We're Not All Ninjas: The Podcast

A few weeks ago, Henry Golding was cast as the lead of Crazy Rich Asians. Women swooned and men....had a different reaction. Especially this guy (http://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2083148/hollywood-adaptation-crazy-rich-asians-has-cast-its-chinese-male).  But is casting a hapa as a full-Asian white washing? We brought together a panel of our hapa and full-Asian male friends (Viet Vo, Kevin Shuering, Eddy Lee, and Matt Park calling in) to give us some perspective.  *Melissa totally misspeaks and says that she read somewhere that Nick is meant to be part British in CRA. That's incorrect. She's sorry. :(   

Gaby Wilson (MTV) returns for the second half of Ghost in the Shell. We cover the spider tank, Adwoa Aboah, transracialization, and our own mixed race heritage.      - Why Japan Won't Save GITS From Being A Box Office Flop  from The Hollywood Reporter  - Ghost in the Shell: The Major's Body from Women Writing About Comics   

Gaby Wilson (MTV) is our special guest this week! We all watched Ghost In the Shell, which means we contributed to its 19 million dollar flop.  *Jes Toms "Ghost in the Shell PSA"- https://youtu.be/0Ll7gt0meuU *Ornamental Orientals and using Asian Bodies as Narrative Props- http://www.onstageblog.com/onscreen/2017/4/4/ornamental-orientals-and-using-asians-bodies-as-narrative-props 

It's a Rogue One Bonus! This episode features long discussions about how this might be the best starter Star Wars, how Melissa ships Chirrut and Baze, and how special this story is in the Star Wars cannon.  Dedicated to the memory of Carrie Fisher. RIP. 

Sta Wars is the biggest movie franchise there is. This episode, we're talking about Chirrut, Baze, and Bodi. 

Welcome to the first ever Hapa Hour Bonus Episode! Host Alex Chester, and her theatre company We So Hapa, is putting on a cabaret. Alex and I sat down with Rebecca Lee Lerman, Kevin Shuering, Stephanie Mieko Cohen, and Carlos Martin to talk about what their upcoming performance, and what being hapa means to them.  Hapa (noun): a slang term for a person of mixed ethnic heritage  6:51- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAndx2oLYk8

This week, we consider The Great Wall and how it's like Pacific Rim, Game of Thrones, and Ghost in the Shell. At the same time.  We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter 

Matt Damon saves China. Or does he? The first foray into a Chinese-American creative partnership, The Great Wall has some ups and some major downs.  We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter

In this bonus episode, Melissa Slaughter and Keith Chow gush over Hamilton, breakdown the importance of casting, and recast La La Land.    We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

Keith Chow, founder of Nerds of Color, joins Melissa to talk about Moana. In a host-lite episode, Melissa and Keith talk about Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Rock, and what it means to be a Brown Disney Princess   We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

Is Memoirs of a Geisha really a Cinderella story? Or is it just a male fantasy? We'll discuss that and so much more!  We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

So are geishas artists or prostitutes? Is Ken Watanabe sexy or creepy as the Chairman? Does it matter that Ziyi Zhang is Chinese and not Japanese? Alex, Melissa, and Rachel discuss Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha.    We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Bonus round! This week we talk about how all Asians, and South Asians, know each other. And we've got a webseries idea for Chris Meloni. With special guest, Aneesh Sheth   We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

Special guest Aneesh Sheth came to the studio to help us discuss the stoner classic, Harold and Kumar. This week we talk about weed, Neil Patrick Harris and riding cheetahs.    We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

It's the last episode of 2016! In this bonus episode, we talk about Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow, the "model minority" stereotype, Roger Ebert, and Hogwarts House Sortings.  We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich  

This week we talk about Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow. High school haunts us all in this 2003 MTV movie. Starring Sexy Asian John Cho.  We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films.  Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich  

In this week's bonus episode, we talk about Quentin Tarantino's obsession with blood, Sophie Fatale, and Bill as a Daddy.    We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films.  Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. This week, we talk about Alex's favorite movie, Quentin Taratino's Kill Bill. See how Oren Ishii and the Crazy 88 rank on the Abacus.  Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. This week, we have our Harry Potter Bonus, where we talk about Ron, Hermoine, and the Yule Ball, and Harry as a Ravenclaw  Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich

We're Not All Ninjas is a movie review podcast focusing on Asian American Representation in Hollywood Films. This week we focus on Cho Chang and her role as Harry Potter's love interest in Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. Does she live up to the hype? Or is the the token Asian hot chick?  Hosted by Melissa Slaughter, Rachel Liu, and Alex Chester  Music by Ryan Majoris Image by Brett Love Edited by Melissa Slaughter and Keith Scopinich