Turning Red (2022) Movie Script
1
The number one rule
in my family?
Honor your parents.
They're the supreme beings
who gave you life
who sweated
and sacrificed so much
to put a roof
over your head,
food on your plate,
an epic amount of food.
The least you can do
in return is
every single thing
they ask.
'Course some people are like,
"Be careful.
"Honoring your parents
sounds great,
"but if you take it too far,
"well, you might forget
to honor yourself."
Luckily,
I don't have that problem.
I'm Meilin Lee.
And ever since I turned 13,
I've been doing my own thing.
Making my own moves,
24/7, 365.
I wear what I want,
say what I want
and I will not
hesitate to do
a spontaneous cartwheel
if I feel so moved.
Oh, crap!
Not to brag,
but being 13 means
I'm officially a grown-up.
At least according to the
Toronto Transit Commission.
Good for you.
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
All about that hustle,
am I right?
Besties, assemble!
-Miriam!
-Hmm?
Hey!
Priya!
Yo.
Abby!
Yeah. What's up, Mei?
Ready to change the world?
So ready.
I was born to do this.
Let's burn this place
to the ground!
Y equals negative four.
Manitoba,
Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
I know, it's a lot...
But this is grade eight.
I don't got time
to mess around.
I guess you could call me...
A very enterprising,
mildly annoying young lady.
A major weirdo.
An overachieving dork-narc.
I accept
and embrace all labels.
-Oops.
-Hey!
-Aah!
-Oh, you're dead!
Coming through!
Move, please!
Share the sidewalk, people!
Anyway, who cares what stupid,
evil Tyler
or anyone else thinks?
This is gonna be my year.
Mei, Mei, Mei,
come see this!
And nothing's gonna stop
this train from...
Shh. Come on, come on!
- Get your butt over here!
- Go, go, go.
Come on, come on.
Mei, Mei, fast!
- Shut up!
- Shh!
-Huh?
-Mmm-hmm!
-Uh...
-Mmm.
Devon.
My mom cuts his hair
at the salon,
and I felt it. It's very soft.
Whoa. Can I have some?
Yeah, Abby, hook a sister up.
Ugh!
He looks like a hobo.
A hot hobo.
May I remind you
what real men look like?
4-Town!
Yes! 4-Town!
Jesse went to art school.
Tae Young fosters
injured doves.
Robaire speaks French.
Hey!
And Aaron T. and Aaron Z.
are, like,
really talented, too.
- We are 4-Townies, remember?
- Ride or die!
Yeah, but tickets
to 4-Town are, like,
a bajillion dollars,
and Devon's right here.
And free!
Ah, fudgesicles! I gotta go.
Wait! We're going
karaokeing today.
-Yeah!
-Come with us.
Please.
- Please.
- I...
can't. It's cleaning day.
Mei, every day
is cleaning day.
Can't you just
get one afternoon off?
But I like cleaning.
Plus,
I got this new feather duster
and, oh, my gosh, you guys,
it picks up so much dirt,
it's bananas!
Fine. I'll let you go.
If you can pass the gauntlet.
-Come on. Uh! Oh.
-Mir, not now...
You can't resist it.
Come on.
You know you want to.
Here we go.
You're never not on my mind
-Oh, my, oh, my
-Oh, yeah, oh, my
I'm never not by your side,
your side
Yeah.
Your side
- Peace sign.
- All right!
Yeah! Go, Mei!
- See, that was good!
- That was dope!
You passed.
And here is your reward.
Ninety-nine Australian tour,
with the Girl I Love
Your Jeans remix.
O-M-G, Mir!
I'll guard it with my life!
Oh, thank you,
thank you, thank you!
4-Town 4-ever!
4-ever!
We'll karaoke another time,
I promise!
Okay, sure, Mei!
It'll be on me.
The snacks, the tunes...
-Whoo!
-You're my jam, girl.
She's so brainwashed.
Crud, crud, crud.
Okay.
Excuse me.
I know what it looks like.
I am my own person.
But that doesn't mean
doing whatever I want.
-Hello, Meilin.
-Hey, how's it going?
Thank you, Meilin!
Like most adults,
I have responsibilities.
Hey, Bart. Hey, Lisa.
-Hello, Meilin.
-'Sup?
Still down for a rematch,
Mr. Gao?
Bring it, Lee!
What a good girl.
It's not all about me,
you know?
I do make my own moves,
it's just that...
...some of my moves
are also hers.
Mei-Mei, there you are.
-Hey, Mom...
-You're ten minutes late.
What happened? Are you hurt?
Are you hungry?
Um...
How was school today?
Killed it per usual.
Check it out.
Oh. That's my little scholar.
Today, honor student,
tomorrow,
UN Secretary General.
The ancestors
would be so proud.
Sun Yee, revered ancestor,
guardian of the red pandas.
We humbly thank you
for protecting and guiding us.
Especially Mei-Mei.
May we continue
to serve and honor you
and this community.
Always.
-You ready?
-Let's do this.
Have fun
getting that off.
Shoo-shoo! You vandals!
Oh, snap!
They're coming!
- You good-for-nothing hosers!
- Go, go, go!
I'm telling your mothers!
Our family runs
one of the oldest temples
in Toronto.
And the most unique.
Instead of honoring a god,
we honor our ancestors.
And not just the dudes either.
Our most revered ancestor,
Sun Yee,
was a scholar, poet,
and defender of animals.
She dedicated her life to
the creatures of the forest.
Especially the red panda.
- Ta-da!
- Ooh!
Which she loved
for its fiery coat
and mischievous nature.
Ever since, the red panda
has blessed our family
with good fortune
and prosperity...
And it can bless yours, too!
- Bye-bye!
- See you next time!
Thanks for coming.
- Give me five.
- Yeah.
-Come on. Dad's making dinner.
-Ooh.
Mmm.
Huh? Uh...
He should have listened
to his mother
and married Ling-Yi.
Totally.
Siu-Jyu is so two-faced.
She's just using him
to get to the throne.
She'll probably stab him
on their wedding night.
Mmm-hmm.
Hmm?
Mmm. Hmm!
-Perfect.
-Yes!
You've heard their hits,
you've seen their moves.
And now, you get
to experience them live!
The worldwide
pop sensation 4-Town
will be kicking off
their North American tour!
Tickets on sale now.
Oh, my gosh!
Who are these hip-hoppers?
And why are they called
"4-Town"
if there are five of them?
Uh... I don't know.
Some of the kids
at school like them.
You mean Miriam?
That girl is odd.
Dinner's ready.
I've never met nobody like you
You're never not on my mind
Oh my, oh my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'm gonna be your ride or die
All right
Hmm. Kinda looks like Devon.
I don't get
what Mir sees in him.
He's not that cute.
Okay, his shoulder's, like,
kind of nice, I guess.
His eyes are... fine.
Mei-Mei.
Ow! Ah!
Do you want a snack?
Cool, great, thanks.
Don't look at the notebook,
don't look
at the notebook, don't!
No!
Oh.
-Is this your homework?
-Mom...
-Don't!
-Oh, my. What... What is...
-Do not.
-Huh? What?
-Mom.
-Oh! Oh.
Huh? Huh?
Mei-Mei, what is this?
It's nothing. Just a boy.
He's no one.
A boy?
Who is he?
Did he do these things to you?
No! It's just made up, Mom!
It's not real.
That hat.
Is that the sketchy clerk
from the Daisy Mart?
Mom, no!
What are you doing?
No, no, no!
No, no, no!
Oh, snap!
Mom, no!
-You!
-Whoa!
What have you done
to my Mei-Mei?
Uh... Who?
Meilin Lee, right here.
I should report you
to the police.
How old are you? Thirty?
I'm seventeen.
Oh, see, see?
This is what happens
when you don't wear sunblock
and do drugs all day!
She's just a sweet,
innocent child.
How dare you
take advantage of her!
Mom! No!
What?
What a weirdo.
Look at her.
The Daisy Mart has lost
a loyal customer today.
Thank goodness I was here.
That degenerate
won't come near you again.
Now, is there anything else
I should know about, Mei-Mei?
Nope. All good.
You sicko!
What were you thinking?
Why would you
draw those things?
Those horrible, awful,
sexy things?
It's fine.
You'll move to another city,
change your identity.
Mommy, I'm so sorry.
You are her pride and joy,
so act like it!
This will never happen again.
No! No, no, no!
Mei-Mei...
are you up?
Breakfast is ready!
-Mmm.
-Hey! No sugar.
Coming!
Mmm. Porridge.
This isn't happening.
This isn't happening.
- Wake up, wake up, wake up!
- Mei-Mei,
is everything okay?
Don't come in here!
Mei-Mei, what's going on,
honey? Are you sick?
Is it a fever? A stomach ache?
Chills? Constipation?
No!
Wait. Is it...
that? Did the...
Did the red peony bloom?
No!
Maybe?
But it's too soon.
Don't worry, Mei-Mei.
I'll get everything you need.
Mommy's here.
Jin. Jin! It's happening!
Come on! Please!
- Mei-Mei, I'm coming.
- Crud.
-I'm coming.
-No!
It's going to be okay.
No, it's not!
Will you just get out?
Excuse me?
I didn't mean that.
I'm a gross red monster!
Stop it! Stop talking!
Mei-Mei,
I know this is upsetting,
but we are going
to get through this together.
I have ibuprofen, vitamin B,
a hot water bottle, and pads.
Regular, overnight, scented,
unscented, thin, ultrathin...
-Uh-huh. All right.
-...ultrathin with wings...
Awesome.
Just leave them by the sink.
Mei-Mei.
Perhaps we should talk
about why this is happening.
No! I mean, nah, it's okay.
You are a woman now.
And your body
- is starting to change.
- Mmm-hmm.
It's nothing to be
embarrassed about.
Mom, please!
You are now a beautiful,
strong flower.
No, no, no.
Who must protect
your delicate petals
and clean them regularly.
- Ming? Ming!
- My porridge.
Jin. Jin!
Jin, open a window!
Somebody call emergency!
I'll just go to sleep,
and when I wake up...
this will all be over.
What the...
Whoa.
Yes!
No!
Oh.
I'm calm.
Zen.
Yes.
Okay. No biggie.
You'll figure this out, Lee.
Just be the calm,
mature adult
you totally are.
You got this.
I know it feels strange,
Mei-Mei,
but I promise,
nobody will notice a thing.
Thank you
for your concern, Mother.
But I'll be fine.
Well, here's your lunch.
I packed extra snacks.
And herbal tea. For cramps.
It helps relax your...
I got it. Thank you. Bye.
Let's go, Beavers!
Let's go!
Hey, Mei.
Hey, girlfriends.
What is up?
Uh, what's with the tuque?
Uh... Bad hair day.
Did you, like,
work out this morning?
I got you, girl.
-Mei, we gotta talk.
-Okay.
Tyler's been telling everyone
-about the Daisy Mart.
-What?
He said
your mom went nuts.
And that you're
kind of a perv.
I am not a...
Tyler is an insecure jerkwad.
Words were exchanged.
Slightly uncomfortable secrets
were revealed.
End of story...
Uh, Mei?
Why are you staring
at Carter Murphy-Mayhew?
I wasn't.
No!
Tyler keeps putting these up.
Knock it off, butthead.
Not funny, Tyler!
Devon, my precious manly man.
I banish you.
- Literally go away!
- Begone!
I'm gonna kill him!
What is wrong with you?
Oh, yeah? Yeah?
You wanna do this?
Leave her alone!
You want
a piece of me, huh? Come here!
Smell you later, dorks.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Get out of here, dude.
Gotta go.
-Uh, see you at lunch.
-Mei?
What's with her?
What's with your face?
What is with you?
You're being weird.
I'm just really excited
about math.
All right, guys.
The quadratic formula.
Let the fun begin.
Who can tell me
how the formula begins?
X equals...
What a surprise, no one.
Okay, listen up.
X equals negative B,
plus or minus,
don't forget that plus
or minus, or I promise you,
you will live to regret it.
No. No. No.
- Hi. Uh, ma'am?
- This isn't happening.
-Hi!
-My child goes to this school.
Why don't you come
to the front office?
-I'm sure that someone can...
-Keep your...
Ow!
I pay my taxes.
Whoa, what is that?
All right, all right,
settle down, little goblins.
- Stop it!
- Whoa!
Mei-Mei!
-No. Please, no.
-Mei-Mei, help!
Mei-Mei, tell him it's me!
Mei-Mei!
I will report you
for trespassing.
Tell him it's Mommy!
Mei-Mei!
Tell him you forgot your pads!
Mei-Mei.
Come back!
O-M-G!
Hey, I gotta go!
Open up!
Mei-Mei! Stop!
Jin. Jin, get home now.
There's been an emergency.
Is it the woman thing?
No! Another one.
It's so good.
Run!
It's a monster!
Awooga!
Huh?
Uh-oh.
Mei-Mei.
Mei-Mei.
Gotta get home! Gotta hide!
Mei-Mei.
Mei-Mei.
Mei-Mei!
Oh!
Mei-Mei!
Mei-Mei?
Don't look at me! Stay back!
Sweetie,
it's okay. Mommy is here.
What's happening to me?
What is it? What... What...
It's happened already?
What did you say?
Ming?
It's time.
As you know,
our ancestor, Sun Yee,
had a mystical connection
with red pandas.
In fact,
she loved them so much
that she asked the gods
to turn her into one.
It was wartime.
The men were all gone.
Sun Yee
was desperate for a way
to protect herself
and her daughters.
Then one night,
during a red moon,
the gods granted her wish.
They gave her the ability
to harness her emotions
to transform into a powerful,
mystical beast.
She was able
to fend off bandits,
protect her village,
and save her family from ruin.
Sun Yee passed this gift
to her daughters,
for when they came of age.
And they passed it to theirs.
But over time,
our family chose
to come to a new world.
And what was a blessing
became...
an inconvenience.
Are you serious?
- No!
- Mei-Mei, no!
- It's a curse!
- She meant it as a blessing.
You cursed us!
It's all your fault!
Mei-Mei, stop!
Listen to me. Listen!
There's a cure!
Really? How do you know?
Because it happened to me.
Why didn't you warn me?
I thought I had more time!
You're just a child.
I thought, if I watched you
like a hawk,
I'd see the signs
and be able to prepare.
But it's going to be fine.
I overcame it
and you will too.
On the next red moon,
you'll undergo a ritual
that will seal
your red panda spirit
into one of these.
And then
you'll be cured for good.
Just like me.
But any strong emotion
will release the panda.
And the more you release it,
the more difficult
the ritual will be.
There is a darkness
to the panda, Mei-Mei.
You only have
one chance to banish it,
and you cannot fail.
Otherwise,
you'll never be free.
Let's see, the next red moon
will be the 25th.
That's a whole month away.
We'll wait it out together.
And I'll be with you
every step of the way.
Not bad.
I saved Wilfred.
Thanks, Dad.
It's only temporary, Mei-Mei.
This way, we won't worry about
any more accidents. Hmm?
Sleep tight.
Red is a lucky color.
This is awful.
What are we gonna do?
Don't worry.
We'll get through this.
No one
can see her like this.
I never wanted this for her.
Did you see
how she was in the temple?
Her eyes...
Please...
just...
go away.
No!
Why? Why?
Mei, it's us.
-Open up.
-Crud, no.
Guys, what are you doing?
Go away!
Are you okay?
Tap if you can hear us.
One for yes, two for no!
We were so worried.
We thought
you died of embarrassment.
You need more pads?
I brought extra.
Forget that.
4-Town's coming to Toronto!
What?
Hey!
It's okay, everybody be quiet!
Everybody, it's just me!
Shut up!
It's okay, it's me!
It's Mei!
Calm down, all right?
I'm gonna let go
and you're gonna be chill.
Got that?
Mmm-hmm.
Chill.
Mei?
Are you a werewolf?
No! What?
-She is a red panda!
-Sick.
You're so fluffy!
You're so fluffy!
-I've always wanted a tail.
-Priya, Abby, quit it.
Mei, what the heck happened?
It's just some, you know,
inconvenient, uh,
genetic thingy
I got from my mom.
I mean...
It'll go away.
Eventually.
Maybe.
Aw, Mei.
I hate this!
I'm slobby, I'm smelly.
My mom won't even look at me,
and now 4-Town?
When are they coming?
May 18th.
They just announced it.
The 18th?
There's no way
this will be gone by then.
Just go.
Go become women without me.
Mei. It's gonna be okay.
No, it's not. I'm a freak.
Just...
Just leave me alone.
Mmm. Yeah.
Mmm. Let's go.
Mmm.
Yeah. Mmm.
-Let's go.
-I've never met
nobody like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody
Like you
You're never not on my mind?
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right!
-Yeah! Whoo!
-Go, Mei!
- Thanks, guys.
- You're the best.
-Aw, we love you, Mei.
-You're our girl.
Yeah. No matter what.
Panda or no panda.
Whoa.
-Mei!
-You're you!
And you look amazing!
Red looks so good on you.
Is it gone?
For now.
But if I get too excited,
it'll come right back... Ow!
Abby, what the heck?
Huh?
Something feels different.
Abby, hit me.
Ow.
Oh, my gosh!
I stayed calm.
Something about you guys,
like, neutralizes the panda.
Aw! It's our love.
We're like a warm
and fuzzy blanket.
Yeah.
This means
I can have my room back.
I can
have my life back!
No. Even better.
You can come with us
to 4-Town!
Yeah!
This could be our only chance
to see them together.
We're all asking
our parents tonight.
We're making our stand.
Yeah. You in or you out?
But I can't ask my mom.
I'm a furry ticking time bomb!
Of awesomeness!
And now you can control it!
So just prove it to her,
and she's gotta let you go!
Mei-Mei?
Crap! You guys better go.
-But...
-No "buts," Mir.
My mom
already doesn't like you.
Wait, she doesn't?
I'll call you, I promise.
- We love you, Mei.
- Hang in there, girl.
Everything okay?
I thought I heard...
Mom, I think
I've made a breakthrough.
Ready.
Deforestation.
Sad orangutan.
Mmm!
Your second place
spelling bee trophy.
The important thing
is you tried.
You spelled
your little butt off.
First place in our hearts.
What a shame.
So cute!
No. So fuzzy.
Must resist.
We love you, girl.
We love you, girl.
Panda or no panda.
How adorable.
Mei.
How is this possible?
What happened to your panda?
It's easy.
When I start to get emotional,
all I do is imagine the people
I love most
in the whole world.
Oh.
-Which is you guys.
-Oh.
Oh, Mei-Mei.
So, now that that's settled,
I just have one
teeny-tiny favor to ask.
No. Absolutely not.
What?
But this is
once in a lifetime.
Mei-Mei, it's one thing to
stay calm at home or school,
but a concert?
You'll get whipped up
into a frenzy
and panda all over the place.
I won't, I won't! I promise!
You saw me keep it in.
Ming, maybe
we should trust her.
It's them I don't trust.
Look at those
glittery delinquents
- with their...
- gyrations.
Why on earth
do you want to go so badly?
Chug! Chug! Chug!
Like I said,
I just want to broaden
my musical horizons.
This isn't music.
This is filth.
And it's not worth
jeopardizing your life over.
-Right, Jin?
-Uh...
See? Your father agrees.
No concert. And that's final.
Okay, well, thanks
for listening. Good night.
What was that?
Am I the only one
who sees the danger here?
There's no way
she could keep her panda in.
And $200? For what?
Who do they think they are?
Celine Dion?
Hmm. Unbelievable.
I saw that look.
Where did she get that from?
Treating her own mother
like that.
Hold on.
Ming, it's your mother.
I'm not here!
Mother. Hello.
How's everything in Florida?
Ming.
I know about Mei-Mei.
I was just about
to call you,
but everything's fine.
I'm gonna handle
the ritual on my own.
The way you "handled"
Mei-Mei being on the news?
No one knows anything.
They barely saw her.
I'm on my way.
With reinforcements.
No! I can handle it. I can...
Run!
Eyes on the balls, guys!
Be water! Be...
That presentation
was bomb-dot-com.
I cited all my sources.
I had sparklers.
And she still said no!
My parents said
I could go when I'm 30.
Mine called it stripper music.
What's wrong with that?
Mine said yes,
but I have to buy the ticket.
Who the heck's
got that kind of cash?
I know my mom's worried,
but sometimes she's just so...
- So...
- Wacko?
Ma'am! Please!
I'm sorry, Mrs. Lee!
I see you!
Little momma's girl.
No wonder Mei is such a loser.
Illegal throw!
You're out, Lee.
What? But, Mr. K, he...
Mei, chill.
Let's go, let's go.
Calm down, Mei.
Dude, keep it together.
I can't. We need
to see this concert.
Why doesn't my mom get that?
I never ask for anything.
My whole life
I've been her perfect
little Mei-Mei.
Temple duties, grades...
-Violin!
-Tap dancing.
Yeah. We've been so good.
If they don't trust us anyway,
then what's the point?
Wow! Who are you?
-I love it!
-Fight the power!
Yeah. Yeah.
This isn't just
our first concert.
This is our first step
into womanhood.
And we have to do it together.
I'm in, girl. We'll say
it's a sleepover at my house.
The perfect crime.
Yes! My mom will never know.
Now we just got to
raise the money for tickets.
Come on, girls, think!
Know what'll help me think?
-A little panda.
-Abby...
Come on, Mei.
It'll clear my mind.
Just a little hit!
It's so cute!
Ugh. Fine.
Mon amour.
Happy?
Oh, yeah. That's the stuff.
O-M-G.
Aah! Go away!
That was you in the bathroom!
I didn't imagine it!
-Yeah, you did.
-Get lost, Stacy.
But she's like a magical bear?
Red panda!
You are the cutest thing ever!
Come out, please?
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Please!
Wait. So, you like the panda?
Like it? I love it!
I'll give you anything! Money?
-My kidney!
-My soul.
- Yeah!
- Adorable!
You're so cute!
Is it on?
- Let's go!
- Yeah, panda!
-Fuel for domination.
-Money, money, money!
Stop hogging
and give me some!
Pass that over.
4-Town, here we come!
Stop! That's so gross.
Do it again.
All right, troops, listen up.
Operation 4-Town Shake Down
is about to commence.
The boys are coming
to the SkyDome May 18th.
Our goal, four tickets.
That's 800 bucks!
Step one,
neutralize the empress.
Mathletes?
Isn't it a little dangerous
to join an after-school
club now?
What's dangerous
is an academic record
with a lack
of extracurriculars.
Hmm... Huh.
Step two... Spread the word.
And step three...
hustle this panda
and squeeze
every last loonie
outta those kids.
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own, yeah
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
You ready?
Here we go
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
Louder
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
Give me one, two, three, four
You wanted it, you went for it
And, baby, you got it
I wanted it, I went for it
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
- Let's go.
- Yeah!
Did it on my...
- Oh, no, it's falling!
- Grab it!
Yeah, dude, let's go!
Push it, dude! Come on!
Come on, new guy,
just keep on going!
Come on, guys, keep going.
Check out Number 12.
He's got delts for days.
Forget that. I need lunch.
I'm starting to black out!
I think I'm getting
carpal tunnel.
No pain, no gain, Priya.
Come on, chop-chop!
Five, 10...
Girl, relax.
Yeah. We're doing our best.
It's not enough!
The concert's this Saturday
and we're still
a hundred short!
I knew
we should have charged
more for photos!
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Mei, breathe. It's in the bag.
But...
What's the point
of getting to the concert
if you're too exhausted
to enjoy it?
Now, take a break and help me
appreciate some boys.
Okay, okay, okay.
Hey, what's up?
- Mei!
- Hey, Mei, what up?
-Looking good!
-Nice calves!
Are you a triangle?
'Cause you acute!
You guys are so weird.
-Hey!
-Are you spying on us?
I wanna talk to you, Lee.
-Forget it.
-Fine.
Wonder if your mom knows
her precious little Mei-Mei
has been flaunting the panda
all over school.
That's none of your business!
One more step and
I'm telling her everything.
Now, put that thing away
and hear me out.
What do you want?
I wanna throw a sick
birthday party. An epic one.
It's this Friday.
If you're there,
everyone will come.
Simple as that.
A party?
Look, I've done you a favor
keeping my mouth shut.
All I'm asking for
is one back.
Hmm.
I'll do it.
But it'll cost you one...
No. Two hundred bucks.
Okay.
Uh, hold, please.
Are you serious?
You can't trust him.
It's a trap!
This sounds like
a boy-girl party.
Are we allowed
to boy-girl parties?
Guys! Two hundred bucks
will put us over the top!
We have to do this.
We'll meet at Tyler's,
I'll do my thing,
and then we'll bounce.
Easy-peasy.
Dude, what about your mom?
Forget my mom.
I'll be back before
she even knows I'm gone.
-But...
-Hey, dorkbag.
We're in. But you only
get the panda for an hour.
And we are not
bringing any presents.
Deal.
Okay, I'm heading off
to mathletes. See you later!
Wait, what about dinner?
I made all your favorites.
Thanks,
but Miriam's dad is, uh,
ordering pizza.
Save me leftovers?
-What if I come with you?
-Wha...
What are you doing?
Linear equations? Geometry?
I have a double-jointed elbow!
Look! I can make
a perfect circle!
Wow! Yeah, but it'll be
super boring.
Wouldn't you
rather hang with Dad?
Oh.
Let's get my flashcards.
- But...
- Hmm.
I was mathletes champ
-in grade 8, you know?
-Uh-huh.
They called me
the "Uncommon Denominator."
Cool. Oh, uh,
Jade Palace is on tonight.
-Can't miss that, right?
-Now, who's the weak link?
Priya and Abby
seem bright enough, but...
Oh, and traffic's a nightmare.
I can just
take the streetcar...
- you stay and rest.
- Miriam...
I mean, she's a nice girl,
but maybe
she's slowing you down.
Oh, Mom, you really
don't have to come.
Don't be silly.
We're already on the way.
But I don't want you to!
Chop-chop, everyone.
Don't dawdle.
Hurry up.
Oh! What...
Hey, cuz! Surprise!
Aunties?
What are you doing here?
The ritual, silly.
-She's lost weight.
-No, no, she gained weight.
-She looks like her mother.
-She looks like her father.
Ladies.
Mother.
Hey, Grandma.
Poor dear.
It must be so difficult
keeping that
unruly beast at bay.
Your family is here now,
Mei-Mei.
And we will take care
of everything.
Everybody clap your hands
Clap, clap, clap,
clap your hands
All right, now, we gonna do
the basic step...
Where is she?
Who's up for some Boggle?
Eat. You need
your strength for the ritual.
Thank you, aunties.
Your hair is so thick,
like a pelt.
What a surprise
that you all came so early.
You need all the help
you can get, Ming.
So, Mei-Mei,
you've been managing
to keep the panda in?
- Yep. Totally.
- Really?
What's that, Lily?
Well, it's a little hard
to believe
that Mei-Mei
could control such a beast.
She's just a child.
It's true.
And if Mei-Mei's panda
is anything like Ming's...
Mei-Mei's better
than any of us
at controlling the panda.
She passed every trigger test.
Even the kitten box.
- Oh!
- Oh, my goodness!
-That's unbelievable.
-Impressive.
She just thinks
of my love for her,
and it gives her the strength
to stay calm.
Exactly.
- Aw.
- How sweet.
How sweet.
Anyway,
thanks for all the gifts,
but I think I'll go
to bed early.
Keeping that animal
locked down
sure takes a lot of energy.
Okay, sweetie. Get some rest.
Night, everyone.
- Good night, Mei-Mei.
- Sleep well.
- Get some beauty rest.
- Get some rest.
Oh!
Mei-Mei, can I have a word
with you?
Uh, sure. What's up?
I found this.
Strange for a girl
who hasn't let her panda out.
It's, uh...
It's not mine.
Mei-Mei,
I know what you're doing.
I know how hard it is
to keep the beast in.
It feels so good
to let it out. So free.
But each time you do,
the stronger it gets.
And then you'll be
bound to it forever,
and the ritual will fail.
Has that ever happened?
It cannot happen.
Your mother and I
were close once,
but the red panda
took that away.
I couldn't bear to see
that happen to you.
So, no more panda.
You are your mother's
whole world, Mei-Mei.
I know you'll do what's right.
Uh-uh. Mmm. Mmm!
-Uh, worm.
-Uh... Octopus!
-Spaghetti?
-Killer robot!
Mortality.
Hmm. Nice.
This sucks.
-Let's bail.
-Just wait. She'll be here.
I knew she'd flake.
Panda girl!
- It's Mei!
- Thank Cthulhu.
Ugh. About time.
Yo! What up, peeps?
What are you wearing?
Hey, Tyler. Happy birthday.
I'm paying for the red panda,
not this garbage! Deal's off!
Wait! Can garbage do this?
Uh-huh.
Or this? Stir the porridge.
Come on, guys!
Stir the porridge.
Are you feeling okay?
Guys, it's hard
to explain, but just, hmm...
Just trust me on this.
I can't panda anymore.
I'm sorry.
Okay, okay, okay. It's fine.
You don't have to do it.
We'll just, uh,
figure something...
I won't go.
What? Priya, you can't not go.
Jesse's your soul mate.
But we only have enough
-for three tickets.
-Then I'll stay home.
Abby, no! I'll stay home.
Guys, if we can't all go,
then none of us should go.
Right?
Just one last time.
Hey, Tyler!
You want the panda?
You're getting the panda.
Let's hear it
for the birthday boy!
Yes!
Go, Tyler! Go, Tyler!
-Go, go, go, Tyler!
-Yeah!
Okay!
Yeah! Get it, girl!
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Oh, yeah!
Faster! Faster! Whoo!
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
Yeah!
You sure
the hotel's all right?
It'll do.
At least breakfast is free.
Get some rest. You look tired.
Good night, cuz.
Try that tea.
- Good night, Ming.
- Good night.
Ming, this is a critical time.
Mei-Mei needs a strong hand,
now more than ever.
Don't let her
out of your sight.
I won't, Mother.
Hmm. Oh.
Oh.
Oh, no.
"Fur baby"?
Oh!
What?
What...
Mei-Mei. What is all...
Yeah! We did it!
We are seeing 4-Town!
- Whoo!
- Yes.
Hey,
has anyone seen Mei?
Dang. He is working you.
What a diva!
It'll all be worth it.
Tomorrow, we are walking
into that concert girls
and coming out women.
Literally goosebumps.
Hmm. What do you think
Jesse smells like?
Milk chocolate and wet rocks.
Wow!
So manly.
Oh, yes!
It's happening,
Robaire Junior!
You're finally gonna
meet your daddy!
And your hot uncles!
What? It's true.
Mei, what if you
didn't do the ritual?
What if you kept the panda?
-What?
-Look at you!
You're not the same
feather-dustin',
straight-A, goody-goody...
Who we never saw, like, ever.
-Yeah.
-You're such a rebel now.
Guys, I can't be
like this forever.
My whole family would freak.
Especially my mom.
All her hopes and dreams
are pinned on me.
I know.
But you've really changed
and I'm proud of you.
Just don't get rid
of all of it, you know?
Yeah. If it weren't for you,
none of this
would be happening.
-You the bomb!
-Word. You da bomb, Mei.
No, you da bomb.
We all da bomb!
Yes. Yes. Yes!
We da bomb!
- 4-Town, here we come!
- Robaire, I love you!
We're coming for you!
We are women!
- We are women!
- We are hot!
All right,
homies, next up is 4-Town.
The boys are coming
to Toronto on the 25th!
So get your tickets now.
And check it, they'll be
cranking open the SkyDome
and performing under
a red lunar eclipse.
It's gonna be galactic,
for sure.
Abby...
you said the concert
was the 18th.
It is! He's wrong!
Look! The 18th, Toronto!
Uh...
This says Toledo.
What?
Toledo?
What the heck is Toledo?
-Oh, no.
-What?
4-Town's the same night
as the ritual?
No!
The same night?
The same night? What?
-Mei, chill.
-It's okay.
No, it isn't!
I can't miss 4-Town!
We worked so hard!
But the ritual.
I'll let everyone down!
- No, no, no!
- Hey, Panda Girl.
What are you doing?
We want more rides.
Buzz off, jerkface. I'm busy.
Oh, snap!
You gonna take that, Tyler?
You want your money?
Then get your butt
down here now!
Forget your money,
and forget you!
Mei! Let's just go.
What about our deal?
Shove your deal!
Fine! Get out of here!
Go back to your psycho mom
and your creepy temple,
you freak!
Mei, no!
Take it back!
Don't talk about my family
like that!
-You're hurting him!
-Mei!
- Mei-Mei, stop!
- I hate you! I hate...
What is going on here?
I'm sorry.
Just get off of me. Please.
I cannot believe
you would
let your daughter do this!
Do you understand
what she did to my boy?
I am so sorry.
She's never done
anything like this before.
I don't know
what came over her.
I don't want to hear
your apologies, okay?
-I'm sorry again.
-She is an animal!
All right, party's over!
Everyone, go home!
I can't believe you girls
would use her like this!
-What?
-But we didn't.
No, we'd never.
-What?
-I knew you were trouble.
Putting all these thoughts
into Mei-Mei's head,
parading her around.
Now she's lying, sneaking out.
She attacked
a defenseless boy.
You think this is a joke?
Do you know
how dangerous this is?
We didn't mean to,
we just wanted to see 4-Town.
4-Town! You manipulated her
for a bunch
of tacky delinquents?
-No! She wanted to...
-Don't you blame her.
She is a good girl,
and you've taken
advantage of her.
Mei, tell her.
- What?
- Dude!
Come on, Mei-Mei.
Let's go.
Will call that way.
All righty,
general admission, eh?
How many tickets?
Three, please.
What is that?
Um, I think it's coming
from the SkyDome, Mother.
Four is the worst number.
You know,
Vivian was due on the fourth,
but I held her
in until the fifth...
Quiet, Lily.
Hurry up, everyone.
It's almost time
to start the ritual.
Nervous, Mei-Mei?
-A little.
-Oh, well,
I've got 50 years' experience
as a shaman.
This will be a piece of cake.
And mostly painless.
Thanks, Mr. Gao.
Wait, "mostly"?
Long ago, the spirits
blessed the women
of our family
with a great challenge.
Mei-Mei, tonight is your turn.
Like all the women
around this table,
you too will banish
the beast within
and finally become
your true self.
May Sun Yee guide you
and keep you safe.
- Hear, hear!
- That's right.
Don't blow it.
Uh... It's almost time.
The red moon
is about to begin.
Mei-Mei, go get ready.
Yes, Mother.
Oh, where are the instruments?
It's so amazing!
-Hmm. Huh?
-Jin!
-Help clear the table!
-Uh-huh.
Uh...
Oh!
Is it on?
4-Town, here we come!
Huh.
That's so gross.
Hmm.
Did it on my own
I hate you!
Come in.
Hey, Dad.
I... I'm almost ready.
Did you make this?
Here, I'll erase it.
What? We were
just being stupid.
The panda's dangerous,
outta control.
Huh. You sound
like your mother.
What has she told you
about her panda?
Nothing.
She won't talk about it.
It was quite destructive.
And big.
She almost took out
half the temple.
You... You saw it?
Only once.
She and your grandma
had a terrible fight.
Over what?
Your grandma
didn't approve of me.
But you should've seen
your mom.
She was incredible.
But I'm a monster.
People have all kinds
of sides to them, Mei.
And some sides are messy.
The point isn't to push
the bad stuff away,
it's to make room for it,
live with it.
Mei, erase it if you want,
but this side of you...
made me laugh.
Dude, you're crazy!
Come here!
Mei-Mei.
It's time.
Just follow my directions
and breathe.
Now don't move
from the circle.
You understand?
For as long
as the red moon shines,
the astral realm will be open.
And this circle is the door.
What are they saying?
The door will open only if we
sing from our hearts.
It doesn't matter what.
I like Tony Bennett,
but your grandma, uh,
she's from old school.
Now, focus on their voices.
Let them guide you.
Oh, Sun Yee, revered ancestor,
hear us now.
Guide this girl
through her inner storm.
Louder! Louder!
And return
the red panda spirit
from where it came!
Sun Yee.
You can do it. Keep going!
No!
What happened?
-What was that?
-Mei-Mei...
Is everyone okay?
Oh, my goodness,
I can't...
Mei-Mei.
It's okay. We can do it again.
Mei-Mei?
I'm keeping it.
- What did she say?
- Keeping it?
I'm keeping it!
- Oh, no!
- Mei-Mei!
Stop her!
-What are you doing?
-Stop, Mei-Mei!
- Don't let her go!
- No!
- Let go!
- What has come over you?
Stop!
Get a hold of her!
- Mei-Mei! Stop!
- Don't do this!
Mei-Mei!
No!
I'm going to the concert!
- Get back here!
- Mei-Mei! Stop!
- A concert?
- No!
This is a disaster.
Unbelievable. Ming!
Too good to be true.
How could you let this happen?
She's out of control!
Ming, it's okay.
Ming! Ming!
Answer me!
What are we going to do
about this?
How could she?
How could she do this to...
her own mother?
Ming?
Mei-Mei!
Excuse me!
Whoo! Yeah!
4-Town!
-Mei!
-Mei!
-You're here!
-What are you doing here?
I couldn't do it.
The panda's a part of me,
and you guys are too.
Mei, you threw us
under the bus.
I know and I'm sorry.
I've been, like, obsessed
with my mom's approval
my whole life.
I couldn't take losing it,
but losing you guys
feels even worse.
Well, too bad.
'Cause you did.
Robaire Junior?
She's been
taking care of him 24/7.
No.
And singing him lullabies
every night!
No, no, no, I haven't.
They're lying.
Here.
Found him at Tyler's.
4-Town forever?
4-Town forever.
-4-Town forever.
-4-Town forever!
Tyler?
No! Tyler? Who's Tyler?
I don't know a...
You are a 4-Townie?
No! Stop!
- No way!
- Yeah!
Welcome to the sisterhood!
Whatever, dorks.
Cut it out!
Your mom
must have gone nuclear.
Who cares?
What's she gonna do?
Ground me?
4-Town! 4-Town! 4-Town!
4-Town! 4-Town!
Let's go!
Is it starting? It's starting!
Guys, hold me.
Four, three, two, one!
Are you ready?
Oh, my gosh!
Yeah! Z!
I love you, man!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yes! Jesse!
Toronto! Who knows what's up?
Yes!
You want it?
I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
Give me one, two, three, four
You wanted it
You went for it
And, baby, you got it
I wanted it
I went for it
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
Mei-Mei!
No way!
Is this part of the show?
Is this special effects?
Help! Help!
Mei-Mei!
Where are you?
Mom?
Mei-Mei!
-I want a refund.
-What's her problem?
Mei!
It was just getting good!
This isn't cool.
- Mei! Mei!
- Dad?
We have to save your mother!
She's gone loco!
Mei, we have to do
the ritual again.
What happened? She's huge!
I told you she was big!
That big?
Mei-Mei!
Ming!
She's your daughter!
Mei!
-Let her go!
-Don't hurt her!
You are in big trouble,
young lady!
Mom! Let go!
I'm shutting this down,
right now!
Everyone, go home!
Where are your parents?
Put some clothes on!
This isn't you!
This is me!
- Mei-Mei!
- Mei! Are you hurt?
I'm not your little
Mei-Mei anymore!
I lied, Mom!
What?
It was my idea
to hustle the panda.
My idea
to go to Tyler's party!
It was all me!
I like boys!
I like loud music!
I like gyrating!
I'm 13! Deal with it!
The ritual.
Everyone in position.
Mei-Mei, keep her busy.
Oh, I'll keep her busy.
Where's Jin? Jin!
Mei!
Keep her in the circle!
Get back here!
Make me!
You think
you're so mature!
Lying to me!
Blaming me!
How could you be so, so...
crass?
Oh!
That's nothing!
You wanna see crass?
-What are you doing?
-You like that? Yes!
-Stop moving like that!
-What's wrong?
-Is this bothering you?
-Stop it!
Yeah, Mei!
Destroy her
with your big butt!
Yeah! Go, go, go!
Start singing now!
Ladies!
Stop!
Sing louder!
We're trying.
- Stop it!
- Let's get out of here!
Come on!
-Huh? Take it, Mom! Take it!
-No!
Stop it! Stop!
All I wanted...
...was to go to a concert!
I never went to concerts!
I put my family first!
I tried to be a good daughter!
Well, sorry I'm not perfect!
Sorry I'm not good enough!
And sorry
I'll never be like you!
Oh, no!
Mom... Mom!
No!
Mom!
You have to get in the circle!
Wake up!
I'm sorry!
Mom? Come on.
Please!
Sun Yee, give me strength.
- Pull, Mei-Mei!
- Grandma?
I am not losing my daughter.
Don't just stand there!
Make room
for your elders, Mei-Mei!
- What?
- We're with you!
But what are you doing?
What if you can't turn back?
- Your mom needs us!
- She's family!
Less talking, more pulling!
-This fur is so itchy!
-Quiet, Lily!
Louder!
Sing from the heart!
Louder!
The circle isn't working!
-Never met nobody
-Nobody
Never met, never met,
never met
Like
You
Get up
I never met nobody
Like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody like you
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be
your ride or die
All right!
Huh?
Mom? Mom!
Mom? Are you okay?
We have to...
Mom?
I'm sorry. It's all my fault.
What happened?
I... I hurt her.
Who?
My mom!
I got so angry,
and I lost control.
I'm just so sick
of being perfect!
I'm never gonna be
good enough for her.
Or anyone.
I know it feels that way.
Like, all the time.
But... it isn't true.
Come on.
Really? I could explode
at any moment.
-We have to find them.
-Where are they?
- Finally.
- Hurry, hurry!
Where have you been?
Come on!
- Let's get the lead out!
- Ladies.
- I'm sorry.
- Shh!
You don't have to apologize.
I'm your mother.
May Sun Yee guide you
and keep you safe.
One at a time, ladies.
And quickly.
That's it?
Mei-Mei's keeping the panda?
It's her life. Now move.
Go ahead. It's okay.
No.
Mei-Mei, please.
Just come with me.
I'm changing, Mom.
I'm finally figuring out
who I am.
But...
I'm scared it'll take me away
from you.
Me too.
I see you, Mei-Mei.
You try to make
everyone happy,
but are so hard on yourself.
And if I taught you that...
I'm sorry.
So, don't hold back.
For anyone.
The farther you go,
the prouder I'll be.
I'm not going
to regret this, am I?
I'm Meilin Lee,
and ever since I turned 13,
life's been a lot.
People still talk about
Pandapocalypse 2002.
Mom and I just call it...
growing pains.
This thing's hungry
all the time.
Eat up, little one.
Oh, you're so hungry.
-Munch, munch, munch.
-What?
Mr. Gao had to put
her panda in something.
You should see Grandma's.
Hmph! So unlucky.
You ready?
Let's do this.
-Hello! Welcome to our temple!
-What up, Toronto!
-Get in here!
-Yes, come on in.
And things at the temple
have never been better.
O-M-G! That looks so cute!
Our temple
is the oldest in Toronto.
And the only one that's home
to the great red panda.
Say "bamboo leaves!"
- Bamboo leaves!
- Mei!
-Hey!
-Guys!
- What's up?
- Bring it in!
Ready to get your karaoke on?
Totally.
Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!
Hold on. You're not
going out like that, are you?
My panda,
my choice, Mom.
I'll be back
before dinner, okay?
Fine. Oh, um...
You're welcome to join us.
For Mr. Lee's cooking?
-Uh, yeah!
-We're so there.
Don't load up on junk.
Thanks for covering
for me, Dad.
Have fun!
And I'll beatbox.
And I can bleach my hair, too.
And, yeah...
sometimes I miss
how things were,
but nothing stays
the same forever.
O-M-G! I'm so excited
for the new album.
We've all got an inner beast.
We've all got
a messy, loud,
weird part of ourselves
hidden away.
And a lot of us
never let it out.
But I did.
How about you?
Oh, yeah
I've never met nobody like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody like you
Yeah
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right
Let's call it what it is
It's a masterpiece
Got a whole lotta love
for them city streets
Tonight is the place to be
Got a big boom box
and a new CD
-Come on!
-Everybody, let's tear it up
If you want mad skills
You can share with us
Everybody just stop and stare
And you know why, it's me
Robaire
Woo!
Unh!
Let's go!
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right
Like you
Like you
Like you
Like you, like you
Like you
Like you
Like you, like you
I've never met nobody like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody like you
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right
Ooh
Yeah
Yeah
Heavy rain from my cloudy eye
Every time you say
That it isn't why
I used to call you babe
But you're the light
of my life
I drove by your house
29 times today
And nobody else
could make me feel this way
Nobody else
Nobody else, nobody
'Cause you've opened my eyes
and stolen my heart
You make me believe
that love can be hard
And I can never survive
a minute apart
You are my one true love
My one true love
My heaven above
My one true love
Heavy rain on a Saturday
When you said my name
in the saddest way
Nothing numbs the pain
You're still the light
of my life
I drove by your house
10,000 times last year
Nobody else
wanted to dry my tears
Nobody else
Nobody else, nobody else
'Cause you've opened my eyes
and stolen my heart
You make me believe
that love can be hard
And I can never survive
a minute apart
You are my one true love
My one true love
My heaven above
My one true love
Yeah
Yeah
Nobody else
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
You wanted it, you went for it
-And baby, you got it
-You know what's up
You wanted it, you went for it
You know it's us, yeah
I'm gonna make it all the way
Just watch me
I'm gonna hustle every day
Ooh-oh
I'm making paper
like it's origami
I only came to win the game
Can't stop me
You wanted it, you went for it
And baby, you got it
I wanted it, I went for it
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
Ladies and gentlemen,
listen up.
I'm gonna ask you
a few questions,
and I just want you
to be honest with me.
You want those shoes?
You want that shirt?
You want that car?
You want that purse?
I'm gonna need you
to convince me.
You ready? Here we go.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
Louder.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
Gimme one, two, three, four...
You wanted it, you went for it
And baby, you got it
I wanted it, I went for it
And baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
Yeah
Whoo!
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
You wanted it, you went for it
-And baby, you got it
-You know what's up
You wanted it, you went for it
You know it's us, yeah
All right, all right
Whoo!
Dad?
Dad?
Have you seen my CD?
The number one rule
in my family?
Honor your parents.
They're the supreme beings
who gave you life
who sweated
and sacrificed so much
to put a roof
over your head,
food on your plate,
an epic amount of food.
The least you can do
in return is
every single thing
they ask.
'Course some people are like,
"Be careful.
"Honoring your parents
sounds great,
"but if you take it too far,
"well, you might forget
to honor yourself."
Luckily,
I don't have that problem.
I'm Meilin Lee.
And ever since I turned 13,
I've been doing my own thing.
Making my own moves,
24/7, 365.
I wear what I want,
say what I want
and I will not
hesitate to do
a spontaneous cartwheel
if I feel so moved.
Oh, crap!
Not to brag,
but being 13 means
I'm officially a grown-up.
At least according to the
Toronto Transit Commission.
Good for you.
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
All about that hustle,
am I right?
Besties, assemble!
-Miriam!
-Hmm?
Hey!
Priya!
Yo.
Abby!
Yeah. What's up, Mei?
Ready to change the world?
So ready.
I was born to do this.
Let's burn this place
to the ground!
Y equals negative four.
Manitoba,
Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
I know, it's a lot...
But this is grade eight.
I don't got time
to mess around.
I guess you could call me...
A very enterprising,
mildly annoying young lady.
A major weirdo.
An overachieving dork-narc.
I accept
and embrace all labels.
-Oops.
-Hey!
-Aah!
-Oh, you're dead!
Coming through!
Move, please!
Share the sidewalk, people!
Anyway, who cares what stupid,
evil Tyler
or anyone else thinks?
This is gonna be my year.
Mei, Mei, Mei,
come see this!
And nothing's gonna stop
this train from...
Shh. Come on, come on!
- Get your butt over here!
- Go, go, go.
Come on, come on.
Mei, Mei, fast!
- Shut up!
- Shh!
-Huh?
-Mmm-hmm!
-Uh...
-Mmm.
Devon.
My mom cuts his hair
at the salon,
and I felt it. It's very soft.
Whoa. Can I have some?
Yeah, Abby, hook a sister up.
Ugh!
He looks like a hobo.
A hot hobo.
May I remind you
what real men look like?
4-Town!
Yes! 4-Town!
Jesse went to art school.
Tae Young fosters
injured doves.
Robaire speaks French.
Hey!
And Aaron T. and Aaron Z.
are, like,
really talented, too.
- We are 4-Townies, remember?
- Ride or die!
Yeah, but tickets
to 4-Town are, like,
a bajillion dollars,
and Devon's right here.
And free!
Ah, fudgesicles! I gotta go.
Wait! We're going
karaokeing today.
-Yeah!
-Come with us.
Please.
- Please.
- I...
can't. It's cleaning day.
Mei, every day
is cleaning day.
Can't you just
get one afternoon off?
But I like cleaning.
Plus,
I got this new feather duster
and, oh, my gosh, you guys,
it picks up so much dirt,
it's bananas!
Fine. I'll let you go.
If you can pass the gauntlet.
-Come on. Uh! Oh.
-Mir, not now...
You can't resist it.
Come on.
You know you want to.
Here we go.
You're never not on my mind
-Oh, my, oh, my
-Oh, yeah, oh, my
I'm never not by your side,
your side
Yeah.
Your side
- Peace sign.
- All right!
Yeah! Go, Mei!
- See, that was good!
- That was dope!
You passed.
And here is your reward.
Ninety-nine Australian tour,
with the Girl I Love
Your Jeans remix.
O-M-G, Mir!
I'll guard it with my life!
Oh, thank you,
thank you, thank you!
4-Town 4-ever!
4-ever!
We'll karaoke another time,
I promise!
Okay, sure, Mei!
It'll be on me.
The snacks, the tunes...
-Whoo!
-You're my jam, girl.
She's so brainwashed.
Crud, crud, crud.
Okay.
Excuse me.
I know what it looks like.
I am my own person.
But that doesn't mean
doing whatever I want.
-Hello, Meilin.
-Hey, how's it going?
Thank you, Meilin!
Like most adults,
I have responsibilities.
Hey, Bart. Hey, Lisa.
-Hello, Meilin.
-'Sup?
Still down for a rematch,
Mr. Gao?
Bring it, Lee!
What a good girl.
It's not all about me,
you know?
I do make my own moves,
it's just that...
...some of my moves
are also hers.
Mei-Mei, there you are.
-Hey, Mom...
-You're ten minutes late.
What happened? Are you hurt?
Are you hungry?
Um...
How was school today?
Killed it per usual.
Check it out.
Oh. That's my little scholar.
Today, honor student,
tomorrow,
UN Secretary General.
The ancestors
would be so proud.
Sun Yee, revered ancestor,
guardian of the red pandas.
We humbly thank you
for protecting and guiding us.
Especially Mei-Mei.
May we continue
to serve and honor you
and this community.
Always.
-You ready?
-Let's do this.
Have fun
getting that off.
Shoo-shoo! You vandals!
Oh, snap!
They're coming!
- You good-for-nothing hosers!
- Go, go, go!
I'm telling your mothers!
Our family runs
one of the oldest temples
in Toronto.
And the most unique.
Instead of honoring a god,
we honor our ancestors.
And not just the dudes either.
Our most revered ancestor,
Sun Yee,
was a scholar, poet,
and defender of animals.
She dedicated her life to
the creatures of the forest.
Especially the red panda.
- Ta-da!
- Ooh!
Which she loved
for its fiery coat
and mischievous nature.
Ever since, the red panda
has blessed our family
with good fortune
and prosperity...
And it can bless yours, too!
- Bye-bye!
- See you next time!
Thanks for coming.
- Give me five.
- Yeah.
-Come on. Dad's making dinner.
-Ooh.
Mmm.
Huh? Uh...
He should have listened
to his mother
and married Ling-Yi.
Totally.
Siu-Jyu is so two-faced.
She's just using him
to get to the throne.
She'll probably stab him
on their wedding night.
Mmm-hmm.
Hmm?
Mmm. Hmm!
-Perfect.
-Yes!
You've heard their hits,
you've seen their moves.
And now, you get
to experience them live!
The worldwide
pop sensation 4-Town
will be kicking off
their North American tour!
Tickets on sale now.
Oh, my gosh!
Who are these hip-hoppers?
And why are they called
"4-Town"
if there are five of them?
Uh... I don't know.
Some of the kids
at school like them.
You mean Miriam?
That girl is odd.
Dinner's ready.
I've never met nobody like you
You're never not on my mind
Oh my, oh my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'm gonna be your ride or die
All right
Hmm. Kinda looks like Devon.
I don't get
what Mir sees in him.
He's not that cute.
Okay, his shoulder's, like,
kind of nice, I guess.
His eyes are... fine.
Mei-Mei.
Ow! Ah!
Do you want a snack?
Cool, great, thanks.
Don't look at the notebook,
don't look
at the notebook, don't!
No!
Oh.
-Is this your homework?
-Mom...
-Don't!
-Oh, my. What... What is...
-Do not.
-Huh? What?
-Mom.
-Oh! Oh.
Huh? Huh?
Mei-Mei, what is this?
It's nothing. Just a boy.
He's no one.
A boy?
Who is he?
Did he do these things to you?
No! It's just made up, Mom!
It's not real.
That hat.
Is that the sketchy clerk
from the Daisy Mart?
Mom, no!
What are you doing?
No, no, no!
No, no, no!
Oh, snap!
Mom, no!
-You!
-Whoa!
What have you done
to my Mei-Mei?
Uh... Who?
Meilin Lee, right here.
I should report you
to the police.
How old are you? Thirty?
I'm seventeen.
Oh, see, see?
This is what happens
when you don't wear sunblock
and do drugs all day!
She's just a sweet,
innocent child.
How dare you
take advantage of her!
Mom! No!
What?
What a weirdo.
Look at her.
The Daisy Mart has lost
a loyal customer today.
Thank goodness I was here.
That degenerate
won't come near you again.
Now, is there anything else
I should know about, Mei-Mei?
Nope. All good.
You sicko!
What were you thinking?
Why would you
draw those things?
Those horrible, awful,
sexy things?
It's fine.
You'll move to another city,
change your identity.
Mommy, I'm so sorry.
You are her pride and joy,
so act like it!
This will never happen again.
No! No, no, no!
Mei-Mei...
are you up?
Breakfast is ready!
-Mmm.
-Hey! No sugar.
Coming!
Mmm. Porridge.
This isn't happening.
This isn't happening.
- Wake up, wake up, wake up!
- Mei-Mei,
is everything okay?
Don't come in here!
Mei-Mei, what's going on,
honey? Are you sick?
Is it a fever? A stomach ache?
Chills? Constipation?
No!
Wait. Is it...
that? Did the...
Did the red peony bloom?
No!
Maybe?
But it's too soon.
Don't worry, Mei-Mei.
I'll get everything you need.
Mommy's here.
Jin. Jin! It's happening!
Come on! Please!
- Mei-Mei, I'm coming.
- Crud.
-I'm coming.
-No!
It's going to be okay.
No, it's not!
Will you just get out?
Excuse me?
I didn't mean that.
I'm a gross red monster!
Stop it! Stop talking!
Mei-Mei,
I know this is upsetting,
but we are going
to get through this together.
I have ibuprofen, vitamin B,
a hot water bottle, and pads.
Regular, overnight, scented,
unscented, thin, ultrathin...
-Uh-huh. All right.
-...ultrathin with wings...
Awesome.
Just leave them by the sink.
Mei-Mei.
Perhaps we should talk
about why this is happening.
No! I mean, nah, it's okay.
You are a woman now.
And your body
- is starting to change.
- Mmm-hmm.
It's nothing to be
embarrassed about.
Mom, please!
You are now a beautiful,
strong flower.
No, no, no.
Who must protect
your delicate petals
and clean them regularly.
- Ming? Ming!
- My porridge.
Jin. Jin!
Jin, open a window!
Somebody call emergency!
I'll just go to sleep,
and when I wake up...
this will all be over.
What the...
Whoa.
Yes!
No!
Oh.
I'm calm.
Zen.
Yes.
Okay. No biggie.
You'll figure this out, Lee.
Just be the calm,
mature adult
you totally are.
You got this.
I know it feels strange,
Mei-Mei,
but I promise,
nobody will notice a thing.
Thank you
for your concern, Mother.
But I'll be fine.
Well, here's your lunch.
I packed extra snacks.
And herbal tea. For cramps.
It helps relax your...
I got it. Thank you. Bye.
Let's go, Beavers!
Let's go!
Hey, Mei.
Hey, girlfriends.
What is up?
Uh, what's with the tuque?
Uh... Bad hair day.
Did you, like,
work out this morning?
I got you, girl.
-Mei, we gotta talk.
-Okay.
Tyler's been telling everyone
-about the Daisy Mart.
-What?
He said
your mom went nuts.
And that you're
kind of a perv.
I am not a...
Tyler is an insecure jerkwad.
Words were exchanged.
Slightly uncomfortable secrets
were revealed.
End of story...
Uh, Mei?
Why are you staring
at Carter Murphy-Mayhew?
I wasn't.
No!
Tyler keeps putting these up.
Knock it off, butthead.
Not funny, Tyler!
Devon, my precious manly man.
I banish you.
- Literally go away!
- Begone!
I'm gonna kill him!
What is wrong with you?
Oh, yeah? Yeah?
You wanna do this?
Leave her alone!
You want
a piece of me, huh? Come here!
Smell you later, dorks.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Get out of here, dude.
Gotta go.
-Uh, see you at lunch.
-Mei?
What's with her?
What's with your face?
What is with you?
You're being weird.
I'm just really excited
about math.
All right, guys.
The quadratic formula.
Let the fun begin.
Who can tell me
how the formula begins?
X equals...
What a surprise, no one.
Okay, listen up.
X equals negative B,
plus or minus,
don't forget that plus
or minus, or I promise you,
you will live to regret it.
No. No. No.
- Hi. Uh, ma'am?
- This isn't happening.
-Hi!
-My child goes to this school.
Why don't you come
to the front office?
-I'm sure that someone can...
-Keep your...
Ow!
I pay my taxes.
Whoa, what is that?
All right, all right,
settle down, little goblins.
- Stop it!
- Whoa!
Mei-Mei!
-No. Please, no.
-Mei-Mei, help!
Mei-Mei, tell him it's me!
Mei-Mei!
I will report you
for trespassing.
Tell him it's Mommy!
Mei-Mei!
Tell him you forgot your pads!
Mei-Mei.
Come back!
O-M-G!
Hey, I gotta go!
Open up!
Mei-Mei! Stop!
Jin. Jin, get home now.
There's been an emergency.
Is it the woman thing?
No! Another one.
It's so good.
Run!
It's a monster!
Awooga!
Huh?
Uh-oh.
Mei-Mei.
Mei-Mei.
Gotta get home! Gotta hide!
Mei-Mei.
Mei-Mei.
Mei-Mei!
Oh!
Mei-Mei!
Mei-Mei?
Don't look at me! Stay back!
Sweetie,
it's okay. Mommy is here.
What's happening to me?
What is it? What... What...
It's happened already?
What did you say?
Ming?
It's time.
As you know,
our ancestor, Sun Yee,
had a mystical connection
with red pandas.
In fact,
she loved them so much
that she asked the gods
to turn her into one.
It was wartime.
The men were all gone.
Sun Yee
was desperate for a way
to protect herself
and her daughters.
Then one night,
during a red moon,
the gods granted her wish.
They gave her the ability
to harness her emotions
to transform into a powerful,
mystical beast.
She was able
to fend off bandits,
protect her village,
and save her family from ruin.
Sun Yee passed this gift
to her daughters,
for when they came of age.
And they passed it to theirs.
But over time,
our family chose
to come to a new world.
And what was a blessing
became...
an inconvenience.
Are you serious?
- No!
- Mei-Mei, no!
- It's a curse!
- She meant it as a blessing.
You cursed us!
It's all your fault!
Mei-Mei, stop!
Listen to me. Listen!
There's a cure!
Really? How do you know?
Because it happened to me.
Why didn't you warn me?
I thought I had more time!
You're just a child.
I thought, if I watched you
like a hawk,
I'd see the signs
and be able to prepare.
But it's going to be fine.
I overcame it
and you will too.
On the next red moon,
you'll undergo a ritual
that will seal
your red panda spirit
into one of these.
And then
you'll be cured for good.
Just like me.
But any strong emotion
will release the panda.
And the more you release it,
the more difficult
the ritual will be.
There is a darkness
to the panda, Mei-Mei.
You only have
one chance to banish it,
and you cannot fail.
Otherwise,
you'll never be free.
Let's see, the next red moon
will be the 25th.
That's a whole month away.
We'll wait it out together.
And I'll be with you
every step of the way.
Not bad.
I saved Wilfred.
Thanks, Dad.
It's only temporary, Mei-Mei.
This way, we won't worry about
any more accidents. Hmm?
Sleep tight.
Red is a lucky color.
This is awful.
What are we gonna do?
Don't worry.
We'll get through this.
No one
can see her like this.
I never wanted this for her.
Did you see
how she was in the temple?
Her eyes...
Please...
just...
go away.
No!
Why? Why?
Mei, it's us.
-Open up.
-Crud, no.
Guys, what are you doing?
Go away!
Are you okay?
Tap if you can hear us.
One for yes, two for no!
We were so worried.
We thought
you died of embarrassment.
You need more pads?
I brought extra.
Forget that.
4-Town's coming to Toronto!
What?
Hey!
It's okay, everybody be quiet!
Everybody, it's just me!
Shut up!
It's okay, it's me!
It's Mei!
Calm down, all right?
I'm gonna let go
and you're gonna be chill.
Got that?
Mmm-hmm.
Chill.
Mei?
Are you a werewolf?
No! What?
-She is a red panda!
-Sick.
You're so fluffy!
You're so fluffy!
-I've always wanted a tail.
-Priya, Abby, quit it.
Mei, what the heck happened?
It's just some, you know,
inconvenient, uh,
genetic thingy
I got from my mom.
I mean...
It'll go away.
Eventually.
Maybe.
Aw, Mei.
I hate this!
I'm slobby, I'm smelly.
My mom won't even look at me,
and now 4-Town?
When are they coming?
May 18th.
They just announced it.
The 18th?
There's no way
this will be gone by then.
Just go.
Go become women without me.
Mei. It's gonna be okay.
No, it's not. I'm a freak.
Just...
Just leave me alone.
Mmm. Yeah.
Mmm. Let's go.
Mmm.
Yeah. Mmm.
-Let's go.
-I've never met
nobody like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody
Like you
You're never not on my mind?
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right!
-Yeah! Whoo!
-Go, Mei!
- Thanks, guys.
- You're the best.
-Aw, we love you, Mei.
-You're our girl.
Yeah. No matter what.
Panda or no panda.
Whoa.
-Mei!
-You're you!
And you look amazing!
Red looks so good on you.
Is it gone?
For now.
But if I get too excited,
it'll come right back... Ow!
Abby, what the heck?
Huh?
Something feels different.
Abby, hit me.
Ow.
Oh, my gosh!
I stayed calm.
Something about you guys,
like, neutralizes the panda.
Aw! It's our love.
We're like a warm
and fuzzy blanket.
Yeah.
This means
I can have my room back.
I can
have my life back!
No. Even better.
You can come with us
to 4-Town!
Yeah!
This could be our only chance
to see them together.
We're all asking
our parents tonight.
We're making our stand.
Yeah. You in or you out?
But I can't ask my mom.
I'm a furry ticking time bomb!
Of awesomeness!
And now you can control it!
So just prove it to her,
and she's gotta let you go!
Mei-Mei?
Crap! You guys better go.
-But...
-No "buts," Mir.
My mom
already doesn't like you.
Wait, she doesn't?
I'll call you, I promise.
- We love you, Mei.
- Hang in there, girl.
Everything okay?
I thought I heard...
Mom, I think
I've made a breakthrough.
Ready.
Deforestation.
Sad orangutan.
Mmm!
Your second place
spelling bee trophy.
The important thing
is you tried.
You spelled
your little butt off.
First place in our hearts.
What a shame.
So cute!
No. So fuzzy.
Must resist.
We love you, girl.
We love you, girl.
Panda or no panda.
How adorable.
Mei.
How is this possible?
What happened to your panda?
It's easy.
When I start to get emotional,
all I do is imagine the people
I love most
in the whole world.
Oh.
-Which is you guys.
-Oh.
Oh, Mei-Mei.
So, now that that's settled,
I just have one
teeny-tiny favor to ask.
No. Absolutely not.
What?
But this is
once in a lifetime.
Mei-Mei, it's one thing to
stay calm at home or school,
but a concert?
You'll get whipped up
into a frenzy
and panda all over the place.
I won't, I won't! I promise!
You saw me keep it in.
Ming, maybe
we should trust her.
It's them I don't trust.
Look at those
glittery delinquents
- with their...
- gyrations.
Why on earth
do you want to go so badly?
Chug! Chug! Chug!
Like I said,
I just want to broaden
my musical horizons.
This isn't music.
This is filth.
And it's not worth
jeopardizing your life over.
-Right, Jin?
-Uh...
See? Your father agrees.
No concert. And that's final.
Okay, well, thanks
for listening. Good night.
What was that?
Am I the only one
who sees the danger here?
There's no way
she could keep her panda in.
And $200? For what?
Who do they think they are?
Celine Dion?
Hmm. Unbelievable.
I saw that look.
Where did she get that from?
Treating her own mother
like that.
Hold on.
Ming, it's your mother.
I'm not here!
Mother. Hello.
How's everything in Florida?
Ming.
I know about Mei-Mei.
I was just about
to call you,
but everything's fine.
I'm gonna handle
the ritual on my own.
The way you "handled"
Mei-Mei being on the news?
No one knows anything.
They barely saw her.
I'm on my way.
With reinforcements.
No! I can handle it. I can...
Run!
Eyes on the balls, guys!
Be water! Be...
That presentation
was bomb-dot-com.
I cited all my sources.
I had sparklers.
And she still said no!
My parents said
I could go when I'm 30.
Mine called it stripper music.
What's wrong with that?
Mine said yes,
but I have to buy the ticket.
Who the heck's
got that kind of cash?
I know my mom's worried,
but sometimes she's just so...
- So...
- Wacko?
Ma'am! Please!
I'm sorry, Mrs. Lee!
I see you!
Little momma's girl.
No wonder Mei is such a loser.
Illegal throw!
You're out, Lee.
What? But, Mr. K, he...
Mei, chill.
Let's go, let's go.
Calm down, Mei.
Dude, keep it together.
I can't. We need
to see this concert.
Why doesn't my mom get that?
I never ask for anything.
My whole life
I've been her perfect
little Mei-Mei.
Temple duties, grades...
-Violin!
-Tap dancing.
Yeah. We've been so good.
If they don't trust us anyway,
then what's the point?
Wow! Who are you?
-I love it!
-Fight the power!
Yeah. Yeah.
This isn't just
our first concert.
This is our first step
into womanhood.
And we have to do it together.
I'm in, girl. We'll say
it's a sleepover at my house.
The perfect crime.
Yes! My mom will never know.
Now we just got to
raise the money for tickets.
Come on, girls, think!
Know what'll help me think?
-A little panda.
-Abby...
Come on, Mei.
It'll clear my mind.
Just a little hit!
It's so cute!
Ugh. Fine.
Mon amour.
Happy?
Oh, yeah. That's the stuff.
O-M-G.
Aah! Go away!
That was you in the bathroom!
I didn't imagine it!
-Yeah, you did.
-Get lost, Stacy.
But she's like a magical bear?
Red panda!
You are the cutest thing ever!
Come out, please?
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Please!
Wait. So, you like the panda?
Like it? I love it!
I'll give you anything! Money?
-My kidney!
-My soul.
- Yeah!
- Adorable!
You're so cute!
Is it on?
- Let's go!
- Yeah, panda!
-Fuel for domination.
-Money, money, money!
Stop hogging
and give me some!
Pass that over.
4-Town, here we come!
Stop! That's so gross.
Do it again.
All right, troops, listen up.
Operation 4-Town Shake Down
is about to commence.
The boys are coming
to the SkyDome May 18th.
Our goal, four tickets.
That's 800 bucks!
Step one,
neutralize the empress.
Mathletes?
Isn't it a little dangerous
to join an after-school
club now?
What's dangerous
is an academic record
with a lack
of extracurriculars.
Hmm... Huh.
Step two... Spread the word.
And step three...
hustle this panda
and squeeze
every last loonie
outta those kids.
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own, yeah
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
You ready?
Here we go
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
Louder
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
Give me one, two, three, four
You wanted it, you went for it
And, baby, you got it
I wanted it, I went for it
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
- Let's go.
- Yeah!
Did it on my...
- Oh, no, it's falling!
- Grab it!
Yeah, dude, let's go!
Push it, dude! Come on!
Come on, new guy,
just keep on going!
Come on, guys, keep going.
Check out Number 12.
He's got delts for days.
Forget that. I need lunch.
I'm starting to black out!
I think I'm getting
carpal tunnel.
No pain, no gain, Priya.
Come on, chop-chop!
Five, 10...
Girl, relax.
Yeah. We're doing our best.
It's not enough!
The concert's this Saturday
and we're still
a hundred short!
I knew
we should have charged
more for photos!
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Mei, breathe. It's in the bag.
But...
What's the point
of getting to the concert
if you're too exhausted
to enjoy it?
Now, take a break and help me
appreciate some boys.
Okay, okay, okay.
Hey, what's up?
- Mei!
- Hey, Mei, what up?
-Looking good!
-Nice calves!
Are you a triangle?
'Cause you acute!
You guys are so weird.
-Hey!
-Are you spying on us?
I wanna talk to you, Lee.
-Forget it.
-Fine.
Wonder if your mom knows
her precious little Mei-Mei
has been flaunting the panda
all over school.
That's none of your business!
One more step and
I'm telling her everything.
Now, put that thing away
and hear me out.
What do you want?
I wanna throw a sick
birthday party. An epic one.
It's this Friday.
If you're there,
everyone will come.
Simple as that.
A party?
Look, I've done you a favor
keeping my mouth shut.
All I'm asking for
is one back.
Hmm.
I'll do it.
But it'll cost you one...
No. Two hundred bucks.
Okay.
Uh, hold, please.
Are you serious?
You can't trust him.
It's a trap!
This sounds like
a boy-girl party.
Are we allowed
to boy-girl parties?
Guys! Two hundred bucks
will put us over the top!
We have to do this.
We'll meet at Tyler's,
I'll do my thing,
and then we'll bounce.
Easy-peasy.
Dude, what about your mom?
Forget my mom.
I'll be back before
she even knows I'm gone.
-But...
-Hey, dorkbag.
We're in. But you only
get the panda for an hour.
And we are not
bringing any presents.
Deal.
Okay, I'm heading off
to mathletes. See you later!
Wait, what about dinner?
I made all your favorites.
Thanks,
but Miriam's dad is, uh,
ordering pizza.
Save me leftovers?
-What if I come with you?
-Wha...
What are you doing?
Linear equations? Geometry?
I have a double-jointed elbow!
Look! I can make
a perfect circle!
Wow! Yeah, but it'll be
super boring.
Wouldn't you
rather hang with Dad?
Oh.
Let's get my flashcards.
- But...
- Hmm.
I was mathletes champ
-in grade 8, you know?
-Uh-huh.
They called me
the "Uncommon Denominator."
Cool. Oh, uh,
Jade Palace is on tonight.
-Can't miss that, right?
-Now, who's the weak link?
Priya and Abby
seem bright enough, but...
Oh, and traffic's a nightmare.
I can just
take the streetcar...
- you stay and rest.
- Miriam...
I mean, she's a nice girl,
but maybe
she's slowing you down.
Oh, Mom, you really
don't have to come.
Don't be silly.
We're already on the way.
But I don't want you to!
Chop-chop, everyone.
Don't dawdle.
Hurry up.
Oh! What...
Hey, cuz! Surprise!
Aunties?
What are you doing here?
The ritual, silly.
-She's lost weight.
-No, no, she gained weight.
-She looks like her mother.
-She looks like her father.
Ladies.
Mother.
Hey, Grandma.
Poor dear.
It must be so difficult
keeping that
unruly beast at bay.
Your family is here now,
Mei-Mei.
And we will take care
of everything.
Everybody clap your hands
Clap, clap, clap,
clap your hands
All right, now, we gonna do
the basic step...
Where is she?
Who's up for some Boggle?
Eat. You need
your strength for the ritual.
Thank you, aunties.
Your hair is so thick,
like a pelt.
What a surprise
that you all came so early.
You need all the help
you can get, Ming.
So, Mei-Mei,
you've been managing
to keep the panda in?
- Yep. Totally.
- Really?
What's that, Lily?
Well, it's a little hard
to believe
that Mei-Mei
could control such a beast.
She's just a child.
It's true.
And if Mei-Mei's panda
is anything like Ming's...
Mei-Mei's better
than any of us
at controlling the panda.
She passed every trigger test.
Even the kitten box.
- Oh!
- Oh, my goodness!
-That's unbelievable.
-Impressive.
She just thinks
of my love for her,
and it gives her the strength
to stay calm.
Exactly.
- Aw.
- How sweet.
How sweet.
Anyway,
thanks for all the gifts,
but I think I'll go
to bed early.
Keeping that animal
locked down
sure takes a lot of energy.
Okay, sweetie. Get some rest.
Night, everyone.
- Good night, Mei-Mei.
- Sleep well.
- Get some beauty rest.
- Get some rest.
Oh!
Mei-Mei, can I have a word
with you?
Uh, sure. What's up?
I found this.
Strange for a girl
who hasn't let her panda out.
It's, uh...
It's not mine.
Mei-Mei,
I know what you're doing.
I know how hard it is
to keep the beast in.
It feels so good
to let it out. So free.
But each time you do,
the stronger it gets.
And then you'll be
bound to it forever,
and the ritual will fail.
Has that ever happened?
It cannot happen.
Your mother and I
were close once,
but the red panda
took that away.
I couldn't bear to see
that happen to you.
So, no more panda.
You are your mother's
whole world, Mei-Mei.
I know you'll do what's right.
Uh-uh. Mmm. Mmm!
-Uh, worm.
-Uh... Octopus!
-Spaghetti?
-Killer robot!
Mortality.
Hmm. Nice.
This sucks.
-Let's bail.
-Just wait. She'll be here.
I knew she'd flake.
Panda girl!
- It's Mei!
- Thank Cthulhu.
Ugh. About time.
Yo! What up, peeps?
What are you wearing?
Hey, Tyler. Happy birthday.
I'm paying for the red panda,
not this garbage! Deal's off!
Wait! Can garbage do this?
Uh-huh.
Or this? Stir the porridge.
Come on, guys!
Stir the porridge.
Are you feeling okay?
Guys, it's hard
to explain, but just, hmm...
Just trust me on this.
I can't panda anymore.
I'm sorry.
Okay, okay, okay. It's fine.
You don't have to do it.
We'll just, uh,
figure something...
I won't go.
What? Priya, you can't not go.
Jesse's your soul mate.
But we only have enough
-for three tickets.
-Then I'll stay home.
Abby, no! I'll stay home.
Guys, if we can't all go,
then none of us should go.
Right?
Just one last time.
Hey, Tyler!
You want the panda?
You're getting the panda.
Let's hear it
for the birthday boy!
Yes!
Go, Tyler! Go, Tyler!
-Go, go, go, Tyler!
-Yeah!
Okay!
Yeah! Get it, girl!
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Oh, yeah!
Faster! Faster! Whoo!
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
Yeah!
You sure
the hotel's all right?
It'll do.
At least breakfast is free.
Get some rest. You look tired.
Good night, cuz.
Try that tea.
- Good night, Ming.
- Good night.
Ming, this is a critical time.
Mei-Mei needs a strong hand,
now more than ever.
Don't let her
out of your sight.
I won't, Mother.
Hmm. Oh.
Oh.
Oh, no.
"Fur baby"?
Oh!
What?
What...
Mei-Mei. What is all...
Yeah! We did it!
We are seeing 4-Town!
- Whoo!
- Yes.
Hey,
has anyone seen Mei?
Dang. He is working you.
What a diva!
It'll all be worth it.
Tomorrow, we are walking
into that concert girls
and coming out women.
Literally goosebumps.
Hmm. What do you think
Jesse smells like?
Milk chocolate and wet rocks.
Wow!
So manly.
Oh, yes!
It's happening,
Robaire Junior!
You're finally gonna
meet your daddy!
And your hot uncles!
What? It's true.
Mei, what if you
didn't do the ritual?
What if you kept the panda?
-What?
-Look at you!
You're not the same
feather-dustin',
straight-A, goody-goody...
Who we never saw, like, ever.
-Yeah.
-You're such a rebel now.
Guys, I can't be
like this forever.
My whole family would freak.
Especially my mom.
All her hopes and dreams
are pinned on me.
I know.
But you've really changed
and I'm proud of you.
Just don't get rid
of all of it, you know?
Yeah. If it weren't for you,
none of this
would be happening.
-You the bomb!
-Word. You da bomb, Mei.
No, you da bomb.
We all da bomb!
Yes. Yes. Yes!
We da bomb!
- 4-Town, here we come!
- Robaire, I love you!
We're coming for you!
We are women!
- We are women!
- We are hot!
All right,
homies, next up is 4-Town.
The boys are coming
to Toronto on the 25th!
So get your tickets now.
And check it, they'll be
cranking open the SkyDome
and performing under
a red lunar eclipse.
It's gonna be galactic,
for sure.
Abby...
you said the concert
was the 18th.
It is! He's wrong!
Look! The 18th, Toronto!
Uh...
This says Toledo.
What?
Toledo?
What the heck is Toledo?
-Oh, no.
-What?
4-Town's the same night
as the ritual?
No!
The same night?
The same night? What?
-Mei, chill.
-It's okay.
No, it isn't!
I can't miss 4-Town!
We worked so hard!
But the ritual.
I'll let everyone down!
- No, no, no!
- Hey, Panda Girl.
What are you doing?
We want more rides.
Buzz off, jerkface. I'm busy.
Oh, snap!
You gonna take that, Tyler?
You want your money?
Then get your butt
down here now!
Forget your money,
and forget you!
Mei! Let's just go.
What about our deal?
Shove your deal!
Fine! Get out of here!
Go back to your psycho mom
and your creepy temple,
you freak!
Mei, no!
Take it back!
Don't talk about my family
like that!
-You're hurting him!
-Mei!
- Mei-Mei, stop!
- I hate you! I hate...
What is going on here?
I'm sorry.
Just get off of me. Please.
I cannot believe
you would
let your daughter do this!
Do you understand
what she did to my boy?
I am so sorry.
She's never done
anything like this before.
I don't know
what came over her.
I don't want to hear
your apologies, okay?
-I'm sorry again.
-She is an animal!
All right, party's over!
Everyone, go home!
I can't believe you girls
would use her like this!
-What?
-But we didn't.
No, we'd never.
-What?
-I knew you were trouble.
Putting all these thoughts
into Mei-Mei's head,
parading her around.
Now she's lying, sneaking out.
She attacked
a defenseless boy.
You think this is a joke?
Do you know
how dangerous this is?
We didn't mean to,
we just wanted to see 4-Town.
4-Town! You manipulated her
for a bunch
of tacky delinquents?
-No! She wanted to...
-Don't you blame her.
She is a good girl,
and you've taken
advantage of her.
Mei, tell her.
- What?
- Dude!
Come on, Mei-Mei.
Let's go.
Will call that way.
All righty,
general admission, eh?
How many tickets?
Three, please.
What is that?
Um, I think it's coming
from the SkyDome, Mother.
Four is the worst number.
You know,
Vivian was due on the fourth,
but I held her
in until the fifth...
Quiet, Lily.
Hurry up, everyone.
It's almost time
to start the ritual.
Nervous, Mei-Mei?
-A little.
-Oh, well,
I've got 50 years' experience
as a shaman.
This will be a piece of cake.
And mostly painless.
Thanks, Mr. Gao.
Wait, "mostly"?
Long ago, the spirits
blessed the women
of our family
with a great challenge.
Mei-Mei, tonight is your turn.
Like all the women
around this table,
you too will banish
the beast within
and finally become
your true self.
May Sun Yee guide you
and keep you safe.
- Hear, hear!
- That's right.
Don't blow it.
Uh... It's almost time.
The red moon
is about to begin.
Mei-Mei, go get ready.
Yes, Mother.
Oh, where are the instruments?
It's so amazing!
-Hmm. Huh?
-Jin!
-Help clear the table!
-Uh-huh.
Uh...
Oh!
Is it on?
4-Town, here we come!
Huh.
That's so gross.
Hmm.
Did it on my own
I hate you!
Come in.
Hey, Dad.
I... I'm almost ready.
Did you make this?
Here, I'll erase it.
What? We were
just being stupid.
The panda's dangerous,
outta control.
Huh. You sound
like your mother.
What has she told you
about her panda?
Nothing.
She won't talk about it.
It was quite destructive.
And big.
She almost took out
half the temple.
You... You saw it?
Only once.
She and your grandma
had a terrible fight.
Over what?
Your grandma
didn't approve of me.
But you should've seen
your mom.
She was incredible.
But I'm a monster.
People have all kinds
of sides to them, Mei.
And some sides are messy.
The point isn't to push
the bad stuff away,
it's to make room for it,
live with it.
Mei, erase it if you want,
but this side of you...
made me laugh.
Dude, you're crazy!
Come here!
Mei-Mei.
It's time.
Just follow my directions
and breathe.
Now don't move
from the circle.
You understand?
For as long
as the red moon shines,
the astral realm will be open.
And this circle is the door.
What are they saying?
The door will open only if we
sing from our hearts.
It doesn't matter what.
I like Tony Bennett,
but your grandma, uh,
she's from old school.
Now, focus on their voices.
Let them guide you.
Oh, Sun Yee, revered ancestor,
hear us now.
Guide this girl
through her inner storm.
Louder! Louder!
And return
the red panda spirit
from where it came!
Sun Yee.
You can do it. Keep going!
No!
What happened?
-What was that?
-Mei-Mei...
Is everyone okay?
Oh, my goodness,
I can't...
Mei-Mei.
It's okay. We can do it again.
Mei-Mei?
I'm keeping it.
- What did she say?
- Keeping it?
I'm keeping it!
- Oh, no!
- Mei-Mei!
Stop her!
-What are you doing?
-Stop, Mei-Mei!
- Don't let her go!
- No!
- Let go!
- What has come over you?
Stop!
Get a hold of her!
- Mei-Mei! Stop!
- Don't do this!
Mei-Mei!
No!
I'm going to the concert!
- Get back here!
- Mei-Mei! Stop!
- A concert?
- No!
This is a disaster.
Unbelievable. Ming!
Too good to be true.
How could you let this happen?
She's out of control!
Ming, it's okay.
Ming! Ming!
Answer me!
What are we going to do
about this?
How could she?
How could she do this to...
her own mother?
Ming?
Mei-Mei!
Excuse me!
Whoo! Yeah!
4-Town!
-Mei!
-Mei!
-You're here!
-What are you doing here?
I couldn't do it.
The panda's a part of me,
and you guys are too.
Mei, you threw us
under the bus.
I know and I'm sorry.
I've been, like, obsessed
with my mom's approval
my whole life.
I couldn't take losing it,
but losing you guys
feels even worse.
Well, too bad.
'Cause you did.
Robaire Junior?
She's been
taking care of him 24/7.
No.
And singing him lullabies
every night!
No, no, no, I haven't.
They're lying.
Here.
Found him at Tyler's.
4-Town forever?
4-Town forever.
-4-Town forever.
-4-Town forever!
Tyler?
No! Tyler? Who's Tyler?
I don't know a...
You are a 4-Townie?
No! Stop!
- No way!
- Yeah!
Welcome to the sisterhood!
Whatever, dorks.
Cut it out!
Your mom
must have gone nuclear.
Who cares?
What's she gonna do?
Ground me?
4-Town! 4-Town! 4-Town!
4-Town! 4-Town!
Let's go!
Is it starting? It's starting!
Guys, hold me.
Four, three, two, one!
Are you ready?
Oh, my gosh!
Yeah! Z!
I love you, man!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yes! Jesse!
Toronto! Who knows what's up?
Yes!
You want it?
I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
-You want it?
-I want it
Give me one, two, three, four
You wanted it
You went for it
And, baby, you got it
I wanted it
I went for it
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
Mei-Mei!
No way!
Is this part of the show?
Is this special effects?
Help! Help!
Mei-Mei!
Where are you?
Mom?
Mei-Mei!
-I want a refund.
-What's her problem?
Mei!
It was just getting good!
This isn't cool.
- Mei! Mei!
- Dad?
We have to save your mother!
She's gone loco!
Mei, we have to do
the ritual again.
What happened? She's huge!
I told you she was big!
That big?
Mei-Mei!
Ming!
She's your daughter!
Mei!
-Let her go!
-Don't hurt her!
You are in big trouble,
young lady!
Mom! Let go!
I'm shutting this down,
right now!
Everyone, go home!
Where are your parents?
Put some clothes on!
This isn't you!
This is me!
- Mei-Mei!
- Mei! Are you hurt?
I'm not your little
Mei-Mei anymore!
I lied, Mom!
What?
It was my idea
to hustle the panda.
My idea
to go to Tyler's party!
It was all me!
I like boys!
I like loud music!
I like gyrating!
I'm 13! Deal with it!
The ritual.
Everyone in position.
Mei-Mei, keep her busy.
Oh, I'll keep her busy.
Where's Jin? Jin!
Mei!
Keep her in the circle!
Get back here!
Make me!
You think
you're so mature!
Lying to me!
Blaming me!
How could you be so, so...
crass?
Oh!
That's nothing!
You wanna see crass?
-What are you doing?
-You like that? Yes!
-Stop moving like that!
-What's wrong?
-Is this bothering you?
-Stop it!
Yeah, Mei!
Destroy her
with your big butt!
Yeah! Go, go, go!
Start singing now!
Ladies!
Stop!
Sing louder!
We're trying.
- Stop it!
- Let's get out of here!
Come on!
-Huh? Take it, Mom! Take it!
-No!
Stop it! Stop!
All I wanted...
...was to go to a concert!
I never went to concerts!
I put my family first!
I tried to be a good daughter!
Well, sorry I'm not perfect!
Sorry I'm not good enough!
And sorry
I'll never be like you!
Oh, no!
Mom... Mom!
No!
Mom!
You have to get in the circle!
Wake up!
I'm sorry!
Mom? Come on.
Please!
Sun Yee, give me strength.
- Pull, Mei-Mei!
- Grandma?
I am not losing my daughter.
Don't just stand there!
Make room
for your elders, Mei-Mei!
- What?
- We're with you!
But what are you doing?
What if you can't turn back?
- Your mom needs us!
- She's family!
Less talking, more pulling!
-This fur is so itchy!
-Quiet, Lily!
Louder!
Sing from the heart!
Louder!
The circle isn't working!
-Never met nobody
-Nobody
Never met, never met,
never met
Like
You
Get up
I never met nobody
Like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody like you
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be
your ride or die
All right!
Huh?
Mom? Mom!
Mom? Are you okay?
We have to...
Mom?
I'm sorry. It's all my fault.
What happened?
I... I hurt her.
Who?
My mom!
I got so angry,
and I lost control.
I'm just so sick
of being perfect!
I'm never gonna be
good enough for her.
Or anyone.
I know it feels that way.
Like, all the time.
But... it isn't true.
Come on.
Really? I could explode
at any moment.
-We have to find them.
-Where are they?
- Finally.
- Hurry, hurry!
Where have you been?
Come on!
- Let's get the lead out!
- Ladies.
- I'm sorry.
- Shh!
You don't have to apologize.
I'm your mother.
May Sun Yee guide you
and keep you safe.
One at a time, ladies.
And quickly.
That's it?
Mei-Mei's keeping the panda?
It's her life. Now move.
Go ahead. It's okay.
No.
Mei-Mei, please.
Just come with me.
I'm changing, Mom.
I'm finally figuring out
who I am.
But...
I'm scared it'll take me away
from you.
Me too.
I see you, Mei-Mei.
You try to make
everyone happy,
but are so hard on yourself.
And if I taught you that...
I'm sorry.
So, don't hold back.
For anyone.
The farther you go,
the prouder I'll be.
I'm not going
to regret this, am I?
I'm Meilin Lee,
and ever since I turned 13,
life's been a lot.
People still talk about
Pandapocalypse 2002.
Mom and I just call it...
growing pains.
This thing's hungry
all the time.
Eat up, little one.
Oh, you're so hungry.
-Munch, munch, munch.
-What?
Mr. Gao had to put
her panda in something.
You should see Grandma's.
Hmph! So unlucky.
You ready?
Let's do this.
-Hello! Welcome to our temple!
-What up, Toronto!
-Get in here!
-Yes, come on in.
And things at the temple
have never been better.
O-M-G! That looks so cute!
Our temple
is the oldest in Toronto.
And the only one that's home
to the great red panda.
Say "bamboo leaves!"
- Bamboo leaves!
- Mei!
-Hey!
-Guys!
- What's up?
- Bring it in!
Ready to get your karaoke on?
Totally.
Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!
Hold on. You're not
going out like that, are you?
My panda,
my choice, Mom.
I'll be back
before dinner, okay?
Fine. Oh, um...
You're welcome to join us.
For Mr. Lee's cooking?
-Uh, yeah!
-We're so there.
Don't load up on junk.
Thanks for covering
for me, Dad.
Have fun!
And I'll beatbox.
And I can bleach my hair, too.
And, yeah...
sometimes I miss
how things were,
but nothing stays
the same forever.
O-M-G! I'm so excited
for the new album.
We've all got an inner beast.
We've all got
a messy, loud,
weird part of ourselves
hidden away.
And a lot of us
never let it out.
But I did.
How about you?
Oh, yeah
I've never met nobody like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody like you
Yeah
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right
Let's call it what it is
It's a masterpiece
Got a whole lotta love
for them city streets
Tonight is the place to be
Got a big boom box
and a new CD
-Come on!
-Everybody, let's tear it up
If you want mad skills
You can share with us
Everybody just stop and stare
And you know why, it's me
Robaire
Woo!
Unh!
Let's go!
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right
Like you
Like you
Like you
Like you, like you
Like you
Like you
Like you, like you
I've never met nobody like you
Had friends
and I've had buddies
It's true
But they don't turn my tummy
The way you do
I've never met nobody like you
You're never not on my mind
Oh, my, oh, my
I'm never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride
or die
All right
Ooh
Yeah
Yeah
Heavy rain from my cloudy eye
Every time you say
That it isn't why
I used to call you babe
But you're the light
of my life
I drove by your house
29 times today
And nobody else
could make me feel this way
Nobody else
Nobody else, nobody
'Cause you've opened my eyes
and stolen my heart
You make me believe
that love can be hard
And I can never survive
a minute apart
You are my one true love
My one true love
My heaven above
My one true love
Heavy rain on a Saturday
When you said my name
in the saddest way
Nothing numbs the pain
You're still the light
of my life
I drove by your house
10,000 times last year
Nobody else
wanted to dry my tears
Nobody else
Nobody else, nobody else
'Cause you've opened my eyes
and stolen my heart
You make me believe
that love can be hard
And I can never survive
a minute apart
You are my one true love
My one true love
My heaven above
My one true love
Yeah
Yeah
Nobody else
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
You wanted it, you went for it
-And baby, you got it
-You know what's up
You wanted it, you went for it
You know it's us, yeah
I'm gonna make it all the way
Just watch me
I'm gonna hustle every day
Ooh-oh
I'm making paper
like it's origami
I only came to win the game
Can't stop me
You wanted it, you went for it
And baby, you got it
I wanted it, I went for it
And, baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
Ladies and gentlemen,
listen up.
I'm gonna ask you
a few questions,
and I just want you
to be honest with me.
You want those shoes?
You want that shirt?
You want that car?
You want that purse?
I'm gonna need you
to convince me.
You ready? Here we go.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
Louder.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
-You want it?
-I want it.
Gimme one, two, three, four...
You wanted it, you went for it
And baby, you got it
I wanted it, I went for it
And baby, I did it on my own
Did it on my own
Own
Did it on my own
Yeah
Whoo!
You know what's up
You know it's us, yeah
You wanted it, you went for it
-And baby, you got it
-You know what's up
You wanted it, you went for it
You know it's us, yeah
All right, all right
Whoo!
Dad?
Dad?
Have you seen my CD?