User reviews

"Fresh Off the Boat" is a show about a Taiwanese-American family who has moved from Washington, DC (where there are lots of Taiwanese- Americans) to Orlando, Florida (where there are none!). While this sounds a bit like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" or the like, the show still is surprisingly original and worth seeing. There are several things I really appreciate about it: it DOES talk about race and stereotypes (something very rare on TV today) and writing is so good. The characters, as a result, are very likable. Overall, there's very little not to like about this one and I see it as actually being a lot like the wonderful show, "Brooklyn Bridge"--but with a greater emphasis on humor. Well worth seeing--whether you are Asian or not.

It's the 1990's. Eddie Huang moves from Washington D.C. to Orlando, Florida with his Taiwanese family. His father (Randall Park) opens a western style steakhouse. His mother (Constance Wu) is the Asian tiger mom. Honey (Chelsey Crisp) and Marvin (Ray Wise) are their next door neighbor.

This starts with a potential for an edgy sitcom of an Asian family moving into an all-white neighborhood. In the end, it is a very standard network sitcom. This should be Eddie's story but the breakout star is Constance Wu. The kids are fine but more could have been done. Marvin's daughter Nicole could have been a great side character but she gets ghosted over time. The brothers don't get to expand their roles. The show is good network fare but it doesn't stand out other than having the Asian cast.

Living in today's world we see more and more Asian people all in our communities I like living around them too, they are intelligent attractive and mostly friendly. This new ABC series set in 1990's Orlando about a Taiwanses family who moved from Washington D.C. to start a new life is a big winner! It centers around the young man and oldest child in the family named Eddie Huang(Hudson Yang)who is learning more and more American culture in the 90's from the style, music, TV, movies and one liners as this series captures the 90's culture well with it's slang and one liners! A real sugar and spice treat is the performance of the mom Jessica(Constance Wu)she's a sexy and sassy outspoken loving matriarch who guides the ship for the whole Huang clan as her husband(Randall Park)runs his steakhouse. Overall great show that learns us about Asian culture all the while being funny, educated and capturing 90's culture without taking things to serious! A thumbs up winner.

Some background. I came to the states without any knowledge of engish and neither did my parents. It was some midwestern state in the early 1990s. In the school, there were 3 asians, and 1 black kid. From the very first episode to episode 8. I felt like my life was shown. I had the same infatuation with hiphop. My first album was Straight Outta Compton. PE and Ice Cube and Ice T were my favorite groups. I felt exactly as the series describe, it's not that the white folks were disrespectful to me (in fact there where at the beginning), but they just don't know what to do with a person of different race and culture. I could never truly be in the "in crowd". I found commonality in people who are different and music that's different, and most hiphop at that time was portraying rebellion against the establishment. To me, the establishment was white with Christian morales. That's not what I am about. I had 3 Asian kids in school who are straight A and musicians. I ain't about that nonsense. All through school, my best friend was a black kid and he was the one that introduced me to straight outta compton.

So this show is a great authentic view of the Asian minority. Stereotypes of Asian parents are REAL and of the white folks are REAL. Exaggeration of course, but the gist of it is VERY VERY real. My parents HATED rap with a passion because they don't understand it. All they care about 100% of time is where is my grade, what am I doing wrt to studying. No basketball, nothing. I had to find solace in the things that are shown in this movie. I had to conform to pizza and sloppy joe where my parents served Chinese dishes. In the 90s, Chinese is not the in crowd, unlike now.

Overall, this is a VERY realistic view for ANY Asian's coming to a majority white area in the 80s, 90s. I felt my life was displayed on screen. It was hilarious at the same time nostalgic of my life.

I signed up just to say my support for this show. I know there are many Asians like me with the same background, living in the same white neighborhoods.

Every other sitcom I have seen before are either non relevant or non- relateable to person like me or Asian. I get all the jokes of Seinfeld and Friends, but those are non relatable to an Asian person. Supremely refreshing to finally get our voices heard. About time.

US needs more shows like this.

"Fresh Off The Boat" is so funny, so smart, and so charming that I enjoyed every minute of the first two episodes. I hope the creative team behind it, and the wonderful actors can maintain this high-level of quality.

