Paul D.

That other races are able to connect with the movie and still find humor in many of the scenes is a testament of marketability of Asian American produced and acted films. I feel compelled to write a review because non-asians were quick to point out that the movie had shortfalls, for example, in the beginning where to them it was boring, humorless, and a slow to start/pick up.. so therefore, Asian reviewers are biased and just praising the film left and right because "yay" Asian protagonist in a well funded Hollywood quality Netflix film.. That is simply not the case. As a Naturalized Asian immigrant who spent my childhood in the States, it was absolutely hilarious for me to see the girl making her own dinner because of busy working parents and preparing that spam that way and drizzling some seaweed on it and carrying that into adulthood. Then the Vienna sausage spaghetti bit was sooo funny. Because of my Asian experience. If you weren't Asian growing up then those bits would fall to the audience as like a matter of fact story telling or crude-bad cook disgusting dinner joke.. also non-asians say some things were Forced, for instance, the Asian-dreadlocks hippie chick. Or Daniel being an Asian stoner. I feel like when those statements are made, it is boxing a certain perception towards Asian Americans. maybe it is new territory and uncomfortable but people should embrace the representation and not call it out as forced. This is especially true for people not from the San Fransisco Bay area. I'm from Washington DC and after high school and college, people revert back to their idea of Asian Americans as portrayed by film and media in the previous decades. It's clunky mentality and super oppressive. I hate to make this a political but it is such a disservice to the nations progress in Asian representation to cultivate true biased reviews from a place of non-sinister ignorance of reputable critics. Can't require non-asian reviewers to do research about every bit of Asian-American childhood experience so they find each joke casted funny, for a more fair review. My two cents, if it's a non-Asian reveiwer score for an Asian watcher, add an extra star, thumbs up, 10points, etc.. if it's a non-asian reviewer score for a (super) non-Asian watcher- like don't know what kimchi is, then the score given was ballpark valid. Which is good news cause non-asian reviewers still thought it was a good and funny movie regardless. This is me going brie-larson about critics and reviewers. I hope I didn't come off like she did tho and provided better insight on differing Dynamics when a whole new genre is penetrating the established often white-washed rigid Hollywood American television/film. This is what I have to say about the protagonist percieved "lack of" chemistry.. As an Asian-American, they were on point. The straight up hostility and directness, and the non mushy gushy sociopathic the notebook dynamic, it was super Asian and 💯 most authentic Asian romance-chemistry way for them to express themselves.. what people would see as awkward encounter like in the car and post sex is so freaking true because of how clumsy and awkward Asian-Americans are in that department growing up. You cannot expect to see the same type of affectionate romance from often typecasted rom-com. And isn't that a good thing? A novel way to interact with the world? Not just another basic romance with a side of pumpkin spice Starbucks..