Throughout Mei's journey of self-discovery, her friends and family were there to offer her support.
Turning Red (2022) is a remarkably profound animated film. It borrows elements from a range of sources and reworks them into a completely unique work of art. The film received widespread acclaim for its sensitive depiction of puberty and hormonal changes, both literally and metaphorically.
RELATED: 5 Ways Turning Red Is Like Encanto (& 5 It's Different)
Turning Red's protagonist Mei Lee struggles to find a balance between her ancestral traditions and her relatively modern outlook. Her family and friends are pitted against each other, which tears Mei apart. In the end, Mei's loved ones, including all five members of 4*Town, work together to save the day.
Devon, a non-descript teen boy working as a store clerk, is the object of Mei's adolescent affections. He barely appears for most of Turning Red, but his influence on the protagonist is monumental — Mei's crush on Devon is thematically entwined with her red panda transformation.
He doesn't seem to care about anything at first glance; however, he is shown smiling and taking photographs at the 4*Town concert, so it's likely that Devon's apathetic expression is related to his job and not his personality.
Mr. Gao is the official shaman in charge of Mei's magical metamorphosis. He ensures the family that everything will go as smoothly as planned; in his defense, his ceremonial work is flawless until Mei chooses not to part with her panda.
Mr. Gao is a thoroughly adorable man who spends most of his time playing chess and taking care of his terrace garden. Mr. Gao proves his worth at the conclusion ofTurning Red, returning Ming to her human form.
Although Tyler pretends to bully Mei, he's a deeply insecure person in reality and just wants a few friends he can rely on. He allows his need for popularity to get the better of him, which is why he practically coerces Mei into performing at his birthday party.
RELATED: 10 Valuable Lessons We Learned About Growing Up From Turning Red
Tyler hides his obsession with 4*Town under the impression that his friends would insult him for his hobbies. Thankfully, Tyler undergoes a significant metamorphosis after running into the girls at the concert, and mock-grudgingly agrees to be a part of their "sisterhood."
Abby is a dynamo wrapped in a little package: a veritable bomb of hyperactive energy who never fails to liven up her surroundings. Her assertive attitude can be misinterpreted as aggression by those who don't know her very well.
Nevertheless, Abby loves showing her affection whenever and wherever possible, consequently treating Mei like a giant stuffed toy. Abby's most endearing feature is her forgetfulness, although her absentminded nature can occasionally result in near-disasters, like when she misremembers the date of the 4*Town concert.
Grandma Wu's authoritarian personality is extremely overpowering, to the point that her own daughter is nervous to be around her. While she loves Ming deeply and unconditionally, she feels that the red panda "curse" has brought nothing but shame on their family.
Unsurprisingly, Wu's iron grip over her daughter's life and choices is directly responsible for Ming's feelings of resentment. The concert ground fiasco helps Wu come to terms with her mistakes — she ultimately forbids Ming from apologizing to her, saying "I'm your mother."
Miriam is one of Mei's oldest and closest friends. When the girls discover the Red Panda for the first time, Miriam instantly orders Abby and Priya to control their excitement.
RELATED: 9 Easter Eggs You Missed In Turning Red
It's clear that she empathizes with Mei's predicament before the others comprehend the gravity of the situation. Even after she cuts off ties with her BFF, Miriam continues to nurture Robaire Jr., Mei's handheld virtual pet. Miriam and Mei are destined to be friends for a long time.
Priya's deadpan demeanor and calm mindset make her one of the more endearing characters in Turning Red. Her interest in gothic mythology extends to vampires, werewolves, and H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu.
Despite her generally unflappable temperament, Priya doesn't hesitate to express her enthusiasm for something she truly enjoys, including pop boybands. After finding Mei hiding in the school bathroom, Priya offers her "Ibuprofen, Vitamin B, a hot water bottle" and a whole assortment of sanitary pads.
Mei's dad Jin is the emotional anchor of the Lee family. While he usually appears dazed and confused, Jin is the voice of reason in Turning Red, even though his actual voice is often lost in the pandemonium of the household. Unlike Ming, however, her husband doesn't believe that Mei's gift is a "curse."
Instead, Jin attempts to help his daughter navigate her rapidly changing mind. He tells Mei that "people have all kinds of sides to them," and that "the point isn't to push the bad stuff away, it's to make room for it, to live with it." More importantly, Jin understands enough not to have the same conversation with Ming.
Ming Lee is simultaneously Mei's guiding light as well as her biggest obstacle. This paradox is slowly unraveled over the course of Turning Red, but not before it reaches breaking point. Ming tries to helicopter parent her daughter, hoping to protect her from the ill effects of the "curse."
As expected, her overbearing methods bear the wrong kind of fruit. Mei's refusal to obey her mother helps trigger Ming's own transformation. Once everything returns to normal, Ming accepts her daughter's individuality and friendships without judgment.
Ajay's natural habitat is his bedroom, which means that his time is spent staring at his TV screen in a hypnotic coma. He tends to rant about the lack of quality programming in his life, but the amount of content he consumes would make even Galactus gassy. You can contact him on Twitter — @stain_dprinc_ss.