Mulan: A Case of Failed Empowerment | Video Essay

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Accented Cinema - Episode 44
To most people, the live action Mulan film is just a boring, soulless war movie. But to me, it is an insulting experience. I can forgive it for all the inaccuracies in depicting Chinese culture. But I cannot forgive this film for what it did to the character of Mulan: Turning her into a symbol of submission.
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[@AccentedCinema]

Correction 2: A lot of comments are saying the poem should be 双兔傍地走. I have seen both used. But the version I shown at 0:22 says 兩兔, and it's from the year 1094 (Song Dynasty), so... Yeah I'm sticking to that. Correction 1: Thanks to commenter Luke Huang pointed out, I typed the wrong line of the poem at 17:47. It should be 雄兔腳撲朔，雌兔眼迷離，兩兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌 Instead I repeated 兩兔傍地走 twice like a dumb dumb. ------------------- Wow, 18 minutes huh? Guess I really do hate this movie.

[@kkooiatasidc0de300]

lol

[@Kilvoctu]

Haha, we're not complaining. Your video essays are great, so more is good.

[@brennaleigh3]

I will love the whole 18 minutes because I hated it, too.

[@OrbitalAstronaut]

I've been expecting this video. Really good job explaining the mulan poem. Thanks for the great video.

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

It's well deserved though

[@eyeswithhope13]

Basically, the writers think that in order to empower women, you got to turn them into men. The animated Mulan was empowering, because she was herself, because she was a woman.

[@fadhilnugraha195]

I mean that's what some 3rd wave feminists actually think. "Woman have to become like man and indulge in the hypermasculinity, not to become herself."

[@hellohello8061]

Ugh you don’t know the number of times I saw people saying the woman ‘wasn’t like a woman’ and was ‘different from other women’ because she was strong and powerful and bla bla bla. That’s literally gender stereotype. There are strong women and there are weaker women. There are strong men and there are weaker men. Stop thinking that all women are weak and strong women ‘are like men’. edit: I'm not talking about Mulan I'm just ranting about the writers I see on the internet who don't think that 'normal' women are capable of doing stuff. Also English is not my first language and my meaning of 'strong' doesn't just mean physical strength, I meant like someone who is generally an empowering person (Don't people say like strong, independent women??? Maybe I misunderstood) (I think animated Mulan is strong too! Maybe that just isn't the right word though. I just can't think of a better word due to my lack of vocabulary) but yeah it makes sense too because it's one of the stereotypes. But ik animated Mulan isn' about that I'm talking about other books and movies I've seen on the internet and I think it is relevant to 'seeing women as men to empower women'.

[@yurikoinukai2602]

The only semblance it gave of "be your feminine self" was her taking off her armor and letting her hair down. 😳 Like, no bitch, women still need armor and hair gets in the way. I hated that "accepting who you really are" was represented in a very stereotypical way.

[@eyeswithhope13]

@@hellohello8061 Here you are defining physical strength as being empowering, but Mulan was never stronger than everyone else. What made her empowering was her cunning mind. Maybe you should stop stereotyping "BIG AND STRONG" as empowering. Here they completely ignored Mulan's original (animated version) personality, she was neither too masculine nor too feminine, she was an intelligent warm-hearted person. This movie made her one of the guy warriors basically (except better than them), completely ruining her uniqueness and turning her into a Mary Sue.

[@michaelsundarev5818]

@@eyeswithhope13 retards think that strong woman is woman that can kick your ass. They can't imagine that even definition of strong man is far from that, leave alone woman...

[@yokpok85]

The problem with this movie is that she is already a Spider-Man before she was Peter Parker

[@norakeuyeuy9527]

She does 😂😂 she is a pizza before MoZ4ReLla

[@lessismore8533]

Very creative

[@ZKMUSIQUE]

Exactly, she already overpowered like wtf in live action

[@phucphangiatoan4873]

@@norakeuyeuy9527 Is this a J.... oh forget it =3=

[@oompster]

Lol

[@maddydonuts_]

"It was the perfect time to empower a new generation... And you f*cked it up." This guy's a savage, I love him.

[@jammyk.7905]

right, the contrast or whatever u wanna call it of him lovingly talking about the animated film and its impact and his first time seeing it to saying "and u fxcked it up", HAH!

[@heavyhauler426]

I saw it coming. But I didn't know it was gonna come like THAT!

[@aneurysm36]

absolute perfection!

[@DemonOfRazgriz]

Honest AF! Love it.

[@WhenTheSunLordsFell]

yeah i was like “ooh he mad!” get em Acc

[@Hermittz_]

Never have I heard someone so angry with a calm voice

[@harinder13137]

thats a different kind of power, only few can hold

[@drkiwihouseMD]

passive aggressive lol

[@selohcin]

@@drkiwihouseMD That's not passive-aggressiveness you're hearing, that's the shrewdly-expressed anger of an intelligent Chinese person. Anger is not expressed the same way in Chinese as it is in English.

[@ronberi7773]

Passive Agressive

[@justsomeguywithascarf8809]

Passive aggressive is when you indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them but he's expressed his opinion openly and clearly

[@minhvo8009]

I’m a straight dude and even I felt empowered by animated Mulan. She wasn’t just a female who proved her strength to be equal to other men, she was a child protecting her family, a soldier protecting her homeland, and a friend protecting her comrades. Those are the traits and values not defined by gender, but by the decency of a human being.

[@TheGrimReaper010]

@Rawr tho Dude, I never thought about her friends like that but you are so right. The more I learn about 1998 Mylan the deeper it becomes.

[@twoa.m3925]

Holy shit dude I feel exactly the same way as you. In the animated movie, where the whole China bow down to her, it suddenly struck me. "She wasn’t just a female who proved her strength to be equal to other men, she was a child protecting her family, a soldier protecting her homeland, and a friend protecting her comrades," captures it perfectly. When realizing that, as a girl who's around her age, I felt empowered. You don't have to tell people "Woman can be just as strong as men are!" directly to the audience's faces to empower female, just show it. (Sorry for my bad English btw.)

[@oscaka0073]

@Rawr tho' Gender Understanding ' fits the purpose way more than ' Gender Equality ' . Good take on that , people never realizes the harsh standards that were set on Men simply because Men are taught to never cry & complain . Its cool that a movie made in 1998 already touch on that matter where it is very much needed now .

[@sixofsix4581]

That was poetic, love it.

[@powerincarnate6783]

Yeah, Mulan was not only inspirational for women, she represented every person that felt small and inadequate, the same the other characters. Now it is all gone.

[@PsychicEnlightenment540]

The most incrediable thing is not that they don't understand Chinese culture, but that they don't understand their previous film.

[@ultrademigod]

They don't understand human beings.

[@tiawilliams5690]

I've only seen the Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella remakes but that's the problem in a nutshell with both of those movies as well. Disney doesn't understand the original movies.

[@Losshe]

And they don't understand basic logic

[@Mikurilla]

and all they had to do was check out what the fans think by googling it .-. seriously tumblr, reddit, yt all those sites could give them amazing advice

[@TheReaverOfDarkness]

Same also with the live action Jungle Book. In the Disney animated Jungle Book, they show how Mowgli was able to grow strong by being supported by a lot of friends and having a lot of "good" (debatable) role models. They shape him. In the live action, he's just a Mary Sue who proves Man is the ultimate animal by constantly besting other animals much older and more experienced than him by Dexter's Labbing up some twigs and grass into stuff even modern technology can't make with those materials given a lot more time and people.

[@AZREDFERN]

"written by 4 people, and not one of them were asian". That's pretty much the only description the movie needs. I teared up when she returned to her father in the animated film. Even a little in this review. In the live action, I was just like: oh, ok, cool.

[@veronikaczr1105]

I don't think you necessarily need an Asian writer in order to write a good asian story, as well as you don't need an European for european story or an African for story based in Africa. But you definitely need someone well educated on the topic (doesn't matter which race or nationality as long as the person respects the culture) to help the writers, director, costume designer etc. Casting someone just to be inclusive doesn't sound right to me. Also if taken to extreme, I personally don't see a point in making an american movie when noone included in making was American (I'm from Europe and I would find it wierd if they made a movie based on for example french tale with writers, director and everyone included being french, that would make it a french movie with american money, not american movie; but as many actors as possible should be french, because it should look like it takes place in France). I'm not sure if it makes sense the way I wrote it

[@thisaccisforasmr4988]

@@veronikaczr1105 but don't u think it would help if they were tho?

[@spook407]

@@thisaccisforasmr4988 not necessarily, not everyone knows their own history.

