Kim’s Convenience: The Feel-Good Comedy Didn’t Get the Happy Ending

Looking for that funny, wholesome comedy to carry on the warm-fuzzy feel of Schitt’s Creek? Look no further than the Candian comedy, Kim’s Convenience. It’s about a Canadian-Korean family trying to navigate both sides of their culture in Toronto. The parents run a mom-and-pop shop, Kim’s Convenience – they live above the store, so it’s literally a mom and pop. The series is based on the play of the same name. The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) show first aired in 2016 and became available on Netflix in 2018. It ran for five seasons of 13 short (22 minutes) episodes each. A planned sixth season never materialized.

Mr. Kim (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and Mrs. Kim (Jean Yoon) reprise their roles of the play as the proprietors of Kim’s Convenience. Daughter Janet (Andrea Bang) is in-between in life. She’s getting out on her own in an apartment, attending photography school, and building relationships (or trying to). On the other hand, she frequently works at the store and lives for stretches of time upstairs with her parents. Son Jung (Simu Liu, yes, now famous for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is estranged from his father and working at a local car rental company. His best friend, Kimchee (Andrew Phung) and boss/girlfriend Shannon (Nicole Power) also work at the Handy Car Rental. Kimchee is a hoot as the energetic roommate and co-worker. Shannon is a self-proclaimed dork, more so as she tries to juggle being the boss and girlfriend.

The show provides a pleasant, heartwarming diversion. It’s funny, but not laugh out loud hilarious. Awkward, real humor as when traditional Korean values come up against the cosmopolitan melting pot of Toronto. Kim’s Convenience also explores generational family issues we can all relate to, such as, being impatient and annoyed with our parents while also loving them deeply and being stubborn and not wanting to be the one who gives in. The family bickering on these matters is sometimes cutting, mostly light-hearted, and always delivered with great timing.

The show was canceled after five seasons when the two co-creators left to work on other projects. After the show ended, several of its actors cited a lack of diversity behind the scenes of the show, particularly the lack of Korean writers. It’s unfortunate that the show’s last season seemed a little rushed due to these circumstances. Season Five also hints at the upcoming Shannon CBC spin-off in which she moves to Hamilton, Ontario to run an animal shelter. None of the main characters from Kim’s Convenience are in the spin-off, Strays.

Don’t let the abrupt ending of the series turn you away from Kim’s Convenience. There is some closure at the end, but it’s really about each individual episode. It’s a safe and happy place to be. Pretty soon you’ll be loving the Mr. Kim-isms: “Stop!,” “Ok, see you,” and “ah, that’s a sneak attack.”

D² Rating ◼◼◼◼☐

Trivia ? – Simu Liu had another recent high-profile appearance on this late night comedy in November, 2021?

Answer: Simu Liu hosted SNL on November 20th.