The world of pan-Asian arts and entertainment is a big one, and the Bullet Train podcast is here to help you navigate through it.
Los Angeles-based online magazine Asia Pacific Arts recently premiered their brand new monthly podcast, which is hosted by APA editor (and frequent KoreAm Journal and Audrey Magazine contributor) Ada Tseng and co-produced by APA multimedia editor Craig Stubing and Pac Arts Movement artistic director Brian Hu.
The podcast will cover a broad range of topics, including Chinese dramas, K-pop, Bollywood, YouTube, comic books and more. According to the APA staff, the podcast will take you “where you didn’t even know you wanted to go.”
Check out the first three episodes of Bullet Train below.
Anna Akana, writer, actress and YouTube personality (Photo by Craig Stubing)
Episode 1: Why Aren’t There More Asian American Women Storytellers on YouTube?
If YouTube is a democratic space that finally allows all Asian Americans to tell our own stories, why are most of the creators still men? We talk to Christine Chen, a producer at Wong Fu Productions, and Anna Akana, an actress/filmmaker with over 1 million subscribers on her YouTube channel.
James McGrath, American Ninja Warrior. (Photo courtesy of NBC)
Episode 2: Is American Ninja Warrior the Underdog of Japanese Game Show Remakes?
In 2008, there was a flood of Japanese game show remakes, but there’s only one that has not only survived but is getting more and more popular by the year. We talk to competitors Yen Chen, Ryan Stratis and James McGrath–as well as scholar Jaime Wright–about the phenomenon that is American Ninja Warrior and what we can learn about remakes in general.
Satirical Muslim Valentine’s Day cards by Taz Ahmed.
Cultural Humor on Someecards.com Isn’t Great, But Can We Do Better?
We were impressed when we discovered the snarky humor e-card website Someecards.com had categories for ethnic holidays like Chinese New Year, until we realized they seemed to be written by people who weren’t that familiar with Asians. So why don’t we make our own, with insider humor instead of outsider humor? We talk to Taz Ahmed, who makes humorous Muslim Valentine’s Day cards, and Dis/orient/ed Comedy co-founder Jenny Yang, who gives us some tips so we can come up with our own Chinese New Year one-liners.
You can subscribe to the Bullet Train podcast through iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud. For more information, visit the Bullet Train podcast website.
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Featured image courtesy of Asia Pacific Arts
