Atsuko Okatsuka: The Intruder

Watched this because of its rating and was hoping for a fresh voice. And she is. Her comedy is also clean. Her best lines got me chuckling. Most of her material is related to her family being immigrants, which I can relate to. Awkwardness adjusting to America yet being subject to the old world values is a well-known tension in such families, but still rich enough ground to mine for comedy. Some of the humor also centers around having aging family members, and her relation to her white husband.

Why my reviews title? All 8 written reviews at the time of this writing were 10's! Obviously not terribly objective, the average is less than 7. What isn't this special a 10? I think she stretched her material a bit thin - repeating a line several times, long pauses, a lot of non-funny asides with the audience. None of these criticisms are fatal, just the signs of a new talent.

I'm looking forward to her next special.

There's plenty of comedians who'll do jokes about "my family's like this" or "my family didn't want me to do comedy cause I'm Asian" but Atsuko's comedy is about the love of jokes and the storytelling to the special has got a really cool structure. She nails showing a fresh perspective and takes on subjects I've never heard before.

She's so weird in a good way and her preference for silliness is really likeable. I'm a comedy nerd and this is a very modern take on traditional comedy. I'd watch her next specials to come, look out for her because she's gonna be a big star. She found a new fan in me and she'll do the same for you too!

I loved every minute of this stand-up special. Even though I love standup comedy, I often find specials to be a drag with lots of up and down moments throughout- not the case here with The Intruder.

Each line carefully delivered with exquisite timing and precise pacing throughout the show, Atsuko Okatsuka nails a fresh take on life experiences making content fresh and lively. Put the show on during a whim and it did not disappoint- was laughing the whole time.

I suspect we can continue to expect amazing things from Atsuko in the future. Definitely would recommend to friends and family over and over again.

This was one of my favorite comedy specials of the year. Atsuko blends story telling with zingers and it works... really well. She manages to thread through lines in a way that is really effective. She also strikes a balance of being flippant and being compassionate that creates a hilariously hopeful feeling. The fluidity of the show made it fly by and, as a viewer, I also very much appreciated the obvious care she took to put on a great show. Sure, shows where it seems the comedian is riffing on stage can be fun, but if I'm dedicating my time to watching a longer show, I want it to flow purposefully. Can't wait for the next one!

This special is truly great, from relating to every renter, to finding a fun relatable way to speak about mental illness. This has it all, and I laughed the whole time. The way that Atsuko keeps the audience engaged, while setting up a story arc, then surprising you with sudden wit and clever turn of phrase. The laughs come easily and often with this special. It was an absolute pleasure to learn about her family, and not only keeping us caring but laughing through tough topics with ease. Couldn't be more impressed with this comic, and look forward to seeing plenty more of her work in the future!