Kim's Convenience: The Main Characters, Ranked By Likability
Over the course of 5 seasons and 65 episodes, the delightful main characters on the Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience have made the show extremely easy to watch and replay. With well-rounded and highly relatable characters full of both virtue and flaws, humorous and serious sides, it's very easy to identify with and root for Appa and Umma as they run their store downstairs by day and live upstairs by night.
Aside from their inherent personalities, actions they take, and the way they treat others, what makes the characters so compelling on Kim's Convenience is their underlying humanity and humility.
8 Terence
As one of the more annoying coworkers at Handy Car Rentals to begin the series, Terence (Michael Musi) tends to grow on fans as the show progresses. Mainly there to deliver jabs and barbs at Jung (Simu Liu) and Shannon (Nicole Power) as comic relief, sometimes his jokes land, and sometimes they induce eye-rolls.
Although he is polite enough to customers, Terence's incessant grousing and combative nature with Kimchee (Andrew Phung) makes him less likable, especially when he tries to constantly undermine the assistant manager so he can assume the job instead.
7 Gerald
Gerald (Ben Beauchemin) is the polite, pleasant, and well-meaning best friend of Janet (Andrea Bang) who genuinely shows how much he cares for her on the show. He supports her photography career, gives heartfelt relationship advice, and is almost always there for her in times of emotional need.
Alas, Gerald's half-hearted commitment to Janet after they share a kiss and return from trips abroad put a damper on their romance, which made fans feel bad for Janet and mad at Gerald. Still, the way Gerald overcomes Appa's disdain by ingratiating himself to the family and working in the store with them makes him a lovable part of the family and an important part of the show's fabric.
6 Janet
Janet's likability derives from how realistic and fully rounded her character is. As a young college student trying to find her way, she makes mistakes, gets into trouble, becomes temperamental, yet never loses her big heart and sense of morality. Janet is sometimes a good daughter and sometimes a bad one, she can be angry, mean, and nasty one minute and sweet, kind, and caring the next, but she does so organically in a way that feels authentic.
However, of all the Kims, Janet is the least pleasant due to her contentious relationship with Umma and constant meddling with the Appa and Jung's long-held feud. The way she treats Gerald's girlfriend Chelsea (Gabriella Sundar Singh) highlights her pettiest and most vindictive traits.
5 Shannon
Jung's boss and eventual love interest Shannon is extremely enjoyable to watch on the sitcom that was canceled too soon. With a quirky sense of humor that grows on fans over time, her silliness at home and office shenanigans is the source of the show's biggest laughs. How about those not-so-sexy Scottish dances in the kilt? Too good.
A huge part of the dynamic between Shannon and Jung is the inappropriate nature of their romance in the workplace, which leads to a funny secret affair that comes to light in hilarious ways. Shannon's time with Umma and Janet is especially endearing, as she works so hard to try to be accepted that it's impossible not to root for her.
4 Jung
Essentially the A.C. Slater of the show, Jung is sort of a himbo ladies' man more concerned about his hair and workout routine than making his family proud. However, once he studies business in L.A. and returns, he shows tremendous growth as an adult and financial leader willing to help retool the convenience store. As such, Jung becomes more likable over time.
The way Jung treats Shannon at first left a lot to be desired, especially when he would lie to her and date girls behind her back. Once he finally committed to her, Jung showed a whole new side of maturity and commitment that fortified his character. Of course, his back and forth with Kimchee is one of the most amusing parts of the show.
3 Kimchee
Kimchee is such a greatly enjoyable character that if anyone got a spinoff, he should be the one. As Jung's roommate and Handy's assistant manager, Kimchee is cool, funny, and so relatable that he even spends time hanging out with Appa for fun. Hip, stylish, and easygoing, Kimchee is the best friend anyone can ask for.
Whether he's pranking Terence by sabotaging him with spicy food, delivering hilarious quips like "you've obviously never tried Velveeta...that's a sippin' cheese," or simply having Jung's back when most needed, Kimchee is a friend every viewer of the show wished they had.
2 Appa
Although he can be a strict parent, Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) radiates warmth like few others on the show. The big-hearted teddy bear of a man is the source of much of the situational comedy, whether he's pranking Janet or accidentally eating a weed cookie. The way he treats Frank, Mr. Mehta, the cereal guy, and others proves how accepting, empathetic, and loving he truly is.
Appa's loving side is further shown through his profound bond with Umma (Jean Yoon) as the cutest TV couple, which is the most likable kinship on the show. The way Appa listens to and learns from his wife and supports her through her MS treatment is especially touching.
1 Umma
All things considered, Umma is the most likable character to watch on the show. She's hilarious, strong-willed, and doesn't suffer fools easily. She'll stand up for herself when needed and support her family when called for. This includes tough love and warm compassion, the polarity between which from moment to moment provides some of the funniest Kim's Convenience quotes and biggest laughs on the show.
Whether meddling in Janet's romances, encouraging Jung to take business courses, standing up to Appa to make a choice about her own body when deciding on an MS treatment, or simply making droll day-to-day observations, Umma's full range of humanity makes her a real role model for her children.