It's still early, but I'd say Pachinko is easily one of the best series of the 2020s. Absolutely incredible writing, gorgeous cinematography and performances. "Episode 4" is easily one of my favorite episodes of TV.
Pachinko
Critic Rating
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- United States,
- South Korea,
- Canada
- 2022
- · 1 season
- · 440m
Creators
Justin Chon,
Kogonada
Cast
Kim Min-ha,
Youn Yuh-jung,
Jin Ha,
Steven SangHyun Noh
Genre
Drama,
Family
Pachinko follows one Korean family through four generations, beginning with Sunja, whose unplanned pregnancy shames the whole family. Through desperate struggles and hard-won triumphs, the family members are bound together by deep roots as they face enduring questions of faith, love, and identity.
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What are critics saying?
100
Collider by Chase Hutchinson
Pachinko is a triumph of visual storytelling that goes in its own direction and finds a destination that leaves you absolutely floored in how masterfully it executes its vision.
100
Decider by Meghan O'Keefe
Kogonada and Justin Chon’s direction, Soo Hugh’s writing, and the work of Pachinko’s outstanding ensemble cast weave together a story that is both huge in scope and humble in its beauty. Pachinko is perfectly exquisite (though not quite perfect) and will stick with you long after the credits roll.
100
The Playlist by Jeffrey Zhang
“Pachinko” is a groundbreaking, stunning, Asian-led production. Easily one of the best-looking narratives on Apple TV, the series weaves a meticulously wrought tapestry woven from the fabric of a scattered history.
100
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Kathryn VanArendonk
Its pace is urgent but measured. Gaps in Sunja’s life allow Pachinko to leave room for surprise and discovery, but the series avoids the clean, overly ordered logic of a jigsaw puzzle. ... Throughout, the series is transformed by the performances of each Sunja. Youn is excellent as the elder iteration, and Kim is absolutely astounding as Sunja in her youth. ... I do wish watching Pachinko could last forever.
100
Entertainment Weekly by Kristen Baldwin
A sprawling, stunning drama chronicling four generations of an immigrant Korean family — is truly "it's time to start tossing around words like 'masterpiece'" TV.
100
San Francisco Chronicle by Bob Strauss
Where streaming shows often just pad and repeat, this one takes every opportunity to dig deeper into the human condition. And season one doesn’t even get to World War II! “Pachinko” leaves us with many dangling threads, yet still richly satisfies with testimony to history’s impact on people — and people’s determination to be themselves.
100
Chicago Sun-Times by Richard Roeper
A a masterfully crafted, beautifully photographed, magnificently acted and profoundly resonant piece of work you’ll never forget.
100
CNN by Brian Lowry
Written and produced by Soo Hugh ("The Terror"), with Kogonada and Justin Chon splitting directorial duties, Pachinko is peppered with heartbreaking situations and brilliant dialogue.
100
The Telegraph by Anita Singh
Language is no barrier when the drama is such a thing of beauty.
100
i by Emily Baker
Watching a series with such wide scope can be intimidating, but Pachinko never overwhelms – every scene is so absorbing that you can’t help but be swept along with the saga. ... Perhaps it is premature to declare Pachinko the best TV show of 2022 just three months in. But it is going to take something spectacular to knock it off that top spot.
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