At the end of episode one in Lulu Wang’s miniseries “Expats,” a grieving Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and her friend Hilary (Sarayu Blue) dance to Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” in a noodle shop. As the pairs’ bare feet sashay across the flooring and their flouncing window reflections are abruptly sliced off by worn menus taped up to the walls, the cooks in the kitchen watch on unfazed. It’s a quiet and lively scene, the first one where the two women, guards down, are having a good time. But it’s also wild — because it’s as though every dance move Margaret makes feels as though it could lead to a complete breakdown, because two foreign women are making a local eatery their late-night disco, because they have a personal driver in a luxury car just outside at their whim, ready to swoop them wherever they wish to go. 

Who possesses the ability to live like this? Well expats. Shorthand for “expatriate,” the term refers to an individual who lives outside of their native country and usually intends to return to their country of origin. Wang’s series follows three, Margaret (Kidman), Hilary (Blue) and Mercy (Ji-Young Yoo), all of who call Hong Kong home, though knowing it’s only temporary. Margaret and Hilary make up the typical expatriate, very well-to-do, households-run-by-low-paid-helpers — the former living in the city due to her husband Clarke’s (Brian Tee) job and the latter because of her partner David’s (Jack Huston) law career. On the other end of the spectrum, Mercy has ended up in a weary Hong Kong apartment alone, the recent-ish college grad insisting on needing a “fresh start.” 

This intricate mise-en-scène is where “Expats” takes off. The hardship of the series is a multitude of things, but the catalyst of it all is the disappearance of Margaret’s youngest son,…

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Kevyn Fong, also known as Level4alpha, is a content creator, comedian, writer and Sailor Moon aficionado. His original content has amassed over 200 million views across all platforms, focusing on the comedic intersections of the Asian American and LGBTQ+ experience. He can be found at Costco every Saturday eating the free samples and buying a month’s worth of chicken breast (boneless and skinless). (Photos by Andrew Dinh.)

Do you remember the last time you went to the bathroom without your phone? 

Did you know that instead of spending 15 minutes on the toilet staring at that $1,000 slab of metal and glass, you could get out in 5 minutes and go on with your day? Despite the joy and ease the modern phone has brought to my life (music, photos, Grindr hook-ups), it’s also brought me anxiety and stress (less sleep, doom scrolling, Grindr hook-ups). We all talk about how we should cut down on screen time, but do we actually?

These were questions I asked myself around spring 2023 before switching from my iPhone 13 to a Nokia flip phone. Shocking, I know, they still make flip phones today, which are targeted mostly towards the elderly. Though, as an aging millennial, I am basically considered geriatric, so same difference. Living in Los Angeles, detoxes are trendy (who hasn’t done a juice cleanse?), but a new detox is arising –  a digital one. However, I didn’t want just a detox, I wanted an actual lifestyle change. I committed myself to use a flip phone for 30 days, and after that month, the side effects of not having a smartphone were so positive that I continued… for a full year. As of the time of writing this article, I’ve been on a flip phone for over 15 months and I’m not going back.  Some people may find that impossible, especially considering my career as a content creator, but guess what? You don’t need a…

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When the reality you face is bleak and you believe the worst of humanity, what would you do if given the power to alter the course of the world for billions of people? This is one of the many dilemmas explored in “3 Body Problem,” a sci-fi Netflix show based on the acclaimed Chinese book series “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” by award-winning author Liu Cixin following humanity’s discovery and preparation for an invasion by (spoiler alert!) aliens who are already in the midst of a 400-year journey to reach Earth. 

The sci-fi epic is helmed by the creators of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and the executive producer of “The Terror” season 2, Alexander Woo, as showrunners, meaning the novels’ character-driven plots, fantastical elements and astrophysical concepts were in good hands to bring the adaptation to a grander and global scale. 

While the Netflix series is not the first adaptation of Liu’s work, previous adaptations include a live-action Chinese series by Tencent Video and a web series completely animated using the video game “Minecraft,” this version (under the blessing and advisory of Liu) expands the trilogy past its original Chinese borders, setting the show primarily in England and employing actors from around the world. “We wanted to represent, as much as possible, all of humanity,” Benioff says in the Netflix press packet. “We tried to make [the show] a very diverse, international cast to represent the idea that this isn’t just one country’s struggle against the threat of aliens; it’s a global struggle to survive.” 

The first season saw scientists Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), Augustina Salazar (Eiza González), Will Downing (Alex Sharp)…

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The 22nd Annual Unforgettable Gala was a night to remember.  It was also a night to be “Unforgettable Together,” as was the theme of this year’s celebration — allies and API stars came together in community to uplift the biggest names in entertainment of 2024. 

The Unforgettable Gala is now in its 22nd year of celebrating API excellence, and this year’s event was no different. Changemakers and honorees of all walks of life were invited to the festivities, which took place at The Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Dec. 14. This was the second year the ceremony was broadcasted live on AAPI network ChimeTV, with plans to not only rerun on the network, but to be added to streamer GoldenTV’s library of content. The celebration would not have been possible without the help of our incredible sponsors: Cadillac, Vizio MicMe, Yaamava Resort & Casino, Amazon MGM Studios, 21ROCS, 99 Ranch Market, Bank of Hope, The Boiling Crab, Green Rock, South Coast Plaza, Ten Advertising, Tower 28 and more. Back for year two was the global production and entertainment company AsiaLab, which, once again, facilitated the inclusion of international recipients at this year’s celebration. 

