Kim’s Convenience

April 2019 

Kim’s Convenience 

Choi, Ins. Kim’s Convenience. 2012. House of Anansi Press Inc. 

It would be hard to overstate the cultural significance of Kim’s Convenience in Canada. What started as a play doing the Fringe Festival circuit has touched on something so essentially Canadian that it has become a popular television show and continues to delight audiences across the country. The story follows a first generation immigrant, Mr. Kim, as he struggles to figure out what will be next for the Convenience store that has kept his family afloat for years. 

Mr. Kim is flawed, but remains lovable throughout the play, which speaks to the depth of characters that Choi developed. The characters are complicated, which creates a complicated family dynamic. And the future is not only uncertain, but it is also uncertain what future the audience should be hoping for. It is a messy story about a messy family with a deeply redemptive ending that shows the power of love and forgiveness, even in the messiest of circumstances. 

Kim’s Convenience speaks deeply into what all people have in common, no matter where they come from or what they do. To Canadians with diverse cultural backgrounds, it speaks even louder as it successfully puts a finger on the pulse of what makes us a culture. Rejoicing in our diversity and highlighting our similarities with a healthy dose of laughter and heart.