Kim's Convenience - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

 

Mr. Kim offers a gay discount; Mrs. Kim tries to find a cool, Christian-Korean boyfriend for Janet.

Edited October 4, 2016 by The Crazed Spruce
Premiere date bumped ahead due to Blue Jays wildcard game

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

 

Mr. Kim and Janet compete to see who is the better photographer; Jung applies for a promotion and Mrs. Kim and Kimchee are surprisingly affected.

Edited October 4, 2016 by The Crazed Spruce
Premiere date bumped ahead due to Blue Jays wildcard game

[Canada]

Having seen the commercials for this, I feel like it's either going to be freaking awesome or a complete trainwreck.  It feels like a Canadian version of Fresh Off the Boat, which I love.

[PRgal]

13 hours ago, Canada said:

Having seen the commercials for this, I feel like it's either going to be freaking awesome or a complete trainwreck.  It feels like a Canadian version of Fresh Off the Boat, which I love.

Goodness, I hope it's BETTER than Fresh Off the Boat!  I got tired of it after three or four episodes.  I had extremely high expectations for it, since I'm also first generation (Canadian, with parents from Hong Kong), but the FOB type jokes got boring.  And I'm not a fan of the guy the show's based on, anyway.  I hope this one is more like Little Mosque when it comes to cross cultural humour.

[SomeTameGazelle]

I saw the stage production at Soulpepper and loved Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Appa. 

[Canada]

Damn, that was bad.

[PRgal]

The show has way, way, too many FOB jokes.  It gets boring. 

[atomationage]

I liked the show, but the accents were way over the top.  Maybe that will moderate more as the series goes on.  Appa seemed to like the trans person better than any of the gays.

Edited October 17, 2016 by atomationage
trans

[atomationage]

I thought they did a good job with the family relationships in this one.  Appa is probably going to be an old softie in a few more episodes.  I also wonder where his parents are.  He's not that old. 

[The Crazed Spruce]

Jung is caught giving Kimchee a Korean wedgie at work; Mr. Kim asks Gerald to take his picture.

[cleo]

I liked it, cool to see Toronto. I liked the drag queen. Always nice to see something canadian while waiting for schitts creek.

Edited October 25, 2016 by cleo
eta actually all the store walkins were interesting

[The Crazed Spruce]

Mr. Kim is frustrated with Frank the repairman; Janet's cousin Nayoung visits; when Jung takes Shannon to a baseball game, he wonders if she thinks it's a date.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Mr. Chin asks Mr. Kim to be his wingman; Janet asks Jung to fix a leaky pipe, but an intruder interrupts the repair.

[marina to]

Finally got to watch this and couldn't get past the first 10 minutes. Which is a real shame because I adore the play this is based on and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has the role of a lifetime in Appa. Please tell me it got better.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Mr. Kim scolds Janet's professor's kid; Jung discovers Kimchee's method to make extra money.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Janet takes a Hapkido class but Mr. Kim questions the teacher; Jung runs into an old flame.

[SomeTameGazelle]

I can't not see Janet's professor as Bad Ophelia (I have completely forgotten the character's name) in season 1 of Slings and Arrows.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

Mr. Kim tries to prove that ``best before'' dates mean nothing; Mrs. Kim's own children embarrass her at the church bazaar.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

Mr. Kim offers the new female pastor some free items, which tests his and Mrs. Kim's relationship; Jung tries to be okay when Janet dates his friend.

[SomeTameGazelle]

Looks like this ep will be aired next Tuesday; tonight's was one about the new female pastor. I have to admit I laughed out loud at Mr Kim's citation of chapter and verse "The Bible, something:something". I have seen the female pastor before -- one of the lesbian mothers from Seed and also a part in an ep of Orphan Black I think?

[The Crazed Spruce]

2 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

Looks like this ep will be aired next Tuesday; tonight's was one about the new female pastor. 

So it would seem. Editing the original post.

