Spoiler Warning: Turning Red (2022)Since its release last month, Pixar’s latest animation, Turning Red, has become a huge hit among people of all ages. Praised for its unique representation of puberty, the film is a coming-of-age story that depicts what it’s like to be a teenager, more specifically, a teenage girl. Set in Toronto, Ontario, in 2002, 13-year-old Meilin, “Mei,” Lee (Rosalie Chiang) discovers her family’s long-kept secret that the women in her family turn into giant red pandas when they become overwhelmed with emotion. On top of that, Mei still has to grapple with the same struggles as any other teenage girl. Going through puberty, crushing on the cute cashier, and dealing with family expectations, Turning Red speaks to a new generation of teen girls.
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Directed and co-written by the Academy Award-winner behind the animated short “Bao,” Domee Shi becomes the first woman to direct a Pixar film. Shi channeled her own experiences as a teenager growing up in Canada to base this film on. It’s why Turning Red is full of early 2000s throwbacks that many girls and millennials can relate to. From boy bands and anime to Tamagotchis, this film will take you down memory lane and help you relive those fun nostalgic times.
Take it from the stars of Turning Red, who vow that this film will be universally loved for years to come for its “love letter to puberty” and its ability to speak to an audience of all ages. This film is rich with universal themes and messages that teens will be able to relate to, including the mother-daughter relationship between, the honest depiction of teen girl mania, and the clever allegory for hitting puberty.
A Relatable Mother-Daughter Relationship
Pixar
One of the most relatable themes in Turning Red is the relationship between Mei and her mother, Ming (Sandra Oh). The scenes between the two portray an engaging and genuine mother-daughter relationship that’s different from what we see in other animated films. Ming watches Mei like a hawk, and when she assumes that Mei is being taken advantage of by Devon, the convenience store clerk, she freaks out and embarrasses her in front of him and a couple of the kids from her school. It is an authentic scene that many will relate to because we all had moments in our youth when it seemed like our moms were just dead set on embarrassing us in public.
Once Ming discovers that Mei has already turned into the red panda, she becomes even more worried and keeps a closer eye on her. Yet it doesn’t help much as Mei learns to control her high emotions and panda. Her panda helps her cope with the many frustrations she has towards her mom, and in the end, she wants to keep it because she like the person she’s growing into. How can she express that to her mother, who she doesn’t want to disappoint?
Mei is just like the rest of us. She wants to enjoy all the fun activities teens her age gets into and wants more independence. This is explored when Mei becomes confident in her panda and begins to change from that little girl Ming has tried to hold onto. But then, when Ming’s panda breaks free, it’s noticed that hers is the largest and strongest in the family. Seeing her mother for whom she is and learning about the strained relationship between her and her grandmother teaches Mei to become empathetic toward Ming. She, too, struggled to break free from her own mother’s expectations and leave her constant interference.
Teen Girl Mania
Disney/Pixar
The obsession that Mei and her friends, Miriam (Ava Morse), Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and Abby (Hyein Park) have over the boy band, 4-Town is so accurate to the teen girl culture. It can be the most comparable to the millions of fans K-pop groups have generated all over the world. Groups like BTS and BLACKPINK are a cultural movement that continues to grow. It’s also similar to the teen girl mania over One Direction in 2012 and NSYNC and Backstreet Boys in the early 2000s. Music is so important in adolescents’ lives because it provides an escape. The pressures of puberty, friends, school, and family can be overbearing, and music provides the perfect relief. And that’s what it is for Mei and her friends. Their devotion to 4-Town speaks to their connection with each other, and it is what ultimately helps Mei ground herself. It is through their love of this band and for each other that she can be in her most tranquil.
Turning Red is a celebration of what it’s like to be a nerdy teenage girl. Co-writer Julia Cho and Shi wanted to write a script that could be relatable to anyone who has gone through that awkward teenage phase. Shi drew from her interests as a young ten from the anime and boy bands she cherished. She told Insider, “It’s not just the era when I grew up, it’s also, I feel, the height of teen girl pop mania. It’s the height of boy bands, of pop music.”
Shi grew up watching a lot of Sailor Moon and wanted to utilize that style in Turning Red. The colorful and expressive facial expressions were a big inspiration for the look of this film. It’s most present when Mei and her friends react over Devon and the 4-Town boys. This style is different from what Pixar has done in the past but one that is not new. For decades, anime has been frowned upon by some, and those that enjoy anime and its art style will no doubt love this film.
A Unique Exploration of Puberty
In addition, Turning Red brilliantly captures what it’s like to reach puberty. The clever allegory of Mei turning into a fluffy red panda provides an understanding of going through puberty. In the scene when Mei first turns into a red panda, she runs into the bathroom and locks herself in. Her mother assumes that she got her first period and provides her with a box of pads. Puberty is a taboo subject for some and has never been openly discussed in an animated film before. It’s why this film stands out from Pixar’s other animations.
This film has sparked a lot of discussions among parents and their children. From the relationship between Mei and Ming to the topic of puberty, many parents have seen how beneficial this film can be to a kid. A Pennsylvania mom told Today that real characters are far more relatable than heroes and princesses and that “When these kids watch these movies now, girls are not pigeonholed into you need a man, you can’t run a kingdom because you have to have a man.” Other parents have also said that their kids are now learning how to better manage their emotions like Mei. Now some parents have been upset about the allusion to menstruation, but others, including experts, have been praising it for normalizing that important moment in a girl’s life. Turning Red is an empowering movie for young girls and boys. It will be remembered for connecting to a generation and breaking down barriers in animation.
