#encanto analysis

[jacarandaaaas]

I find it interesting how a lot of the time when people refer to the argument scene at the climax of the movie, they say “mirabel finally stands up for herself”. but it’s not actually the first time she does! it’s the most crucial time and the only one that isn’t interrupted by something else happening but mirabel does stand up for herself multiple times!

for example when luisa starts losing her gift alma immediatly asks mirabel “what did you do? what did you say to her?”, to which mirabel immediately retaliates “nothing!” it’s short and brushed over but it happens!

then yet again after the disastrous dinner pepa asks “what did you do!?” and mirabel literally yells out “IM NOT DOING ANYTHING!” she isn’t timid about her response she’s blunt and she’s immediate. mirabel can and does stand up for herself in the movie it’s just overlooked!

not to mention the breakfast scene we see already she is quite defiant! but people always act like mirabel was just a timid doormat for the whole movie and never actually stands up for herself when she does!! everytime isa opened her mouth mirabel always had a retaliation! but mirabels defiant nature is a large part to why she is the one who brings about change to the family and the entire encanto!

[yellowcry]

Now this might be a hot take but...

I don't think Julieta was Señorita Perfecta)/the golden child like Isabela nor insanely overworked like Luisa

Just look at how shocked she is. She had no idea of the fact that her older daughters suffered too. But, if she had the same trauma, I feel Julieta would at least suspect that something was wrong. But she doesn't.

[encantobrainrot365]

I have an idea for a story I like to call Dos Oruguitas: The Mariposa and the Cameleon

It’s the story of Camilo and Mirabel’s relationship and how it changed over time.

Since they are only six weeks apart, they were born basically twins 🤞and grew up together as the best of friends. Just like Isabela, Dolores and the Triplets.

(Credit to @lintushadow-art )

However, things began to 👀, shift, when Mirabel didn’t get a gift.

I imagine the aftermath of that day was difficult for the both of them.

For Camilo, his best friend was just denied a gift, when he himself just got one. While he tried his best to comfort her, it must have been very hard for him to accept. It’s likely he felt guilty and tried to avoid shifting whenever they played together.

Meanwhile, Mirabel just couldn’t help being jealous or heartbroken. 💔 Her primo, her twin, got a gift, but for some reason she didn’t. For a long time she must have worried that something was seriously wrong with her and nothing anyone said could change that.

Then add the fact that Tio Bruno just up and left days after her ceremony. The family was already worried about Mirabel and the magic, and now they’re dealing with the pain and loss of a family member. A primary caretaker and play mate for the kids has disappeared with no explanation. Just like Mirabel’s door.

This would definitely lead to some abandonment and attachment issues.

There was probably a lot of fighting and anger, blame and accusations thrown about too. They might have even avoided each other for some time due to their own insecurities.

However, they still loved each other and they’re best friends, so of course they made up. But in spite of their closeness, they still drifted apart with time. They grew up and faced a lot of big changes. They started going to school; made new friends; developed their own separate interests; took on more responsibilities in town; welcomed a new family member; and just started spending less and less time together and more time apart.

Ten years later, we’re at the start of the movie, now, they’re still pretty close, but they aren’t best friends anymore. For Mirabel, that title belongs to Antonio, now.

So yes, it would be cool to explore the evolution of their relationship. Before and after the events of the movie as they fall apart, only to reunite again.

[ominousvibez]

a little thing about the madrigal family and their gifts

something i really find fascinating about encanto is the different gifts each madrigal sibling receives and how it correlates to this greater idea of "protection" or "defense".

as in defense/protection against outside intruders.

like, look at the triplets. julieta, pepa, and bruno.

julieta is able to heal with the food she makes, which can help her family and her community recover from injuries from attackers faster. pepa can control the weather with her emotions-- weather that could be used to wash away or slow down any intruders. bruno literally can predict the future.

and then the grandkids, too!

isabela's control of plants and luisa's strength stand out as the most outwardly powerful. isabela can summon cacti or trees to harm any intruders, and luisa's brute strength can overwhelm anyone who tries to get after her.