[BlueJayFan]

On 2016-11-30 at 0:39 AM, 17wheatthins said:

I know it doesn't get much traffic here, but I hope the series is doing well enough to garner a second season. Each episode is better than the last! And I just love Appa so much!

It's not for everyone, but I find it hilarious!

[tenativelyyours]

I keep trying the show and have only gotten through one episode.  I find the son the most interesting character and not just because the show seems to consider it a challenge as to how tight they can make his work pants. 

[SomeTameGazelle]

Quote

I find the son the most interesting character and not just because the show seems to consider it a challenge as to how tight they can make his work pants. 

I assume he wears pants to work because I have never been alarmed to see him naked from the waist down, but I could not have told you whether they were too tight or too loose. I do have a dim memory of him taking off his shirt.

This was the first episode where Shannon really clicked for me -- previously I felt like I knew intellectually what she was doing but I couldn't warm to her. But I loved the way she stumbled over her story and got tangled up in admitting that she had been talking about herself.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Janet is sick of working for free and looks for a new job.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Mr. Kim fixes a broken toilet for Kimchee; Jung hides out with Shannon; when Edwin drops by, Janet believes there's more to his relationship with Mrs. Kim.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Mr. Kim finds a lump on his back; Shannon brings Jung to a work event.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Before Janet can reveal her big news, she must survive the family singing festival at church; Mr. Kim gets attention for his new SUV.

[SomeTameGazelle]

Soulpepper has taken some of its productions to an off-Broadway theatre in NY this month and naturally the TV spin-off is alluded to in the coverage. NYT review of Kim's Convenience the play.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Season 2 premiere on Tuesday, September 26!

2.01: Janet's Roommate

Quote

Appa and Umma encourage Janet to stay home when her plans to move hit a snag; Kimchee tells Jung to make a move on Shannon.

[Anothermi]

I just viewed all the eps of this show this week. I really enjoyed it. Glad the got a second season. 

[The Crazed Spruce]

Season 2, Episode 2: "Business Award" (October 3, 2017)

Quote

An award comes between App and Umma; Shannon begins biking to work; Janet and Gerald have their first argument as roommates.

[statsgirl]

Season 2 reruns are starting on CBC. But Season 3 is shooting as we speak.

[Miss Dee]

Aw, I'm liking this. It doesn't hurt that I spent two years in South Korea and there's a bit of nostalgia here for me. Also doesn't hurt that Jung is very, very nice to look at. Shannon and I are one here.

[SomeTameGazelle]

I enjoyed Andrew Phung on Norm Wilner's Someone Else's Movie podcast. And I realized that I hadn't taken him seriously as Kimchee the dimwitted sidekick but found him very thoughtful. 

[wmdekooning]

On 10/13/2016 at 6:36 PM, PRgal said:

The show has way, way, too many FOB jokes.  It gets boring. 

I know. I'm not sure if the show is funny or if the show creators are serious or even if a father like Mr. Kim still exists...

[wmdekooning]

I'm ganna piggyback on my previous post.

How old is Appa supposed to be?! The actor who plays him was born in 1972, seven years after I was. Granted, there is /some/ culture difference, but it's like he's a Korean parent from a generation earlier...

[SomeTameGazelle]

4 hours ago, 17wheatthins said:

The series is based on a wildly successful play written by Ins Choi. I think it’s fairly autobiographical. 

I am pretty sure Mr. Kim is supposed to be in his late-ish 40s. The character was born in South Korea and emigrated to Canada probably sometime in the 80s. 

Here is how Ins Choi describes it:

Quote

It’s not directly based on my experience, but I studied acting and the arts like Janet—the daughter in the show, who is a photographer—so there’s a parallel there. My dad is a great storyteller and funny, but he’s very soft spoken and not nearly as opinionated or brash as Appa, Janet’s father on the show. It’s more from my observations of my dad’s friends, the older men at church or sleeping over at the houses of friends whose families owned Korean stores.

I think it's a fair criticism that Appa (especially in the early episodes which are closer to the stage play) seems like he has characteristics from an older generation. I am not sure how old Ins Choi's parents would be, but if he drew inspiration from "older men" as well there could be a generational disconnect. 

