The Little Nyonya

I finished watching the Little Nyonya. I almost stopped watching the show at the second episode. I didn’t like the way the show portrayed women; weak and miserable. Made me angry. In the drama, the Babas and Nyonyas are negatively portrayed as evil and stupid. I know some Babas and Nyonyas who are smart and kind. However, I loved watching the beautiful JuXiang and main protagonist, YueNiang. I liked the strength, determination and big love that they carried on their sleeves. I can’t stand the grandmother (second wife) though, who could accept the sadistic bullying her and the people she loves but doesn't fight back. Who in their right mind would allow that? Could she be a closet SM and bondage lover?

YueNiang the Little Nyonya determines her own future and would not surrender to fate. She loves this man called Chen Xi but she is not with him even at the very end, till the day she died, because she cares too much for the feelings of the people around her. Spoiler warning: It was not a happy ending. I can accept the ending, although it’s sad but it is something different from predictable happy endings.

The theme song itself was tailor made for the drama series, setting the right mood for the story. It is sad, not extremely sad but very melancholy. Like a sad song that makes you want to cry but however you could not cry because it’s just not sad enough.《如燕》RuYen (literal translation: Like a swallow returning to its nest), was beautifully sang by Olivia Ong. Thanks to SLP who introduced me to this wonderful singer last year.

I thought Jeanette Aw (YueNiang), Joanne Peh (YuZhu) and Eelyn Kok (ZhenZhu) were brilliant actresses. YueNiang will be the character you are always rooting for. YuZhu’s display of a kind-hearted girl who turned psycho after a series of rapes (yes, it happened that many times), such dramatic transformation and superb acting chops. ZhenZhu is the half-antagonist, half-protagonist, playing evil to perfection.

Girl power (left to right): YueNiang, YuZhu and ZhenZhu

Life was not kind to YueNiang. She was thrown overboard into the sea, saw her parents die as a little girl, drowned in a well, almost raped, kidnapped, left to die, burned alive and forced to marry a butcher, yet she survived all of this. She’s a supergirl. And amazingly enough, she forgave all the people who caused all this misery in her life. I doubt such a perfect person exists in this world.

The unforgettable parting quote from a dying YueNiang:
Choices are never easy to make.

The one you love may not be good to you.

The one who is good to you may not be the one you love.

Still, you have to make the choice that you think is the right one.

Eyecandies in the show

I vividly remember another quote from YueNiang; “If I didn’t forgive them, I would have to live the rest of my life in anger and hatred.” How true. As much as I want all the baddies to suffer terrible deaths, I have to agree with the Little Nyonya. I have forgiven my ex-boyfriend. I used to have so much anger and hatred in me. I gradually realised that it wasn’t hate, because I loved him so much, the pain was great enough to stir negative emotions within. I was sad with his betrayal. It is true what they say, time does heal all wounds, but it leaves a scar.

Wisdom does not come with age, it is earned.
Little Dove