"A girl worth fighting for" is the last song in the movie because immediately after it stops, they reach the destroyed village, which turns out to be the village of the little girl who owned the doll. The message couldn't be any louder: that little girl is the real girl worth fighting for.
No it’s about Mulan and his love for her as a straight man. The Rainbow Mafias love to culturally appropriate stuff that isn’t theirs 🙄. No wonder their ancestors thought whitewashing and slavery were good ideas. Their descendants today have the same mindset except it’s gaywashing. 🤦♂️
I find it funny how Mulan has long eyelashes, a blush, and fuller lips but when she's in her Ping outfit, her eyelashes become short, she loses her blush, and her lips are not as full. At least when she was revealed to be lying, the blush wasn't there so it wasn't as obvious 😆
For some explanation, I saw some theories that the reason why the Great Stone Dragon didn't awake was because of a few reasons. 1- Mulan left the family when she became a man, forming her own. It was an interesting thought to entertain. 2- Mushu is the dragon that Mulan prayed to. She stuck the incense in his bowl and asked him to please save her family so her guardian was pre-chosen.
Another theory that I've seen is that the great stone dragon had some foresight of and/or confidence in Mushu being able to succeed this time. That said, I do believe the 2nd one you stated. The fact that they chose to show Mulan putting incense into his bowl means there is significance to it. While it could just be their way of drawing attention to him, it is also possible that it was meant as a subtle hint that most people overlooked.
During the sequence when Mulan gets ready to take her father's armor and disguise herself as a man, you can see dragon imagery throughout the entire thing, to symbolize the great dragon that watches over the family. Conclusion: Mushu was unable to awaken the Great Dragon because it already left, signifying that Mulan is the Great Dragon that protects her family.
I will never forgive Disney for cutting Li Shang out of the live action version. He's awesome, and the chemistry between him and Mulan is so good. One of Disney's best love interests. Just so long as you avoid the direct to DVD sequel like the plague.
@@watershipup7101personally we only saw Shang in his work era, we never saw him as a man outside of that so we don’t really know how Shang is was inside closed doors. Of course he’s gonna seem like a complete knockout in the first movie. I actually really liked that they were not perfect in the second movie and had to learn so much about each other, that is so rare for a Disney movie to show lol. I think we are so used to seeing the perfect Disney couple that when Shang acted like he did in the second movie it’s like ewww brother eww 😂 Edit: I do agree about Mushu, he seemed completely out of character
"Reflection" is already a beautiful song, but damn, your added vocals are incredible.❤ Also, I love the pacing of how Mulan becomes a beter warrior over the course of the film, and her chemistry with Shang is perfect.
No cause if Mulan and Shang ever had children (which back in their era is very much plausible) the lore would go craaazy. Just picture this: Child/Children: Dad, how did you meet Mom? Shang: Well, I thought she was a man for a while and we fought together in the war. She saved my life in the meantime and that's how I found out she was a girl, which turned me off at first, but inevitably I realized that I'd hit either way. Definitely didn't take saving China and being chastized by the Emperor to figure that out!
"which back in their era is very much plausible" While the sequel sucked, both of them indicated being fine with children. Only disagreement was on the amount. (Mulan 1-2, Shang more) Mulan never wanted to literally be a man or reject all femininity. She just wanted to be able to mix traits from both extremes to match her interests. If not for her wish to be with her family, that council position, another political or a tactical one probably would be right up her alley. But now she is a retired war hero like her father so she has the luxury of not really having to rush anything, as so no longer desperately needs a spouse/career since she has money & honor/respect of her own.
@@teresar6348 I agree with you, I never said anything about Mulan wanting to be a man, her character is literally meant to break the binary of gender stereotypes. I'm just saying that in Ancient China, a girl from an influencial family such as Mulan's (at least from what one might take from the films), wouldn't really have a choice? I'm not saying Mulan didn't want children, she literally stated she did, but it was also the expectation of the times to produce an heir, despite your gender.
12:10 I actually saw a theory that the great stone dragon already awoke the night before: Mulan was sitting in the statue when she decided to go to war. The spirit of the great stone dragon didn’t awaken to Mushu because it was already awake and guiding Mulan
You had no business flexing your vocals singing reflection while simultaneously being hilarious with your editing. 1000/10 love your sing alongs and your voice❤
Fun fact: "Mulan" in Cantonese means "wood magnolia" or "magnolia blossom," so the iconic scene where Fa Zhou is telling Mulan that the late blossom will be the most beautiful of all, those gorgeous pink-flowering trees are supposed to be Chinese magnolias.
As a transgender man, I feel the exact same way. Mulan was one of the first characters I really saw myself represented in, not only for the fact that we are both Asian but her journey really guided my own. Reflection is such a powerful ballad and speaks volumes about familial expectations and trying to find yourself while also trying to make your family proud.
My interpretation of why the great stone dragon didn’t awake was because it was just a statue, and the ancestors were just trying to send literally anyone but Mushu. You sing beautifully, Sophia!
Fun Fact: Mulan’s Grandmother is voiced by June Foray. She’s had a long career of voice acting, but you’ll probably recognize her best as Witch Hazel (both the Disney version and the Looney Tunes version), Magica De Spell (from the original Ducktails), or Natasha Fatale (from Rocky and Bullwinkle).