[@thisaccisforasmr4988]

@@spook407 so you really believe that having no Chinese people was a good idea when multiple chinese people have stated that it would have? 😐 gurl 👩🏼‍💻

[@spook407]

@@thisaccisforasmr4988 key words: necessarily, not everyone. gurl 👩🏼‍💻

[@69cheesyfries]

16:44 im not even Chinese but this pissed me off. If according to the ballad, you can't tell the difference in gender between two hares running side by side, then mulans dialogue in that scene completely contradicts the whole message by telling us that she was in fact able to tell that one was male and the other was female. It beats the whole point! It takes the main, conclusive message from the ballad and comepletely strips it of its meaning!

[@KF-zb6gi]

damn now that you mentioned it lol that's funny

[@priscilamenjivar6741]

Exactly what I thought too

[@AeontheWeeb]

Indicative of how the writers missed the entire point of Mulan's original story. They just wanted to make a Wu Xia with female protagonist.

[@minhnguyenphanhoang4193]

@@AeontheWeeb Wuxia has a lot of female protagonist and some of them are even stronger than male character. In Wuxia, they don't give a damn about your gender. This crap cannot be called Wuxia.

[@kyuven]

@@minhnguyenphanhoang4193 Well that's not fair...they totally care about your gender in wuxia...it determines which style clothes you're going to wear :P Not much else, but still!

[@ghostgabe81]

OG Mulan: "How can you tell female from male when hares are running side by side?" 2020 Mulan: "So anyway I saw two hares running and I could totally tell them apart."

[@beckylikesushi]

This. Shows the writers not only didn’t understand the point of the original poem but also somehow found a way to express the exact opposite. What a disgrace...

[@yrobtsvt]

The 2020 film line doesn't make any sense at all. How did she know??

[@zen_surfer]

@@yrobtsvt she has Qi and probably saw the balls on the male

[@1tbsofjan67]

what?? she didn’t say that in the 2020 version... she just guessed that there is one male and one female. but i think it also implies that there’s equality between male and female, both can do the things the other can do, and so it doesn’t matter which is which???

[@eduardopantoja9115]

I think your giving them too much credi

[@lightishredgummi9654]

"Mulan starts off as a total amateur, but so does everyone else" that's honestly not something people talk about enough when discussing Disney's Mulan

[@icelily270]

Yeah, I noticed that when he pointed that out. It was the first time I heard someone point that fact out. She starts out not a good soldier, but so do the boys. They're all just as clumsy and amateuristic (that's not a word. It can't be). That just further shows how much the cartoon understood the core messages of the ballad, unlike the live action remake.

[@anymarcos2355]

Historical speaking though, Mulan does known better before going to war. She was trained by her father. So I guess they were just trying to go with the real thing. But fail miserly.

[@ViolosD2I]

It really stresses the important point that genders are often better at certain things because they simply are trained / expected to learn different skills more. One should not deny natural differences, but those are averages where the shifts mostly just show at the extremes of the spectrum.

[@lordcapucino]

BASICALLY THE DIRECTOR OF DISNEY RIGHT NOW IS FUCKING IT ALL UP, WITH THE SUPER POWERFULL PROTAGONIST like rey and mulan ,,ITS BEING WORST FOR FEMINISM holy crap, CHANGE THE FUCKING DIRECTOR OR THE PERSON GIVING THE DIRECTIONS ..jesus christ !

[@lordcapucino]

@JT leftist disney is aways the best disney ,you have to be leftist in order to sell to other people and talk about emotions, otherwise youre gonna be a moron from the right ,,lol there are no good right wing director that manage people, lol . what you have here is some directors with the a weird and wrong feminist aproach or understanding , then letting their ideology inspirations get in the way of the plot story it self, that is wron because theres need to be balance here, no extremes from any side ...and by the way. fuck you

[@lenaz6556]

As a Chinese and a girl, I really did feel represented and empowered by the cartoon. So sad Mulan 2020 failed in every way.

[@amitsharda8198]

Ok

[@PhonkAttack4DX]

i loved it personally

[@_memorycore_8867]

ok

[@simonchen5284]

Me too.The story, mulan's characther, her struggles and her success. In my opinion what made mulan good was the fact that she struggled, even when she faced her challenges she wasn't phyically strong and her fighting was still wonky. But she was hard working and used her smarts to make up for it

[@enebishmyataa1172]

Well, spoiler alert. Mulan isn't Chinese.

[@peppafan6147]

They replaced mushu with a Phoenix that doesn’t really do anything.... biggest mistake Disney can make

[@Theeight8b]

They did say, that Mushu is unrealistic. Yeah.

[@quimblyjones9767]

Probably not the *biggest* mistake.. But it is annoying tbh.

[@Elipson52008]

The guy who decided not to include mushu: Too unrealistic Also the same guy: Egyptian phoenix lore will fit great.

[@madhanblaze1311]

Mushu? Oh, that modern mini dragon right? Even though I didn't like the fact that mushu sounded as if he came from rapping industry or something, but to be honest he was a great ally and friend to Mulan. (This is just my opinion so don't get pissed off okay?)

[@totallytaly1652]

@@madhanblaze1311 I get what you’re saying but that’s just how the voice actor speaks, like when he played Donkey in Shrek. It’s that “black guy” voice. Not a rapper 💀

[@finalechance7756]

Mulan: *works hard and grows alongside with her male teammates, thus showing that women have as much value as men* 2020 Mulan: ☯ *CHI* ☯

[@bootsabakha7923]

Only the avatar can master chi

[@kimmyseon46]

Banana onion juice

[@cripplingdepression213]

Chinese Herbal Ingredients

[@mariagmartinho]

🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️..... 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@333pinkelephant333]

But also, the animation didn't portray their guys as "better" than women/Mulan. Pretty much everyone sucked in the beginning. It was never men vs women or can women be as good as men or whatever. It was just about each person, whether male or female, working hard to rise above his/her own limitation.

[@miaferrari958]

You gotta give props to this movie, though, because pissing off western *and* Chinese audiences, men and women, old Disney fans and new, must not be an easy task...

[@lama99654]

Truly a cinematic triumpth.

[@route1042]

I think not🦶🏼

[@zeldagamer5651]

Not to mention that part of it was filmed near a Chinese Concentration camp 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ glad I haven't nor will I spend money to view it.

[@deanzaZZR]

AND setting it up for a Mulan Returns because Disney/21st century capitalism, etc. etc.

[@onestar8796]

Pissing off everyone Truly the New height

[@cjtrules1]

"Mulan is unlike any other Disney female lead at the time... She's not born royalty nor nobility and does not marry into one either." YEP! She was so different that the Disney Princess brand had to alter a "requirement" on who is a "Disney Princess". It was "The character must be royal by birth or royal by marriage." Because of Mulan it is "The character must be royal by birth, royal by marriage, or do a heroic deed."

[@mpazinambao2938]

I was a little African girl when I watched Mulan and I admired and related to her the most out of all the 'Disney princesses', we mostly have the same culture here. I couldn't relate to this version.

[@Red80008]

Neither could I and I'm a white man. The original movie taught me how to become a good person and better man by embracing both of my sides. The new movie only taught me to not watch new Disney movies anymore...

[@pyrokatarina]

I watched it as a young asian boy, and I fkin cried in the end

[@user-cj6ro9dd9c]

Hello. Do you seen "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" ? I think you like that.

[@Gabriel-l]

"The CGI looks like utter crap. Maybe it wouldn't have been a problem if teh filmmakers had skillshare." Oof. That wasn't just a shot, that was a firing squad.

[@FrankOsman]

Gabriel I laughed my ass off and added this video to my favorites

[@theonlymegumegu]

yeah, and i actually didn't skip the ad because he made it connect to the video content XD

[@filipstellberg8280]

I knew that joke was coming because of the comments, I am still laughing several minutes later.

[@andrascreams]

The stylistic choice was probably made by a bunch of men in suits at a table, the animators had to do their best to flesh out the vision that these people had, which is some kind of aesthetic bastardization and hodgepodge of phoenixes from multiple cultures I felt bad hearing that remark, it seemed really misguided, but I understand the anger

[@QuietFromMetalGearSolid]

The movie is so boring, if only I had Raid Shadow Legends

[@annelledespaignes4416]

As a military veteran - it was so disappointing that they cut out Mulan's training. It was so hard trying to keep up with my male counterparts during training. My military experience was almost exactly like the animation. We got through training together as a team. Where I lacked in physical strength, I had mastered my critical thinking skills to help my team out. I wish Disney consulted with female Marines and their training. You are right - lazy white washed writing. So disappointing. THIS MOVIE IS NOT EMPOWERING. Good job Disney you FAILED.

[@Jameses]

Yes Annelle, i totally agree with you. As a conscripted soldier, whom also had female soldiers in my company. I was disappointed that they didn't cover that.

