The Brothers Sun cancelled (a.k.a. finish watching a show you like)

I was enthusiastically watching The Brothers Sun series when after getting through part of episode 5, I got distracted and didn’t finish it and the rest of the episodes.  Later I read that The Brothers Sun has been cancelled! It was reportedly canceled despite good reviews because middling viewership.

Given the cancellation of future seasons of American Born Chinese, you might ask is this some sort of backlash against Asian-themed shows. I don’t think that is the case, given that Netflix’s live action Avatar:  The Last Airbender was recently greenlit for more seasons. It is more likely a result of the end of “Peak TV” as streaming services like American Born Chinese‘s Disney+ and The Brothers Sun‘s Netflix cut back on production in the pursuit of being profitable (or more profitable).

In any case, I feel guilty having made a small contribution to the show’s demise. This situation with The Brothers Sun reiterates the case made by Gold House that the entire lifecycle of a show needs to be encouraged – not just at creation and publication of great content but to make sure that shows are financially successful.  The lesson here is that if we want our favorite Asian American shows to continue to air, we have to make sure that they are watched.

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Taiwanese CEOs: Joseph Tsai

By Travis Yen

Renowned businessman Joseph Tsai has made a lasting impression with his strategic vision and spirit of entrepreneurship. Tsai was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on January 10, 1964, and his rise to prominence is evidence of his tenacity and willpower.

Tsai’s early experiences with a variety of societies influenced him. He was born and raised in Taiwan and then came to the US to finish his studies. Before graduating from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and East Asian studies, he attended Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. His broad education prepared him for his future pursuits and gave him a distinct viewpoint that would be very useful in the world of international business.

Tsai entered the finance industry after graduating from college and began working for the Swedish investment firm Investor AB. His strategic thinking and financial skills were refined by this experience. Nevertheless, Tsai’s path took a revolutionary turn in 1999. As one of the company’s co-founders, he teamed up with Alibaba Group’s visionary founder, Jack Ma.

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Năi Nai & Wài Pó make it to the Oscars Red Carpet and into Vogue and GQ!

(image credit: Sean Wang’s Instagram)

My family and I really enjoyed watching Nai Nai & Wài Pó . Even though the Sean Wang’s short did not win an Oscar, The Daughter shared with me that the real life Nai Nai and Wài Pó were big winners on the Academy Award’s Red Carpet. They even were featured in articles from fashion magazine Vogue and GQ

I was happy to see that a few years after the short was made, they were still alive. I also found it inspirational to see even at their age (96 for Yi Yan Fuei and 86 for Chang Li Hua), they could have amazing new experiences, such as wearing clothes from high-end fashion house like RODARTE. and appearing on the Academy Awards Red Carpet. It looks like they are living life with joy, as they say in the film.

I also that learned that we covered another Sean Wang short called H.A.G.S. (have a great summer)Joz says she is eager to see how his career goes, and from the looks of things, it is going great! You can see H.A.G.S. here, and Nai Nai and Wai Po iavailable for streaming on Disney+. More pictures from the Oscars are here on Sean Wang’s Instagram.

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8Books Review: Lunar New Year Love Story

From Asian American literary superstars author Gene Luen Yang and illustrator LeUyen Pham comes a delightful new graphic novel, Lunar New Year Love Story. Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day celebrations may be over but you can relive the joy (sometimes fraught) in this lovely story about Valentina. Val has always loved Valentine’s Day, until a family secret shatters her belief in the magic of St. Valentine. Are members of her family cursed to never find true love?

A family unraveling, love lost and found, Lunar New Year Love Story is a page turning thrill as Val navigates high school and its attendant teen angst, church grandmas, best friend drama, her Asian American identity, the ghost of St. Valentine, and–of course–love.

I’m a big fan of both the author and illustrator generally and this book is no exception. But I also appreciate the nuance they bring to growing up in Asian America. Val learning that her family calls Lunar New Year, Tết. Being shamed for not knowing more Vietnamese. Jae navigating his Chinese side and his Korean side. Chinese lion dancing! Korean lion dancing! It’s all there!

Amazon | Bookshop

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China’s Breakout Hit ‘YOLO’ Opening Friday, March 8th in North America

Since opening in China on February 10th, YOLO has grossed over $464.2 million at the Chinese box office and has become the highest-grossing film over the Lunar New Year holiday, retaining the #1 spot two weekends in a row. China’s top grossing female director Jia Ling’s hit comedy drama will be released in select theaters in North America this Friday, March 8th  via Sony Pictures Releasing International. Written, directed and starring Jia Ling, the Chinese-language film will be released in approximately 200 select locations across the U.S. and Canada.

