Yi Yi - Ending Explained

Plot Resolutions and Character Fates

The film concludes by resolving each character's arc in a quiet, realistic manner rather than with dramatic flourish. NJ meets with his first love, Sherry, in Tokyo. They share moments of intimacy and regret, but NJ ultimately chooses not to rekindle their romance, telling her upon his return that he has realized he is happy with his family. He accepts his life as it is. Min-Min returns from her spiritual retreat, telling NJ that it was ultimately the same as being at home and that "nothing is different," implying she found no easy answers and must now face the life she fled.

Ting-Ting's romance with Fatty ends in heartbreak when she sees him back with his ex-girlfriend, Lili. The story takes a dark turn when it's revealed that Fatty, influenced by Lili, murders her mother's lover, who was also Lili's English teacher. This shocking event, conveyed subtly through a news report, violently shatters Ting-Ting's innocent worldview. The comatose grandmother never wakes up; she passes away peacefully near the film's end. Her death serves as the event that brings the family back together.

The Ending Explained

The final scene is the grandmother's funeral. The family is reunited, including a humbled Min-Min. The climax is a monologue delivered by Yang-Yang, who reads a letter to his grandmother. He apologizes for not talking to her more when she was in her coma, explaining that he felt she already knew everything he would say. He then shares his newfound purpose: "I want to tell people things they don't know. Show them stuff they haven't seen." He concludes by saying he misses her and that, like her, he feels "old, too." This final speech is the culmination of the film's themes. Yang-Yang, the youngest character, has become the wisest, embracing the role of the artist who seeks to reveal the "other half" of the truth. The film ends on this poignant note of cyclical life and burgeoning wisdom, as one generation passes and another finds its voice. The screen cuts to black on Yang-Yang's thoughtful face, leaving the audience to contemplate the journey he has ahead.

While the film is largely seen as a compassionate portrait of a family, some interpretations focus more on the pessimistic undercurrents. The ending, where Min-Min returns from her spiritual retreat stating that "nothing is different," can be read not as acceptance, but as a resignation to a life of quiet despair. From this perspective, the characters don't truly grow but merely learn to better accommodate their unhappiness within the unchanging structures of their lives.

Another interpretation focuses on the film as a critique of modern capitalism and its effect on the family unit. NJ's moral struggle at work, the pressure to be successful, and the resulting alienation can be seen as the primary forces fracturing the family's ability to communicate and connect. The individual crises of each family member are not just personal but are symptoms of a broader societal malaise.

The ending itself, with Ting-Ting dreaming of her grandmother waking up just before she dies, is also open to interpretation. This moment can be seen as a final, gentle moment of connection and forgiveness for Ting-Ting. Alternatively, it could be viewed as a tragic underscoring of her loneliness—the comfort she needs can only be found in a dream, and reality remains harsh and unforgiving.