It wasn’t too long ago that Netflix was on fire with children’s cartoons, releasing stuff like She-Ra, Kid Cosmic and Hilda…yet lately it feels like they’ve given up. There haven’t been quite as many originals on the streamer lately…hopefully Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld is the show that turns the tide.
Jentry (not Jenny, look closer) is an isolated Chinese-American high school student trying to make it in the middle of Texas. When she looks for lab partners and field trip buddies, everyone avoids her. Jentry’s social problems aren’t the kind that can be easily resolved. You see, everybody knows that wherever Jentry goes…..FIRES break out.
Jentry’s doing it herself. She has innate supernatural powers that she’s trying to suppress because they’d make her even more of a freak. But her great aunt, who is also a ghost, tells her she can’t run from who she is…because the world depends on her. Jentry’s quiet little community is about to get a lot noisier with a demon invasion, and only she can slay the monsters.
Ali Wong, who has starred in many a Netflix show (Big Mouth, Tuca & Bertie, Beef) leads the cast as Jentry, alongside Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Life, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai), Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Strange Planet), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill, Kung Fu Panda franchise), Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley, The Monkey King), Sheng Wang (Fresh Off the Boat, Adventure Time: Distant Lands), Woosung Kim, and A.J. Beckles (Dandadan, Tokyo Revengers).
Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld was created by writer-director Echo Wu, who also serves as executive producer of the series alongside Wong and Aron Eli Colette. The series is animated by Titmouse, with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio and Ben Kalina as executive producers on animation production. The theme song and other tracks were created by K-pop group KATSEYE, who will be releasing an album featuring their work for the series.
A lot of work and talent has gone into Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld…let’s hope it all pays off. The series premieres on Netflix December 5.
