I loved Min Jin Lee's original book. It would've been almost impossible for this adaptation to compare. So let's not put it on such a pedestal.

Is it unfair to judge a western show off its first season, recognizing that western-style shows are serial rather than self-contained? Regardless, this eight-episode stint is all that's out now, and it felt incomplete. We didn't close the loop on the relevance of pachinko as a metaphor. We only got introduced to Noa as a character in the LAST episode. We had a whole episode on Hansu's backstory — admittedly, richer than what we knew about him from the book — but it felt jarring and out of place (dare I say, it felt like... filler, if the point was to focus on Sunja's story here).

My friend is friends with a producer of the Apple TV+ series, and was told that their intention is for the story of Pachinko to be told over four seasons. I think I understand the rationale since the book spans across four generations. I liked the way this one followed Sunja and Solomon's stories in parallel. I understand that the source material is meaty. But ugh, the western show format of keeping things open-ended in hopes of renewal for the next season really irks me. It makes me wish that I had waited until the whole thing is out! But if people don't watch as it comes out, it won't get renewed — and the story will remain unfinished. It's all a ploy to keep people subscribed. Perhaps I'm feeling particularly cynical after watching such a cynical show. Is life just a game after all, rigged to keep us putting in our energy for the smallest wins? Watch Pachinko and see if that message resonates.