Randall Park is terrific as Louis Huang the optimistic - perhaps a bit naive - patriarch of the family that has just moved to Orlando from Washington D.C. Park shows refreshing depth to his complex character by understanding certain realities while maintaining optimism; optimism that he hopes can carry him and his family through some rough adjustments.

Constance Wu is spectacular! She is the most beautiful woman on television. Her character - Jessica Huang - makes sure things get done. She makes changes at the family's restaurant, she makes sure the children study hard, and she makes an effort to get to know the neighbors; all of which is shown in smart and funny ways. As demanding as she can be, her mind is open and she shows great empathy and compassion when it makes sense. Jessica is a well-written character performed brilliantly by Constance Wu.

Their three boys in the show are funny, and smart which is quite refreshing compared to other kid characters on television. The grandmother character is like many grandmothers with a foreign background; she may be equal parts traditionalist and "ready for anything" - she seems to enjoy the oldest boy's taste in music more than anyone else does.

Sometimes a stranger, a newcomer, sees people more clearly than they are willing to see themselves...

As the title says, not since Malcolm in the Middle have I seen such a hilarious family dynamic. Yes, the family is Chinese (Taiwanese) but this is just a side-story...they could be Polish (like in Malcolm in the Middle) or any other ethnicity making them unique. This is NOT about Asian stereotypes, this is about kids vs parents who are trying to keep up appearances/with the Jones'...and what could be more American than that? Superb acting by ALL the actors (even the Grandmother who only speaks Mandarin gets the funniest lines with subtitles). Add to this the nostalgia factor of the "hip-hop" 90's and I sincerely hope this is a formula for success. PLEASE keep this show on the air; it's got humor, good timing, good writing and it's something the whole family can watch and laugh at together. We are laughing WITH a family that happens to be Chinese, not AT a Chinese family.

I came into Fresh Off the Boat with low expectations, as there are seemingly endless ways to make a bad network show, especially by making it dull and mediocre by dumbing down the characters and their experiences. Add in the topic of race and immigration, where I'm certain network producers are terrified of offending anyone, and you're almost certain to brew up a giant batch of watered-down, "family friendly" weak tea.

But, amazingly, the show is good. And funny. Maybe most importantly, all of the characters are human, and they are full people while simultaneously showing different sides of the immigrant experience. I have a feeling you're not going to know who are the "good guys" and who are the "bad guys," and this really won't be a show about Eddie but about a family. As the first few episodes show, each family member has different, and even contradictory, skills for managing their lives together, and they complement each other. I also bet people outside of the family will soon be part of this equation.

Speaking of which, it's ironic that some reviewers are saying the show is anti-white, as a big critique of white people is how they tend to dominate any experience (like, for instance, a show about an Asian American immigrant family) and make it all about them.

In every episode, Jessica fully shows her Asian-Tiger-Mother paranoid, making a complete mess, but in the end she will "realise" the importance of family, friendship or something bla bla, with the help of Louis or Honey. But in the next episode, things repeat again, she will not to learn from the past. I rarely see her change during the four seasons (I watch 4 seasons in 2 weeks), it is such a pity to make Jessica an unchanging figure. I had thought I would endure her character flaws. I didn't give up until epi 15 s4, just like an eruption of all my anger towards her.

I don't watch a lot of television series due to my need to like a TV show from the first episode (a problem I feel many people have)... maybe it has something to do with my profession as a Cardiothoracic surgeon and me having not much time for a build up of slow starting sitcom.

This show was great best show I have watched since the first few seasons of Modern Family it gives of a great everybody hates Chris vibe.

Would recommend to anyone who watches TV and wants to enjoy a light hearted comedy.

OMG This was the most hilarious show ever. So many of the concepts are so true ha ha. This is a must see show, no matter what race, or culture your from. I love it. If i were to have an Asian American TV show this would be it. The cast is hilarious, and is on par with black-ish. Not to mention this is based on a real life autobiography just like the Goldbergs TV show. I really look forward to the upcoming episodes and hope they can keep the quality of the episodes the same and keep jokes coming, because adding this to my repertoire of TV shows i think this is a real step towards the the Asian American culture being on TV, i hope that everyone gives this show a chance, as i did. Because i think you will love this show

Great comedy. It started great. But along the way Jessica becomes asian karen. Everybody else in the show are great, except Jessica character.

