Culture 4 min read By Lauren Baxter
‘Dang!’ review: Netflix’s adult animation has promise but fails to deliver
Netflix’s new adult animated series ‘Dang!’ from Andrew Law, a writer on ‘Hacks’ and ‘The Good Place,’ struggles to balance its contemporary humor with character depth, despite a strong premise and stylish animation from Titmouse, Inc.
Netflix’s new adult animated series «Dang!» arrives with a pedigree that raises expectations, but the eight-episode run ultimately settles for being merely watchable rather than memorable. Created by Andrew Law, a writer known for «Hacks» and «The Good Place,» the show centers on three Asian-American siblings navigating life in New York, yet it never quite earns the combination of strong characters, consistent laughs, and emotional stakes that define successful sitcoms.
The premise carries genuine potential. Law voices Andrew Dang, who is fired from the company he co-founded after creating a toilet-gossip social media account. He shares an apartment with his sister Eunice, voiced by Poppy Liu, who has been earning money as a foot-fetish content creator before landing an unpaid internship at Klerp, described as Kate Hudson’s online newsletter and lip gloss venture. The humor leans heavily on such ultra-contemporary references, a choice that quickly grows tiresome across the season’s half-hour episodes.
The siblings’ dynamic shifts when their overachieving older sister Ruthie, played by Stephanie Hsu of «Everything Everywhere All at Once,» arrives unexpectedly. Ruthie, a lawyer, appears to have a perfect life, but she reveals she is pregnant from an extramarital affair, throwing her controlled existence into chaos. This development could have provided a rich exploration of sibling relationships, but the series only scratches the surface. Ruthie’s pregnancy offers the closest thing to an ongoing arc, yet most episodes remain largely standalone, introducing new characters or scenarios that fail to advance the story meaningfully.
The characters are described as extremely one-note, which might be forgivable if the show were consistently hilarious. However, the jokes often feel forced, with a cynical edge that seems designed for provocation rather than genuine wit. The humor frequently targets low-hanging fruit, leaving little to sustain viewer interest across eight installments. Supporting characters, such as Ruthie’s milquetoast ex-boyfriend Warren, occasionally prove more amusing than the leads, suggesting that the shallow, single-trait approach works better in small doses than for the central cast.
Visually, the series benefits from the work of Titmouse, Inc., the prolific animation studio behind the «Beavis and Butt-Head» revival, «Agent Elvis,» and «Strip Law.» The 2D vector animation style features clean lines and bright colors, creating an inviting comic-strip world that contrasts sharply with the crude adult humor. The show also includes some witty sight gags, such as clever dating app details and street signs, along with occasional surreal excursions. A cameo from Hayley Williams lands as more bewildering than funny, though it is at least memorable.
Despite these visual strengths and sporadic laughs, «Dang!» fails to deliver the substance needed to satisfy viewers looking for a complete sitcom experience. The series demonstrates that a promising concept and talented creators are not enough without deeper character development and more consistent writing. «Dang!» is now streaming on Netflix.
