Early in the first episode of the second season of Pachinko, American fighter planes appear in the sky, dropping pamphlets that urge the residents of Osaka to petition the emperor to end the brutal war. The year is 1945, and the echoes of World War II reverberate through every corner of the city. For Sunja and her small family, this looming uncertainty and disquiet are palpable, casting a shadow over their lives.
Based on Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel, Pachinko’s first season premiered in 2022. It deviated from the book’s linear narrative by weaving between two timelines: the 1940s, which chronicled Sunja’s life in Korea and Japan during World War II, and 1989, where we follow her grandson Solomon Baek as he navigates his professional life in Japan after returning from New York.
Season one saw Sunja grappling with an unexpected pregnancy and adjusting to life in Osaka after leaving Japanese-occupied Korea with her husband, Baek Isak (Steve Sanghyun Noh). Now, in the second season, Sunja faces even more challenges. Years have passed since Isak was imprisoned for helping laborers fight for fair wages. Her brother-in-law, Yoseb (Han Joon-woo), works in a Nagasaki factory, and she and her sister-in-law, Kyunghee (Jung Eun-chae), worry about their children having to eat worm-infested rations. With determined resolve, Sunja ventures into the dangerous black market to sell rice wine, hoping to provide for her children.
The narrative bounces between the 1940s and the late 1980s, where Solomon’s father, Mozasu (Soji Arai), prepares to open a new Pachinko parlor. Meanwhile, Solomon works to secure investors for his new project after leaving his previous firm due to a botched business deal influenced by the story of a senior Korean immigrant who refused to sell her land.
A grand narrative like ‘Pachinko’ requires a careful and unhurried storytelling approach, something the first season masterfully accomplished.
. In an era when many shows face the threat of early cancellations, Pachinko does not hurry through its new season. Its first episode unfolds slowly yet engagingly, setting the stage for how life has evolved for its central characters. Minha Kim brings Sunja’s sense of helplessness and fierce determination to life, while her sons, Noa and Mozasu, portrayed by Kim Kang-hoon and Eunseong Kwon, add depth to the storyline.
Mozasu shows a youthful eagerness to overcome enemies during practiced government-mandated drills, while Noa, subdued and burdened, grapples with the discrimination that zainichis (Koreans in Japan) face. The 1989 timeline shows Solomon listening to a racially charged outburst against his grandmother Sunja, highlighting how much and yet how little has changed across generations. In this role, Jin Ha embodies a character on the edge, teetering between his professional ambitions and personal struggles, promising a compelling arc this season.
In the first season, the character of Koh Hansu, portrayed by Lee Min-ho in a career-defining role, was given considerable depth with a dedicated episode set during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Hansu remains a constant, if enigmatic, presence, watching over Sunja and her sons in this new season as well.
Showrunner Soo Hugh has often highlighted the universality of Pachinko’s themes—love, loss, grief, and survival across generations. One of the show’s greatest strengths is its ability to avoid melodramatic pitfalls, focusing instead on nuanced storytelling. While the canvas is vast and the production grand, the second season of Pachinko retains its sombre and affecting narrative style, as seen in its first episode. This carefully paced storytelling is set to continue across the remaining seven episodes, drawing viewers deeper into its multi-generational saga.
Pachinko’s second season is currently streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes releasing every Friday.
