Pachinko Season 2: Release Date, Cast, News & More

Family, struggles, love, sacrifice, tears: that's Apple TV's Pachinko in a nutshell (and don't forget the great opening credits, but I digress). Because the first season wasn't devastating enough, the streaming service renewed Pachinko for a second season back in April 2022.

Based on the New York Times Best Seller by Min Jin Lee , the show tells the story of four generations of a Korean immigrant family living in Japan and the struggles that come with their new home, set in the rather broad timeframe of 1915 to 1989. High emotions, complex family ties and a rich historical story that's often overlooked in western media made Pachinko an absolute fan-favorite on Apple TV+ for those who have seen it.

But when does season 2 finally come to the streaming service? Here's everything we know so far, and then some.

Pachinko Season 2: Release Date & Schedule

It's been quite a while since Apple TV+ officially renewed the show back in April 2022, but news on when Pachinko's second season finally releases has been scarce – until now. In late May 2024, we finally got a first look at the upcoming season.

On August 23, it's finally time to dive back into Pachinko. Each Friday, we'll get a new episode, with eight in total. For easier access, here's the complete schedule:

Who Returns For Pachinko's Season 2 Cast?

Looking at how most of the characters still have a long road ahead, we're pretty confident we can look forward to the beloved cast return to reprise their roles and continue to devastate viewers with emotional and grandiose performances.

The cast includes Hallyu star Lee Min-Ho (Koh Hansu),whose manager thankfully confirmed is going to return despite the busy schedule. He's joined by his -stars Youn Yuh-Jung (Kim Sunja) and Kim Min-Ha (teenage Sunja).

Also confirmed to return are:

• Han Jun-woo as Baek Yoseb
• Soji Arai as Baek Mozasu
• Jin Ha as Solomon Baek
• Anna Sawai as Naomi
• Jung Eun-chae as Kyunghee

You get the gist of it – the big ensemble will probably reunite on our screens, along with some new faces, including Kim Sung-kyu, probably best known for his role in Netflix's show Kingdom.

Pachinko Is Supposed To Have 4 Seasons | What Will Happen Next?

The show's creator Soo Hugh has big plans for Pachinko: in an interview with Vanity Fair, she shared that her plan is for the series to span four seasons – and the show is still on track with the renewal. Still, those plans come with a lot of responsibility, not only for Pachinko, but also other shows:

I wish I could say that it was just a question for Pachinko to bear, but just because we are on the vanguard of this, I feel a lot of responsibility, of not wanting to be the show that sunk it all for a while.

Shows that don't tend to the typical western lifestyle often have a hard time, but Pachinko seems to be on the right way to share a story that's completely new to and often overlooked by western audiences. So far, it's doing pretty well and if the second season gets the same resonance as the first one, the four-season-plan might just take form – the source material certainly provides enough stories to tell.

Book readers will probably know what's to come, even though the show did manage to keep the reading audience on its toes. No spoilers, but make sure you'll get your tissues ready when the second season hits. Hugh also shared with Deadline that Kyunghee and Noa will play a bigger role, as well as the stakes being higher.

And if that's not something to look forward to, I don't know what is. If you can't wait, you can get the book right here , or you can check in with us every once in a while – we'll keep you updated on any Pachinko news!