'Pachinko' is a beautiful, sprawling story of family

It's not often a show can grip a viewer within the first few scenes. But 'Pachinko' does exactly that, plunging you into a journey on such a large scale, all the while making the story seem so personal.

Japanese-occupied Korea, 1915. A young pregnant woman visits a house in the forest to perform a ritual, seemingly lifting the "curse" which has led to the miscarriage of three baby boys. "A child is coming," she is told. "She will thrive and her family will endure."

From there, the show embraces you with its beautiful imagery and quiet intimacy. You almost don't notice how it seamlessly flits back and forth between generations, spanning over 70 years. You're all the time at one with the family and, even if you know nothing of the political history between Japan and Korea, you feel everything they feel.

Based off the 2017 novel by Min Jin Lee, 'Pachinko' first introduces us to the child herself, Sunja, a simple girl from a small fishing village outside Busan. Her mother and father run a boarding house, constantly in fear of Japanese rule.

From there, we immediately jump forward to 1989, where Sunja's grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) is climbing up the ladder at a New York investment firm. There, he is tasked with travelling to Tokyo to convince a stubborn Korean landowner to accept a large pay-out. All she must do is give up her plot for a development deal.

We travel back to Sunja as a teenager, where she meets the mysterious and ruthless fish-buyer Hansu (Lee Min-ho). The two begin a dangerous love affair which eventually forces Sunja to start a new life in Japan, leaving her home behind.

Home is a big theme of 'Pachinko', something we're constantly reminded of throughout the series. The brutal Japanese occupation tried to destroy much of Korea's culture including their language and religion and forced many families into poverty. Many, like Sunja, left for Japan for hopes of assimilation and better lives.

There's a very thoughtful scene in episode three where an older Sunja can't seem to understand the views of Korean landowner her grandson is trying to buy out. "I wish I understood why some people cling to the past," she says. It's a striking admission, especially for a character who's past we've seen so much of already.

But upon Sunja's visit, in order to help her grandson seal the deal, the landowner speaks a poignant and emotional line. "To walk down the street and hear your own language, to smell our own food, The ground beneath your feet feels different. That's when your soul knows this land really is your home." She yearns to go back, but will never give in to Japan, even for financial gain. And while Sunja struggles to understand her logic, the landowner has similar confusion over Sunja's stance.

What's incredible about this show is the way it catches these moments in time so well. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of tension between nationalities, the differences in generational views and how families were caught up in it all. Some want to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of their neighbour, others refuse to forget. Everyone just wants to survive.

It shows the complexities of the occupation of Korea by Japan and the ripple effects it had years after it ended. Not only that, it does so in a way that doesn't baby you. You don't need to know about the specific details, the emotions and situations of the family do all the explaining you need.

The language constantly switches between Japanese (blue subtitles), Korean (yellow subtitles) and English, showing the intricacy of the countries' relationships with each other. A simple switch from Korean to Japanese in a conversation has such meaning depending on the nationality of the speaker.

As the episodes roll by, it becomes more obvious how important Sunja is to the story and to the family. Her character is played by three different actors, Yu-na Jeon playing her younger self, Minha Kim as a teenager and Youn Yuh-jung as the older version. All three actors are excellent and consistent in their performances, each showing a glimpse of Sunja's life at the time, while maintaining that quality of endurance that her family represents.

Watching 'Pachinko' makes you understand why people cling to the past. The past is a special place to look back on memories, good or bad, joyous or painful. It's a place where family, friends and loved ones share a home. A home which is so important to never forget.

The first three episodes of 'Pachinko' are available today, Friday March 25, on Apple TV+.