# Kung Fu (2021)

> A young Chinese-American woman who drops out of college trains at a Shaolin monastery and returns home to fight crime and hunt her mentor's killer.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/95133

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 39
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: action, drama
- Created by: Christina M. Kim
- Network: The CW
- Cast: Olivia Liang, Tan Kheng Hua, Eddie Liu, Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Vanessa Kai, Tony Chung
- TMDB rating: 5.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7475590/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: earnest, gritty, sincere, propulsive, warm

## What critics say

Audiences rated the series negatively overall, with the first season drawing mixed response and the later seasons rated more favorably.

## Synopsis

Kung Fu (2021-2023) is an American action drama series created by Christina M. Kim for The CW. Olivia Liang stars as Nicky Shen, a young Chinese-American woman whose quarter-life crisis sends her from college to an isolated monastery in China, where she trains in Shaolin discipline. When she returns to her hometown, she finds it overrun with crime and corruption, and she uses her martial arts skills to protect her community and bring criminals to justice. Her journey is shaped by her family, including her mother Mei-Li Shen (Tan Kheng Hua) and brother Henry Yan (Eddie Liu), who support and complicate her efforts. Her search for the assassin who killed her mentor and now targets her runs beneath the episodic cases. Each episode mixes choreographed fight scenes with neighborhood stakes, family drama and personal reckoning, giving a grounded, earnest sense of purpose. The contemporary setting in a modern American city gives the series a gritty, sincere tone. Across three seasons, the show balances hard-hitting action with warm family bonds and cultural identity. Fans of Arrow, Banshee and Iron Fist will find resonance in its blend of street-level vigilante justice and martial arts spectacle.

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