It is interesting to observe the dynamics between siblings and how parents relate to each differently. Older siblings tend to be serious while younger ones, more easy-going.
Now, imagine this: your father is the head of the Jade Dragons, a powerful triad in Taipei and you have been groomed since young to take his place (no pressure). Over a decade ago, your mother left Taipei with your younger brother to go into hiding in sunny Los Angeles. As a result, your brother is completely oblivious to the family’s shady life.
Say hello to the world of Charles Sun (Justin Chien) in Netflix’s “The Brothers Sun”. Yes, Charles’ world may be dangerous and complicated but boy, it is entertaining to watch.
After a failed assassination attempt on his father, Charles travels to Los Angeles to protect his mother and brother – with his enemies hot on his heels.
There, he meets his match in his strong-willed mother, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh), who has her own ideas about how to protect their family. He also discovers that his brother, Bruce (Sam Song Li), a geeky medical student, is the total opposite of him. Needless to say, Bruce gets the shock of his life after discovering his family’s true identity.
The performances by Yeoh, Chien and Sam are what makes this series strong. In her usual fashion, Yeoh lights up the screen as Eileen, the formidable matriarch of the family. Fans of “Crazy Rich Asians” will remember her as Eleanor Young, yet another strong female character.
Eileen is a classic Asian mother – always pushing her son to do better in his studies despite being a brilliant student. Many Asian viewers will no doubt relate to this.
Yeoh does a stellar job of balancing her softer maternal role with her bolder side particularly when her children are in danger (it’s usually Bruce). However, it’s a shame that her fighting scenes are rather limited.
Chien and Sam also deliver strong performances. Their chemistry carries the storyline as brothers who’ve been apart for over a decade and are now trying to build a relationship while navigating a complex family situation.
Sam is particularly endearing and funny to watch as Bruce. He plays the classic younger brother wanting to impress his cool older brother but annoying him no end in the process. As different as their characters are, they do have one thing in common: both strive to please their parents at the expense of pursuing their own dreams.
Charles loves baking – not the career that will do him any favours in the shady world of ruthless gangsters. While he’s as cool as a cucumber when decimating his enemies, he cracks a big smile when enjoying churros and gets emotional when a cake he bakes is burned.
Bruce, on the other hand, enjoys improvisational theatre. He pursues this in secret as unsurprisingly, Eileen does not approve!
It is also interesting to see how their characters evolve throughout the series. From a tough, hard gangster, Charles grows more mellow while Bruce becomes less of a “mama’s boy” – even saving the day more than once through his quick-thinking.
Kudos to Jon Xue Zhang who plays Blood Boots, a member of the Jade Dragons triad who comes to Los Angeles to help the Sun family. Despite his sinister name, he is a cuddly, teddy bear of a guy who easily charms viewers.
If there is one gripe, it’s that certain scenes are too gory for consumption. Yeoh dismembering a dead body in her kitchen and Charles carrying the corpse’s head around may make some stomachs turn.
All in all, the series has all the elements that make for a highly entertaining watch over eight episodes: gripping and well-choreographed fighting scenes that keep one at the edge of their seats. These are interlaced with humour, a dash of romance (no spoilers here) and heartwarming moments – so, bring out the popcorn, binge and enjoy!
‘The Brothers Sun’ is streaming on Netflix.