dolores and camilo are a little more subtle in theirs, but they're still pretty good for a defense. dolores, similar to how bruno could predict them coming before they arrive, can hear any intruders approaching before they get there, so she can provide early warning to her family and community. camilo is a shapeshifter, he can shapeshift into other, stronger people, or even into the intruders to become a spy amongst them.

mirabel, obviously, doesn't have a gift. she's more representative of a change against the idea of the gifts being used mostly for defensive purposes. perhaps casita realizes that they're strong enough to protect themselves now, or maybe abuelita unconsciously asked for her children to get these specific gifts to protect her family and then felt like there was enough following camilo. either way, mirabel is the shift away from it.

antonio's gift of animal communication can still be used for this "warfare" or defense. he can tell his animal posse to attack people for him, or they can even become spies for him, overhearing secrets and plans from their attackers and reporting back to him, but his gift feels like the first one meant to be just for himself.

granted, we do not get the backstories of the other madrigal children that deep-- how they were as little kids. maybe julieta always loved to cook, and isabela loved flowers and plants, and camilo was always playing pranks, and their personalities subtly manifested their gifts in them.

but i still think it's really interesting how the gifts of the madrigal family can be used to defend and protect their family and community from outside attackers. after all, that's the reason that abuelita first left her home-- they were attacked by outsiders. it makes sense that the gifts could reflect a response to that fear.

[toon-tales]

Hi! Does Luisa have Agustin, Julieta’s complexion? Or is she a mix of both? And do her and Isabela both have Julieta’s body type like Mirabel?

Hiya! Ok, so, i believe Luisa has neither Julieta nor Agustin's complexion...? I think she has Abuela's, actually

Her face is just more like young Alma, with a hint of Julieta with the bangs and lips and tied hair, other than that, her face shape is more like Alma's

Also, yeah. I pretty much think they all have the same body type

Isabela's is more like it but Luisa's body is similar to them, too

So, uh... hope you like it, Anon!

[my-little-safe-corner]

Good and Evil Magic in Wish and Disney

In Wish, Star, a pure representation of good magic, has gold color. This is also the color of star power in each organism's heart:

And of course, the color of the magic wands Star gives Asha:

The gold color symbolizes good magic in other Disney movies, too, such as in the Fairies franchise with Queen Clarion and the miracle candle from Encanto:

In the first wish ceremony, Magnifico also uses golden magic:

But, wait! There's another color involved here:

And, indeed, Star is also associated with dark pink:

And so is the magic in Encanto:

However, after Magnifico uses the dark magic book, his magic becomes green / emerald, which is the classical color of evil magic in Disney, for example:

Even in Lion King, which has no magic (maybe except for Rafiki's rituals), the good lions are golden, while Scar is associated with green:

In Encanto, there's no evil magic, but Bruno, whom everyone is afraid of, is represented by this color:

And notice how Mirabel, who has green glasses, intentionally decorates her clothes and mochilla with gold and pink, trying as best as she can to belong and not be seen as an outsider:

Therefore, the second wish ceremony looks different:

And when Simon's wish is granted, even his heart becomes green, corrupted to the core:

[faintvibes]

What is the Population of the Encanto Town?

Though I saw (and loved) this movie when it first came out, the brainworms have come back with a vengeance, and so here we are. This might end up becoming a series (it's certainly not the only analysis I have rattling around in my brain regarding this movie) but we'll see.

The analysis is below, but if you seek a quick answer: tl;dr at least 100 people live in the town, with that number possibly being as high as 1,000, but probably closer to 500 max.

So, of course, it's pretty much impossible to know the exact population of the town without a statement from the creative team, which- so far as I'm aware- hasn't been shared. (I've been going through the qna's recently, and haven't found any answer regarding this, but twitter also keeps mistaking my account for a bot, and I'm apparently incapable of passing the tests to prove I'm not. So I've definitely not seen every answer. If anyone has a masterpost somewhere, please send.) As a result, the best I can give is an estimate.

