Psychology of a Hero: MULAN
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- Опубліковано 29 кві 2024
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How do you recognize your self-worth when others don’t see it?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright react to Mulan discovering her self-worth and defying expectations. They discuss what makes her a true hero. Jonathan breaks down the iconic “be a man” montage and what it means for Mulan. Alan shares some of Disney’s smart animation techniques. But he claims there’s too many animal sidekicks. What do you think?
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Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Edited by: Nathan Judd
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis
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Perfect timing. I got my mail after seeing this video and found a notice from AT&T that they had a data breach, and all my information had been stolen and sold. I just signed up with DeleteMe. Hopefully they'll be as good as you and other UA-camrs say they are and can protect me.
My favorite part in film is mushus batman voice when he says citizens I need fire power they are like ahh who are you and he's like I'm your worst nightmare mushu did voice first before the newer batmans
@@commonpleasantries1941 I was wondering the same thing. If Delete Me has all your personal information, and it gets hacked because it doesn’t have sufficient security, then you would be in no better of a position than the one you were in before using Delete Me.
5:48 "hey, you can't talk to my daughter that way"
This is supposed to be a Chinese story from a particular time of history not an American one from the 21st century. Had the father character said that such action would've resulted in his murder together with his entire family and all his land taken.
I love how "A Girl Worth Fighting For" ends promptly on the sight of a destroyed village and a little girl's doll, saying that the real "girl worth fighting for" is the one that gets to grow up in a world free of war.
makes me cry every time
It is such a good strong contrast.
The best part is that after that moment there’s no more songs to show that things are more serious, that things have changed, it’s so well done
Absolutely, the ending is always a shocking moment, since we get so swept up in the catchy song, only to be brutally reminded of the realities of war.
THAT. The scene where's the doll was lying down next to the sword got my breath hitched. It doesn't help Mulan was hugging the doll shortly after.
"Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"Would you like to stay forever?"
- I love granny Fa
She's awesome!
She is definitely a universal grandmama
😂😂😂 I thought this was gonna be one of the quotes at the end
I can't believe you didn't put this trope into your video!
Granny Fa is the grandma I wanna be someday
In Fa Zhou's defense, he *couldn't* just say "Hey, don't talk to my daughter like that." He was getting an official conscription notice from Hi Fu, the Emperor's Counsel and a high-ranking military official. If he had stood up for her in that manner, they probably would've killed him for sure, and possibly his whole family for disrespecting the Emperor so much. He did everything he could in that situation and by telling Mulan she dishonored him(which was true because of society and her actions, not him personally but his position as family Patriarch), he at least placated them so the family would be left alone. Context is important.
He also looked away from her. I kind of read that as him not directing that "dishonour" at her.
Yeah, and it's muted and he won't look at her when he says it. His body language always read to me that he *has* to say that in the circumstances, he doesn't want to
@@helenl3193 Bingo
Yeah. People need to start put things in context
I think it's very common for parents to tell their children golden rules and values, but water them down in situations containing social pressure as they face a cognitive dissonance.
"Why does this music give me chills"
Because it's properly communicating that Mulan is making a difficult choice, that she knows is the right thing to do, but also knows it's seriously risky and could end extremely badly for herself AND her family. It's not a purely empowering melody, it's got that extra flare of anxiety/fear that really adds depth to Mulan's decision.
It's like that scene at the end of Lord of the Rings the Fellowship of the Ring.
Frodo looks out onto the river, and he hears Gandalf's voice "All we must do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us."
As he looks out, a tear falls from his eyes. He understands what he must do. He puts the ring in his pocket, grabs the boat, and starts going down river.
plus 80s synth music is hella sick
That music SLAPS
"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful and rare" was my senior quote
That quote has remain to be the most beautiful and moving quote i've heard. 😢
The most beautiful of all
“Some Flowers bloom where the green grass grows, our praise is not for them.
But the ones that bloom in the bitter snow, we raise our cups to them.”
So many wise expressions in the movie, like the emperor and why he wouldn't bow to Shan Yu. No matter he was about chop his head off.
Follow inmediately by the best aclaration of a metaphor: "You don't meet a girl like that every dinasty!". The emperor is the best XD
One thing I didn't notice in the movie until recently: in "Honor To Us All" they sing about how having 'a tiny waist' will make Mulan more appealing (as they practically corset her into a waist wrap), and then the matchmaker takes one look at her and tells her she's too skinny. So even when she was trying to meet society's expectations, she still had to deal with impossible and sometimes contradictory standards. It's subtle, but it's there.
America's Barbie monologue
I have always thought that confusing but I think it is more a comment on her not having a feminine body, rather than fat/skinny.
She has a tiny waist because she doesn't have any curves and she is too skinny because she doesn't have the curves (of a feminine body).
Which we are shown that in how easy it is for her to hide her female body and be Ping.
It could also implying that she still looks and acts like a child- as she hasn't 'matured' into a little lady.
@samcookiebox Well, she is 16
I realised from where I thought you were going is that the standard of a cinched waist was taken down/removed when they took off the wrap & repurposed it to save the emporer in the drag idea. Therefore, deconstructing the ideas of what everyone should be into one where everyone can be who they are allows for a greater outcome for all
Also that song says men want girls… it doesn’t even matter what it says after that this line has always bothered me
I love too how Mulan is given the opportunity before climbing the pole to jump ship - no more worries about revealing her identity or dying in a war, no more missing home - but she decides under her own power to stay and prove to herself that she belongs before receiving any outside validation. Love her 💜
Right!!! Shang essentially gave her a freebie and to go back home alive! Sure, I’m sure it would’ve been to the cost of her family’s honor, but she would’ve lived! And her father would’ve lived! But yeah, halfway through this sequence, you realize that Mulan isn’t just doing this for her father anymore, she’s doing this for herself. She’s tired of failing and wants to prove to herself that she can get it right.
This! I think they did it so well that for being really important, no one seems to notice it. When Shang kicks her out, she really could've returned, no real war for her or her father, and likely no real consequence. Later, after being found out, she could have left as the damage was already done, but she's truly a hero, someone with honor, and empathy, and a goal, and she won't return even though it's the easier option.
Even when she sees the Huns are still alive and even Mushu is trying to dissuade her, she chooses to keep going. It's a beautiful story setup with the earlier instances showing she's not going to take the easy way.
I love the double meaning in the line "Men will surely go to war for you," in "Honor to Us All". By the end of the movie, the men aren't going to war for her to gain her affection. They're going to war for her as her comrades.
oh my god. big brain moment right there (genuine, not being sarcastic. i am loving reading all the comments rn with different things people are noticing in its design and analysis and parallels and augh there is SO much to work with here in this movie)
A thing I love about this movie is when Mulan confronts the villain, he's not surprised/angry that she's a woman, he's surprised that she's the soldier from the mountain. Historically, among the Huns, women were renowned warriors.
Even if they weren’t trying to go for historically accurate, I’m still glad they didn’t have the villain be shocked that his greatest enemy is a woman. Like, they could’ve easily had him taunt or mock Mulan for being a girl because he’s the bad guy, but they don’t go the cheap route. They actually make sure the final fight feels epic and intense and they don’t have the villain understatement Mulan at all. He goes after her like he would any other guy and it’s badass as hell when Mulan fights back and outsmarts him for it.
