#mulan rant

[artist-issues]

Mulan is not a metaphor for neurodivergence.

Because none of you can describe what “neurodivergence” is. You can’t make a metaphor for something that is undefinable.

If you think Mulan “looks at the world a little differently than everyone else,” then sure, it’s a story with that in it. But guess what? Grandma also looks at the world differently than everyone else. Oh! And Fa Zhou looks at the world differently than Mulan! And Fa Zhou’s wife looks at the world differently than Mushu! And Mushu looks at the world differently than Shan Yu! And Shan Yu looks at the world differently than The Emperor’s Advisor!

Heyyy maybe we’re all humans who have our own unique perspectives & responses to the world around us. Some of us have some pieces of unique perspectives/responses in common, like fabrics we like the feel of or topics we happen to be focused on in this season of life, and some of us, shocker, have different pieces/responses in common! Hey, we’re all alike and we’re all unlike—which means we’re mostly alike! Even in the way we think!

Maybe you don’t need a word that means “I’m different, but not in a specifically definable way, just in a way that makes me both like and unlike some people, somewhere, sometime, depending on how ‘seen’ I need to feel in a given moment, and who/what piece of media I’d like associated with me/that given people group.”

Unless you can define “neurodivergent” beyond what I just said. Then tell me how Mulan is a metaphor for that definition—of “neurodivergent” beyond what I just said.

[zombiecheri]

I really hope Mizu and Taigen never end up together. I don't exactly dislike Taigen's character but I don't see him with Mizu. It would be so forced to me. "he bullied you in past and now likes you" trope is so shitty in my opinion. So overused, so boring, so cliche. It's doing nothing to me.

I don't see Mizu with Akemi either. As much as I want Mizu with a girl (mostly because I need a confirmation that she's indeed wlw), I don't think they're compatible. I don't see Mizu with anyone at this point. I don't think she needs a love interest. Not all characters need one, plus her past would make sense why she wouldn't want it.

Anyways, if Mizu does end up with Taigen I'll be very disappointed. I lied a little bit when I said I didn't dislike him, he is very annoying to me. He's not bad, just annoying, uninteresting and unfortunately very boring. He does nothing for me as a character.

Walmart Zuko mixed with Shang with a bald spot (I'm jealous over pixels what the fuck is my life)

[trans-leek-cookie]

i feel like we are conflating "not realizing you were being lied to" and "accepting/ignoring obvious gross behavior" in the same realm of being Not At Fault. Yeah this is abt James Somerton cause like. Yeah you're not going to notice plagiarism unless youre familiar with the plagiarized work (or someone calls out said plagiarism) that's fine. But like? You aren't irredeemable or anything, but maybe in the future be more critical when someone you respect or like says stuff that's misogynistic or lesbophobic or biphobic or transphobic? Like you don't have to instantly persecute them, but please let that inform how you see them? Don't just write them off as having good intentions or important things to say (even if they do), you can acknowledge those intentions while also acknowledging their faults. Again: it's not an unforgivable sin, but there's a difference in being lied to and listening to someone Say Misogynistic and Bi/Trans/Lesbophobic Shit openly

[priarity]

‘blue eye samurai is like GOT and mulan combined hahaha’ how small minded can you get omfg

[tisalonelydreamer]

i'm currently thinking about how, for so long, you couldn't be an asian on the screen unless you were a side character that was pretty much built on stereotypes. and there are standout asian actors, but i'm a teenager so legends who made a name for themselves are kinda before my time. but both michelle yeoh and ke huy quan are the embodiment of not giving up on your dreams. even if it takes a while, you're time will come, and in a way that honors yourself. every time i see another post or edit of their oscar wins, i tear up.

