In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the cast of The CW’s Kung Fu explained how the series defies Asian and Asian-American stereotypes.
“We get to see these [Asian] and Asian-American characters live full lives [on the show],” said star Olivia Liang, speaking during a collective virtual interview with the series’ cast. “We’re fighting with our parents, we’re annoyed at our jobs, we’re falling in love, we’re figuring out what we want to do with our lives. We get to see the full gamut of human experience.” She later added, “We’re different because we’re a predominantly Asian [or Asian-American] cast… There is room for more than one version of us.”
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A loose re-imagining of the 1970s TV show of the same name, Kung Fu centers on Liang’s Nicky Shen, a young woman who dropped out of law school to go become a member of a remote monastery in China. Three years later, Nicky returns to her hometown San Francisco, reuniting with her estranged family and setting her on a collision course with Zhilan, the mysterious woman who murdered Nicky’s shifu (mentor) Pei-Ling Zhang.
“[The show’s writers] are so receptive to hearing from us about our cultures,” said costar Tony Chung. “[Like], how do we address our parents… What about the grandparents on the mother’s side? What about the grandparents on the father’s side? There are different ways of addressing family members in Chinese… And I honestly never witnessed that in my life.”
CBR‘s Sam Stone praised Kung Fu‘s pilot for its portrayal of San Francisco’s Asian-American community, saying “The added emphasis on Chinese culture is [a] welcome — and these days, deeply appreciated — part of the show that helps it stand out from the rest of the network’s programming line-up.” Season 1 has gone to become a hit for The CW, securing ratings that rival those of the recently concluded The 100 and landing an official Season 2 renewal only four episodes into its run.
Executive produced by Christina M. Kim, Martin Gero, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Warner Bros. TV, Kung Fu stars Olivia Liang, Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Tony Chung, Jon Prasida, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu and Vanessa Kai. New episodes air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
Source: YouTube
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