Mulan's historical inspiration, Hua Mulan, came from north China where most people had mixed Chinese and Hunnish heritage, so there's a connection there.
@@gothicMCRgirl I do love that, but also, he knows, for a fact, that this is the person who wiped out practically his entire force, with one move. Even if he was sexist, which I doubt he was, she had *more* than earned his respect enough to take her completely seriously.
When he got her cornerd, he does'nt say "Girly", he simply says "Run out of Ideas?".
Simple yet effective.
@@anyathepanther7977that means he recognizes her ingenuity, something that was under-appreciated prior that moment in the mountain
Jono: "We all have worth."
Alan: "Sure!"
Jono: "Even the Cricket."
Alan: *"No."*
I mean if he wasn't there maybe the matchmaking ceremony would have gone well, so in a sense, the Cricket saved China😂
Exactly! His form of luck was just chaotic and rambled a bit 😂
The cricket was Mushu's sidekick!
😂
Precisely! The cricket is worthless if he isn’t lucky??? C’mon. And the only reason anyone thinks he SHOULD be lucky is because grandma put him in a cage and declared it to be so. Tsk tsk. If you need to lose a sidekick, lose the dog.
I saw the last scene a little differently. He *did* look at the sword and the crest... he looked at them sadly instead of meeting her eye immediately. It was like he didn't know what they were supposed to mean to him, and then he looks at her and sees that she thought this what was necessary to bring the family honor. There's a little bit of sadness and remorse in him as she hands him the gifts. When he hugs her, he goes to her instead of pulling her to him. That hug was as much an apology as it was telling her that he sees her worth as she is.
I enjoy that take. At first he was just happy to see her alive, and well. But was quickly confused, and even guilt-ridden, as she presented her gifts to him. And he quickly comes to the understanding that, not only does she think she needs to apologize or ask for forgiveness, but also that this whole situation was cause by the way that he had treated her before she ran away. That *he* had made her feel as though she needed to regain the honor of their family.
Oh yes you're right! He actually has a little disgust looking at them. Like damn this is what I made you think you needed to do for me to love you? It *hurts* him. It's also like this physical barrier because she appears and he's probably like OMG YOURE ALIVE IVE BEEN SICK WITH GRIEF and then she moves away from the embrace he must desperately want to give her to bow down. And he's like get this shit out of my way and stop being formal I want to hold you already mf I thought my daughter was dead
I absolutely love that he just tosses them on the ground because they aren't as important as her. She's worth more than the crest of the Emperor.
That scene with the late-blooming blossom just...gets me. Every time. I sometimes lament that because I transitioned, it meant that I'm just living life perpetually delayed, because I didn't have the childhood I should've had, I just feel like I wasted 26 years playing the role everyone expected of me...but when Mulan's father says "Look, that one's late. But I bet, when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all." I can't help but get teary.
Because if I look in the mirror, and realize just how happy I am with who I've become? It doesn't matter if I'm behind everyone else's schedule. I'm still blooming.
I always think that people who transition in adulthood have an understanding that few people do. Your perspective is so valuable.
💗💗💗💗
I also lost several decades, emotionally, before I transitioned, and have loved this film since childhood, but now that one's gonna make me cry all over again.
("You'll be X years behind." "Behind what?" is the other bit that helped.)
yes exactly! Our society's version of the typical life timeline is so ridiculous. We are all on our own unique journeys and it's never fair to compare our life with someone else's.
Hell yeah! Fellow trans person here, my medical transition will start next week at the ripe old age of 34. Sure, it would’ve been cool to live my entire life as the correct gender, but I think having lived experience as a woman might be helpful
What i love about Mulan was, she was almost feel like a regular girl rather than princess, being considered not enough for the standard of being an "ideal" was pretty hitting close to home. Her journey from a whole carefree girl who doesn't took herself seriously to actually show she wants to try and in the end, brought honor ( to us all ) for herself. Until this day, she still is my favorite Disney princess.
She also isn’t automatically some perfect warrior machine. She’s just a person doing her best who has to think and work hard to succeed in the end. So well written!
I always loved that about her, too. Plus her motivation is so grounded and real, that it doesn't make her feel like another copy and paste Strong Female Protagonist. She is her own woman, and it was her choice to leave and fight to save her father. It made sense for her, not just "ooga booga war I must fight" or something else. She did it for her family, and later for all of China and they just did it so well, UGH I love this movie😭😭❤️
Honestly, I just appreciate that while Mulan isn't "princessy", she's still feminine and very much not a tomboy. It shows that you can be womanly yet strong
She is not a regular girl, that's her whole deal
@@PrincezzAdriRight? It’s fun to see her struggle to keep up, like everyone else, to become a soldier for war. Really shows that all of them had a simple life but they need to step up because of the actual threat looming over their homeland.
You don’t need to be a war machine to be respected, you have to put your all in the things that are important and people will look to you because of it.
I dont know if you guys didn't notice or just didn't want to talk about it or it was super obvious, but the sequence of mulan getting ready to take her dad's place is a parallel to her getting ready for the matchmaker. Getting her hair ready, tying a sash around her waist, her reflection in a mirror and in the sword. She's getting ready to do battle both times and I really love that little bit of detail
Excellent point! There’s so much great parallelism in the structure of this movie.
I watched this movie so much as a small child that I wore the tape out and my parents had to replace it, and I straight up never noticed this, so thank you for showing me how much more amazing this movie is.
Getting ready to do battle, but also getting ready to put on a costume, neither of which are her
@zoelawrence568 but both were things she had to do to bring "honor" to the family
In both cases, she is stepping into a role that she is unfamiliar with but willing to undertake to honor her family.
My favorite thing about that ending to the Be a Man scene is that in order to reach the top Mulan actually USES the things that were meant to hold her back and make it more difficult as the tools that get her to the top. So powerful.
I will say though that I always believed that she used them the exact way they were meant to be used. Considering it was the only task that Shang assigned them that he didn't demonstrate himself doing first (although there's a good chance he could have done it the "wrong" way considering how damn thicc that boi was)
In my eyes it was always a test meant to challenge their ability to think outside the box, one that he was extremely disappointed to see them all fail
@@Kelarys I believe this, too. Especially with the way he said "You will need both to reach the top." That statement had dual meaning. You do need both discipline and strength, but you also need to use the tools given you.
That's actually a core tenant of the military life. Adapting to apparent adversity, improvising with the hand that you are dealt and overcoming both outward and inward obstacles.
I like that the entire chorus/bridge lines are just direct quotes from The Art of War.
Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how Mulan had the opportunity to go back with no consequences, and while she felt her weakest. Instead, she wanted to overcome her weaknesses, and be a part of something, and probably most of all, just prove she could do it. It's epic.
Fun fact: In the chinese original Mulans surname is Hua, so when she introduces herself to Shang as Ping she says ''my name is Hua Ping'' which translates to Flower Vase and that's why shang is so bewildered because it's a silly name.
It's not just silly, "Flower Vase" was old Chinese slang that basically meant the same as twink. That's like naming your kid Femboy or Power Bottom.