i didn't grow up watching asians on tv. my only likeness as a child used to be mulan, but people at school used to tell me i couldn't just pick her as my favorite disney movie because she's asian (which, kids are dumb and that reasoning is stupid and besides the fact the she was the only representation kid-me had, mulan had a great storyline and message and characters and soundtrack and it was and still is a really great movie). i remember seeing characters like mike chang from glee on tv, but he was a character always pushed to the side, and those shows always had a way of just mocking and reaffirming stereotypes.

i think about how sometimes the only space for asian women was so that they could be sexualized, or how there was even less room for asian men on the screen unless they fit a certain look. how asians had to become an image to get their space.

and in recent years, the representation for asians has increased, and i'm so thankful. i wish i had that when i was younger, but i'm glad to have it now. with movies like shang chi or crazy rich asians, we get to see how respecting and celebrating culture is significant, but it's also not an asian's entire identity. how we are still people with stories that deserve to have main characters.

i'm so happy that eeaao gave michelle yeoh and ke huy quan their space. how this door opened for them and asians to be seen and respected. how they inspire people to dream big. how it feels possible for big dreams to really and truly happen.

when i was a little girl, i was obsessed with superheroes, which led me to my obsession with the tv show agents of shield. and i adored melinda may, played by ming na wen, who was a bad*ss character. and her character revolved not around her culture (although culture was not ignored) but how even without it she is still a character with a complex history and development and personality.

it's nice to be living and experiencing an era where asians are getting their recognition. representation is so important because it reaches so many people and lets them know that somewhere out there, achieving the dream, even for someone who looks like us, is within our reach.

we finally get to exist in the mainstream. and for that, my inner child is so grateful.

[xxc0mp4ctd1scxx]

I wish that who uses only "she/her" or "he/him" referring to Mizu kinda get the drip that Mizu isn't neither a man nor a woman.

That whoever is using only one of these pronouns is actually seeing that Mizu is kinda beyond gender shit, and any other category.

So when using those are all in a genderqueer/genderfuck way. When calling them girlfriend or man or bf is in an ironic way.

I really wish I'm not seeing people thinking Mizu is a woman just bc they are AFAB or bc "this trope is ant-women" terf's shit. Cuz I guarantee that Mulan (1998) and Blue Eye Samurai (2023) aren't being feminist in a simple "We Can Do It, too" way, but rather "See, gender roles are stupid and fuck you if you think that genderqueer people don't exist and people are only MAN or WOMAN."

Man, I really hate when people look at a genderqueer story and think only in binary. Adult Mizu could have been a woman if they really were one, cuz the point of they being perseved as a boy was only to be more difficult to find them as a kid, when their mom couldn't protect them with her hands or power, cuz she had none.

I think that when they were in the wife role, they weren't really performing it as a woman, but more like a duty commonly attributed to wife (more like my father being the cook in the house and a really good caretaker who is really considering and cute, and also being the dad figure, when my mom is in the finances business of the house and isn't the best caretaker of all times...) and for they mom respect and consideration, cuz they loved her and wanted to show their love, retributing by marry that guy.

But they were rejected by their mom and their husband, when being their own singular self. When showing they weren't the wife, neither the woman people thought they should be.

Yes, they suit a masc appearance and mannerisms, but it seem dehonest to call them a man. They really don't perform a man image.

Just like non binary transmasc or butches... We aren't really men just bc we are mascs. And we aren't really, by the book, women, solely by the fact we are AFAB.

Why? Cuz it is just like that. Gender isn't the binary we were thought and I wish everyone a really good search and thinking on genderqueer thesis and documents, already documented discussions and a read on "Butch Blues", a watch on "Tomboy", etc.

[insanely-lovely-and-random]

Joker 2 rant cause it's always a rant with me ( but a mini one) Just wanted to say this, cause everyone on the internet apparently thinks the entire planet hates musicals (Or think the entire movie going audience is boring ass men who think all musicals are lame for some godforsaken reason). I'm so fucking psyched for this shit. An artistic jukebox musical with Phoenix and Gaga?? Yes fucking please! I couldn't tell you how uninterested I was in a Joker sequel UNTIL I found out it was a musical. That trailer slapped so fucking hard I lost a tooth.