My starting point was Colombian fertility rates. These show, year by year, the average number of children born to each woman. The data for Colombia starts in 1950, approximately when the movie takes place. However, it's worth considering that the people in Encanto aren't living like it's 1950, but rather like 1900: when the town was founded, according to a map on the second floor of Casita.

In case anyone hasn't seen this map, here is an image of it, enhanced to make it a little clearer to read:

and here's the scene it appears in:

So, knowing this and generally observing the culture and customs of the people we see in the movie, it is very clear that they are living (generally) like it's still 1900. Therefore, the fertility rate is likely to be closer to whatever it was in 1900, rather than 1950. However, as I have no way to know what this might have been, the 1950 stat (6.4) is the best estimate I have.

By Number of Buildings

Judging both by that map, as well as this overview image of the town:

I estimated how many buildings there are, just by eyeing it. Note that this might lead to some inaccuracies, but I tried my best. Looking at the overview, I counted 97 buildings, however on the map I counted 103 (both of these counts include Casita). Since the map gives a clearer view of the individual buildings, I'm presuming that number to be more accurate.

Now, we know the town has a church and a school, both of which can be presumed to not house anyone. I'd also guess it has a town hall. Some of these buildings might also be shops, workshops, community buildings, etc, which presumably would also not house people. However, I have no way to estimate which buildings these might be, or how many buildings fulfil these purposes (also taking into consideration that some people live on top of their shops, and other such situations), I have decided to not bother counting these buildings, and just presuming that- outside of the three buildings I can confidently say are unlikely to house anyone- presume that every other building has at least one resident. That means the town has at least 100 residents. Add in the additional Madrigals, and this minimum is bumped up to 109. Going to the other end of things, my absolute maximum estimate for number of people per building would be 10, meaning my highest possible population estimate is 1,000.

The number 10 is both connected to the Madrigals, and the aforementioned birth rate. 6 kids and 2 parents would be 8 people a house, while the extra 2 gives leeway for more kids, or other relatives who might also be staying there.

People in Various Scenes

There are various scenes in the movie where we see a large number of townsfolk, and I figured judging the number of people we see in these scenes might give a sense of the size of the town. My mind first went to Antonio's gift ceremony, where we see a large number of people gathered in Casita to witness the event. I wouldn't expect the whole town, but it still might help in some sense.

The first image I used from the gift ceremony was of Abuela's speech, before Antonio makes the walk to his door. Here, we see an overview of most of the crowd:

While observing this image, I was able to count about 91 people, which jumped to 94 when I added in Mirabel, Antonio, and Bruno. It's worth noting, however, that there are most certainly people in this crowd who we don't see, just because of the angle.

The other screenshot I considered was this one:

It's harder to make out people, however, and there are most certainly less of the crowd visible than before. I counted 33 people (40, if you count the Madrigals we know to exist, but aren't visible), but this number is pretty much useless.

The next place I looked for this method was the scene in All of You, where the town comes out to help the Madrigals. There were two screenshots I used to come up with this next estimation:

Neither of them are exactly perfect, with people being small and hard to see in both images, but I did my best. It's likely the most complete image of the town's population we see. I counted around about 100, solidifying my minimum population number. Additionally, while the other two examples were limited by Casita's max capacity, the fact that this count is a similar number despite the far more open space indicates that this might be closer to the actual number of villagers than the higher estimates. Again, though, there's no way this is everyone in the town.

Looking at screenshots ended up leading me to my final method to estimate the town's population.

Ancestry

When we look at screenshots from Dos Oruguitas, we can see the scene where Alma, Pedro, and the rest of the people travelling with them cross the river where Pedro dies:

When watching this scene, before it cuts away from this image, you can see the moment people stop coming from the right side to join the end, so I'd be fairly confident in saying that the people pictured here are the entirety of the exodus. Minus Pedro, they are the entirety of the Encanto's initial residents. I was able to count their numbers, and estimate 33 adults (including Alma and Pedro), and 8 children (including the triplets), though it's likely that more are hidden by all the adults grouped together.

