“Ronny Chieng International Student” is a TV series featuring the stand-up comedian Ronny Chieng as the main protagonist of the story. It is a comedy show based on Ronny’s actual story with added scenes and fictions which nominates, challenges and plays on naturalized stereotypes that people tacitly understood but left unquestioned and treated as common sense within Western society.
The story takes place at a famous university in Australia which the audiences can observe from the very beginning of the first episode. From the beginning, Ronny as the protagonist will be introduced to the viewers while he is walking to his class and video-chatting with his traditional strict Asian mother on his smartphone. The scene quickly gives audiences a brief background of the character and sets up some cultural stereotypes in which the comedy would work, and sets up the main plot points for the rest of the series.
The goal for the character to achieve in the story is not solidly established from the beginning, but kept in ambiguity. Mainly because that the show is only on season 1, but like any sitcom, it indicates that each episode has its own small goals embedded within that are meant to be achieved in the span of an episode. The audiences do not need to be constantly remembering key development in characters and story. For that reason, the show is typical Netflix binge content, as the viewers can feel free to watch the short series at their own pace.
