Indie Web Series: The ‘My Girl’ Epic

Within the incredibly deep well of Asian Drama content, the 2020 Chinese Drama titled My Girl provides a unique charm. The first episode out of the 24 in this series boasts over 12 million views, with every other episode easily exceeding 3 million by hundreds of thousands of views. With the YoYo English YouTube Channel holding the subscriptions of almost 3.5 million viewers, it is not an exaggeration to say that My Girl is one of the channel’s most popular offerings in the Chinese Drama genre.

This show chronicles the relationship between Meng Hui, a make-up artist, and Shen Yi, the CEO of a struggling cosmetics company. While this may seem like a perfectly normal set-up for a relationship drama, there is a catch. Meng Hui has an identity disorder that causes her personality to completely shift every time she experiences a stressful event. The defining trait that applies to Shen Yi is his obsessive desire to save money in almost every circumstance.

At first, My Girl seems to explicitly use these character traits for humor, with Men Hui’s disorder driving many of the events of the plot. However, as time goes on, the show begins using flashbacks to provide a deeper context on why this couple behaves the way it does. This level of extra care is also given to the characterization of the supporting cast.

At the beginning of the show, Shen Yi’s ex-girlfriend is competitive and jealous, but when the leads become romantically involved, she does not become vindictive and is even protective of Meng Hui and Shen Yi’s relationship. By challenging tropes in this way, My Girl prevents its story from becoming predictable. The show does an excellent job balancing its comedy with its drama. It does not shy away from making a joke out of the actions of its characters but refuses to see any one of its characters as exclusively comic relief. All of them are treated as the protagonist of their own drama. This ultimately makes their interactions feel grounded, even at times when the flashy score and cinematography place a comical, melodramatic emphasis on specific situations.

My Girl is a stand-out show. It goes through the twists and turns that provide solicitous joy to consumers of Asian Dramas. That said, it refuses to completely villainize or reduce any of its characters to a stereotype. This is what keeps the conflict interesting and what keeps the audience hooked on this extraordinary love story.