YOLO follows Le Ying (played by Jia Ling), an unemployed woman in her 30s who still lives with her parents until one day, she meets a boxing coach who just may change her life.

Jia Ling has gotten a lot of press for having first gained 44 pounds for the role –  before losing 110 pounds (!!!) for the role as well for the story of the film. There is a music video associated with the film on Weibo of both versions of herself singing side-by-side – it’s pretty amazing: 

I’m not sure when the last time I saw a Chinese film in a mainstream theater as opposed to a film festival. While those films tended to be period pieces with martial arts (Hero, House of Flying Daggers, etc.). YOLO takes place today.

It will be interesting to see how well this film does – I don’t think I’ve seen much promotion for the film thus far. If you’re interested in the film, you can check out where it’s screening here: https://www.yolo.movie/. I am really curious myself and will probably check out the film after watching Kung Fu Panda 4.

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Exclusive Interview with Awkwafina: “Kung Fu Panda 4” Coming March 8th

Awkwafina was in San Francisco recently as “Grand Marshall” for the annual San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade:

“A massive crowd showed up to celebrate the Chinese New Year in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Saturday night as Hollywood actress and comedian Awkwafina led the annual parade to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

From Union Square to Chinatown, tourists and locals packed the sidewalks along the milelong parade route to watch the iconic celebration—one of North America’s largest and few remaining nighttime parades.”

As part of her visit to San Francisco, Awkwafina held a mini-press junket right before the parade. As soon as she got out of the car to get to the Kung Fu Panda 4 backdrop, she was mobbed by fans, including those involved with the parade. I had only two minutes to interview her before she was rushed off to her parade duties.

To my surprise, I wasn’t aware that there had been a Kung Fu Panda 3. I definitely saw the original film and pretty sure I saw the sequel. The fourth installment is about:

“After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

So, Po’s going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places. “

I’ll definitely have to catch Kung Fu Panda 4 now! Kung Fu Panda 4 comes out on March 8, 2024.

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Netflix Announces Season 2 & 3 for Avatar: The Last Airbender

The new live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix has been trending at #1 since it was released a couple weeks ago, so it’s no surprise when it was announced that they are now planning to do Season 2 and 3. In the first 11 days of release, the show has had 41.1 million views. It was No. 1 in 76 countries. How long we’ll have to wait for the next season is still TBA, but for now, huge congratulations to the cast and crew for the two season renewal.

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Taiwanese CEOs: Lisa Su

By Travis Yen

Lisa Su is a trailblazing figure in the technology sector who, via her ground-breaking inventions and revolutionary leadership, has irrevocably changed the world. Su was born on November 7, 1969, in Tainan, Taiwan. Her journey has been marked by intellect, tenacity, and an unwavering quest of perfection.

Su showed a strong talent for science and mathematics from an early age. She had an early fascination with technology since she was naturally curious and had a strong desire to know how things operated. Her future successes were made possible by her insatiable curiosity.

She began her academic career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. She then went on to Stanford University, where she earned her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the same field. Her creative spirit and analytical mindset were greatly influenced by these formative years.

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8mm Review: The Last Repair Shop

As I mentioned on my post on Nai Nai and Wài Pó, I also screened The Last Repair Shop. Although this 40 minute short documentary is not necessarily Asian American related, I did want to review it and give it a shout out because the film is amazing! What is this film about?  Here is its YouTube description:

In a nondescript warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain over 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of the recording capital of the world.

The documentary profiles four craftspeople (out of the 12 who work there) who volunteered for the documentary.

This review captured my thoughts perfectly:

“Throughout this film, which, if you have a beating heart and a kind soul, you will feel the stories deeply, you begin to understand that dealing with an ailing piece of musical equipment comes with a sense of anxiety and grief. Playing instruments teaches the students, and the listener, more than just a series of meticulously arranged notes. Something happens with the sound vibration that connects with our own. It helps us to see and feel things inside of ourselves, and it can aid not just in coming-of-age, but it sustains us as we grow.”

The Last Repair Shop filmmaker Ben Proudfoot was in a Q&A with Nai Nai and Wài Pó filmmaker Sean Wang at the screening I attended, which I recorded here.  Both of these shorts are nominated for an Academy Award.

