Pachinko

If you've watched enough Korean dramas, you'd know that the story elements are not new revelations. They're an amalgamation of the history of Korea, and well-worn themes and stories of real lives of Koreans who've suffered at the hands of the Japanese, and the clash of cultures, attitudes, bigotry, hatred and cruelty, across Korean, Japanese and westerners. It's easy to forget that this was less than a hundred years ago, and spanning only a few decades; and so often, the bitterness still felt by Koreans leads to a heavy handed portrayal of the Japanese and westerners. It's a fine line to walk to be able tell a story about generations of a family and their personal struggles without getting lost in that bitterness.

It's so amazing so far to see how beautifully the show tells the stories across multiple timelines, with incredible actors, excellent cinematography and direction. The contrast is striking, from the primitive Korean fishing village to the urban sprawl. While the show's synopsis is about their "indomitable quest to survive and thrive", it's the story of Korea and its people as whole being told through these four generations of characters.