As soon as I started to watch “Never Have I Ever”, I knew I had to take a “Which character are you quiz?” even though I subconsciously already knew the answer. I made sure to choose a legit quiz and not one with very leading questions and answers that only fit one of the characters. It even had sliders which, in my opinion, is the epitome of a good personality quiz.
As I got my results, I was not surprised at all. The character I was most like? Devi Vishwakmar. This is no competition either. I was most similar to Devi by 20% more than all of the other characters. I knew this was going to happen, but I did have mixed feelings about it.
I’ve always known that I happened to feel things a lot deeper than most others. It always kind of sat in the back of my mind that I might be overdramatic or even downright silly to be feeling such big emotions over such little things, but as I saw a main character who was real and felt those big feelings too, I knew that we would be one in the same.
Throughout the show, Devi racks up many nicknames; Crazy Devi, Coyote Girl, and even refers to herself with words such as ‘psycho’ and ‘maniac’. I think this highlights how big emotions and reactions based on those emotions are perceived by society extremely negatively, especially by adolescents. It is even perceived negatively most times by Devi herself.
I think the show did a phenomenal job highlighting that those who feel those “big feelings” and react based on those feelings do have a stigma surrounding them but can simultaneously still be good people who can be supported, loved, looked up to, and modeled after.
I have rooted for Devi since episode one and will continue to root for her if Mindy Kaling decides to continue the show. Adolescents with big feelings all around the world are watching Devi navigate her life and see themselves in her, for the good and the…big feeling-ed.
17-year-old Devi Vishwakumar showed me as a 21-year-old that feeling your feelings, big or bigger, is not something to be ashamed of and make you who you are for the better. Mistakes can be made, feelings can be felt, apologies MUST be given, and life can be lived in your own big feeling-ed way, and that is totally okay.