22:04 The most jarring part of the film... I saw this with my mom, dad and sister when it first came out. This scene came right the hell out of nowhere. They were singing along with the characters! It's a simple rhythm and chorus, upbeat, bright (if a little horny lol), half the theater was singing as well...and then BOOM, burnt out village, hundreds dead, Shang's father included, not ONE survivor. The theater went dead silent for 10 whole seconds. I remember, clear as day, a little girl in one of the front rows, asking her mom "Mama, what happened? Where is everyone?" and her mom didn't reply. I don't think I blinked until they retrieved the helmet. It went from a happy-go-lucky song about meeting a special girl to total destruction in 2 seconds flat. Honestly...I love it when films successfully do that. When they pull the rug out from under you in a way that doesn't feel manipulative or unearned (see the Andrew Garfield Spiderman movies), it's really devastating. Shan-Yu is built up as a scary guy, sure, but we never really see him do anything that bad. He burns a flag and has an enemy combatant killed, ok, standard bad-guy stuff. But THIS is great 'show don't tell' film-making. No one even really talks during the whole sequence in the burned out village, we just see it play out with somber music and harsh artwork. They don't even get a chance to grieve, they don't have time! Honor the dead with a sword and a (creepy) little doll, then saddle-up; the war isn't over. Very effective film-making when done correctly. It doesn't happen very often, the effective serious "sh*t just got real" moment in a film. It usually requires something unexpected, but still plausible/relevant to the film. The reveal of the Black Pearl as a Ghost ship in the first Pirates of the Caribbean Movie ("Ye best start believing in ghost stories, Ms. Turner...you're IN one"), Luke getting his hand cut off right before Vader reveals who his father really was/is, the first time you see the great white shark during Jaws and the look on Roy Scheider's face, the moment the T-Rex walks out of the paddock in the rain and roars like the giant murder-lizard it is...all these moments have different degree's of build-up and tension and levels of importance to the story. But like this really bleak, quiet, hard-right they took in Mulan, they all grab the audience by the chin and say "You wearin' a seatbelt? If not, you better hold on tight...it's a whole new ballgame now." And like you said, it's still a kids' film! I wonder if that little girl, after the film, demanded that her parents explain what the hell happened in that village. That would have been a fun conversation in the car on the way home. You think they told her the truth? Great Vid! ☺
Got all that horror across without a single word (unlike the live action), nor a single drop of blood. New songs stop for the rest of the movie. And it's still PG.
Her being voiced by the OG voice actor of Looney Tunes' Granny and Rocky J. Squirrel of the 'Rocky and Bullwinkle' shorts boosts up her importance in animation history.
@@COSun25 I wonder if the Grandmother is meant to be the comic relief before Mushu comes in????? Kinda like how Iago from Aladdin provides some humor till the Genie comes.
OKAY VOCALS!!! your rendition of reflection gave me chills! I know you lowered the actual movie for copyright, but like...the vocals were giving so maybe in sing-a-longs you can do that for your favorite songs
This movie helped me through a mojority of my anxiety attacks in middle school, I'd alwayd put it on when I started overthinking and it always helped distract me from the worst of it 🙏
I think one of the main reasons why I love this movie so much other than the topic of war, the humor, the music and how it's Asian centered is because Reflection always had such a huge impact on my life as a gay man. I feel like while it's mainly about a girl feeling like a failure to her family, I found it can also be about someone who's gay also feeling like they let their family down because of their sexuality. When I sing it, instead of saying "I may never pass for a perfect bride or a perfect daughter" I change it to "I may never pass for a perfect son or a perfect husband." I always get choked up singing the song with that in mind. Especially with the lyric "if I were truly to be myself I would break my family's heart."😢
I used to watch this movie almost every day a year before the pandemic started (but it honestly feels like it was more recently). I think I mostly watched it for the songs, especially “Reflection” and “I’ll make a man out of you”
The way Shang sees Mulan in her "man" disguise can be seen as approval of an officer to his soldier, I try not to look too far into it, as the legend went, this movie shouldn't have romance at all, but it's Disney so romance is going to be somewhere in the picture, especially since this was made in the late 90s when they found a new formula for their stories. And this is actually the only Disney adaptation that I think the legends are in some ways better than the Disney adaptation. The story of Mulan was actually started from a poem, the time was set between 386 A.D to 535 A.D, in which case you actually couldn't see the missiles in the movie. Mulan's last name was never mentioned in the poem or other related legend stories, the poem started with her sewing by the window, but she's not actually sewing, but sighing by the sewing machine. Her servants asked why she was sighing, Mulan answered that she saw twelve notice sent in and her father's name was on every single one of them. Because Mulan didn't have an older brother who was old enough to fight, her younger brother was a few years too young to receive a recruit notice, and she only had an older sister, they had no other young man in the family, so she decided that she would take on the responsibility to fight in the war. Because the war was going on, she had to go to four different markets just for the horse and the accessories that went with the horse, it took them 12 years of fighting before they won and were able to go home. And she didn't have a war horse to begin with. (Note: Mulan's brother was likely 18 in the legend when the recruit notice was for men age 20~25) Mulan was just outside the city's walls when her parents came to welcome her home, her older sister heard that she's coming back and immediately started to put on makeup and getting ready to welcome her, her little brother heard that she's back, and he's there preparing to kill the pigs and the sheep for a feast. When Mulan got back to her room, she took off her armor and changed back to her dress, put on her makeup, got her hair up in an updo, and went out of her room to meet the soldiers that fought with her, and those soldiers were surprised because for the 12 years that they fought in wars with her, they had no idea that she's a woman. The incredible thing about the original legend isn't that Mulan was a girlboss, or she defied social norms to "be herself" the incredible thing about Mulan in the original legend was that her motivation was purely love for her father, and the fact that she just happened to meet the age requirement for recruit, she didn't do it with defying anything to begin with, to add on to that, the actions she took in the original legend is seen as a form of filial piety. Another thing that was incredible about the original legend of Mulan was that she was able to return to her normal life after 12 years of fighting, most people are not able to do that. In the original legend, Mulan was just a traditional, loving daughter who felt that the right thing to do when her father was unable to fight in the war when she could take on the responsibility was to take on the responsibility and fight in the war, the fact that the first thing she did after she got home was to change into her usual dress and put on her usual makeup showed that in the original legend she's just a loving, concerned daughter at her core, that loving daughter who was concerned about her father, so she took on the fighting, she didn't really "want" this, but the responsibility could only go to her, and she accepted it. I think the fact that in the original legend, they had no idea that she's a woman is so much more interesting than having them find out about it, when I first read that poem, I had a whole discussion with my mom asking why they didn't know, especially those soldiers who spent 12 years fighting wars with her. It was wild lol. To be fair though, men in these eras also wear clothes that resembling dresses, it's not uncommon to do that in the past and it could be why it's hard to tell if you're a man or a woman, plus armors were so heavy it could completely hide any hints of someone being a man or a woman so the legend could get away with soldiers not knowing Mulan was a woman all along.