[@lolmeme69_]

Thank your for your service! And for breaking gender stereotypes too! Really, WoMaN sTrOnK isn't empowering at all. A training montage was sorely needed, seeing Mulan grow and be as useful as any male soldier.

[@GordonSeal]

You should try to get into movie consultation, because you are damn right about the bullshit in movies, especially this one. Disney could learn a lot from people with actual experience.

[@bigjazzer9888]

I take your point, but this isn't a remake of GI Jane and is just a folk myth, if you want to see something that is probably more realistic, try and see Nirvana Phoenix - those actresses were outstanding

[@handyscenario178]

@body parts Well yeah in the original Ballad she had trained herself before, but the fact that she still trained before would need to be shown. Instead we got some super-powered lady who had no struggles and also seemed like someone naturally gifted.

[@mrsir3658]

"Mulan 2020 isn't malicious; it's just stupid, and it doesn't give a flying f*ck" That line made me snort out loud 😂

[@paleoph6168]

14:44

[@clockworktri]

That scene with her father! Even with no scene audio and a calm, informative voice-over, the part where her dad tosses aside the symbols of honor she brings home and embraces Mulan instead makes me tear up so fast!

[@BingBangPoe]

Disney just needs to stop making these souless live action remakes. They're ruining their own legacy.

[@KhayJayArt]

They will gladly ruin their own legacy if it means they can make money.

[@modkfmartialarts8663]

Khadijah Johnson No one: disney: I WILL MAKE A THOUSAND SOULLESS LIVE ACTION ACTION REMAKES BEFORE I LET THIS COMPANY DIE

[@pdzombie1906]

Yeah, stop the live remakes: Make Animation Great Again

[@Spamhard]

The trouble is people keep paying to see them. Each remake that's come out has made masses of money, even when poorly rated and everyone saying it's shit (like dumbo or lion king) they're STILL making huge profits from them. Why put effort into making something good when they can generate stale, unimaginative garbage and still make box office hits? Doesn't help that one of their last 2D animations barely scraped any money.

[@jasonquigley2633]

If you want to be depressed... The highest grossing animated movie of all time is the Lion King Remake, probably the worst of all the Live action remakes. I've basically lost my respect for the cinema going public. If people pay to go see shitty movies, they deserve what they get. (note, while Lion King appears to be at least partially live action it is actually 100% CGI, so is in fact an animated movie, it made 1.7 times more money then the original. Disgusting.)

[@oliviadodge4612]

"Mulan 2020 is not malicious. It's just stupid." describes every damn disney remake

[@angeloleon6670]

First step, don't film it next to "re-education camp"

[@user-eq7zv4wh2s]

Being middle eastern I thought Aladdin was okay

[@justsomeokami8867]

Dark Soul I only liked the costumes in Aladdin

[@Bruh-hq1hx]

@@user-eq7zv4wh2s i do kinda miss that unlike in the original there was edges on the buildings

[@anh.duowng]

i think cinderella is really goood

[@NordousJ]

7:40 I teared up, I did not realize how deep and precious the messages of the animated Mulan was.

[@kevinw4267]

Me too. What a great movie. And they screw it up

[@oedhelsetren]

I personally look at the newest version of Mulan as a prime example of toxic feminism that upholds patriarchal standards. It's like some terrible form of divine irony that a narrative that is suppose to empower women does so by glorifying toxic masculinity and subservience.

[@arnavbhatnagar1985]

That is so on-point! In today's world feminist tag has lost it's respesct because everyone equates feminist with what correctly is tagged as femiazzi. And you have so perfectly described exactly what's wrong here which is making the world hate every "feminist", and even these so called "feminists" don't realize the harm they are doing to femininity. Females do not need to loose their femininity and adopt toxic masculity just to be equal to males.

[@DieFarbeLila88]

What exactly do you mean by “toxic femininity” in this context? I only watched this movie ones and anything relating to feminism or toxic femininity did not even cross my mind😵‍💫 I just thought it was a boring movie with a ridiculous plot

[@saphirasorra2203]

@@DieFarbeLila88 By making an overpowered main character with no flaws as a woman then yells 'it's a true feminism!'?

[@DieFarbeLila88]

@@saphirasorra2203 oooh! Yeah. Yeah, that’s - that’s a bit much 😂 I might have repressed that memory 🤣

[@stefanoputignano1555]

i love how it is always the patriarchy's fault. ALWAYS. Accountability unknown eh?

[@im_an_oyster]

"the cgi looks like utter crap maybe it wouldn't have been a problem if the animators joined skillshare" is a way funnier line when you remember sponsored videos have to be approved by the company

[@Levyafan]

Skillshare, rolling on floor in wild laughter: "Fuck it, we will allow it THIS ONE TIME."

[@pauletteemerson1052]

It was so good. I was like, now that's how you sponsor a company!

[@Mateus_Carvalho]

I imagine sponsors on KZbin must have a sense of humour, at least. And good advertisement comes from having a good sense of humour or doing good for the world. It was pretty hilarious though, not gonna lie.

[@emilyemmons1531]

It was amazing before I realized that😂😂😂

[@Bane_Amesta]

This was really clever, of course they had to approve it xD

[@squishyfishy9111]

One thing I noticed in the animated movie: when Shang tells everyone to climb the tower at the beginning of "Make a Man Out of You", he gives everyone two weights that represent discipline and strength. At first, everyone treats the weights like something holding them down and they try to use brute strength to climb the tower despite those weights. Mulan succeeds because she can use the weights as something to pull her up rather than something weighing her down. Symbolically, this is her using the virtues she's taught in a new way that helps her succeed rather than inhibit her. In the live-action version....... we get pails of water she has to carry up a mountain.... and she...... carries pails of water up a mountain. Sure she probably got physically stronger, but only after doing what she's told enough times that it works out for her. It's a lot less nuanced, and I'm sad we didn't get to see that again. It's even less empowering because we're led to believe she's able to do this because she's the chosen one, not because she took her life into her own hands.

[@thichinhphan4010]

Thanks to your input, I realized the metaphor (?) with those two weights *-discipline-*- & -*-strength-* and how they serve the animated version's narrative. The different treatments of them between the male soldiers and Mulan at the end carry more nuances, it's almost like taken from a real asian moral tale : + Treat the weights like unwanted baggage and use brute force : none reaches the top of the pole + Use them correctly, then even a physically weak person can slowly but surely reach the goal

[@bluesmurff6163]

Agreed, and the first version is so symbolic, and deap, and true. Discipline and strenght are what pulls you up, and and everyone has them. What matters is how you use it

[@SeraphimFaith]

I actually beg to differ there. It's not as deep but she reached the top because she decided to stop letting her insecurities and the message she was taught while young that "women bring honour through marriage", which was partly influenced by the commander's pep talk? A lot of people comparing the animation and live action also don't seem to realise some of the more fantasy/comical plot points are difficult to carry over to live acting. I would in fact say that if they brought the musical elements over as is it'll probably spoil the whole thing.

[@priscilaassis5704]

Also I’m the animated movie they use the same technique to climb and save the emperor, it was a beautiful call back to their training and the live action movie misses that completely

[@lucie3723]

Not to mention the fact that carrying pails of water that way doesn't make sense at all. Like what are they trying to strengthen? It's only asking for injury.

[@SynthD]

I don’t even care about the politics, removing Mushu was a very stupid decision. I’m a male and Mulan inspired me as a child . For me, it wasn’t just about being a female in a male world It was about not giving into how the world views you, but remaining confident in how you view yourself.

[@andynonymous6769]

THIS GUY GETS IT Especially 9:54. That's exactly how I felt watching a lot of faux "empowering" stuff as a little girl. Either you're good at everything or you're bad at everything. It makes trying feel futile Liked and subbed 👍

[@themumblingdumpling2838]

I find it interesting how in the animated movie, she's offered the role of emperor's *advisor* (hinting to her problem-solving skills, and how much her intelligence is valued), and in the 2020 version she's offered a place in *the* *guard* as one of the fighters

[@skypidge2093]

THIS!

[@mtnk096]

ikr... so after all she is just fitted to be a royal guard.. but ofcourse that's how she was portrayed in the new movie... being strong from child. It didn't show how intelligent she was.. just some girl with combat skills..

[@eyrena]

I haven’t watched the new movie, but in the Chinese movie (I believe, it is from 2000 or around) Mulan becomes a commander, and the whole point is not so much her soldier skills, but her strategic thinking. If I am not mistaken, this is also how it is in the Chinese original - that Mulan is very good at military strategy.

[@aubreysong]

I actually don't have problem if Disney took path for Mulan as full combatan, as long it's ...realistic. I mean, with this budget can't they at least hired some legit martial art choreographers or something. But nope. It just like watching another Cdrama that has Hollywood budget, with no happy or satisfying ending at all. Argh.

[@PengyDraws]

In other words, she's just a thug :/

[@eventplanner461]

The animated scene where Mulan's father is limping and struggling to run after her in the pouring rain was so gut-wrenching. It's really showed the severity of the situation. The live-action took away all of the emotion out. It even cut out the scene where her dad is attempting to train but failing miserably. Lastly, the only reason Mulan wanted to join the war was because she literally had no other choice. It was either she joins, or her father dies. It had nothing to due with her wanting to be a warrior from a young age or feeling trapped by the fact she's a woman. She never cared for all that anyway. She cared for her father. The live-action takes all this away when they turn her into this young martial arts prodigy from the start of the film.

[@nopeyoudontknowmyname9153]

The whole movie is about Family, if you've noticed Disney is all about breaking families up if their movies are any indication.

[@phoenixxena8194]

I know right. As the youngest daughter who terribly spoilt by my dad, I would take up arms and gladly go to war, if it means my old dad can be safe. That is how I could resonate so much with Mulan 1998.

[@emliu5000]

Well said. I think this is an especially important moment to show through a Chinese/Asian family, since people often think that all Asian parents are strict and heartless towards their children. I'm Chinese, and although my parents can be a bit stern when it comes to my grades, I've never doubted that they love me and would do a lot for my safety, happiness, etc. And I'm sure there are plenty of other Asian parents out there who would do the same. In the original, having Mulan's dad run after her showed that in the moment, he wasn't thinking about his family's reputation or even his own legs. He was worrying about what might happen to Mulan in combat, because he loved his daughter more than he valued honor or personal comfort. I feel like that really gave the message that Asian parents care about their kids just as much as any other parent would... and the live-action version didn't have that at all

[@drakke125Channel]

" The live-action took away all of the emotion out" Literally every/other live action movie version of the original/animated e.e As well as comparing dub vs sub anime

[@jayeb618]

I do believe it was on some level that she felt she couldn't conform to femininity. I think that on the surface, it was to save her father, but she was also going on a personal journey to find her place in the world outside of what women are "supposed" to do. The film pretty plainly states it with the entire song 'Reflection', with her rubbing her makeup off and looking at her bare face in the mirror, crying about how she isn't able to be "the perfect bride, or a perfect daughter", because she can't conform to those patriarchal expectations. The motive behind Mulan running away is two-fold; to save her father, and to save herself. Gender nonconformity and rejection of extreme, strict gender roles is a very explicit and expressly stated message in the original Mulan. I don't know where you got the idea that Mulan didn't feel restricted or trapped into gender roles, she literally cries about it in an entire song. The lyrics LITERALLY say; "Can it be I'm not meant to play this part?" cmon dude

[@sinuhezarzuelero6054]

I love how the word for "outdated virtue" sounds like "you fool!" in English. It's little things like that that make me smile at life.

[@hoi-polloi1863]

To be fair, that's always tough in historical or fantasy-historical films. The people of the time were probably more pro-feudalism than anyone living today, so they have to soft-shoe it a little bit.

[@elcid200]

I'm a woman (from Spain), and Mulan always had be my favorite film from disney. It has less songs, but i always feel so identified with her. No has super powers, no has an army, but she is witty, inteligent, and thats how she solved de problem. With inteligency and skill. When the new move appers, it was... Horrible. The character, the story... Everything. And the worst, (in my point of view, i am not chinese, and dont kwom how they miss with culture and history aspects), is that the change Mulan. They give her superpowers to save the world, and tell that she can only save the world because the superpowers. That is absolutte disapointing, and take away all the inspiracy Mulan gives to others. PS: I hope my english wasn't to horrible. I only want to share my thoughts about my favorite disney film

[@hadiyahalkauthar]

The only criticism I have regarding the 1998 animated version is the scene in which Mulan cuts her hair. In ancient China, both men and women never cut their hair since they believed that their hair was a gift from their parents. Hence, cutting one's hair was the ultimate act of disrespect. The 2020 Disney live action adaptation is an abomination. The best live action version is the 2009 movie, Mulan: Rise of a Warrior. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpbTZGyEYtuaers

[@ROVA00]

I was so happy it had less songs than other Disney movies. As a kid I could not stand it when they break up into song and dance for no reason.

[@romanticatdusk]

"There's a phoenix, but the CGI is crap. Maybe it wouldn't have been a problem if the animators joined SkillShare!!" OMG I was dying 😂😂😂

[@audioliquor]

Yes best segue to an ad ever LOL

[@deathlordleaa]

Definitely a different kind of advertising

[@KageNoTenshi]

Worth every dime Skillshare paid

[@hazzard1983]

Lmao same here

[@jinarose5374]

😂😆😂😆

[@chocotoasties2671]

I'm a Black girl but I always looked up to Mulan growing up because I was bullied as a kid and it was nice to have a Disney character who could fight back. I respect the Princesses before her on the roster because most of them were abuse victims who had to depend on others to get through it all, but it's also important to see someone who is defending themselves and their loved ones and not being disrespected for it. It's really infuriating to see such a beautiful story get bastardized in a blatant cash grab, and the fact that the movie was filmed in the place where Uyghur Muslims are being tortured and killed at this moment is disgusting.

[@hannahlazarus151]

Dru Reeve the target audience for this particular movie (2020 version) isn’t black, nor is it white.

[@williampan29]

@Dru Reeve troll

[@allensmatchmaker3823]

Dru Reeve Dru Reeve Dru Reeve I think she was trying to say that it is much more difficult to find non-white characters who have so much humaneness and admirable character. It’s something different that, although she may not be a Chinese descendant, she can relate to because she is also facing as much patriarchal or societal pressures. And as a black girl, if she was in a white-racist neighborhood, went to a white majority school, or to be honest, EVEN if she wasn’t living in America, she would have faced so much hardship- *In fact-blacks in America aren’t the only ones facing racial injustice. It’s on an international scale, but a lot more subtle than USA’s.* Also....... If...... If I was the one who commented that, but started off with-“I’m a Pacific Islander, but I always looked up to Mulan because I was bullied” you wouldn’t have criticized at all WHY I was introducing myself as a Pacific Islander. I think that says more about _you_ than you think. Rather than going-Oh you must be an ‘American’, you guys are always on about your race-Maybe you should ask yourself, am I saying something problematic? Am I, by the harsh dictation in my comment, only perpetuating a system that’s trying to shame black voices into silence? I’m not black, and I know this much. You might not be a bad person, so I don’t want to bash on you without considering that maybe this isn’t something you know. But if you’re looking to not unintentionally sound hurtful, I would suggest educating yourself with the topic online. Please have a good day. _P.S. OP! If I got anything wrong, please feel free to correct me. I just didn’t feel right not defending you when you introducing yourself as black gets hit with such an insensitive comment. Other races are more unlikely to receive such treatment. I’m very sorry. Please don’t take their words as a representative of non-black commenters, common as this might be._

[@thebuilder921]

@@allensmatchmaker3823 wow, you know, i dislike this being turned into a race issue, i just thought she mentioned being black just to say that race had nothing to do with her relating to the character

[@thebuilder921]

@@allensmatchmaker3823 you seem really passionate about the whole race discussion but i dont think this has to do with it

[@Anchitsu13]

I just wish "Hua Mulan" from 2009 movie would be promoted more instead of this Disney adaptation version. It's harsh, difficult, long and hartbreaking, but I just love it, it gives me everything I could wish for live action movie based on this story. Too bad you didn't have an opportunity to mention that film here.

[@gamestation2690]

Clips of that version are shown at the end of the video.

[@Anchitsu13]

@@gamestation2690 yes, but without actually naming it. I would love to see the recommendation like "by the way, those clips are from Hua Mulan move, if you are disappointed in the newest live action version, go check that out". But still, I'm glad to see those clips and I really enjoyed the essay!

[@hadiyahalkauthar]

The only criticism I have regarding the 1998 animated version is the scene in which Mulan cuts her hair. In ancient China, both men and women never cut their hair since they believed that their hair was a gift from their parents. Hence, cutting one's hair was the ultimate act of disrespect. The 2020 Disney live action adaptation is an abomination. The best live action version is the 2009 movie, Mulan: Rise of a Warrior. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpbTZGyEYtuaers

[@real_dddf]

@@hadiyahalkauthar Cao Cao cut his own hair and considered it equal punishment as committing suicide. Although of course it was more or less a ploy to exonerate himself, the fact that people tolerated it showed that indeed people valued hair quite high.

[@hadiyahalkauthar]

@@real_dddf Cutting one's hair in ancient China was indeed akin to a death curse upon oneself, one's spouse or parents, since the only time ancient Chinese men or women would consider cutting even a tiny bit of their hair off was if their spouse or parents died.

[@SharapovaFan]

The Real Mulan used her ingenuity, smarts and skills to beat the enemy. The Fake Mulan used her Disney-given princess powers to beat the enemies in the movie.

[@Tetraglot]

tldr: Mulan 2020 is the feminist equivalent of "I have black friends"

[@zshock4]

nah, this is too close a relationship. more like "I work with a black person."

[@cindymarshall]

@@zshock4 I'M DEAD

[@Knightmessenger]

Disney star wars was the same way. They cared about appearing woke, not about actually making a good story with feminist themes that complemented and enhanced the movie. I've said it before but it's ironic that this is the same studio that dubbed most Studio Ghibli. They should have paid more attention to characters like Nausicaa, San, Chihiro and even Shizuku Tsukishima.

[@theALTF4]

@@Knightmessenger excuse my ignorance but, what is "San"? (i cant precisely google it, u know the director so i can research it? same with "Shizuku Tsukishima", wich movie is her from?)

[@nowhereman6019]

"Fo sizzle my nizzle, I listen to that funky hip hop like Vanilla Ice, I'm down with the homies."

[@amedeolivio534]

this whole live action thing disney has been doing is nothing short of horrific, a whole bunch of movies made only to make money with no other purpose... its so sad seeing disney in this state

[@ThreesixnineGF]

If anything, it looks like the executives are actively trying to slow down moral progression to teach the wrong things to the younger generations who they are definitely scared of.

[@eanderson9599]

Disney has been like this for a while

[@chaincat33]

the irony is they're in this state because they're riding high off of past success. They don't have to try. They don't need to make something good. They just need to exploit name recognition and current trends.

[@makaoka6673]

You have two choices: 1- you teach to the younger generation importants lessons of life and society with passion and love of animation and cinema 2-GET MONEY I think disney has already made his choice

[@bananamanchester4156]

And yet people keep effing spending money on them!!! Avoid these cash grabs people!!!

[@somekindofflower2024]

The four lines at the end of this video from the Ballad of Mulan itself, are more empowering than the whole live action. Beautiful video. Everything is nicely explained.

[@ADiretoria100]

"Mulan 2020 isnt malicious, its just stupid" That made me laugh out loud af

[@faus585]

Her line about the two rabbits running side-by-side _completely_ misses the point of the original poem. She says, "I think one is a female and one is male" when the poem says 安能辨我是雄雌？"How can you tell the female from male?"

[@leiderhosen7110]

"If they can do the same things just as well, why do their genitals matter?" Which is what equality should be.

[@NaFran49]

@Michael it's just the good old American made faux woke, nothing Chinese about it. They feel like they have to pander to people with progressive views of gender but don't really want things to be different. So we get this trash that is the Mulan remake.

[@NaFran49]

@Michael You mad bro? LOL Even though it had to have approval the narrative is as American a they come, just watch the Chinese version of Mulan and you will see (not that you really care about it). You have more in common with Disney and their "woke" narrative then you might thing, you both seem to have the same opinion on social issues.

[@NaFran49]

@Michael I just find it funny since you like repeating all this cliched concepts since your first comment. Besides you also seem to think Disney (or their movies) are feminist: they're not, it's the same old same old just rehashed to seem woke. Last of all I'm just trolling you since you sound like such a tool. Cheers!!

[@alfredluk4715]

Of cause she can, because she is THE M. F.ing Mulan2020

[@WaywardVector]

Mulan offending western and Chinese audiences at the same time: *”PARKOUR!“*

[@ombricshalazar3869]

funny that she mostly did it with her parkour

[@Username-1939t9]

tbf my parents watch so many chinese dramas and they always do that floaty parkour stuff in them. like *every* single chinese drama i've seen has that

[@maximaldinotrap]

Right wingers hated it, left wingers hated it, China hated it. Disney tries to make it out as if sexism and racism are why it is hated.

[@exxelsetijadi5348]

@@Username-1939t9 yeah. that weird, unnatural, low gravity jumps or the oddly fast, gravity defying "thrown out the window via explosion" motion

[@peace-qe4ig]

@@Username-1939t9 broo those were sucjh fever dreams

[@nissan_skyline]

I love the story you told at the beginning of how significant Mulan was to the youth and China overall, and your class' reaction to the animated film at the theater. Great way to start the video essay.

[@briargray2355]

I don't know much of chinese culture and I now have an even further appreciation for the 90s version. Didn't catch the subtlety of her performing out of compassion and protection rather than out of duty.

[@StefyDutz]

Normies: roast the movie This guy: roasts the movie using sponsorship messages Ooof. I like it

[@bartomiej5533]

it was really funny when it went with 'with skill share you can make better job in animating scenes than disney'

[@sabrinalopez6076]

I SCREAMED!!! IT WAS SO FCKING SLY OML

[@kittiekat8920]

IKR. He got some good ones in there too.

[@penguinpingu3807]

Oof size large

[@darkroninmarvel]

Animated Mulan: a woman can be just as capable as a man with wits, determination and courage Remake Mulan: a woman can be just as capable as a man as long as she has quite inaccurate qi superpowers How empowering 🙄

[@mons3020]

Even before the live action version came out, I already knew it wouldn't stack up to the other live Mulan movie, the one from China.

[@darkroninmarvel]

@@KevinJDildonik this mulan is basically chinese Rey, so yeah

[@Spamhard]

@@KevinJDildonik I mean, Star Wars isn't a good example at all in this case. Star Wars is a universe that's full of Mary Sues and Gary Stus. It's a Universe that's established to have an underlying magical power that can make some people more capable than others. Ie a Force user vs a non Force user is a quick imbalance of power. Mulan SHOULD be set in a 'normal' universe, beyond some folklore elements, and is also a previously established character with centuries worth of tales and media surrounding her already. The fact that her tale is about her determination and her training makes it absolutely ridiculous that Disney decided to give her magical powers that mean she faces zero adversity or struggle this entire movie was just shit and lazy writing. Comparing that to Star Wars isn't really similar in context. Unless, of course, you simply wanted to take a jab at TEH ES JAY EWZ

[@od3910]

Not even that woman can be just as capable. Women and men, femininity and masculinity need each other even within one person. That's what the original Mulan but so poignantly

[@darkroninmarvel]

@@od3910 it's all about balance, sometimes that modern audiences ignore, seeking only absolutes

[@trivialwriting6608]

I know I’m late, but disney’s mulan was really special. I was adopted at one and a half. I never really was in touch with my Chinese heritage. I always had thoughts in the back of my head. Thoughts of doubt, thoughts of abandonment, thoughts that I never was enough. I always watched Mulan whenever I felt insecure about myself. I always used Mulan as a role model. She was strong. I felt a comfort watching Mulan. I know I’ll never really feel comfortable with my Chinese heritage.

[@roxanne410]

It hurts because I was a child when Mulan came out. I felt so empowered as a little girl. As a woman now I watch the new version and weep. I don't want a superhero, I wanted a girl like me being strong in the real way.

[@cyrr1213]

“It is the perfect time for a new generation of Mulan to inspire people, and you f*cked it up” GO OFF KING!!!

[@greensteve9307]

That was so well said!

[@ivarkrabol]

So... In the poem, the point made about the two hares running side by side is that you can't tell their sexes, i.e. it doesn't matter... And in the movie's reference to the line, she explicitly mentions that she could tell they had different sexes... Seems stupid enough to almost seem intentional.

[@dec0de141]

It seems so insulting. Like the script writers read the poem and spat on it :(

[@SennaAugustus]

It's like they skimmed the poem. "I read this random poem about Mulan, I think it said something about a male and a female hare, let's put it in."

[@gianellab.4953]

And it's so funny, because they are arguably SO aiming at a feminist message haha I always felt like the ballad was doing well. If only they had read it correctly, they wouldn't deviate onto questionable (aka messed up) territory

[@Falzelo]

it's the proof that they don't understand crap about what makes the original good.

[@ohwellwhateverr]

Think you mean sexes, not genders. Gender is a uniquely human thing, and it’s how we express “masculine” or “feminine” behaviours. Sex is our innate biology - whether we’re male or female.

[@hannahstarinieri1351]

I am not Chinese, but I am a woman. Mulan is special to me because she is smart and kind and she was able to outsmart her enemies while also being skilled physically. I love her and I think the new version missed the point completely.

