Caroline Cao

Caroline Cao is an NYC-based writer. A queer Vietnamese American woman, she also won’t shut up about animation and theatre. She likes ramen, pasta, and fanfic writing. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @Maximinalist.

A young woman with short dark hair lies among discarded toys, plants, and debris, looking upward with a somber expression. The scene is illustrated in a detailed, blue-toned anime style.

The legacy of anime’s most influential decades

From Mamoru Oshii and Katsuhiro Otomo, to Hayao Miyazaki, here are 10 of our favorite anime titles from the era

Two hockey players in black/yellow and blue/red uniforms face off on the ice, gripping their sticks and looking intently ahead, with a blurred crowd in the background.

Jimin Moon pucks around and finds out in ‘Heated Rivalry’ parody

How a “Sunset Boulevard” veteran served and scored in the off-Broadway parody musical of the queer juggernaut

A group of actors on stage dramatize a car ride, with one person holding a steering wheel and others surrounding them, dressed in theatrical costumes with dramatic lighting and fog effects.

Stephanie Hsu and the upside of being a ‘Rocky Horror Show’ virgin

The Tony-nominated actress was new to “Rocky Horror,” and then fishnets, aliens, and audience heckling turned her into a true believer

Five puppeteers dressed in black manipulate various large, artistic puppets with human-like features and creative designs on a dark stage, with reflected light on a shiny surface below.

How the ancient art of Vietnamese water puppetry remains afloat

Writer Caroline Cao dives into how the millennium-old art form of Vietnam’s bygone agrarian days continues to ripple out today

A man with short, dark curly hair and a trimmed beard wears a brown jacket and gazes directly at the camera, set against a blurred gray background.

How Maaz Ali unlocked his inner punk rock Buddha for ‘Record of Ragnarok’

The actor shares his wisdom on voicing an angsty adolescent Buddha, and that time a custom agent recognized his voice

A person in a dark red suit sings or speaks into a microphone while standing on a balcony in a lavish, ornately decorated theater bathed in red and purple lighting.

Amir Talai cried several times at his ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Broadway debut

The voice of the fan favorite Radio Demon speaks about his “Annie” history, his character’s status as an ace icon, and his Broadway debut

A young man with black hair and clear-framed glasses wearing a black turtleneck poses against a dark background, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

Brandon Lee levels up from web novel, to comic, to anime

The author used to work in finance and now his web novel, “The Beginning After the End,” has culminated in an anime adaptation

A young woman with a cowboy hat and ammunition belt stands confidently in front of a group of children and suitcases. Behind them is an old newspaper clipping and a smoky, industrial cityscape.

442: Immigration advocate Herlinda Wong Chew, the ‘Chinese Boss Queen’

The Mexican Chinese American businesswoman was the “Queen of Refugees” and helped 200 Chinese escape the Battle of Ciudad Juárez

Thomas Noguchi, Celebrity Forensics Coroner

442: Controversial celebrity coroner Thomas Noguchi elevated forensics for better or worse

The contentious “Coroner to the Stars” rode the celebrity wave to push forensics to the public consciousness

Author Nghi Vo and her book "Don't Sleep With the Dead."

Nghi Vo’s latest novella continues her queerification of ‘The Great Gatsby’

The recently published “Don’t Sleep with the Dead” focuses on Nick Carraway and expands on her unique take on the literary classic

Two anime illustrated women, one in a military uniform, one in a pink gown, stand together with a while pillar behind them.

MAPPA’s ‘The Rose of Versailles’ needs a raison d’être for revolution

The new movie is the glossiest adaptation of the landmark manga for revolution and gender politics, yet something is missing

442: Mabel Ping-Hua Lee rode on horseback for women’s suffrage

Her writings on democracy and feminism advocated for equal educational opportunities for Chinese women