Being a 16-year-old in high school means battling demons, but for Jentry Chau (Ali Wong), the hero of Jentry Chau vs the Underworld, the fights aren’t just figurative — she’s quite literally fending off evil entities from the underworld. 

Created by Echo Wu, Jentry Chau vs the Underworld is a new animated series that follows a Chinese-American high schooler whose life is turned upside down when a dangerous demon king tries to steal her powers. But, make no mistake, Jentry is also navigating her share of traditional teenage problems — like exploring romantic interests, grappling with an adult who always thinks they know best, or contorting to maintain high social standing among her peers. 

Despite its heavy serving of all things supernatural, it’s largely rooted in true-to-life themes that’ll resonate with folks of all ages, from all walks of life. Watch the new trailer above! 

“Sometimes finding your self-identity is coming face-to-face with your own demons,” Wu tells Tudum. That sentiment was the writers room’s north star as they worked on the series. “There are different layers to what that means. [It] rings quite true in Jentry. [She’s] trying to figure out what these powers mean to her. Are they part of her? Are they cursing her? You see this character trying to figure out who she is.”

Wu explains that she wants to immerse audiences in a world that’s largely like ours — y’know, aside from the ghosts and mythical creatures. “I wanted this show to feel super grounded,” Wu says. “I think it’s refreshing in animation when you have a series that isn’t about this magical realm. I wanted it to feel genuine and the characters to be in our world.”

Wu’s commitment to authentically portraying this time in a young woman’s life also extended to how the show approached Jentry’s highly coveted powers. “If a teenager had superpowers, I don’t think she would take it very well. I think she would actually hide it. She would think it’s social suicide to have powers in a time of your life where you’re trying to fit in and be cool. It was an interesting dynamic to play with.”

With the feel of a classic Saturday morning cartoon and elements that offer something for young and mature audiences, it’s time to get familiar with the next iconic hero, Jentry Chau.

What is Jentry Chau vs the Underworld about?

The series follows Jentry Chau, a Chinese-American teen living in a small Texas town, who finds out a demon king is hunting her for the supernatural powers she’s been working her whole life to repress. With the help of her weapons expert great-aunt and a millennia-old jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampire), Jentry must now fight an entire underworld’s worth of monsters while balancing the horrors of high school. 

Who’s in the cast of Jentry Chau vs the Underworld?

As previously mentioned, Ali Wong plays the titular Jentry Chau, alongside Lori Tan Chinn as Jentry’s aunt Gugu and Bowen Yang as Jentry’s sidekick, Ed. Additional cast includes Lucy Liu, Jimmy O. Yang, Sheng Wang, A.J. Beckles, and Woosung Kim.

How many episodes are in Jentry Chau vs the Underworld?

The season contains 13 episodes.

When is Jentry Chau vs the Underworld released?

The fun, approachable, definitely-won’t-set-fire-to-you Jentry Chau is streaming now on Netflix. 

Additional reporting by Ariana Romero.  

Watch the Teaser for Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld