Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Andrew Law, creator, co-showrunner and co-star of the Netflix animated sitcom Dang! He talks about the show's evolution from a live-action comedy to animation; telling culturally specific stories about sibling dynamics (despite being an only child) and flawed, messy Asian American characters; sussing out possible Asian fetishes; and weirdly horny church worship songs (that are also total bangers). Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Dang!
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome our old friends George Kiriyama and Traci Kato-Kiriyama, siblings who recently lost their mother, Ikuko Kiriyama, to talk about remembrance, grief (or pre-grief), and letting go. They share personal stories of the Kiriyama family's journey with loss; the role of caregiving and supporting aging parents; the lessons learned from honoring a loved one's legacy; and the emotional process of letting go and moving forward.
The Christian metal band Demon Hunters is suing Netflix and AEG Presents over the mega-hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters, for trademark infringement and unfair competition, among other claims. The lawsuit claims that the movie has caused “a substantial likelihood of confusion” and resulted in an “existential crisis” for the band, which holds the "Demon Hunter" trademark in several categories.
"In the lawsuit the band have provided some examples of confusion that already occurred, including an email they received in February from a man asking for a refund after he spent $500 on tickets to their gig for his 5 and 6 year-old daughters in the belief he was buying tickets to see the fictional girl band."
I'm sorry, but mistakenly dropping five hundred bucks on Christian metal band tickets, thinking you're getting Kpop Demon Hunters tickets, is a level of carelessness and laziness that defies trademark infringement.
A bill moving through the California State Assembly would create a new designation for colleges in the state that serve large numbers of Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Although the bill itself doesn't allocate any money to those institutions, advocates hope that they could eventually use the designation to access funding for initiatives that improve college access, retention and completion.
Aoife Hinds will star in BBC and A24's drama series The Ministry of Time, based on the best-selling debut novel by Kaliane Bradley. The series is set around a newly established government department that gathers 'expats' from across history to test the viability of time-travel. Hinds plays Sophy, who achieves a hard-fought promotion in the civil service, only to learn that her role is to help a time traveller -- Victorian polar explorer Commander Gore -- acclimatize to the modern world as part of a top-secret Ministry program. The Ministiry of Time is currently filming in London.
I absolutely love this band. Seoul-based LEENALCHI brings their undefinable pansori-infused traditional Korean vocal styling and rhythmic pop rock funk sound in-studio for a Live on KCRW session.
Dallas film fans! You are invited to the inaugural Dallas Asian American Film Festival, a hyperlocal film festival showcasing Asian American film with an Asian Texan focus, presented by the Dallas Asian American Art Collective. It's happening August 28-29 in the Dallas Arts District. For information and tickets, visit daaart.org/daaff.
Check out the trailer for the upcoming Netflix comedy Best of the Best, set in the cutthroat world of Bollywood fusion collegiate dance. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia star as childhood best friends, Maya and Anjali, who join UCLA's competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team, only to discover that the road to winning the U.S. Championship is far more raucous and cutthroat than they ever imagined. Think Pitch Perfect by way of Bollywood. Best of the Best, directed by Lena Khan, hits Netflix on September 18.
By the way, this movie should not be confused with one of my favorite movies, the 1989 martial arts drama Best of the Best, starring Phillip Rhee, Eric Roberts and James Earl Jones. However, may I suggest that these two identically titled Best of the Best movies are part of a shared cinemamatic universe? Why not. Unless someone else convinces me otherwise, I'm sticking with that.
Daly City, CA is sometimes called the "Pinoy capital" of the Bay Area and even the United States. For decades, the city of about 100,000 has been home to the highest concentration of Filipinos of any American city. But the rising cost of housing, decentralization of certain jobs and changing economic opportunities have been driving forces behind a recent mass exodus of Filipino residents from the historic enclave.
"All immigrant children know how complicated this 'new world' is, and that no matter how much their parents may try to ride herd, they are essentially traversing this realm solo. It's a journeying full of excitement and fright, and laden with a startlingly heavy burden of responsibility, given that they are often the ones necessarily leading the way. I certainly felt so, wanting to do the right thing by us all but never knowing if we were heading in a good direction or towards some maelstrom."
For your crowdfund consideration: Marvel Artist Archive: Jim Lee, an officially licensed hardcover art book showcasing superstar artist Jim Lee's iconic artwork for Marvel Comics, currently wrapping up its Kickstarter campaign. For me, Jim Lee is the greatest of all time, and his work for Marvel is foundational. I might have to get this.
While New Yorkers have delighted in spotting Mayor Zohran Mamdani riding around the city on a bicycle, some safety advocates have scolded him for his failure to use a helmet. It seems that he has listened. On Tuesday, the mayor posted a video on social media, showing him viewing comments on his phone about his not wearing a helmet. Then, he unboxed one at City Hall and fit it on his head. "Safety first, New York," he said. "See you out there."
