yum cha | 飲茶 [thesis short film]

my thesis short from my fourth year at sheridan college ! essentially a lil girl versus one very slippery har gow :^) hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these times, and that you'll all be able to go out again sometime soon to have dimsum with your family!!^^ thank you for watching!
and ofc thank you so much to all my helping hands on this project! /o/
music track composed/created by Kevin Song Xian Lau
-- / kev.inlau
short film by Yushan Li
-- / mieillee
-- / itsmieille
email: [e-mail]

[@Rahhh978]

It was satisfying for them to eat it instead of giving it away lmao

[@jackatk]

No it hurt to watch ‘:/

[@2bolts]

@@jackatk why

[@vampybat]

haha i agree cause she went through all that effort just to eat it so, it was nice to finally see that she was able to get what she wanted

[@silly_dev1025]

@@vampybat that was a boy

[@vampybat]

​@@silly_dev1025 the description of this video says "essentially a lil girl versus one very slippery har gow" so no, she is a girl.

[@Bluminal]

Finally someone who doesn't give it away after all his hard work

[@cyancaves]

Yes this would've been me

[@jaxmeteur]

Why do so many people misgender her 🤦

[@isoknight0728]

@@jaxmeteur Who cares? It's just a fictional character.

[@jaxmeteur]

@@isoknight0728 ur right lmao

[@Blank.Empty.Space.]

exactly, u do the had work mate

[@PeaceOfArt7]

the catharsis of her NOT eating the disgusting one and also NOT giving her new one to the other kid is so nice like yes this went exactly how it should have

[@araciaearth]

I’m pretty sure that’s a girl tho, cus someone at the table commented that “ai, she’s such a big girl now” and out of the two kids, I’m pretty sure the other one is a boy 😂

[@jin_cotl]

Still sad bro 😭

[@mattika]

she's a girl

[@Beths-cat]

trust me, none of these dishes are disgusting

[@PeaceOfArt7]

@@Beths-cat when i said disgusting i meant cuz it was covered in hair and floor stuff 😅 trust me i would give an arm and a leg to eat any of the food in this

[@figs-oliomedley]

"sucks to be you lmao" XD loved the animation, the lineart was very cute, the colors were sweet, and the animation was very fluid!

[@0707bmo]

yes!

[@thestool7848]

AS A CANTONESE SPEAKER WHO GREW UP EATING DIM SUM THIS BRINGS SO MANY MEMORIES 😭😭😭😭😭

[@milkboke1780]

SAMEEE 😭

[@milkboke1780]

the “don’t play with your chopsticks it’s disrespectful and rude” 💀😭

[@shiikae7787]

@@milkboke1780 EXACTLY WHAT MY MOM USED TO TELL ME!! Like whenever I was waiting for the food to come I would use the chopsticks and bowl to play “drums”

[@thestool7848]

@@milkboke1780 YESS!! and the way the kid cringed at veggies hahaha

[@milkboke1780]

@@thestool7848 oh my days I only liked the one with the oyster sauce istg 😭

[@liagamer4265]

2:10 I love the detail of the food actually being gross after rolling around everywhere instead of it magically still being clean

[@krysab6125]

And also, we all know that your average 4-year-old would 100% still eat that. Heck, the 4-year-olds I know seem to prefer it off the floor. Kids, man.

[@jen_fsh]

YESS WHEN HE ATE IT INSTEAD OF SHARING IT I FELT THE SATISFACTION COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS, YOU DID WELL CHILD

[@crispylemon7197]

its a girl

[@crispylemon7197]

@Johnathan description it used the pronoun her to describe the kid

[@blenderpain8249]

@Johnathan It says: "lil girl versus slippery har gow" in the description. And I'm sure there's a difference between "他“, ”她“, and ”它“ in Taiwanese as well.

[@crispylemon7197]

@Johnathan it says lil girl in it too

[@blenderpain8249]

@Johnathan yea, okay. Pray tell? As far as I know taiwanese mandarin pronounces them the same. Taiwan isn't exactly too focused on woke culture. Besides, the video is in Cantonese, not any of Taiwan's dialects.

[@Vick_or_somethin]

Props to her for not giving up her food and just going "that's a you problem"

[@pfp-underwater]

he could order some

[@MALEXISAL]

@@pfp-underwater he's like four lol

[@MALEXISAL]

@@nothinghere303 the kid across the table, not the protagonist

[@orksca5459]

@@MALEXISAL ask ur mom

[@anushree8984]

yea

[@nikhita280]

I love how she just goes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and eats it lmao, I've never related to a three minute film so much!

