Should Christians Watch Pachinko?

Christianity as Genuine Sustaining Force

Pachinko is notable for something rare in prestige television: it depicts Christian faith as a genuine, positive, sustaining force in its characters' lives rather than as hypocrisy, delusion, or cultural artifact. The protagonist Sunja's faith is shown as the bedrock of her survival through extraordinary hardship — Japanese colonial rule, World War II, poverty, and discrimination.

The show draws on Book of Ruth-adjacent themes of loyalty, exile, and resilience with remarkable sensitivity. The Korean church community in Japan is depicted with dignity and warmth — as a genuine community of care, not an institution of control.

Content Considerations

Pachinko contains some sexual content (including scenes depicting extramarital pregnancy as the show's inciting situation), violence depicting historical atrocities against Koreans, and some strong language. The content is handled with restraint relative to the material. The show is genuinely excellent and its portrayal of faith is one of the most positive in contemporary streaming.