Unusual subject and setting for an American TV series. Good acting, direction, photography, ... but the story feels kind of generic and worsens at mid-point. Relentlessly brings down the hammer on Japanese discrimination of Koreans throughout the 20th century and can feel heavy-handed in that regard.

Wow. Finished the book last Monday, binged all 3 episodes today and still shocking and stunning. After millions of mediocre TV series, Pachinko was like a drug to me. Pachinko takes you back to the golden ages of television. Pure acting, gorgeous shots, fantastic flashbacks etc. Even best series of the year so far. As a lover of Asian culture, I can say that I loved the first 3 episodes. Now it's time to wait for the rest of the episodes. My rating may up or down later.