The highly anticipated drama series Pachinko has released its trailer, which can be seen on Apple TV+. The series, which is inspired by the best-selling self-titled novel by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, chronicles the narrative of four generations of a Korean family.
The trailer is set in a rural village, where a baby is being welcomed into the world. As the Korean voiceover explains to the audience, the newly-born is destined to succeed and bear the burden of her family’s heritage on her shoulders. Beginning in the early 1900s, the narrative of Pachinko follows an impoverished Korean family as they flee their home country in order to live, only to be met with racial prejudice in the country of Japan. The video, which alternates between the past and the present, delves into the hardships that the family has faced throughout history, promising a narrative that is both epic in scale and personal in its emotional effect.
A promise made in the new trailer is that the series adaption would remain faithful to the novel. The protagonist of the story is a young lady called Sunja. The novel follows Sunja from the time her parents married until she is an old lady living in Japan — utilizing Korea’s political history as a backdrop, the narrative focuses on the obstacles that each generation must confront. In a similar vein, the teaser unveils Sunja’s coming-of-age story, from her infancy to her old age, and a reflection on how her decisions influenced the future of her whole family. Finally, the trailer for Pachinko indicates that the show is a multicultural production that includes dialogue in Korean, Japanese, and English, among other languages.
While Pachinko is fundamentally a love tale, the novel’s portrayal of issues such as racism and stereotypes received much praise when it was first published in English. By focusing on the experiences of Koreans in Japan during World War II, the book also examines how Japan’s colonization of Korean land had significant ramifications for the cultures and relations of both nations. The title of the book also alludes to the chaotic aspect of the famous video game, as the individuals at the core of the tale have their lives repeatedly uprooted by events that are completely out of their control throughout the plot.
Pachinko features Academy Award-winning actress Yuh-Jung Youn in the role of Older Sunja, South Korean actor and singer Lee Minho in the role of Hansu, Jin Ha in the role of Solomon, Minha Kim in the role of Teenage Sunja, Anna Sawai in the role of Naomi, Eunchae Jung in the role of Young Kyunghee, Inji Jeong in the role of Yangjin, Jimmi Simpson in the role of Tom Andrews, Junwoo Han.
In Pachinko, Soo Hugh (The Terror, The Killing) pens the screenplay and acts as executive producer. He also conceived the series and serves as showrunner. Additionally, Kogonada and Justin Chon serve as executive producers, with each of them having helmed four episodes. Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive produce, while Blue Marble Pictures’ Theresa Kang-Lowe executive produces, and Media Res’ Dani Gorin co-executive produces with Richard Middleton, David Kim, and Sebastian Lee. Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive produce, and Blue Marble Pictures’ Theresa Kang-Lowe executive produces.
Additionally, Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Inji Jeong, Minha Kim, Kaho Minami, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Anna Sawai, Junwoo Han, Eun Chae Jung, Jimmi Simpson, and Yu-na Jeon also appear in the series as supporting characters.
Pachinko will release three episodes on Apple TV+ on March 25 in a worldwide premiere. New episodes will be released every Friday from then on until April 29th. Take a look at the new trailer.
