1. Yumi Nagashima
Yumi Nagashima makes you feel things. It’s like you’re not sure if you’re disturbed or kinda turned on by what’s she’s saying but you’re still very invested to explore those feelings while listening to her. Her comedy has a lot to do with how asians, especially women, are orientalized and sexualized by western culture. She knows she’s wanted by creepy white men and revels in it like the asian goddess she is.
2. Sindhu Vee
Watching Sindhu Vee perform is like watching your mom do stand-up—except that she’s actually really good at it. Her themes usually revolve around highlighting traditional aspects of her Indian upbringing, some of which are politically incorrect or somewhat illegal yet somehow put to use as a parenting tool.
3. Mae Martin
Mae Martin may look like a young Ellen DeGeneres or the blond guy from One Direction but she’s way different from what you’d expect. Her material is interesting because it is really self-deprecating yet not depressing. It's how she balances the emotions of the audience by sneaking in little wins in the otherwise bleak world she builds from her stories that make her super relatable.
4. Ali Wong
Not a lot of female comics can deliver material like Ali Wong can. She's really mastered her persona of being a matter-of-fact, no-bullshit comic. It's also refreshing to see humor that incorporates feminist principles without getting preachy, which is such a line that's so easy to cross. Experience really helps a comic evolve and we're glad that the material that made it to Netflix is probably the best she's made so far.
5. Fern Brady
Fern Brady is that weird friend who you don't feel comfortable having around yet you always want to invite because you want to see what
she'll do next. Her delivery and material is unapologetically personal
and harsh yet isn't performed for shock value like most comedians. Her
comedy is direct and deliberate and that's what makes her such a
badass.
Bonus: Charlene Yi
We're including Charlene Yi just because of how underrated she is as a
comedian. She hasn't done much stand-up, but just from her interviews you
can see how amazing she is at playing the crowd and reading the
situation to make it as awkwardly hilarious as possible. Here's a
snippet of her interview with Conan O'Brien, who we've actually never
seen laugh this hard in his entire career.