As a side note: I couldn't exactly spot him, but presumably Félix should be part of this group, as he was ~2 years old at the time of the miracle.

Additionally, I couldn't spot any elderly people during my count, so I'm presuming there aren't any in the group, and all the adults are roughly the same generation as Alma and Pedro (we'll call this Gen One). The kids pictured are then presumed to be part of Gen 2. Excluding A & P, who we know don't have any more children, that leaves around 15 potential couples, each of whom could have between 0 and let's say 7 children. This means Gen 2 could end up having between 8 and 105 members. Therefore, we can estimate that Gen 2 would have between 4 and 54 potential couples, who each could have between 0 and 7 children (Gen 3). Given we know that there are 6 Madrigal members of Gen 3, this means that there are anywhere from 6 to 378 members of Gen 3.

(Some young children seen in the movie could, perhaps, be part of Gen 4, but I've not included this in my numbers, as Gen 4 would be in its early stages, and so the number of potential members is difficult to calculate.

It's also worth nothing that the maximum couple numbers, and therefore offspring numbers, per generation are numbers I'd consider very unlikely to be reality. If people are having up to 7 kids each, then pairing up everyone in Gen 2 would inevitably lead to people likely being paired up with siblings, which I'd consider unlikely. The real couple number is probably closer to 20 or so for Gen 2. Additionally, it's likely that most adults in Gen 1 have family members also in the exodus, so the max of 15 pairs is also unlikely.)

Adding all these up, and considering the minimum of 100 people, this indicates that the Encanto's population is likely between 100 and 515.

Summary

Considering all these calculations, I again am certain that at least 100 people live in the Encanto. While my first method estimated a maximum population of 1,000, I believe my later estimations affirm that a number this high isn't likely. If I had to guess, there's probably between 150 and 300 people living in the Encanto. But hey, here's the info! Feel free to come to your own conclusions :) I'd be very interested to hear alternative reasoning!

[my-little-safe-corner]

I hope to talk more about Pepa and the symbolism of her power in a future post.

Can we just talk for a second about how Disney fully could have leaned into the crazy Latina women and husbands who roll their eyes at it, but Felix is always so fuckin quick to validate her. Not one crazy joke, not even a single comment, just fully encourages her to feel her emotions.

when she’s crying at Antonio’s ceremony, he could fully have been like yo chill stop being dramatic, but all he says is love, you’re gonna get him wet. Not a, don’t cry, not an omg stop, just a gentle reminder to move the cloud over a little.

And with the whole hurricane wedding, he’s not, oh she ruined the weather or ugh it was a disaster. Just a, what a joyous day. Like she’s warning mirabel and he’s like fuck yeah I get to talk about one of the best days of my life

Look how fucking happy he is, getting pelted by hail by his fucking goddess of a wife

[jacarandaaaas]

a little underappreciated detail about mirabel is how it’s likely she has an interest in horse riding! the only basis I have for this is a small scene in the movie but I love the implication of this being one of her hobbies!

we see how bruno approaches mirabel & alma on horseback but he’s uncoordinated and struggling (poor guy lmao) whilst this could be due to being in the walls for a decade I also think it’s because he doesn’t actually know much about horse riding as he’s never had an interest in it!

now compare this to mirabel who seems to know EXACTLY what she’s doing, she’s cool calm and collected and it almost comes naturally to her! I believe this is because she actually has an interest in horse riding! we already know she has many hobbies so I don’t think it’s far fetched to speculate this is another one!

also take in mind she is riding bare back here! notice how Bruno appears nervous (and is the whole ride back to the encanto) but alma is smiling she’s fully confident I believe this is because mirabels done this many times before!

also the way she does this jump so effortlessly!? and riding bareback is way harder too! Usually only experienced riders do this! so I think the fact mirabel 1. Isnt nervous at all about this and 2. alma isn’t nervous at all implies she’s experienced in some way

she just seems like she really knows what she’s doing and the horse doesn’t seem uncomfortable either! so yeah this is my mirabel is a horse rider theory!

