Mei taking photos with other kids to earn money for the concert. This in turn leads to her relationship with her mother becoming strained. Rescue Rangers: Chip Dale Gadget Monterey Jack Devil Dale Angel Chip She hesitates a bit and then goes into the mirror with all the force she got. Hercules: Hercules Meg Pegasus Hades Phil Zeus Baby Pegasus Mei snaps at Ming to leave, but then apologizes for this outburst, calls herself a "gross red monster", and slaps herself. So, let's look atwhat Mei's age in the film was and how it impacted her change from a young girl to a young adult who wanted nothing more than to have the best of both worlds. As seen in the trailer, Mei wore her red tuque to hide the change of color in her hair. All of her head accessories are off, including her glasses. On the night of May 25th, Mei and her family eat a meal before the ritual. In Turning Red, Mei's transformations serve as obvious metaphors for pubertyshe's touchy, she's stinky, she's got hair everywherebut though the film has been met with critical acclaim since. is the same Mei her friends and family know and lovebut in the form of an unpredictable, eight-foot-tall, smelly, and inadvertently destructive red panda. and then another note gets passed to her that notifies her "Your Mom is outside." Mary Poppins: Mary Poppins Bert Jolly Holiday Mary Poppins Red Panda Mei Turning Red may be about Mei learning to control her inner panda, a longstanding familial "inconvenience" which breaks free every time she experiences strong emotions, but it's also a . Directed by Domee Shi and starring Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh, Turning Red tells the story of Meilin "Mei" Lee, a 13-year-old girl in Toronto who loves listening to boy bands, hanging with. Mei goes out of the school and to her house as quickly as she can. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Pixar's latest animated feature, "Turning Red," is a colorful, nostalgic story that takes viewers back to the time of CDs and boy bands.The film centers on Meilin "Mei" Lee, a 13-year-old girl who . Mei panic's when she notices they still don't have enough cash, Miriam however calms her down and tells her it's gonna be alright. Mirabel and Mei both have their families on the maternal side as supporting characters, but unlike Julieta and Pepa, and like Agustn and Flix, Ming doesnt keep her maiden name. With the film being set in early 2002 (specifically between April and May), and is established Mei is 13 years old, this would mean that she was born around 1989. Mei almost loses it, but then visualizes the cats as her friends, and keeps calm. There is a ritual that seals the red panda spirit into a jewelry piece, but Ming tells her that the more Mei transforms the harder it is for the ritual to be done. He was first seen when he walked through the school corridor and Mei suddenly develops a crush on him. Priya is meticulous yet artsy, passionate yet stoic. Sun Yee's daughters were also revealed to move to a new world. Grandma Wu (maternal grandmother)Chen and Ping (maternal grandaunts)Helen and Lily (maternal first cousins once removed)Vivian (maternal second cousin)Sun Yee (ancestress) Devon (former crush)Carter Murphy-Mayhew (crush)Robaire (super main crush) Ming can be intense, but all of the crazy stuff she does is motivated by her love for her daughter.. Lisa Gutierrez writes about medical and health-related issues for The Kansas City Star. Her paws appear from the opposite end. She cares deeply about the environment, as she and her friends are shown with campaign signs to protest current issues, such as the whale populations, and the human littering that needs to stop. This article is about the character from Turning Red. Streaming on Disney+ March 11, 2022.Thirteen year old Mei is experiencing the awkwardness of being a tee. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/turning-red-review-disney-plus-pixar-b2032763.html, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Miriam is another one of Meis best friends. Mei then explains that she's in the eighth grade, saying she doesn't have time to mess around. Mei can use these to leap great distances and jump to great heights as she shifts from one form to another. She tells her that she was always wanted to be the perfect daughter. For Mei, it was drinking tea and for Leo, it was having something tight around his wrist to keep him accompanied. She is then taken into the bathroom to tell her friends she cannot take it anymore getting tired of being the "perfect little mei-mei" for Ming. That includes her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming. Remember to sign in or join D23 today to enjoy endless Disney magic! Her coat is reddish-brown fading to a dark brown when moving further to her arms and legs while having a brown swirl on her upper arms. She has cat-shaped ears, human-like teeth, and she has a red tail striped with white, similar to a raccoon, as well as sharp claws that are mainly hidden. Mei's tail is ring-and-striped colored similarly to those seen on a raccoon's or a ring-tailed lemur's. Mei was also very close with her mother, Ming, as they hang out together a lot and get along well. Ratatouille: Alfredo Linguini Remy Colette Tatou Chef Skinner Ming finds this repulsive, and backs away from seeing it, along with urging her to "Stop moving like that! Helpful mariii Teen, 16 years old Dumbo: Dumbo Timothy Mouse Mei is the first Asian protagonist in a Pixar movie. The Rescuers: Bernard Bianca Madame Medusa But one glance at her red panda spirit (who doesn't want to be separated from her), and all the memories of her being a red panda and cherishing every bit of it, through good and bad came back to her. Until she breaks into tears, knowing all of this is too much for her, and 4Town's arrival might not help it. Gargoyles: Goliath Bronx Demona WALL-E: WALL-E EVE, Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow Hector Barbossa Tia Dalma Davy Jones cause you Acute!" Its main conflict is the excess of emotion that women suppress manifesting in ways that are familiar to even those of us who don't turn into big red pandas. Likes When Mei undergoes the ritual to seal her panda spirit, she realizes the panda helped her to be her true self, not because of the transformation, but because it gave her the courage and confidence to be who she is and not the "perfect daughter" she was raised and expected to be and refuses to give it up, defying her mother and family's expectations. Mei and her friends operate the plan by directing students to Room 202 for "panda pics" Then Mei's panda form becomes a hit among the school, with T-shirts, prop Panda ears and Tails, etc. Kim Possible: Kim Possible Dr. Drakken Shego Ron Stoppable Rufus Duff Killigan Monkey Fist Mei's ancestors had a mystical connection with red pandas, something unwillingly passed down to her. Mei Lee is the 6th Pixar protagonist to have powers. On February 27, 2023, it was announced that Red Panda Mei would become a meetable character in Shanghai Disneyland from March until May 2023. Mei firmly tells her family that she has decided to keep the panda. The Jungle Book: King Louie Baloo Bagheera Kaa Fortunately, Ming finally leaves the bathroom due to her porridge burning; Mei takes this time by dashing into her room and hops onto her bed, desperately hoping to wake up to everything being normal. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Snow White Dopey Magic Mirror The Evil Queen Grumpy The Prince Sleepy Doc Winter Snow White The Witch And yes, they do their own singing. The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Esmeralda Quasimodo Phoebus She usually wears a pink top, a pink jacket around her waist (which reveals an "Ugly Christmas" sweater), and a pleated denim skirt. 2023 Disney and it's related entities. She does have a soft spot for Red Panda Mei, however all that extreme fluff is just too hard not to hug. Turning Red premieres exclusively on Disney+ Friday, March 11! She gets back to her senses by Miriam and her friends notice Tyler exposing Mei for her love of Devon. The film followed Meilin Lee as she seemingly understood life as a happy child with a close group of friends and a daughter to Ming Lee, who saw her as a perfect kid who could do no wrong. Some scenes in the movie featuring Mei have become popular memes on social media, such as: Where Mei throws a red dodgeball angrily to, When Mei twerks in red panda Mings face during the battle sequence (. After Ming finally had enough and went up to her patience limit, her kaiju-sized red panda hits Mei with her fluffy, colossal panda tail. And yes. I'd rate Turning Red around 9+ because at that age kids probably will have at least a vague idea of puberty and what is being talked about, and should still be able to enjoy the style of the movie and the comedy slice of life aspect. She usually wears a pink top, a pink jacket around her waist (which reveals an "Ugly Christmas" sweater), and