[@sethstuffanimates8419]

hecc yea treat yourself for your hard work

[@pipootkelter3289]

Still waiting for that one kid who says "NaH BrUH

[@ilikemetoo3088]

Same

[@GreyscaleMonochrome]

she? (i know i'm late)

[@transscendent]

@@GreyscaleMonochrome yes the description says she

[@wonderlandkagehina8931]

The animation is so pretty and smooth!! At the end I really thought the boy would give the other boy the piece of food( im sorry i think its a dumpling but im not to sure) but nope the boy didn't share his food. He has his priorities to eat the food not share it lol

[@twensive4373]

@@naomilim8702 They’re honestly delicious!

[@reallyradrabbit]

Isn’t the main character a little girl? The description says so but all the comments are saying they are a boy

[@SeymourDisapproves]

The description says the main character is a girl and that she's chasing after a slippery "har grow"

[@lucheng1945]

Yep shrimp dumplings，虾饺, I’m glad they chose this kind of dumpling because well made xiajiao are supposed to have a very bouncy texture, which fits super nicely with this animation and plot

[@ArtwithIris]

i mean i feel like that boy would already have a piece when the girl was chasing after that shrimp dumpling

[@babyfefe999]

He moves just like a real kid, especially that floppy mushroom hair! Loved it 100%

[@crispylemon7197]

shes a girl

[@IlIlIlIIlIIllII]

@@crispylemon7197 ok its a cartoon

[@mattika]

@@IlIlIlIIlIIllII in cantonese they say she is a girl

[@crispylemon7197]

@@IlIlIlIIlIIllII i know i was just correcting them

[@IlIlIlIIlIIllII]

@@crispylemon7197 ok sorry

[@ngyuxin1463]

HAHAHA that has got to be the most bounciest 虾饺 ever 😂 love the audio, as a cantonese speaker, this film has a familiar feel to it :)

[@user-ck6de5ol5c]

555 likes O:

[@mayonnaised_donuts]

i’m chinese and this is exactly what happens when i’m at chinese restaurants, and i’m 16 and still do these childish stuff lmfao

[@soap5648]

exactly what i was thinking!

[@spiwolf6998]

You try to eat food off the floor? Ew 🤮

[@Isa-tn7ex]

@@soap5648 SAME omg I hAve friends who are also Chinese, why do I feel like I’ve just found my people in this comment secton

[@The-Cookie]

@@spiwolf6998 that’s not what they meant 😐

[@spiwolf6998]

@@The-Cookie r/whoosh

[@olly4225]

2:35 love how they make the little "whe" sound before crying then only to immediately stop as the food comes by

[@eleanorxue3272]

as a kid who would have to sit through long dinners at resturants with the round table like that, I totally sympathize with that little girl

[@turowa]

I’m glad this ended the way it did. Hearing the cantonese, the chiding, the scolding about eating vegetables while the adults chit chat for hours just really encapsulates what it’s like to be a kid at dimsum. And the funny thing is that I know that in an animation course I took it wouldve been suggested to give it away or explain a bunch of stuff and doin’ too much. But this is perfect the way it is. The colors, the style, THE CRYSTAL FRICKING SHRIMP crystal shrimp beloved. Edit: ALSO FUGGIN KIDS AND THEIR DS LITE IM WEAK BASSARD CHILD BASSARD BALD CHILD WE ALL HAVE THAT BALD COUSIN WHOS A PAIN AND A CRY BABY

[@Konata_TheRappa07]

I was the kid with the DS Lite lol except it was pink, Im a girl, I never had my hair shaved and I’ve got nowhere near Asian roots lol

[@StuffedReptile]

Callou

[@superabi5214]

I love how the boy didn't give the other kid the food, it's just more realistic to me 😂

[@Blank.Empty.Space.]

yeah and they didnt become best friends bor something

[@user-ex4ku7go7q]

She’s a girl

[@PurpleShift42]

Yeah, in the (untranslated) dialogue at the beginning someone asks "is this Feifei? She's a big girl now!", so the main character is a girl

[@stard9864]

Oh this is so cute! I love the style of this. I like the ending that it was unpredictable for a story. The main character is really like a little kid!