I appreciate this animation over the live action for sure. I understand cutting down the war time given the family movie nature and limited screen time. But a lot of this does work out. Animated Mulan also didn't seem all that girl bossy, she seemed alright with trying to fit more feminine roles (as opposed to characters like Merida, 2020 Mulan, etc.), just knowing it wasn't something she was outright good at. This one also for the most part just returns to a normal life as a retired veteran like her father, also content in a dress. In either one, I doubt the solders would have expected a woman, more likely guessing Mulan lied about her age and is just too young to legally fight, still a boy rather than a man. There are certainly cases of that being done to save family. Also prolly taking her build as being noble and not any sort of laborer. Mulan: Rise of a Warrior is an adaptation closer to that of your mention if you've seen it. Definitely not PG, though it is in fact a decade's ish of battle, where she is only recognized by 2 (someone from her village + one other) who she was able to convince to keep quiet, which I can see happening if its only 2.
I love Mulan and only loved it more after discovering she's Left Handed- at the start she's writing on her right arm Given his age and the injury I wouldn't be surprised if her father had gone he'd have been given like a desk job/ perhaps something like strategizing or helping train recruits and not so much sending him out on to the battle field (I'd hope)
Absolutely one of my favorite movies. I never get tired of it and can basically quote the whole thing. And even STILL, the emotional bits still hit. Mulan’s dad at the end saying the greatest gift is having her as a daughter?? Literally still makes me choke up. You know something is this good of a movie when you can go back to it again and again over yearssss. And totally gaining new perspectives and appreciation as you get older and learn more. This is also one of those movies where it represented well without checking boxes like they do now (I’m completely white so I can’t say personally). Even though there’s the goofier scenes and sound effects and things like a black man voicing a cartoony sidekick, the directing worked so well. It’s so funny when Mulan gets revealed because I remember when I was little and the dramatic music happened and the blanket fell, I remember thinking “oh it’s cause she’s a bit curvy and looks more like a girl underneath” but now growing up, my brain just goes “oh no BOOBSSS” 😂 I’m so glad I never saw the live action cause I’m already not a fan of the live action treatments, but I didn’t want it to be associated with this masterpiece after I was hearing how bad it was…. Also not Sophia KILLING it with “Reflection” 🔥 literally got goosebumps from that vibrato.
one thing i really enjoyed about the film as an adult was how the film deals with masculinity and femininity Mulan fails at first at being a man because both she and Mushu have stereotypical ideas of what masculinity is, but when Mulan stops trying to be a male or follow others advice on what being a male is, and finally uses her brain and acts more like herself, she is able to succeed at the training The way the trio are able to surprise the huns is by dressing as girls, and taking feminine qualities Shang holds off Shan You but he can’t defeat Shan you in terms of strength whereas Mulan defeats Shan Yu not with brute strength but cunning and smarts Even as a kid this suggested to me that strength is not the only thing that matters and there are many ways to fight or to show strength, and that men and women are not that different actually when you factor those other features into the equation. but i do like how they flipped the ideas of masculinity on its head intros film.
I did not grow up with parents who were fans of Disney but my mom did buy me Mulan on vhs and it is soo nostalgic for me. My first experience with suspense was watching the Huns rain down the hill 😅
I know it wasn't shown in this react video but when Mulan helped the girl rescued her doll from the little boy; then later she sees a doll in a burned down village; it probably gave her a lot of heartache. Also, she showed strategy in that scene when she saw the solution to the Chinese board game in an instance; which foreshadow her showing strategy in the military.
12:10 it's widely theorized the reason the great stone dragon did not awaken was because the dragon's spirit was inside Mulan. It makes sense when you realize she was crying at the foot of the statue when she decided to go to war, so it is possible that the dragon's spirit decided to leave the stone body and imbed itself inside Mulan's. Though I'm not sure if it's confirmed, it's the best theory we got XD
Even though I didn't like Mulan as a kid (mainly because Shan Yu scared the crap out of me), it is one of my absolute favorites now. I sometimes watch it during my workouts in the gym because Make a Man Out of You is a SERIOUS motivator!
BTW, have you seen Xiran Jay Zhao’s videos analyzing the cultural authenticity of this and the live-action film. According to her, even though the live-action film marketed itself on cultural authenticity, the animated film was actually far more accurate in its portrayal of Chinese culture and storytelling! 😎
8:47 If you pay close attention to the soldier/messenger behind Chi Fu, he honestly looks sorry for Mulan that her father has to go to war. He feels bad for them. Never noticed that before. 24:16 I don't think I ever realized that THAT was how she got wounded, it's so quick that you miss it. I was today years old when I realized this. 25:25 The sad thing about this scene (at least to me whenever I watched this movie) is that Mulan was just genuinely happy to see him.
I LOVED the sequel! Firstly because when it came out I was a girl who just started taking karate lessons when that was not a thing (not in my country anyway) and that stupid 1st song made me feel seen, and secondly, because of that traumatising scene where Mulan puts her sword to the ground after Shang falls. Mulan II will always have a special place in my heart.
Honestly, as much as I love how sassy Mulan's grandma is, my favorite part of the movie is Yao roasting Chi-Fu in the song "A Girl Worth Fighting For". Chi-Fu: 🎶I've a girl back home who's unlike any other🎶 Yao: 🎶Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother🎶 Just the look on his face ALONE is priceless. 😆😆🤣🤣
In regards to the Great Stone Dragon, a lot of people believe Mulan herself is the reincarnation of that dragon. When she's crying in the rain, she goes to sit at the feet of the dragon. This led people to believe that she found comfort sitting in that specific spot, where the GSD has sat for centuries.
My younger sister is such a tomboy, and this is absolutely her favorite Disney movie. And @21:31 hits hard -- she also has more rizz with the girls than I or my brothers ever get, lol! 😂
Omg, My mom made me that same porridge with fried egg just like mushu did!😂 it’s not as mushy and is more watery! I’m not sure if it’s like an actual Chinese dish-We called it “egg rice” in Chinese! Also those vocals omggggg 😍 perfection!
I love that in 'A girl worth fighthing for', their three dream girls look like the three princesses they end up with in the sequel! I wonder if it was a foreshadowing or they decided to make them based on that scene, when they made the sequel.
such a banger movie. when I was a little kid, after watching Mulan I was play-acting out the scene with the matchmaker when Mulan's trying to hide the cricket in her mouth, and I pretended a little mancala stone was the cricket and put it in my mouth and then my dumb ass accidentally swallowed it straight down my throat lmaoo. my face was just 😳 and then I was freaking out deciding whether I should tell my mom or not 😭
was watching a cover of once upon a dream and it occured to me......SOPHIA HAS NOT DONE A SLEEPING BEAUTY COMMENTARY!!! I NEED HER TO BELT OUT ONCE UPON A DREAM
Unironically, your singing voice would be perfect for vocaling Cassandra's songs in the Tangled TV series. Keep it up ^^ Also, a man calling another "pretty boy" - especially in this context - is more of an insult than an acknowledgement. It's like saying "you look sissy" or "you're not tough enough". Also also, one thing you can't take away from Shan Yu as a villain is that he IS a warrior: always first to the charge, last to stand.
