American Born Chinese Appearances Quotes

Danny's on his way back from detention when he bumps into Melanie; he asks her out on a date, but Melanie rejects him. She says it's because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship and it has nothing to do with Chin-Kee, but we're not so sure because she also mentions that Danny's "teeth kind of buck out a little." Is Melanie avoiding a romantic thing with Danny because she doesn't want to appear uncool? Hrm…

Wong Lao-Tsai's an awesome monk. He's humble, generous and kind, but that doesn't stop Tze-Yo-Tzuh from testing him. He sends three of his emissaries down in the guise of humans, who try to taunt Wong Lao-Tsai into being a jerk. But it doesn't work. Wong Lao-Tsai is steadfast in his virtues, which is why the emissaries reveal their true form and mission to Wong Lao-Tsai—they know he's a true follower of Tze-Yo-Tzuh. The whole scene is an example of how sometimes a deceptive appearance might be necessary. If Wong Lao-Tsai weren't as solidly awesome as he is, he might have failed the test. Another way to look at is like this: the emissaries are like Tze-Yo-Tzuh's undercover cops. They go around and check to make sure Tze-Yo-Tzuh's peeps are under control. Sure, what they're doing is deceptive, but maybe sometimes we need deceptive appearances if they result in a greater truth?

Danny's fight with Chin-Kee results in their return to their true forms: Jin and the Monkey King. What's neat about their final reveal is how simple the panels look once they return to their original forms. The fight makes them larger-than-life characters, literally: Danny and Chin-Kee both look huge and their violent body parts extend outside of the panel frames. But once they become Monkey and Jin, the picture immediately becomes subdued: it's just a little monkey and a teenaged boy facing each other. Kind of a relief after all the visual zaniness…