@@kaylawoodbury2308 oh that just makes this movie a thousand times better! thank you for this!
And we'd hear it as Fa Ping (please, don't put those two words' sounds together like that)
@@elaineb7065 oh god that's somehow worse
Flower Vase has two different Chinese slang meanings, depending on context. One is the camp gay twink. The other is a very beautiful but sheltered and spoiled young woman who has no practical useful life skills, who cannot do anything but stand around looking pretty, like a vase of flowers.
And both have thematic application to the story.
I'd cut the dad some slack too. Like Mulan, he too is bogged down by expectations. He HAS to tell Mulan she dishonors him when she speaks up, because its what society expects from the patriarch of the family. Mulan understands that it reaffirms her decision to leave.
Yeah, this is how I read it too. Not necessarily that he thought she was wrong or that he disagrees with her, but that he's duty-bound to go to war whether he wants to or not. Like you can hear in his voice (and see in his body language) that he's not happy about it.
Yes. He is in public in the presence of his social superiors, and his daughter speaks out of turn. As her father, he has to reprimand her. That is what society would have expected of him.
Yeah but I think he really felt dishonored by her coming between him and his duty, not just because of society's expectations but because of his own personal sense of duty. As a father and protector, he was willing to die for his family and country, and despite his limitation, he proudly accepted the responsibility. It was his decision to make, and Mulan interfered by speaking against him.
Adding to these list comments, Fa Zhou definitely showed love for his daughter when her grandma alerted him that Mulan ran off. When he says the line "If I revealed her, she will be killed." The worst thing he could imagine other than Mulan's death is if he was the cause of it.
@@mysticmind4563Precisely, if Fa Zhou only cared about honor and social expectations, he would’ve ratted his daughter out. But the fact that he didn’t shows that even HE isn’t willing to go along with the rules if it means getting his own daughter killed. I’m sure the man knows that in some ways, the rules and laws ARE unfair.
Mulan at it's core is a movie about accepting yourself for who you are and your own strengths. You might not fit in with the stereotypes or status quo for societal expectations, but that doesn't make you any lesser. It just means you are different, and your difference is what makes you truly strong. In a sea of mediocrity, the creative, clever and ingenious will be respected.
Agreed
My 2D Effects professor, Troy Gustafson, worked on many of the swirly smoke effects in this film and even helped establish its signature style. His scenes included when Mushu was introduced, anytime incense was present, and most likely that fireworks explosion at the end. Professor Troy dressed like a cowboy, had that "grumpy old man" kind of personality, and wore a black trenchcoat in the winter. He was one of those tough teachers that was hard to pass the class for, but he believed in us all, and he never stopped believing even after we all graduated. I don't think he ever stopped believing even right up to passing away a few years ago.
Alan, it means a lot to hear you getting a burst of unbridled joy out of that fireworks explosion, and how much you both appreciate the subtle details that often go unnoticed. Every time I see those smoke effects in Mulan, I'm always on the brink of uncontrollably crying. He may be just a name in the credits, but he meant a lot to us. Miss you forever, Professor Troy. 💙
Hearing how powerful this memory and his artwork is for you makes me think you should definitely look into getting a swirling smoke tattoo
Fun fan theory I've seen with this movie: the reason that Mushu couldn't wake the Great Stone Dragon is because it had already awakened and was in Mulan.
OOH I LOVE THAT THEORY
Mulan IS the Great Stone Dragon
@@Archeantusable I don't know that he was literally the Great Stone Dragon, but I've always interpreted it as him already filling the role that the Great Stone Dragon would have.
Last I checked, Mulan is regular-sized, not a stone and not a dragon.
It woke up and helped Shang Chi defend their village.
I always thought that Mulan's solution to the pole climb wasn't actually that much of an outside the box idea, but that the soldiers were supposed to realize that they needed to use strength and discipline TOGETHER to climb the pole.
That was my takeaway as well, she was just smart enough to figure that out.
That would be awasome too. :-)
Shang does say “you need both to reach the arrow,” and I always figured he meant that literally as well as figuratively.
I actually thought she did it the way they were supposed to do it, I just thought she was one smart enough to figure it out first 😂
I thought it was also a good show of her ingenuity. The assignment seems so straightforward; climb the pole with strength and discipline. So it seems you just need to work your muscles and will, but then Mulan comes in and Makes The Weights Work WITH Her. So she does the task but her solution leans slightly left lol
Fun Fact: Donny Osmond patted my head when I was a toddler. Now I have a full ride scholarship to study opera.
Good luck to your study! 😭
What I love about this that does not get enough credit, is that Mulan's arc is similar to the other character's arcs to a different degree. Mushu is trying to show the other spirits he is also capable and he also deserves his spot, Sheng is trying to prove he is like his father and capable of leading... They all have a similar arc and it is amazing to see it all culminating with Mulan.
The two Princesses movies that my dad would allow me to watch growing up were Mulan and Princess Mononoke. I asked "Is it because the princesses didn't marry in the end?" cuz i thought he doesn't want me to get married. And he answered "No, because i want you to be as strong as them. To have your own beliefs, to know the value in them, and brave enough to defend them with or without a man" Because most of the time I don't have anyone nor will i have anyone to count on on every problems that i have.
Your father is amazing! He is so wise!
Your father is a great person. ❤ Reminded me of my father who passed away due to kidney disease 6 years ago, and he's still an amazing man i've ever known.
That's a smart dad right there. 😊
To be fair, the other princesses also had their own beliefs and were brave enough to defend them with or without a man. People rag on the classic and renaissance princesses too much.
Your dad just restored a little bit of hope in me ❤
The delivery of the line "The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter." DESTROYS ME EVRRY TIME. I'm not a dad, but I can only imagine because that line, the intonation and emphasis, breaks me like cheap furniture. Soon-tek Oh, rest in peace, one of the last big roles he had absolutely put the ribbon on Mulan.
'Breaks me like cheap furniture' love that wording, stealing it
I'm definitely using it for my kids
I tear up every time too, I'm not a dad, I'm a daughter, and that line with the hug...you're stone if you don't feel it
This!
Until as recently as 10 years ago when I was in my mid 20s, I never realized the symbolism of the father throwing away the sword and medallion. I thought it was just cool as hell to “stick it to the man”
Then I realized how this portrayal of Mulan’s father is both NOT a good depiction of the honor culture, but ALSO a great depiction of what an amazing parent does to instill the sense of worth to their children.
That they’re enough.
Ask any kid with and Boomer or Gen X parent…I’m sure this is what they wish their parent would treat them more with (i.e. me. Nothing to diss my parent, but I wish she would show her emotions to me more)
Something that of course the live action did the complete opposite of…
@@laid-backmonster1881 I can agree, I'm a Xellienal parent and my babies are always first
"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."
This quote in particular stayed with me ever since I watched it as a teenager when it came out. It resonated with my soul then as it does now. It has kept me going through challenging times.
Mulan was everything I needed at that time in my life. I had difficulty with my self esteem and worth. As someone who has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair, I didn't fit the mold. And while I'll never fit into what society deems as normal, others have seen and accepted me for who I am.
