Apple TV Plus releases first look at sweeping historical romance drama Pachinko

Pachinko takes place across Japan, Korea, and America. The show will premiere in March.

By Saloni Gajjar  |  January 26, 2022 | 10:00pm
TV News Pachinko
Apple TV Plus releases first look at sweeping historical romance drama Pachinko
Yu-na Jeon in Pachinko

Apple TV+ has set a March premiere date for its highly anticipated epic historical romance drama Pachinko. Based on Min Jin Lee’s 2017 bestseller of the same name, the show is set in three different locations, and will be told in three different languages—Korean, Japanese, and English.

The book follows the upheaval in the life of four generations of Korean immigrants during turn-of-the-century Japan, spanning from 1910 to 1989. The period included the Japanese occupation of Korea and World War II. The protagonist here is Sunja, whose perilous journey to Japan shines a light on racial bias in the country. Her path intertwines with Hansu, a mysterious Korean merchant born into a wealthy Japanese family.

Created by The Terror’s Soo Hugh, Pachinko stars a mostly Asian cast. Minari actor and Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung will lead as Sunja, with Kim Min-ha as a teenage version of her, and Yu-na Jeon as a young Sunja. Lee Min-ho plays Hansu.

The streaming platform also released first look photos of Pachinko:

The novel derives its name from the game pachinko, which has an unpredictable and uncontrollable nature (a strong metaphor for the character-driven stories in the book). Although it’s unclear how faithful the show stays to its source material, considering the adaptation also has portions set in the U.S.

The cast includes Soji Arai, Anna Sawai, Jin Ha, Yoon Seo-ho, Kaho Minami, Jung Eun-chae, and Jimmi Simpson.

Pachinko’s first season consists of eight episodes. The show will debut with three on March 25, 2022, with new episodes releasing weekly until the finale on April 29, 2022.

 
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