From The Corner Store to Your Heart: A Review of Kim’s Convenience
Written by: Larasati Hidiaputri
Based on a play of the same name by Ins Choi, this series follows the Kims who run a convenience store in a busy urban neighborhood in downtown Toronto. However, unlike its title, this Korean-Canadian family’s life is far from convenient. The seemingly picture-perfect family is shown to have challenges in navigating family dynamics and complex cultural experiences as immigrants.
As the show’s patriarch, Appa is portrayed as a hard-working man who occasionally makes witty remarks to his customers. Yet, he has a hard time communicating with his family members, especially with his estranged son, Jung, because of Jung’s troubled teenage years. Even though Jung works at a car rental shop in the same city, seeing them together is unusual.
Jung’s sister, Janet, is a photography student. Although Appa’s wish for Janet to inherit the convenience store is already set in stone, Janet’s hard-headed nature motivates her to try building a career her dad never approved of.
Being an avid member of the local Presbyterian church, Umma desperately attempts to glue her family back together. She often persuades her non-religious husband and children to attend the church’s Sunday services, potlucks, and even fundraising activities. Umma’s endearing and caring personality is best highlighted when she convinces Jung and Janet to join the church’s caroling contest together.
The series also shows several sides of immigrants’ lives that are rarely portrayed in the media. While Janet and Jung are raised by their Korean parents, neither are fluent in Korean. This has brought crucial consequences for the two as they struggle to find and determine their own identity.
The Kims’ relationships continue to mend and flourish as the series progresses. Even though Umma and Appa rarely express their affection through words, the older Kims never fail to amaze the audience with their hidden but thoughtful gestures for their children. Despite all the disagreements and miscommunications, at the end of the day, the Kims always find ways back into the comfort of their tiny apartment.
Overall, this show is about family, love, and friendship. The director has managed to simply capture and depict the importance of relationships as well as the uniqueness of each character without adding too much editing and sound. If you have 20 minutes to spare, you should give Kim’s Convenience a go!
Editor: Aribho Rahman and Yasmine Nathifa Zahira.
Pojok Sastra adalah kolom terbuka untuk tulisan jenis puisi, resensi, cerita pendek, tokoh, dan opini. Dikurasi langsung oleh redaksi Economica.id.
