In Netflix’s new animated series Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld, the titular protagonist uses the powers she’s hidden for most of her life to battle demons out of Chinese mythology. But Jentry (Ali Wong) isn’t fighting off these monsters in a big city like New York; all the supernatural hijinks take place in a Texas suburb.
The Texas setting combined with the Chinese folklore really adds a unique layer to Jentry Chau. It’s a funky combo that lets showrunner Echo Wu dig into the specificities of both elements. The show’s third episode, for instance, ends with the Chinese god of death ferrying away the souls of fallen Texan soldiers who are taking the whole “Remember the Alamo” thing a bit too seriously.
In a junket ahead of the show’s release, Wu told Polygon that she drew from her own childhood as inspiration for the show’s setting.
”It’s like a love letter to growing up in Texas,” she said. “I grew up in this place called Carrollton, that’s like a suburb of Dallas. I just really wanted to watch something that I felt could represent people that don’t feel very represented all the time. I wanted to combine that with my love for horror and anime and Chinese mythology, but also YA, like teen romance.”
Not only did the Texas suburb make for some memorable backdrops, it also really helped augment the show’s themes. Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld kicks off when Jentry has to return to her hometown after years of studying abroad in South Korea. We learn that she accidentally caused a catastrophic accident with her fire powers when she was a kid, one that most of the town thinks was caused by a raging demon and still harps on years later. No one knows it was Jentry, and she’s trying to keep it that way.
Like most teenagers, Jentry just wants to fit in — but having supernatural powers that draw the attention of mythological monsters doesn’t exactly lend itself to blending into the background. Especially in a small town.
“Usually [monsters are] destroying New York City or they’re destroying big set pieces and stuff,” Wu explained. “Setting it against the suburbs where everything is more mundane, it just makes it feel more amplified. And I think a teenager’s worst fear is standing out in a way that’s just not fun or embarrassing. Having monsters set against that just amplifies what Jentry’s going through.”
Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld is streaming on Netflix now.