Over the Moon (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Fei Fei decides to build a rocket to prove that Chang'e is real. After her mother died four years earlier, Fei Fei clung to the legend of the Moon goddess as a way to preserve her mother's memory. When her father announces his engagement to Ms. Zhong during the Moon Festival, Fei Fei is reminded of her mother and feels inspired to journey to the Moon to find proof of Chang'e's existence.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Fei Fei is shown making mooncakes with her mother during the Moon Festival, connecting her love for Chang'e to her memories of her mother.

• fei fei
• rocket
• moon
• chang'e
• moon festival
• mother death

Chang'e is looking for a broken jade circle, which is half of a complete jade disc. This object matches the one Chang'e wears around her waist. The jade circle is the key to reuniting her with her beloved Houyi, who was separated from her when she took the immortality potion.

Foreshadowing: Fei Fei notices the jade circle worn by Chang'e when they first meet, establishing its importance.

• chang'e
• gift
• jade circle
• houyi
• reunion
• lunaria

While searching through her belongings after her Chang'e doll gets damaged, Fei Fei discovers a broken half of a jade circle inside one of the mooncakes she brought from Earth. She realizes it matches the item Chang'e wears, confirming it is the special gift needed to help Chang'e reunite with Houyi.

Foreshadowing: Fei Fei's family was shown preparing mooncakes at the Moon Festival, and her mother had given her the mooncake with the jade circle inside.

• fei fei
• jade circle
• mooncake
• discovery
• lunaria

Bungee stays on the Moon to be with the Jade Rabbit, who he befriended during their adventure in Lunaria. This decision symbolizes Fei Fei's growth in accepting change, similar to how she learns to accept her new family, she also learns to let Bungee find his own happiness, even though it means letting go.

Foreshadowing: Bungee follows the Jade Rabbit into Chang'e's domain earlier in the film, showing a connection forming between them.

• bungee
• jade rabbit
• moon
• stays
• acceptance

When Chang'e is temporarily reunited with Houyi through the restored jade circle, she realizes that holding onto the past is preventing her from moving forward. Houyi encourages her to let go, but instead of finding peace, she succumbs to despair and darkness engulfs Lunaria. This reflects her struggle to accept loss, mirroring Fei Fei's own difficulty accepting her mother's death.

Foreshadowing: Chang'e's initial sadness about being separated from Houyi sets up her emotional arc throughout the film.

• chang'e
• houyi
• despair
• darkness
• lunaria
• acceptance

Fei Fei learns to accept her father's marriage to Ms. Zhong through her emotional connection with Chang'e. Both Fei Fei and Chang'e share the experience of losing a loved one. By helping Chang'e face her grief and move forward, Fei Fei realizes that loving someone new doesn't erase the memory of those lost. This insight allows her to embrace her new family.

Foreshadowing: Fei Fei's resistance to Ms. Zhong and Chin is established early, showing her struggle with change.

• fei fei
• father
• ms zhong
• acceptance
• family
• grief

Lunaria is the magical city on the moon where Chang'e and the Lunarians live. After Fei Fei's rocket malfunctions due to Chin secretly hiding aboard, a mystical beam of energy transports them to the moon. They are rescued by winged foo dogs who bring them to Lunaria, where their adventure truly begins.

Foreshadowing: Fei Fei builds a rocket powered by fireworks, which foreshadows the chaotic launch that leads to their transportation.

• lunaria
• moon
• foo dogs
• arrival
• fei fei
• chin

After Fei Fei leaves Chin behind to search for the gift on her own, Chang'e's Lunettes capture Chin. Chang'e then challenges him to a ping pong game, promising to reveal the gift's location if he wins. Chin surprisingly wins the game, which leads to the revelation that the gift is hidden somewhere Fei Fei needs to find.

Foreshadowing: Chang'e's demand for a special gift is established when she first meets Fei Fei.

• chin
• chang'e
• ping pong
• captured
• gift
• location

Lunaria becomes dark when Chang'e falls into despair after her brief reunion with Houyi. Her emotional state directly affects the entire kingdom, when she embraces grief and refuses to let go of the past, darkness spreads across Lunaria. The light returns only after Chang'e and Fei Fei bond over their shared grief and choose to embrace hope.

Foreshadowing: Lunaria is shown as a bright, colorful place when Fei Fei first arrives, highlighting the impact of Chang'e's emotional state.

• lunaria
• darkness
• chang'e
• emotions
• light
• grief

Fei Fei is annoyed with Chin because he secretly stowed away on her rocket, causing the launch to fail and forcing her to include him in her quest. Additionally, she is frustrated by his presence as she processes her grief and wants to complete her mission alone to prove herself. Her anger initially stems from difficulty dealing with change, first her mother's death, then her father's new relationship.

Foreshadowing: Fei Fei's initial resistance to Chin is shown when Ms. Zhong and Chin first move in with the family.

• fei fei
• chin
• annoyance
• rocket
• conflict

The cranes that fly toward the moon at the end of the film symbolize hope, new beginnings, and the continuation of the legend. They represent Fei Fei's acceptance of her mother's death and her readiness to embrace the future. The image echoes the film's theme that love persists even when people are separated, and that moving forward doesn't mean forgetting.

Foreshadowing: The Moon Festival traditions shown throughout the film include crane imagery, connecting to this final visual.

• cranes
• moon
• ending
• symbolism
• hope
• new beginnings

Fei Fei and Chang'e bond because they both lost someone they love, Fei Fei lost her mother, and Chang'e lost Houyi. When they share their stories and眼泪 (tears), they realize they understand each other's pain. This connection helps both of them accept that loving new people doesn't mean betraying the memory of those they've lost. Their bond is what finally restores light to Lunaria.

Foreshadowing: Fei Fei's grief over her mother is established as a central emotional thread from the beginning of the film.

• fei fei
• chang'e
• grief
• bonding
• loss
• emotional connection