Mulan will always be my favorite Disney character.
As a kid one of my favorite scenes was Mulans second encounter with Shan Yu. He never outright ever calls her a woman, or even makes a note, he simply calls her "The soldier from the mountain!", he's angry, mad, furious but shows a hint of glee that he would be able to end her wit and skill without ever mentioning her gender. Everyone learns to recognize Mulan's abilities and how she as a woman could perform just as well as a man. But Shan Yu our wonderful antagonist never had any hesitation about it. He saw her put her hair up, recognized and when straight to "I'm gonna end this warrior's life."
I love that her father just dumps the sword and crest on the ground like Mulan is the most valuable thing to him. 😭
Agree.
That was one of the most subtle yet impactful moments in the movie next to the village burning scene.
This makes me bawl every time I’m literally tearing rn thinking about it
As a kid who really struggled to feel like I belonged and struggled with feeling like I wasn’t worth anything if I didn’t belong, this movie was so defining. The idea of carving the best out of yourself through effort and growth was so wild to me, not to fit into what others expect but to fit into your own
That's such an inspiring story, I'm so delighted that Mulan helped you to feel less alone, and more confident in your abilities.
@yb9964 you wore this beautifully, and I totally agree. I still struggle with this today. So thank you for sharing this, I resonate with this so much!
@@trinaqcoming from you, it’s extremely touching. I love reading every comment you post, which happen to be under 99% of the videos I watch 😂
@@yb9964 You're extremely welcome, only to happy to help. Yes, I'm everywhere at this stage, we certainly have excellent taste. 💖🥰
Disney knew how to write stories about those who feel like they belong. Its something we all feel at times.
I think Disney movies suck now because they don't want to connect to the outside anymore
I think Mulan has the highest kill count of any Disney character. She wiped out an entire army, with just 1 cannon. Aside from that, she's always inspired me because she has both individuality while still maintaining a strong connection to her own culture and traditional values. The real reason why she's a hero is because she has worked hard for her place, and the ability was earned and respected. Even if the sequel was terrible, she still says that she must continue to train, showing that there is always more to learn. The 2020 live-action didn't have any spirit in it, and the message doesn't show the value of hard work and determination from the 1998 film.
An extra point for the scene where Mulan offers the gifts to her father, at the start he's silent, he lets her speak without interruption. For me that adds to the respect he has for his daughter where he doesn't think that what he has to say is any more important than what she is telling him so he should listen before responding
1998 Mulan: A completely ordinary young woman who overcomes her challenges, proving herself to those who doubted her.
2020 Mulan: A Mary Sue with inexplicable superpowers.
The 2020 version was so worried about being authentic to Chinese culture that it completely forgot to be a story on top of that.
@@rynemcgriffin1752 What makes it even worse is that apparently it's not really that authentic (see Xiran Jay Zhao's excellent video review)
@@rynemcgriffin1752 And they failed hard on the authenticity aspect as well.
People should really start including the 2009 Mulan: Rise of a Warrior movie.
I accidentally watched that one instead of the Disney live action and I was happily surprised.
The most disrespectful thing you can do to any character, especially a woman, is making them a Mary Sue.
I was a tomboy all growing up and always felt out of place with girls and boys. This movie (plus some wonderful parents) taught me that being feminine is also being strong and smart.
Congratulations you are awesome 😎
same!! also had beautiful parents who taught me that being a strong woman comes in all shapes and sizes as long as you fight for what you love and cherish✨
I went through something similar, I had like a switch in my brain when I was 8ish where I became very tom-boyish, I've been teaching myself over the past couple years that embracing my femininity actually makes me feel a lot more self confident and happy (:
This time I cried where Jono cried. Mulan, Lion King, and Tarzan were my favorite Disneys growing up. And I guess, looking back on them, they all touch on trying to be yourself while people expect differently of you (although Simba kinda grows into his expected role, but he DID have a rebelious phase)! It's great when you're finally recognized and appreciated for being yourself and using the skills you've got rather than the ones people think you should have.
My favorite disney princesses have always been Mulan, Pochohantas and Rapunzel. I love them because they dont come from a life of perfection, and more importantly, they have survival skills like navigation and stealth, hitting things hard with a pan, and straight up being a war hero. They were strong female leads, and they didnt wait for a man to save them and/or make their decisions for them.
This is the timeliest video ever! My 10 year old autistic daughter has been being bullied at school for her disability and is home this week while the school works to find her a new class at a different school so she won’t be bullied. We’re trying to build her self esteem and show her how amazing she is, and when I watched this with her she said,” Mom, I’m like Mulan, aren’t I? I have amazing talents but no one else sees them because I’m different.” She now recognizes her worth because of this video, so thank you! She’s proud of who she is and wants to show her new class how amazing someone with differences can be.
My daughter at 10 strongly identified with Mulan as well. She was attention deficit and struggled at school. Glad your daughter made the connection between herself and the character.
Yes! So glad she can see that!
Tell her she’s awesome! Also tell her what her strengths are, she’s going to hyper fixate on her strengths if you do! Some of her skills aren’t going to show up right away, she’ll need to work harder (that’s the reality) but it will be worth it! She’ll realize that her skills and talents can be used to help people.
For background: I’m was diagnosed with autism, adhd, anxiety and major depressive disorder. I had to get out of my comfort zone and work hard but it’s been worth it. I have a job that appreciates me (turns out one of my talents involve charisma and customer service) and I can support my family now. If I can do it, your daughter absolutely can as well! ❤
Autistic adult here, diagnosed at the age of 27. I just made the same realization that I identify with Mulan as well, for the same reasons your daughter does. Timely for me as well because I have recently decided to stop trying to prove my worth to my family and instead realize that my worth is intrinsic and that if someone can’t see it, that says more about them than it does about me.
I’m glad your daughter is learning this so early. ❤
As someone on the spectrum who loves musical theatre, I feel that way as a performer sometimes. Recently, I’ve spent time comparing myself to my friends (especially those who’ve performed professionally and have done NYC cabarets.) Other times I can stand strong since I also do martial arts, none of my friends can do that.
It's been said before by other people, but the little detail about villian recognizing Mulan as the soldier from the mountain and how the huns often had female warriors, is one of the things that make Disney great with their animated movies
To me, it also added a little more depth to Shan Yu. He was a a ruthless, cruel warrior, but also intelligent enough to recognize threats. He *remembered* the face that brought the avalanche down on his army the first time, regardless of the clothing attached to it.
It gave me a huge new appreciation for the movie. Shan Yu saw that 'he' was actually a 'she' and just... didn't care. He said, "the warrior from the mountains!" not "you're a girl?" All he knew was that the creative and quick-thinking soldier that wiped out his entire army with a single cannon was standing in front of him, and girl or not, he immediately clocked her as a threat. Shan Yu was low-key the most-open minded character in the movie, until everyone else came around.
@@gerieconomides2776 I think you confused Shan Yu with Shang lol. Good comment though
@@yamigoya8291 thanks for catching that😊
Jon calling Li Shang "THIC" and "well-rounded" were not in my bingo card 😂
I feel like I need "That's a Them Problem" on a tshirt. Or framed in my house. Because that bit of simplicity is something that is so freeing that it deserves to be remembered.
