Let’s get into my girl Mulan. She is the definition of a badass. I mean, she did save China!
As a little girl, I loved this movie, but as an adult, I fell in love with Mulan again. Without a second thought, she disguised herself as a man to take her elderly father’s place on the battlefield. Yes, it was against the law, and she risked her life in two ways. Still, all of that is irrelevant because she knew her father was too prideful to admit he needed to sit that fight out.
Mulan teaches us that with pure determination and persistence, you can surprise yourself with what you can accomplish. To her surprise, she had a friendly companion, Mushu, and a lucky cricket to aid her in joining the army. She not only completed boot camp and became one of the best soldiers.
Even after she was discovered as a woman and her life was spared by General Shang, I was rooting for that love story since he first popped up on the screen, but I digress. When her life was spared and ordered home, she stayed and ended up saving the entire country and got the man at the end of the movie. I learned young; Men will always underestimate women’s strength and intellect until we show them otherwise.
I did watch the second and live-action Mulan as well. For Mulan 2, it was an enjoyable watch, but the first movie could have been better. I did enjoy seeing Mulan and Shang engaged, leading to their marriage.
On the other hand, the live-action, I was not a fan. There are outside factors that make it less enjoyable. The movie was shot in Xinjiang, China, where Muslims are being held in “education camps” and tortured. Y’all know I am The Misunderstood Afro Muslimah. For a while, I protested, even watching the film. But I did watch it, and it was okay. A lot of the elements I loved about the movie were missing! No music, love story, and Mushu. I feel like the live-action could have been better.
The original Mulan is my favorite Disney Princess, and “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” is a staple on my workout playlists.
The Misunderstood Afro Muslimah 