Cannot freaking waittttt

[robbierants]

Li Shang Is A Bisexual Legend

Li Shang, voiced by BD Wong with Donny Osmond providing the singing voice in the 1998 film, was one of the most popular characters in the original animated "Mulan." His complex character was a departure from the more mundane, hollow love interests past Disney princesses had fallen for.

He was far more interesting, for instance, than any of the interchangeable princes in "Cinderella" (Prince Charming), "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (who is not even given a name and is referred to only as The Prince), "Sleeping Beauty" (Prince Phillip), and "The Little Mermaid" (Prince Eric).

"Mulan" dared to be different with Li Shang, a fully fleshed-out character with his own desires and difficulties.What really made his character stand out, though, was that he was clearly bisexual.

It may not be overtly stated, but his relationship with Mulan strongly suggests he is. Li Shang doesn't fall for Mulan after she reveals herself to be a woman — he's drawn to Mulan while she is still in disguise as Ping, a male soldier.

While Mulan is presenting as Ping, their relationship suggests intimacy and desire rather than soldierly respect or male camaraderie. You can actually pinpoint the moment when Li Shang seems to realize he's into Ping:

Yes, he is smiling because Ping has gone from a clumsy soldier to an incredible warrior. But any Disney fan will recognize that look — it's the same sort of moment as in "Beauty and the Beast" when Belle and Beast begin to like each other and sing "Something There." Both sets of characters come to an understanding that is strongly suggested to be more than friendship.

In "Mulan," traditional romantic relationships are pushed to the side, presenting Mulan as a fiercely independent heroine with her own story and agency. This was hugely inspirational to many young girls and Asian people, and it still is — but so, too, was the subplot of Li Shang's bisexuality (Link below)

It meant a lot to LGBTQ viewers, particularly kids growing up at that time who felt alienated and alone, to see themselves represented in a major Disney movie in such a natural way, even if it wasn't explicitly stated.

[heydranga]

Hey welcome back to random thoughts with yours truly.

Today's random thought is about mulan.

I think the Huns/hans? Are better people then the men from china.

Let me explain!

They aren't sexist at all. They saw a village and killed everyone leaving no survivors. Shan Yu saw Mulan was a woman and wasn't like "A woman defeated me?" Nah he was like "The SOLDIER from the mountains" he saw Mulan as an equal regardless of her gender.

In the og story when mulan was discovered she became the emperors concubine and committed suicide.

In the disney version she would have been killed by shang if she didn't save his life.

Also shout out to Ling, Yao, and Chin Po. They saw her fight and we're like nah that's our equal we all would have died without her brain power bro.

Also Shang should have been gay, let's be honest.

Anyway, I feel like Mulan's father was the goat because you know he taught her how to ride a horse and he probably would have thrown hands with any man who dared to mistreat his daughter. He knew his daughter was a tomboy and encouraged it for years. You also know he adored his wife as his equal rather than as someone who should give him sons.

The Huns mostly likely treated women the same way. I don't get how the only way a woman can bring honor to her family is by giving birth to sons. Like come on. "We need more people for the war but oh no not women" what type of sense does that make?

I've recently discovered that some people ship Mulan and Shan Yu at first I didn't get it but then I actually thought about how he would at least look at Mulan as a equal rather than an enemy.

Also disney never gave the reason why The Huns had beef with the emperor.

Now onto the 2 mulan movie. The emperor was ready to give all his daughters to a man he himself never met. That's like sending your children to a harem or pimping them out to strangers.

Shang out right pissed me off in the 2nd Mulan movie. Like I get it Mushu was wrong for trying to split them up but I feel like he was revealing how their relationship was always rocky. Shang didn't even bother to really listen to Mulan or ask her opinion on what she wanted.