The way "Reflection" was the anthem of my teenage years though! As an undiagnosed neurospicy girl, I always felt like I was showing people a mask so that they would accept me and it took a huge toll on me. This song encapsulates that feeling so profoundly and it still speaks to me as an adult. It's phenomenal.
“Neurospicy”
@@rynemcgriffin1752 I love that term personally and gonna steal it.
Thank you, I'm taking neurospicy for myself as well.
Undiagnosed AUDHD until I was 30, I am right there with you. Mulan was so important to me as a child and is so incredibly special to me to this day.
That song also speaks to soooo many trans and non-binary people.
As well as "Who Am I" from Tarzan II for me personally
Fun Disney fact: Mulan and Jasmine had the same singer in the films. Lea Salonga didn't voice the characters, but she sang for them.
She's an all time Broadway great, and she is amazingly good at voice control: She did reunion with the guy who sang Aladdin, singing "Whole new World", and while he sounds older, she sounds exactly the same.
That is both cool and fitting, since they're the most rebellious and independent Disney "princesses" of the renaissance era, on top of being in two of the three best movies of said era
When my kids were little and would put on this movie, no matter what I was doing around the house, I would always stop and go watch the "Mulan in the shrine" sequence. The music always chills me and nearly brings me to tears.
It's one of only two Disney movies where I love the score as much as the lyrical soundtrack... and you can't get the entire album, whaaaa!
So glad Jono also geeks out about Mulan’s “going to war” montage. Was always one of my favorite parts of the movie. Still gives me chills
One thing I noticed with her father comforting her, he’s still buying into the role that society is pushing on her. He doesn’t say “it’s okay to be different”, he says “you’re not there yet but you will be”. Which isn’t entirely a bad message, and he definitely loves and cares for her, but he can’t see past who she ‘should’ be to who she is, and that’s a trap a lord of people fall into. As you said, he’s human, he’s flawed, and he’s shaped by the society he lives in. He’s trying to be helpful but the message he’s giving isn’t the one she needs to hear (actually, we see the same thing in Moana).
And in Moana and Mulan both we have the grandma who is an ally to her granddaughter, totally over it and giving zeros Fs.
His statement about a flower blooming in adversity did end up coming true, but you're right it wasn't the way he meant it. In the beginning he was "you'll get there", at the end he was "i love you, as you are, no matter what that is".
@@user-su8rb7st1i the flower blooming in adversity quote was from the emperor at the end of the movie, not her father. Her father said she didn't bloom yet, but she will be the most beautiful of all when she does, the emperor's quote at the end reconigzes she already bloomed and is the most rare and beautiful of all, coming full circle about her journey, which i never really realized it until i wrote this comment right now, oh shit!
I read it as he truly loved her no matter what she brought to the table, but he felt he could only show that to her behind closed doors. Because he held himself to standards he wasn't holding her to. He didn't want her to be unhappy and sacrifice for the family, but he would put himself there. So when they were on the street with the magistrate, he needed to be the man (ha) everyone expected him to be, which also meant treating his daughter that way.
Her father did the best he could in the situation. He's trying not to get his daughter killed in a society that by all rights would have killed her at that time.
Nah man the montage gets me too and I'm a 90's baby who's never seen Rocky. I get chills every stinking time!
You should definitely watch Rocky.
I think it's cuz it 100% conveys her strength in a silent way. You get to see her when no one else sees her. Also, it's great, nonverbal story telling.
Same! And I’ve also never seen Rockie. And I’m a Philly girl so I have no excuse.
I haven't even seen Mulan as a whole (though it seems like I have after all the videos I've seen ABOUT the movie), and I cry at most of these clips!
You need to watch Rocky 1,2,4 this week. .
As someone who doesn't fit her family's desired mold and have never received their validation regardless of my outside accomplishments...I cry every time at the scene with Mulan's dad dumping the emperor's gifts on the ground to hug his returned baby. I know they're incapable of change, and I know that that will never be me. But ohh how much I wish, and I love that he does for his daughter. The meaning of that gesture gets me every time.
In my Cinema editing and meaning class, we discussed that the cricket represents fate. Like how the cricket was what caused the matchmaking to go arwy. It would have anyway, eventually. The cricket just speeds it along. The dragon represents strength. And the horse, stability.
Cri-Kee is also the one who sets off the fireworks, which gives away their position to the Huns. He certainly has a hand in a lot of the plot points so "fate" makes sense. Stability from Khan makes sense because he was a stable, reliable companion the whole time. Believed her when she went into the stable to get him when dressed as ping etc. Strength from Mushu because he was constantly encouraging her in his own way. He also originally was just "betting on" her to get him what he wanted (clout) with her ancestors but then he genuinely started to care and give her strength to keep going.
That grandma was a treasure. I love her sass
She reminds me a little bit of a friend I had
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" "Would you like to stay forever?!" - And doesn't hurt that it was the delightful June Foray who voiced her (and I reckon was channelling her inner Grammi Gummi at the time)
The grandma was the GOAT.
My other fav quote from the grandma “sign me up for the next war” 😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭
@@allybby21 Right??? Instead of a remake, they should've given Grandma Fa her own movie!!
Can we talk about the scene where Mulan and Mushu are talking about their fears of consequences they may face for leaving home? I like that Mushu consoles her that they can face said consequences together.
They've been through and had seen so much in this war that Mushu doesn't even care that he'd lose his spot as a guardian
This is one hell of a contrast to his character in the supposed sequel
yeah I also think so, that scene was when Mulan was at her lowest point doubting why she did what she did, and Mushu is there to comfort her that they can face said consequences together (that's what I appreciate about him in how he has become a friend to Mulan). and in the sequel I try to understand that he started acting like that because he didn't want to lose Mulan after her marriage and he losing his job as guardian
That might be my favourite scene in the movie. When you realy messed up and someone don't judge or criticise you, and let you feel you're not alone - that is love.
there is no sequel. nor a live action remake. there is just one Mulan movie.
There are multiple reasons why the sequel doesn't exist to me, and this is one of them. Butchering one of my favorite characters like that. Hell, I think the sequel messed around with all of my favorites in ways I don't like, and so, to me there is only one Mulan movie.
There is no sequel in Ba Sing Se
"Dishonor for you, dishonor for your cow" is one of the greatest and most quotables lines ever.
5:44 I've always understood the line " you dishonored me" as profoundly loving father ... he is trying to protect her, preventing any serious attacks coming to her, insisting in letting himself to obey and serve.
If Mulan isn't my all-time favourite Disney lead, she's damn near close to it 😊
Preach, though it baffles me when she's included in the Disney Princess line up, when she wasn't born a princess, nor did she marry a Prince.
Same! I love her.
Kuckho bruv!
Who's your favourite?
As a kid my favourites where Ariel, Mulan, Esmerelda and Pocahantas but I also liked Belle..
It's partly coz I loved the music in The Little Mermaid and Pocahantas
@@trinaq She's a princess because she earned it.
