'Pachinko' listed on AFI's best TV dramas of the year
A poster for Apple TV+'s original series “Pachinko” / Courtesy of Apple TV+
By Lee Gyu-lee
Apple TV+'s original series “Pachinko” has been named one of the best TV programs of the year by the American Film Institute (AFI).
The film organization announced this year's recipients of the AFI Awards, Saturday, recognizing 10 films and TV programs that are culturally and artistically representative of the most significant achievements this year.
The eight-part series, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, unfolds the survival and life of a Korean immigrant family across four generations from the perspective of the family's matriarch, Sunja (Kim Min-ha and Youn Yuh-jung).
The epic saga follows the devastation, tragedy and survival of Koreans during Japan's 1910-45 forced occupation of Korea and as immigrants struggling to find a sense of belonging in a foreign land while holding onto their roots.
The series has garnered acclaim since its release in March, for its cinematography and the actors' performances.
It has won the best Breakthrough Series for a Long Format (over 40 minutes) at this year's Gotham Independent Film Award, and Outstanding Main Title Design at the Emmy Awards. It also recently earned a nomination for Best Foreign Language Series at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards, scheduled to be held on Jan. 15 next year.
Along with “Pachinko,” the 10 best TV dramas list included the Emmy-winning series “The White Lotus” and the comedy series “Abbott Elementary.”