Early on in the inaugural episode of the second season of “Pachinko,” American fighter planes bombard the skies of Osaka, dropping pamphlets that entreat the residents to beseech the emperor to cease the brutal ongoing war. Set in the tumultuous year of 1945, the omnipresent reminders of the Second World War and the imminent threat of bombings cast a shadow over every corner of the city. This escalating tension and apprehension significantly affect Sunja and her small family.
Based on Min Jin Lee’s best-selling and highly acclaimed novel, “Pachinko,” the show’s first season premiered in 2022. This eight-episode series diverged from the book’s straightforward timeline, deftly oscillating between the 1940s and chronicling the life of Sunja in Korea and Japan during World War II, and 1989, portraying her grandson Solomon Baek’s return to Japan from New York for a financial assignment.
In the first season, Sunja grappled with an unexpected pregnancy and endeavored to adapt to life in Osaka after leaving Japanese-occupied Korea with her husband, Baek Isak (played by Steve Sanghyun Noh). Now, years later, Isak’s imprisonment for aiding laborers in their wage struggle has left a profound impact. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law Yoseb (portrayed by Han Joon-woo) works in a Nagasaki factory, and Sunja’s sister-in-law Kyunghee (Jung Eun-chae) shares the burden of worrying about the children subsisting on worm-infested rations. Steeled by determination, Sunja resolves to risk her life by selling rice wine in the illicit black market, declaring, “I am good at selling.”
The seasoned Yoon Yuh-jung assumes the role of older Sunja in the 1980s, where the plot intertwines past and present. In the late 1980s narrative, Solomon’s father, Mozasu (Soji Arai), is on the brink of opening a luxurious new Pachinko parlor. Solomon himself, having quit his previous firm at the end of the first season after mishandling a business deal inspired by a senior Korean immigrant’s refusal to sell her property, is now engrossed in assembling investors for his new project.
A narrative as sweeping and multifaceted as “Pachinko” merits a meticulous and almost leisurely unveiling on screen, an endeavor that was beautifully realized in its first season. In an era where the longevity of shows is continually in jeopardy, “Pachinko” approaches its second season with no sense of urgency.
. The first episode remains nonchalant yet compelling, succinctly setting the stage for the altered lives of its central characters after a temporal shift. Minha Kim’s portrayal of Sunja brings to life her sense of helplessness, mingled with an unyielding resolve to provide for her sons, Noa and Mozasu, played by Kim Kang-hoon and Eunseong Kwon, respectively.
Mozasu’s vivacity and eagerness to combat the enemies contrast sharply with Kim Kang-hoon’s Noa, who shoulders the weight of the world as he grapples with the discrimination faced by Koreans in Japan, known as zainichis. Noa’s subjugation to his classmates’ taunts regarding his identity echoes into 1989, where Solomon confronts a racially charged tirade from a Japanese bakery owner against his grandmother Sunja (Yoon Yuh-jung). In a poignant moment, Solomon retorts, “I’m from Yale University,” underscoring the strides yet stagnations of racial prejudice over generations.
Jin Ha’s portrayal of Solomon depicts a man perpetually on the edge, ready to explode any moment. His desperate pursuit of a fresh start and professional aspirations promises an intriguing narrative arc distinct from the book’s storyline.
The character of Koh Hansu, embodied by Lee Min-ho in a role of a lifetime, saw considerable development in the first season. In a dedicated episode directed by Kogonada, against the backdrop of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, Hansu’s backstory unfolded, revealing the man whose connection with Sunja set the entire saga into motion. Hansu remains an omnipresent force, vigilantly overseeing Sunja and her sons.
Showrunner Soo Hugh has frequently highlighted the universal appeal of “Pachinko,” a tale that explores love, loss, grief, and survival across generations. The show’s strength lies in its ability to steer clear of melodrama, opting for a subtler, more impactful storytelling approach. While the scale of “Pachinko” is grand and its canvas vast, it retains its somber, poignant narrative in the second season with its inaugural episode, a tone-setting installment that bodes well for the remaining seven episodes.
The second season of “Pachinko” is available now on Apple TV+, with new episodes streaming every Friday.
