Disney and Pixar’s latest movie celebrates Asian representation and teaches self-acceptance – even if we turn into a fluffy red panda when things get crazy. And we’re so here for it.
The movie begins with Meilin Lee’s (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) chirpy montage. Mei’s got her life figured out. The dorky yet confident 13-year-old is an over-achiever and a straight-A student with an amazing group of friends who love her for who she is. But the cracks come through when we meet Meilin’s overprotective and paranoid mum, Ming Lee (voiced by Sandra Oh). The gang wants to go for karaoke but Mei declines as she has to help mum at their local Chinese temple. An after-school activity that’s not academically related is also a strict no in Mei’s household. It’s all cool tho – Mei enjoys hanging out with her mum and dad but is caught between making her mum proud and living a normal life as a teenager.
Things take a wild turn when her mum goes too far by embarrassing Mei in front of the boy she likes. The sheer mix of embarrassment, horror and anger turns Mei into a red panda. We soon realise that any strong emotion unleashes the panda – quite a panda-monium for an angry adolescent on the brink of puberty. Oddly enough, her family isn’t surprised at the bizarre occurrence…
Turning Red movie review
As with any Disney and Pixar animation, Turning Red has a perfect formula of heart, humour and amazing visuals. It also tackles heavy themes such as parental pressure and the journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance without being too preachy. As the studio’s first Asian-led film (about time!), what really stood out to me was the commitment to Asian representation.
From crushing hard on boy bands to dealing with overprotective parents
Set in the early 2000s in Toronto, the movie captured parts of my childhood even I had forgotten. Sure, I don’t look exactly like Meilin but growing up as a brown girl in Singapore, I also experienced things like keeping my Tamagotchi alive, scrapbooking, crushing hard on boy bands, watching local dramas after school and preparing dinner with the family. Mei’s group of friends, which includes a brown girl named Priya (voiced by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan of Never Have I Ever fame), is as diverse as mine too.
But the parallels are deeper than that. The representation is earnest and it never feels like a cliche. The film briefly taps into the ‘Tiger Mum’ culture (an authoritative style of parenting where success is dictated through a child’s grades) and the repercussions it has on each generation. Even a grown woman like Ming is afraid of her mum when she comes to visit. On the other hand, it also shows that not all Asian parents are strict and seemingly ‘cold’. I enjoyed the sweet scene with Mei and her dad, who appears to be a caricature at first but later beautifully explains to his daughter why her mum is the way she is.
A round of applause for Asian (and female) representation
It’s no surprise that the film is led by a strong Asian cast and crew. Director Domee Shi, who was also behind the Academy Award-winning short film Bao, is Pixar’s first solo female and Asian director. Shi brilliantly summarises the film within the first five minutes. During the montage at the beginning, Mei says, ”Honouring your parents sounds great but if you take it too far, you may just forget to honour yourself.” Turning Red taught me to look inwards and to put myself first so I don’t lose my identity in the midst of making the people around me proud. Brb, I’ll need a minute to wipe my tears.
If this is the future of Asian representation, I can’t wait to see what else there is in store. Maybe a brown Asian lead in the future? I’m counting on it!
Turning Red is now streaming on Disney+.