Red Balloon – Series Review & Ending Explained

Sad story

The story in Red Balloon begins with Xia Zhi Chen as an adult, navigating an emotional divorce. We aren't watching a happy man content with his life, but someone who seems a little lost. It's sad watching his marriage fall apart, along with his lasting regrets over a teenage crush.

In the first episode, the detective reveals that Zhi Chen visits his old high school every month, just to stare at an empty field. Does that not show a lot about his state of mind? No, he doesn't have an affair or cheats on his wife. Instead, he spends his time reminiscing about the past, lamenting over the one who got away.

The rest of the story takes place in the past, exploring the teenage romance between Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen. The tone picks up, showing us the happier times between the two of them. However, it's always in the back of your mind that their relationship won't last. There's a lingering melancholy that stays with you throughout the series. You know that any bliss is momentary, gone by the time both characters are adults.

Bullying

The secondary subplot in Red Balloon is the school bullying, which is uncomfortable to watch for obvious reasons. To be honest, I thought this storyline was a bit repetitive. Every time Xu Yang appears, he's getting bullied again, and we don't learn anything else about his character. In the last episode, he randomly wins an award that we know nothing about until now. It would've been nice to actually highlight other facets of his life besides the bullying.

Nonetheless, Xu Yang's story definitely makes an impact. It's hard to overlook Episode 7's ending as his character takes his own life and jumps off the school roof. Miraculously, he survives the multi-storey fall without sustaining any serious injuries!? It's nice to know that at least gravity isn't homophobic. 🤕

I like Xu Yang because his character doesn't compromise himself to fit in with his tormentors. Even though the other students advised him to camouflage himself, Xu Yang wouldn't step back into the closet. He'd rather face the hardships than repress his identity, which is quite commendable.

Zhi Chen & Xiang Wen

The teenage love story between Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen progressed nicely for most of the series. It doesn't rush through their relationship, taking the time to establish the bond between them. Once the roommate moves out around Episode 5, their scenes become more intimate and you can feel the two of them growing closer.

The problem is that Red Balloon should've shown a stronger sense of urgency and expedited their journey. Considering Red Balloon only had eight short episodes, they needed to pair the leads together sooner. The current tempo was perfect if you had the luxury of time for your storytelling. Unfortunately, Red Balloon is a short series and cannot afford such a leisurely pace.

When Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen kissed in Episode 7, it felt like a milestone in their relationship. They were just about to embark on the next stage of their romance. Unfortunately, all development stops right after the first kiss. The dad shows up, erupts in homophobic rage, and puts an end to his son's freedom. Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen are then kept apart, never reuniting again until their adult years.

Their romance ends at such an unsatisfying point, because I wanted to explore the aftermath of their first kiss. I wanted to see Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen become boyfriends. I wanted to see the leads spend time together. There's more love story left to be told, and it's frustrating that we didn't get to see it.

Zhi Chen & Chu Qing

I like the actress portraying Xu Chu Qing and thought she put in a lovely performance. With that said, her storyline didn't make a significant impact and probably shouldn't have occupied so much time. At the very least, this romantic subplot could've been executed a lot more efficiently. She gives her love confession, he rejects her, and then let's move on.

The longer he dragged out his response to her love letter, the more awkward it became. This poor girl poured out her heart, and you're just ignoring her like, "What letter? 🤷🏻‍♂️" If you aren't interested in your friend, just tell her instead of turning this into a guessing game. "Do I reciprocate your feelings? I guess you'll just have to find out! 🤷🏻‍♂️" is NOT the correct response to a love confession.

Decent acting

The acting in Red Balloon was fine and I enjoyed the charming rapport between the two leads. Edward Chen (who plays Xia Zhi Chen) is very dreamy in this role, melting my heart every time he flashes that distinctive smile. A handsome young actor like him who's eager to pursue BL projects is like a dream come true. He can portray this same character archetype in ten different BL dramas, and I would watch every one of them without complaint.