The night kicked off with a star-studded red carpet, with API stars of all generations hitting their best poses for the camera. Actors Hiroyuki Sanada, Jamie Chung and Hoa Xuande took their place among magnificent plum-colored step-and-repeats, which featured this year’s theme in bold script, “Unforgettable Together.” Performers also graced the carpet, from K-pop star Wonho, to Vietnamese American songstress, thùyand 90s heartthrobs, 98 Degrees. What’s more, the celebs on the carpet had the chance to participate in a historic marker for the Unforgettable Gala: Its first-ever Red Carpet Pre-Show, which aired before the…

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All across Los Angeles County, thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes to escape the harm and danger of the intense wildfires that have devastated the Los Angeles area since this Tuesday. Currently, firefighters across the state are combating five fires with no end in sight. It may seem hopeless, but here are several state, regional and local grassroots organizations coordinating the effort to help those in need. Please visit their websites and social media platforms which we have linked below.

America Red Cross / @americanredcross

The American Red Cross is on the ground in southern California, helping residents by providing safe shelter, food, emotional support and other relief services.

Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation / @lafdfoundation

This Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation has asked for donations to its emergency wildfire fund. All proceeds will go towards providing firefighters with the tools and supplies needed to combat the fires.

California Fire Foundation / @cafirefound

California Fire Foundation is working with local fire departments and other organizations to help financially impacted residents. By donating directly to their wildfire and disaster relief fund, you will directly support those harmed by this disaster throughout the state.

United Way of Greater Los Angeles / @launitedway

By directly donating to United Way, you will be helping the organization with longer-term recovery efforts for community members affected by the wildfires.  

The Anderson Munger Family YMCA and the Koreatown YMCA Center for Community Well-being / @amfymca_ktown

These two locations are accepting donations, including unopened food, clothing, blankets, emergency supplies and…

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Singer-songwriter thùy went from the sterile halls of medical clinics to gracing the sandy Coachella stage as the festival’s first Vietnamese American artist in a seismic career shift — and, serendipitously, a successful one at that. Bay Area-bred artist was raised by Vietnamese refugee parents in Northern California; working towards becoming a physician’s assistant, she tried her hand at her favorite childhood pastime — singing. And it stuck. thùy’s been crafting and releasing singles, EPs and albums since 2015, and she’s not slowing down now. Her latest full-length album, “wings,” dropped this past October to huge success and a world tour announcement.

Character Media had a chance to sit down and chat with the singer about her most recent musical venture and what it took to get to this point.

Character Media:  What made you want to take that leap and pursue music full-time after working in the medical field? Was music always a passion for you? 

thùy: I get this question so much and I try to change it up, but the facts are the facts. I’ve wanted to sing ever since I could talk, and I knew I would make it happen, but it wasn’t something I would tell people. But when I was at home alone, it was serious to me.

Because my parents never encouraged us to pursue the arts, I was like ‘Okay, I guess I have to work in the medical field.’ I remember I moved back home after graduating from UC Santa Barbara. I was taking a bunch of classes so I could apply to PA school, and I [worked] at all these different medical offices. But I met somebody that brought me into the studio. And this was my first time experiencing creating music, not just singing karaoke. I remember feeling so at home — it was what I wanted to do. 

A couple years after I moved back…

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Last year at the 75th Emmys, Steven Yeun won Actor in Outstanding Lead in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the critically beloved “BEEF.” This past September, he stood again on the Peacock Theater stage, this time to announce the winner of the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award to fellow Asian actor and Japanese icon, Hiroyuki Sanada, for his role as the cunning daimyo, Lord Toranaga. Not only did Sanada (who produced the series) make history as the first Japanese actor to win this category at the Emmys, he is also the second winner of Asian descent for this award, the first being Lee Jung-jae in 2022 for the groundbreaking series, “Squid Game.” 

“Shōgun” was certainly groundbreaking in its own right — the series, which aired earlier this year on FX, garnered praise from critics and audiences alike, and broke Emmy records by earning the most wins by any show in a single year, with 18 awards. The series managed to nab 14 accolades at the Creative Emmys alone and another four at this year’s Primetime Emmys, which included the coveted Outstanding Drama Series award. It was a cultural phenomenon that crept into the mainstream with ease.

Based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel “Shōgun” and with an existing 1980s adaptation, one would worry the television series would get lost in the slew of remakes that plague Hollywood. Still, series creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks’s adaptation managed to build upon the source material and create something fresh for starved audiences; in fact, the team felt like the story itself was something audiences could find evergreen. 

“We were so blown away by the book and how timeless it is – for what it was trying to say then, and how relevant it is today,” Kondo says in an interview with…

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It’s June 2008. The final school bell of the year rings distantly in your ears as you burst through your front door, haphazardly kicking your sneakers across the living room floor. Barrelling up the stairs, you sling your backpack onto the ever-growing pile of laundry in the corner before collapsing into your desk chair. Motion City Soundtrack hums through your speakers, their pop-punk basslines underscored by the familiar start-up sounds of your desktop Dell. 

This is just a glimpse into the world of Focus Features’ “Dìdi (弟弟)” — Academy Award-nominated writer-director Sean Wang’s triumphant feature debut. A raucous and radiant story based on his own life, “Dìdi” (or, ‘little brother’ in Mandarin) was instantly beloved as an ode to the aches of adolescence. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival this January, it won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast before capturing hearts nationwide. 

So, what makes “Dìdi” so special? 

We first meet protagonist Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) — less affectionately, Wang Wang, to his friends — in the summer before his freshman year. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, he lives with his college-bound sister (Shirley Chen), well-intentioned mother (Joan Chen) and aging paternal grandmother (Chang Li Hua) in the sleepy suburb of Fremont, California. When he’s not landing kick flips or updating his MySpace, he can reliably be found skipping SAT prep, pranking his sister or, on the rare occasion, blowing up mailboxes with his friends. 

In other words, he’s a near-biblically accurate 13-year-old boy — one with all the prerequisites to painstakingly “come of age.” 

“Dìdi” slots snugly…

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