Think about your favorite TV shows to watch. First things that come to mind may be shows like "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," "Game of Thrones," "Grey's Anatomy," etc.. Now, think of the diversity within these shows. Not too much right? In today's day in age, I think it is great to see more diversity coming out in the entertainment industry. From, the shows "Empire" and "Black-ish" highlighting the African American community, to the show "Fresh Off The Boat" and the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" highlighting the Asian community and even the movie "Coco" featuring an all-Latino principal cast, diversity is starting to have a bigger showing in this industry and I am all here for it.
For many of you looking for a new show on Netflix to binge watch, "Kim's Convenience" is a must-watch. Although it may relate more to those of the Asian community, it's storylines and comedy throughout the series can be enjoyed by all.
"Kim's Convenience" features a Korean family, the Kims, running a convenience store in Toronto, Canada (hence the title of the show). We follow the lives of this Korean-Canadian family as the parents, Kim Sang-il and Kim Yong-mi (played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon respectively), try and tackle the daily challenges of running a convenience store, while the children, Jung and Janet (played by Simu Liu and Andrea Bang respectively), try and conquer the challenges of adulthood and finding a balance between the culture associated with their age and the culture of their roots.
Although I won't spoil too much for you, I think this show is a great watch because it brings up topics and situations that a lot of Asian families can relate too while also bringing light to these situations and challenges that we may face that other people may not have realized or known about.
For example, the Kim family shows a situation that many families, not just Asian families, can relate to. Mr. and Mrs. Kim moved from Korea to Canada to give their children a better life. They work hard so their kids don't have to. Plus, the show, of course, comes with a little family drama. It highlights the struggles between the relationship between Mr.Kim and his son Jung and how it has drifted apart due to the stricter Asian parenting style. But, we also see the wholesomeness of how important family is to our culture. Time and time again throughout the series we see how although their relationship on the outside may not show it, this family will do anything for each other (through gestures like, but not limited to, Mrs. Kim bringing Jung homemade food even though he doesn't live with his family anymore, and Jung coming to help Janet in a place that he swore he would never return to).
Although there are parts of the series that can fit into all cultures, I love how you can learn more about the Korean culture through this show as well! Because of this show, I've learned about the Korean words for Mom and Dad, "Umma" and "Appa." I've also learned about the Korean cultures close ties with Christianity, the martial art of Hapkido, and the delicious dish called "Galbijjim." As an Asian myself, I think it is pretty funny to see how this family is pretty similar to mine in our similar values towards family, respect for elders, the struggles for younger Asians in terms of relationships, and our families love for showing off our accomplishments.
Besides the storylines, I think it's pretty funny as well. From the hilarious times when Mr.Kim and Janet's friend Gerald come into contact to the semi-cringey moments when Jung's boss tries to "smoothly" get him to notice her more to the time where the debate over the meaning of "best before" on a ravioli can results in a certain kind of physical consequence (if you're catching my drift), there is definitely never a dull moment when watching this show.
Seasons 1 and 2 are out on Netflix right now and Seasons 3 and 4 are coming in the future, so I suggest you start watching right now!
