Tuyen is an alternative artist and the Canadian-born daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She rejects her parents' traditional expectations, preferring her chaotic apartment where she constructs intricate installations out of salvaged wood and found debris. Her strong will frequently places her at odds with her family, especially regarding their ongoing search for her older brother. She spends much of her emotional energy managing a fierce, unreciprocated attraction to her best friend.

Carla works as a bicycle courier, finding emotional release while riding at top speed through city traffic. She is the daughter of a Black father and an Italian mother. Meticulously neat and highly protective of her personal space, she constantly calculates her responsibilities toward her troubled younger brother while holding her friends at a safe distance.

Oku is a young Black poet secretly dropping out of his master’s degree program in English literature. He lives at home, carefully avoiding his father's morning lectures and sneaking out to spend his time in Kensington Market. He cooks elaborate meals for Tuyen and Carla while harboring a long-standing attraction to Jackie.

Quy was separated from his family at age four while fleeing Vietnam, ending up at a completely different refugee camp. He survives a harsh childhood by learning to navigate the Southeast Asian criminal underworld. He views the world through a deeply cynical, transactional lens and admits openly to his own unreliability as a narrator.

Jackie owns Ab and Zu, an independent clothing boutique in a gentrifying neighborhood. She grew up in Alexandra Park with young, party-oriented parents who relocated from Halifax. Determined to avoid the poverty and disappointment that marked her parents' lives, she carefully curates her hipster aesthetic and avoids displaying vulnerability to others.

Binh is Tuyen’s brother and a successful businessman who owns an electronics shop. He aggressively embraces free-market capitalism, skimming money from his parents' bills and investing in underground ventures. He spearheads the physical search for Quy, determined to act as the responsible son.

Cam is a former doctor from Vietnam who now co-owns a restaurant in the Toronto suburbs. She suffers from severe insomnia and deep grief over losing her oldest son. She spends her nights writing letters to various international officials and individuals, desperately trying to locate Quy despite her limited English.

Tuan is a former engineer who retrained his focus to open a lucrative restaurant in Canada. He channels his restless energy into late-night architectural drawings of the city. He expects order and practicality from his children, particularly Tuyen, whose artistic life confuses and frustrates him.

Jamal is Carla’s 18-year-old brother who constantly finds himself in trouble with the law. He adopts a tough, street-oriented persona to mask his vulnerabilities and associates with a rough crowd. He relies heavily on his older sister to rescue him from the consequences of his arrests.

Derek manages a car wash and wears expensive clothes to project an image of success. He abandoned Angie when she became pregnant with Jamal, remaining with his first family. He reluctantly provided a home for his illegitimate children only after Angie’s tragic death.

Nadine is Derek’s wife. She took Carla and Jamal into her home despite the public scandal of her husband's infidelity. She learned to cook Jamaican food for her husband and attempted to raise the children lovingly, though Carla maintained an emotional distance from her.

Angie is Carla and Jamal’s Italian mother. She suffered intensely when Derek refused to leave his wife for her. She spent her weekends watching Derek from across the street before ultimately ending her own life when Carla was five years old.

Fitz is Oku’s hardworking, bitter father. He values manual labor over academic pursuits and regularly lectures his son at the breakfast table. He relies on Sunday routines of cooking and drinking Scotch, which often descend into anger and verbal aggression against his family.

Claire is Oku’s mother. She notices Oku's shifting schedule and academic truancy long before Fitz does, but chooses not to confront him aggressively. She acts as a buffer in the household, covering for her son while understanding her husband’s deep-seated frustrations.

Loc Tuc is a Buddhist monk who involves himself heavily in the black market. He takes young Quy out of the refugee camp but forces him into a different kind of servitude, requiring Quy to procure his opium and participate in illegal schemes across Southeast Asia.

Reiner is Jackie's white, German boyfriend. He works as a musician and helps open Jackie's boutique in the mornings. He moves through the city with an ease and sense of ownership that Oku observes with intense, frustrated envy.

Kwesi is an associate of Oku's who drives a Lincoln Navigator and wears expensive seasonal leather coats. He persistently pressures Oku to join his illicit business operations, representing the financial temptations of street-level success.

Hue is an Asian woman who helps run Binh's electronics store. She initially introduces herself as Ashely, but Tuyen stubbornly insists on calling her by her given name. She is highly capable at managing the business in Binh's absence.

Ai is one of Tuyen's older sisters. After the family lost Quy, her parents placed severe restrictions on her life out of fear, leading to lingering resentment toward her younger, Canadian-born siblings who enjoy significantly more freedom.

Lam is Tuyen's other older sister who grew up under the intense, protective gaze of her traumatized parents. She functions mostly in the background, serving as a contrast to Tuyen's rebellious lifestyle.