[yellowcry]

So if I'm on it... I feel the fandom has (or had in early days when there were many people, it's only a handful who still in) a huge problem with Luisa's hyper-feminisation.

Yes, I'm talking about the poytrayal of Luisa as somebody obsessed with pink, delicate things. At the same time being unable to hurt a fly.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the idea that Luisa would love lace, cotton and everything what is associated with (traditional) feminity. She can do it all she wants, that's womderful. The problem is that sometimes people act like this is the only way Luisa can express her gentle and feminine side by acting ONLY the way stereotypical feminization wants. And turn it to the most extreme point. Because, essentially it actually makes her look more masculine. As it often does look like a over-compensation for her more masculine-associated traits physical, which she CANNOT control (deep voice, very tall height and muscles). Why does Luisa have to be pushed into the whole girly girl thing so much conpared to the rest? It just looks like ppl try to make it up for what in her is not typical for women. So if she can't look small and delicate in stature and strenght she has to be the most feminine personality and interests-wise not to be concidered a man in a dress. Which is VERY messed up.

Because, surprize, Luisa is not more masculine by default to have and compensate for it. Why is the idea of Luisa wearing pants seems to frustate more people compared to the other girls? Why is she the one who would be jealous of pre-wecid Isabela's style? When Dolores and Mirabel would probably have far more reasons to do so just because of trauma. Luisa can enjoy masculine things amd femiline things. She doesn't have to go all over with feminization to be put in line with the rest of the girls.

And what is even worse is that by extension in a lot of the stereotypical potrayals of Luisa her positive masculine-associated traits are being swapped onto the opposite ones, which are aften viewed as negative and stereotypically being labeled on women. Such as always needing protection/somebody who speak up to her and saved her (while we clearly see Luisa as extremely protective over Mirabel during Surface Pressure). Or exaggerate her emotionality and vulnerability to the point she breaks into tears for the smallest things. Which honestly has very misogynistic implications. As it gets an idea that women (and feminine people as whole) are always weaker and unable to defend themselves. Or that their emotions are always very strong and irrational. And this is definitely not good thing to imply. As I did say, it turns into a godamn misogyny at this point where for Luisa being girly associated with the literal opposite of her character.

Again, there's nothing wrong with imagining that Luisa would love feminine, girly things. But there's also nothing wrong with Luisa preffering practical and simple style. And pushing her out of character just to make her more conventionally feminine isn't a good thing to do. She's a woman regardless of what she looks like and pushing the idea that she MUST look sertain way to be one is really bad. I can understand that most people never think that they make it all look like attepmt to compensate for non-typical look and actually have good intentions. Wanting to show that the way your body looks doesn't have to match your personality/interestsm. And that women like Luisa can still be very feminine. But in the end the entire thing gets very dimolished by the fact that Luisa is being basically forced into hyperbolisation where she can't express anything even remotely related to masculinity.

[encantobrainrot365]

Ok so, I can’t believe I missed this but, look.

I’ve always loved this moment in the song. The way she’s basically projecting herself onto a wall of roses 🌹 The way the wall changes color from pink 🌷 to blue 🪻as she sends a giant wave of flower petals throughout the room.

But did you catch that?

The way the room changes color. The way her projection of herself no longer appears to us as the delicate flower 🌺🌸, or pretty pink princess 👸🏾 her Abuela wants.

But a more bold and beautiful shade of purple and blue 💙💠💜 with a hint of yellowish-orange 💛🏵️🧡 and some green 🌴🌵 thrown in there too.

It’s foreshadowing people! The reclamation of her identity! Look at her, now!

Look at the way she is no longer dressed to reflect her Abuela’s influence or her need to please her, but takes a tip from Mirabel and is instead, dressed to reflect the rest of the family she loves so much.

There’s the *bright* violet blue color of the dress that reflects her parents and sisters. The yellows and bright oranges that symbolize joy and her Tia Pepa’s side of the family. Then, there’s the bright green color that symbolizes truth and her Tio Bruno, whose prophecy finally came true.

