Pachinko episode 7 dropped this week and it was one of the best episodes of the series. Giving Sunja (Minha Kim) and Solomon (Jin Ha) a break in this episode, the camera turned towards Hansu (Lee Min-ho) and finally revealed Hansu’s heartbreaking past. The show revealed how an otherwise happy Hansu took a grave turn.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead:
Hansu was merely a tutor for an American family, the Holmes, in Yokohama in 1923 and was close to his father (Jung Woong-in). The episode opens with his father, introducing Hansu to his Japanese boss Ryochi (Takashi Yamaguchi). Learning about Hansu’s abacus skills, the Japanese man offers a job under his company. But Hansu seems hesitant for he is happy teaching the Holmes.
We are then taken into the Holmes household with Hansu teaching a rich brat named Andrew who seems disinterested in the subject. Hansu shows he’s a man with several talents as he not only speaks Korean but also knows Japanese and English, and teaches the Holmes son mathematics. The Holmes are mighty impressed with Hansu and even consider taking him along to the US when their son goes to Yale.
A happy Hansu returns to his dad and the duo sits down to enjoy a game together. During the game, it is hinted that Hansu has already embarrassed his Japanese residency while his father warns him to remember that he isn’t one of them.
The father-son chat reveals that Hansu’s father came from a family of fishermen and he had to face several hardships. However, eventually, he learned how to make money, maybe a little for himself but a good sum for others with the help of abacus. He doesn’t want a similar life for Hansu. With eyes full of hope, Hansu’s father is assured that Hansu will help both of them get a better life outside the boxing hall they live in.
Hansu informs his father about the Holmes’ plans of possibly taking him to Yale. Just as expectations of Hansu’s dad start to rise, Hansu clarified that it was for Andrew’s help that he was being considered. Disappointed, Hansu’s dad wishes that Hansu were to get the opportunity. Hansu tries to show him the silver lining. He points out that the US helped people like them to rise but Hansu’s dad continues to be under the gloom, suggesting that the country of dreams wagers their hopes and dreams against them only to fool them. The reality check brings back memories of Solomon’s experience with his company seen in the previous episodes.
Nevertheless, Hansu’s dad wants him to take the risk and go to America. Hansu is reluctant to leave his father behind but he convinces his son to seize the opportunity and reach heights that his father never could.
While Hansu begins to dream, life throws him a shocking hurdle. He learns that his father has loaned money from his Japanese boss. While it remains unclear who the woman is, Hansu is upset that his father borrowed a massive sum for the woman. When Hansu’s dad argues that one doesn’t think straight in love and that Hansu will never understand for he hasn’t experienced the emotion, Hansu assures him that he would never repeat the same mistake if and when the time comes.
When Hansu and his father reach her doorstep, requesting to return the money, the Japanese woman apologetically informs him that she has no money left for the money was loaned further to a man who, she is confident, would never return the money. Heartbroken, Hansu and his father think of ways to raise the money to return. Hansu suggests that he can request the Holmes to loan the money. Hansu’s father worries that the loan might cause a hurdle in his dream to see Hansu in the US but that’s the last thing on Hansu’s mind. His father is not on board, warning him to stay away from this life and to never return to this world once he reaches the US. But Hansu refuses to leave his father in misery. His father decides to break all ties with Hansu for he is worried that he weighed Hansu down.
Hansu forgoes his American dream and offers to work for Ryochi until the debts are paid off. Hansu’s father is against it, falling on Ryochi’s feet to spare Hansu from this world and let him go to the US to live his life.
The negotiation takes a dark turn when the historic 1932 Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake of a magnitude of 7.9 hits the city and everyone’s lives change for the worse. Hansu watches his father die. Once a beautiful city, Yokohama lay in dust and people running for their lives. Ryochi saves Hansu by taking him away from the quake site. An emotional Hansu is lost with his father no more, unsure of what to do with his life. Ryochi steps in and helps him realize that although the loss, he should change his destiny now by working for the Holmes in the US.
He reaches the Holmes household to find out that they are leaving Japan for good. He agrees to join them and even helps them to find a way to reach the ship. As he watches the chaos unfold, a mysterious blast pushes him away from the Holmes family, leaving him helpless in chaos. He watches Holmes leave without him, forcing him to realize that he is by himself. As destiny would have it, he is reunited with Ryochi and they find refuge while watching their city burn into the night.
As they make their way to higher grounds, Hansu comes across the bodies of the Holmes and it is then we learn that the watch Hansu gifted to Sunja was not merely a gift from the overseas but it was one of the closest things he had from his old life.
The episode gets darker by the minute as news breaks out that imprisoned Koreans have escaped from the jail. Rumours spread wild suggesting that these Koreans are out to kill and have already poisoned drinking water wells. Hansu is triggered but Ryochi stops him from doing anything dangerous. They make an escape from the village for Hansu’s safety when they come across a group of Koreans seeking refuge in an attempt to save lives while an angry mob of Japanese follows their trail. While Ryochi and an old Japanese man try saving them, the mob finds the group and burns them alive. Watching the horrific sights, Hansu finds himself helpless and trembling in fear. They decide to run away from the place to avoid trouble.
Soon enough, Ryochi is reunited with his family and he takes Hansu into the family. The dark night turned Hansu into a bitter man.
Director Kogonada delivered Pachinko’s best episode yet. The 48-minute episode ranged from the highest, happiest moments to the darkest of the night with ease and minimal heavyweight dialogues. Kogonada proves that you don’t need absolute gore to show the gravity of misery. The cinematography was outstanding. While Pachinko proved what visually powerful the series is, episode 7 took the bar a notch higher.
The intense episode also brought out the best in Lee Min-ho. So much so that the actor has set a new benchmark for himself in his career. Although through his decade and a half career he has delivered memorable performances in shows like Gangnam Blues, Personal Touch and The Heirs, none would ever come close to his performance in Pachinko. The actor sheds away his lover boy image (which I personally loved him in) to set himself as a different, more serious actor. The episode gives a glimpse that Lee Min-ho is ready to experiment with a series that doesn’t necessarily have rose-tinted, romantic glasses on.
With the knowledge about his past, would this change our perspective towards what Hansu’s about to do with Sunja? We’ll have to wait and watch. Pachinko finale takes place on April 29 and will premiere on Apple TV+.
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