Lee Min Ho Headlines Apple TV+’s “Pachinko”
After Lee Min Ho‘s successful K-drama comeback with Netflix series The King: Eternal Monarch, the Hallyu star is joining hands with another American streaming service. Recently, news broke that he will play the male lead in Pachinko, Apple TV+’s drama adaptation of Korean-American author Min Jin Lee‘s best-selling historical-fiction novel of the same name. The actor will be working closely with the author and Apple TV+ to depict the blood, sweat, and tears of Koreans living in the foreign lands of Japan.
“Pachinko” is internationally recognized for its tale of a Korean family experiencing socially and politically driven racism, stereotypes, and prejudice after immigrating to Japan in the early 1990s. The book was a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for fiction, and the former US President Barack Obama even publicly praised it as a “captivating book” last May. His social media post immediately sparked a series of discussions, as many took on his recommendation to check out the novel.
According to reports, the TV series will have eight episodes and comprise of a mostly Asian cast. With Korean dramas such as Kingdom and Crash Landing On You gaining immense interest worldwide through Netflix, it is a no-brainer for Apple TV to ride on the Hallyu wave as well. Casting the well-known Min Ho to play a character who comes from an ordinary and lesser-privileged background is also a smart move that would drive greater publicity. Fans across the world will most likely tune in to see him stray from his usual rich and stylish characters.
Source: KoreaStarDaily
This article is written by Minna for JayneStars.com.
it’s be interesting to see him letting go of his glamour image and go all out for the role.
Sounds like the experience of just about every immigrant group to Japan unless you’re Black and White. These are called expats.