Like when the villagers were asking questions they were literally opposites. How do you expect Mulan to give you as many children as possible did you not catch on in the time you guys have been dating that Mulan loves her independence and that she didn't want to be the one stuck at home with the children while you did whatever?

When Shang was thought to have been dead I was excited I was like yes now Mulan to live out her life as a Kung Fu master who trains girls to be their own person. Then the whole I'll marry the prince in the princesses place thing happened and I gagged.

Love should never be treated as a 1 way street or a way to control or to make ends meet. You either see each others as equals, think of each others feelings, ask what the other wants out of life and see if it has conflicting interests, actually communicate your problems rather then being quick to start a fight or dismiss the other.

Ugh anyway that was my rant, have a nice day, stay safe out there.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Here's the Tazercraft + Fit AU I was thinking about yesterday while lying on the floor sick to my stomach listening to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" soundtrack on loop:

Tazercraft are known for being master thieves, so they get contracted to break into the Federation to steal something (or maybe they just hear about the Federation being powerful and impossible to infiltrate, so they take it as a challenge and see if they can steal something).

Either way, they get discovered in the middle of their heist, but not before Mike manages to nab something from the lab: a bunch of strange rounded objects which they shove into Mike's backpack. They manage to escape, but while they're running from the Feds, one of the objects falls out of Mike's backpack and Pac stalls for a moment to double-back and grab it. They get separated, and Pac gets chased down and winds up losing Mike completely. He hides somewhere and pauses for a moment to catch his breath and take a closer look at the object he grabbed.

He and Mike originally thought they were some kind of gems or even fancy Fabergé eggs or something, but it turns out to be an ACTUAL egg, which starts to crack right in Pac's hands. The small dragon that noses its way out is adorable... until it starts making noise, which alerts the lingering Feds to Pac's location.

—

Pac makes a break for it, but he has as much success as the mother at the beginning of the Hunchback of Notre Dame movie. Unlike the mother however, he doesn't die when he's knocked down the temple steps, but he does crack his head and gets knocked out.* The Feds were planning on killing him and dumping him somewhere, but the little dragon that hatched (Richarlyson) refuses to be separated from Pac. They realize their experiment imprinted on him, and since the rest of their subjects got kidnapped by Mike, they drag Pac back to Federation HQ with Richarlyson.

After hours searching for Pac, Mike finally finds the place where Pac was cornered, and seeing all the blood left behind on the steps of the temple, he assumes Pac was either killed or captured. I imagine he'd try (and fail) to infiltrate the Federation again, so he'd join the Rebels to try and take down the Feds and save his friend (thus taking on an Esmeralda-esque role in the story). I imagine the Rebels would be like the Court of Miracles group in the movie, and this would be how the rest of the Eggs wind up hatching / finding the parents they have in canon.

Meanwhile in the Federation, Pac's head injury (conveniently) damaged his memory enough that the Federation is able manipulate him into cooperating with them. He lives in the Federation’s Headquarters and takes care of Richarlyson, neither of them allowed to leave the premises. Pac's the only reason Richarlyson isn't an absolute terror (he's still a terror, but he'll at least let the Federation scientists run tests on him. Sometimes).

I imagine that this goes on for some time, maybe even a few years. The Rebels try chipping away at the Federation, but they're always thwarted. Maybe after one particularly aggressive attack, the Federation boosts security and that's how they wind up hiring Fit (whose closest counterpart in the movie would be Phoebus). Fit's still there on his own mission for Madagio, but he gets assigned to guard Richas (and Pac by extension) and that's how they wind up meeting. 

The conflict in the story would be Mike trying to rescue Pac + Richas, get Pac to remember who he is, and convince Pac that the Rebels are actually the good guys. There would also be conflict between Fit trying to keep his cover as a spy for Madagio but also getting attached to Richas and Pac, knowing if he helps them escape he'll blow his cover and if the Federation doesn't kill him, Madagio will.

