As you know, our ancestor Sun Yee had a mystical connection with red pandas.Turning Red · 2022 — Chapter 2 of 13 · 3'20" · B1
Mei Turns into a Red Panda, Explained: watch someone like a hawk
The panda Mei has dreaded arrives all at once, and her mother is the one who finds her. Ming soothes her, then explains the family curse and the ritual that can seal it. "There is a darkness to the panda, Mei, Mei," she warns, and promises to stay with her.
What happens
Mei wakes up as a giant red panda and panics. Ming rushes in, calms her, and tells the family legend: the ancestor Sun Yee was granted the power to become a red panda to protect her daughters, and the gift passes down. Ming says the change can be sealed by a ritual on the next red moon.
Listen for
came of agegrant a wishwait it outwatch someone like a hawk
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Phrase of the scene
watch someone like a hawk
像老鹰一样盯着（盯得死死的）
妈妈对美美说，自己原以为只要像老鹰一样盯紧女儿，就能及时看出变身的征兆、提前准备。
My mother watched my grades like a hawk all through high school.
Also in this scene
- came of age
to reach adulthood
- grant a wish
to make a wish come true
- wait it out
to stay until something difficult passes
Everything marked in this scene
23 notes across 42 lines
In fact, she loved them so much that she asked the gods to turn her into one.so ... that result clause
In fact, she loved them so much that she asked the gods to turn her into one.elision
In fact, she loved them so much that she asked the gods to turn her into one.Sun Yee was desperate for a way to protect herself and her daughters.to make a wish come true
the gods granted her wish.They gave her the ability to harness her emotions to transform into a powerful mystical beast.They gave her the ability to harness her emotions to transform into a powerful mystical beast.She was able to fend off banditsprotect her village and save her family from ruin.to reach adulthood
Sun Yee passed this gift to her daughters for when they came of age. And they passed it to theirs.preposition plus when-clause
Sun Yee passed this gift to her daughters for when they came of age. And they passed it to theirs.But over time, our family chose to come to a new world.It's a curse. She meant it as a blessing.You cursed us. It's all your fault.I thought if I watched you like a hawk, I'd see the signs and be able to prepare.embedded if-clause
I thought if I watched you like a hawk, I'd see the signs and be able to prepare.liaison
I thought if I watched you like a hawk, I'd see the signs and be able to prepare.And then you'll be cured for good.There is a darkness to the panda, Mei, Mei.to stay until something difficult passes
We'll wait it out together. And I'll be with you every step of the way.We'll wait it out together. And I'll be with you every step of the way.flap
We'll wait it out together. And I'll be with you every step of the way.Mei Turns into a Red Panda, explained
What's really going on
The scene is a mother-daughter crisis dressed up as family history. Mei is not the first to change: Ming admits it happened to her too, and her whole explanation — Sun Yee's blessing, the red moon, the ritual — is really a way of saying that this has been managed before and can be managed again. But the comfort comes with an edge. "There is a darkness to the panda, Mei, Mei," she warns, and "You only have one chance to banish it, and you cannot fail." Mei hears the reassurance and also the sentence: a month of waiting, a ritual that can fail, and a mother whose first instinct is supervision. Ming's confession, "I thought if I watched you like a hawk, I'd see the signs and be able to prepare," explains both her calm and her control; she has been watching Mei for years, and the watching is the relationship.
Theme
SecretsThe family curse was hidden from Mei until it happened, and her anger is that she was never told.
ParenthoodMing meets the crisis with a ritual, strict rules and constant supervision, showing how she protects her daughter.
What you'll learn
- Watch closely like a hawk
- Seal something for good
- Stay every step of the way
Listen for
- asked the gods — elision
- like a hawk — liaison
- wait it out — flap
There is a darkness to the panda, Mei, Mei.Ming's warning that the red panda is not just an inconvenience but carries something dangerous, so the ritual must be taken seriously.
You only have one chance to banish it, and you cannot fail.Ming stresses how final the cure is: the ritual allows a single attempt, with no room for error.
I thought if I watched you like a hawk, I'd see the signs and be able to prepare.Ming admits she expected to spot the first signs and get ready, which is why she never told Mei earlier.
I thought I had more time.A confession of a mother's miscalculation: Ming assumed the change would come later, so she was unprepared.
Questions about this scene
Why does Mei suddenly turn into a red panda?
She has inherited the family gift and curse. Ming explains that the ancestor Sun Yee was granted the power to become a red panda, and that the ability passes to daughters when they come of age.
Why did Ming never warn Mei about the panda?
She thought she had more time and believed that by watching Mei closely she would see the signs early. She says Mei is just a child, and that she thought watching her like a hawk would let her prepare.
What is the ritual meant to do?
On the next red moon it will seal Mei's red panda spirit away and cure her for good. Ming warns that every time the panda is released, the ritual becomes more difficult to perform.
Why can Mei only try the ritual once?
Ming says there is a darkness to the panda, and Mei has only one chance to banish it. If she fails, she will never be free of it.
Why is Mei angry at her mother in this scene?
She has just discovered what is happening to her, and she blames Ming for not telling her sooner. She says the curse is all her fault before Ming calms her down and explains the cure.
Turning Red · 13 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 3once in a lifetimeMei's Friends Have Her Back
Chapter 1take advantage ofMei Turns Into a Red Panda
Watching · Chapter 2watch someone like a hawkMei Turns into a Red Panda
Chapter 3once in a lifetimeMei's Friends Have Her Back
Chapter 4in the bagMing Refuses the 4*Town Concert
Chapter 5fight the powerThe Girls Plot Their Concert Escape
Chapter 6keep one's mouth shutTyler Blackmails Mei for a Party
Chapter 7have a word with someoneMei's Family Takes Over
Chapter 8pin one's hopes on someoneMei Chooses 4*Town Over the Ritual
Chapter 9take advantage of someoneMei Attacks Tyler at the Party
Chapter 10make room forJin Explains the Panda to Mei
Chapter 11too good to be trueMei Refuses the Ritual and Bolts
Chapter 12it was all meMei Confesses to Ming
Chapter 13ride or dieMei Reconciles With MingChapter 2 of 13 · about 40 min to go