Mulan came out while I was in college, and her story always resonated with me. As an Asian-American (1st gen) woman, my parents - and family - always pushed that beauty was the most important trait in a woman; to find the perfect husband and to make lots of babies. I prioritized my career and happiness, and never got married, nor did I have children. I'm not against marriage or children, but that was not the path I chose for myself. Today, as a 45 year old woman, I am seen as a failure by my family for it. I wept through this whole episode (good tears) and loved all the insights and analysis from the both of you. Thanks CT!
Good for you. You did it.
❤❤❤ THAT'S what matters as long as you're happy you're on the right path and keep walking it
Thank you for sharing :) you sound super cool and badass!
Congrats! You followed the path that's right for you instead of what other people think is right for them.
Excellent work, my friend.
Man, didn't expect to cry during this episode. I've been really struggling to see my own self worth lately, to the point that I've decided to finally get back into counseling, and this... this was a lot of things I've been needing to hear and realize about myself. Not even past the cold open, I'm already tearing up.
This is my all time favorite movie. I think you missed one of the best scenes that gives so much to what you’ve been saying - after she was left in the snow, exposed and alone and shunned by her peers, she has the most amazing monologue. Why she had taken her father’s place, what she was trying to prove. I will quote:
Maybe I didn't go for my father. Maybe what I really wanted was to prove that I could do things right. So that when I looked in the mirror, I'd see someone worthwhile. But I was wrong. I see nothing.
That moment in the snow summed what Mulan truly wanted - To show her true value. Everyone thinks she had done it only to save her father, but no, she also had seen an opportunity where she could be more.
Also the songs are amazing! Have you noticed that Mulan sings only one song? Reflection is about her deepest desire to be able to be who she really wants to be, while the other songs, are about women status in society (Like Honor to us all) and men status in society (like I’ll make a man out of you) also the last song, a girl worth fighting for speaks of those things. They are incredibly ironic considering those song put women in a derogatory position, and eventually a woman saved China almost single handedly.
I have so much to say about this movie but I will stop at that :>
“The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter.”. 😭😭 I cried at this quote because I know it’s something my father will never say to me. I make sure to tell my kids I’m proud of them and will always love them no matter what. Mulan is definitely my favorite “princess” and has been an inspiration since my childhood.
Sorry you didn’t get that support and acceptance from your father and great that you’re showing it to your kids.
You are a strong person. I wish you luck in the future.
I always liked the detail that Mulan has an invaluable skillset the army desperately needs and drastically undervalues: a sharp mind for tactics that can turn impossible odds.
Especially when they all ended up as the small group in the path of the huge horde. There was no way they could brute force their way out of that one.
A major real life example: Saint Joan of Arc
Exactly. And the fact that they're all about "tradition" and doing what's "worked before". Well, sometimes doing the EXACT same thing you did in the last war decades priors, isn't going to be as effective. You need newer and more varied perspectives. I think that's what Mulan proved to them time and time again was the nuance of not doing things exactly the same as soldiers had been doing for decades. It'd be like coaches using the same plays every year without creating new ones or teachers teaching the same way decades later with a whole new generation of kids. While I was devastated by shang's dad dying, it DID open the possiblity for a new way of fighting to be introduced. Shang's dad wouldn't have been as receptive to Mulan's suggestion about the last rocket being used on the snowy mountain.
I absolutely love this movie and every time I see clips of it I get emotional. This movie is SO beloved by Asian Americans (especially women), not only because it was one of the biggest kids movie with an Asian lead and story but also because I think the parallel of Mulan not being “feminine” enough, not being “masculine” enough, then finding that her own combination of traits ends up being uniquely valuable is so satisfying to see on screen. Many of us grow up not feeling Asian enough or American enough and struggle to find this place of accepting that it is OK to never fit into those spaces completely.
Side note: Mulan is one of the few franchises where #2 is also amazing and deserves an episode of its own!
I love this movie.
When Mulan figures out how to climb the pole, i love that the soldiers - eho have been mocking her up yo this point - cheer her on. And then not only has she improved, but the whole army is coming together.
The cricket is necessary, Alan, because it is the catalyst to the entire movie. If she hadn't tried to get it out of the matchmakers tea, she would have passed her test, even if it wasnt with flying colors and she likely wouldn't have felt the shame that led to her wanting to prove herself and save her father by becoming Ping.
Yes, actually. Lmao. That and I always thought the cricket was meant to be sort of a... "Make your own luck" statement, or maybe "don't rely too heavily on cultural values and superstitions?" It's OK to pat yourself on the back sometimes, don't just give all the credit to a cricket or some other superstition lmao.
Great Point.
Yes, thank you! I scrolled down to make sure someone else made this point.
Nah, I feel like wanting to save her father from certain death would have been enough motivation for someone like Mulan. I have no problem with the cricket, but take it out of the movie and not much changes, really.
The cricket also gave Mushu the idea of following Mulan. Every major story beat was done because of Cricky.
I'm physically incapable of not singing along to Make a Man, and absolutely could not take in what was being said at the start of the video. 😂
Bruh same! I was barely paying attention because I was too busy jamming to the song and resisting the temptation not to burst into song in the middle of my quiet open plan office at work.
I'm French so I grew up with the french version but the song is so good I also learned the english lyrics without trying lol
it is illegal to not sing along if you know the lyrics to this song.
one thing i also wanna point out animation wise at around ~ 21:15 is that you can see Mulan trembling when she's talking to the emperor.
This movie not only holds a beautiful and captivating story, but it also has the most fluid, eye-pleasing 2D animation I've seen from any Disney film. The expressions, character designs, movements, subtle details, special effects, and even the characters' posture like mentioned in the video, take the inspiring story and amplify it to so much more. In every scene you can see for yourself the care that these animators put into this story and their immaculate attention to detail. I truly adore films where you can feel the pride and passion of those who made it. Mulan will always be a favorite of mine.
Something that has come up that I love is Shen Yu’s reaction to realizing Mulan was the soldier who beat him in the mountain pass. He just goes, “The soldier from the mountain…!” He doesn’t react like, “But you’re a woman!” Or anything like that. He just fully accepts it was her and didn’t recognize her because she wore her hair differently 😂 But it is interesting to know the historical concept. The Huns actually allowed greater rights for women, with them actually commonly fighting alongside male Huns. So for him, her gender was irrelevant; he just straight up was shocked to realize she was the soldier and did not recognize her until then
That's heckin cool!
rare Huns W?
I just wrote something similar! I didn't know much about Huns though, so I referenced the Mongols
*God* I want to show that man Clark Kent/Superman and Perry the Platypus. Would blow his freaking mind.
“Comparison is the thief of joy” that hit me in the heart because that’s what I do I compare and contrast myself with all kinds of people both in my life and who I watch and say because I’m not that I’m not good instead of saying what do I bring to the table like you said and thank you so much for that
It's an easy thing to do, so don't knock yourself for it. I'm learning -again- how to not do it too.❤
@@adedow1333 😊👍
Yeah is can be (imma be Cynical) but if you have nothing to compare too how are you to improve as a person?
I compare myself to my more successful colleagues, what they remind me of is they struggled to, even though I only see the final outcome.
The key is to compare wisely.
@@danielland3767 agreed
That last scene, where Fa Zhou says that the greatest honour is to have Mulan as his daughter, ALWAYS gets me!
