"Fresh Off the Boat" is most certainly “fresh” in terms of television shows.
Based off Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name, "Fresh Off the Boat" isn’t afraid of anything. Provocative and progressive, this show spices up the censored, careful humor that most television shows employ these days.
The show mainly is mainly from the perspective of a young, second-generation Taiwanese boy whose family has moved from the melting pot of D.C. to the white-washed Orlando, Florida. Not only does the show depict the rare perspective of an Asian-American family, but it is also set during the '90s. After all, the '90s is the decade all the young folks lust for — remember the '90s?
It's not just about the concept — “Fresh Off the Boat” has a sucker-punch of a cast. Constance Wu plays Huang’s mother, Jessica. Jessica is over the top, but not the overbearing and callous “tiger mom” stereotype that most Asian-American moms are painted to be.
Whether its trying to fit in with the rollerblading moms on the block or belting out Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” at the Daytona 500-themed block party, Wu’s character is fierce, but more importantly, relatable.
Jessica isn’t the only interesting member of the family. Randall Park plays the patriarch, Louis Huang. Louis starts up an “authentic” western restaurant, which, to his dismay, is an unintentional replica of a Golden Corral.
Let’s not forget our narrator and central character, Eddie (Hudson Yang), the oldest son of the Huang family who loves and thoroughly embraces hip-hop culture.
While “Fresh Off the Boat” is light and easy going, it shows the difficulties of assimilating into a new place, culture or both. Importantly, this sitcom isn’t rooted in stereotypes of Asian-American lifestyles.
Which is a good thing because it’s been over a decade since we’ve seen this family dynamic in a sitcom, in "All American Girl."
“Fresh Off the Boat” is a nice break from the usual sitcoms that we’ve seen recently, and should be relatable to virtually anyone. This semi-autobiographical show vibes with shows like “Modern Family,” “Black-ish” and “Parks and Rec,” but it’s definitely unique. And let’s not forget the hot theme song crafted by hip-hop legend Danny Brown.