Disney's 'Turning Red' is a love letter to Asian women and their generational struggles

If there’s one thing about Pixar movies, it’s that they’re guaranteed to consist of three main ingredients: sweet characters, sprinkles of playful humour, and a large dollop of that one scene that’s going to leave you sobbing like a baby. As an Asian fan of Pixar’s previous work (I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched Up), my excitement went through the roof when I heard about Turning Red- an animation following the life of a Chinese-Canadian girl. I expected to see the same Pixar recipe I’ve become used to, but I soon realised I was in for a new, irresistible treat.

Our protagonist is 13-year-old Mei Lee, the poster-child of a good Asian daughter. She gets good grades, upholds family traditions, and is obedient to her parents. Things go awry when she unexpectedly transforms into a giant red panda whenever she feels strong emotions. It’s soon revealed to her that the transformation runs through the girls in the family once they come of age, and the only way to get rid of it is through a full moon ritual. The next full moon, however, takes place on the same night of her favourite boy band, 4*TOWN’s concert. As she contemplates what she wants, we’re gifted with a bright, colourful feast for the eyes of Mei running through the busy streets of Toronto and dancing to bubble-gum pop music with her best friends. Each frame is especially entertaining, with moments like the slick montage of Mei’s father cooking Chinese dishes or the sparkly anime style transformations of the red pandas.

Though the concept itself is unique and the aesthetic of the film is humorous and bubbly, a highlight of the film was its realistic discussions on growing up as a girl. One of the most common criticisms of this film was the bathroom scene, where Mei hides from her mother because she’s become a red panda and her mom assumes she’s just gotten her first period. Many deemed it inappropriate or uncomfortable for kids to watch. When I first saw the scene I was more shocked than uncomfortable, only because I couldn’t believe it had taken this long for me to see a normal conversation about menstruation in a family movie.

The true cherry on top to Turning Red, however, is its handling of the theme of generational trauma. It’s easy to immediately see that Mei and her mother have a strained relationship full of control and fear. As the film progresses, though, we also see that Mei’s mother endured the same treatment from her own mother and unknowingly passed the struggles of perfection onto her daughter. Watching their relationship unfold and their struggles be revealed bit by bit, I couldn’t help but see a bit of myself in Mei. The mature topic choice added depth and familiarity to the already heartwarming story and helped the film clearly differentiate itself from the rest of Pixar’s catalogue.

As a young Asian woman, the film felt like a love letter consoling my inner child. For that reason, I can’t recommend this enough, especially for people of colour. But even if you’re not like me, Turning Red is a bolder, quirkier side of Pixar that will have you chuckling at Mei’s antics and singing along to the sweet tunes of 4*TOWN.

Turning Red is available to stream now on Disney+.