: While the rest of the cast is comprised of actual teenagers, the two leads are played by adults in their 30s. This helps emphasize the "outcast" feeling of middle school and allows the show to tackle mature themes that would be inappropriate for child actors to perform. Setting : Suburban middle school in the year 2000. Core Characters
: Maya’s stern but deeply loving mother, played by Erskine's real-life mother. : While the rest of the cast is
: A carpool friend and school outcast who develops a complex, long-running crush on Maya. Key Themes PEN15 TV Review - Common Sense Media Core Characters : Maya’s stern but deeply loving
: Shy and sensitive, Maya is an impulsive "class clown" who often struggles with her identity as a Japanese-American in a predominantly white school. : A talented singer who appears more mature
: A talented singer who appears more mature than Maya but is highly susceptible to peer pressure and deeply affected by her parents' crumbling marriage.
