'Wylde Pak' brings Korean American family life to Nickelodeon with heart, humor

A scene from Nickelodeon’s new animation “Wylde Pak” / Captured from Nickelodeon’s YouTube channel

"Wylde Pak," a new animated series exploring heartfelt and hilarious dynamics of a modern Korean American family, officially debuted on June 6 on U.S. cable channel Nickelodeon. The show sets itself apart by highlighting relatable experiences of cultural identity, family adaptation and intergenerational relationships, infused with genuine warmth and humor that can resonate globally.

Centered around half-siblings Lily Pak and Jack Wylde adjusting to new family dynamics under one roof for the first time, the narrative is anchored by their parents — a Korean American mother, Min, and her white American partner, Will — with a strong presence of their Korean grandmother, Halmoni. The series humorously navigates themes of identity, cultural blending and familial love, offering an authentic portrayal of a multicultural household.

The show's creators and voice actors recently shared with The Korea Times that "Wylde Pak" aims to present the relatable and often humorous experiences of a Korean American family, drawing from their own lives to foster a sense of belonging and cultural understanding for a global audience.

From left, Seonna Hong, executive producer of “Wylde Pak,” and Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall, co-creators and executive producers of the animated series / Courtesy of Nickelodeon

Why Korean American family?

The decision to depict a story about a Korean American family was not merely a creative choice, but a deeply personal and authentic one for its creators, rooted in their own experiences.

Seonna Hong, executive producer of the show, explained her connection to the series.

"I’ll let Paul and Kyle (Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall, co-creators and executive producers) speak more to this since they’re the creators of the show, but as someone whose life helped inspire it — particularly through the character of Min, a Korean American woman raising her half-Korean daughter, Lily (named after my real-life daughter, Tigerlily), and navigating step-parenthood with her partner Will (based on Paul, my real-life partner and co-creator of the show alongside Kyle) — this story is deeply rooted in our real experiences," Hong told The Korea Times in a recent email interview.

"It felt natural to highlight Korean culture and heritage, as that is a part of my and Paul’s everyday lives. Not only does the show share the beauty of its traditions, food and language, but also how naturally they live in everyday. At its heart, this show is about family and the evolving relationships within it — something we all can relate to, no matter where we come from."

Marshall also revealed that the show is basically inspired by their experiences.

"Paul and I had become new fathers, him a stepfather to Seonna's young daughter, and my wife just gave birth to our first son. We would meet every second week, talking shop and also about how we had no idea what we were doing as parents, waiting for the adult in the room to come save us. As we swapped stories, we started to see a unique spin on family dynamics and that there might be something there for an animated series," Marshall recalled.

Emphasizing the cultural authenticity brought by their diverse crew, Marshall said, “As Seonna said, the series, characters and themes came from our lives, and we pushed our crew to bring their own life to the show, so it feels authentic and unique. We had a diverse crew, but the situations and stories are universal to all cultures."

He also shared a personal learning experience.

"For me, growing up in Canada, it was cool to learn more about the Korean culture. Our version of H Mart became a big part of the world and one of our favorite set pieces. I had never heard of [Korean genre] trot music until we started working on the show, and studying trot music and dancing was a ton of fun,” Marshall added.

Watling, another co-creator and executive producer, clarified their approach to integrating Korean culture into the show.

"We built the culture into the show and didn't revolve the show around the culture, if that makes sense. When it was relevant to the story, we brought those elements into the foreground to celebrate the beauty of Korean culture. We feature the language, food and one specific holiday which the family puts their own twist on," Watling said.

A scene from Nickelodeon’s new animation “Wylde Pak” / Captured from Nickelodeon’s YouTube channel

Authentic voices behind characters

The voice cast of "Wylde Pak" also brings the family story to life with depth, often drawing from their own connections to Korean and multicultural backgrounds.

Among them are two with Korean roots who found deep resonance with their roles. Jee Young Han, the voice of Min-Ju Pak, or the mother Min, found her character immediately engaging.

"When I first read for Min, I remember the audition scene was about the parents scrambling to figure out how to get out of trouble for breaking Lily’s Xbox by framing Jack. Immediately, I loved the role reversal of parents acting like children," Han recalled.

She also found personal connections to the Korean storylines, especially referring to Chuseok, the Korean harvest festival.

"There’s a really beautiful episode called 'Summer Chuseok' ... So much of my Korean identity is connected to cooking with my own mother. Halmoni as a Korean immigrant, Min being Korean American and Lily being half-Korean are all snapshots of the history and future of my identity as a Korean woman," Han said.

Jean Yoon of "Kim's Convenience" fame, who portrays Halmoni, said she feels "very privileged” to join the show as the character reminds her of her own late maternal grandmother. Halmoni, spelled as halmeoni based on Korea's current official romanization system, means grandmother in Korean.

"Often taciturn but never afraid to voice her opinion, my Halmoni was unpredictable, mischievous and tough," Yoon recalled.

Having grown up in North America, Yoon added, "what I especially appreciate is how 'Wylde Pak' effortlessly mines the comedic dynamics of a culturally blended family."

Yoon also expressed she has been enjoying a wide range of Korean culture.

“K-dramas are part of this American family’s experience. I love that Korean food, culture and history are a natural part of this family’s day-to-day life,” she said.

“Young viewers will love the show because they are delighted by Lily and Jack’s hijinks, and identify with the kids’ stories so much that they don’t notice how remarkable it is that an American cartoon about an American family is also so distinctly, and so naturally, Korean."

A poster for Nickelodeon’s new animation “Wylde Pak” / Courtesy of Nickelodeon

Ben Pronsky, the voice of William Wylde, explained what drew him to his character.

"The writing is just so full of heart and clearly rooted in real-life experience, which made it easy to feel connected," Pronsky said.

He also found personal similarities as a parent and step-parent.

"As a father to two young kids, I totally relate to the sense of controlled chaos ... I also grew up with a stepfather and half-brother, so I really understood what Jack and Lily are going through ... Most importantly, the show is about the connections we share as family, no matter what that family looks like," he said.

The younger cast members voicing echoed similar sentiments.

Benjamin Plessala, the voice of Jack Wylde, was immediately drawn to his character. "What drew me to Jack was his character design. The first time I saw Jack, I saw so much of myself in him," Plessala said.

He also found personal connections, noting, "Jack loves to travel and discover new things, and I do too ... I can’t wait to visit Korea someday soon. I've learned so much about the culture by recording the show, and I can't wait to visit."

Nikki Castillo, who voices Lily Wylde-Pak, said the show will resonate with younger viewers, especially Asian Americans, inviting them to experience and celebrate the unique, yet universally relatable family story.

“This show is so real and genuine and so full of heart. While I hope people from all walks of life can see themselves in our story, my wish is especially for all the Asian American kids out there to truly feel seen. Growing up, we didn’t often get to watch Asian American families portrayed with this kind of depth and authenticity on screen,” Castillo said.

“A key takeaway from the show is that it doesn’t matter where you end up, it’s the journey that makes it all worth it, and the company you keep along the way.”