[@riverskyhaneul]

"what difference do the differences make?" that's actually so beautiful 🤧

[@leftoverlemons930]

I think this essay made me realize something about the animated Mulan. When Mulan fights, she fights for the people. The other soldiers have different goals. They want the honor of serving in battle. (The ladies love a man in armor). This is what drives the other characters. This is shown best in the scene after Girl worth fighting for. The soldiers pay respect to the fallen troops. Mulan pays her respects to the people of the village, specifically the children. Mulan’s protection of people is a feminine trait. Yet that is what drives her. Mulan is strong because she is a woman.

[@azukib2230]

I never noticed that! There are probably more depth in 1 minute of the animation than the entire live-action movie

[@frankwest5388]

You could even argue that this is part of the character arc of her soldier friends. By the finale they don’t fight because they want something out of it. They do it because it’s the right thing to do. They are even willing to go in drag, just to save the emperor.

[@thichinhphan4010]

You made a good point.

[@Cyberium]

Which is why Wonder Woman, who's awwww'ed at a baby, was so much better as a hero than movie Mulan and Captain Marvel.

[@arupastel]

@@azukib2230 yesss! animated films can be truly artistic. it saddens me that modern disney pushes for animated films being "kids films" and dumbing things down or using cheap "adult humor" to make it seem mature. I miss the traditionally animated classics :

[@liam_iam]

it's just sad, because it proves that none of disney's efforts to empower women have been genuine.

[@r.daneel.90]

Modern hollywood feminism. Just pretending that they're doing something, but in the end the ony results are marketing campaigns and anger

[@49ers1975]

it was just a scam to steal people's money

[@aubreysong]

That's why they called as fake woke. It's between a scam or they're just clueless about the real world, living in their own bubble. Or just too coward.

[@gamebawesome]

When have they EVER been genuine about female empowerment?

[@raerohan4241]

@@gamebawesome Well, original Mulan was made by Disney, so at least that team, if not the company, was interested in true feminism

[@hugoBe90]

This is an on point, and amazing breakdown. This video helped me to really understand better how the live action failed miserably, where the classic animation thrived. Keep up the good work my dude 🤟

[@johnberryconwayiii7071]

Oh Disney, burning your legacy to the ground one project after another. I mourned when I saw how poorly they treated this story, it broke my heart a little.

[@RetroNekoArt]

when a 90s animated movie is more woke then a 2020 live action adaption...

[@AccentedCinema]

When a 1000 year old poem is more progressive than a 2020 movie...

[@XiaojunMa]

@@AccentedCinema up till Tang dynasty, we have been pretty woke......in some aspects.

[@eniotanaka2229]

@@AccentedCinema this was deep

[@Snowmon89]

That's because the modern "woke" crowd are so "Progressive" that they wind up being "Regressive". They were raised with the idea that they must fight a problem that no longer exists. Thus (to use a metaphor) they are trying to force healthy people to take medicines that wind up being poisonous due to it not actually treating a illness. (I hope that made sense, because I really suck at coming up with metaphors.)

[@Cuix]

@@Snowmon89 are you really implying that women no longer face inequality

[@monkeyming5545]

The whole “She’s suddenly perfect at everything” isn’t new to all these types of films because apparently empowerment is just make the character as perfect as possible without any flaws or struggles

[@UkranianStallion]

Cough* star wars cough*

[@Johno1992]

The last of us 2 to an extent too

[@ZenHorakti]

And I really hate Mulan 2020 expression so stone cold

[@zafranariffin8069]

Wait wasnt she a prodigy irl??

[@umairkhalid2222]

A lot of female protagonist in fantasy are written in that way no conflict just able to walk through every scenario

[@oussamamejri7249]

I can see why you really love the Ballad of Mulan, that last part of the video gave me chills all over my body, this is some powerful stuff

[@hardlytrying649]

I just want to point out that in the original animated version, Mulan killed the villain using her wit. She knows she's not as physical strong as him, she ran away from him while she came up with a plan. In the animated version, she fought with him and won only because of her magical chi

[@esterleng860]

1998 Mulan: Makes up smart, useful tactics, enforces the help of Mother Nature, adapts to situations 2020 Mulan: “I am with Chi and Chi is with me”

[@user-ds8ke9jb5x]

Omg can’t agree more, *me in the cinema*: wtf is chi

[@nemoh1649]

the chi awakens

[@ni-237k7]

I love your profile picture lol

[@ajrollo1437]

"That's not how Qi works!" - Han Dynasty Solo

[@thucnguyen-dg3ql]

May the Chi be with you - Mulan

[@kurtengel4652]

Moral of the story: Either have super powers, or find a man

[@starscream5055]

Lol

[@cezarab5236]

👏👏👏

[@Grasslander]

LOL Feminist trash not satisfied with two feminist propaganda movies that depict a woman as superior to oppressive, bad men. Because in the second movie she is superior but it's BY BEING STRONG! AND THAT'S MASCULINE! Hilarious BS. This lying propaganda about women being as strong as men is in every Hollywood action show, but you still pretend that "ACKSHUALLY that's not REALLY feminist." Sick.

[@twixter0]

@@Grasslander ok sexist

[@sonogamirinne7172]

@@Grasslander mulan fail but people still gonna defend sjw any way

[@fancycrafts7774]

One of my favorite things about the Disney Mulan character was that she was willing to face a very real and fast death to save her father. When she is a masterful warrior as a toddler, there’s nothing she needs to be afraid of, so she’s not actually sacrificing anything.

[@Gayer_Mateo]

Even after watching it dozens of times and growing up with it, the father's line at the end about how proud he is of his daughter, and just how happy and relieved he sees her alive ALWAYS gets me. It's so fucking touching. No comedic interruptions, just the two of them finally reconciliating and loving. In comparison, I just refuse to watch the live-action Mulan. It would just occupy wasted space in my brain.

[@floricel_112]

3:23 "and then you f*cked it up" this caught me off guard as he spoke very softly and polite until that point

[@opx4real]

This was brilliant. Your clear passion had me so emotional throughout. And bonus points for getting quite a few vocal laughs out of me.

[@boobeethecurious]

“Maybe it wouldn’t be a problem if the animators joined Skillshare.” 💀 Its summertime for real because I felt that burn

[@broler973]

I'm an English literature teacher, and I'm considering showing this to me high school students as a model of how effective structure can be in an essay/argument. This is beautifully written.

[@Cpt.Sailor]

I think you should. In high school I never really cared about essays I had to write because I didn't know what a good one was supposed to look like.

[@jinroh516]

Which one, Mulan or this vid? If it is Mulan.......... 🤪

[@user-nf5px7vg6w]

Agreed but it also puts a fair advantageous if you're students are from a different country and have hard access to understand Chinese culture. Mind you it is one of the oldest cultures and China has blocked access to western media.

[@peteropemiposi6217]

Are you a pirate too

[@gordonshing4707]

I hope to be a bridge between Western and Chinese culture, and I can tell you FOR SURE the movie has ABSOLUTELY NO UNDERSTANDING of the actual message the original story wish to convey.... Its TRULY a WESTERN, BIAS VIEW of Chinese culture. Whatever value conveyed in the 2020 movie DEEPLY MISLEADING.. If you decide to show this to your high school students, please emphasize that it has value only as a story but DOES NOT REFLECT CHINESE CULTURE AT ALL!..... its truly an ORIENTAL FETISH that is definitely UNTRUE.

[@samh3305]

This movie is like white bread dipped in soy sauce.

[@mono8476]

lol. I think the little mermaid is the next one to be ruined (from whitewashing to blackwashing)

[@shisah5544]

This is the best description of this movie ever

[@luevang3765]

Lmao I choked on my water when I came across this comment

[@nemoh1649]

epic

[@omegabet3912]

An allegory most accurate.

[@BallerinaValkyrie]

I knew in my gut that something was SERIOUSLY wrong with Mulan, aside from being completely emotionless, but didn't have the words or the knowledge of ancient chines culture. This put into words what I couldn't say, and I'm so happy you made this amazing video!

[@hannahbanana03394]

This is the first day I've ever been suggested your videos and now I've watched like 4 of them -- these are absolutely amazing I hope you are a student of film or studying to do something in the arts that we can look forward to seeing one day. You're so dedicated and thorough these are fascinating and joyful watches!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!!!

