Stunning Apple TV+ show with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes gets S2 release date

Pachinko is returning, and should be special

Pachinko
(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has announced that one of its most highly acclaimed Apple TV+ shows ever, Pachinko, will return for a second season on 23 August this year. And we're already excited for its return.

The show charts multiple generations of a Korean family who have immigrated to Japan in an attempt to make their way in the world, and debuted to astonishing praise for its first season – its Rotten Tomatoes score still sits at a lofty 97% rating.

Pachinko — Season 2 Date Announcement | Apple TV+ - YouTube Pachinko — Season 2 Date Announcement | Apple TV+ - YouTube
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The announcement is a bundle of joy, too, giving viewers a look at the new season's opening credits sequence, which is basically a big dance number for its various characters to jive through.

This was one of the things that people loved about the first season, which had its own dance sequence as the intro, so it's a pretty apt way to introduce the date for its next batch of episodes. 

It's also a slightly misleading introduction to a show that actually has plenty of darker and emotional moments to offer up, with the discrimination that Korean immigrants faced historically in Japan being a key theme of the show.

Pachinko is based on a celebrated novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, and given that book's epic scope, there's still plenty of detail and family history left for the showrunners to delve into.

The show's next season will star plenty of big names and returning faces, including Anna Sawai (who is now even more well-known for her role in Shogun), Lee Minho, Minha Kim, Yuh-Jung Youn, Jin Ha, Eunchae Jung, Soji Arai, Junwoo Han, and Sungkyu Kim among others. 

It'll debut with two episodes on 23 August and then Apple will release a weekly episode until late October, when the finale will come out. Apple seems to prefer this structure for its shows now, which means it might no longer be the best streaming service for binge-watchers (even if we still think it's excellent overall). 

Max Freeman-Mills

Max is a freelance writer with years of experience in tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor. He has tested all manner of tech too, from headphones and speakers to apps and software.