Why Wen is the best adult on Moonlight Chicken
This show had four weeks to make its impact and boy did it! I will be the first to admit that when the show started I was verryyyy ready to hate Wen. The trailers and first few made very clear implications that were meant to be picked up by the audience. I was extremely happy that they subverted it. But i think even if they hadn't i would love Wen. It is some great complex character writing (and no, he doesn't have to be messy for him to be complex, fight me).
When we first see Wen we get a hint that he is not necessarily in the best place in life. He's still doing pretty well for himself, but he's looking for something. I will preface this by saying, Wen is still flawed. How he handled the situation with Alan left much to be desired.
But the reason why I will stand by Wen is because he makes it a point to keep his mess separate from the rest of the characters as well as he can. Jim, Alan and Wen are the only ones who are even involved in their relationship drama, and that is by design.
Wen's interactions with Li Ming especially are proof to this. He has absolutely no reason to help this kid. But he did. And you cannot tell me he wouldn't adopt Li Ming and Heart in an instant even if Jim and Wen never got together.
My favourite choice about this is that it would have been sooooo easy to use Wen and Li Ming's interactions as a means to make him more attractive in Jim's eyes. But never once in the show did they do that (🥲 let me take this time again to thank P'Aof. Sir. You are everything 🤌🏼)
This moment
This was the exact moment I was like, yeah. He is gonna be the best mentor to Li Ming (and maybe Heart).
He is not afraid to ask for advice, but is smart enough to not take the advice at face value. He never pushed his drama onto anyone else. His relationship with Alan exists in isolation with his relationship to Jim (much to Alan's disappointment) but when push comes to shove he still chose to stay by Alan because he had no one else to take care of him at the time.
He gives Jim all the time he needs to adjust to Wen. He is nothing more than a gentle nudge in the "ik you were hurt, but find it in you to let me in" agenda. He understands that Jim needs that time and let's him set the pace.
He recognises Kaipa needs someone and for that someone to be Jim (credit where credit is due for Jim doing the same thing with Wen and Alan) and not once questioning his own security in that undefined space Wen and Jim are in.
I will admit, i have a Mix bias. But it is impossible to disagree that this is probably the best role he's played to date. Both in acting and characterization. He is the most well realised character Mix has played.
I just love Wen okay 😭
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