Psychology of a Hero: MULAN

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I love how "A Girl Worth Fighting For" ends promptly on the sight of a destroyed village and a little girl's doll, saying that the real "girl worth fighting for" is the one that gets to grow up in a world free of war.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" "Would you like to stay forever?" - I love granny Fa

In Fa Zhou's defense, he couldn't just say "Hey, don't talk to my daughter like that." He was getting an official conscription notice from Hi Fu, the Emperor's Counsel and a high-ranking military official. If he had stood up for her in that manner, they probably would've killed him for sure, and possibly his whole family for disrespecting the Emperor so much. He did everything he could in that situation and by telling Mulan she dishonored him(which was true because of society and her actions, not him personally but his position as family Patriarch), he at least placated them so the family would be left alone. Context is important.

"Why does this music give me chills" Because it's properly communicating that Mulan is making a difficult choice, that she knows is the right thing to do, but also knows it's seriously risky and could end extremely badly for herself AND her family. It's not a purely empowering melody, it's got that extra flare of anxiety/fear that really adds depth to Mulan's decision.

A thing I love about this movie is when Mulan confronts the villain, he's not surprised/angry that she's a woman, he's surprised that she's the soldier from the mountain. Historically, among the Huns, women were renowned warriors.

One thing I didn't notice in the movie until recently: in "Honor To Us All" they sing about how having 'a tiny waist' will make Mulan more appealing (as they practically corset her into a waist wrap), and then the matchmaker takes one look at her and tells her she's too skinny. So even when she was trying to meet society's expectations, she still had to deal with impossible and sometimes contradictory standards. It's subtle, but it's there.

I love too how Mulan is given the opportunity before climbing the pole to jump ship - no more worries about revealing her identity or dying in a war, no more missing home - but she decides under her own power to stay and prove to herself that she belongs before receiving any outside validation. Love her 💜

I saw the last scene a little differently. He did look at the sword and the crest... he looked at them sadly instead of meeting her eye immediately. It was like he didn't know what they were supposed to mean to him, and then he looks at her and sees that she thought this what was necessary to bring the family honor. There's a little bit of sadness and remorse in him as she hands him the gifts. When he hugs her, he goes to her instead of pulling her to him. That hug was as much an apology as it was telling her that he sees her worth as she is.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful and rare" was my senior quote

I dont know if you guys didn't notice or just didn't want to talk about it or it was super obvious, but the sequence of mulan getting ready to take her dad's place is a parallel to her getting ready for the matchmaker. Getting her hair ready, tying a sash around her waist, her reflection in a mirror and in the sword. She's getting ready to do battle both times and I really love that little bit of detail

I love the double meaning in the line "Men will surely go to war for you," in "Honor to Us All". By the end of the movie, the men aren't going to war for her to gain her affection. They're going to war for her as her comrades.

That scene with the late-blooming blossom just...gets me. Every time. I sometimes lament that because I transitioned, it meant that I'm just living life perpetually delayed, because I didn't have the childhood I should've had, I just feel like I wasted 26 years playing the role everyone expected of me...but when Mulan's father says "Look, that one's late. But I bet, when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all." I can't help but get teary. Because if I look in the mirror, and realize just how happy I am with who I've become? It doesn't matter if I'm behind everyone else's schedule. I'm still blooming.

Fun fact: In the chinese original Mulans surname is Hua, so when she introduces herself to Shang as Ping she says ''my name is Hua Ping'' which translates to Flower Vase and that's why shang is so bewildered because it's a silly name.

Jono: "We all have worth." Alan: "Sure!" Jono: "Even the Cricket." Alan: "No."

My favorite thing about that ending to the Be a Man scene is that in order to reach the top Mulan actually USES the things that were meant to hold her back and make it more difficult as the tools that get her to the top. So powerful.

Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how Mulan had the opportunity to go back with no consequences, and while she felt her weakest. Instead, she wanted to overcome her weaknesses, and be a part of something, and probably most of all, just prove she could do it. It's epic.

Fun fan theory I've seen with this movie: the reason that Mushu couldn't wake the Great Stone Dragon is because it had already awakened and was in Mulan.

What i love about Mulan was, she was almost feel like a regular girl rather than princess, being considered not enough for the standard of being an "ideal" was pretty hitting close to home. Her journey from a whole carefree girl who doesn't took herself seriously to actually show she wants to try and in the end, brought honor ( to us all ) for herself. Until this day, she still is my favorite Disney princess.

Mulan at it's core is a movie about accepting yourself for who you are and your own strengths. You might not fit in with the stereotypes or status quo for societal expectations, but that doesn't make you any lesser. It just means you are different, and your difference is what makes you truly strong. In a sea of mediocrity, the creative, clever and ingenious will be respected.