Anyways! I'll never get around to writing this fic, but it's a fun idea to think about. Maybe Pac even wound up with Richas and Ramon, and things are complicated even further because of how much Fit winds up loving Ramon.

—

* It's fun imagining Felps filling the priest's role in the movie, but it's a bit hard imagining Cucurucho being swayed by Felps enough to let Pac live. (In canon, I think the only one who could really do that would be Antoine, but it's still fun imagining Felps helping out Pac like that).

[bellamysgriffin]

hard to contribute to the snow white discourse rn bc so much of it is just an excuse to hate on rachel zegler, and i think casting her in that role is nothing short of a revelation. that said….

with this whole “she’s not gonna be saved by the prince” nonsense….. an adaptation of snow white that doesn’t include the true loves kiss is kinda pointless tbh… like make a new story at that point. also that’s literally ALL the prince does to save her like he JUST kisses her.

and then the whole “she’s not gonna dream of true love she’s gonna dream of becoming the leader she knows she can be” is weird too because i just don’t think we need to girlbossify EVERY disney princess. the most dated thing about snow white is that she becomes the pseudo mother for 7 men and cooks and cleans for them, not wanting love.

if EYE were making a snow white adaptation, i would emphasize the power of kindness idea bc like… that’s fully present in the original film. like the huntsman saves her… bc of her goodness. the dwarves take her in … bc of her goodness. the prince falls in love with her bc of her beauty yes but also… her innate goodness/kindness. i think you can really draw that theme out a lot more and emphasize it in a way that would modernize and update the story without basically scrapping it and turning into yet another sterile girlboss disney story.

that said, i do hear queen greta is writing the script so i ultimately mostly trust it and will likely be giving my money

[xiao-lantern]

saw a tiktok that said “[Mulan] would’ve been so much better if she was a guy” bc of the whole “Shang finding out Mulan’s actually a girl and not a femboy” stuff as if… as if the WHOLE POINT of the movie wasn’t supposed to be that Mulan was a girl in a country who oppressed women (+ forced men to fight even in their old age or if they were disabled) and she broke the status quo of being a “submissive” “weak” woman… like?? sorry that the Disney movie is based on an actual legend and not your average ao3 fanfic 💀

[that-ari-blogger]

The Boss Music Starts Playing, Part 2/2 (Mulan)

This is a continuation of my previous post (link), because the original was too long for a single thing. So, I cut it down.

This relates to the theme of self-image really nicely. Because self-image, by definition, is how a person sees themselves. But it would be foolish to assume that how a person is seen by others doesn’t fit into this.

Shang’s self-image is centred around leading people, for example. That’s why he and Chi-Fu foil off each other, because Chi-Fu’s idea of himself is built on being in power over people. They are similar, but it is the nuances that set them apart, and that are at the root of Chi-Fu’s unmeritedly complex characterisation.

Chi-Fu is misogynistic doofus, but he’s also more nuanced than that, and honestly, he is one of the more interesting side characters in this film. He is a hypocrite, staunchly defending what he sees as masculinity while exhibiting exactly zero of the traits he places value in. He places value in rank above all else, willing to criticise those above him when he views their actions as unwise, but still following orders even when in doubt.

A lot of his characterisation is exemplified in this single line:

“Be careful Captain. The general may be your father, but I am the emperor’s counsel.

And oh, by the way, I got that job on my own.”

Here, he’s an eejit who throws his weight around. He respects the rank of Shang but takes care to position himself higher than him out of sheer spite.

But he’s also kind of correct. Like, I hate the fact that I am agreeing with this guy, but he makes a good point about the general’s nepotism here.

However, Shi-Fu is an antagonist in this film, and I don’t want to understate why he fills that role. Shi-Fu is misogynistic, unwilling to be swayed by Mulan’s displays of heroism because… well because she has boobs, and that disqualifies every point she can make. Again, he’s a misogynist.