a pleated denim skirt. Pets She attempts to attack the tapestry as Ming and Jin hold her back and tell her that there is a cure for her. It turns out that Mei's damage was on the news and unknown to her, Ming's Grandma and reinforcements were on their way. As seen in the trailer, Mei has worn her red toque to hide the change of color in her hair, as it went from black to red when her red panda form became true because if she didn't wear the beanie, people would call her "redhead" as redheads are often bullied for being different in schools and as it occurs in only about 2% of the world's population, according to the National Institutes Of Health. She also has a turquoise hairclip and sliver framed oval-shaped glasses. But after she notices her friends agree to not want to get tickets at all. She highly enjoys school and learning, especially things like math (which the rest of her peers don't like). Ultimately, Mei's age is more than a narrative device -- it represents all kids' challenges as they grow from preteen to teenager. Red pandas, in real life, do this when they're cold and naturally sleep in that position. Tinker Bell: Silvermist Iridessa, Darkwing Duck: Darkwing Duck Thirteen is a crucial age for children because it shows thatthey want nothing more than to honor their family but also find themselves. In Disney's Turning Red, Meilin "Mei" Lee just wants to be a typical girl: singing, dancing, admiring cute boys and trying to catch her favorite band, 4*Town, to swoon over the dreamy teens. They meet their female family members. When Mei gets scared, she instinctively raises her arms; this is used by red pandas when scared to make themselves look larger to predators. 13 (Born March 11, 1989 in Toronto, Canada). Sun Yee then forms a mirror for her to go through. As she throws a fit at herself for letting her mother down, she promises herself to never do that to Ming ever again and settles herself to sleep. Unfortunately, those plans come to a grinding halt when Mei realizes she has begun to transform into a giant red panda, and at the most inconvenient times. She also has a turquoise hairclip and sliver framed oval-shaped glasses. She also has an upward and well-formed back with a narrow pelvis, and she also has visible claws hidden under her paw sheaths. Mei gets scared by the impact at firstbut then notices she gains temporary flight with this method. Meis parents are aware that this change is set to arrive, but they react very differently. Miriam then challenges Mei to some test which she has to sing with her friends, She is then rewarded a disc. She reluctantly agrees and then prepares for the party. Phineas and Ferb: Agent P, Brave: Merida RELATED:Pixar's Turning Red Assembles Its Own Avengers-Worthy Team. Mei comes clean to Ming with everything she has done by saying that she lied while also claiming that she likes boys, loud music, and gyrating. Encanto: Mirabel Antonio Luisa Bruno Isabela Platinum Mirabel Alma Madrigal Here are all the voice actors in Turning Red: Mei is the star of the movie. Powers and abilities Since Turning Red was released, artists of all ages have been inspired by the unguarded, crush-laden artwork of the movie's heroine, Mei. Mei learns the story of Sun Yee and how she gained her power. With all the exposure and humiliation she is given Mei wanted to just shout at Ming, but couldn't. Mei has been compared by many (including Domee Shi and, The fact that Mei's hair is black at the beginning of the film, but turns red after her Red Panda curse is similar to Susan Murphy the protagonist of DreamWorks Animation's 2009 film, Another similarity is Zenitsu Agatsuma from the, A third similarity is Freddy Lupin from the, Mei is also the third female Disney character to wear glasses that is from a different country/city, the second being. She has the ability to transform into a giant red panda whenever she feels a strong emotion. She then takes to brushes to further calm herself down, which reverses her transformation, but gets a little too ecstatic and then transforms into a red panda again. Mei Lee in her red panda form, is 8 ft according to the Pixar official website. Bolt: Bolt Both their ways of staying human involved doing something that always calmed them. She is the third Pixar protagonist who wears glasses after, She is also the second female Disney protagonist to wear glasses, after, Mei Lee is similar to Son Goku and many other people of the Saiyan race from the franchise. The Great Mouse