# American Born Chinese (2023)

> A Chinese American teenager's high school life is upended when he becomes entangled in a battle between Chinese mythological gods.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/112012

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 33 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: animation, comedy, fantasy
- Created by: Kelvin Yu
- Network: Disney+
- Cast: Ben Wang, Sydney Taylor, Chin Han, Ke Huy Quan, Jimmy Liu, Yeo Yann Yann, Daniel Wu, Michelle Yeoh
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15552018/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: playful, hopeful, whimsical, warm

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series as mixed, with its family conflict and mythological spectacle landing unevenly.

## Synopsis

American Born Chinese (2023) is a Disney+ animated fantasy comedy series created by Kelvin Yu, a canceled one-season run of eight short episodes. Average teenager Jin Wang (Ben Wang) juggles the awkwardness of high school, a crush on classmate Amelia Taylor (Sydney Taylor), and the expectations of his immigrant parents Simon Wang (Chin Han) and Christine Wang (Yeo Yann Yann). His ordinary days collide with celestial politics when a new foreign student arrives and he becomes unwittingly entangled in a battle among Chinese mythological gods. Daniel Wu voices the Monkey King, and Michelle Yeoh appears as Guanyin Pusa, bringing gravitas to the divine side of the story. Each episode mixes sitcom-style school humor with bursts of martial arts spectacle, grounding fantasy in the small frictions of family and friendship. Adapted from Yu's graphic novel, the series stays playful and hopeful while exploring cultural identity, belonging, and the pull between assimilation and heritage. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kung Fu Panda, and Ghost Stories will find a similar blend of mythic adventure and coming-of-age warmth. The result is a light, colorful family-friendly show that treats Chinese myth as a lens for the immigrant teenage experience.

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