I've been watching this every week since it started in 2015. Great funny show. Just sit back and laugh and don't think too much. Easy going with a good cast. It just works. It has a final ending and not just stop airing without a closure. Have fun with this little fun comedy show!

9/10

I would first like to say that after watching the first two episodes, this show is fantastic. Not only because it is paving the way for more diversity in the industry, but also because it is a hilarious and charming show. I found myself laughing out loud a various points throughout the episodes and throughly enjoyed getting to know these characters. Regarding to the reviews consisting of complaints about the show's racism toward white people (groan), these viewers are missing the point of the show. This show is portraying what is was like, and still is like for that matter, for Asian families being the minority and the racism THEY face. Yes, the show takes some jabs at Caucasians, but that's hardly racism. It is actually impossible to be racist toward white people, as racism only applies when institutional power or privilege is involved. Since White people have the most privilege in this country, it's impossible to be racist against a white person, or rather nearly impossible. Yes, you can be prejudice toward white, people, but this show is definitely not prejudice. So please don;t write this show off because it's "being racist toward white people." I would like to end this review by saying that I am thoroughly pleased that there is finally a show with multiple Asian actors as its main characters. Although one day, I hope there can be shows not specifically about AN Asian American FAMILY, but rather a family that just happens to be Asian. Because yes, there's a difference. Race aside, this show is a refreshing comedy and is definitely unique. It should appeal to all audiences, as long as they keep an open mind. I would be very sad if this show were to get canceled.

This was a show that my dad and I used to watch when I was a teenager. Every time I watch it I feel like I'm home with my dad. We are not Asian, but my dad is "fresh off the boat" and the general fish out of water through line rang true for him and as the daughter of a proud immigrant I related to Eddie, Emery, and Evan.

Now that that is out of the way, I want to talk about this show.

To start off, I just want to say that everything about this show works, the script, the cast, the on screen chemistry, every single thing is done so well. From the relate-ability that i have to the kids, to the way that they approach serious topics in regards to love, race, culture, micro and macro aggressions, and life in general.

I laugh at least once every episode. This show is so funny, and the cast is so talented. Casting actual children can be so risky, for me a lot of the time child actors will make or break the show/ movie and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the children are just as talented as the adults. I believe every relationship/friendship in this show.

If you are looking for something that will make you smile, cheer you up, keep you thinking, and also keep your attention because of it's unique perspective and fantastic jokes, then PLEASE watch this show.

Fresh Off The Boat is a great TV show that is definitely worth watching on Tuesdays, on A.B.C. Nowadays, a T.V. show seems lucky if it can get passed 1 Season. TV shows that aired a couple of years ago: Trophy Wife and Back In The Game were good, but did not get passed Season 1. This show started earlier this year, and has made it to a second season. I also feel like this show is more worth watching than other TV shows on A.B.C. I also watch Modern Family, The Middle, and The Goldbergs. I feel like this T.V. show is more funny, and more original than those other shows.

So, we can ask what makes this T.V. show good. Well, to start like how The Goldbergs is not done today, but takes place in an unspecified year in the '80s, this T.V. show takes place in the '90s, and so far 1995. I wonder if this T.V. show will ever move to the 2000s? But, I feel like it makes a T.V. show somewhat more entertaining by taking place in the past. Not like the ancient past hundreds of years ago, but recent history. Man, 1995 was already 20-years ago. I feel like they do a great job in bringing the '90s back to life. A lot of people even consider the '90s like the greatest time. Let's think about what was good back then. Well, my Millennial Generation was kids back then. We also grew up with a lot of kids shows that even kids from today seem to prefer what we grew up with, than what they are growing up with. Our parents, from the Baby Booming generation who still seem to remain the dominant generation were more in their prime age, or approaching middle age with kids in school. Now, they're becoming senior citizens. The stock market during the second half of the '90s was like the biggest Bull Market ever in history. Also, sometimes all this digital technology can be a little annoying to how much we rely on it. Sometimes, we wish we could go back to the older methods. This show will show life before the internet was an everyday thing. I again feel like this show will take us back to the '90s, be reminiscent. Like an example, today's episode showed a cereal, or a cereal similar to one we had back then but no longer have, Alpha Bits. Another episode showed a boys pump shoes. I haven't seen those shoes in a long time, like since the '90s. They also show C.D.s and I think one episode talked about a Super Nintendo game. I think it was N.B.A. Jam. So, for adults watching my age watching this show today, it will take us back to when we were kids.