[@gratrunka6479]

Everytime I hear Mulan's father say "The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter" always makes me tear up because when I was younger I always hated being a girl. I can't play with my brothers because I'm a girl, I needed to wear dresses because I'm a girl. I'll get a doll and not allowed to ride my brother's bicycle because I'm a girl. I needed to learn and do all the chores around the house because that is what a girl is for. Being able to watch Mulan when I was younger made me so happy and made me realize that I can't just be limited to what a girl "needs" to do or learn. My rebellious phase came afterwards but I'm grateful for it because that's how I came to be who I am today, and I think my dad has learned to accept the way I am through the years (but my mom is still as stubborn as ever lol) thank you for coming to my tedtalk

[@donghyucksmom2413]

I remember how my mom wanted me to wear skirts and dresses and I hated it because I was such a tomboy when I was younger, she would always convince me with candy lol. Luckily she did let me play outside with my brother and the other boys living close. But I do remember having friends who's mom were so focused on 'girl things' that it was just tiring, even for me. Or friends who needed to help with cleaning and other chores while their brother(s) could be lazy all the time. And then you have parents who panick when their little boy wants to be a princess for Halloween/Carnaval, like let them be. I even knew a little kid who did not get a Elsa+Anna cake for his birthday, they put damn Olaf on it and he was sad. As somebody who loved boys stuff when I was young I turned out to be very girly. And why would it matter if I turned out to be a "manly lesbian"? (I hate that word so much). Nobody should care. As long as we're happy and healthy! Mulan and Anastasia will forever be my role models ♥ I still feel so many emotions while watching those movies

[@thisisanaccountalright]

Oh shut up, you know op meant "doing chores" as in "women are only homemakers" you just feel like fighting in the youtube comments. 🙄

[@gracea3594]

Elisa Castro You’re the one who sounds like a crappy person. Imagine growing up been told that you must do all or most chores because you’re a girl but your brothers are only expected to do very little or nothing. Parents should treat all children equally, not based on gender. I’m fortunate enough that my parents treated me and my brothers equally but I’ve witnessed my two female cousins started from a young age expected to wake up early in the mornings to make breakfast, snacks and do laundry for their older brother because he was a boy. He recently got married but doesn’t know how to cook or clean even though he works from home but his wife who works long hours outside their home tirelessly comes home to cook and cleans before resting while he just lounges around.

[@donghyucksmom2413]

@Elisa Castro Somebody clearly missed the point of this conversation...

[@hehehihi9225]

@Elisa Castro You're pathetic, petty and stupid.

[@valin6373]

Disney has become disinterested in its own magic

[@zhuofanzhang9974]

Disney be like: Haha CGI + live action cash cow movies go brrrr

[@heretic3334]

This is such a sad truth. :( As someone who grew up with Disney movies from childhood, it’s very depressing to see these uninspired and utterly disappointing remakes.

[@corneliusquincydavenportic1913]

We'll have to go look for it somewhere else then.

[@MariOmor1]

@@valeriexjohnson Lightyear is coming out soon as well

[@braindamage1013]

Actually, making a woman to stand equally with stronk independent alpha male is a magic itself for its never happened like ever.

[@itsmeemrys9221]

Halfway through this video and I’m almost sobbing 😭 ah you encapsulated it perfectly

[@markrobinson6023]

I'm really sad that Disney went with the 'Make Mulan a Jedi', rather than perhaps actually telling the story according to the ballad. From the little that our host shares, the ballad sounds like an AWESOME story!

[@seinesalz]

It really falls in line with what Lindsay Ellis said about Disney's new brand of "girl boss feminism" what's just one woman doing the man thing and being recognized for it instead of critiquing the gender roles themselves (Mulan being a qi warrior (wtf), Jasmine becoming sultan, etc.) It does nothing to question or hold patriarchal systems accountable and only insists that a woman must become like men to be considered equally valuable. Sigh.

[@BlackCroft666]

That is the whole western entertainment in a nutshell. Women aren#t allowed to be feminine and men are not allowed to be masculine. In front of all black men in current comics.

[@fen4613]

Cú Chulainn okay, but "femininity is default state", really? You have a valid point, but don’t go as far as to become like NoBullshit where every woman that isn’t sexualized and hyperfeminine is automatically feminist propaganda. Your criticism should rather be that they aren’t depicted as real people, rather as stripped down ideas of people without the character. Not that they aren’t feminine enough for your liking. OP put it better.

[@fen4613]

Cú Chulainn it was an example on what line you should not cross. You called femininity the "default state" of women, which is untrue. Femininity and masculinity are social and cultural concepts, varying from place and context, there is no "default state" and there is nothing wrong with 'masculine' women. A masculine woman can be great if she is written as a good character.

[@chazaqiel2319]

@@fen4613 There are some psychological studies that indicate that femininity and masculinity could be much more than social and/or cultural constructs. These studies are largely empirical, and thus far from guaranteed truths, but they do make sense; culture and society don't come out of nowhere, they are the result of the base human psyche that responds to the environment it inhabits. The fact that males and females tend to fill similar roles in most cultures across space and time would indicate that masculinity and femininity are, in fact, hard coded into the human brain. Personally, I stand by Carl Jung's thesis that man and woman possess both a masculine and feminine drive, and that they are simply more prevalent in the respective gender. Therefore, one should be free to embrace or reject both however they see fit. But stating that masculinity and femininity don't exist and are just a product of society is a dangerous idea that creates more confusion than anything

[@fen4613]

Chazaqiel Is this misunderstanding-ception? I didn‘t say they don’t exist. I said there is no "default state", because humans no longer have an inherent nature, we‘re cultural beings. Rolls being similar in most cultures could also be mainly explained through biology when we first developed cultures (which started before the stone age even), males tend to be bigger and build up muscle faster, while also having higher testosterone levels. You can’t really choose your preferred role in society if you couldn’t stand in a fight and are indoctrinated by 'tradition' centuries after. Being oppressed isn’t being feminine. If you leave a child without other people, it will either die or become feral, unable to mentally develop, because we’re so dependent on culture. If it wasn’t strictly cultural, a feral female child would suddenly act feminine and start caring about making makeup from dirt? Femininity isn’t natural, it’s observed, learned and then maybe adapted. Obviously that decision of adaptation isn’t as black and white nor conscious, but it’s definitely not because it’s a default. I really don’t know if we’re arguing the same side or not, I‘m kinda confused by now.

[@kellyramirez7465]

It pissed me off to no end when in the live action that one dude who is kind of the love interest tells the commander "you'll believe Hua Jin but not Hua Mulan"- and in the animation, it is Mulan who speaks for herself and tells that to Shang. In the love action, people speak up for her and she stays clam shut!

[@somnodaur8064]

Incredible how subtly sexist it all is

[@trevordavis6830]

@@somnodaur8064 Its honestly really funny to see companies try to appear progressive and then utterly fail at it. In the games industry there was a similar thing with a company donating money to BLM in order to appear progressive, only for a two months later use BLM inspired imagery to represent a cartoonishly evil terrorist group whose evil plan involved creating anti-racism wars and profiting from them.

[@huntherrobyn]

Because "she knows her place"

[@draco89123]

@@trevordavis6830 Name and shame. Ubisoft. Jimquisition goes on a beautiful rant about it. The more you learn about the gaming industry, the more one gets radicalized to the left.

[@subhammishra9213]

am i the only one who thinks the way this channel presents the videos is very calming and relaxing??

[@fobbmsn]

I wish I could hit the like button more than once. What a fantastic analysis of two contrasting films about the same character. Thank you.

[@joseph-fernando-piano]

Mulan 1998: Value of hard work Mulan 2020: Value of natural talent

[@NaChamRu]

Whats funny is that nothing natural is promoted in 2020, expect being naturally wealthy.

[@hat7475]

@Angrry Ereg of course it doesn't. But the new movie really threw the whole "hard work" to cultivate chi in the trash can by giving Mulan chi from birth. It sucks

[@DeadlyLazer]

I love how an Ancient Chinese script from over a thousand years ago is more progressive and forward thinking than a lot of modern media today

[@canuckkat]

There were a lot of tribes and countries* in China that were matriarchical. Or, at the very least, had gender equality/equity. * China is like an Eastern version of the UK or Roman Empire.

[@canuckkat]

@Dark of the knight Considering that the new version is supposed to take place during the Tang dynasty according to Architecture Design, that's actually really interesting and further proves my point.

[@ajasilikonreffkmimmon]

Many refuse to change such as the poem Hua Mulan and the mandate it conveys.

[@vicwarrior106]

I've watched this video three times already and may watch it again. The way you explored the differences between the way in which each movie depicts its characters, their behavior, and ultimately how it conveys its message, it's beyond clear. Cheapeu. I loved the Mulan movie from Disney and still love it now, it's one of my favorites, and I'm finding out now after many years that its depiction of female empowerment was spot on, it is awesome to find so much value in an old movie from my childhood - and to be honest, knowing all this now makes me proud of myself for liking it so much back then without knowing why. I haven't watched the other movie yet, I got into this video from the autoplay, the algorithm couldn't have chosen better. I don't really know whether I'll watch it now, but since it made your video possible, I may at least be thankful for that. (By the way, the background music was also awesome, do you happen to remember what was the background track that starts at 15:10 ?)

