From Keeping Up with the Kardashians toReal Housewives of Beverly Hills,mysticism and eroticism the greater Los Angeles area has no shortage of rich people ready to ascend to reality TV stardom. But the cast of Netflix's "docusoap" Bling Empiretakesthat old challenge to glittery new heights in their fun first season.
Inspired by the 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians, the glossy unscripted series follows a group of hyper-affluent Asian and Asian-American Californians as they navigate their opulent, pre-pandemic lives. It's a classic low-stakes, high-spectacle setup with the narrative drama driven by the series' tremendously watchable personalities and their "more is more" approach to luxury.
Across eight episodes, we meet socialite Anna Shay; plastic surgeon Dr. Gabriel Chiu and his wife, entrepreneur Christine Chiu; real estate heir Kane Lim; denim heiress Cherie Chan; musician and DJ Kim Lee; Hollywood producer Kelly Mi Li; their less wealthy friend/casual himbo Kevin Kreider; and a smattering of influencers (including YouTuber-turned-musician Guy Tang) who run in their orbit.
Kane Lim: lover of shoes and, honestly, the voice of reason most of the time. Credit: netflix They're a surprisingly likable friend group, who slowly reveal the layers of their interpersonal turmoil through an evenly paced — if not, vaguely relaxing — carousel of Rodeo Drive shopping sprees, five-star dining experiences, surprise trips to Paris, poolside gossip sessions, and sweeping shots of the Los Angeles skyline. It's nothing reality TV fans haven't seen hundreds of hours of on E! and Bravo before — you know, breakups, feuds, thrown drinks, skinny dipping, babies, etc.
But even if the content is familiar, the feel of Bling Empireis infused with the freshness that comes from a cast largely underrepresented in the genre.
Discussions of identity and status offer flecks of sincerity from Bling Empire's stars, effectively elevating what could be a monotonous been-there-done-that into a valuable new perspective on supreme wealth in the City of Angels. We see the cast celebrate holidays like Chinese New Year and Singapore Day, navigate family expectations in the modern age, and otherwise explore cultural tradition within their very ample means.
Of course, there's plenty of mess to go along with all of that more mature commentary. Anna and Christine fight for the completely meaningless title of Queen of Beverly Hills. Kelly struggles to deal with her moody boyfriend, who also happens to be a former Power Ranger. When Kevin's not pulling his butt out, he's stripping off his shirt (for no discernible reason) and otherwise wowing the cameras with his "witty" perspective on these crazy rich people.
Viewers who aren't already fans of KUWTK-style reality TV aren't likely to be swayed by Bling Empire; nothing outrageous enough happens to call it a must-watch. But if you are somebody who likes this sort of show, then you'll want to add this to your queue — and maybe start begging Netflix for new episodes after that spectacular season finale.
Bling Empire is now streaming on Netflix.
Topics Netflix
Best Garmin deal: Save over $100 on Garmin Forerunner 955
A Bridegroom Called Death by Julia Berick
Breaking the Rules: An Interview with the Astro Poets by Julia Berick
Redux: Even Forests Engage in a Form of Family Planning by The Paris Review
Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025: Best air purifier deals from Dyson, Shark, LG, and more
Redux: A Smile Like Collapsed Piano Keys by The Paris Review
The Provocation of a Good Meal by Maryse Condé
Redefining the Black Mountain Poets by Jonathan C. Creasy
Nvidia RTX 5070: Where to buy and is it worth the upgrade?
A Slap in the Face of Stalinism by Alissa Valles
Android Performance Tips and Tweaks
Too Many Cats by Bohumil Hrabal
The False Innocence of Black Pete by Philip Huff
The Upside of ‘Brandenburg v. Ohio’
Amazon Spring Sale 2025: Best Apple AirPods 4 deal
Staff Picks: Battle Hymns, Boarding Schools, and Bach by The Paris Review
Reading in the Age of Constant Distraction by Mairead Small Staid
On Nighttime by Hanif Abdurraqib
Diseases from mosquitos and ticks have tripled in the U.S., CDC finds
The Controversial Origin of Asian American Studies by Tara Fickle
The new 'Dune' is a great start — but can't outrun the book's biggest problemThe result of Apple's new privacy policy? More money for Apple.This dog did himself a scare after snoring so loudly he woke himself upUnwrap your gaming potential for under $65 with the Lenovo Legion KeyboardA new MacBook Pro completely maxed out will cost you more than $6,000Scammers posing as real companies are stealing thousands from job applicantsNo, Venmo isn't going to tax you if you receive more than $600Dog on United Airlines flight accidentally gets sent to JapanCherryPicks is your new Rotten Tomatoes, with an emphasis on womenThe Trump administration is like middle school (with nuclear weapons)The result of Apple's new privacy policy? More money for Apple.Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, writes to Congress asking for paid leave for allHow to cast your iPhone to your TVDonald Trump's 'pee tape' controversy, explainedDonald Trump is naked on the cover of 'The New Yorker'How to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac and Mac to iPhoneDemocratic lawmakers try to save Andrew McCabe's pension on TwitterNetflix's 'Night Teeth' is a sexy vampire saga worth inviting inChrissy Teigen only needed 2 emoji to hilariously troll this John Legend articleHow to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac and Mac to iPhone People are promising to post their nudes if Biden wins Texas How to check if your mail Sonic the Hedgehog is now a symbol of the anti 5 things to know if you want to become a single parent by choice Xbox Series X review: One small leap for one giant console Apple to hold another event on November 10 Late night hosts do grim rapid 'The Mandalorian' Season 2 premiere recap: "The Marshal" Samsung's new Galaxy S flagships might be announced earlier than expected These are the top 5 U.S. Google searches ahead of Election Day Chelsea Clinton calls on Trump to apologize for 'vile and wrong' tweet Motorola changes Razr shipping to keep fingerprints off new phones Watch this Yankees fan's heart break as things go quickly south against the Red Sox How to watch and listen to Election Day results online Celebrate Halloween 2020 online with all these great costume photos Dave Chappelle will host the first post GoFundMe erased campaigns for man accused of killing counter The difference in these shoes for girls and boys shows sexism is very much alive Can you name the 3 branches of government? This meme offers up some, uh, creative answers. iPhone 12 Pro uses LiDAR to detect people near you
1.2981s , 10194.0625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【mysticism and eroticism】,Pursuit Information Network