What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedPachinko
Min Jin Lee · Book · 2017
If you loved Pachinko, start with Pachinko (Soo Hugh, 2022) — a series from the same story. Below: 2 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Pachinko across media.
What hooked you in Pachinko is the way the grand sweep of history forces families to redefine their identity and resilience.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Pachinko
Soo Hugh · Series · 2022
Films on the same thread
Minari
Lee Isaac Chung · Film · 2021
Shares a thread with Pachinko: Cultural Identity.
Like Pachinko, this story grounds the immigrant experience in the quiet, visceral struggle of a family trying to carve out a home while maintaining their cultural identity in foreign soil.
Shoplifters
Hirokazu Kore-eda · Film · 2018
Explores: Chosen Family, Poverty, Child Neglect.
Fans of Pachinko will recognize the profound exploration of family ties that exist outside traditional structures, highlighting how survival and love persist even on the fringes of an unforgiving society.
Series on the same thread
When Life Gives You Tangerines
Lim Sang-choon · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with Pachinko: Resilience.
This sweeping narrative captures the same sense of endurance across decades found in Pachinko, proving that personal resilience and deep-rooted love remain constant through the inevitable changes of time.
Shōgun
Rachel Kondo · Series · 2024
Explores: Power Struggle, Cultural Clash, Survival.
If the historical weight and cultural collision of Pachinko resonated with you, this drama offers a similarly intense look at how individuals navigate shifting power and survival in Japan.
Jewel in the Palace
Kim Young-hyun · Series · 2003
Explores: Orphanhood, Social Mobility, Medical Drama.
Much like the determined protagonists in Pachinko, Jang-geum’s journey through the rigid hierarchies of the Joseon Dynasty underscores the power of personal grit and resilience in overcoming systemic barriers.
Vincenzo
Series · 2021
Explores: Justice, Revenge, Corruption.
While tonally distinct, this story shares the complex, cross-cultural heritage and moral ambiguity that defined the lives of the characters in Pachinko as they navigate their place in society.
Podcasts on the same thread
Latino USA
My Cultura, Futuro and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast
Shares 2 threads with Pachinko: immigration, cultural identity.
If you valued the deep sociopolitical context of Pachinko, this podcast provides an essential, real-world look at the immigrant experience, identity, and the ongoing struggle for belonging in America.
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
For those moved by the historical examination of systemic displacement in Pachinko, this series offers a vital, foundational look at the legacy of identity and justice that shapes a nation.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is the Pachinko book different from the 2022 TV series?
The 2022 TV series is an adaptation of the 2017 novel Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Both versions follow the same multi-generational story of a Korean immigrant family living in Japan over eight decades, though the television format allows for different pacing and visual storytelling compared to the written text.
How many generations does the story of Pachinko cover?
The book and television series Pachinko follow four generations of a Korean family. The narrative begins in 1911 with Sunja's parents in Yeongdo, Korea, and traces the family's struggles and survival as immigrants in Japan across eight decades of history.
Should I read the Pachinko book before watching the TV series?
You can choose either order, as both the 2017 book and the 2022 television adaptation cover the same core narrative of Sunja and her family. Reading the source material provides deeper insight into the internal lives of the characters, while the show offers a visual interpretation of the multi-generational epic.
What is the main conflict that starts the story in Pachinko?
The story of Pachinko begins when the protagonist Sunja falls pregnant by a married yakuza. This event threatens her family with ruin, but they are offered a chance at salvation when a Christian minister marries her, leading the family to relocate and begin their life as immigrants in Japan.