I didn't watch this movie until I was maybe a teenager, but this swiftly became a favorite Disney movie for me, second only to The Jungle Book. The setting, the story, Mulan, the songs, the comedy, friggin Shan Yu.. I adored it, and it was one that even my mom can appreciate, despite her mostly being a "Disney died with Disney" purist at the time.
This is one of the first movies I actively remember seeing in theaters. I watched it endlessly after it came out on video and even went as Mulan in her matchmaking dress for Halloween (although I am not Asian so I don’t know how cringey it was for a white girl in 1999 to have gone as Mulan 🤷♀️). Either way, this movie is a lot of fun! And you did a marvelous job singing “Reflection.”! Bravo! 👏👏
Girl Im not even 6 mins in and I already have to say THE VOCALS ARE AMAZING!!!! Edit. 😭 OKAY REFLECTION IS MY FAVORITE SONG FROM THIS MOVIE AND THE VOCALS ARE SLAYING✨✨✨
The running theory as to why the Great Stone Dragon didn't wake up is because they were already awake, in Mulan. When she decided to take her father's place in the army, she became the Great Stone Dragon. Super Carlin Brothers did a video on it years ago.
(slow awkward raising of the hand) I have a 'hear me out' for Shan Yu. Big imposing dude, hot voice, dresses cool, awesome eyes... He wasn't even pissed that he was bested by a girl, he's just mad someone destroyed 95% of his army.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Now all of China knows you're Queer 🏳️🌈⚔️✨️
Perfect 😈
Heck YAAASSS
Perfect 😂😂
You just won the internet. Everyone else can go home. 😂
Best comment I've read all day ngl 💀
Okay but the vocals during "Reflection"…SLAYED
🙈🫶🏼 thank you 💅🏼
especially in CANTONESEEE
"A girl worth fighting for" is the last song in the movie because immediately after it stops, they reach the destroyed village, which turns out to be the village of the little girl who owned the doll.
The message couldn't be any louder: that little girl is the real girl worth fighting for.
omg i didnt realise that. i always new that “a girl worth fighting for” was the last song to make it darker, but i didnt make that connection
No it’s about Mulan and his love for her as a straight man.
The Rainbow Mafias love to culturally appropriate stuff that isn’t theirs 🙄.
No wonder their ancestors thought whitewashing and slavery were good ideas. Their descendants today have the same mindset except it’s gaywashing. 🤦♂️
When you realize Mulan is the only Disney princess that has actually killed people… And a whole army at that!
She’s so badass 😩
When Mulan is revealed to be a woman the small little expression that Shang has that's like "wait...am I *more* attracted? ....or less??"
Also fun fact Qifu his name means "to bully" in Chinese 欺负
Omg I never knew that, I actually love that
okay but vocals were slaying
Thank you 🥹 I try
Disney should hire her atp!
I find it funny how Mulan has long eyelashes, a blush, and fuller lips but when she's in her Ping outfit, her eyelashes become short, she loses her blush, and her lips are not as full. At least when she was revealed to be lying, the blush wasn't there so it wasn't as obvious 😆
Fun fact, Shang doesn’t sing in “A girl worth fighting forth” but everyone else does.
🎶Bi bi bi (bi bi)🎶
For some explanation, I saw some theories that the reason why the Great Stone Dragon didn't awake was because of a few reasons. 1- Mulan left the family when she became a man, forming her own. It was an interesting thought to entertain. 2- Mushu is the dragon that Mulan prayed to. She stuck the incense in his bowl and asked him to please save her family so her guardian was pre-chosen.
I always thought the later because it makes the most sense as well
Or, Mulan IS the great dragon who protects the family, so there is no dragon left to wake up, Mulan had already left.
Another theory that I've seen is that the great stone dragon had some foresight of and/or confidence in Mushu being able to succeed this time.
That said, I do believe the 2nd one you stated. The fact that they chose to show Mulan putting incense into his bowl means there is significance to it. While it could just be their way of drawing attention to him, it is also possible that it was meant as a subtle hint that most people overlooked.
During the sequence when Mulan gets ready to take her father's armor and disguise herself as a man, you can see dragon imagery throughout the entire thing, to symbolize the great dragon that watches over the family.
Conclusion: Mushu was unable to awaken the Great Dragon because it already left, signifying that Mulan is the Great Dragon that protects her family.
6:09 The voice of an ANGEL
THANK YOU BABE 🥹🫶🏼
He was confused by the name Ping because the name Fa Ping literally translates to "flower vase".
And it's also a euphemism for a gay man in Mandarin.
@@benschultz1784Oh, I didn't know that.
@@laviniasnow4494no it’s wrong. That’s Hua Ping and the tones would be different.
Then again it’s as obscure as Fruit or poof is for gay in English
I will never forgive Disney for cutting Li Shang out of the live action version. He's awesome, and the chemistry between him and Mulan is so good. One of Disney's best love interests. Just so long as you avoid the direct to DVD sequel like the plague.
I love the sequel 😭
@@SophiaPhannnReally? Well. You're the first person I've heard of not hating it. Perhaps you could do a reaction stating why you like it?
@@SophiaPhannnOkay, this requires an explanation. I mean, they completely butcher Mushu's character and make Shang unbearable.
@@watershipup7101personally we only saw Shang in his work era, we never saw him as a man outside of that so we don’t really know how Shang is was inside closed doors. Of course he’s gonna seem like a complete knockout in the first movie. I actually really liked that they were not perfect in the second movie and had to learn so much about each other, that is so rare for a Disney movie to show lol. I think we are so used to seeing the perfect Disney couple that when Shang acted like he did in the second movie it’s like ewww brother eww 😂
Edit: I do agree about Mushu, he seemed completely out of character
@@SophiaPhannn samee the soap opera antics were entertaining
"Reflection" is already a beautiful song, but damn, your added vocals are incredible.❤ Also, I love the pacing of how Mulan becomes a beter warrior over the course of the film, and her chemistry with Shang is perfect.
