Bling Empire Is Your Next Netflix Binge
The ostensible hook of Bling Empire, the Netflix reality series premiering on January 15, is that it's real-life Crazy Rich Asians, and its cast of characters are, indeed, crazy rich (with the exception of Kevin Kreider, the resident plebeian) Asians and Asian-Americans. But once you're inside Anna Shay's Sunset Boulevard mansion—an expansive 1926-built Spanish Revival estate, rumored to have been home to the likes of Shirley Temple and mob boss Tony Milano—the caviar isn't the only thing keeping you there.
Yes, it is fun to see Shay try on jewels alongside Kelly Mi Li, and peek behind the scenes at Christine Chiu's photoshoot for her son, "Baby G" (and learn that, for inexplicable reasons, Chiu seems to believe that snapping photos of her son in a toy Ferrari will help him get into preschool), but the shots of designer shopping bags and extravagant dinner parties lose their shock value after a while.
Bling Empire is sublime because of its casting. The stars aren't just stupidly wealthy, they're character studies in how that obscene level of wealth can shape people in different ways. Chiu feels compelled to jockey for first position in any social circle, proving her worth with Louis Vuitton high jewelry necklaces and couture gowns; Li, having lost it all before and amassed a new fortune on her own, seems relatively grounded; Kane Lim appears to genuinely value friendship, perhaps because his family is back in Singapore; Shay is on a level that can't be matched, and as such, is secure living her life for herself; Cherie Chan occupies a dream world as innocent and sugary as she is; Kevin tries in vain to explain how ridiculous the rest of them are—though he's plenty ridiculous in his own way.
Watching them is satisfying in the way that reality TV should be, but often isn't, because of over-dramatized commercial breaks, clearly invented, low-stakes drama, or any other number of reasons. It's mesmerizing, like staring at fish in a fishbowl, if the fish were covered in diamonds and constantly judging one another. And it's just enough content to leave you wanting more.
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