Detective: Basil of Baker Street Mei turns into a giant one when she gets too excited. Writing has remained his passion in that time and loves to theorize and pick apart unique connections in franchises like Marvel, Jurassic Park and much more. Parents After being disgusted by her new pot belly and rancid scent, Mei begins to cry and begs herself to wake up. But in reality, Mei was unwittingly undergoing a change in her life where she found she still wanted to be a perfect daughter and wanted to live a life of her own. Tyler then tells her that he will tell it to Ming unless she did one thing: Join Tyler's Birthday as a red panda. Many of these artists have also reflected on how the art . She is settled into a circle made of chalk, and then her family sings in Cantonese. Priya Mangal is a main character in DisneyPixar's 2022 animated feature film, Turning Red. As a human, Mei is a young fair-skinned teenage girl with short, straight black (later red) hair and bright hazelnut eyes. Her red panda form seems to have the same fur color as her human forms hair. The Incredibles: Mr. And to make matters worse, she also came to an age where a centuries-old family gift finally emerged. As a red panda, Mei has a much larger physique. is the same Mei her friends and family know and lovebut in the form of an unpredictable, eight-foot-tall, smelly, and inadvertently destructive red panda. well, for the most part. Mei's pajamas consist of a white t-shirt that has a red maple leaf in the middle (the canadian flag) with red lines on the collar and end of the sleeves and pink gym shorts. At home, Mei is a dutiful and driven keeper of the ancestral family temple, working contentedly alongside her mother, Ming. Meilin "Mei" Lee (born c. 1989) is the protagonist of Disney-Pixar's 2022 animated feature film, Turning Red. Mirabel is two years older than Mei, and Mei has a power while Mirabel doesn't. Hes a necessary balance to his strong-willed wife Ming, and a doting and loving father to his daughter Mei. Mei then notices that Abby wants her to be a red panda, Abby brings the hug in on Mei as she fantasizes about a merman version of Robaire. As if that were not enough, when she gets too excited, she turns into a big. Winnie the Pooh: Winnie the Pooh Tigger Piglet Eeyore Rabbit Honey Bee Pooh Flower Piglet Bunny Tigger Baby Chick Eeyore Honey Cake Pooh Her outfit consists of a cardigan with a light and dark red lacy-like design at the top, and pink buttons (without the cardigan she wears a light pink polo shirt with two buttons on it). Abby kind of disappointed her red panda form was not present, pinches her cheek. Mei then notices that Ming wants her to start the ritual over again. Miriam (voice of Ava Morse) (pictured right) Mei gets so mad that her powers show up again. Ming sees Miriam as a threat to her relationship with her daughter, despite the girls stellar support for Mei. Even Priya cant contain her love of 4*Town. Red pandas do this when they are scared, frightened, or aggressive. Mei hugs her mother before going to karaoke with her friends. Mei then challenges Ming by showing her something that is truly crass, Mei then shakes her butt (along with hitting it towards Ming) repeatedly right in front of Ming. Frozen: Elsa Anna Olaf Sven Kristoff Marshmallow Grand Pabbie The Fire Spirit Elsa the Snow Queen Queen Anna Diamond Elsa Young Anna Journey Into Imagination: Figment Sketch Figment After her work shift, Mei goes into her room to study and then catches a trace of her sketching Devon. Mei commences "Operation 4Town shake down". Mei finally getting the courage to stand up to her mother by yelling and challenging her for the first time. Mei hears her parents talking through the closed door, and cries in her sleep, which transforms her. The size of the explosion seems to be related to the intensity of her emotions. Mei tucks up into a ball with her tail hiding her face when she is upset or worried about something. Mei and her friends chill on the roof and talk about how all of them finally get to meet 4Town and get excited till Mei and her friends take notice on the radio that the 4Town tour to Toronto on the 25. As a result, Mei is very anxious around her mother, especially when she is hiding her interests from Ming (such as her crush on an older boy and her being a fan of the boy band 4Town), and she's dismayed by how her mother doesn't approve of Mei's friends, especially Miriam. Disney and Pixars all-new original animated feature Turning