Agreed, she has such a beautiful voice.
So much better than how Mulan was born perfect and never grew in the live-action version.
Aww thank you 🥹🫶🏼
happy father’s day to sophia phan enjoyers who want to cry seeing mulan and her father interact
Activating the daddy issues on the most perfect day!
And it’s literally my dad birthday
I ❤ my dad
No cause if Mulan and Shang ever had children (which back in their era is very much plausible) the lore would go craaazy. Just picture this:
Child/Children: Dad, how did you meet Mom?
Shang: Well, I thought she was a man for a while and we fought together in the war. She saved my life in the meantime and that's how I found out she was a girl, which turned me off at first, but inevitably I realized that I'd hit either way. Definitely didn't take saving China and being chastized by the Emperor to figure that out!
“Inevitably I realized that I’d hit either way” LMFAOOOOO 😭😭😭
"which back in their era is very much plausible" While the sequel sucked, both of them indicated being fine with children. Only disagreement was on the amount. (Mulan 1-2, Shang more)
Mulan never wanted to literally be a man or reject all femininity. She just wanted to be able to mix traits from both extremes to match her interests. If not for her wish to be with her family, that council position, another political or a tactical one probably would be right up her alley. But now she is a retired war hero like her father so she has the luxury of not really having to rush anything, as so no longer desperately needs a spouse/career since she has money & honor/respect of her own.
@@teresar6348 I agree with you, I never said anything about Mulan wanting to be a man, her character is literally meant to break the binary of gender stereotypes. I'm just saying that in Ancient China, a girl from an influencial family such as Mulan's (at least from what one might take from the films), wouldn't really have a choice? I'm not saying Mulan didn't want children, she literally stated she did, but it was also the expectation of the times to produce an heir, despite your gender.
12:10 I actually saw a theory that the great stone dragon already awoke the night before: Mulan was sitting in the statue when she decided to go to war. The spirit of the great stone dragon didn’t awaken to Mushu because it was already awake and guiding Mulan
You had no business flexing your vocals singing reflection while simultaneously being hilarious with your editing. 1000/10 love your sing alongs and your voice❤
Hehehe thank you 🙈🫶🏼
They really gave Eddie Murphy a lot of creative freedom with Mushu. Some of his lines make me wonder, “How is this a “G”-Rated movie?” 😂
Omg ikr but I guess that’s the risk of hiring a celebrity comedian 😂
@@SophiaPhannn The fact that this a G film is questionable considering scene with the dead soldiers?????
Fun fact: "Mulan" in Cantonese means "wood magnolia" or "magnolia blossom," so the iconic scene where Fa Zhou is telling Mulan that the late blossom will be the most beautiful of all, those gorgeous pink-flowering trees are supposed to be Chinese magnolias.
Makes sense
No, cause Shang really said, " A GIRL!!!!🤮🤮"
HE SAID BROTHER EW
😂
As a nonbinary person this film meant SO MUCH to me in my formative years, still one of my very fav Disney movies of all time 💛🤍💜🖤
ME TOO! 💜
As a transgender man, I feel the exact same way. Mulan was one of the first characters I really saw myself represented in, not only for the fact that we are both Asian but her journey really guided my own. Reflection is such a powerful ballad and speaks volumes about familial expectations and trying to find yourself while also trying to make your family proud.
Fellow non binary person, reflection spoke to me so much before i even realized i was NB
I truly love this movie❤
Same as an other non binary as well Mulan is an amazing movie.
As just a regular dude this movie also alway held a special place in my heart
My interpretation of why the great stone dragon didn’t awake was because it was just a statue, and the ancestors were just trying to send literally anyone but Mushu.
You sing beautifully, Sophia!
Thank you! 🥹🫶🏼
Fun Fact:
Mulan’s Grandmother is voiced by June Foray.
She’s had a long career of voice acting, but you’ll probably recognize her best as Witch Hazel (both the Disney version and the Looney Tunes version), Magica De Spell (from the original Ducktails), or Natasha Fatale (from Rocky and Bullwinkle).
I don't care what anyone says, I'm a Mushu guy and Eddie Murphy did a great job!
Yes, he did. Before, he voiced 🫏 from shrek movies.
22:04 The most jarring part of the film...
I saw this with my mom, dad and sister when it first came out. This scene came right the hell out of nowhere. They were singing along with the characters! It's a simple rhythm and chorus, upbeat, bright (if a little horny lol), half the theater was singing as well...and then BOOM, burnt out village, hundreds dead, Shang's father included, not ONE survivor. The theater went dead silent for 10 whole seconds.
I remember, clear as day, a little girl in one of the front rows, asking her mom "Mama, what happened? Where is everyone?" and her mom didn't reply. I don't think I blinked until they retrieved the helmet. It went from a happy-go-lucky song about meeting a special girl to total destruction in 2 seconds flat.
Honestly...I love it when films successfully do that. When they pull the rug out from under you in a way that doesn't feel manipulative or unearned (see the Andrew Garfield Spiderman movies), it's really devastating. Shan-Yu is built up as a scary guy, sure, but we never really see him do anything that bad. He burns a flag and has an enemy combatant killed, ok, standard bad-guy stuff. But THIS is great 'show don't tell' film-making. No one even really talks during the whole sequence in the burned out village, we just see it play out with somber music and harsh artwork. They don't even get a chance to grieve, they don't have time! Honor the dead with a sword and a (creepy) little doll, then saddle-up; the war isn't over. Very effective film-making when done correctly.
It doesn't happen very often, the effective serious "sh*t just got real" moment in a film. It usually requires something unexpected, but still plausible/relevant to the film. The reveal of the Black Pearl as a Ghost ship in the first Pirates of the Caribbean Movie ("Ye best start believing in ghost stories, Ms. Turner...you're IN one"), Luke getting his hand cut off right before Vader reveals who his father really was/is, the first time you see the great white shark during Jaws and the look on Roy Scheider's face, the moment the T-Rex walks out of the paddock in the rain and roars like the giant murder-lizard it is...all these moments have different degree's of build-up and tension and levels of importance to the story. But like this really bleak, quiet, hard-right they took in Mulan, they all grab the audience by the chin and say "You wearin' a seatbelt? If not, you better hold on tight...it's a whole new ballgame now." And like you said, it's still a kids' film! I wonder if that little girl, after the film, demanded that her parents explain what the hell happened in that village. That would have been a fun conversation in the car on the way home. You think they told her the truth?
