Pachinko (2022)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Pachinko is a historical drama which premiered on US television (Apple tv+) in 2022. It is a miniseries with eight episodes.

What do reviewers say about this historical drama?

Here are some results:

 

** 83 percent = IMDb

** 88 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

** 97 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

 

On Amazon there are at the moment 47 ratings; nine with reviews.

The average rating is 4.8 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 96 percent.

 

As you can see, the ratings are very good; very positive.

The television drama is based on a book which was published in 2017.

This book was listed as a New York Times bestseller.

This is probably the reason why it was decided to adapt the book for the small screen.

Pachinko is the story of four generations of a Korean family whose members live in the US, in Korea, and in Japan.

The characters speak English, Korean or Japanese, depending on who they are and where they are.

Some characters speak only one language, while other characters speak two or three languages.

The time frame runs from 1915 to 1989.

The story of the four generations covers most of the 20th century.

 

The story of this drama is not told in a linear fashion where we start in 1915 and then slowly move forward towards 1989.

In each episode, the story flips back and forth in time. The story also flips from one location to another.

 

There is, however, one exception: episode seven is different than the other episodes. It has another structure.

Episode seven covers only one event and one moment in history:

The earthquake which hit Tokyo and Yokohama in 1923. This area is known as the Kanto region.

The Kanto earthquake was one of the worst natural disasters which has ever hit Japan.

More than 140,000 people lost their lives.

Numerous buildings made of wood collapsed when the earthquake hit.

Many buildings caught fire when they collapsed, because many homes had an open fire in the kitchen.

 

The history of the Kanto earthquake is not covered in the book on which the drama is based, but the team behind the drama decided to include this case anyway, because it is a significant event in the history of Japan in the 20th century.

Since many Koreans were living in this area at the time, this event also affected the Korean population in Japan.

 

The story of Pachinko is fictional, but it is placed in a historical context which seems to be realistic. The focus is on the relationship between Japan and Korea, between the Japanese and the Koreans.

The Japanese colonization of Korea began in 1910 and lasted until the end of World War II in 1945.

During this time, Japan exploited the Korean people and their country. Koreans were treated as second-class or third-class citizens in their own country. The Japanese were masters, while the Koreans were slaves. 

During colonial times, many Koreans were encouraged to move to Japan in order to find work. When they arrived in Japan, they were allowed to live and work in Japan. They were permanent residents, but they were not - and could not become - Japanese citizens. 

 

They were not treated as second-class citizens, because they were not citizens. The were not accepted as equals. They were victims of discrimination. They were regarded as people who were supposed to serve the Japanese.

 

The Japanese colonization of Korea lasted only 35 years. In a long historical perspective, this is a short time, but it made a huge impact on Korea and the Korean people.

 

The Japanese colonization of Korea ended long ago. It is in the past, but the past is not forgotten. Even today, many Koreans still have negative feelings about the Japanese because of what happened during colonial times.

 

The relationship between Koreans and Japanese is a key element of this historical drama which is highly recommended.

 

PS # 1. What is the meaning of the word Pachinko?

Pachinko is the Japanese word for a vertical pin-ball machine.

Gambling is illegal in Japan, but Pachinko parlors are legal.

One of the characters in this drama makes a career running a Pachinko parlor in Osaka.

The name of this place is Grand New Vegas!

 

PS # 2. When episode eight ends, the viewer is left with many questions. The fate of several characters is unresolved. What happened to them? Will there be a second season?

According to the producers, a second season is on the way.

Season 2 is expected to premiere in late 2023 or early 2024.

 

*****

 

 

 

 

 

Pachinko

A historical novel

By Min Jin Lee

(2017)

 

*****