With that said, Edward comes across as unsure of himself in some scenes. His emotions aren't as refined as you want them to be, appearing a little stiff or forced. He gives a much-improved performance in Your Name Engraved Herein than his inexperienced showing in Red Balloon.

Teenage heartbreak

Red Balloon has a happy ending where the two main characters reunite again in their adult years. However, their reunion is preceded by lots of heartbreak during their high school days. Zhi Chen's dad is traumatized after he sees his son kiss another man. He forces Zhi Chen to be homeschooled for the rest of the semester and orders his bodyguards to monitor every move. Poor Zhi Chen is effectively imprisoned inside his own house, unable to escape.

On Zhi Chen's birthday, Xiang Wen shows up outside his house. Zhi Chen begs his bodyguard to give them a moment together, so the two teens talk to each other across the gated walls. However, Xiang Wen has come to sever ties with Zhi Chen. He doesn't want to come in between Zhi Chen's relationship with his father.

In a farewell letter, Xiang Wen compares the two of them to balloons drifting in the air. He releases many red balloons outside Zhi Chen's window as a symbolic gesture of letting go.

Happy ending

After high school, Zhi Chen continues to care for his father, whose mental health has deteriorated. To appease his dad, Zhi Chen gets settled down with a woman and leads a straight lifestyle. As we already know, his marriage eventually falls apart. In the meantime, the father has also passed away.

During the ending, Xiang Wen arrives outside Zhi Chen's house on a motorcycle. A warm smile spreads across Zhi Chen's face, and there's an added spring in his steps as he goes to greet his companion. The two of them flirt coyly with each other. Zhi Chen thought Xiang Wen would've come to see him sooner. However, Xiang Wen was hesitant because he didn't want to come in between another marriage.

When Zhi Chen confirms that his divorce is finalized, Xiang Wen smiles and cheekily asks him out for dinner. Zhi Chen hops onto the motorcycle, and the two of them drive away together. Notably, the motorcycle is attached to a collection of balloons. The balloons aren't all red this time, but they're filled with different colours of the rainbow.

Ending review

The last episode features three iconic moments, which come together to form a powerful finale:

1.) The first moment is Xu Yang's speech in front of his school. After surviving a suicide attempt, he wins an award and marches onto the stage in his Sailor Moon costume. Xu Yang demonstrates a strong fighting spirit and states that he'll continue being himself, as he waits for the world to change.

2.) The second moment is the poignant farewell letter that Xiang Wen wrote for Zhi Chen. Xiang Wen describes how he felt a kindred connection with Zhi Chen when they first met. A pensive expression on Zhi Chen's face led Xiang Wen to think maybe this guy is the same as me. The two of them are like balloons, destined to never reach the highest point, but they still drift through the air in search of each other.

3.) Finally, the third moment was their reunion as adults. After the emotional anguish from their teenage years, Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen have found their way back to each other again. There are no secret feelings, past resentments, or anyone else coming between them. It's a hopeful conclusion where they're allowed to love one another freely and openly.

Ending explained

The red balloons are an important motif in this BL series, representing the freedom to be yourself. As much as the balloons want to soar freely, they don't have the power to fly to the highest point. Much like the balloons, the characters are held back by limitations, bounded by traditional norms in a conservative society. Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen don't have the freedom to love each other, both powerless in a restrictive atmosphere.

However, this BL series also remains hopeful that the balloons will find their way towards each other one day. As evidenced, the adult versions of Zhi Chen and Xiang Wen have reunited again years later. Zhi Chen regains his freedom once he forgoes the expectations of being the perfect husband or the dutiful son. No longer weighed down by the pressure to be straight, his balloon is freed and can fly higher than before.

The colourful balloons were a nice touch of symbolism in the final scene. The balloons are no longer just red, showing there isn't one uniform colour where everything must look the same. Instead, these balloons come in a diverse range of colours, much like the pride rainbow. The happy ending in Red Balloon indicates that the characters can be free, be unique, and be happy with whoever they love.