Which brings me back to the thing about self-image and external perception, and I am going to bring back the non-binary reading. You can take the hormones, you can dress differently, you can do all kinds of things to make yourself feel more at home in your body. But all of those elements of self-image can be subverted by a single person misgendering you, or deadnaming you.

To those reading this who are not trans or non-binary, that is why we ask y’all to respect our pronouns. It’s not because we enjoy being contrarians (most of the time), it’s because referring to us in the way we see ourselves actually makes us feel better about ourselves. We’re asking you to help us in a way that objectively doesn’t cost you anything other than the effort to try.

Mulan’s feeling of self-worth comes from her sense of belonging in the army, the place where she can be one of the guys, and people respect her for that and accept her as that.

When that image is shattered, and she is left out in the snow to die or go home, it is a gut punch because that belonging lets her go.

This post was inspired by Cinema Therapy’s video on Mulan, and while I joked around in the introduction about accepting their challenge, I think their video was really good, and I wish no I’ll will towards them. But…

I think it was a missed opportunity to not talk about the scene in the valley, because it is an incredible demonstration of what honour and self-worth actually are. They are both influenced by others, yes, but in the end, they are both something you find for yourself.

Mulan could go home, she has saved her father, she has proven herself, she has achieved what she came for. But she chooses to go back to the army and be a part of that, she chooses to go back to the life that Ping let her lead. Like the trial of the arrow, this is for her.

Which leads me into the two “fight scenes”.

This is such well composed shot. Despite the utter lack of landmarks or even detail on most of the characters, you can see the scale and geography so clearly, and your eye is drawn to the stooges, then to the avalanche, then to Mulan and Shang sprinting away from it.

The three stooges carry this film, specifically in the matter of its tone. They set up the humorous, upbeat nature of the first half of the story with their antics and act as a benchmark for Mulan’s success in finding acceptance. Then they stop laughing to show the seriousness of the aftermath.

But here, the little spin that Lee’s helmet makes in the air serves to soften what would otherwise be a jarringly terrifying and gritty moment. They remind the audience what film they are watching and balance out the tone to distract from the visage of death behind them.

Anyway, Mulan’s actions in this battle and the final confrontation lean into a few readings.

First, the feminist reading. I haven’t mentioned this as much as I probably should have up to this point, but the reading is by no means any less valid or prominent as any other.

This is a feminist piece, with Mulan defeating the Hun army twice by going against the masculine stereotypes. She reclaims her agency through being a badass alongside the men, but not in the same way as them. In the finale, she uses her fan, symbolically the thing associated with womanhood in the early stage of the film, to defeat the villain. She demonstrates that she has equal ability and right to be anywhere as the dudes, and in the end, the whole of China bows to her.

I’m obviously not a woman, so I’m not exactly the expert on this, but I can point out the obvious story beats, and I can step aside for people with a more nuanced understanding of this reading to let their presence be known.

Second, the trans reading, specifically a trans masculine reading. Once again, I am not trans, I am non-binary, so I’m going to give my understanding of this read from my limited perspective, and step aside again.

So, Mulan defeats Shan-Yu twice using the things she has learned as a soldier, sword fighting and cannons. These are parts of the identity that she has built for herself as a man, and her proficiency with them shows her expertise in the field of masculinity that she lacked in area of femininity, as demonstrated by the opening number.

When I ran a draft of this post by a trans friend of mine to make sure I wasn’t being inaccurate, he asked me to point out the fact that Mulan ends up with a scar in a similar place to those left by top surgery. So, there’s that.

Finally, there is the non-binary reading of these scenes, which is where I get to go crazy with my own theories.

Mulan defeats Shan-Yu by thinking tactically, a trait not associated with either masculinity or femininity in this setting. Then, she uses both the fan and the sword, walking in both fields to accomplishing her goal, as if the concept of gender is irrelevant to her. She is neither man or woman, and both. Her gender identity cannot be defined so easily.