[@alexukonu6592]

This was such a good video essay. The culturally-focused parts at the beginning were really eye-opening for me actually. I didn't know the animated film had such a resonance with Chinese people until now. And your critiques of the direction they took with writing I think were spot on.

[@ilikecatsbutimallergictoth1856]

That was the smoothest transition to a Skillshare sponsorship I’ve ever seen

[@cottoncandyflossful]

I was shocked to see the phoenix.. the most powerful mythical bird creature in chinese culture, reborn by arising from the ashes of its prior self, being portrayed as what seems like a kite flying weightlessly in the skies... WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM.

[@markyang1924]

Exactly my thought xDDDD

[@cheetahluv210]

It was a sick burn too

[@amarcelagutierrez]

sliding into some shade with style.

[@StickyRice43]

Lmao, and it was a savage roast to 😂

[@masonhenning2677]

the new mulan gives me the impression that the writers were trying to turn Mulan into a Marvel movie. big yikes.

[@sherrywang2274]

omg...TOTALLY

[@creepykidandinfinitedreams2987]

I’m my opinion it’s not even good enough to be a marble movie

[@user-bd4rs2ec1k]

Creepykid And Infinite Dreams a *Marble* movie 💀

[@Nope-en9bo]

ʀσռռɨɛ. ʝ Well hes not wrong.

[@corneliahanimann2173]

Marvel movies aren't this...ignorant and not this ignorant when it comes to gender. Even if people hated Captain Marvel, they were a lot more sensitive with things as it seems.

[@ainbrisk545]

amazing!! shines a lot of light on this topic and teaches some important lessons about how empowerment should and should not be done

[@kok-fh6xm]

Rewatching this during International Women's Day because this video is a comforting reminder there are allies out there that get it. Perfectly explaining the need to break out of patriarchal thinking. Thank you for making gems like this.

[@mattvoelker241]

"not one of the writers is even asian" This is hilarious to me. For a group that screams about diversity and inclusion, they're awfully exclusive. It also makes the attempts at 'proverbs' or 'sayings' kind of insulting.

[@MukuonChannel]

The writers seemed like they watched 2-3 Wuxia movies and then just thought they could write a good chinese disney flick.

[@happylobsterpatatas]

@@MukuonChannel It seems more like they've just watched Kung fu panda 3...

[@AutumnOddity]

thissss

[@MukuonChannel]

@@happylobsterpatatas Kung Fu Panda trilogy is at least more charming than this.

[@happylobsterpatatas]

@@MukuonChannel ​ I totally agree with you. My point is they just took some Qi idea and other stuff, and managed to make it even more caricatural and less fun and charming to watch...

[@Chubbybots]

Wonderful video essay, i now see the animated mulan in a new light

[@AccentedCinema]

Allow me to quietly subscribe to you (and pretend no one saw me being all otaku-like).

[@jongunkim6297]

Yes, never thought that deep watching the old one, probably because I'm not female? the new one is like frozen, let it go, be yourself the loyalty thing made it so difficult to enjoy, not sure how people in china would think

[@kennethsatria6607]

I only ever saw the original a few times as a kid and even I feel like there's a lot more humanity shown in the original's relationships and characterizations that were just taken for granted.

[@Chubbybots]

@@AccentedCinema :D

[@icecoldpolitics8890]

Accented Cinema I was wondering what is the name of the other live action clips you were showing I knows it’s a Milan adaptation but I imagine it’s probably got a specific name

[@heartlandqueen82]

Thank you for this video essay, it was wonderfully made and created. I remember when I saw Mulan at age seven or eight, I felt like I found someone who understood how I felt and I am not Asian, I'm an autistic woman of Hispanic descent. Whenever I felt like I was scared/nervous about tests, exams, and finding the college I had to apply to, or sad, I would remember I'll Make A Man Out of You or the Emperor's wise words and think "if Mulan- a girl who has to struggle to succeed in a man's world like I do because of what I was born with- could do it, I can too." Even now, I watch it for both childhood memories and because it's that good of a movie. I have not seen this movie yet- though I may due to my friends having Disney+ and my father being curious over the remakes- but based on your review and others, it seems to be a dishonor to the ballad, 1998 animated version, any other versions of Mulan or even Disney itself. I have read the ballad, saw two other adaptations- one that had Jackie Chan's son as one of the soldiers- and also read enough Chinese mythology and history to know that in this version, they really butchered it. Phoenixes in Chinese myth are immortal, chi is the energy in all of us so it does not mean that only men can use it, witches did not exist in China, and even though women were indeed told to marry and bear children, China did had female emperors for a time- yes, I mean Wu Zeitan and Dowager Empress Cixi, two badass women in their own ways- so perhaps some women were respected in Chinese society even if female empowerment in China still has a long way to go. So I guess all I have to say is that like you, I can understand how you felt when you first saw Mulan and why she is such an important part of your culture but also why the 1998 version was empowering to you and everyone who saw it. I applaud you for sharing your views and to those who liked the remake, I respect your views but merely say to watch other versions of Mulan and also read the ballad to see that it was the ballad that made this movie and all other versions of Mulan possible and respect what the person in this video is trying to say.

[@macq1]

This is so insightful! Thank you so much for examining the themes and how well it did and doesn't work.

[@Mr2368887]

Empowerment now means you are born better than everyone else and they are keeping you down because they're jealous. You don't have to work hard or have any hardship to achieve this level of greatness.

[@KayJblue]

Yeah I hate the new normalcy in culture where everybody and everything is absolutely perfect. Everyone has opportunities to improve.

[@mikei6605]

that's not what "empowerment now" means, that's what misogynists think it means.

[@sarcasticauthor9242]

They are given the opportunity but are not willing to work hard for the outcome They want the easy way out. And I have a huge ideological disagreement with that

[@IgnorantAnime]

Someone told me something very wise that I want to add: Action is not without reaction. So when you keep kicking down someone who can beat you up because you think they're too guilty to respond; based off, they've been kind enough to let you off the first time, you must be very careful if you're going to keep going about it. They can stand up enraged and you can bet they'll never listen to reason again. This is what empowerment must understand. The powerful and the rich can also be Oppressed at heart, and just like a tamed lion can realize their destiny as per what people think of them is a wild lion, can casually proceed to kill the lion tamer, ending the circus.

[@Samuel-qc7kg]

@@mikei6605 More like misandrists

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

"She's a warrior with a kill-count of thousands" *Cue Mulan causing an avalanche*

[@wofls2713]

I think this is the only time a Disney princess caused mass genocide

[@dekdenfor9770]

love that he just let that clip roll to emphasize his point.

[@mons3020]

@@wofls2713 It was an act of war. You should see the 2009 Mulan movie from China. She actually gets to become a commander, but then becomes an alcoholic grieving the costly mistakes she made as a commander, literally weeping as she cleans the blood off of wooden dog tags.

[@unsavedinfovol.1178]

It goes from “multi-kill” to “multi- assisted suicide”

[@LuisRivera-rl9gl]

Seems about right Also London best girl

[@jimgu2578]

This is a really insightful and well-made analysis. Thank you!

[@akirachisaka9997]

As a random Chinese kid, I remember not thinking much about Animated Mulan when watching it. But have to admit, to this day, I still remember quite a lot of the songs in Mulan. Both the Chinese and English versions.

[@IAteYourLastCake]

This essay was more enjoyable to watch than the movie

[@timtam3730]

Amen sister

[@emoshrek8902]

I think staring at a ugly wall would be more enjoyable, it'd would definitely be worthier.

[@savartas]

It was just 2 second that line came up in my brain and then I read your comment

[@scottliu1807]

The same.

[@julieallen07]

I literally clap my hands just now

[@lemonsito5203]

The message where the father says: "The greates gift and honor is having you for a daughter" has resonated with me for years and it felt true to it's words because the father always loved Mulan for who she was. The 2020 version seemed to just have glossed over those words which just sucks man.

[@ds8124]

Same! That part makes me cry each time ❤️

[@Hellingame]

And in the same way that line from the first song of the Disney version: "And keep my father standing tall" resonated the hell out of me as someone who grew up in a Chinese family.

[@samuelsanjaya7857]

With a father that looked lik. Xi Jinping what did you expect..

[@user-uq3um5nq7d]

@@samuelsanjaya7857 That was not necessary

[@bookfish]

The 2020 version just glossed over every meaningful point of the '98 animated version. Or more like, glossed over half of it and the other half was replaced by something, that spits in the eye of the original message. Like Mulan having superpowers, instead of thinking outside the box.

[@TheSuperChannel]

I feel so honored to get to receive your experience in the film’s review, thanks this made my day!

[@AznRUs]

The way you worked in shading the movie with your sponsor is gold.