Future of one of Apple TV’s ‘best TV shows of the year’ finally confirmed – two years after its debut
THE fate of an acclaimed Apple TV+ drama has been confirmed – two years on from its debut.
Season one of the hit show aired eight episodes from March 25 to April 29, 2022.
Pachinko is set to return for a second season, also spanning eight episodes.
The show is based on a 2017 novel by author and journalist Min Jin Lee, who was born in Seoul, South Korea.
An epic historical fiction tale, the book told the story of a Korean family immigrating to Japan in the 20th century.
Along the way, they end up encountering racism, stereotyping and discrimination.
The novel covers multiple generations of the same bloodline, from the 1910s to the 1980s.
Soo Hugh adapted Lee’s book for television while filmmakers Justin Chon and Kogonada served as directors.
Academy Award-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung leads the cast as central character Kim Sunja.
The ensemble also includes Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Han jun-woo and Jimmi Simpson, among others.
According to US publication Variety, season two will premiere globally on August 23.
The second season takes one of the show’s timelines in the World War Two period.
It will explore Sunja’s experiences of the time and how the devastating conflict affected her.
Per an official synopsis for season two: “The parallel stories pick up in Osaka in 1945, where Sunja is forced to make dangerous decisions for her family’s survival during World War II, and in Tokyo in 1989, which finds Solomon exploring new, humble beginnings.”
A different timeline follows Solomon Baek (Jin Ha), who is Sunja’s Korean-American grandson.
Having been educated at at English-speaking schools and Yale University, Solomon is well-versed in interacting with Westerners.
The highly successful first season was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding main title design.
However, the programme saw success at the 2022 Gotham Awards, winning for breakthrough series.
Pachinko was also honoured at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards for best foreign language series.
Pachinko airs on Apple TV+