Besides the '90s, what else is good about this show? Well, the main characters of this T.V. show are an Asian family. That seems new, as a lot of families on prime time T.V. are either Caucasian or black. Also, most movies we watch the main characters will not be Asian characters. This T.V. show involves an Asian family moving to Florida in a culture where there aren't many Asian people. Living their lives down there, including Eddie and his middle school life. How he also hangs around his brothers Evan and Emery. Also, showing the life of his Asian parents trying to make a living in the U.S. We have Randall, the Dad and his wife Constance. Constance is definitely a character you'll get to know, as I would definitely consider her the funniest character in the show. She is so cheap, that she'll do anything she can do to get her way and deceive people into getting something at a lower price. She won't spend money on something she doesn't feel like she has to. Randall is a soft-voiced man, hard working, who easily puts up with his wife, and never seems to get mad. This show also has references to Asian culture.

When this T.V. show started to air, at first I didn't think so much about it. It's this way for some T.V. shows. Like I didn't really care for the earlier episodes of Goldbergs. At first it seemed like a T.V. show that was trying to come up with a new idea involving an Asian family on prime-time and trying to be funny, but not really working or nothing new, and just an annoying mother. However, the last few episodes I've seen were great. I've enjoyed the last episodes and today's episodes considering it the most original new show on T.V. and definitely something worth seeing. To summarize what I've written, it will be a great comedy showing an Asian family and Asian culture. It will also pleasantly take us back to the '90s. I think some episodes took place in 1997, but the ones I've seen take place in 1995. It's a show that is a must see.

Oh, and one other thing I want to say that makes this show good. Some T.V. shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Home Improvement took place in a house or places we were familiar with, like Tim Taylors Tool Time show. We'd only see one side of the house as it was built on a set, and frequently see the characters interacting in those locations. Those shows often times had minimal characters besides the main characters. This show is also good because we get to know more characters, and it seems to be filmed in actual locations, not a set they built for the show. This show also has guest stars, like today's episode had Shaquille O'Neal which was totally cool!! So, this is a show that deserves a 10 and is a must see.

There's no denying this was a brilliant show the first 2/3 seasons but since then it's lost its appeal..and is getting axed Here's why....

The show in the first few seasons could get away with stuff that it can't get away with now....

First Eddie's attitude worked in the first few seasons because he was a kid now at 16/17 yrs old he comes across as smug and a drop kick...

The mothers constant putting down of her husband worked at first but after six years it's now old and repetitively annoying...

The racist jokes and stereotypes about white people are getting old after six years...They were funny the first few seasons

The once funny jokes are repetitive...

The facts are the show hasn't changed in six years it's repetitive and as a result it's lost its appeal...

In truth it should of ended after 3 seasons why its still an enjoyable show.it best years are long gone.

These TV series are very watchable, rewatchable and perfect as a background watch when you do something else. Many characters have undeniable charisma, relatable and the story line is rather lighthearted instilling the right values. It's also, in a way, generation X's nostalgic porn.

What didn't work for me:

• the family cast is rather mismatched visually, they didn't look as of the same ethnicity to me
• Louis's character is very cardboard like and lacks depth.

• They often forgot to balance Jessica's character, sacrificing showcasing the traits her family loves her for -all for the sake of comedy relief attached to her pushiness and other rather negative traits.

• I lived as a foreigner in a southern US town and it's already difficult to integrate even if you are a crowd pleaser. And though I am white and my town was mostly very lovely, I still experienced xenophobia, at least, once per month. With Jessica's character forget about it...I think the whole integration issue was super sugarcoated.

