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| From left actors Paul Sun-hyung Lee, Jean Yoon and Andrea Bang, and producer Ivan Fecan of the Canadian sitcom "Kim's Convenience" pose at a press conference held Thursday at the Korean Film Archive in western Seoul. Courtesy of Seoul International Drama Awards |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Broken English with a strong Korean accent is not a subject of mockery in the hit Canadian TV sitcom "Kim's Convenience" which revolves around a Korean family that runs a corner store in the Moss Park neighborhood of Toronto.
Instead, the characters' accents are an element the TV show uses to make it realistic.
The way "Kim's Convenience" described the culture shock and the four-member family's strong bond with their home country while settling in their new home in Canada was critical to grab the viewers' attention and empathy. The show took a lesser-emphasized Asian community into the mainstream.
"When I first read the scenes, it touched my heart because it was about my Appa and Umma (dad and mom). I've never seen them represented that way so honestly and authentically. So something very special was happening in here," actor Paul Sun-hyung Lee who plays Appa, said at a press conference for the show held Thursday at the Korean Film Archive in western Seoul.
Premiering on Canadian public network CBC in 2016, "Kim's Convenience" has drawn wide success in North America, leading the show to be renewed for two more seasons and to be available outside Canada on Netflix. Its cast was invited to 14th Seoul International Drama Awards in the noncompetition category, which was held Aug. 28.
The show is an adaptation of a play by the same name by Ins Choi who wrote it based on his own experiences growing up in an immigrant family. "Right from the very top, you have somebody who's telling a story from his own perspective, from an authentic real point of view. It's drawn from his own family history," Lee said.
"Because of that, there's a sense of authenticity, realism and respect for these stories. So we get to address and take on these stereotypes usually shown in Western media about Asian communities."
Ivan Fecan, the executive producer who brought the play to TV, said that specificity has helped the show deliver a universal message for all immigrant families, not just Korean Canadians.
"The stories about family, love and generation conflict are universal… and because (the story) is really, all immigrants in Canada who have a family can relate and find bonds of connection to this," he said.
The conflicts among the family are comically but realistically drawn out throughout the episodes. The show depicts the generation and cultural gaps between parents and children, which most immigrant families experience.
"Our parents arrived with expectation and culture. But children have different cultures, so we have a language barrier," said Jean Yoon ― Umma in the show ― who is a second-generation immigrant herself.
"The spot where comedy and the hearts spring from is that as a family, we love each other but at a certain level we also don't understand each other. That's where it starts."
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| A poster for the show. Courtesy of Seoul International Drama Awards |
It is only recently that Asian actors started getting major roles in the Western entertainment industry, as Asians were often under-represented and stereotyped.
"Before Kim's Convenience, I only had two or three roles where I had a private and personal life. Most of the roles that I was able to acquire were functional roles, experts or lawyers, with no real life," Yoon said.
She added that this show opened up the doors for future Asian artists and increased the possibilities for how Asians could be depicted in the media, moving away from stereotypes.
"We started getting responsibility because the show was doing so well. And because it was being received, people were looking to us to be the groundbreakers and path-founders, that we gladly take," Lee said. "We're inspiring children of immigrant families to come out and tell their stories."
Andrea Bang who plays the daughter Janet in the show noted the efforts older generations of Asian actors put in to clear the way for younger Asian generations. "People like Paul and Jean are breaking down walls for me to make a career," she said.
The history of "Kim's Convenience" has a few years for Lee and Yoon as they have played the role of Appa and Umma since the theater version ― Lee had done 481 performances of the play and Yoon appeared in 322. "I've known Paul for a long time, so we have a deep and long relationship as friends and creative partners," Yoon said.
As most of the cast were second-generation immigrants with fluency in English, they said that they had been very careful to not misleadingly portray Asians with an accent.
Lee explained how accents have always been a concern, because he knew they are often used to make fun of or caricaturize people who are not proficient in English. "Our biggest thing is to create authenticity so the accent is never the joke for us."
He also noted that his character and accent are based on his own dad, a Korean immigrant with an accent from his mother-tongue, which he acts out of love and reverence. "The character is based on my dad and uncles, those stubborn Korean men whom I adore. (The character) Appa is the homage of the strong Korean men I grew up around."
The fourth season is set to air soon and will be released on Netflix by April 2020. The show's renewal for the fifth season has already been announced and scripts are being written.
