If you’re a fan of comedies and especially Parks and Recreation, there’s one show you should be checking out right now on Netflix: the hilarious Kim’s Convenience.
The sitcom follows a Korean Canadian family running a convenience store, and although it launched in Canada back in 2016, people around the world are only now starting to see what the buzz is all about as the first two seasons launched internationally in July.
What makes Kim’s Convenience stand out is the fact that it has plenty of heart in addition to the laugh-out-loud humour, a feel which is reminiscent to the popular Parks and Recreation.
For instance, Jung, the family’s son played by Simu Liu, begins the series estranged from his father (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), having been kicked out of the family home when he was younger. Some of the emotional moments centre on that relationship.
“Those are the scenes that when I read it at the table read, I most look forward to,” Liu told Digital Spy. “Just the nature of my character is that I don’t really spend a lot of time with Paul’s character, and he’s such an amazing and phenomenal actor, both comedically and dramatically.
“The show was originally based on a play, written in Toronto. In the play, I feel like those elements were very, very prevalent. So from day one, that was kind of baked into the identity of the show.
“It was going to be a comedy, it was going to be funny, it was going to have all of these traditional sitcom beats and funny characters and quirky one-liners, but it was also going to be grounded in something that made you really, really root for the characters. Our writers have done a really good job with that.”
Kim’s Convenience has broad appeal, but the fact that it proudly centres on a Korean Canadian family means that it may hit home to those in the Asian diaspora the most. One episode sees the daughter Janet (Andrea Bang) struggling with her cultural identity as her cousin visits from Korea.
“I think our show has a lot of universal themes which are relatable, especially to third-culture kids whether that be in Canada or the States or other countries like Australia and the UK,” Liu said. “I think we’re all very similar in our background, and we’ve always experienced what it feels like to grow up straddling two different cultures, belief systems, value systems, everything like that.”
Liu added that the reaction from fans has been nothing short of “overwhelming” since the international launch, which has come at the perfect time with other Asian-centred projects being released, such as Crazy Rich Asians and Searching in cinemas and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix.
“Honestly, it’s been pretty overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “We went worldwide maybe a bit over a month ago, and since then, all of our social media has blown up.
“We pride ourselves on being very approachable to the fans and we invest a lot of time in speaking with them and making sure that they understand how appreciative we are. We’ve definitely got our hands full.
“There’s people from the UK but also from countries we didn’t expect, from Brazil to Singapore and India. There’s been a lot of support all around the world.
“It’s really been exciting these past couple of months seeing what’s been coming out of theatres, and I’m happy to say that Kim’s Convenience is a part of that. I’m really starting to feel like we’re getting the representation that we need and deserve. It’s a really exciting time.”
Kim’s Convenience has finished shooting season 3, airing January 2019 in Canada, with a fourth season greenlit as well.
As fantastic as the first two seasons are, Liu suggested that fans of the show will be in for a treat with these new episodes. He believes the actors have been “really hitting their stride” now that they’re in their third year.
“Three years in, there’s an ease and a comfort and a confidence now,” he explained. “When we go to set, we can play and we can play freely. That extends to the writing as well. Three seasons in, they really have a feel for the way that we are and know the situations that we as performers excel in, so I’m incredibly excited for the world to see it.”
Kim’s Convenience seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch on Netflix internationally.
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