Red will introduce audiences to Meilin Leea confident, slightly dorky 13-year-old with a solid group of friends, a more-than-admirable record in school, and a better-than-average relationship with her family well, for the most part. ", Abby, who is voiced by Hyein Park, completes Meis friend group. Moana: Moana Maui Pua Hei Hei Gramma Tala Tamatoa Baby Moana Te Fiti Kakamora Chief Te K Peter Pan: Peter Pan Captain Hook Plus, there's an inconvenient twist: Mei's family has a mystical connection to red pandas. Pocahontas: Pocahontas But when an ancient phenomenon throws his family into chaos, Jins quiet life is upended. Titanic: Rose Jack, Aladdin: Aladdin Genie Jafar Jasmine Rajah Abu 4*Town is the boy band that Mei and her friends are obsessed with, and their songs were written by Billie Eilish and Finneas OConnell. However, she spots an unfamiliar being in the mirror, bending down to see it is her: she has inexplicably turned into a giant red panda. She goes into the school to meet with her friends, but she is acting oddly monotonous. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan recently broke into fame with her main character role of Deve Vishwakumar in Netflix's Never Have I Ever, a series created by Mindy Kaling based on Kalings memories of her childhood as a first generation Indian-American girl. Mei freaks out when her mother discovers her drawings. When she was gifted with this magic after a vision from her ancestors in the night, she became more and more cautious, especially when people teased her when her mom was around. Lets take a closer look at Mei and her family and friends, in advance of the films big debut this Friday: Meilin Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang) Elegantly turned out and poised at all times, Ming takes her professional duties seriouslybut shes even more dedicated to keeping an eye on her precious daughter, Meilin. I Love You", Josh Levi ("Friday Night Lights"), Grayson Villanueva and Topher Ngo. The Jungle Book: Baloo Kaa King Louie Mowgli Shere Khan Bagheera She has to not let any of her female family members down. Mei does not know Cantonese as she had to ask Mr. Gao what her parents, grandmother and aunties were saying when performing the ritual. Ming Lee (mother)Jin Lee (father) As explained by Mei's mother, the reason she has this power is through an ancestor's mystical connection with red pandas. With Mr. Gao telling her to let the harmonizing voices guide her to the astral realm. In one instance, she turns her right arm into that of a panda's to increase the force put into throwing a ball; this gives the ball the speed a cannonball would, as well as setting the ball on fire from the speed. The new hit animated film Turning Red is history-making in several ways. This specificity of Mei's story is one of "Turning Red's" greatest strengths. Mei then tells Ming that she is never perfect, and tells her that she is sorry that she will never be like her. She was also really extroverted, dramatically entering school and proudly hanging out with her friends. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Mei expects Stacy to not be so fond of it. Family information And Shi, one of Pixar's few feature directors of Asian decent, hopes it signals a shift in the types of . Flying to Ming and knocking her out with a headbutt to the face. She transforms again and then gets caught by Stacy and her group of people, Her friends hide her in the bathroom. She focuses on the voices and then her spirit goes out of her body and into the heavens, straight to the astral realm. Mei watches as her mom, grandmother, and aunts all enter the mirror and diffuse with their red panda spirits. Miriam asks to go to karaoke with them, Mei accepts and then turns into a human, however having her ears and tail present. Onward: Ian Barley The Manticore But when Mei transitions into teenage life, Ming clenches even tighter for control of her daughter, who she senses is changing and potentially slipping away. The band members are voiced by Finneas, Jordan Fisher ("To All the Boys: P.S. The color signifies the passion, anger, and love that she feels throughout the film. The Proud Family: Penny Proud Suga Mama, Toy Story: Woody Buzz Lightyear Alien Jessie Bullseye Bo Peep Forky Rex Duke Caboom Hamm Mrs. Nesbit Zurg Lotso Platinum Woody Bunny Stinky Pete A Bug's Life: Flik Princess Atta Heimlich Miriam is disappointed with Mei and tells her that she isn't part of the group for not standing up for them. Up: Dug Russel Carl Kevin Alpha Headphones Dug Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Kida Nedakh Vincenzo Santorini Helga Sinclair Milo Thatch Audrey Ramirez She then talks to another commuter, telling them that it's all about the hustle. So naturally, MeilinMei to her friendshas every reason to expect smooth sailing throughout the rest of her middle-school career. This included working hard, acing examines and honoring her family. Ming, voiced by Sandra Oh, is Meis mother. Meis mother has high expectations of her, and Mei wants to live up to those expectations, but she is also at the peak of adolescence, and with adolescence comes all kinds of hormones and feelings. The Incredibles: Mr. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack Skellington Sally Zero Oogie Boogie Santa Jack Dr. Finkelstein The Mayor Christmas Sally Man-Eating Wreath But it doesn't take too long for Mei to take notice that Miriam was keeping check of Robaire Jr. and then gets together with her friends. Her posse of loyal besties always has her back; they also share a borderline out-of-control obsession with boy band 4*Townbut what 13-year-old doesnt? Enchanted: Giselle Wedding Giselle Ming is a proud wife, devoted mother, and hardworking keeper of the Lee Family Temple in Torontos Chinatown. Inside Out: Anger Joy Sadness Disgust Fear The Fox and the Hound: Tod Copper Inspiration The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Esmeralda Quasimodo Hugo Voiced by newcomer Rosalie Chiang, she is 13 years old growing up in Toronto, Canada making her Chinese and Canadian. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Did you find what you were looking for? Mei notices a guy that passes by her and she gets lovestruck. Turning Red: Mei Lee Then the concert begins, Mei gets very immersed in the concert and climbs up some people to touch Robaire's hand, until Ming as a giant red panda (but drastically bigger than Mei) crashes the party. She has a rainbow friendship bracelet with a green and pink-red bracelet underneath on the right wrist and a pink watch with multiple buttons on the left. Mei and her friends know the source to make money. Mei falls on the ground a lot from high heights during the concert fight sequence Ming lee falls over in her giant panda form, passing out Frightening & Intense Scenes She then goes onto her bed and knows that this is not a dream and in fact reality, She tells herself that it's gonna be fine. Turning Red: Meilin Lee Red Panda Mei Abby Park Red Panda Ming Lee Pixar / Disney. Before joining . Lisa Gutierrez. Elegantly turned out and poised at all times, Ming is the devoted keeper of the Lee Family Temple in Toronto's Chinatown. Mei takes on some real-world red panda traits while transformed: Mei being disgusted by her panda form's scent references how red pandas can release a strong, pungent smell to ward off vicious predators. Mei's gym clothes consist of a white t-shirt that has dark green lines on the collar and sleeves and a "Lester B. Peason phys ed" logo on the top right of her shirt. Her grandmother shares a surname with her. Unfortunately, however, this gift became more of a curse with no enemies to protect the family from. Mei Lee's name translates to "beautiful" in Chinese. In "Turning Red," Oh voices Ming Lee, Mei's overprotective, but loving mother. Mei gets angry knowing that the ritual will also be on the same day. Bao: Bao, Descendants: Mal Disney and Pixars all-new original animated feature. Mei transforms into her panda form at school. The Emperor's New Groove: Yzma Kronk Pacha Kuzco Hercules: Hades Hercules Megara Zeus Philoctetes Three years ago, the writer-director Domee Shi won an . Their concerts are truly epic, featuring high-flying theatrics, lights, pyrotechnics, and of course the boys dreamy good looks. Her hands have dark brown paws with small black claws in them. Upon hearing that breakfast is ready from Ming, Mei groggily gets up and heads to the bathroom. Mei-MeiVery enterprising, mildly annoying young ladyMajor weirdoOverachieving dork-narkLoyal customerGross red monsterFreakLittle quirkMama's girlPanda girlPerfect little Mei-MeiPrecious little Mei-MeiFurry ticking time bomb of awesomenessMagical bearAnimalWerewolfFluffySweetie Mei slowly gets mad and turns her hand into that of a red panda, and throws the ball so fast it breaks a window. Priya is meticulous yet artsy, passionate yet stoic. I Love You", Josh Levi ("Friday Night Lights"), Grayson Villanueva and Topher Ngo.