Great Vid! ☺
Tldr
Got all that horror across without a single word (unlike the live action), nor a single drop of blood. New songs stop for the rest of the movie.
And it's still PG.
@@teresar6348 hits the breaks and the heart all at once, yessir.
Mulan forever holds a special place in my heart.
Mulan’s Grandma was kinda simping for Shang 😂🤣😅
Who wouldn’t? 😂 she said “I was born in the wrong generation” LMAOOO
@@SophiaPhannn lmao 🤣
Her being voiced by the OG voice actor of Looney Tunes' Granny and Rocky J. Squirrel of the 'Rocky and Bullwinkle' shorts boosts up her importance in animation history.
Weren’t we all?
@@COSun25 I wonder if the Grandmother is meant to be the comic relief before Mushu comes in?????
Kinda like how Iago from Aladdin provides some humor till the Genie comes.
We love Shang our favorite bi icon. Also this movie is one of the best Disney movies like ever
There's nothing bisexual about him. Assuming that he is actually says more about you guys than him.
@wesmcinerny4524 why do you think it's a bad thing for Shang to be bi?
@@wesmcinerny4524 cry about it
@@wesmcinerny4524 are you ok?
@@wesmcinerny4524Being this pressed over people's headcanon of a fictional character says a lot more about you than them
OKAY VOCALS!!! your rendition of reflection gave me chills! I know you lowered the actual movie for copyright, but like...the vocals were giving so maybe in sing-a-longs you can do that for your favorite songs
Omg thank you 😭 I was worried about not having the instrumentals to hide behind of, but I’m glad y’all liked it 🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
6:20 Vocals 😍😍😍
🙈🫶🏼
This movie helped me through a mojority of my anxiety attacks in middle school, I'd alwayd put it on when I started overthinking and it always helped distract me from the worst of it 🙏
I think one of the main reasons why I love this movie so much other than the topic of war, the humor, the music and how it's Asian centered is because Reflection always had such a huge impact on my life as a gay man. I feel like while it's mainly about a girl feeling like a failure to her family, I found it can also be about someone who's gay also feeling like they let their family down because of their sexuality. When I sing it, instead of saying "I may never pass for a perfect bride or a perfect daughter" I change it to "I may never pass for a perfect son or a perfect husband." I always get choked up singing the song with that in mind. Especially with the lyric "if I were truly to be myself I would break my family's heart."😢
That lyric really is heartbreaking 😢
I used to watch this movie almost every day a year before the pandemic started (but it honestly feels like it was more recently). I think I mostly watched it for the songs, especially “Reflection” and “I’ll make a man out of you”
Omg everyday is a commitment
The way Shang sees Mulan in her "man" disguise can be seen as approval of an officer to his soldier, I try not to look too far into it, as the legend went, this movie shouldn't have romance at all, but it's Disney so romance is going to be somewhere in the picture, especially since this was made in the late 90s when they found a new formula for their stories.
And this is actually the only Disney adaptation that I think the legends are in some ways better than the Disney adaptation.
The story of Mulan was actually started from a poem, the time was set between 386 A.D to 535 A.D, in which case you actually couldn't see the missiles in the movie.
Mulan's last name was never mentioned in the poem or other related legend stories, the poem started with her sewing by the window, but she's not actually sewing, but sighing by the sewing machine. Her servants asked why she was sighing, Mulan answered that she saw twelve notice sent in and her father's name was on every single one of them. Because Mulan didn't have an older brother who was old enough to fight, her younger brother was a few years too young to receive a recruit notice, and she only had an older sister, they had no other young man in the family, so she decided that she would take on the responsibility to fight in the war.
Because the war was going on, she had to go to four different markets just for the horse and the accessories that went with the horse, it took them 12 years of fighting before they won and were able to go home. And she didn't have a war horse to begin with.
(Note: Mulan's brother was likely 18 in the legend when the recruit notice was for men age 20~25)
Mulan was just outside the city's walls when her parents came to welcome her home, her older sister heard that she's coming back and immediately started to put on makeup and getting ready to welcome her, her little brother heard that she's back, and he's there preparing to kill the pigs and the sheep for a feast.
When Mulan got back to her room, she took off her armor and changed back to her dress, put on her makeup, got her hair up in an updo, and went out of her room to meet the soldiers that fought with her, and those soldiers were surprised because for the 12 years that they fought in wars with her, they had no idea that she's a woman.
The incredible thing about the original legend isn't that Mulan was a girlboss, or she defied social norms to "be herself" the incredible thing about Mulan in the original legend was that her motivation was purely love for her father, and the fact that she just happened to meet the age requirement for recruit, she didn't do it with defying anything to begin with, to add on to that, the actions she took in the original legend is seen as a form of filial piety. Another thing that was incredible about the original legend of Mulan was that she was able to return to her normal life after 12 years of fighting, most people are not able to do that. In the original legend, Mulan was just a traditional, loving daughter who felt that the right thing to do when her father was unable to fight in the war when she could take on the responsibility was to take on the responsibility and fight in the war, the fact that the first thing she did after she got home was to change into her usual dress and put on her usual makeup showed that in the original legend she's just a loving, concerned daughter at her core, that loving daughter who was concerned about her father, so she took on the fighting, she didn't really "want" this, but the responsibility could only go to her, and she accepted it.
I think the fact that in the original legend, they had no idea that she's a woman is so much more interesting than having them find out about it, when I first read that poem, I had a whole discussion with my mom asking why they didn't know, especially those soldiers who spent 12 years fighting wars with her. It was wild lol.
To be fair though, men in these eras also wear clothes that resembling dresses, it's not uncommon to do that in the past and it could be why it's hard to tell if you're a man or a woman, plus armors were so heavy it could completely hide any hints of someone being a man or a woman so the legend could get away with soldiers not knowing Mulan was a woman all along.
I mean, it's also ancient history. Soldiers did each other when they were away from home for so long
I appreciate this animation over the live action for sure. I understand cutting down the war time given the family movie nature and limited screen time. But a lot of this does work out. Animated Mulan also didn't seem all that girl bossy, she seemed alright with trying to fit more feminine roles (as opposed to characters like Merida, 2020 Mulan, etc.), just knowing it wasn't something she was outright good at. This one also for the most part just returns to a normal life as a retired veteran like her father, also content in a dress.