Now compare that to the way she used to dress! In pale blue, lavender and pink pastels.

The way she almost looks muted and repressed compared to the rest of her family’s far brighter color palettes 🎨

I also think it’s a call back to Sleeping Beauty, and Flora and Merry Weather’s iconic disagreement on whether to make Aurora’s dress pink or blue. Makes sense since Sleeping Beauty came out in the late 50s. The same time period that Encanto takes place in. I’m sure Isabela can relate.

[my-little-safe-corner]

I agree with most things here, and especially like the insight about Antonio.

Once again thinking about Encantó and how the house was cracking because the family was cracking under pressure and how Mirabel’s part in saving Casita and the miracle wasn’t even about mending people’s struggles but simply about acknowledging them and telling them it’s ok and they don’t have to do it alone.

Thinking about how the first cracks appear when Mirabel feels ostracized from her family and is about to break under the pressure of feeling wanting and invisible and alone.

Thinking about how the thing Mirabel does for Luisa is listen to her and just say “you are carrying way too much” and then when Luisa’s powers begin to malfunction it isn’t because of her but because Luisa dared slow down a little and was IMMEDIATELY hit with crushing guilt and tried once again to overcompensate it and THAT is when her strength failed her.

Thinking about how Bruno left in an attempt to keep the family from fracturing and was literally trying to fix the cracks with his absence, but it was Mirabel SHARING a vision with him which actually helped him find a positive outcome for a vision because he wasn’t alone with that burden and his anxiety and she led him to a happier perspective.

Thinking about how the real healing moment between Isabela and Mirabel isn’t Isa’s confession really, the turning point is when Mirabel actually stops and LISTENS and simply acknowledges that her sister is struggling and goes on to loudly support and encourage her to find and be herself.

Thinking about all the other cracks we didn’t entirely see. Antonio’s pressure to not be “another disappointment” to his family but obvious guilt that Mirabel didn’t get to shine. Camilo’s consistent changes for the sake of others, but when he starts to malfunction he’s a grown man with a baby’s head, because maybe that’s how he feels, lost and not quite either. Thinking about Pepa, unable to feel any negative emotions, to the point of absolute repression because every single anger or sadness is an open nerve for the world to see and “Pepa, stop! Not again!” Thinking about Julieta’s role as a consistent care taker in a family that even with their powers gone yells for her when in panic because she Must Know how to fix it. Thinking about Dolores so overwhelmed and tense and overlooked, whose great romantic ideal is someone finally SEEING her.

And the cracks showed up whenever the pressure was too much. Whenever Abuela was too afraid and protective and holding on to her control so tightly, marked by the trauma and fear of losing them, to the point where she couldn’t take anything or anyone being out of her control (an obvious PTSD thing).

The family was cracking because Abuela lost sight of the family as people vs the family as a well oiled machine. And while it was obviously due to generational trauma, it was also an issue that no one else in the family could see because it was the dynamic they grew up in and accepted as right and healthy. It was only Mirabel, blessed with an “outsider” perspective, who could see the way the pressure was mounting on everyone’s shoulders and who (having no expectations at all put on her by dismissal) could dare to break the cycle and speak up, not only for herself but for others.

I am once again thinking about Mirabel’s door being the front door of the house (her casita who she is clearly the closest with) and just like everyone else has their powers represented in it, Mirabel’s shows her surrounded by her family, like the anchor that helped them build a new foundation in their relationships with one another, based not on what they could “do for the family” but by love and acceptance of each other.

[jacarandaaaas]

unnecessary cornplate incoming!!!

ok so other than the fact this outfit is gorgeous beautiful 10/10 I also love how it represents the other madrigal girls! we know mira looks up to them a lot so it makes a lot of sense she would incorporate that into her outfit! The first thing I noticed was that tiered skirt which immediately made me think of isabelas dress! then you’ve got her blouse which has a lot of similarities with the one dolores wears! to add to this she also has a bow in her hair!! (and it’s shaped like a butterfly because of course it is this is mirabel) then for luisa she’s got the ribbon around her waist and the little bracelet too!