Wow, a feel good family show that has substance behind it. The trials and joy of an Asian American family has finally made it to the mainstream media. I was pleasantly surprised how the show strikes a good balance of humor and a piece on the cultural evolution in contemporary America. The show is centered around the Asian American experience; however people of any background can appreciate and enjoy the dynamics of a middle class family settling into a new life. Randall Park brings a terrific lightheartedness to the show with his matter-of-fact humor, while Constance Wu grounds the show with her excellent portrayal of a classic high expectation mother. I can't wait to see how the show evolves. Well done and keep up the good work.

I won't waste your time with acting like I'm a famous critic. It's about a chinese family of 6 moving to orlando Florida to start a new life in 1995. Every character has a unique quality that make the show hilariously funny except for one. There is a deadening villain in this show that makes you angry the entire time. Yes, the mother, Jessica is a narcissistic, sociopathic, arrogant, rude woman with a God complex who ruins not only the show but her family's lives throughout every episode. Almost every episode is some way for the rest of family to overcome the mothers monstrous ways. She is not funny, has no sense of humor, no sympathy, empathy, or kindness in her body. If the writers truly wrote her character that way they made a terrible mistake. She is profiled as the typical angry chinese woman who hates white people and thinks she is superior over every race, color and creed and machs any political or religious views that aren't her own. Point blank, she ruin the show. If not for Randal Park and the rest of them this show would flop. They carry it enough for the show to be very funny and enjoyable. You still have to live with the foul aftertaste of Jessica after every episode but it's worth it. I have never hated a comedy show character more than her because she is not there for comedy, she is the villain and there to ruin it, not add to it. So suck it up, look past the horrible idea ro make the mother the character she is and enjoy the rest of it..Forget it, i cant even watch season 6, no mother is that horrid & no kid is that stupid. Was able to stomach the mom with the other characters but not now, they just stopped trying.

As an immigrant, I love this show.

Great show, amazing acting. It had so much more potential! Could have gone on for 4 more seasons.

There are a few funny moments, but predictably, as with so many previous minority-themed sitcoms, the unimaginative writers resort to stereotypes, both old (Asians good at math, perpetual foreigners with accents) and new (nazi-like Asian tiger moms, greedy tightwads, desperate need to be validated by "white people") for most of the humor, with the cast's Asian-ness (i.e. otherness) being the butt of the jokes.

In this case, ABC has hired Natchaka Khan (sp), a woman of Iranian descent, to write from the perspective of a Chinese-American family. Perhaps the dunderheads at ABC think all minority experiences are alike and that one person of color can write for all others. Ms. Khan has formerly written for shows like "Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23", which was hardly sensitive to minorities and regularly included offensive racial humor directed at Asians and other groups. If you're going to produce a minority-themed show, I think it's just common sense to include individuals from that particular minority among the chief writers, for more authenticity that will resonate with audiences. Perhaps Ms. Khan was hired partly because it'll allow the network to claim "hey the show was written by a minority" if the show comes under criticism.

On a positive note, the cast members are very good and as the characters are developing nicely with each new episode. Early ratings are respectable (though declining) and hopefully the show will be given a chance, unlike the recent "Selfie" (starring John Cho) which was pulled after just a few episodes. As long as the writers don't blow it by alienating Asian audiences (which I read was a main factor causing the last AA sitcom, "All American Girl" to flop 20 years ago), I think it stands a decent chance.

The show is not that bad : it's funny - sometimes at least. It clearly should get some fresh jokes, because it's quite repetitive, but it's ok.

But how can you portray some Taïwanese characters and knowing nothing about Taïwan? The show keep presenting people talking about themselves as "chinese". Really? Are swe still living in a world where people mistake Taïwan for China?

Except for the few first seasons, when Eddie Huang was still participating, it's all wrong. They don't speak like taiwanese, they don't think like taiwanese, they don't eat like taïwanese (and if you know Taïwan, you know how that part is important).

it's like the show became a lie about Eddie Huang's life. A pure denial. The show is supposed to be about taiwanese people in USA, right? Well, it clearly is not.. :\