In either one, I doubt the solders would have expected a woman, more likely guessing Mulan lied about her age and is just too young to legally fight, still a boy rather than a man. There are certainly cases of that being done to save family. Also prolly taking her build as being noble and not any sort of laborer.
Mulan: Rise of a Warrior is an adaptation closer to that of your mention if you've seen it. Definitely not PG, though it is in fact a decade's ish of battle, where she is only recognized by 2 (someone from her village + one other) who she was able to convince to keep quiet, which I can see happening if its only 2.
I love Mulan and only loved it more after discovering she's Left Handed- at the start she's writing on her right arm
Given his age and the injury I wouldn't be surprised if her father had gone he'd have been given like a desk job/ perhaps something like strategizing or helping train recruits and not so much sending him out on to the battle field (I'd hope)
Shang walked so Taigen from Blue Eye Samurai could SPRINT
Hell yes I love Blue Eye Samurai
Absolutely one of my favorite movies. I never get tired of it and can basically quote the whole thing. And even STILL, the emotional bits still hit. Mulan’s dad at the end saying the greatest gift is having her as a daughter?? Literally still makes me choke up. You know something is this good of a movie when you can go back to it again and again over yearssss. And totally gaining new perspectives and appreciation as you get older and learn more. This is also one of those movies where it represented well without checking boxes like they do now (I’m completely white so I can’t say personally). Even though there’s the goofier scenes and sound effects and things like a black man voicing a cartoony sidekick, the directing worked so well. It’s so funny when Mulan gets revealed because I remember when I was little and the dramatic music happened and the blanket fell, I remember thinking “oh it’s cause she’s a bit curvy and looks more like a girl underneath” but now growing up, my brain just goes “oh no BOOBSSS” 😂 I’m so glad I never saw the live action cause I’m already not a fan of the live action treatments, but I didn’t want it to be associated with this masterpiece after I was hearing how bad it was….
Also not Sophia KILLING it with “Reflection” 🔥 literally got goosebumps from that vibrato.
Hehehe thank you 🙈
one thing i really enjoyed about the film as an adult was how the film deals with masculinity and femininity
Mulan fails at first at being a man because both she and Mushu have stereotypical ideas of what masculinity is,
but when Mulan stops trying to be a male or follow others advice on what being a male is, and finally uses her brain and acts more like herself, she is able to succeed at the training
The way the trio are able to surprise the huns is by dressing as girls, and taking feminine qualities
Shang holds off Shan You but he can’t defeat Shan you in terms of strength
whereas Mulan defeats Shan Yu not with brute strength but cunning and smarts
Even as a kid this suggested to me that strength is not the only thing that matters and there are many ways to fight or to show strength, and that men and women are not that different actually when you factor those other features into the equation.
but i do like how they flipped the ideas of masculinity on its head intros film.
I did not grow up with parents who were fans of Disney but my mom did buy me Mulan on vhs and it is soo nostalgic for me. My first experience with suspense was watching the Huns rain down the hill 😅
girl, sing-a-long? THIS WAS A CONCERT! when you sang reflection, i am not joking i got goosebumps!!! so stunning!!! ❤❤❤
I know it wasn't shown in this react video but when Mulan helped the girl rescued her doll from the little boy; then later she sees a doll in a burned down village; it probably gave her a lot of heartache. Also, she showed strategy in that scene when she saw the solution to the Chinese board game in an instance; which foreshadow her showing strategy in the military.
In the Chinese version Shang is played by Jackie Chan. He also sings I’ll make a man out of you. Jackie is a platinum selling artist in China
12:10 it's widely theorized the reason the great stone dragon did not awaken was because the dragon's spirit was inside Mulan. It makes sense when you realize she was crying at the foot of the statue when she decided to go to war, so it is possible that the dragon's spirit decided to leave the stone body and imbed itself inside Mulan's. Though I'm not sure if it's confirmed, it's the best theory we got XD
Sophia! Your voice and sincere emotion singing “Reflection” brought me to tears😭 Beautiful job, hun!
A movie so good it gives you 2 climaxes. Love that voice! ❤
2 climaxes 🙈
OKAY YOUR VOCALS??? MY EARS ARE BLESSED 😭😭
Same 😭
Girl your voice is blooming like a rare, delicate, but bold and unique flower ❤❤
This movie is SO good
The humor, the emotional scenes at war, Mulan finding self confidence ❤
As always, your singing voice is GREAT! You absolutely killed it with your sing-along to "Reflection".
Thank you 🫶🏼🥹
VOCALS GIRL VOCALSSS 👏👏 literally had to applaud you ate that one up
Even though I didn't like Mulan as a kid (mainly because Shan Yu scared the crap out of me), it is one of my absolute favorites now. I sometimes watch it during my workouts in the gym because Make a Man Out of You is a SERIOUS motivator!
I also love Mulan 2 ! Let’s watch it
Okay bet!!
Me too.
@@SophiaPhannn Mulan 2 is terrible compared to the original.
@@orangeslash1667ya mama
I’m a little late to the party, but I’m so glad to see you watching another Disney movie!
🥰
…especially THIS one!
also god your singing voice is so pretty thanks for these sing along commentaries.
I’m glad you enjoyed 🫶🏼
Disney has to call you for a role lol
LOL there are far more talented people out there!
BTW, have you seen Xiran Jay Zhao’s videos analyzing the cultural authenticity of this and the live-action film. According to her, even though the live-action film marketed itself on cultural authenticity, the animated film was actually far more accurate in its portrayal of Chinese culture and storytelling!
😎
I was enjoying your Reflection cover and then the editing at 6:31 killed me 😂
HAHAHA
8:47 If you pay close attention to the soldier/messenger behind Chi Fu, he honestly looks sorry for Mulan that her father has to go to war. He feels bad for them. Never noticed that before. 24:16 I don't think I ever realized that THAT was how she got wounded, it's so quick that you miss it. I was today years old when I realized this. 25:25 The sad thing about this scene (at least to me whenever I watched this movie) is that Mulan was just genuinely happy to see him.
I LOVED the sequel!
Firstly because when it came out I was a girl who just started taking karate lessons when that was not a thing (not in my country anyway) and that stupid 1st song made me feel seen, and secondly, because of that traumatising scene where Mulan puts her sword to the ground after Shang falls.
