More hype, please! / 'Pachinko'

A monthly spotlight on stuff that deserves more buzz

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The Clubhouse
September 13, 2024

Welcome back to The Clubhouse, where we here at TMS want to snuggle all of you close (consensually, of course!) as we dig deeper into pop culture, media, and geekery of all kinds.

This week, we’re trying a monthly feature called More Hype, Please, where we’ll spotlight a show, film, book, or game that isn’t getting enough mainstream buzz, but deserves all the love!

And we wanna hear from YOU! Is there media you think is being woefully ignored by the mainstream masses despite being brilliant, and you have no idea why? Tell us all about it here, or write to us at [email protected]!

And below that, keep an eye out for details on our TIFF coverage!

MORE HYPE, PLEASE! — Pachinko

by Teresa Jusino

Minha Kim as Sunja in a scene from ‘Pachinko.’ (Apple TV+)

We know, we know. FX’s Shōgun has gotten a lot of attention, and too many people think that’s the be-all and end-all when it comes to shows centering Asian history. Well, it isn’t! Pachinko (Apple TV+) is a show that simmers and takes its time, but delivers a profoundly beautiful gut-punch of a narrative about a Korean family in Japan, giving an alternate perspective on Japanese imperialism.

Based on the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko is the story of the Baek family, covering five decades across two continents. At its heart is the family matriarch, Sunja, played in her youth by Minha Kim, and as an older woman by Youn Yuh-jung.

The show alternates between Sunja’s past in the 30s and 40s and her “present” in 1980s U.S, where we get to see how her life and family have turned out after everything she suffered in her youth. While Pachinko is full of fascinating characters played by incredible actors, it is Sunja who holds the story together, and she’s an amazing example of a nuanced female character done right.

Here are some additional reasons you should not only watch Pachinko, but talk about it with everyone you know:

MINHA KIM AND YOUN YUH-JUNG

Youn Yuh-jung as Older Sunja in a scene from ‘Pachinko’ (Apple TV+)

The entire cast of this show is amazing, but Minha Kim and Youn Yuh-jung do breathtaking work playing Sunja. Not only are they each wonderful on their own, but they do an excellent job of echoing each other as the same character at different life stages. Though Kim is young, she has the poignancy and gravitas of a woman twice her age, reflecting what life under Japanese occupation has done to her and her family. Meanwhile Yuh-Jung is adept at delivering softness from under her hard shell, the product of years of reflection on a lifetime of difficult choices. If for no other reason, you should watch Pachinko to experience these two women being brilliant.

THE EMMY-WINNING OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE

It’s weird to recommend a show purely for its main titles, but this one won an Emmy for Best Main Title Design, and with good reason. This title sequence beautifully captures the sprawling nature of this multi-generational narrative, juxtaposing older footage with more modern footage of the whole family (past and present) dancing to a pop song. You might not have wanted to watch Pachinko before, but this upbeat opening might entice you to stick around for what comes next.

Season one’s title sequence is above, and the season two titles are below:

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON JAPANESE AND KOREAN HISTORY

@johnnymohnnytok

Japan really flipped the script on us 😭 #skit #funny #relatable

TikTok is rife with videos talking about Japan being viewed as the kawaii place where a lot of our pop culture faves come from, while also having a long history of colonialism and war crimes that hasn’t been discussed much in mainstream discourse.

The story of Pachinko is told from the perspective of a Korean family forced to assimilate into Japanese culture while being treated like second-class citizens. Honestly, this was history of which I wasn’t entirely aware until I watched this show. Pachinko explores the ways in which oppression exists in a non-white context, and does a great job of immersing the viewer in both cultures, from the detail of its production design, to the show’s use of three languages to tell its story (the dialogue is in Korean, Japanese, and English, and the subtitles are color-coded to reflect which language is being spoken).

RELATABLE CONTENT

Youn Yuh-jung (Older Sunja) and Jin Ha (Solomon) in ‘Pachinko.’ (Apple TV+)

On its face, Pachinko might seem “inaccessible” to those who aren’t Korean or Japanese. But there are elements of this story that will resonate with a broad audience:

  • It’s the story of a young man named Solomon (Jin Ha) who’s insecure about whether he’s living up to his family’s expectations.

  • It’s the story of a family emigrating from their native land to a place where their fight for a better life is met with resistance from an unwelcoming population.

  • It features complicated love stories that are no less loving for being practical or unconventional. And when I say ‘love stories,’ I’m not only talking about romantic love.

  • It’s the story of how, with every subsequent generation, a family’s history and culture feels more and more removed.

If you’re not watching Pachinko, there’s no better time than now! Seasons 1 and 2 are now available on Apple TV+.

ICYMI

James Earl Jones in ‘Coming to America.’ (Paramount Pictures)

Here are some recent posts over at TMS that you shouldn’t miss:

TIFF 2024

Contributing writer Isobel Grieve is at Toronto International Film Festival 2024, so keep an eye on her author page for more movie reviews to come! She’s got a few published already, one for Saturday Night coming soon, and more on the way!

INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT

Have you seen these interviews? Make sure you’re caught up with the convos TMS is having with the folks behind our favorite stories!

TMS talks with James McAvoy about accents, music, and his role in Speak No Evil!

And here are some other chats that aren’t to be missed:

Thoughts? Ideas? Reply here, or write to us at [email protected] to tell us how we’re doing and what you’d like to see!