Re:cap “What Guy Are You?” - The Bull Demon is threatening the Heavenly Realm and the only thing that can stop him is the Iron Staff wielded by the Monkey King. It is taken by his son who has taken human form as Wei-Chun. He is a new student attending Sierra Mona High School and befriends awkward student, Jin Wang. Jin has fallen for a girl, Amelia, but is just too shy. His father is just as shy at work and his mother wants him to assert himself. Wei-Chun is there searching for the mythical Fourth Scroll that he knows is real. Monkey King arrives at the school for his staff, his battle with his Wei-Chun is interrupted by Guan Yi, the mother of Wei-Chun? We see this in text and also red Chinese maple trees. The Monkey King’s son in black hurtles through the trees to fall. Guan Yi gently floats to him. The scene is just beautiful with the trees. She says he should practice his English and asks him why he was on Earth. Wei-Chun explains that he had a dream about a crane, the school mascot is a crane, and said he would have a guide to help find the Fourth Scroll.
He says his guide is Jin Wang, but he doesn’t realize he is a guide. Guan Yi spreads her arms to show the mountains and vast expanse of clouds. The fate of the world rests with Wei-Chun. He wants to return and Guan Yi waves her hand revealing that they were always in an apartment. She wears a track suit and baseball cap and he is in sweater and slacks. Guan Yi says it is his new home, gives a little cheer, funny! Christine is preparing food, when Jin says it is Pizza Boat Day, his father, Simon, silently reads the paper. She tells Jin to ask the coach again to be on the team. This is also a jab at Simon to speak up at work. Jin meets with Wei-Chun at school, he returns the monkey robot figure, but it is a gift. He eyes fellow student and bully, Travis, and says he has to work on things. Wei-Chun removes the very tiny Iron Staff from his ear and places it in the mecha. There is a gardener with a straw hat sweeping. He is being watched! Jin finds Anuj reading a Swamp Thing comic, DC!, but Anuj is still angry at him.
They are enough at friend point that they walk the halls and Anuj tries to cheer Jin up about the video making fun of him. The friends see a protest, a small group, led by Suzy Nakamura (Rosalie Chiang). She was the voice of Meilin in Turning Red and plays a character from the graphic novel. Suzy tells Jin that they, the Culture Club(?) are protesting the bullying video. The band from the 80’s with Boy George? Jin tries to stop her, but Suzy is ready to rally the students. It looks like Anuj is interested, a change from Wei-Chun dating her in the graphic novel? At work, Simon’s co-worker, Patrick (Andrew Leeds), tells him the boss is at the break room. He convinces Simon so they drop by the break room and Simon brings up football. The boss, John (Tim Bagley), brings up fantasy football and a swarmy co-worker says he is successful at it. So Simon wanders back to his cubicle. Suzy talks to Jin, she wants a statement from him, but Jin refuses. Wei-Chun introduces himself to her. Amelia catches up with Jin and apologizes for standing him up. Her friend, Ruby, notes the meme which Jin wants the attention to die down, but then Suzy makes an announcement!
She makes a strong statement about Represent-asian, funny!, and rhymes it! I really like well intentioned people even if they are a bit awkward. Suzy introduces Wei-Chun who joins her standing on a table to defend his friend! He says an attack on Jin is an attack on him, love the loyalty, and starts the chant on justice, “Just us!” Suzy interrupts him and tells everyone that Wei-Chun has found the one who made the video. She holds up a poster and identifies Greg Wallace (Ethan Rich)! An embarrassing video is one thing, but to be revealed as a bully, and facing whatever school consequences for bullying is another! The boss is walking in the parking lot and hears Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory.” This was featured in Young Guns II (1990), a 20th Century Fox movie. Simon is cranking it up and singing along in his car, possibly to drown out his failed attempt to talk with the boss. John knocks at the window and then shows Simon his cell phone photo of himself dressed up as Bon Jovi! Greg sees Jin at his locker and mentions that he could talk to the coach to reconsider Jin for the team.
This makes up for embarassing him to the entire school? Greg mentions his bullying would mean he would miss a few games. Weak anti-bullying policy. His parents should be notified, he should be kicked off the team, and Greg should be suspended for at least a week. Greg said he did it for a laugh and the other varsity players are worse. Jin dressed for P.E. meets with Coach Garrett (Larry Bates). He apologizes for tackling Travis at the soccer practice. The coach has seen the protest and wants to know if Jin can be motivated from it. He shows Jin the room with new equipment, but it is unassembled. Coach Garrett wants Jin to assemble it by the afternoon to get the last team spot. Um, unmonitored labor with heavy weights?, not a great coach. Wei-chun finds an empty hall with food tossed around by the gardener at a locker. He wonders if it is Pigsy, Zhu Bajie, in Journey to the West. At John’s office, Simon is asked about Bon Jovi favorites, as they relax in chairs. Simon admits he never saw them in concert. Cameo. John admits that he is about to retire.
Jin has almost finished setting up the equipment room. Wei-chun appears and wants Jin to take the Monkey Robot. Jin is upset that he made him the center of attention. Wei-chun helps out easily carrying two dumbbells by their edges! He sets them down setting off a chain reaction that topples all of the equipment! The coach is not happy, but he is still liable. Jin has a quiet dinner and then falls on his bed. Christine walks in and asks him if he talked to the coach. Jin says he did, but didn’t make the team. His mother is very encouraging even at his failure. The next day, Jin slams down on the table of Suzy and the Culture Club, now that sounds like a band!, he is ready for his statement. Jin stands on the table, says it was a “harmless joke”, and defends Greg. Going public to defend a bully? This was the same problem he had in summer camp with Anuj. Simon returns home, his wife is uninterested, he explains how he connected. Then, that John is retiring, Christine says this is a job opening for him. The second episode of American Born Chinese has some strange logic, but still fun! Jin is still learning, Suzy is great in guiding him to be more than average, and Wei-chun is finding his quest is not so easy!
Four Monkey Robots out of Five!
#AmericanBornChinese, #BenWang, #JimmyLiu, #MahiAlam, #YannYannYeo, #ChinHan, #MichelleYeoh, #RosalieChiang, #SydneyTaylor, #BrianLe, #EthanRich, #LarryBates, #TimBagley
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