Mulan II will always have a special place in my heart.
To be real am singing along to the songs that you reacted to 😭✋ Mulan Disney Classic is goated.
Honestly, as much as I love how sassy Mulan's grandma is, my favorite part of the movie is Yao roasting Chi-Fu in the song "A Girl Worth Fighting For".
Chi-Fu: 🎶I've a girl back home who's unlike any other🎶
Yao: 🎶Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother🎶
Just the look on his face ALONE is priceless. 😆😆🤣🤣
Reflection always makes my heart hurt a bit as a trans guy, it's such a great song
"When will my reflection show who I am inside?" Like, me too girl
Had no idea how much I needed this! I sang alongside of you it was very healing 🌈 ✨
Love that ☺️🫶🏼✨
Also if in the future you do feel draw to rewatch Mulan 2 please do! I found that one quiet fun with the romances besides the crazy Shang parts lol
MY GOD! SOPHIA’S BEEN HOLDING OUT! HER VOICE IS INCREDIBLE!
In regards to the Great Stone Dragon, a lot of people believe Mulan herself is the reincarnation of that dragon. When she's crying in the rain, she goes to sit at the feet of the dragon. This led people to believe that she found comfort sitting in that specific spot, where the GSD has sat for centuries.
This movie is one of my favorites!! It always makes me so happy. Also, I love your sing-a-longs. You have such a pretty voice 💕✨
Thank you love 🥹🫶🏼
Sophia Phan Your smile warms my heart🥰
My younger sister is such a tomboy, and this is absolutely her favorite Disney movie.
And @21:31 hits hard -- she also has more rizz with the girls than I or my brothers ever get, lol! 😂
i love when sophia sings with the main character
🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
Me too
Disney kind of has a monopoly on crazy movie grandmas. Lol
Jeeeeez, even while at work and just listening to the scene at the end with Mulan and her dad made me tear up
Lmao you’re so funny watching this. “Put your hand down you didn’t do shit!”
Holy! Amazing performance of Reflection that totally took me by surprise. Great job! 😍
Thank you!! 🙈🫶🏼
You seriously slayed Reflection omg
Omg thank you 🥹 I kept listening over it too much that I started hating how I sounded 😂
Fr
At 15:15 I just realized that the guy behind Shang was the guy who was tying to send Mulan dad in the 1st place so he knew who he was
Omg, My mom made me that same porridge with fried egg just like mushu did!😂 it’s not as mushy and is more watery! I’m not sure if it’s like an actual Chinese dish-We called it “egg rice” in Chinese!
Also those vocals omggggg 😍 perfection!
Ur voice is so prettyyyy
Thank you 🥹🫶🏼
I love that in 'A girl worth fighthing for', their three dream girls look like the three princesses they end up with in the sequel! I wonder if it was a foreshadowing or they decided to make them based on that scene, when they made the sequel.
ur channel is so comforting i appreciate u 💗🎀🪽
So glad ☺️🫶🏼✨
such a banger movie. when I was a little kid, after watching Mulan I was play-acting out the scene with the matchmaker when Mulan's trying to hide the cricket in her mouth, and I pretended a little mancala stone was the cricket and put it in my mouth and then my dumb ass accidentally swallowed it straight down my throat lmaoo. my face was just 😳 and then I was freaking out deciding whether I should tell my mom or not 😭
was watching a cover of once upon a dream and it occured to me......SOPHIA HAS NOT DONE A SLEEPING BEAUTY COMMENTARY!!! I NEED HER TO BELT OUT ONCE UPON A DREAM
Unironically, your singing voice would be perfect for vocaling Cassandra's songs in the Tangled TV series. Keep it up ^^
Also, a man calling another "pretty boy" - especially in this context - is more of an insult than an acknowledgement. It's like saying "you look sissy" or "you're not tough enough".
Also also, one thing you can't take away from Shan Yu as a villain is that he IS a warrior: always first to the charge, last to stand.
I like the way Shun Yu actually recognized Mulan!!
Okay Sophia coming THROUGH with the vocals during “Reflection”!!! ✨✨👏🏻👏🏻
🙈🎶💅🏼
Your vibrato is stunning. Sounds so effortless and beautiful
Thank you 🥹🫶🏼 if there’s one thing I can do, it’s vibrato!
I didn't watch this movie until I was maybe a teenager, but this swiftly became a favorite Disney movie for me, second only to The Jungle Book. The setting, the story, Mulan, the songs, the comedy, friggin Shan Yu.. I adored it, and it was one that even my mom can appreciate, despite her mostly being a "Disney died with Disney" purist at the time.
Sophia: So, HOW MANY of you guys-
Me, not even looking up: Yes.
Let's just lay out the red carpet for our incredible vocalist Sophia.
😎👋🏼✨
Sophia with the VOCALS during Reflection!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
😌💅🏼✨
This is one of the first movies I actively remember seeing in theaters. I watched it endlessly after it came out on video and even went as Mulan in her matchmaking dress for Halloween (although I am not Asian so I don’t know how cringey it was for a white girl in 1999 to have gone as Mulan 🤷♀️). Either way, this movie is a lot of fun! And you did a marvelous job singing “Reflection.”! Bravo! 👏👏
Girl Im not even 6 mins in and I already have to say THE VOCALS ARE AMAZING!!!!
Edit. 😭 OKAY REFLECTION IS MY FAVORITE SONG FROM THIS MOVIE AND THE VOCALS ARE SLAYING✨✨✨
Dang dude, when you sang I got chills…. ❤ So happy I found you on TH-cam
That singing voice though - I got chills.
Your vocals are always stunninggggggggg ❤❤
Thank you love 🥹🫶🏼
Why are you so good at singing 😭
The running theory as to why the Great Stone Dragon didn't wake up is because they were already awake, in Mulan. When she decided to take her father's place in the army, she became the Great Stone Dragon. Super Carlin Brothers did a video on it years ago.
loved this video, this movie will always remain perfect 😭 please please do a video for the sequel i’d love that 🙏🏼
(slow awkward raising of the hand) I have a 'hear me out' for Shan Yu. Big imposing dude, hot voice, dresses cool, awesome eyes... He wasn't even pissed that he was bested by a girl, he's just mad someone destroyed 95% of his army.
I might be looking to much into it but the parallels of
"Bring on honor to us all" and
"You have saved us all"