Hit or Miss: Apple TV+’s ‘Pachinko’

Apply TV+ has released the trailer for its upcoming drama series Pachinko directed and produced by Kogonada and Justin Chon, both directing 4 episodes each. It is scheduled to air on March 25, 2022, and stars Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, and Kim Minha. It is based on the novel of the same name by Korean American author Min Jin Lee which was a New York Times bestseller and a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. It follows the hopes and dreams of an immigrant family from Korea across four generations as they leave their homeland in a quest to survive and thrive.

Apple Inc. obtained the series in August 2018 and was given a series order in April 2019. Soo Hugh was slated as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Lee, the writer of the original novel, was also added on as an executive producer. Media Res, the series’ production company, also serves as a producer alongside Hugh. It was announced that there was a worldwide search that took six to seven months to cast the main actors of the series. Filming started on October 26, 2020, in Korea, Japan, and America. The South Korea portion of filming finished in December 2020 with additional filming commencing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The trailer immediately starts off with the text “The International Sensation. That Captivated The World,” intercut with short clips of the main cast. Right at the start, the tone is set with the beautiful costumes, wonderfully crafted shots, and the beautiful locations. In the first 9 seconds, it seems as though one of the strengths of this series will be the performances. The range of emotions are put on display making the audience question what is happening. From a child running towards the camera or one of the cast members letting out a scream, this series is set to impress.

After the title card fades, a beautiful wide shot establishes the pleasing environment made up of a setting sun, green mountains, and fog over a river. A tracking shot centers on one of the main cast members as they overlook their community. Next, a child is shown with fast cut shots showing her growing up revealing that it is Yuh-jung’s character, Sunja. After, more establishing shots show the village in which Sunja grew up while cutting to the present-day. The difference of these two environments is enhanced with the simplicity of showing how she makes the rice both before and after leaving her village.

After another wonderfully crafted shot underwater, the camera cuts to a character saying:

I want to remember everything, Sunja... Their faces. Have you ever thought about it? What your life would be like, if you chose differently?

While this is being said, there is another montage series introducing more of the cast before it cuts to young Sunja meeting a man who seems to impact where she is now. Present-day Sunja is then shown reflecting on memories of her time back in Korea. This sets up one of the central themes of the show which seems to be how every choice will impact each character.

Another character asks if Sunja would be willing to leave her home and start anew before cutting to a city shot. More expository scenes are shown that hint some more themes of the series which include sacrifice, connections between generations, and reflecting on the past. It then cuts to extended shots of what was shown in the first 9 seconds, however, it now has another shot at the end which seems to be Sunja opening her eyes. Sunja serves as the main protagonist and everything in this trailer is shown from her perspective.

The series contains 8 episodes produced in Korean, Japanese, and English with the Apple TV+ premiere releasing the first three. One episode will be released every Friday until April 29, 2022. This series seems like one to keep on your watchlist. It is set to impress with the performances, amazing shots, and a story that resonates to the present-day.