Watched this because of its rating and was hoping for a fresh voice. And she is. Her comedy is also clean. Her best lines got me chuckling. Most of her material is related to her family being immigrants, which I can relate to. Awkwardness adjusting to America yet being subject to the old world values is a well-known tension in such families, but still rich enough ground to mine for comedy. Some of the humor also centers around having aging family members, and her relation to her white husband.
Why my reviews title? All 8 written reviews at the time of this writing were 10's! Obviously not terribly objective, the average is less than 7. What isn't this special a 10? I think she stretched her material a bit thin - repeating a line several times, long pauses, a lot of non-funny asides with the audience. None of these criticisms are fatal, just the signs of a new talent.
I'm looking forward to her next special.
Plot summary
Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka brings her brand of ingenious, offbeat storytelling to the Elsewhere stage in Brooklyn, New York where she dishes on the futile art of impressing teenagers, attending a "Magic Mike Live" show with her grandmother, and the alarming reactions that she and her husband had to the unwanted presence of an intruder.—themoviedb
February 20, 2023 at 05:07 AM
Tech specs
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Not bad, but not a 10 either
Refreshing new voice, nails comedy in nuance
There's plenty of comedians who'll do jokes about "my family's like this" or "my family didn't want me to do comedy cause I'm Asian" but Atsuko's comedy is about the love of jokes and the storytelling to the special has got a really cool structure. She nails showing a fresh perspective and takes on subjects I've never heard before.
She's so weird in a good way and her preference for silliness is really likeable. I'm a comedy nerd and this is a very modern take on traditional comedy. I'd watch her next specials to come, look out for her because she's gonna be a big star. She found a new fan in me and she'll do the same for you too!
So magnetic!
Atsuko is so magnetic and charismatic! I think THE INTRUDER is going to be one of my favorite re-watchable comedy specials. It's extremely entertaining and fun. The visual aspect of the special is really engaging, as well. It's noteworthy that this is directed by another stand-up favorite of mine, Tig Notaro. The stage backdrop is a beautiful compliment to the material and the performer. Atsuko has such a colorful and unique style that you can't help but follow her intently. It's usually likely I'll get distracted by my phone during stand-up specials, but I never even picked my phone up during this one! It's a fantastic way to spend your time!