The lively streets of Manhattan's Chinatown, the backdrop for Hulu's "Interior Chinatown," are a tapestry of small businesses and cultural heritage that tell a deeper story beyond the screen. As the show navigates the fictional life of character Willis Wu, played by Jimmy O. Yang, it mirrors the authentic vibrancy of this historic neighborhood. According to a ABC7NY interview, Yang appreciates the spotlight the show casts on "the real lives of these people that live in Chinatown and rely on the community."
In complement to the show, Mott Street Girls, a minority and women-owned business, offers tours that delve into these bustling streets, illuminating the stories of iconic small businesses. Tour guide Chloe Chan emphasizes the importance of preserving Chinatown’s stories, saying, "As tour guides, as ambassadors to our community, we really try to preserve the stories, as well as let more people learn about them." Chan's tours are recommended by the cast and crew, highlighting favorite local spots like Joe's Shanghai and New Top Jewelry, both championed for their contribution to community identity, as detailed by ABC7NY.
Meanwhile, according to a New York Times article, the detailed sets of "Interior Chinatown" bring narratives from Charles Yu’s original novel to life. The Hulu series translates the book’s settings into three-dimensional spaces that are central to the story’s message. Whether it's the familiar bustle of Willis’s workplace, the Golden Palace Restaurant, or the intimate clutter of his mother Lily's (Diana Lin) apartment, the sets are a vivid representation of an Asian-American experience, as much a character as the actors themselves.
Each location in the series serves a dual purpose: capturing the essence of the exterior Chinatown while probing the interior world of the characters. The show's creator, Charles Yu, explained the concept, stating, "it was like, how do you build a place that feels real and lived in — and at the same time can feel subjective and evocative of the Chinatown that comes from the novel, which is an interior Chinatown that functions as a place where people work and live, but also as a mental space?" His vision comes alive through the meticulous details crafted by production designer Kate Bunch and director of photography Mike Berlucchi, who painstakingly replicated elements from actual Chinese restaurants to lend an air of authenticity to the set, as noted by New York Times.
Overall, "Interior Chinatown" is a collaborative effort that respects the narrative texture of its origin material while embracing the cultural richness of its physical counterpart in NYC. With the series streaming in full on Hulu, viewers have the opportunity to engage with a story that both entertains and enlightens, providing a thoughtful look at the multifaceted lives nestled within the heart of one of Manhattan's most dynamic neighborhoods.
