In Japan, millions of people are addicted to the pinball-like arcade game pachinko. Around the world, millions more may soon find themselves addicted to a soapy, bittersweet television series called Pachinko. Just as pachinko-parlour owners delicately adjust their devices' pins and cups to keep gamblers in the seats, the makers of Pachinko have expertly tweaked the machinery of their story to produce a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Now streaming on Apple TV+ with three of its eight episodes, the series is based on the 2017 bestseller by Min Jin Lee -- sometimes faithfully, more often with a tenuous connection, if any, to the book's events, themes and tone.