1998 Mulan is seriously my most favourite movie ever.
This has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, and as I get older, it has taken on even more meaning for me. I lost my dad over 14 years ago, and for the longest time it felt like I had lost the one person who always believed in me and saw me for who I am and who I could be. The scenes between Mulan and her father certainly bring up a lot of emotions for me because of my own relationship with my dad. It's actually through therapy over the past year that I've really started to process my grief and loss and also learn to recognize that I can be the person who believes in me the way he did, that it comes from within as well as accepting that even though he's gone, his belief in me still persists.
There are a lot of other things about this movie that have meaning to me, but that aspect is definitely a huge part of why it remains a beloved story, and casts Mulan as a role model for me to this day.
Mulan is one of my all time favorite leading Disney heroines, Especially because she was one of the first one's who wasn't a princess. In fact sometimes I like to think that Mulan played a huge part in making Disney rethink on how the leading female characters should be portrayed, Because Mulan is proof that not every leading heroine in a Disney movie has to be a princess.
I mean I know that there are some classic female Disney characters that didn't start out as princesses, But still.
Not a princess, but she IS a leader.
I love that. Like, Mulan is the precursor to Moana. Who I know is the daughter of the chief, but she's the next leader (the heir instead of the princess) ... and she has *no* romantic storyline.
FUN FACT ABOUT THE CRICKET:
Cri-Kee was the creation of veteran Disney employee Joe Grant, who worked for the studio as far back as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Grant insisted that the filmmakers add a cricket character to the movie; he supposedly slipped various sketches of Cri-Kee through the office doors of the directors. According to animator Barry Temple, "no one wanted him [Cri-Kee] in the movie, the directors didn't want him in the movie, the story department didn't want him in the movie. The only ones who truly wanted him in the movie were Michael Eisner and Joe Grant - and myself, because I was assigned the character."
no because mulans montage gives me CHILLS every time like its SO HYPE
As a child of the 90s who has never seen a Rocky movie in my life - I'm with Jono on the music in that montage scene. Chills, every time.
I love the shot of her bracing to cut her hair at 8:32
Back then, Chinese people followed Confucius beliefs like all hair is sacred and shouldn’t be cut after adulthood. (Even though she wouldn’t need to cut her hair since everyone had long hair) it shows that she’s willing to go against her beliefs to protect her family. That’s how I read that scene
Exactly, hair cutting is seen as something that shouldn't be done in many ancient communities. It's "stripping" off who she is as a woman, she's becoming vulnerable. It's similar to hair shaving scenes for the military
Similar impact
Not only does her father drop the medal and sword like they are nothing, he himself drops to his knees next to her to hug her
Best Disney dad
Also the absolute best line in the movie is by far the Emperor "no matter how the wind howls the mountain can not bow to it" while he has a sword to his throat and then bows with a smile to Mulan .... just aaah, I LOVE this movie
Dude emperor FTW man. He was savage.
Haven't watched the episode yet, just the intro, but after watching many, many Cinema Therapy episodes and hearing Alan say, 'and I need therapy', and him sharing with us small insights into why every now and then, I feel like a recognition of, 'I need less therapy than I used to', is in order. 😊🎉 Congrats on the progress, that's awesome!
This is my favourite Disney movie of all time. Mulan has always been my favorite and her journey makes me cry every time. I also went through her journey of looking in the mirror and not seeing the person my parents wanted and who I considered would be worthwhile. I see them now.
The original animated Mulan is not a movie with any degree of serious cultural accuracy, but it has so much soul and charisma that makes it such a fun watch. The live action should be called a "dead" action b/c it's just utterly devoid of everything that made the animated movie interesting.
And it’s even less culturally accurate and respectful than the animated film. It really has no excuse.
The funny part is that the animated film was more period accurate for the northern dynasty than the reboot was. The reboot was just blatantly wrong about so much, plus making Mulan from a normal girl going to war to protect her family to girl with “asian superpower” also that’s a direct quote from a channel that got famous for talking about cultural inaccuracies in mulan 2020 xD
@@wyster14 Starting a UA-cam channel out of pure spite for that 2020 disaster, will never not get old.
@@wyster14 That was on purpose, it intentionally mixes dynasties in architecture and clothing to create a fantasy setting. When the crew went to China, they found everybody said she was from where they were from. Everyone was proud of her. So they couldn't be too specific with region or with time period. "Every movie from China about ancient China uses the 1600s because that's the cliché, and we wanted this to be somewhere in the BC times, so hopefully it'll still be a China you haven't seen before, whether you're Chinese or not." For a Disney movie, they got it as close as they probably could've.
not adding mushu or shang as the general's son was a crime we cannot forgive
The villian Shan Yu has a bit of an interesting take too ! In the scene when mulan throws the shoe at him to save Shang and says that she was the one that caused all that in the mountains, Shan Yu by then knew she was a woman and when she threw the shoe at him and says "no! I did" and ties her hair up he isn't baffled and offended by the fact that a woman bested him in the mountains he simply calls her "the soldier from the mountains". Freaking out at the prospect of a woman besting him in the battle in the mountains would defo be something all the other men in the show would probably do. But Shan yu, the villain in the story, doesn't care she is a woman, he just cares about the fact she got one over him in the mountains, soldier to soldier. If you want to take this even deeper though, historically the Huns and their armies had women warriors. Bigger built women would be like normal soldiers and even women that were built small would weild bows and arrows. So irl and historically if the movie was historically correct you could also say that is why Shan Yu doesn't see her as a woman first like the other men in the movie and just a soldier first. I just love the prospect of the villian of the movie getting the point straight away rather than all the men on the good side of the story. Its interesting to me. 🤷🏻♀️👋🏻
I love that dichotomy, too.
Yep, Shan Yu wasn’t angry that she was a woman….he was angry because she was the one who caused the avalanche that wiped out a large portion of his army and *now she was there when he was trying to take the palace*. He wanted the threat GONE!
This is such a sick observation I’m so happy u shared this!!
Fun fact, that actually was a part of Hun culture. For the Huns, it was completely socially acceptable, and somewhat normal, for the women to be skilled at fighting and to even go to war if they wanted to. So, to Shan Yu, a woman being a soldier was a normal part of everyday life for him, which is why he doesn't care that Mulan is a woman and only cares that she defeated him.
The scene with her walking barefoot into the temple and then cutting her hair...the music...its all so incredibly moving to me. Makes me burst into tears every time. She knows she is making a decision to save her father, even though it may likely lead to her own death. Still gets me every time how brave she is. Also the music is so powerful...and ive never seen rocky so it isnt that haha
The dressing down bait-and-switch monologue was so good that it was used in all the trailers to generate intrigue in the movie's plot.
Not the first time I've been crying with Alan but when Jonathan said "it may take years, it may take decades but there will be people who see you and value your contributions" it really broke me. Thanks guys, that was the reminder I needed today
Mulan's journey is what many women experience. Whether explicitly or implicitly, we are constantly told we need to "be a man" to succeed, as if "traditionally male qualities" are the only strengths.