When Mulan is cast out from the army, that choice of whether to go back to being Mulan or try again at being Ping comes up, and her choice is a mix of the two.

“You said you’d trust Ping, why is Mulan any different?”

Mulan is Mulan, she isn’t trying to be Ping anymore, she’s trying to be herself. Now, she’s attempting to call on the clout and experience that that persona gave her, while distancing herself slightly from it.

Essentially, she isn’t entirely a guy, but she has some of the traits that are socially attributed to guys, and she is at home in the place that she carved out for herself. She is who she is, she cannot be classified. She is Mulan.

I love that the three stooges get to dress in drag for this moment, and I too lament the fact that Shang didn’t. But I also want to point out that, for all of modern media’s advances, this is the closest I have seen to a real fight sequence with characters dressed in drag. Come on Hollywood, you have the chance for the most epic sword fight ever shown, and you don't take it. Do it, you cowards.

That moment actually symbolises the breaking down of gender roles completely. Mulan walks between genders, and now these guys are free to exhibit their own masculimity in whatever way they see fit.

The moment is then played for comedy in a really cool way. It isn’t played as absurd at all. The comedy comes partly from the line “ugly concubines”, but also through the reverse of Mulan’s first scene as a dude.

The three stooges are comically really capable at pretending to be women and take to it ridiculously quickly. That is then contrasted with the fact that they don’t drop the disguises when they return to the actions they associate with masculinity, beating up people with excessive force, and even greet the emperor without changing. The stooges are confident enough in themselves and their gender that they can present this way without getting confused, and without stepping into Mulan’s theming as non-binary or trans or whatever your reading of her is.

Unconditionally, the best part of this sequence is the music, bringing back Make A Man Out of You, specifically the final chorus (also the reveal of the drag is timed to the beat of the song, which is such a cool little detail). Everything I said about the unity of people working together with different strengths and weaknesses comes back. And the lyrics pair with the different forms of gender expression going on onscreen.

“Be a man.

We must be swift as a coursing river.

Be a man.

With all the force of a great typhoon.

Be a man.

With all the strength of a raging fire.

Mysterious as the dark side of the moon"

Shang’s hypermasculine soldier, the three stooges and their varying levels of manliness through their drag, and Mulan, all working together to succeed. Dressing in drag, being a general, being trans or non-binary, are all displaying the qualities of the song. Swift of mind, force of hope, strength of competence, mystery of individuality and interiority.

The actions reference the scene with the arrow in more ways than just the one, because this isn’t exactly the final chorus, it’s the chorus in which Mulan gets the arrow. The backing music was still there in that one, and it’s still there now. The main difference is that when we heard this first, Shang’s voice was leading the chant, but now he is either not there, or has joined the herd.

Catharsis.

Speaking of which, the scene where the emperor honours Mulan is nice and all, but it is secondary to the film’s final moments, and Mulan’s reconciliation with her father.

The gifts sit in the foreground here, but also in the shadows that Zhou has to move out of to get to his daughter. They are a reminder of what Zhou is stepping away from to hug Mulan.

This is acceptance on a familial level. Mulan is happy with herself, and she has found belonging in the army. Now she returns to her father, and offers him the gifts from the emperor, but Zhou discards them like they are nothing, because to him, that’s what they are.

This scene takes place in the same location as their conversation at the start of the film.

“What beautiful blossoms we have this year, but look, this one’s late. But I’ll bet that when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all.”

Zhou isn’t perfect, but I’ll challenge you to find a human being who isn’t, besides Oscar Isaac of course. However, he goes through substantial character development in the film behind the scenes in a way that is directly related to the events of the story.

At the start of the film, Zhou values his family, but instinctively his need for honour takes precedent. He will offer advice, and demonstrate his desire for his daughter to find herself in time, but he will undercut himself by his willingness to die for honour and for the hierarchy.

Then he loses his daughter, and he is told to make a choi

ce. He can get his honour back and expose his daughter, or he can stay behind. One will guarantee a reward, the other is a gamble, and without hesitation, he choses the risky option, because there is a chance his daughter will live.

