Perhaps no TV genres have been as unfairly dismissed as animated shows and supernatural teen dramas. But the prestige gatekeepers have been proven wrong on this front time and time again—and Jentry Chau Vs. The Underworld is the latest argument that one should never underestimate the underdogs.
At first blush, Echo Wu’s series might sound like a rip-off of that pinnacle of paranormal high-school epics, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Jentry is a bubbly teen who just wants to live a normal life but must shoulder the thankless burden of sending the demons infesting her small town back to hell. She’s the one girl in all the world who has the strength and skill to fight the forces of darkness. Heck, she even has a pushy older mentor, a gang of wacky friends, and a will-they-won’t-they situationship with a reformed demon. There’s also a dash of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World in its meta humor, bombastic anime-inspired visuals, and, of course, title.
But there’s plenty that sets Jentry Chau apart from its predecessors. At its heart, it’s a story about generational trauma, finding your identity, and the joys and pitfalls of the immigrant experience. In the first episode, our Chinese American protagonist (Ali Wong) is living a carefree life at a boarding school in Seoul. But a supernatural incursion from Diyu (the Chinese underworld) forces Jentry to return to the small Texas town where she grew up, a place she thought she’d escaped for good.
See, our girl has been a vessel for supernatural powers since infancy. But after causing a massive fire in her hometown as a child, she swore to never use her gifts again. However, she didn’t count on her great-aunt Gugu (Lori Tan Chinn), a headstrong Daoist priestess who’s determined to help Jentry master her powers so she can battle the monstrous Mr. Cheng (Greg Chun) before he destroys the world. Aiding Jentry in her quest (and, considering he’s voiced by Bowen Yang, providing loads of comic relief), is Ed, an undead demon gunning for TikTok fame.
A tale like this wouldn’t be complete, of course, without a love triangle. Toeing the line between outcast and cool girl, Jentry has big feelings for both her childhood crush, Michael (AJ Beckles), and Kit (rocker Woosung Kim), a K-pop-coded dreamboat harboring a dark secret. Then there’s vice principal Wheeler (a hilarious Sean Allan Krill), a conspiracy theorist who’s obsessed with proving that Jentry is a menace.
Wu’s series is a rich text, drawing from her own experiences growing up as a second-generation Chinese immigrant in conservative Texas. This leads to a bit of biting sociopolitical commentary in episode four, “Forget The Alamo,” in which Jentry’s class goes on a field trip to the titular fort only to be possessed by a pack of racist ghosts.
But perhaps the show’s greatest innovation is Gugu, a complex older female character that’s all too rarely seen on-screen. Initially, she seems to be a kindly, maternal mentor. But in reality, Gugu is a morally gray figure with a dark backstory whose obvious love for her orphaned grandniece butts up against her selfish ambitions. Veteran actor Chinn sinks her teeth into this meaty role, and the series is at its best whenever she and Jentry come to emotional blows. That these two are played by a pair of ace performers (Wong already proved her talent for cartoon voiceover in the late, great Tuca & Bertie) only further draws viewers into their complicated dynamic.
Jentry Chau brought in another ringer that makes it a must-watch for animation fans: Titmouse, Inc., the studio behind beloved series like Beavis And Butt-Head, The Venture Bros., and Big Mouth. The team has a blast with the teen characters’ hip Gen-Z outfits, but they truly go all-out when it comes to the supernatural side of the story. Considering the villains are straight from Chinese folklore, they have a lot to work with, from Ed’s vampiric transformations to the mogwai-possessed Mr. Cheng to some truly creative (and disgusting) body horror in the depths of Diyu. Then there’s that dope-ass soundtrack, which features cuts from of-the-moment Asian American standouts like Katseye, Jessi, and Yaeji.
It couldn’t be clearer that Jentry Chau is a painstakingly created labor of love, complete with three-dimensional characters, intricate world-building, and the perfect blend of quippy humor and gripping drama. Netflix has a recent history of green-lighting top-notch paranormal series aimed at teens and then canceling them after a single season (see the dearly departed Lockwood & Co., The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, and Dead Boy Detectives). So here’s a plea to the streamer: Please let Jentry keep kicking ass and taking names for a long, long time.
Jentry Chau Vs. The Underworld premieres December 5 on Netflix