‘Kim’s Convenience’ REVIEW: A sitcom that feels like home
‘Kim’s Convenience’ REVIEW: A sitcom that feels like home
The Kims.
There is no shortage of television shows that offer a look inside the day-to-day misadventures of dysfunctional families, whether they may be fictional or real-life. From Full House to Modern Family and even the animated Bob’s Burgers, people just love feel-good sitcoms with funny or charming characters audiences can connect to. However, in an industry littered with Western perspectives on family dynamics, how will Asians ever relate?
Kim’s Convenience, originally a play written by Ins Choi and Kevin White, has been around since 2016. It’s a Netflix hidden gem sitting besides Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and New Girl, in a category which perfectly sums up how these shows go: Oddballs & Outcasts. Set in a real convenience store in the city of Toronto, Canada, this wacky family sitcom follows the lives of a Korean immigrant family, the Kims.
Mr. Kim (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) sports his unbuttoned checkered polo shirt behind the counter of his convenience store, bidding every customer an ‘OK, see you!’ as they go. He wears his Korean accent like a badge—a pretty important detail that they paid great attention to, since the Asian accent is known to be mocked and played for laughs both in the media and in real life. From the back, Mrs. Kim (Jean Yoon) calls him yeobo with a tender and loving voice. It’s a strong contrast to how she is as a mother to Jung (Simu Liu) and Janet (Andrea Bang).
Looks like someone’s missing…
The main characters play on familiar archetypes. Mr. Kim, or Appa, hot-headed and hardworking; and Mrs. Kim, or Umma, a devoted Christian who can get overprotective over their children. It’s interesting to see the parents’ struggles and accomplishments while navigating their children’s generation’s fads and trends, especially for such traditionalists like the Kims. Jung is considered the family’s black sheep and has a very rocky relationship with his father, while Janet is an art student who gets her stubbornness directly from her Appa. What makes them lovable is the depth and complications of their relationships and the abundance of love that flows among their family, even if most of the time, it is repressed and unspoken of.
Other than their complex dynamic, they also successfully touch on topics such as religion, diversity and the preservation of one’s own culture without being close-minded of others. OneSome of the most notable instances where these sensitive issues, specifically racism, became an episode's subject was when Janet’s mentor continuously mistook her family to have migrated into the country illegally. In another episode, Jung is forced to do business with a racist who assumed his nationality and made remarks about how the Chinese 'like to pinch pennies'.
The main supporting characters Kimchee (Andrew Phung) and Shannon (Nicole Power) are also highlights of the show’s ensemble, and their performances really balances the show’s quirky take on comedy. Kimchee is Jung’s playful and loyal roommate, whose version of funny is in the form of insults, but never comes off as offensive. Shannon is Jung and Kimchee’s manager who secretly has a crush on Jung. Her signature scenes are badly delivered puns and the uncomfortable silences that follow. A good amount of the show’s recurring characters are also Asian: there’s Mr. Chin, who is Chinese; Mr. Mehta, who is Indian, and a few others who are regular customers or people from church. Perhaps it plays to their advantage that Canada’s a pretty diverse place to begin with. Like they say, immigrants tend to look for familiar spaces whenever they move to a different place. Most likely, it’s shared experiences and values that hold them together. However, you won’t find Mr. Kim rubbing elbows with the Japanese any sooner.
Appa doesn’t like group hugs.
Although it is labelled as a comedy, Kim’s Convenience is definitely not a knee-slapper hit. Instead, it plays realistically in the most awkward way possible without trying too hard. A first-time viewer might get uncomfortable for all the unconventional ways the adults try to figure out how to get with the times. Sometimes, less is more, and Mr. Kim’s facial expressions are enough to crack a giggle. The situations these characters put themselves in and how they choose to respond to them are most of the time so unexpected, it would give you more than just a smile. It’s so heartwarming to see them thrive, and equally heartbreaking when they don’t. Well, it’s not the jokes you stay for—it’s the feeling of being a part of their small family, and with the way these characters are written, it’s hard not to get attached.
Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after its fifth season in 2021. Kim’s Convenience offered a down-to-earth and fresh image that says cool, Christian and Korean is possible, and it’s ending is a huge loss for Asians everywhere. Here was that one chance to finally hear real stories and here it was, being taken away so suddenly. Still, if people would give it a chance, perhaps one would discover that this underrated show is more than just your funny, everyday family sitcom. It’s a turning point for accurate Asian representation in film and television which everyone had been fighting for the longest time.
