No spoilers, but here's what we learned about 'American Born Chinese' at South by Southwest

"American Born Chinese" is far more than a quintessential coming-of-age story, bringing multiverse elements from historical Chinese mythology to the blandly beige hallways of fictional Sierra Mona High School.

Disney debuted the first two episodes “American Born Chinese” at Austin’s historic Paramount Theater, as part of the 2023 South by Southwest Film Festival. Disney+ will start streaming the show May 24.

Titular character Jin Wang (Ben Wang) desperately wants to fit in with his peers, but struggles to do so when his mother shops for his school clothes “at a place that also sells milk.” Right when Jin is about to ask his crush to be lab partners for the semester, his principal asks Jin to show a new kid around school — simply because both boys happen to be of Chinese descent.

But not all is as it seems. While new kid Wei-Chen (Jim Liu) has fairly little understanding of American adolescent social nuance, he boasts some unique superpowers, not least of which is his unstoppable self-confidence.

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“Why would I doubt myself?” he says without malice when Jin hesitantly refers to him as “sort of a confident dude.” Why indeed: Wei-Chen knows wuxia, a highly stylized form of supernatural martial arts practiced by Chinese fighters from ancient folklore, and he’s battling evil forces far greater than teenage angst and bullying.

Without sharing any spoilers, here are more tidbits of fascinating context to whet your appetite for “American Born Chinese,” which debuts May 24 on Disney+.

Recent Oscar-winning actors Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan have recurring roles

The movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” swept the Oscars on March 12, winning every category of the seven in which it had been nominated, including three of the four acting categories. If you enjoyed watching best lead actress Michelle Yeoh and best supporting actor Ke Huy Quan in "Everything Everywhere," they reprise surprisingly similar roles in “American Born Chinese.”

"Everything Everywhere" co-director Daniel Kwan has described his movie as “a family drama that gets interrupted by a sci-fi film that gets interrupted by a rom-com that then becomes an action movie, and then gets shredded through the blender of the internet.”

That description could just as easily apply to “American Born Chinese” if you gave "Everything Everywhere" an unstylish haircut and all the existential self-doubt of adolescence. The show shares many of the quirky, chaotic elements of the Oscar-winning movie, with a similar core theme of an immigrant family trying to adjust to life in between cultures.

In “American Born Chinese,” Yeoh effortlessly transitions between dual roles as regal goddess Guanyin, the Chinese enlightened being of compassion, and an endearing immigrant auntie not unlike her vest-wearing laundromat owner Evelyn in "Everything Everywhere." She struggles equally with human frustrations such as IKEA furniture assembly as she does with supernatural forces of evil at large.

Meanwhile, Quan plays a cameo caricature of Asian stereotypes as the eponymous character of an old fictional TV show. His character’s self-deprecating punchlines and slapstick errors leave no doubt that he is the butt of every joke, paralleling some of Jin’s experiences in high school.

In addition to Yeoh and Quan, the cast of “American Born Chinese” includes Chin Han ("The Dark Knight," "Contagion"), Jimmy O. Yang ("Crazy Rich Asians," "Silicon Valley"), Daniel Wu ("Tomb Raider," "Westworld") and Stephanie Hsu ("Everything Everywhere All at Once," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel") as well as a roster of relative newcomers.

The multiverse action comedy was directed by a Marvel movie director

Fans of Marvel’s cinematic universe will find familiar elements in Disney’s new TV show. “American Born Chinese” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” are sibling projects, both directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.

The fight scenes in “American Born Chinese” draw inspiration from wuxia-style cinematography, a distinctive component of Chinese historical folklore and period dramas, often against the incongruous backdrop of modern American high school life.

The dual-culture juxtaposition may resonate with viewers whose parents or grandparents watched wuxia to connect with their cultural roots, whether in suburban American living rooms or in white-tiled Asian kitchens.

From 2021: 'Shang-Chi' review: A new Marvel hero is born, and boy, does he pack a punch

'American Born Chines' centers the bilingual experience

“American Born Chinese” seamlessly blends English and Chinese scenes and dialogues by incorporating subtitles where needed, sometimes in both languages.

“It was very important that we get (the language) right,” actor Chin Han said at the premiere reception. He also shared that the showrunners paid careful attention to many subtle, yet significant details, down to the authenticity of the actors’ Mandarin accents.

Subtitling Chinese dialogues rather than translating the script into English was a meaningful choice on the part of the show writers, because it centers the culture of the main characters.

By doing so, “American Born Chinese” aligns itself with a growing library of entertainment that seeks to represent the diverse experiences of a broader swath of Americans. Nearly one in five adults in this country speak a second language, according to U.S. census reports from 2019, and entertainment trends have evolved to appeal to those demographics.

Jin’s story is relatable for anyone who’s ever felt helpless

As with any coming-of-age story, “American Born Chinese” won’t fully portray anyone’s life experience, or even high school experience.

But Jin is every bit as relatable as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, the teenage version of Spider-Man who still has to agonize whether to spend time with his sweetheart or save the world. Jin just happens to speak a second language - as well as a second-generation immigrant kid can, anyway.

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In one scene, Jin cringes uncomfortably as his parents fight in Chinese in another room, confused because they seem to be arguing about … fried squid. Wei-Chen is the key to unlocking the mystery. They’re not actually talking about seafood, he informs Jin; the phrase is slang for a far more serious concern.

Viewers don’t have to be bilingual to relate to Jin’s frustration with understanding just enough to know a problem exists, without knowing enough to resolve the issue. Jin’s father goes through his own crisis of trying to network with his boss and colleague - a sweat-wringing scenario that will make introverts everywhere cringe with empathy.

But since this is a show aimed at children and teenagers, the overall message is loud and clear, as stated by Jin’s mother: “Use your voice. That's how you get what you want. It's where your power is."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Disney American Born Chinese screens at SXSW, starts streaming May 24