I was on my way to go out to smell the city air, replenish my food stock, and buy the other items on my list yesterday afternoon, but the sky turned gray and let out a couple of angry sounds. I still braved to go to go out when the heavens bawled and bellowed like there was no tomorrow. Within a few minutes, the water level in the main road rose to the point where it was not advisable to walk on without having leptospirosis concerns. I decided to stay inside a convenient store and checked if they had eggs. Since they cost almost twice as the ones in the groceries, I went out with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that were on sale at 50% off. After waiting for half an hour for the rain to stop in vain, I made my way back home.
Since I already did my laundry and cleaned parts of the house, TR and I decided to spend the cold afternoon in bed watching Netflix. We chose Over The Moon, a computer-animated musical adventure comedy-drama. It is a mouthful of description, although all of that is true.
Over The Moon is the story of a smart and inventive girl named Fei Fei who manages to go to the moon to meet the moon goddess Chang’e but she discovers that the moon is more like a reality talent show from the singing to the crying. Watching Over The Moon feels like watching a cross of Disney animated films and music videos because things are familiar and colorful yet chaotic and bleak.
Fei Fei has a wonderful childhood with Ma Ma (mother) and Ba ba (father) telling her different versions of the story of the moon goddess, where Ma Ma’s version is a romantic albeit tragic love story and Ba ba’s is a little inclined to science, and teaching her their family business and tradition of making moon cakes, especially for the Moon Cake or Mid-Autumn Festival.
Fei Fei’s life changes when Ma Ma gets sick and later on passed away. Four years later, Ba Ba introduces Mrs. Zhong and her annoying eight-year old son Chin, as future additions to their family of two. Fei Fei feels forlorn and longs for her life with her mother. Believing that her father has forgotten the legend of the Chang’e, Fei Fei builds a rocket with an outer shell of a bunny. With an application of magnetic levitation, Fei Fei, Bungee, and unwittingly, Chin fly to the moon not without any complications. Fei Fei’s sole purpose is to prove that Chang’e exists and still waits for her one true love, Hou Yi, a mortal who died on earth. Contrary to Fei Fei’s belief, Chang’e is now a pop superstar with crazy mood. As a royalty in many ways, she expects a gift from Fei Fei, something that will make Chang’e’s one true love come back to life, in exchange for a proof that the moon goddess exists – a selfie of the two of them (a two-fie?). Fei Fei’s quest to get the gift enables her to experience the iridescent and vibrating Lunaria and the diverse rainbow characters that live in it – from the friendly golden-winged red dragons to the almost blinding Lunettes the back-up singers and the super blinding Gobi, a pangolin and a disgraced former advisor of Chang’e. The only characters that did not glow are Fei Fei, Chin, Bungee (but the tips of her ears are not pink), and Jade Rabbit, the rabbit friend of Chang’e.
In the midst of all the singing and the glowing, there is a great darkness that reigns Lunaria as Chang’e becomes emotional. Just like the sadness that Fei Fei experiences with the loss of her Ma Ma and the feeling of loneliness with her current life. As Chang’e and Fei Fei embrace their respective truths, they discover that it is not the end of the world. It is true that they have lost so much but there is something bright waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. Fei Fei discovers as much as soon as she and Chin arrive to their tiny village where Ba Ba worriedly waits for her. As Fei Fei celebrates the Moon Cake Festival with her family and her new mother and brother, Fei Fei realizes that happiness is right there in their home, the people who sit around the table with her.
Oh, Bungee the bunny decides to follow her heart and stay behind in Lunaria to be with Jade Rabbit. I hope they make cute glow-in-the-dark tiny bunnies.
Over The Moon showcases one way to deal with the loss of a loved one, first, with distractions and after the smoke clears, with the presence and care of the other surviving loved ones – even though some of them are annoying like Chin.