Let me say that I’m not a fan of the storyline, but because this is from Taiwan and the team/platform behind the project, I’m choosing to believe they mean well with the story.

Characters
Personally for me, this is where the film shines -- its characters and the actresses who brought them to life.

Yi-Ming
We have Yi-Ming who grew up being the “apple” of her parents’ eyes. Basically, she is the model daughter that any Asian parent would be proud to have. Unfortunately, accepting and carrying on that role is also her downfall. She believes everything she was taught to believe without question even in the face of an opposing reality. Once you understand this, her actions for the rest of the film will make a lot of sense to you and maybe hate her a little less. Not to defend her actions or say they are right of course.

Ting-Ting
Then we have the seemingly carefree Ting-Ting who unlike Yi-Ming, doesn’t seem to live up to anyone’s expectations but her own. A little more brave. A little more open to following her heart and what makes her happy despite society telling her otherwise. We don’t find out until some time later that Ting-Ting has been living with her own struggles of self-acceptance. When I found out, that made my heart break for her and Yi-Ming on some deep level I didn’t know I had.

Lessons From The Film
If Yi-Ming and Ting-Ting has taught me anything is that being different is what makes you who you are and sometimes being who you are can be difficult in a society that tells you that who you are is wrong, abnormal, a sin. And when you go against yourself to conform to the way society wants you to be, then you might end up going down self-destructive paths unless you learn to accept and embrace yourself.