Jin Wang is an average teenager balancing high school and home life. When he meets a new foreign student on the first day of school, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled ... Read allJin Wang is an average teenager balancing high school and home life. When he meets a new foreign student on the first day of school, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle with Chinese mythological gods.Jin Wang is an average teenager balancing high school and home life. When he meets a new foreign student on the first day of school, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle with Chinese mythological gods.
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It's crazy how a show can get such average ratings just because of gen z sensibilities and anti Chinese sentiment.
It's pretty balanced in that it has old school slightly offensive comedy, loads of entitled teenagers protesting (but still willing to have an honest conversation even if my personal opinion is that their views are jaded and unhelpful).. Bullies that take jokes too far. A full range of attitudes that reflects todays society.
This show and the characters are well done and demonstrate simple good fun which reminds me of 90's/early 2000s shows.
The main character has to deal with the usual mild racism that depending on your view is all harmless fun or all highly offensive and the truth is that it probably lies somewhere in between. There's also the usual teenager angst of relationships, parental arguments, unique friends that don't fit in along with the draw of being one of the popular kids. Not to mention the fantastical quest for the escapism element, moral decisions and sacrifices that need to be contemplated.
Watch with an open mind and realise people are allowed to think differently to you and you might not give this an absurd 1/10.
(I'm only two episodes but but this is the vibe I'm picking up on so far).
It's pretty balanced in that it has old school slightly offensive comedy, loads of entitled teenagers protesting (but still willing to have an honest conversation even if my personal opinion is that their views are jaded and unhelpful).. Bullies that take jokes too far. A full range of attitudes that reflects todays society.
This show and the characters are well done and demonstrate simple good fun which reminds me of 90's/early 2000s shows.
The main character has to deal with the usual mild racism that depending on your view is all harmless fun or all highly offensive and the truth is that it probably lies somewhere in between. There's also the usual teenager angst of relationships, parental arguments, unique friends that don't fit in along with the draw of being one of the popular kids. Not to mention the fantastical quest for the escapism element, moral decisions and sacrifices that need to be contemplated.
Watch with an open mind and realise people are allowed to think differently to you and you might not give this an absurd 1/10.
(I'm only two episodes but but this is the vibe I'm picking up on so far).
I found this show delightful. I did grow up with lots of Asian and Indian friends so it felt kind of familiar to me. It was well written and well acted and the humor fit very well. I'm pretty sure a lot of people will not like this as American's (as a generality) do not enjoy reading subtitles. And of course you will have those that down-vote this just because of the ethnic make-up of the cast. Well, Eff those people. They are full of vitriol regarding anyone and anything that don't look like them.
I actually found this to be one of the more believable shows about how high school students actually act. And I have to say the lead actor, Ben Wang, is amazing. He kind of has like an Asian Micahel Cera thing going on and it works really well for him.
I'm really hoping for another season.
I actually found this to be one of the more believable shows about how high school students actually act. And I have to say the lead actor, Ben Wang, is amazing. He kind of has like an Asian Micahel Cera thing going on and it works really well for him.
I'm really hoping for another season.
I was excited about this show as a first generation American, the premise was intriguing and captivating, but the final result not so much. I found myself bored throughout the entire first season and the big twist I figured out very early on. There was a sub character that served little purpose other than a menial support a side story/issue. I did enjoy the last episode, just wish a little more had been put into story to pull the audience in. Finally, the choreography and CGI should have been so much better, seriously this is a Disney martial arts show. I am hoping that the first season will have enough following that maybe mor money and effort will go into season two.
I had great expectations for the television series "American Born Chinese," but they were quickly shattered. This comedy-drama series, based on Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel, follows the journey of Jin Wang, a Chinese-American teenager striving to fit in with his predominantly white high school.
While the show effectively explores themes of identity, belonging, and cultural assimilation, its execution falls short. In an attempt to cram numerous ideas into its eight episodes, the series lacks the necessary depth and character development.
The show's tone is inconsistent, with the supernatural elements feeling out of place and the humour often failing to make me laugh. The acting is commendable, particularly the performances of Ben Wang and Jimmy Liu, who excel as the main duo. The production design and cinematography are impressive, although the special effects leave much to be desired.
This series offers a lively portrayal of challenges faced by individuals straddling two different worlds. It fails to fully delve into its themes and develop its characters. I found myself bored throughout its runtime.
While the show effectively explores themes of identity, belonging, and cultural assimilation, its execution falls short. In an attempt to cram numerous ideas into its eight episodes, the series lacks the necessary depth and character development.
The show's tone is inconsistent, with the supernatural elements feeling out of place and the humour often failing to make me laugh. The acting is commendable, particularly the performances of Ben Wang and Jimmy Liu, who excel as the main duo. The production design and cinematography are impressive, although the special effects leave much to be desired.
This series offers a lively portrayal of challenges faced by individuals straddling two different worlds. It fails to fully delve into its themes and develop its characters. I found myself bored throughout its runtime.
Born in China, working in the US, fluent in Mandarin. And i gotta say coming into this show i was very skeptical about whether they could tell the myth of Chinese gods well, and whether they could nail the mandarin dialogues. They did a pretty decent job. They even wrote some of the dialogues among the gods in ancient Chinese grammar (even i cant write those after studying ancient Chinese as a mandatory for 12 years from elementary to high school).
They changed Sun Wukong's origin story a bit. In Chinese myths, Wukong made a huge mess at the peach party in heaven, stole a bunch of peaches, and was punished by the Buddha by being buried under the Five-Finger Mountain for 500 yrs. He went on a quest to India for the Sutra after he got out, Eventually he was acknoledged as a god after taking on 81 obstacles along the way to India and got the Sutra.
Anyway, I am glad the story still took a nod to the old tale, with all the gods' names and story settings.
And the actors portrait of a shy american born chinse and a fresh off the boat native taiwanese, so relatable. They really nailed the nuances, well translating the thoughts i went through, looking up to white ppl, desperately trying to fit in, thinking my niches are too nerdy to be shared, the different mind sets and culture and etiquette...
.
They changed Sun Wukong's origin story a bit. In Chinese myths, Wukong made a huge mess at the peach party in heaven, stole a bunch of peaches, and was punished by the Buddha by being buried under the Five-Finger Mountain for 500 yrs. He went on a quest to India for the Sutra after he got out, Eventually he was acknoledged as a god after taking on 81 obstacles along the way to India and got the Sutra.
Anyway, I am glad the story still took a nod to the old tale, with all the gods' names and story settings.
And the actors portrait of a shy american born chinse and a fresh off the boat native taiwanese, so relatable. They really nailed the nuances, well translating the thoughts i went through, looking up to white ppl, desperately trying to fit in, thinking my niches are too nerdy to be shared, the different mind sets and culture and etiquette...
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMichelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and James Hong all previously co-starred in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). Yeoh also starred with Hong in Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), and with Hsu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).
- ConnectionsFeatured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The D23 Expo 2022 Special (2022)
- How many seasons does American Born Chinese have?Powered by Alexa
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- Runtime30 minutes
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- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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