Warning: This list contains spoilers for Turning Red.
It seems like once again Pixar has knocked it out of the park as their latest film, Turning Red, is receiving strong praise from both critics and audience members alike. Telling the story of a young girl who turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets worked up, the film mostly centers on just the protagonist, Mei Lee.
However, the supporting characters are all pretty intriguing, even if they don't get a ton of screen time. Most of these people are incredibly likable and steal every scene, while others have moments where the viewers strongly dislike them but it does lead to interesting growth for them.
Devon
The character with the least screen time is Devon (Addie Chandler). He's simply an older teenager who works at a local market and Mei and her friends all have crushes on him. Ultimately, he doesn't really impact the story in a meaningful way.
He's simply someone who the girls like to look at and the poor guy gets yelled at when Mei's mother Ming Lee finds Mei's drawings of him. He has no idea what's going on but just gets scolded for something he had no control over. He's not unlikeable but he's also not very important.
4*Town
One of the most interesting and unexpected things about this film is that it takes place in 2002. That puts it right at the tail end or so of when boy bands were the hottest musical acts around so it lines up that Turning Red included one of their own.
The girls go to a 4*Town concert during the film's climax and the guys manage to be pretty likable in their scene. Although they are terrified of the giant red panda battle going on in front of them, they step up to sing and help save the day.
Tyler
There are two characters who feel like they start off as being someone you don't want to root for. One of them is Tyler (Tristan Allerick Chen) who is Mei's bully and someone who goes as far as to blackmail her when he discovers her secret of being a red panda.
However, Tyler manages to turn the tide as he shows up at the 4*Town concert and the girls immediately bond with him. Not only does he enjoy the show with them but at the end of the movie, Tyler is still hanging out with them, having officially become a member of the group.
Ming Lee
The other character who kicked things off by being unlikeable is Ming Lee (Sandra Oh), Mei's mother. She fits into the coming-of-age movie trope of being the overbearing parent who pushes her kid to do what they want and demands that they are perfect.
Ming Lee is too hard on Mei, mean to Devon for no reason, and doesn't even think Mei's friends are worth her time. However, she also clearly loves Mei and wants the best for her. By the end of the film, she learns her lesson and accepts her daughter for who she is, giving her an arc that makes her likable.
Wu Lee
The relationship between Mei and her mother is a strained one, so it lined up that audiences expected the same from Ming Lee and her own mother, Wu Lee (Wai Ching Ho). When she calls Ming Lee and says she's coming to visit, fans likely feared the worst.
While it is true that their relationship was also a mess, Wu Lee was slightly more likable. She also wanted the best for her family and she stepped up almost immediately as a loving grandmother. When her family was in danger, she risked her own red panda becoming permanent to save them in a heroic fashion.
Abby
Mei Lee's three best friends all have moments where they seem to steal the show. Abby (Hyein Park) is the one who gets the least amount of shine but she's still a key part of the group. For starters, her energetic nature is infectious.
Whenever something happens, Abby is the one who reacts in the most positive way, which rubs off on the audience. From her excitement at Mei being fluffy to her loyalty to Mei and the rest of her friends, Abby is someone who fans are sure to appreciate.
Mei Lee
Most of the time, the most likable character in a story is the protagonist. Alas, that's not the case here because Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang) has some pretty rough moments before she ultimately becomes the person she needs to be at the end of the story.
She constantly blows off her friends to try and be the perfect daughter, which also causes her to let Devon get yelled at for no reason and leads to her throwing her friends under the bus. Of course, there are still plenty of times where Mei Lee makes the viewers root for her and she is the hero at the end who grows into who she truly is.
Priya
Another member of Mei Lee's core unit of friends is Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, better known as Devi in Never Have I Ever) and she's kind of the opposite of Abby in a lot of ways. Priya can get excited too but she does everything in a deadpan fashion, so it's never really visible except when 4*Town is performing.
Like the rest of the group, Priya is loyal to her friends and she comes across as a good, supportive person. What puts her a bit over the top is that her deadpan humor actually makes for some of the funniest moments in the film and that boosts likability.
Jin Lee
Where Ming Lee was too tough and overbearing on her daughter, Jin Lee (Orion Lee) was the more understanding parent. He was the quieter, less aggressive one who was content to be that way until he had to step up to be there when Mei needed him most.
It's Jin who supports her and tells her that he likes the playful side of her. He ultimately just wants his daughter to be happy. It even hits a point where he puts himself in serious danger with the red pandas so his family could be safe.
Miriam
While Mei indeed has three core friends, it's pretty clear that Miriam (Ava Morse) stands out from the rest of the pack. She comes across as the ringleader and her personality is more fleshed out than just the deadpan character or the excitable one.
Miriam is the one who comforts Mei when she needs it and she's the one who rallies her friends together for whatever adventure is next. On top of it all, even when Mei blew them off and turned on them, Miriam still accepted her back and took care of her digital pet while she was away like a true loyal friend.