X
- 2023
- TV-PG
- Disney+
- 2023
- TV-PG
- Disney+
- 2023
- TV-PG
- Disney+
- 2023
- TV-PG
- Disney+
American Born Chinese
Season 1 Premiere: May 24, 2023
73
5.4
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 28 Critic Reviews
73
68% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
32% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 28 Critic Reviews
73
68% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
32% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
“American Born Chinese” proves to be one of the year’s best surprises. A coming-of-age story that at times brings to mind TV greats “My So-Called Life” (though this one is from a boy’s perspective) and “Freaks and Geeks.”
American Born Chinese is a fun, bold reimagining of the American coming-of-age tale, combined with Chinese mythology and a deservedly award-winning graphic novel. There are lots of moving parts in a short amount of time, but it works in a seriously charming way when all brought together with excellent fight choreography to tie a bow on it.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 32 User Ratings
5.4
47% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
22% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
31% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 32 User Ratings
5.4
47% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
22% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
31% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
This was a really great series. Yes, there were some subtitles, but not enough to bother me. I loved the story. I loved the symbolism, the mirroring themes and the characters. I hope there is a second season. I'm shocked at some of the lower reviews. This show is worth a watch for anyone, but I'd recommend it for young adults who are searching for the hero within themselves and also for those who just like a good fantasy story.
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Actor Ben Wang plays Jin Wang, an average high school student trying to make friends and get on the soccer team. When he's assigned to guide an exchange student from China (Jimmy Liu), turns out that he's actually from a mythological kingdom ruled by the Monkey King. Thus begins a cross between a teen comedy and a fantasy adventure. The human parts are enjoyable, thanks primarily to the upbeat pacing and Wang's cute, slightly-comic charm. The opening scene features a spectacular SFX chase, but the subsequent action scenes are fast-paced, but not remotely as imaginative or impressive. This is a Disney product, so expect the whole thing to have a brightness and innocence. It's a sweet look at teen challenges and cultural identity with a side of imagination that adds to the plot, but not to the fun.
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American Born Chinese doesn't always find the right balance between its regular and extraordinary elements, but it sure is a blast to watch it try. [May 2023, p.76]
Is this show a perfectly timed victory lap? Yes. Does it get unwieldy when you’re compressing a centuries-old epic and a high school #StopAsianHate campaign into eight episodes of Disneyfied polish? Of course. But American Born Chinese’s commitment to the juxtaposition makes the show worthy, as uneven as it can be.
Despite its martial arts flair, American Born Chinese’s most powerful moments come from its small cultural specificities.
It’s like the show wanted to showcase all its potential but may only be able to thread it together in a possible second season. If this is what it takes for this story to really come to life, then fine — but at this moment, it’s hard not to view it as a massive waste of time.
By the end, whatever feels distinct about American Born Chinese, which primarily resides in the quotidian details of Jin and his family’s life, washes away in a blur of scrolls, rebellions, and tacked-on endgame stakes. It feels like a vibrant coming-of-age story, spun out of edgier source material, that’s been made to conform to the needs of the Disney machine — a dynamic that sounds suspiciously like its own form of assimilation.
If you can handle the preachiness around how bad it is to assume things about another culture and the lackluster acting, you might enjoy yourself. The "lessons" attempting to be taught about racism and racial identity just come across as cringe. Someone who hates Asians isn't going to be watching this TV show anyway. I get it's a show called "American Born Chinese", but there's better ways to handle the sensitive topic of racial identity and importance. The acting is sub-par. I didn't really feel very connected to the main protagonist or his companions by the end. There certainly isn't too much depth to the characters. However, there are enough obstacles for the team to overcome, such as family issues and self-confidence, which prevent some "Gary Stu" character.
The EEAAO cast being present feels forced. While I welcomed Yeoh/Hsu/Quan on stage their screentime was limited, especially Hsu and Quan's which seemed like tertiary roles. This is unfortunate since they're some of the strongest actors in the cast. Quan talks a bit about the broken system of Hollywood for Chinese Americans, and it's one of the few conversations about race that actually land within the series; not focusing on some strawman racist, but a real, lived experience within the business and culture of Hollywood. Outside of this you're left with a mediocre but enjoyable fantasy story, with a bit of coming-of-age drama. It's fun and the fight scenes are well choreographed. I did feel drawn to watch the next episode when one finished, just to see how the story turned out.
This will definitely be more popular in a younger audience. If you're an adult you will find a few parts preachy and annoying, but the underlying story of a fantasy world, building self-confidence, strong relationships, and dealing with home issues is well enough done for a single watch. I really hope that season 2 focuses on its strengths instead of hammering its audience over the head with unnecessary messages of racial tolerance.
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There are a couple of funny moments here, but pretty bland series in general. It's cool that Disney made this exploration of Chinese mythology, but the integration with a generic adolescent story is lackluster.
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It's pretty scary how Disney manages to inject their WOKE ideas into everything. It's not ten minutes into the first episode a student chastises a teacher who spews some misogynist comment. First a teacher wouldn't make that kind of comment (of course one or two would) and a student shouldn't be correcting the teacher (other teachers and the principal should). Good grief, what a mess this show is, even when you fast forward through WOKE drivel it's still tiring. Our view, "what a waste of reasonable material by Disney...again! So, don't waste your time."
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Production Company:
- 20th Television
- Disney Branded Television
- The Detective Agency
- Walt Disney Television
Initial Release Date: May 24, 2023
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Rating: TV-PG
Awards
Critics Choice Super Awards
• 5 Nominations
Astra Television Awards
• 3 Nominations
Directors Guild of America, USA
• 2 Nominations
