‘Kim’s Convenience’ shows life of Kim family running a store in Toronto. It dives into family stuff, cultural identity and those classic generational clashes. Heartwarming and funny, it mixes serious topics with laughs. Plus, it gets props for showing Asian characters in a positive light. Who knew a convenience store could hold so much?

Meet the characters from Kim’s Convenience

Appa

Oh man, Appa is peak grumpy-soft dad energy — the kind who runs the convenience store like it’s a tiny sovereign nation and also will cry if a cheap kettle breaks (not kidding). He’s stubborn, proud, suspicious of anything that smells like “newfangled” and yet somehow knows the quickest route to fixing a phone charger with a paperclip. Rules, respect, and stern lectures are his love language, though he’ll secretly show he cares by doing tiny, ridiculous favors (like saving the corner of the best dumpling for you). He’s hilariously old-school but has these tiny modern guilty pleasures he would never admit to in front of anyone. Honestly, you can’t help but love the guy even when he’s yelling about loiterers.

Umma

Umma is a whole mood — warm, chatty, endlessly patient but also low-key ferocious when someone messes with her family (don’t test her). She’s the social glue: always got a casserole, a prayer, a passing-off of sage advice, and a story that somehow starts in 1972 and ends in a neighborhood feud. She fusses, she nags, she loves to gossip a little (playfully!) and then acts surprised she knows everything about everyone, which is kind of her superpower. Sweet, stubborn, surprisingly sharp — also might hide a rogue hobby like tai chi or bingo and then act like it’s casual.

Janet

Janet is the quietly brilliant one who makes perfect spreadsheets for feelings and also owns maybe nine succulents and one gigantic secret karaoke talent. She’s practical, polite, sharply observant and also really good at gently pointing out when things are messy (literally or emotionally), which she does while sipping something artisanal and possibly confusing you with a friendly statistic. There’s this lovely mix of earnestness and deadpan humor — she’ll volunteer to organize your life and then fall asleep on the couch at 9pm. Fiercely independent but ridiculously loyal, and don’t get me started on her one weird obsession with thrift store labels (it’s adorable).

Jung

Jung is like a walking rom-com subplot: big heart, a little clueless, extremely dramatic and somehow always in the middle of a small crisis that he insists is “fine.” He tries very hard to be tough and manly in that Appa-approved way but then melts at the first sad commercial — complete softie. Impulsive, proud, sometimes dumb but also brave in the dumbest of ways, and he has this bewildering confidence about his hair and outfits that you can’t help admiring. He’s always trying to prove himself (to his dad, to his friends) and will fail spectacularly and then try again the next day — very relatable, honestly.

Kimchee Han

Kimchee is the chaotic-but-solid best friend you’d text at 2am — dramatic, loyal, fashionably loud and secretly very organized (or at least he knows where his sneakers are). He’s full of hot takes, pop culture knowledge, and snacks in his pockets; he’ll dissolve a tense moment into a ridiculous meme reference and you’ll laugh even if you’re supposed to be angry. Sensible in a weird, sideways way, he’s the person who sticks by people and then surprises you with an unexpectedly deep rant about feelings or whatever genre of sci-fi he’s currently into. Also, somehow always dramatic: he will theatrical-ly declare something tragic and then make you tea like nothing happened.

Shannon Ross

Shannon is sharp, kind of fierce, very on-their-side and also the person who will call out nonsense with equal parts sarcasm and compassion — basically a walking morally excellent vibe. She’s modern, outspoken (in a good way), thoughtful about boundaries and social justice, and quietly competitive with thrift-store finds; yes, she will win the vintage jacket and wear it like a boss. She can be awkward around new cultural rituals but tries so hard to learn and is delightfully blunt about her mistakes, which is endearing. Also, low-key soft: she’ll roast you for being clueless and then bring soup when you’re sick, like some kind of bonus mom to everyone.