Kiwi-Asian series a first for local TV
Dragons, monkeys and 7-year-old Chinese-Kiwi twins feature in a groundbreaking new show. Bridget Jones talks to the actress bringing the animations to life.
New Zealand’s first Asian-led animation paints a picture never seen on Kiwi screens before. But for actress Xana Tang, the show is less about diversity and more about similarities.
Tales of Nai Nai is an animated series set in present day Auckland, where 7-year-old ChineseKiwi twins, Maggie and Michael, hang off their grandmother’s every word as Nai Nai tells stories about tornadoes, dragons and monkeys to help them learn valuable life lessons and embrace their heritage.
In the production led by Kiwi-Asian creatives, including creator, producer and the voice of the twins’ dog, Becky Kuek, the twins imagine themselves in different times and places throughout Asia, learning about bravery and diversity in the process. The show also has a version with Mandarin captions.
Tang, who plays Maggie, says each episode reaffirmed the fact that we are more alike than we are different.
‘‘These two Chinese-Kiwi kids are travelling across Asia, through different times, talking to animals, and finding out that they are also struggling with the same things they are.
‘‘Those lessons transcend time and they are things we learn over and over again,’’ says Tang, who has Chinese and Vietnamese heritage.
‘‘There were a few times – especially the Japan episode called Magotachi – where I cried while we were recording.
‘‘I was wiping away tears and it almost took me out of character, because I could feel the truth in what I was saying. I connected so much to the core values of what it means to be family with someone.’’
Throughout the series, the young characters address things like being embarrassed to take noodles rather than sandwiches for lunch, and having two names – a ‘‘Kiwi’’ one and a Chinese one.
The star of Fresh Eggs, The Almighty Johnsons and Aussie comedy The Letdown says the importance of the series resonated with her and her own experiences as a kid who grew up in South Auckland as ‘‘Kiwi-Something’’.
‘‘That term is not exclusively Asian. Maybe you were born in New Zealand, but you are of another culture. At home there’s that very strong family culture, and when you are at school, or outside in the world, then you’re very ‘Kiwi’.’’
Tang calls the show a ‘‘huge accomplishment’’, but admits her experience growing up feels different from the kids who might be watching Tales of Nai Nai today.
‘‘With our generation, Gen Y, we struggled with something different, which was picking and choosing when we needed to be more Kiwi or less
‘‘Our generation struggled with picking and choosing when we needed to be more Kiwi or less Asian. This generation, growing up now, they are so good at embracing all of that.’’ Xana Tang
Asian – or vice-versa. Whereas, this generation, growing up now, they are so good at embracing all of that.
‘‘That’s why this show is so cool. It’s the lens of a 7-year-old and that’s what kids are naturally – they are open, they are loving, they want to celebrate all these things. We only learn through adults that things are different, or things are weird, or they are not what we are used to.
‘‘But we didn’t have this growing up. We didn’t have a cartoon with Asian characters who were the lead of the show, diving in and out of different cultures – and that’s something we should celebrate in New Zealand.’’
Tang is passionate about working to help television and film increasingly reflect New Zealand’s diversity. Next year she will star in the much-anticipated Mulan, in which she plays Mulan’s sister Hua Xiu, in the Disney remake helmed by Kiwi director Niki Caro.
‘‘I don’t know how to describe it apart from a dream come true because of the cultural significance it has for me,’’ she says.
‘‘And to be able to do it at home, in my own home country, now that I think about it, it’s wild.
‘‘It’s amazing to be able to tell a story that is so universal, not just young people, but for people who have struggled with their identity or have
thought they needed to follow duty, or that their path was one way and they were not quite sure of themselves. Then you take a step into the unknown, fully trusting yourself.’’
For a long time, the actress counted herself lucky to get work.
Now, after some wise words from the industry – and winning a Variety Asian Star: Up Next award at the International Film Festival & Awards Macau last year – she is more determined than ever to continue to bring stories that are important to her to audiences.
‘‘When you are in your 20s and you are unsure of yourself – and whether you are worthy of people listening to you – and if you think that, then why would anyone else want to listen to you?’’ she says.
‘‘That’s something us Kiwis struggle with, that tall poppy thing, which is so dull.
‘‘But [in Macau], the other actors all talked about themselves and the projects they were a part of with pride.
‘‘It didn’t come from a place of ego or showing off, it was because they were proud and had worked hard to get there and they needed people to see this work because they believed in it. That’s how I feel about Tales of Nai Nai.’’
Tales of Nai Nai is available now on Heihei.