sondramedia Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to Ali Wong and Echo Wu in regards to the new Netflix animated sequence Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld. Wu, who created the sequence, mentioned how private of a challenge it was for her, whereas Wong touched on what made her need to become involved and extra.
The synopsis for the sequence reads, “The sequence follows Jentry Chau (voiced by Ali Wong), a Chinese language-American teen residing in a small Texas city, who finds out a demon king is looking her for the supernatural powers she’s been working her entire life to repress. With the assistance of her weapons skilled great-aunt and a millennia-old jiangshi (Chinese language hopping vampire), Jentry should now struggle a complete underworld’s price of monsters whereas balancing the horrors of highschool.”
Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld is out as we speak on Netflix.
Brandon Schreur: Echo, I do know you’re the creator of this present. I’m questioning in the event you can inform me if this was a private expertise for you. Clearly, it has all this fantasy stuff with the underworld and all that, however I used to be actually drawn to this character, her relationship with the Gugu character, and all of the stuff about coming to Texas. I’m simply questioning if that is in any respect impressed by issues in your individual life. How private was this to make?
Echo Wu: Even within the preliminary deck, I had stated that it is a love letter to my childhood. There are monuments within the present which can be simply straight out of my hometown, which is Carrollton, Texas. Typically the designers will shock me and so they’ll be like, ‘Can we see some footage of your home?’ After which I have a look at Gugu’s home and it’s actually the furnishings in my very own home. It’s like, ‘Oh my god, that is remedy. Remedy publicity.’
It is vitally true to sort of that have. I believe a extremely large factor I wished to painting on this present was that self-identity of feeling — if you dwell in a spot that doesn’t have lots of people that appear like you, how that impacts you and the relationships that include that territory. It actually, really does mix. Life and artwork sort of imitate one another in that means. It’s true for this present.
Positive. And I liked all of these themes within the present, too, seeing the way it all performs out — it was rather well completed the way you dealt with all of that. Ali, I’m interested by how your involvement within the present got here to be. I do know you’ve completed voiceover in stuff like Tuca & Bertie and Massive Mouth. What was it about this character, Jentry Chau, that made you need to join this?
Ali Wong: I believe it was in 2020 that Echo got here to me — and she or he got here so ready, with a full deck. Numerous the photographs you see within the present with Gugu and the rings, Package with the painted pores and skin, and Jentry with the fireplace in her palms; these are virtually precisely like what she pitched to me in 2020. She at all times had a really clear imaginative and prescient.
I’m very drawn to any form of — and it’s very uncommon that I see it — however I’m at all times going to be drawn to a brand new, contemporary voice, a brand new expertise that has such a transparent standpoint. She offered one thing to me that was so clearly a ravishing, attention-grabbing self-portrait. I didn’t develop up in Texas, that is actually her present. You’ll be able to see that it’s a love letter to Texas, a love letter to her love for anime. These anime and animation [projects] that span into all types of various genres inside anime. I simply liked that she confirmed up a lot in her work, and it’s such stunning execution from the start that I may actually belief her to create one thing stunning.
Positive, completely. I do know, simply in voiceover, you’ve completed youthful characters like this earlier than like in Massive Mouth. However is it ever intimidating or scary to must voice a young person although you’re a full-grown grownup?
I don’t assume so. In so many phases of my life, I’ve been the brand new child exhibiting up and feeling like a fish out of water. I don’t assume that a part of us ever goes away. Once you go to, like, a brand new dinner the place you don’t know everyone that nicely — you’re at all times going to really feel that nervousness after which that sense of accomplishment if you win any individual over otherwise you join with any individual.
Because of Ali Wong and Echo Wu for taking the time to debate Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld.