The relationship between Mei and Miriam, Abby, and Priya was a crucial part of Turning Red, and a notion claims there was something more between the two of them, as Miriam may have a crush on Mei. Pixar continues to reign supreme in animation, releasing at least one film annually. 2022 will be one of those good years with two Pixar films, the first of which is Domee Shi’s Turning Red.
While the friendship between Mei and Miriam, Abby, and Priya is an essential element in the movie, there is also the possibility that Miriam has a crush on Mei. This theory is suggested by the fact that when Mei turns red, Miriam is always by her side and is quick to comfort her.
Additionally, there are moments when Miriam looks longingly at Mei, as if she wishes she could be closer to her. Of course, this is all speculation and Pixar has not confirmed or denied this theory.
However, it adds an interesting layer to the friendship between the four girls and makes viewers wonder what might happen between Mei and Miriam in the future. Regardless of whether or not there is romantic tension between them, it’s clear that the bond between these four friends is strong and will no doubt be tested in the upcoming movie.
Turning Red is a 2002 film set in Toronto, Canada, that follows Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl who finds that she may transform into a gigantic red panda if she becomes too enthusiastic or agitated, but that she can revert once she becomes calm. This metamorphosis is a family curse that can only be stopped by completing a unique ritual on one specified night, but that night also happens to be Mei’s favorite boy band’s performance, and to make matters even more complicated, Mei has to cope with her domineering mother, Ming (Sandra Oh). Miriam (Ava Morse), Abby (Hyein Park), and Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) are Mei’s greatest friends, and they help her discover who she truly is and accept her panda.
Turning Red’s Excellent Alternate Title Better Describes Its Biggest Pixar Difference
Mei’s friends are her rock, and simply thinking about them helps her stay calm and in control of her life. In the end, Miriam, Abby, and Priya were crucial in Mei’s journey of discovering and accepting her actual self. Although they all had a strong bond, Turning Red focused more on Mei and Miriam’s friendship, leading viewers to believe there was more to their relationship than just friendship, implying that Miriam was secretly in love with Mei. However, this goes much deeper than Miriam having a crush on one of her best friends.
According to the hypothesis, Miriam is in love with Mei, and she’s “appearing not to be queer” by pretending to obsess over boys, which may have been nothing more than a bonding event for her and her pals. Miriam is the group’s “tomboy,” and she seems to care more about Mei, leading many viewers to comment on how much they could connect to Miriam and her probable attempts to disguise her queerness. The hypothesis is backed by Mei’s mother’s belief that Miriam is “strange” among Mei’s friends, which some believe echoes Mei’s grandmother’s disapproval of Mei’s father. Miriam being queer would fit in perfectly with Turning Red and the story’s core, which is about discovering who you truly are and embracing your most authentic self. There’s already a more openly queer character in the form of Priya, so Miriam would be yet another way of representing that inner struggle of accepting yourself as you indeed are.
Turning Red would benefit from Miriam being gay and in love with Mei; on the contrary, it would be another step toward more excellent representation of the LGBTQ+ community in family-friendly films and make the character and the broader tale more relevant to a larger audience. Priya embraces her queerness and dances with Goth Girl at Tyler’s party. However, Miriam is still discovering who she is, and her manner of living her queerness is just as legitimate as Priya’s and anybody else’s. In the end, Turning Red is about accepting and loving one’s actual self. Until Shi or anybody from the production staff acknowledges or rejects Miriam’s love for Mei, the viewer is left to interpret the relationship.
