A myth-enhanced exploration of what it means to be American Born Chinese and the folklore, religions, and culture that comes with it.
I first read the American Born Chinese graphic novel in 2007, after my friend and filmmaker Jenn Crandall gave it to me. She loved it and felt I would too. I did. Gene Luen Yang filled his story with magnetism—in its humor, its folklore, and its relatability. Plus, the Monkey King AKA Sun Wukong, is irresistible. Especially to people like me, who love tricksters in all their embodiments. In the original and the new Disney+ series, we join a coming-of-age quest with Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a Chinese-American boy who wants to fit in at his predominantly white high school to a degree bordering on assimilation. Jin’s life and times run parallel to the tales of The Monkey King (Daniel Wu) from the legendary novel Journey to the West, but also to an egregious racist stereotype named Chin-kee (in the OGN). Along for the journey is Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), Jin’s friend with mythic origins who is in touch with his heritage in ways Jin is not.
DANIEL WU
Because this is still America, the plot is still on point, but our collective culture has evolved—slightly—and showrunner Kelvin Yu updates American Born Chinese in ways that make sense. Yu adds urgency with the threat of an uprising in the heavenly realm. The Monkey King’s famous Iron Staff (known as Jingu Bang) has been stolen, which could turn the tide of the war. The action gets turned up through a series of Wuxia-styled chase scenes and fight sequences. In another example, Wei-Chen is given more space to grow. While the goddess Guanyin (Michelle Yeoh) enters the story as his godmother. This underlines a shift in focus, the relationships between the kids and their parents become the central theme in the streaming series. We see this in the trio of Jin, Christine (Yeo Yann Yann), and Simon Wang (Chin Han), but also in the interplay between Wei-Chin, The Monkey King, and Guanyin. In each of these trios, the series’ creators explore the misunderstandings and misconceptions that can make communication between teenagers and their parents so contentious.
JIM LIU, MICHELLE YEOH
Another big change comes in transforming Chin-Kee, a harmful stereotype with a lesson to teach, into Freddy Wong (Ke Huy Quan). The character in both versions is a TV star but the Disney+ series softens him from a Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s horror into a mashup of Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles and Balki from Perfect Strangers. Still cringe-worthy enough to make the point but thankfully not something that can be taken out of context and turned into memes that could continue to be mocking. This is a smart choice.
There’s a campiness and light inside this series that makes the heartfelt moments land harder when they hit. Even in the most fantastical scenes, the cast makes the material tangible. Especially in depicting cultural touchstones. The show itself somehow looks nostalgic but feels current, giving it a 90s versus now duality. An episode called “Make a Splash” takes us back further to spoof what looks like 1970s–80s Chinese television. That’s going to be fun for a lot of people. It will definitely pull in multiple generations of families. And this is a family-driven show. I do wish we’d gotten more Suzy Nakamura (Rosalie Chiang) but hopefully, that will happen in season 2.
KE HUY QUAN
Having said all of this, I’m not sure how I feel about the storytelling. The stakes don’t feel entirely clear and sometimes the fun & fights outweigh the plot development and emotional solidity. As I said before, the heartfelt moments do land but when I finished the final episode I didn’t feel anything for the characters I didn’t start the first episode with. Yet, I’m not sure my feelings about the storytelling matter, this show is unlike anything we’ve gotten on American television. My four Asian-goddaughters should see this and more. None of them are Chinese-American but—like he’s done through so many other eras—I hope The Monkey King, with the help of his son Wei-Chin, and Jin Wang, will make a pathway.
Watch this with the family and let the studios know we want more.
