5 shows to watch if you like Pachinko Season 2

Pachinko, which debuted in 2022, is an adaption from the novel of the same name by Min Jin-lee. The show has returned with its second season, an Apple TV original, released on August 23, 2024.

The show revolves around the story of the evolution of Sunja, the protagonist of the drama, played by Youn Yuh-jung and Minha Kim. Tracing her journey through love and betrayal, and guiding her grandsons with unwavering passion, the storyline develops a captivating plot that holds the audience's attention.

Apart from the gripping narrative, the Pachinko series depicts the timeline of pre-World War II and Japan's influence over Korea. This historical fiction has ignited a passion among fans for narratives set in distant countries.

However, the Korean industry has several dramas similar to Pachinko, and this listicle discusses them below.

Note: This article reflects the author's opinion and is listed in no particular order.

Snowy Road, Assassination, and other shows to watch if you liked Pachinko season 2

Here is the list of the shows you can watch after finishing the Pachinko series:

Snowy Road
Different Dreams
Assassination
Chicago Typewriter
Mr. Sunshine

1) Snowy Road (2015)

Pachinko fanatics must watch Snowy Road, another Korean drama based on the Japanese colonial rule in the country during 1910-45. Released in 2015, the drama has carefully weaved the violence of the Japanese military against Korean women.

Snowy Road is the narrative of two teenage girls who come from different classes—one from a rich background while the other could not afford school. With the development of the plot, the destinies of these two girls intertwined, and they became dependent on each other while serving the Japanese army.

Filmmaker Lee Na-jeong told the press during the preview of the movie held in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul,

"Another reason I didn’t include s*xual scenes is because I feared translating the story in a way that makes a spectacle of the unresolved issue could hurt the actual victims. Most importantly, I believed portraying the routines of the captured girls was itself a tragedy.”

From the experiences and opinions of the people involved, it seems the movie has been crafted very carefully with several scenes cut off that could have hurt actual victims. The historical drama film, streaming on Netflix, shares the same timeline as the Pachinko series but with a different narrative.

2) Different Dreams (2019)

Different Dreams is the joint production of Korea and China to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the two countries since Japan's colonization. The show was released in 2019 and depicts a spy love story set in Gyeongseong (Seoul, Korea) and Shanghai (China).

Bride of the Century director Yoon Sang Ho cast Lee Yo-won and Yoo Ji-tae as the leads. The story revolves around a spy named Lee Young Jin, played by Yo-won, and a Japanese surgeon named Kim Won-bong, played by Ji-tae.

Pachinko enthusiasts can relate to the drama as both are set in the Japanese colonial period, which is available on Viki and Apple TV.

3) Assassination (2015)

While Pachinko narrates a fictional story of the evolution of a woman, Assassination blends fiction with facts. This spy action thriller film was released in 2015 and was directed by Thieves' creator Choi Dong-hoon.

Pachinko fans can find similarities to Assassination in its timeline—the pre-World War II period. The show portrays the fighters' plotting and their dedication to killing the Japanese governor-general along with a pro-Japanese businessman named Kang In-guk.

My Love from Another Sea actress Jun Ji-hyun played the lead role of Ahn Ok-yun/Mitsuko in the movie. This historical action thriller is streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.

4) Chicago Typewriter (2017)

Fans admire the meticulous timeline depicted in Pachinko and will certainly find a comparable storytelling approach in Chicago Typewriter. The TV show portrays three resistance fighters in the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea who have been reincarnated into the present.

Yoo Ah-in, a key drama cast member, portrayed Han Se-joo, a writer struggling with writer's block. Go Kyung-pyo as Yoo Jin-oh, a ghostwriter for Han, is another key member of the drama. This drama marked Im Soo-jung's return to acting after a 13-year break, where she took on the role of a passionate fangirl.

The stand-out elements of the drama lie in its wonderful presentation and narrative, where the director showcased the story of the present day and flashbacks from 1930 during the Japanese colonial period.

Audiences can now watch the drama on Viki.

5) Mr. Sunshine (2018)

Mr. Sunshine is another historical drama like Pachinko, released in 2018. The story revolves around the Joseon dynasty and is set in Hanseong (present-day Seoul). At the time of airing, Mr. Sunshine recorded the third-highest ratings in Korean cable television history.

The Guardian: The Lonely and Great God writer and director Kim Eun-sook wrote the series and Lee Eung-bok directed it, starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri. Based on the late 1800s and early 1900s, the drama has tapped into the stories of activists fighting for Korea's independence.

Lee Eung-bok, the director, said in a press conference,

"There are many dramas set in the 1930s when the Japanese occupation of Korea was in full swing. But there weren't many dramas -- or historical documents for that matter -- about the early 1900s when people struggled to protect the country from an impending invasion by Japan"

K-drama fans can watch Mr. Sunshine on Netflix.

Fans of Pachinko, who are captivated by historical dramas set against the backdrop of significant periods in Korean history, have several compelling options to explore. While Snowy Road offers a poignant portrayal of the Japanese occupation, Different Dreams provides a spy love story set during the same colonial period.

Each drama presents a unique narrative, yet they share a deep connection to Korea's rich historical tapestry, making them excellent picks for viewers seeking historically rooted storytelling.

Edited by Janhavi Chauhan