[@deletedkneecaps]

this was so cute i loved the art style, it’s so warm. and the ending was perfect lol

[@STRIKE9606]

I was literally saying “go ahead and cry” I still wasn’t expecting him to do that for real 💀

[@Ia_nenavishy_pelmeni]

SAME, AHAHAHA

[@alt.6837]

This whole film had a soft spot in my heart. I grew up in Hong Kong so all of these were super relateable, especially getting scold by the mom lmao . Crazy good animations too, bravo!

[@terrafletcher1930]

I like the story, the animation is a little unevenly paced and are better in spots than others. The ending was great especially since the other kid never even tried to be friends with the bored kid, yet was now trying to get the last dumpling. The dumpling that he mostly likely had missed because he was playing video games and didn't notice when the table had turned his way.

[@The-Cookie]

As someone who grew up in Guangzhou and would always go “yum cha”, this video has really touched me :) I remember how I would order ‘lo mai gai’ and ‘har gow’ (crystal shrimp dim sum) all the time… hopefully i’ll be able to fly back to Guangzhou soon once covid has died down. (Also, great animation! Keep up the amazing work) Wash your hands and stay safe everyone

[@39Fanclub]

This was such a cute film. The style was so unique and adorable

[@idkwhochloeis]

the cantonese was spoken really well!! its rare to see cantonese stuff and i was so happy when i heard the older woman say “oh, they’re so big now” and “hey, don’t play with the bowl” because it reminds me of when my family goes out for yum cha with relatives, lol

[@mackiexoxo8193]

The ending made me fucking WHEEZE this animation is absolutely gorgeous

[@buttoneyes007]

Lmao I thought it was gonna be typical where he gives the other kid the dimsun but he straight up eats it in front of him! Savage

[@Silly_gooberrrr]

It’s a she hehe

[@ninjireal]

@@Silly_gooberrrr no one really gives a shit

[@StarMisura]

@@Silly_gooberrrra real queen since youth

[@Jeanjacket32]

The style and animation is so cuteeee 🥺although, Asian kids tend to actually enjoy vegetables (I say this as an Asian myself lol). Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone! It was just a speculation Edit: lmaoo why y'all replying to disagree when I clearly said this doesn't apply to everyone

[@spoon7053]

fr cuz asian vegetables are actually prepared how they should be and arent boiled to death and unseasoned 🤡

[@tigerblah8302]

HA, true, but my grandparents put pork fat with cauliflower, i became disgusted.

[@veeskepsies]

no actually i think it's just u

[@Jeanjacket32]

@@veeskepsies Lmao you mean, just me and the 122 people who agreed?

[@jingqiao661]

@@spoon7053 I did not understand why my western friends complained about vegetables in primary school XD 'veggies are disgusting? What are you guys talking about?' And then I visited one of them for dinner and was served plain boiled broccoli💀

[@spammusubi1607]

Awww this is so familiar and nostalgic! Absolutely adorable art style and the way you portray the childlike joy and adventure was so much fun!! It also reminded me of ratatouille in a way with the kitchen toss scene

[@aakiofr]

STOP I REMEMBER BEING IN THIS SITUATION AS A KID, WHEN MY PARENTS WOULD TAKE ME WITH THEIR FRIENDS TO SOME CHINESE RESTAURANT WHERE ALL THE WAITERS SPOKE MANDARIN AND THERE WOULD ONLY BE ONE OTHER KID THERE. IT WOULD ALSO HAVE THE CLEAR CLOTH PROTECTOR THING OVER THE TABLECLOTH AND OMG. THE NOSTALGIA 😭 I EVEN REMEMBER GOING UNDERNEATH THE TABLES. (it had the spinning table thing also. I don’t know the English names omg 💀)

[@bup4523]

The clear plastic table protectors 💯

[@aakiofr]

@@bup4523 frrrr 💯

[@Kiss_My_Aspergers]

The mother's voice has such an ASMR-esque quality... I could listen to the VA for an hour, speaking a language I don't know past maybe two phrases, and have the most relaxing hour ever, lol. This animation style is so cute. I appreciate the more updated colour palette that still keeps the watercolour effect intact. The animation was fluid and the characters highly expressive. It was charming and cute. I hope you keep animating and come out with even better videos. You definitely have the skill and talent to keep anyone entertained with your animation, so I hope you take risks, too. *TL;DR:* This video is fantastic and the artist deserves praise and encouragement.

[@axlthescienceboy]

3:04 finally!

