Watch Kids' Reviews of
YE AND GUOUO

I really like Ye and Guouo as it portrays typical life in China during the era of the "one child" policy and before that. I like how the story highlights a student's life from the perspective of competition that has gone too far.

The sets, the children's pastimes and the education system all fit the era.

The story follows Guoguo and Ye going on adventures to secure a spot to be represented for a prairie camp program that will led them to unexpected turns.

The camera work is excellent and uses many different camera angles and perspectives. I particularly like the use of slow motion when Ye decides to jump off a scaffold and breaks his leg; it really makes the scene very dramatic. This leads to a major turning point later on when Guoguo confronts the bullies. It also serves as a way to show how the stress and pressure Ye has reaches a breaking point. The sets and locations are very well suited for the story. The two most standout are the scaffolding and the school; the scaffolding shows a new era in China and the school shows a typical school from the era. The background music consists of period music and music that enhances the emotions of the characters. Most noteworthy are the propaganda songs.

The main character, Guoguo, is a very obedient student who is willing to do everything she can to be a "good student." But she begins to have a mind of her own after she sees the drama between her older brother, Ye, and the neighborhood bullies. Once she develops a mind of her own, she begins speaking up for herself and tries to help her brother. On the other hand, Ye changes drastically when the pressure is put on him of being first or second in his class. My favorite part is when Guoguo decides that enough is enough and she stands up for her crippled brother and faces the bully herself.

The message is about not being bullied and standing up for what you believe is right. There is one scene that is disturbing when a turtle falls out of Ye's pocket and is tortured.

I give Ye and Guoguo 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. The dialogue is in Mandarin with English subtitles so you need to be able to read quickly enough to follow the subtitles. Reviewed by Tom W., KIDS FIRST!

I really like Ye and Guouo as it portrays typical life in China during the era of the "one child" policy and before that. I like how the story highlights a student's life from the perspective of competition that has gone too far.

The sets, the children's pastimes and the education system all fit the era.

The story follows Guoguo and Ye going on adventures to secure a spot to be represented for a prairie camp program that will led them to unexpected turns.

The camera work is excellent and uses many different camera angles and perspectives. I particularly like the use of slow motion when Ye decides to jump off a scaffold and breaks his leg; it really makes the scene very dramatic. This leads to a major turning point later on when Guoguo confronts the bullies. It also serves as a way to show how the stress and pressure Ye has reaches a breaking point. The sets and locations are very well suited for the story. The two most standout are the scaffolding and the school; the scaffolding shows a new era in China and the school shows a typical school from the era. The background music consists of period music and music that enhances the emotions of the characters. Most noteworthy are the propaganda songs.

The main character, Guoguo, is a very obedient student who is willing to do everything she can to be a "good student." But she begins to have a mind of her own after she sees the drama between her older brother, Ye, and the neighborhood bullies. Once she develops a mind of her own, she begins speaking up for herself and tries to help her brother. On the other hand, Ye changes drastically when the pressure is put on him of being first or second in his class. My favorite part is when Guoguo decides that enough is enough and she stands up for her crippled brother and faces the bully herself.

The message is about not being bullied and standing up for what you believe is right. There is one scene that is disturbing when a turtle falls out of Ye's pocket and is tortured.

I give Ye and Guoguo 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. The dialogue is in Mandarin with English subtitles so you need to be able to read quickly enough to follow the subtitles. Reviewed by Tom W., KIDS FIRST!

Six-year-old Guoguo was born right before the one-child policy started. But outsiders thought the family broke the regulation because of her. To make it right, Guoguo tries hard to become "a good girl" in others' eyes, and one accomplishment is to be enrolled as a Young Pioneer. Her elder brother, Wangwang, is striving for his own dream, to win an essay competition, "Animal Diary", so as to be qualified to join a prairie summer camp. Yet he should have his first pet, a snail, to raise and write about.