'Pachinko' returns with strong Korean family saga
Posted : 2024-08-24 01:00
Updated : 2024-08-25 12:09
Cast members of Apple TV+'s original series "Pachinko" Season 2 pose during a press conference at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Seoul, Friday. From left are actors Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha, Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Sung-kyu and Jung Eun-chae. Yonhap
By Park Jin-hai
The much acclaimed Apple TV+'s original series "Pachinko" returned with the second season.
The epic melodrama, based on the 2017 bestselling novel by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, unfolds the survival and life of a Korean immigrant family across four generations from the perspective of the family's matriarch, Sunja (Kim Min-ha and Youn Yuh-jung).
The drama won Best Foreign Language Series at the Critics Choice Awards in 2022, recognized for its cinematography and the actors' performances.
Three directors collaborated on the latest season of the series. Leanne Welham directed the first and second episodes, focusing on the actors' intricate emotions, while Arvin Chen, known for his distinctive style, handled episodes three to five. Korean Japanese director Lee Sang-il explored themes of anxiety and turmoil in episodes six to eight.
The first season features Sunja's first romance with Hansu, a wealthy fish broker with ties to the yakuza, unexpected pregnancy and betrayal under Japanese colonial rule in their home country Korea and then her move to Osaka with Isak (Steve Sanghyun Noh), a young pastor who marries her while she is already pregnant.
Picking up seven years after the events of Season 1 in Osaka, 1945, Season 2, which premieres on Friday, chronicles Sunja's determination to safeguard her family as the shadow of World War II looms large. The narrative also shifts to Tokyo in 1989, where her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) begins a new life from scratch.
While the series is based on a novel, the fact that it depicts a painful chapter of Korean history for a global audience made the actors' experiences particularly meaningful.
Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, who has been representing Koreans in various films, including award-winning "Minari," takes the role of old Sunja.
"I focused on staying true to the character. Despite being uneducated and poor, she has an unwavering spirit to live with dignity. I found it incredibly rewarding to portray her," the 77-year-old actor said.
Reflecting on the experience, she added, "It was during filming this epic drama that I realized how little we and our government understood about the lives of those people who endured that time."
Actor Lee Min-ho is seen a scene from Apple TV+'s series "Pachinko." Courtesy of Apple TV+
Lee Min-ho, who portrays the complex character Hansu, said that Hollywood making a story based on Korean history, which had scarcely been told, is significant.
"When I read the script, I realized that the fact that our story, which had been overlooked for so long, was now receiving such significant attention in a large market was incredibly meaningful. I am grateful for the sacrifices and hardships endured by our ancestors, who made it possible for us to be here today."
As for his character blurring the lines between good and evil, Lee said if Season 1 focused on the struggle for survival, Season 2 delves into the lives of those who must persevere.
He said, "My character in Season 2 is a more multifaceted individual with his own ambitions, making him a more complex figure than in the previous season,"
Hansu continues to watch over Sunja and their son Noa, both from afar and up close, after she left him to settle in Osaka. When asked about Hansu's feelings for Sunja, Lee mentioned that his emotions are more complex than mere love.
"Initially drawn to her strength, Hansu developed a possessive desire that went beyond love. His self-centered nature and focus on his own desires became increasingly apparent," Lee said. "As Season 2 progresses, his growing wealth and power serve to amplify his insecurities, leading to a more obsessive pursuit of Sunja and her son as he struggles to define his own identity amid his material gains."
Kim Min-ha, who plays young Sunja, said that Hansu holds a special place in Sunja's life.
"Hansu was like an encyclopedia, introducing Sunja to the world for the first time and opening up new possibilities for her. Beyond being her first love, he played a pivotal role in her life. In Season 2, the relationship gets so intricate and multifaceted. She often finds herself wanting Hansu out of her life but can't seem to stop thinking about him. It's a strange and contradictory feeling," she said.
Kicking off with the premiere of the first episode Friday, a new episode will be released every Friday on Apple TV+ through Oct. 11.
Actors Kim Min-ha, left, playing young Sunja and Lee Min-ho, playing Hansu, are seen in a scene from Apple TV+'s series "Pachinko." Courtesy of Apple TV+
jinhai@koreatimes.co.kr 
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