I am totally in love with this show. And I want you to watch it, too.

Plot: Korean family run a convenience store, and live upstairs. Mom, Dad, and Daughter are at home, Son is estranged from the family (Dad) because he was a bad kid, but is a reformed and upstanding citizen now.

This show is just magic. The dialog and personalities are hilarious.

The elder Kims came over from Korea, and now have westernized a bit, but still have traditional Korean beliefs and ways.

The son and daughter have grown up in the west (the show takes place in Generic Big Canadian City), and are fully westernized, but respect the Korean traditions. Mostly.

The father and daughter are both stubborn and opinionated, and often come to loggerheads on issues. These scenes are utter gold, as the two banter back-and-forth in what are obviously long-running arguments they have on certain subjects. Each knows the position the other is going to take, and answers the other person before they can even make their statement.

The two actors NAIL IT in such a way that feels genuine, but like there is also a real love and affection between the two characters. They fight because they love each other and are frustrated: they don't fight to hurt each other.

There is also a long list of supporting characters who are all brilliant in their own way.

Start at the beginning: S1E1 "Gay Discount" Mr. Kim gets backed into a corner when the Gay Pride parade comes by, and gets known for giving a 15% discount to "the gays".

And then he has to upack what "gays" are, and where trans people fit in, and ... the way he negotiates the delicate linguistic minefield that is current gender and sexual identity, is honestly some of the finest presentation of the topic I think I have ever seen. It is funny, pointed, poignant, informative, and everyone comes out the other side smiling, and learning something about human beings and living together in the Big City.

The son's manager is another amazing character. And the son's friend "Kimchee" ("because I'm so hot!"), and the pastor at their church, and the daughter's various schoolmates, and the randos that patronize the corner store (like the Jamaican woman), everyone is great.

I rarely find shows that I love, any more. I am jaded and tired of people being dicks to each other all the time, and have no interest in sharing my free time with scum of the earth murderers and other assholes that so many shows glorify.

I want to say that Kim's Convenience is a throw-back to an idealized 80's comedy ideal... but it isn't. It's better. It is current. It is topical. It is sweet. And every episode has a happy ending.

It's just so fucking Canadian, and I couldn't love it more.

Joe Bob says, Check it out!


posted 2074 days ago