Chapter Seven
Ryoichi and Hansu head to a boxing ring in Yokohama 1923 to work with the Yakuza. Hansu is given a big opportunity to work with the Yakuza, but his father rarely praises him but does point out to Ryoichi that he’s good with calculations.
Hansu politely declines the offer from Ryoichi, his boss in these parts, though he is grateful for his current job as a tutor for an American family. Although the job is lucrative, Hansu is hesitant to leave his current position and become one of Ryoichi’s men. ..
Andrew (the son of the Holmes family) isn’t doing too well with his language and encourages his parents to take Hansu with them over to America. Hansu deliberates over this, as he sits with his father later on and they discuss their changing fates.
Hansu’s dad tells him to grab this opportunity with both hands and go for it. Given this interference with Hansu’s world view and the belief that they’d always be together, this certainly leaves conflicted.
Hansu’s father has been caught with money from the Yakuza. This puts Hansu in a difficult position because he doesn’t know how to get the money back and he doesn’t have any other options. His father has already put his family in danger so he can’t just give it back to the woman.
Hansu can’t understand why he acted this way (his father points out hr’ never been in love and as such how could he) but even worse, the woman he gave the money to has already handed it over to a friend. He’s got until the noon bell the following day to pay up or there will be trouble.
Hansu contemplates taking the money from the Holmes in order to repay his father’s debt. When he suggests it and reminds his father how dangerous Ryoichi actually is, Hansu’s father beats him down as a way of trying to instill in him hatred and to think of him dead. As he walks away, Hansu sobs. ..
Hansu’s loyalty to his family is too great and he heads in to see Ryoichi, promising to work off his father’s debt. Hansu claims that generosity is far more powerful than outright revenge, and uses that to try and convince the Yakuza to see his way.
The Great Kanto earthquake of 1923 struck Japan and caused complete devastation. Hansu is knocked out, his father is killed and the whole town is choked in a thick cloud of white dust. The blend of visuals and stark silence during this portion really hammers home the devastation.
Hansu’s father has now passed away, leaving Hansu and Ryoichi to talk together. In fact, Ryoichi tells him that he should go abroad with “that Yankee family” and make a name for himself. ..
Unfortunately, the path from Andrew and Mrs Holmes down to Mr Holmes (who happens to be on the pier) is fraught with peril. The whole city is ablaze, there are people moving all over the place and unfortunately in the ensuing scramble, Hansu is separated from the Americans. However, he happens to find Ryoichi, who’s still looking for his own family and he decides to follow him.
As they make their way out of the city, the time strikes 8.48pm and Hansu uncovers the dead bodies of both Andrew and Mrs Holmes. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but even worse is to come.
Hansu and Ryoichi are trying to find a way to get away from the Japanese. They find a carpet seller who helps them hide.
Hansu tries to stay as quiet as he can as he watches the fugitives burned alive, despite the carpet seller attempting to send the horde in the other direction.
Ryoichi is reunited with his family but he encourages Hansu to join him, given he’s all by himself on the other side of the bridge. He tells the family that they’re going to look after him for a while, pointing out his father’s debt.
Hansu wakes up at dawn and looks out at the bleak world before him. His sadness and anger dissipate into a steely resolve.
The Episode Review
This episode is an absolute powerhouse of acting, cinematography and sound design. Instead of skipping back and forth between the different time periods, Pachinko instead settles on one specific moment in history and allows us to understand Hansu’s journey to becoming the ruthless, cold and calculated businessman we’ve known him to be in the previous chapters.
Lee Min-Ho delivered an outstanding performance in this episode, culminating in a powerful scene where he turns from sadness and sorrow to anger and then steely resolve. This was a stunning episode overall. ..
The decision to keep things solely with Hansu this time around is a stroke of genius. It allows for a bit of a stop-gap between what’s come before, solidifying this as one of the best K-dramas this year and certainly in the running for best TV show too.
