Honestly, shout out to “Turning Red” for never even implying Tyler has a crush on Meilin. I think the whole “he makes fun of you because he likes you trope” needs to be beaten dead with a stick.
Oh boy, hasn’t it been a while since I gushed and cared about a pairing genuinely like this, even to go as further as make a post about them. Feel free to take it as platonic though, as I don’t wanna disregard the importance of girl friendships in this movie. I love every single aspect of Turning Red inmensely, but here I’ll focus in Miriam and Mei cause I wanted to lovemail them for a while.
Alright, so all of us already picked up on this one specific parallel, right?
And we ate this up, because omg, both moms not liking specifically someone very close and important in their daughter’s life? Interesting.
There really was no reason for Ming to specifically dislike Miriam the most, the movie would have worked as well without those “She is odd” or “Maybe she’s slowing you down” comments. That weird focus in her kinda “turns” Miriam into the embodiment/representation of everything that could corrupt our perfect little Mei-Mei, in eyes of her mom, that is, at least.
But this disapproval is far from being the only parallel between all of them, so buckle the heck up cause this is gonna be a long post and I’m not hiding it under a “Read more”. M&M fans this one is for us all.
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I wanna start by stating the obvious fact that Mei and Ming are very, VERY alike. Two strong, go-getter women with a strong sense of responsability, determination, and unafraid to get feisty and stand their ground.
Like really, the apple-
-does not fall- they will throw hands i love them
-far from the tree!
And I love both of them and their relatioship and dynamic so much for it! They really just get along and love each other a lot very genuinely.
So when we are presented with Ming’s husband, Jin, who’s a totally goofy, soft, dorky yet reliable and unwavering supportive partner to Ming, you can’t help but feel for their wonderful dynamic of “Hold my flower, babe/Kick their ass, I got your flower”…
And doesn’t this dynamic, really sound somewhat familiar?
Miriam and Jin not only share the luck of being frowned upon by moms, they actually, are, very much alike in personality, and complement Mei and Ming in a likewise way! And I shall now present my proof, your honor:
1-Their Well-being comes first. Period.
They both are always the first one to take a step forward and show/voice comfort, when Mei and Ming are extremely upset. Miriam takes a leading role when the entire group comforts her, Jin is the only one that tries to give Ming a moment, while the rest of the family bombards her with questions and accusations. The way they prioritize Mei and Ming’s comfort and well-being at all times is unmatched, going as far as taking with grace any undeserved lash out they might get from Mei and Ming. They give Ming and Mei’ intense emotions, the room they need to breathe, and the proper validation.
2-Maybe… a lack of a backbone is present
They are definitely, unconditionally, extremely supportive of Mei and Ming but also… fail to sometimes get them to listen to them/have their concerns or opinions taken into account. They are the type to roll along and watch from the back while providing support but, man and girl I need you both to make your presence be more relevant, not only in a “comforter role” way, but a more assertive one. This was a detail that stuck with me, since both Miriam and Jin started a bit in the background, just gaining more key relevance as the movie advanced. But anyway, both Jin and Miriam are probably fine with such dynamics since…
3-Adoration of their true selves
Theyfricking adore watching Ming and Mei asserting dominance and having a loud opinion. It pained Miriam to see Mei so conditioned by her mom, as it probably pained Jin to see Ming struggling to live up to her mom’s expectations. So seeing Mei and Ming raise their voice, loudly be themselves and defend their right to be so (their right to be with the person/friends they loved, to make their own choices)? They treasure that. They don’t want anything but see Ming and Mei thrive. They are okay being just a reliable, sturdy rock in their lives.
4-Proactive, quick thinking to properly assist
This may be a bit like point 1, to be honest, but I think it’s distinctive enough, and so, worth mentioning. Miriam and Jin are soft, nurturing comforters, and yes, they might fail to voice themselves properly at times, but when it MATTERS? They MOVE. Their actions are louder than anything they could say. You don’t need to tell them to do anything, they are already a step ahead. Jin already was drawing that circle before grandma Wu got to tell him, and Miriam was the only one to analyze the situation and look for a way to help and be useful, instead of standing around and letting the family carry the entire burden, cause heck, they may not be blood related, but Miriam, Priya and Abby (and the newest addition Tyler) are as MUCH family, Ride or Die, baby!
5-Understanding, but also encouraging
Jin rekindles the little fire Miriam started by further hammering the point home. But neither of them are pushy about it because they respect Mei’s agency and judgement first and foremost. They just needed to state that they have noticed, acknowledged, how much of a positive change this was for Mei, how much joy it brought not only for her, but for everyone around as well, and how it allowed her to thrive. And they would accept if Mei thought this was actually something bad she needed to get rid of, even though… it seemed to make her so genuinely happy, so could it really be that bad, Mei?
No Ming in this part, but I’m pretty sure, the same talk Jin gave Mei here, he also gave to Ming in the past, I think it’s safe to assume so.
And lastly: Adorkable individuals with an affinity for food
A more light-hearted point to finish this way too long post; Miriam and Jin are both huge dorks, they might seem a bit airheaded, but when it comes to Mei and Ming? Their brain works at 100000% power. But they still are who they are at the end of the day: chill, laid-back individuals that love to nurture the ones they care about, to encourage them to relax and take it easy, even if that might make them fade a bit into the background/be overshadowed by their cool partners, the support/comfort they provide for more goal-oriented, vigorous people like Mei and Ming are crucial to keep them grounded when it gets a bit too intense for them to handle. They will be there no matter what and by God they own that role.
I also think it’s interesting that both of their first scenes involved food, and their last ones kiiiinda did too (sorry Jin you’re already out of the picture, but your cooking lives through). This one definitely might be nothing (because Miriam’s likely love of food really wasn’t properly established, I think?) but I believe it could be a very interesting connection to add to the pile. :)
And there’s not really much else to say? I just really love these characters, all of them? So much??? Turning Red in my heart 4ever. If you read all of that thank you, I hope you could enjoy my never ending gushing.
Here’s another extra picture that I just appreciate
cant get over miriam looking specialized horrified despite the fact mei is very much ready to start throwing hands. Hold her flower.