As a martial artist, I have often been the only woman in the room. I wasted so much time thinking I had to do all the same things the same way as the men. As a woman I can't rely on strength or just smashing things. I had to be different. Now I'm long over feeling I have to prove anything.The highest compliment I have ever gotten is when the man who is basically a brick wall (you kick him, you hurt yourself) said I was the one person he would not fight. He recognized that a determined person with good technique will win over smashing things.
As a small guy & a girl dad I feel this. But her sensi is a woman.
My son idolize his sister
What a phenomenal comment! Very perceptive on his part, and very complementary to you.
I spent a few summers in college working on staff at Boy Scout camp, and I distinctly remember my first summer thinking that I needed to overcompensate for being a girl and prove I could pull my own weight. As if being female was a weakness in and of itself (I still had a lot to learn at 19!).
I could watch an entire series just talking about Mulan. This movie was way ahead of its time and is so underappreciated to this day.
I love how the emperor just walks away from the hun's swing. Like he heard Shang burst through the door and just moved out of the way. The emperor doesn't get enough credit, he's awesome.
Does anyone else remember when Disney would release trailers showing the rough animation for their new movies? It was so cool to see the unfinished product, and made me super excited to see the final product!
Yes I do! I also remember when they kept everything super vague like the lilo and stitch first teaser. It was literally just their names and some noises from the film 😅
@@asgardali22 The best part was seeing all the reference material. Like watching the animators observe bear cubs playing for Brother Bear, or seeing the skateboarders perform tricks that inspired Tarzan’s vine-surfing choreography.
Now they b!tch about "it's not the finished product and the movie is bad" or the classic if it is finished "they showed us the whole movie" with at best 10 mins of movies.
@@danielland3767 idk, there’s something more charming about unfinished hand-drawn animation than unfinished CG animation. It’s hard to explain.
I remember they used rough sketches of the Beast in some of the advertising for Beauty and the Beast back in the day. In fact the DVD/Blu-Ray edition I have of that film includes the option to watch a WIP version where much of the animation is unfinished.
I always viewed Crickey and Mushu as Mulan's "Angel and Devil" on her shoulder. The dog was her loyalty to her family, and the horse was her "quiet, inner strength"
I also love the dual meaning of "You dishonor me, Mulan." Because he's saying it as an action in the moment - by insinuating he can't fight so publicly, her words have dishonored him. But she takes it as her dishonoring him by existing as who she is - YOU dishonor me - and making another in a long string of mistakes, leading to the eventual fear she has upon returning home that she is a disappointment to her father.
Thank you! I totally always read that as normal scolding of a child for speaking out of turn and him telling her that she was embarrassing him by saying that he couldn’t fight anymore.
I think the montage resonates with him so much because she starts with honoring her religion and chooses to reinterpret her tradition to do what is right rather than just what is acceptable.
Something that always stood out to me about Mulan was the reunion. The original tale ended with Mulan in armor, yet her family still recognized her. I adore how this movie adapted that idea with the series of titles at her father's feet but what mattered was seeing his daughter at home.
I know it didn't fit the theme of the episode but I will never forgive you for not talking about the destroyed village scene! Especially you Alan! It is one of the greatest moments in cinema history for the mood whiplash and conveying the sheer horror of war, IN A KIDS MOVIE! I'm forever in awe of that scene.
9:28, you actually do need the Cricket because 1) it’s the catalyst for the matchmaker fiasco which is necessary to set the “you will never bring your family honour” fear that leads to the song reflection and 2) the Cricket convinces Mushu to join Mulan in the first place
I always loved the 1998 movie but couldn't put my finger on exactly why the original movie resonated with me so much and the live action remake didn't. The cinema therapists really did a good job regarding the explanation of what the heart of the original movie was and also giving me even more appreciation for the original film by pointing out the important animation decisions. Fantastic video and commentary!
Mulan reminds me of Eowyn from Lord of the Rings. She’s kind, determined, and smart and also nurturing, compassionate, and patient and still has to go through tribulations and challenges of her own.
And that’s what makes Mulan a great strong female protagonist is the fact that even though she has to hide her gender, that doesn’t mean that she has to hide her character or femininity. She’s still a kind, caring, and compass to her teammates.
Yes, I can see analogies between Mulan and Eowyn.
Of all the "Disney Princesses" I always identified with Mulan the most. It makes me sad that we never see her in her armor in the Disney parks.
I agree sort of, but can you imagine wearing armor in the Florida heat?! That's just plain torture. Maybe for some sort of indoor program or picture taking, though.
Soumetimes you can see “Ping” at the parks though!
I've always loved Mulan because I, as a neurodivergent girl, could relate to being clumsy and don't get into societal expectations. And I loved that by the end, everybody recognize that things could be done differently and value her for her innovative ideas. Thanks for this episode.
When I was a kid, my favorite part of the cherry blossom scene was 4:58 the fact that her dad knew how to twist and pull her hair back using the comb!
one of my favourite details that i noticed as a kid, is the matchmaker's face after she shouts at Mulan. her lip sort of quivers and her eyes crinkle up like she's going to cry. and when i was younger, i honestly didn't understand why. it took me a while to realize that, she was moreso shouting at Mulan because Mulan caused her extreme public embarrassment, which, especially in imperial China, was probably a lot more serious than we may consider it to be. (also like, she got a boiling ass pot of tea thrown IN HER FACE, but CRYING publicly would have also been terribly embarrassing for someone as esteemed as the matchmaker).
the reason this detail is so important to me, is because when i was a kid, my Nana lost her home in a fire. she moved into an apartment and didn't have much at the time. i asked her for some instant ramen, but when she handed it to me and i tried to put it on the large pillow i was using as a lap table, i spilt it all over myself and the pillow. that was probably the only time in the 15 years i knew her that she shouted at me. and i was crying, and told her i was sorry and please don't be mad. she immediately lowered her voice, albeit still exasperated, and said she was sorry, that she didn't shout my name because she was angry with me, it was because she thought i hurt myself with the hot food. it was the only time anyone had ever (at the time) shouted for any reason OTHER than to hurt or scare me, and the only time anyone had ever explained to me that what they did came from a good place and their actions were misplaced.
me being on the spectrum, her explaining that to me is literally one of my core memories, because it suddenly opened the door that made me realize people can do and say and mean all different things, and that sometimes people react in a big way for reasons other than wanting to hurt or scare someone else.
sorry for rambling, it's just something i think about EVERY time i see this movie ;;
Thank you for sharing your core memory. Your nana sounds like an amazing person :)
I love this thought. It's wonderfully compassionate to see the matchmaker from that perspective.
This is a great observation, and thank you for sharing that personal story.
Yeah, People are strange things. It's great you share those thoughts.
I like that insight, as someone also on the spectrum who struggles to recognise conflicting actions and intentions.
“I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is my workout anthem.
Great song for a workout
I second this. It’s in my playlist 😅😂
One thing I love about the movie is the tonal shift when they enter war. There’s no musical numbers after that (“A Girl Worth Fighting For” is the last one). The closest you get is a rendition of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” played MOS when Mulan and the guys are breaking into the palace and Shang joins them. This reinforcing the idea that being a “man” isn’t about brute strength, it’s about knowing when to concede and support others ❤