September 3-6 at Outside In Theatre in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, call your friends and make some plans for a good-ass time. Asian AF and Outside In Theatre present the AF Comedy Festival, celebrating 10 years of the hit comedy show Asian AF with over 200 AAPI performers coming from all over the country.
The kickass lineup includes the likes of Margaret Cho, Joel Kim Booster, Amy Hill, Asif Ali, Aparna Nancherla, Raymond Lee, Tim Chantarangsu, Andrew Law, Andrew Lopez, Zac Oyama, Saagar Shaikh, Vincent Rodriguez III, and dozens more across three nights of shows.
It's happening September 3-6 at the Outside In Theatre in Los Angeles. If you didn't blow all your money on BTS that weekend, this is where you should go! For more information and tickets, visit afcomedyfest.com.
Teen Vogue offers a first look at the upcoming K-pop-centric movie K-pop: The Debut, starring Ji-young Yoo. The film follows Lizzy Lee, a young Korean-American woman who, tired of spending her life following the path her family chose for her, secretly decides to pursue her dream after landing a spot in a competition show to form the next K-pop girl group in Seoul. Looks fun. K-pop: The Debut is set to premiere on February 12.
Check out the trailer for Take Me Home, the moving feature film debut from director Liz Sargent. Adapted from her award-winning Sundance short, the film is inspired by her own family's real-life circumstances and stars her cognitively disabled sister Anna Sargent in the lead role.
"Anna, a 38-year-old Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability, lives in a delicate balance in suburban Florida, serving as a caregiver for her aging parents while navigating her own need for support. When a severe heat wave shatters her family's fragile routine and exposes her father's hidden signs of dementia, Anna's world is thrown into uncertainty. Forced to confront the systemic failures of the American healthcare infrastructure, she must fight to carve out her own path toward autonomy, independence, and chosen community."
Take Me Home opens in theaters in New York City on September 23 and in Los Angeles on October 7.
I gotta recommend the latest edition of ESPN's 30 for 30 Podcasts, "The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani," a six-part investigative series that delves into how Shohei Ohtani's trusted relationship with longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara unraveled amid a massive illegal sports betting scheme. Just some excellent reporting that goes beyond the headlines, deeper into the players and events of the scandal.
Damn. After two seasons, Deli Boys has been canceled at Hulu. The critically acclaimed crime dramedy, which starred Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, and Poorna Jagannathan, was reportedly canceled due to low ratings. I really enjoyed this show, and the cast kicked ass -- particularly Jagannathan as Lucky. It's a shame the show never quite got the numbers it deserved. Catch it on Hulu, enjoy the two seasons, and lament what could have been.
Hell yeah. We are getting a full-fledged Criterion Collection release of last year's surprise smash animated hit KPop Demon Hunters, chock full of special edition features, including:
New 4K digital master, approved by directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features
Full feature-length animatic, with a new introduction by Kang and Appelhans
New making-of documentary
Two video essays by filmmakers Taylor Ramos & Tony Zhou (Every Frame a Painting)
Lyric videos
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
Collectible postcards featuring original illustrations by artists who worked on the film
PLUS: An essay by critic Karen Han
The 4K+Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD editions of Kpop Demon Hunters will be available on November 3.
"In the heat of an election season, results are measured in raw vote totals. But they should also be measured by the potential they reveal. That is what Hong did on election night. 'We have built something that will change politics forever,' she told a cheering crowd of young supporters. 'What we have done will be remembered. I don’t even know how the final results will end. But what I do know is that we are ready to keep fighting, and I feel confident. More importantly, I am so deeply, deeply grateful.'"
"Between January 20, 2025, and March 10, 2026, there have been 14,678 arrests, 13,455 detentions, and 6,453 deportations of APIDA immigrants. This represents a sixfold increase in arrests and detentions and a ninefold increase in deportations compared to the Biden administration—some of the largest increases yet."
According to a new survey by The Asian American Foundation, 55% of AAPI adults in New York City have thought about leaving the city because of the high cost of living. As the cost of housing, groceries, and other everyday expenses continue to rise, many AAPI New Yorkers are questioning whether they can afford to remain in the city they've long called home.
"This is Riz Ahmed: guarded, thoughtful, empathetic, challenging, funny. All these things have made him one of the most compelling actors of his generation. And no, he’s not terribly interested in hyping the movie that he must hope could net him another Oscar nomination. But if you keep digging, maybe even to the very bottom, you might find something beautiful."
Now playing at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego: The Family Album, an original new musical, co-created by singer/songwriter MILCK, about finding and reclaiming your voice and using it for change.
"Singer-songwriter Mia Bing has been hustling for years and is on the cusp of breaking through in the music industry. Just as she receives the call that could change her career, she’s pulled back to her childhood home, where she’s once again the “disappointing” daughter of her Asian immigrant parents, still haunted by an unresolved secret. Mia must learn to use her voice to confront and heal from the past."
Catch The Family Album in its final week through August 23.
