Asians New to Netflix: "Is it Fall Yet?" Edition
Asians New to Netflix is a monthly column introducing the new live-action movies and television shows which air next month on Netflix and feature Asian American actors.
It's Labor Day Weekend! Why not spend your three-day weekend doing one of our favorite activities: binging on Netflix? In our first post, we look at September's batch of new movies and TV shows with Asian American representation: Disney's Mulan, and the TV shows Gotham (FOX) and Dark Matter (Syfy). Yeah, I wish there were more, too.
Movies
Mulan (1998)
Available September 1
Directed by: Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft
Screenplay by: Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Raymond Singer
Plot: To save her father from death in the army, a young maiden secretly goes in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroines in the process (IMDB).
Disclaimer: Yes, I know Mulan is animated. But it's hard to skip over the most iconic Asian Disney character.
Who hasn’t heard of Disney’s Mulan? I grew up watching and rewatching this movie on VHS, singing “Reflection” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, and dressing up in the Halloween costume. I loved Disney movies as a kid, and Mulan was the first character who looked like me.
Mulan (Source)
Mulan was the first Disney movie led by a character of Asian descent, and featured a majority Asian/Asian American cast. If you’ve seen Agents of SHIELD or The Joy Luck Club, you may recognize Mulan’s voice as Chinese American actress Ming-Na Wen, who plays Agent May and June, respectively. Filipina Broadway star Lea Salonga, who gained fame as the lead in the musical Miss Saigon, provides the singing voice of Mulan (she also sang as Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin). BD Wong, who voices Captain Li Shang, is known for everything from the Jurassic Park movies (as Dr. Henry Wu) and Law & Order: SVU (Dr. George Huang), to Gotham (Dr. Hugo Strange), and Mr. Robot (Whiterose).
Disney is planning a live action version, set to premier in 2019. If you can’t wait until then, haven’t watched the animated movie yet, or just want a nostalgic rewatch, Mulan will be on Netflix starting September 1.
TV Shows
Gotham (Season 3)
Available September 21
Plot: The stakes are higher than ever in season three of Gotham, which introduces supervillains more ambitious and depraved than ever, and a realignment of alliances shakes up the fight for power in Gotham City (Wiki).
Disclaimer: I’ve never watched Gotham. I’m a big superhero fan, but this show delves more into origin stories and less into actual superheroes. On the plus side, you get to see the younger versions of all your favorite Batman heroes and villains!
Valerie Vale (Source)
Season three of Gotham features Asian American recurring characters Valerie Vale and Dr. Hugo Strange, played by Jamie Chung and BD Wong; interestingly, both characters are originally white in the comics. Korean American actress Jamie Chung is one of the most well-known Asian American actresses, appearing in Sucker Punch (as Amber), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Miho), Big Hero 6 and Big Hero 6: The Series (Go Go), Once Upon a Time (Mulan), and The Hangover Part II and The Hangover Part III (Lauren). In Gotham, she plays Valerie Vale, a journalist for the Gotham Gazette. BD Wong makes our list for the second time this month; he plays Dr. Hugo Strange, the former Chief of Psychiatry and Director of Arkham Asylum. For more on BD Wong’s well-known roles, see above under Mulan.
Season three of Gotham will air on Netflix starting September 21.
Dark Matter (Season 3)
Available September 25
Plot: Following season 2’s explosive finale, the scattered survivors of EOS-7 battle to regroup amidst the backdrop of corporate war. Ryo Ishida makes an enemy of his former allies while the past comes back to haunt the crew of the Raza.
Disclaimer: I’ve never watched Dark Matter. However, I’ve heard good things about the show, and as a sci-fi fan, it’s good to see diversity in this genre.
Two/Portia Lin (Source)
The main cast of Dark Matter Season 3 includes two actors of Asian descent: Melissa O’Neil, a Canadian actress of Chinese/Irish descent, who plays the character Two/Portia Lin; and Alex Mallari Jr, a Canadian actor born in the Philippines, who plays Four/Ryo Tetsudo/Ryo Ishida. Melissa O’Neil has a successful theatre career and has appeared in television shows such as The Life (as Sarah), Rogue (Jennifer), and Lost Generation (Tasha). She is also the youngest and first female winner of Canadian Idol. Alex Mallari Jr. has had small roles in prime-time shows such as Nikita (as Guard Valdez), Cybergeddon (Winston Chang), Beauty and the Beast, The Strain (Carlo), and Designated Survivor (Chief Edward Marino).
You can watch Season three of Dark Matter starting September 25.
Bonus: The animated show The Magic School Bus Rides Again, based on the original PBS children’s show, features Canadian voice actress Lynsey Pham, who is of Vietnamese descent. The Magic School Bus Rides Again will be available September 29.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, The Walking Dead Season 7 will air on Netflix starting September 8; fan-favorite character Glenn Rhee, played by Korean American actor Steven Yeun, is a recurring character during the season.
