I’ve always been a sucker for romantic comedies. I’ve watched more than I can count in my entire lifetime, and I’ve trademarked myself as a kind of hopeless romantic. Before To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, my three favorite movies were all rom-coms, all of which of course only featured a white lead couple. To say that this movie is now one of my all time favorites is incredibly empowering for myself as a hopeless romantic and Asian woman! It’s so important to have a character and movie to align ourselves with in a world of rom-coms. Certainly the same feeling goes for many other Asian women, and this article is going to explore just how much impact To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before & P.S. I Still Love You has in changing representation in hit series!
- The Success of the Franchise
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It’s super important to recognize that To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is one of the most streamed movies of all time on Netflix. There was talk about two years before TATBILB that there might not be a movie due to producers wanting to cast Lara Jean as a white woman, but thankfully author Jenny Han refused to give up on her dream to make the book come to life the right way and I’m so grateful for that. The first movie became so successful that they actually filmed part two and three of the series together! Seeing as the second one just came out, it’s hard to know when the last one is coming out, but it will definitely be worth the wait. Jenny Han released the first of her series in 2014, part two in 2015, and the last book in 2017. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before spent 40 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list in the Young Adult section! There’s no doubt why the books and movies have become so loved.
- The Empowerment of P.S. I Still Love You
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One of the main plots of this book and movie centers around Lara Jean trying to navigate how to be a great girlfriend for the first time, but still trying to be herself. Then there’s also the dreamy complication of John Ambrose McClaren. Seeing a lead Asian female have two really great guys competing with each other in a way that catches her in the middle is so brand new to representation on screen. Having a woman of colour go through real emotions and situations from missing her mom, navigating highschool, friendship and relationship struggles is the film’s brilliant and honest way of creating a space in this genre for something that Asian female characters haven’t had a chance to shine in. Asian female characters have typically been the best friend, the supporting role or a background person to the plot, never a lead in a western romantic comedy until now. This is definitely something so brand new to the world of rom-coms we’re used to. It’s nice to see that Asian women can be more than their stereotypes, not just smart, but beautiful, valued, seen, and have more than one guy ever be into her.
- Growing Up in a White Industry
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Besides Brenda Song, during the 2000’s and early 2010’s there was pretty much very little to no Asian female characters on North American television. Growing up as a half Chinese-half Canadian European girl, I watched whatever was on Disney Channel & all the popular movies with my older sister, which never featured Asian female leads in such roles. I grew up idolizing Mulan & Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior, which technically aren’t romantic comedies, but empowering Asian female feature movies. Of course I love them as they are, but I think that because diverse representations were so scarce in what I was viewing, I didn’t even realize it was something I should be missing. I’m so happy that younger girls will get to grow up with someone as well-rounded and true to their roots and who they are as Lara Jean Song Covey. Something else I realized after watching these films so many times now, and I don’t think this is something meant to really be noticeable or even important, but in the world of this film Lara Jean idolizes old television series and movies like Sixteen Candles & Adventures in Babysitting. Ironically, those films and shows she so dearly idolizes are white cast and white narrative stories that she uses to fantasize about how she wants romance to be in her life before the endings of P.S. I Still Love You. It’s funny how myself and many other Asian female viewers can relate in that same way to Lara Jean.
- Other Great Asian-Led Rom-Coms
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In 2018 and 2019, the film industry was hit with a surprising amount of romantic comedies featuring asian female leads that became huge hits! Besides To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before & P.S. I Still Love You, in 2018 Crazy Rich Asians was released and it became such a huge hit that the sequel is in the works right now. This film is also based on a hit trilogy book series that started in 2013 and has changed the game of asian representation and stories in a very iconic way. This film and book series definitely sheds light on what life is like for Asian-American individuals in western settings, balancing struggles of racism, staying true to roots and culture, and the wavering differences of social and economic divisions, all in an incredibly glamorous, romantic and humorous way. Another recent romantic comedy featuring a story around an Asian lead couple is Always Be My Maybe! This film features a top notch Asian woman who owns a bunch of high end restaurants across the U.S. in major cities, and when working on one in her hometown she reconnects with her Asian neighbour and former lover. Thankfully the Asian representation in rom-coms has really grown, and it makes me incredibly happy and proud to see such successful films bring authentic culture and accuracy to life in such familiar settings.
- Seeing Myself in Lara Jean Song Covey
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I think that Lara Jean is the perfect young adult character to become the ultimate successful hit in the romantic comedy series for Asian women. I’m beyond ecstatic to have many things in common with this character and her storyline. She is half Korean and half white, and, myself being half Chinese & half white while growing up in a predominantly white town, it was a struggle to find something or someone to identify myself with besides my family. It’s really empowering to now see someone represent many of the same values I believe in and the same manifestations of hopes, dreams, and realities. Family is so important in this series as Lara Jean has two other sisters in her life. They contribute to all the craziness in the plotline, but also are there for her no matter what, which is so important for any person and family. I see myself in her through my sisters and family, too. Growing up with 3 sisters that were all pretty close in age with me really helped shape me into who I am, and they’ve also been some of my best friends that make me laugh and feel super loved! Sisters stick together in a bond greater than any boy or problem that Lara Jean demonstrates so well. Being a hopeless romantic, I felt and envisioned what a relationship would be like almost identical to Lara Jean. It’s very naive the way some romantic comedies depict what love and relationships are like. Myself and her character at that age really envisioned that being relationships equivalate happily ever after, and put so much value and meaning into that idea. Not only does this film represent diversity and culture, it also so sweetly helps narrate what love and relationships really are, which is difficult, scary and never perfect. Love and relationships are no cakewalk like our favorite films and characters narrate to us. Lara Jean makes being a hopeless romantic a beautiful thing, and she also makes those realities a beautiful thing too, and this is what P.S. I Still Love You really brings to the table.
It’s so clear that the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before hit series has not only redefined the industry, but created a space for such stunning value in Asian female leads, making Lara Jean Song Covey and this franchise so worthy in its ability to be models for youth and future Asian women that get to marvel in the success! I will forever be grateful to Jenny Han for creating an amazing character for women like myself to seek clarity in, and confirm that who I am as an individual and Asian woman is both beautiful and seen. I hope this helps a future generation of Asian women and youth understand their roots have tremendous value and to be proud of who we are as individuals and in relationships to come!