“Pachinko”, which tells the life of people like Sun-ja, has a touching ending… The production of Season 2 has been confirmed

The 8-episode drama “Pachinko” finally ended. Amidst the viewers’ explosive reactions, the production team announced the production plan for Season 2.

Apple TV+ released its 8th episode on April 29th and ended with a grand finale. “Pachinko” will be remembered as a tribute to the painful history of Koreans and Japanese Koreans (Zainichi) and those who endured the whirlpool with their whole bodies.

“Pachinko”, which was first released in March, is based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name and tells the story of the hopes and dreams of Korean immigrant families delicately and warmly. Starting with a “forbidden love”, it depicts an unforgettable chronicle of war and peace, love and separation, victory and judgment between Korea, Japan, and the United States.

By not only portraying an overwhelmingly touching story with the attractive developments and the actors’ enthusiastic performances but also recalling and arousing the public’s interest in the past and history that has been forgotten, the drama is receiving favorable reviews.

In the final episode, Sun-ja (Kim Min-ha), who left her hometown and mother’s side then settled in a strange land with her husband Isaac (Noh Sang-hyun), formed a new family together with Isaac’s older brother Joseph (Han Jun-woo) and his wife Kyung-hee (Jung Eun-chae) and adapted to the life of strangers. Years after the birth of her son Noa, Sun-ja and Isaac revealed their strong faith in each other. 

Pastor Baek Isaac, who served as the minister of Zainichi society, felt the need for change in Ikaino, where discrimination and oppression took place. These are the words of a young Korean man who lives without knowing who he is when being eaten away by fear. “I want my child to know his identity and live proudly”, Baek Isaac, who used to dream of a world without discrimination, was eventually arrested by the Japanese police.

Sun-ja, who was separated from her husband Isaac, could not just sit down and cry. Sun-ja made kimchi to sell in the market. It’s the kimchi that makes people around cover their noses but for Sun-ja, it’s the way she protected her life and hopes for the future. “Pachinko” ended uiwth the appearance of Sun-ja shouting loudly telling people to taste kimchi.

“Pachinko” depicts the strong vitality and family love through the character Sun-ja, while also retelling the painful history of Koreans and Zainichi. The Great Kanto Earthquake, the massacre of Koreans, and forced laborers, which did not appear in the original story in detail, were highlighted in the 7th episode. Along with the release of “Pachinko”, there were also reviews of historical events that appeared in the story. The production team consulted about 20 historians from Korea, Japan, and the U.S, and made the plan for “Pachinko” after a thorough examination from the scriptwriting stage. 

Soo Hugh, who wrote the script for “Pachinko”, said, “I didn’t know much about the life of Zainichi”, adding, “The Great Kanto Earthquake was added while I was exploring the character named Ko Han-su. I learned this new story since the U.S. curriculum did not cover this incident”.

In episode 8 of “Pachinko”, interviews of Koreans in Japan were included after the story of Sun-ja ended. Regarding the reason, Soo Hugh explained, “This drama is a fiction, but I believed it was important to include their testimonies directly since they were the first generation of Zainichi, who actually went through that era, the root of the story”.

Historian Jackie Kim gathered testimonies from women (Korean residents in Japan), and the production team of “Pachinko” made sure that their oral testimonies were accurately contained. Soo Hugh said, “I was so touched to see one of the interviewees cry and say, ‘I didn’t know that anyone would be so interested in my life’”.

“Pachinko” is also a work that shows changes in the content industry, which has been reorganized into the global OTT market. It is provided through a global OTT platform called Apple TV+ and is an American drama produced based on the capital power of a global media company. With a huge production cost of 100 billion won, it is a masterpiece that shows solid historical evidence, music, and art. In addition, the Korean-American screenwriter Soo Hugh and the directing of Kogonada and Justin Chon made the story more emotional.

While K-contents, such as “Parasite” and “Squid Game”, have recently achieved results in the global market, “Pachinko” is another significant work that shows the power of K-contents with the stories based on Korean and Korean history made based on large production costs. 

The story of the drama “Pachinko” is in the middle of the original novel. Apple TV+ officially announced the production of Season 2 on the 29th, right after the 8th episode was released. More attention is being focused on how the “Pachinko” epic will continue.