He then has time to reflect over the course of the movie, that’s the development behind the scenes that I mentioned. So, when Mulan returns, and he sees the adult she has grown into, honour doesn’t enter the picture for him, and he accepts her for everything that she is.

Zhou isn’t perfect, but in the end, he is a good dad, and he improves as a person because of that. That’s what matters.

So, Mulan is a story about gender. Either from a feminine lens, a masculine lens, a trans reading, or a non-binary one, this film discusses gender, and how it relates to self-image and self-acceptance. The film talks about honour, and what that truly means, and it deconstructs the form of the musical itself to achieve it's points.

In other words, the writers during the Disney Renaissance were bloody good at their jobs, who knew?

I love that the cricket is doing a Batman impression too. That's just golden.

Final Thoughts

Mulan is my movie. Not the sequel or the reboot, the 1998 original. Mulan is my movie.

It is a story about identity, and as a non-binary individual, this film shaped how I saw myself, and how I related to the world around me. It is also the direct cause of my obsession with cinematography. Mulan is my movie.

To the folks at Cinema Therapy, if by some miracle you read this, thanks. Your video was great, but it also inspired me to write this, something I am very proud of and something that helped me to articulate a few things that I have been struggling with. So, thanks for that.

Y’all stepped on my turf, walked into the labyrinth, and now the minotaur bows its head to you.

To everyone else, hello. I’m Ari, I make media analysis, so stick around if that interests you. Usually I don’t post things on Sundays, but I have a few things lined up, maybe keep an eye out for those.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading this (checks wordcount) 5000 WORD ESSAY. Dear Lord, this got long, and I haven't even mentioned the old married couple that is Mushu and the cricket, or their relationships with identity and gender. That might have to be a different post.

Thank you for sticking around.

[bluelippedbrelly]

you know that stereotype that you start looking more like each other the longer you’re dating? very true for me and my partner.

but no one seems to talk about what breaking up after that feels like. i don’t recognize myself in my old photos, even though I feel like i looked the most myself. i feel stripped of identity, no longer recognizing the person in the mirror or camera, everything always leads back to her. I became the best version of myself that i had always wanted, but no longer can connect to or be that person.

it kind of really sucks

[orphancookie69]

Nintendo Switch: DDLV-Update 10

Princess season is here! Wait, that's a lifestyle choice for some of us! As a girl who grew up with Disney, at a time when disney had way less characters and content, I love seeing some girl power in the valley.

Update 9: The Lucky Dragon

Mulan and Mushu are nice in the valley, they had a cute storyline. Their starpath had some really nice stuff and while I did not do it myself, I heard from others the "quality of life" concerns for the changes made to starpath duties was somewhat addressed. I found Mulan and Mushu to have more quests than characters usually have?

Update 10: Dapper Delights

Tiana joins the valley, following remy's wannabe doordash-a perfect entrance for a fellow chef to enter the valley. The timing works for marketing as well as Splash Mountain is turning into Tiana's Bayou Adventure, as well as a restaurant in Disneyland being turned into "Tiana's Place".

Tiana comes in the quickest and cheapest, as far as time and dreamlight and money goes. Her house is cute and she eventually comes with another restaurant and cart. There were a couple of quality of life changes-NPC are faster and don't have sleep schedules anymore. To bring Tiana in, check your mail and find a book in the Glade of Trust.

The Dapper Delights starpath is super cute so far, I love the vintage stuff. The premium shop changes weekly, lately I have been seeing it have more bundles and a "sale" section.

I personally have some mixed feelings about this update. But so far it looks good and it is nice to have a good in game quality of life. The paid update for Rift in Time also released. Stay tuned for that post!

[oreolesbian]

barry jenkinssss you could’ve been making that alvin ailey biopic you had in development, sir pleaseeeee not the mouse 😭