ETA: Also keeping in mind that Ins is older than Janet and Jung (whom he played onstage) and it took 5 years to go from play to series. It's common for parents and grandparents in media to reflect the generation of the creator more than contemporary generations.

Edited August 5, 2018 by SomeTameGazelle
Afterthought.

[betha]

I watched both seasons in a glorious week. I spent so much time with the Kim family they felt like my own family. I found this show utterly delightful, and some hamminess that bothered me a little at the beginning (Appa and Shannon and Kimchee) mellowed as I grew to love the characters. And Andrea Bang is a standout as Janet. She seemed so real to me.

I can’t wait to see Season 3! 

Edited August 26, 2018 by betha

[CurlyATX]

I loved it... but it reminded me a lot of my family (and I'm in my 40's), so yes, Appa is a bit old fashioned.  I couldn't help but think about the wrongful arrest for Jung at the convenience store and how different it may have gone in the US- the cop even apologized!

It's a cute show that I can watch with my kids... a rarity.  

The episode with the bratty child of the art teacher had us all up in arms. I couldn't believe she didn't at least pay for the crap that kid ate.  

[Crazy Canuck]

I love the show as I feel the characters play the humor off of each other well. The story lines may come off as silly most of the time, but that is what the show is suppose to be. I love the interactions between Appa and his daughter. It sometimes reminds me of my own relationship with my dad and how we interact sometimes. We are Canadian and although not Korean but we are Iranian which I can make some similar comparisons at times. 

[latetotheparty]

On 11/21/2016 at 9:41 PM, SomeTameGazelle said:

I can't not see Janet's professor as Bad Ophelia (I have completely forgotten the character's name) in season 1 of Slings and Arrows.

It’s Claire. Claire with the hair. (Said in Paul Gross voice)

[Straycat80]

I’m semi new to Netflix so I just discovered this show. Half way thru season one. Reading the posts here,  apparently it’s not for everyone but I’m liking it. Very entertaining and funny. 

[LilWharveyGal]

"The weather, my God, it's everywhere!"

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E10: Elephant in the Room

Quote

When Umma gets rid of some of Janet's things, Janet retaliates. Appa sympathizes with both sides of the dispute, but aims to work the situation to his advantage. Kimchee is on a mission to ask out his long-time crush but has trouble navigating Jung and Shannon's conflicting dating advice.

Original air date: 3/12/19

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved that both Jung and Shannon were trying to help Kimchee get a date with the courier (despite their conflicting advice). But I also liked that Kimchee was confident in his 30 step plan which included getting to know her.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 minutes ago, 17wheatthins said:

Jung used Shannon’s advice, too! The colourful socks, the disappeared watch 😂😂

Ha, yes, the bright yellow socks! I was cracking up at how he tried to oh so casually point out that he wasn’t wearing a watch because he’s so chill. 

I did appreciate that after Kimchee pointed out the watch thing (which I totally disagree with, for the record*), Jung came back and asked if Kimchee wanted to talk some more because he has time for him. I like that he’s making an effort to listen and be better in general (not just become more appealing to Shannon).

* wearing a watch can also mean “I won’t show up to meet you 15 minutes late because my phone died and I have no idea what time it is”

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E11: Appanticitis

Quote

Appa gets into trouble when he’s too honest with Umma. Janet takes Gerald to the hospital and meets an old friend. Jung wants to audition for his favourite reality show but double books audition partners.

Original air date: 3/19/19

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Now I really want to see Jung on the Amazing Race! As much as I enjoy his friendship with Kimchee, his list of conditions (like needing coffee every few hours) doesn't bode well. Since Shannon is good at puzzles I think she and Jung might do really well as a team!

I have never seen someone with convertible pants zip off only one leg and get sunburned so Appa deserves some kind of recognition for that.

Raj can GTFO. No, dude, things with YOUR FIANCE DIVYA are not over until you actually inform her of this.