It’s difficult to juggle three jobs at once: a comedian, a caregiver and a 40-restaurant tycoon owner. Yet somehow, Atsuko Okatsuka makes it seem easy, even if that means listening to Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” nonstop, helping her grandmother bathe (in unconventional ways) and admitting to her husband that she spent at least $130 on gem bundles for her many restaurants. On Friday, April 17, Case Western Reserve University invited Okatsuka to Severance Hall for its annual Spring Comedian event. Since her breakout stand-up act on HBO, “The Intruder” (2022), Okatsuka has taken over stages on tours and “For You Pages” on TikTok through her 2023 #DropChallenge. Here are some of The Observer Editorial Board’s thoughts on Friday’s performance:

Kiera Ng, Layout Designer: 3.98/5  

This was my first experience watching a comedian live, and I have to admit, it was quite enjoyable. Despite our constant “factory resets” after each joke silencing the room again, her opener, Jared Goldstein, successfully warmed the crowd up with his remarks about his experience as an openly gay comedian and—the crowd’s favorite topic of the night—“Heated Rivalry.” Okatsuka entered the stage in her classic fashion—iconic bowl cut paired with Jamaican dancehall moves. Throughout her set, she crafted familial and cultural anecdotes that brought to life the unique Asian American experience in a nation that lacks its representation in media. (Especially since we’re in Ohio, it was nice to see Asian representation defying stereotypes on stage.) Her jokes were awfully relatable to our generation, from being addicted to mindless restaurant tycoon games to TikTok trends. Even when her jokes were running out of steam, her stage presence and exaggerated movements kept the crowd engaged. Her jokes and stage presence paired perfectly: learning kendo from Jeffrey Wheeler to bathing with her grandmother (enough said on that one). Okatsuka ended her set by getting to know the crowd better, poking fun at the fact that both pre-med and medical students can’t practice yet and at the endless subcategories of the engineering field. Okatsuka brought the perfect balance of jokes, dance and cultural experience to the diverse CWRU crowd.

Abhishek Nambiar, Copy Editor: 3.5/5

I’ve never watched a comedian live before, so going into this show I didn’t really know what to expect. The main thing I was hoping for was some good laughs, and Goldstein and Okatsuka certainly delivered. Beginning with Goldstein’s set, I think he did a great job at setting the tone for the rest of the night. Many of his jokes got a good chuckle out of me—shoutout especially to his remarks on “Heated Rivalry.” As for Okatsuka herself, I can safely say that I also got a good time out of her set. Now, I will admit, I don’t think her style of comedy was quite for me—a lot of the jokes she made were ones that I was able to appreciate, but didn’t always laugh at. I also couldn’t help but feel as though some of her jokes and running gags dragged on a bit too long, to the point that I was ready for her to move on to the next story. That being said, the stories themselves were all really interesting to hear about, and I enjoyed Okatsuka’s attempts to infuse humor into each narrative. Her last story in particular, one about reuniting with her long-lost brother, was the strongest one in my opinion; I was especially captivated and amused as she delivered a series of great jokes that got many good laughs out of me. Overall, though not every joke may have landed for me, Okatsuka’s strength in storytelling and standout laugh out loud moments made my first live comedy experience a memorable and enjoyable one.

Anya Lin, Analytics Manager: 5.67/5 stars 

I want to take a break from Okatsuka for a second (lovingly), and put the spotlight on Friday’s warm-up comedian, Jared Goldstein. I admit this was the first live comedy show I’ve ever attended, but Goldstein’s terrific opening instantly took the first (never mind only) place in my heart. His first joke was among the most iconic. Despite facing a new crowd of students that was not quite ready to laugh, Goldstein dove in with a joke about Trader Joe’s lesbians right off the bat. Bold move, but it worked perfectly. All his subsequent jokes kept the crowd rolling with their vaguely crass undertones, whether he was raving about “Heated Rivalry,” contemplating the surprising acceptability of Asian fetishes (particularly for “Heated Rivalry”s Hudson Williams) or presenting socially acceptable alternatives to crop-dusting. Goldstein’s role there was just to lightly warm up the crowd before Okatsuka came out, but I was honestly a little worried I wouldn’t have any more laughs left in the tank after giggling the whole way through his brief, but fantastic, 20-minute stand-up set. Although I actually didn’t learn his name until approximately 15 hours post-show, despite him saying it multiple times, (Jeremy Steinberg? Jeffrey Goldman?), Goldstein’s on-point set ensured I wouldn’t forget it again.