Despite all these little touches it’s still so undeniably mirabel! her embroidery is everywhere, there’s the fun light blue trim around each layer of the skirt and of course the butterflies!!!

[yellowcry]

I've seen people saying that Mirabel has a bit greening skirt as a reference to her similarity with Bruno

But, honestly

Julieta has way more teal clothes. And I think Mirabel's color referring to her mom

[my-little-safe-corner]

Hello Tumblr

Long time, no see...

Haven't been here for more than a year because I was more into local-to-my-country fandoms, but I feel it's time to return.

My last post was about the IT series, but I'm not interested anymore since Bill Skarsgard is not going to be there...

I got more into Encanto in the last couple weeks. I just hope I'm not (too) late to the party. I know the movie is already almost 2 years old, but as I said, I was into other things.

Anyway, here's something interesting I found in Reddit, and I'll also add my own analyses and observations in future posts:

So every person in the family had a “superpower” that was really a coping mechanism for being in a dysfunctional family

Bruno- He tells the truth about what is happening and is the black sheep and scapegoat of the family because he doesn’t tell people what they want to hear

Isabela- The Golden child, held to impossible standards and fawned upon when she does what Abuela wants of her

Luisa- The sibling who feels inferior to the golden child and thinks it’s her sole responsibility to hold the family together at the expense of her own wants because caring for others defines her

Pepa- stormy mental illness due to her estranged brother and narcissistic mother- also blaming Bruno for her wedding storm which is a metaphor for her losing her temper and needing a scapegoat on a stressful day

Antonio- Young child uses his imagination to talk to animals as a form of escapism from a dysfunctional multi generational household

Camilo- “born to entertain” and mimics those around him to please them and to keep them happy with him, literally a social chameleon

Dolores- Hypervigilent because of the family dysfunction- listens to everyone around her without trying and always on edge

Julieta- Coping through adherence to strict gender norms, uses food to convey love and to keep people happy, cooking is her only skill and she’s defined by it

Mirabel- Trying to break generational trauma, blames herself at first just for asking questions and wanting people to be genuine with her

Abuela- narcissist who has deep trauma and projects a need for control to her family because she never wants to feel out of control again

[my-little-safe-corner]

Oh, I think Mirabel did understand...

no no no but Bruno leaving not because he didn't love his family, not because there was a vision that would hurt his family, but leaving because his vision would change how the family looked at his sobrina is the most heartbreaking thing

if the vision had just shown the Miracle fading, Casita cracking, but had no one else, he would have stayed, and probably helped to figure out what that meant.

and i'm sure he thought about that as the vision was being created, he thought that he'd show his mother, and they'd figure things out.

but then Mirabel appeared in the vision, and all bets were off.

Bruno saw a grown-up version of his sobrina.

his kindhearted sobrina who wore glasses his color green so that she'd match everyone in the family in some way.

his little sobrina who spent the night after her ceremony crying in her room, all alone.

his wonderful sobrina who did her absolute best to light up every room she entered.

his precious sobrina, who was only five, and who was struggling to make her family proud.

If it was just the house, Bruno would stay.

But he refused to put Mirabel through more heartbreak, more ostracization.

and the fact that finding that out shocked Mirabel is so sad, because to her, she was the ungifted Madrigal. She was clumsy, always in the way, and nobody special.

So someone putting her first, someone doing something to take care of her, to protect her, is so out of the ordinary, so unfamiliar to her, that it takes a moment for her to actually understand.

And I don't think she really did understand.

The only people who truly loved her after her ceremony were her parents and Antonio. She couldn't fathom one of her gifted family members actually thinking about her and putting her in front of everything else.

Bruno's thought process of "protect Mirabel first, save the Miracle and the Family second" is so incredibly bittersweet, because Mirabel can't imagine why anyone would do that.

(it's the same with Antonio saying "I need you" during his ceremony because no one's ever needed just Mirabel)