The story
Spanning four generations, Pachinko follows Sunja, a young woman from Busan who leaves Japanese-occupied Korea for the Korean community of Osaka, where she and her family struggle against poverty and prejudice. Her story is woven together with that of her grandson Solomon, an ambitious finance worker in Japan decades later, as the family's past keeps shaping its future.
Why it matters
Made in Korean, Japanese and English and adapted from Min Jin Lee's novel, Pachinko is a sweeping multilingual family saga backed by an American streamer, with its leads found through a months-long worldwide casting search. Its critical acclaim showed Apple TV committing to non-English-led storytelling for a global audience.
Notable facts
- The first season was produced in three languages: Korean, Japanese and English. (source)
- Kogonada and Justin Chon each directed four episodes of the first season. (source)
- Filming took place in South Korea, Japan and North America, including Busan and Vancouver. (source)
- The episode 'Chapter Seven' was named one of the best TV episodes of 2022 by The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Collider. (source)