ on March 25, 2022.