[@hiyoutubeflippysplendid6281]

😂

[@1Tako1]

This was so cute and nostalgic for me lol. Being 8 and being forced to go a dimsum restaurant to meet extended family for seemingly forever. The chairs, the table, the red walls, the dragon on the wall (1:27) , the animation, the colors, expressions! This short film makes me so happy. The only thing that would make it better if there was a bottle of sprite under the table lol

[@caratstv7758]

this was so pretty!!! the animation was so satisfying and smooth, i really love the characters. the ending was so funny too lol, her smug face was incredible

[@saltedfjsh]

Congratulation on your thesis film! it was lovely to watch ❤︎ hehe, face expressions were the best! It must have been a lot of work to put together ;; thank you so much for sharing! (loved the ending haha!!)

[@wiru_14]

I’m in love with the artstyle of the character, she’s so adorable and so expressive :]

[@seadenfreude]

That 蝦餃 is going more places than my future academics… Loved this!

[@toasterstrudles642]

the instant i heard the sound of chopsticks hitting the cloth i fell in love, amazing work !

[@jelly_elli]

0:34 most satisfying sound

[@Yuukaroo]

Nah 3:11 is

[@HenryYQuan]

This is an interesting video, the background music let me feeling in a restaurant, and a sudden loud sound also creates a dramatic effect . I show this to the kits, they know the dim sum, understand the Chinese words and seem very interesting watching.

[@olivialoveless7179]

Wow this is a masterpiece! I love your sense of humor and the ending is so much fun and plays against expectations so well. I really appreciate the use of texture and light in your work. I love how you choose to show the way light impacts color. There's so much to love here and I can't wait to see more ☺️☺️

[@supahdoodle]

Everytime I go YumCha, I always gotta stab my chopsticks into everything to not take up the time of someone else wanting to spin the food xD

[@_ally1]

that cantonese is literally just *chefs kiss*

[@annaleise657]

HOW DID YOU PERFECTLY REPLICATE EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION MY FAMILY HAS EVER HAD AT YUM CHA IN THAT OPENING SEQUENCE.... MIEILLE YOURE A GENIUS

[@mintyragea.5812]

aah i love this!! the animation was so pleasant to watch and the story and characters are so cute and funny 🥺

[@Thedokla1]

Wow this actually represents my lived experience. And yeah I remember it fondly and with warm feelings, just like the colours you used. Except I was usually the one left crying (as the youngest of all the cousins). Thanks for this! I think you did the memories justice, really.

[@riverkoenig9673]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH OH MY GOD THE SOUND DESIGN AND THE ART STYLE AND THE BOUNCY ANIMATION OH MY GOODNESS I WAS SMILING SO HARD WATCHING THIS OMFGDFJGHKFG THIS IS SO CUTE AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND ITS SO WARM AND COZY PLSS I JUST LOVE IT EVERY FRAME IS WONDERFUL I LOVE THIS

[@Phoca_Vitulina]

This was so adorable and well done! She was so cute and really appreciated how she didn't give her hard work away at the end

[@mellabru]

i love the art style and the canto. this was adorable

[@chaos_enjoyer]

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT!! the animation is so good!! thanks for making my day a little bit better :)

[@user-pk9mo6io2p]

can't tell you how accurate this was back in the days, when u have nothing to do and ur relatives were playing with their "expensive" psp, you will just smack the chopsticks on the table or the bowls just to get end up scolded by asian parents. I love this film!

[@eevieee]

I CANT DESCRIBE IN WORDS HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS! IT'S SO SATISFYING!

[@kamuta1640]

wow! this is so underrated! I love the art style and face expressions!!

[@xIcexDragonx]

The colours and art

[@tarpitparkingviolation1613]

this was such a joy to watch awhh your art style is so charming and i loved the music used + use of sound effects from chinese opera!!

[@greentintdglace796]

just smt so comforting abt hearing cantonese probs bc i grew up with it also just the cutest animation ever

[@kcolourart6521]

SO PRETTY CONGRATS ON FINISHING!

[@Tacos135]

This is just incredible! Amazing storytelling, amazing animation, amazing everything! You did such a great job! Have a blessed week!

[@annbaek]

the music is so calming and fits the piece really well :)

[@emmalu1271]

I absolutely love the style of this animation! It's so clean and it flows perfectly :) this is my 10th time watching this it's so good

[@evilskeleknife9359]

that first half minute gave me so much nostalgia holy crap Every other kid at the table with their phone (in this case a ds) and you're just sitting there like, damn when the food coming out though? It's amazing how you managed to perfectly capture the moment down to the last detail! Great Job! Take my subscribe >:)

[@simplyathing]

OMG This is giving me so many memories from when I was younger and I would go to yum cha restaurant with my family.

