Netflix's The Brothers Sun boasts an all-Asian cast, fights, family drama and a healthy helping of culture clash. While the show gives us a glimpse into the complicated life of a family (helmed by Mama Sun, played by Michelle Yeoh), it also draws audience into the world of an Asian-American community, complete with iconic characters such as the Mahjong Aunties.
What is the Significance of Mahjong in The Brothers Sun?
In Chinese and Taiwanese culture, Mahjong is not just a traditional game that people play to pass the time, but also a way of socializing and getting to know one's neighbours and community better. And for every Mahjong game, there are the Mahjong Aunties – a group of elderly or middle-aged women who gather to play, gossip and keep each other company – at least according to The Brothers Sun.
The game's significance is best explained by Mama Sun in the show's third episode. As Mama Sun and Charles (played by Justin Chien) make their way to the stock room of a Chinese restaurant, they find an area filled with tables of women playing Mahjong.
Charles tells Mama Sun he feels like they are wasting time instead of trying to do their job, but she explains:
"You see a basement full of chatty old women. I see a complex network of relationships, favors and debts."
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Who are the Mahjong Aunties in The Brothers Sun?
Mama Sun then points out some of the women she knows.
First of all, there's Mrs. Chang (played by Yan Cui), who works at the mayor's office. She's the woman you want to go to if you want to know about politics, Mama Sun explains.
Mrs. Liu (played by Winnie Wu) is another Mahjong player to get close to if you want to know about the church since her husband is the pastor of the Chinese church. However, she doesn't know that Mrs. Wong (played by Alexis Rhee) is having an affair with Pastor Liu.
As they make their way to their own table, Mama Sun introduces Charles as her nephew, and he gets to meet the two women playing against them: Auntie Victoria (played by Toy Lei) and Auntie Rebecca (played by Ginny Hu Chien).
Who is Auntie Rebecca?
Fun casting fact: the actress who plays Auntie Rebecca (Ginny Hu Chien) is actually actor Justin Chien's mother in real life, and this is her first credited role.
Justin told the South China Morning Post that his mother, who was based in Taiwan, flew to the US to film her role. The crew even prepared her own trailer and wrote "Justin's Mom" on one of the chairs.
Justin also shared that his mother had always "dreamt of being an actress when she was a kid, when she was growing up in Hong Kong. So I could tell the whole day she was trying to keep this smile in, and that just meant so much to me.”
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