Nai Nai and Wài Pó and The Last Repair Shop reinforce this thought of mine: everyone has a story to tell, but too often we are not listening, not taking the time to listen or not providing the platform to enable us to listen. These two documentaries are a great platforms for those in the films to tell their stories. Please consider watching them!

You can watch the film online for free here on YouTube:

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Taiwanese CEOs: Jensen Huang

By Travis Yen

Renowned in the computer world, Jensen Huang is best known for his leadership as the CEO and co-founder of NVIDIA Corporation, one of the top producers of graphics processing units (GPUs). Huang, who was born in Tainan, Taiwan, on February 17, 1963, has emerged as a major figure in the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and graphics technology.

According to Times, Huang’s academic endeavors marked the beginning of his successful journey. He attended Oregon State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and then Stanford University to pursue a master’s degree in the same field. The groundwork for his future contributions to the tech industry was built by his scholastic background.

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Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó: Review and Q&A with Oscar Nominated filmmaker Sean Wang

Delancey Street Screening Room, San Francisco, California

One of the things I have loved about living in the San Francisco Bay Area since I had moved out here in 1999 has been attending CAAMFest, or what it was known previous, as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) [changed in 2013]. When I started blogging for 8Asians, I was eventually afforded the opportunity to get a press pass for the festival (like this past May). I remain on a public relations agency’s email list to get invited to opportunities like interviewing Randall Park, More recently, I got to screen ‘Nai Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma),’ which was recently nominated for a 2024 Oscar for Short Documentary film). In addition, I met filmmaker Sean Wang again for the forementioned film on February 13th.

Back in December 2023, I had the opportunity in San Francisco to screen not only Nai Nai and Wài Pó with filmmakers Sean Wang, but also screen the The Last Repair Shop (also now nominated for an 2024 Oscar for Short Documentary and reviewed here in an upcoming post) and meet with Academy Award® winning director Ben Proudfoot.

So much had happen to Sean between the time I first met him in December 2023 to February 2024, that it was highlighted in a recent New York Times piece, Young Filmmaker Lives His ‘Fairy Tale’ at Sundance:

“Sean Wang, a first-time [feature length] director, received an audience award for his coming-of-age film, “Dìdi.” He also got the ultimate prize: a distribution deal. …

Mr. Wang, a 29-year-old filmmaker, was dressed in a black suit and white Vans (a nod to his skateboarding roots). He grabbed his chest in a show of how fast his heart was beating as he introduced his film, “Dìdi.” It is a coming-of-age story about an angsty, insecure 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy trying to find his place in the world.

Now, after slogging away on his script for six years and finishing the film, Mr. Wang is taking his first steps into the spotlight thanks to Sundance. The moment coincided with promotion of his short film, “Nai Nai & Wài Pó,” about his two grandmothers. That film was recently nominated for an Oscar in the documentary short category and will soon [now, as of February 9th, 2024] become available on Disney+.

Adding to the swirl of excitement was Mr. Wang’s Oscar nomination for his documentary about his grandmothers. He flew back from Utah to watch the early-morning nominations announcement with his family at his childhood home. When “Nai Nai & Wài Pó” was announced as the final nominee in the short film category, Mr. Wang buried his head in his grandma’s lap then fell to the floor.

“I will never get used to this,” he said later in an interview.

“Dìdi” ended up winning the prestigious Sundance audience award, a prize that in years past has gone to movies like “CODA” and “Whiplash.””

Sean Wang and I in San Francisco, February 2024

 

Being able to see Sean again after all of this had happened and to congratulate him was a pure honor and pleasure. Because of the Oscar nomination of ‘Nai Nai & Wài Pó’ and Sean’s success at Sundance, he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area (he’s a native – raised in Fremont, California) for another special screening. I’ve captured  the pre- and post- screening introduction and Q&A below, along with a brief review.

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Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender – Episode 1 Review

The long awaited Avatar: The Last Airbender live action show from Netflix finally released, and all 8 episodes are out. Here are my impressions of Episode 1.

Story: Very good. There was already solid source material to work with, and the way they decided to start with the backstory first actually works, chronologically easier to follow. Although not exactly the same frame by frame, so far, it is generally staying pretty true to the original story, and honestly, anyone hoping for a frame-by-frame exact equivalent is just not being reasonable. One little tweak I’m very pleased with is the change in Ang and Kitara’s relationship at the beginning of the story. In the animated series, Ang’s little crush on her always felt really awkward and uncomfortable. They’re just comrades now, and even though I’m not fond of their pairing, at least their relationship can develop with a little more sincerity without the creepy weirdness.
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