[@skibidibopbopmybumhole]

I always go to restaurants like that when it’s someone’s birthday or a special event.

[@richiecruz9104]

this like actually genuinely made me smile

[@polandsprinq]

i loved the ending so much omg

[@bokuwarenchi]

i feel so powerful to understand what they’re saying

[@sydneyvan9958]

ikr-

[@LopsideMakes]

I can’t explain how amazing it felt to watch that kid capture that and get a W like.. almost crying

[@ThongTran-xb8pi]

This style was so lovely!!

[@SeymourDisapproves]

The main character is a girl, not a boy. It says so in the (very cute and well-animated) video's description lol

[@iheart2game779]

I died laughing at 3:10

[@DoubleKing101]

I LOVE CANTONESE REPRESENTATION SM!!!!!! IM A HONG KONGER AND ITS SO NICE TO SEE CANTONESE INSTEAD OF MANDARIN!!

[@Overexpressive]

NEVER SHARE FINALLY SOMEONE WHO DOESENT JUST GIVE IT AFTER ALL THAT!!!

[@Notfake_]

Typical chinese childhood on a sunday morning

[@mochijuice8074]

Cantonese short film… amazing!

[@ferueyrua]

Bro really just said "welp sucks to be you" and i love it

[@sophie1564]

So heartwarming and funny. The lively atmosphere you managed to create felt so realistic and nostalgic, particularly with the beautiful sound of Cantonese. Incredible work!

[@SevisCorner]

Lol I thought the girl was gonna give the dimsum to the boy

[@six2389]

2:50 nah bro this mine go cry about it

[@luv.4liciaa]

so no ones gonna say who UNDERATED they r? also i love the end how she ate it and the other kid started crying

[@snubnosedmonke]

this is the cutest animation about dim sum i’ve seen

[@parsigonzalez7455]

0:40 his face😂

[@SailboatParagon]

2:28 im not sure if this is how they speak but are they like yelling or like sorry if i offend i dont mean too

[@lostinlumiosecity]

i wouldn’t say they’re yelling, more like scolding the kid

[@aesonk7244]

this video brings back the feeling of yum cha

[@chlocomelon]

i LOVE the dialects spoken in the background! the attention to detail!! :)

[@Garfield_Minecraft]

0:22 amogus

[@katiekwan6281]

OMG OMG OMFG OMGGG I laughed sooooooo much like i was so concerned about the germs of that slippery first har gow and to see the evidence of such quickly moving har gow eventually reflected meant so much. also the audio. amazing. especially the end with the boy crying as everything pans out, and this more relaxed music - the way there was a slight tension there, though generally happy ending, meant so much. at the end of the day, i was def rooting for that girl to have the har gow as she wanted LOLOLOLOL

[@connart-thegameartist757]

Bro that sad kid had ample time to get his dumpling before the protagonist returned from his goose chase.

[@maybedeadcats2193]

Oh god the textures are so good

[@parfaiteer]

everything about this film felt oh so nostalgic

[@amoonslove]

This was phenomenal kept me on my toes and excited to see what’s next!!

[@z_5752]

This is my childhood! Even though the setting is different, so many details take me back to growing up in mainland China. That round table with the white table cloth and lazy Susan, so many memories… Thank you thank you!

[@burkencrocs]

WHY'D THIS MAKE ME TEAR UP AT THE END ARHDGSIS THIS IS ADORABLE

[@luckyrabbit4319]

absolutely love this. cute art style, original story, and fluid animation. job well done!

[@GrandmaStinky]

This gives me so many memories!

[@floraspond666]

Kid knows their priorities, respect.

[@jrdmgl6190]

wow the animation is so excellent... if u told me this had a high budget i would believe you! wish this was an entire show 😔

[@theartofeyecontact7418]

This portrays a child's perspective so well. She really reminded me of myself

[@XaveProductions]

Everyone out here talking about how satisfying the ending is but the beginning of this animation was WAYYYY to accurate to childhood, great animation love it!

[@lycore6386]

THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ARE SO CUTE

[@sophiatobiaa9029]

Omg why is this so true. When ur eating dim sum with ur cousins who have a phone and you don't so you just play with chopsticks.