Hallmark Channel is in hot water this week after announcing its latest original movie, All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong. Fans of the network are slamming the film for its decision to center a story around a game rooted in Chinese culture while casting a predominantly white group of actors.
The movie, which is scheduled to premiere on May 9, stars Fiona Gubelmann, Paul Campbell, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and Melissa Peterman. Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, who is of half-Chinese descent, is the only actor of Asian heritage among the film’s five leads.
The timing of the announcement has only added fuel to the fire. The film is set to air in May, which is Asian & Pacific Heritage Month—a fact that has many viewers calling the network’s decision tone-deaf and misguided.
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Mahjong, a strategy game played with 144 tiles, was developed in China during the 19th century. To many, it is more than just a game; it is a vital part of Chinese heritage. Social media users were quick to point out the disconnect between the subject matter and the cast.
“This slap-in-the-face Hallmark movie is coming out during AAPI Heritage Month,” one person wrote on Threads. “The whitewashed tiles and cast are not surprising from the studio.”
Another commenter on Instagram didn’t hold back, asking, “No because seriously, what in the colonization is going on?” while someone else joked, “Were all the Asian actors busy?”
AAPI Stars Join the Chorus of Criticism
The outrage isn’t just coming from casual viewers. Several high-profile members of the AAPI entertainment community have weighed in, voicing their confusion and frustration over the casting decisions.
Glee star Jenna Ushkowitz reacted with a simple, “This is…” while film producer Kelly Mi Li posted, “Who else is as confused as I am?”
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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personality Crystal Kung Minkoff simply commented, “Wow.”
Social media star Philip Wang, a co-founder of Wong Fu Productions, left a biting comment on Instagram, writing, “Collective ancestral sigh.” Nancy W. Yuen, a sociologist and expert on AAPI representation in Hollywood, labeled the film, “What in the appropri-asian.”
The “Erewhon-ification” of Mahjong
The criticism isn’t limited to the cast. The movie also features a new Mahjong set designed by the e-commerce site Miss Mahjong. The set uses non-traditional symbols and a purple, green, and white color scheme that critics say feels more like an aesthetic trend than a nod to the game’s actual history.
Many are comparing this to previous controversies involving “rebranded” Mahjong sets, noting that these modern, Westernized versions often erase the cultural significance of the game to make it more “palatable” for a suburban audience.
Hallmark has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the criticism.
