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Where EAST meets the Northwest

SEEING RED. Disney and Pixar’s new original feature film, Turning Red, tells the story of 13-year-old Meilin Lee, who is happy with her friends, school, and, well, most of the time, her family — until the day when she begins to "poof" into a giant red panda at decidedly inconvenient times. Turning Red, which features Rosalie Chiang as the voice of Meilin, debuted in March exclusively on Disney+. (© 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.)

LIFE CHANGES. Disney and Pixar’s new original feature film, Turning Red, debuted exclusively on Disney+ last month. In the film, viewers are introduced to 13-year-old Meilin Lee, known as Mei to her friends, who lives in Toronto, Canada. Set in the early 2000s, Turning Red is a coming-of-age story about change, transitional moments, and the relationship between mothers and daughters. Pictured are "Red Panda Mei" talking to her friends — Miriam, Abby, and Priya. (© 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.)

Meilin Lee watches as her mother looks at a notebook in Disney and Pixar’s new original feature film, Turning Red. (© 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.)

Rosalie Chiang, a cast member in the animated film Turning Red, poses at the world premiere of the film on March 1, 2022 at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

From The Asian Reporter, V32, #4 (April 4, 2022), pages 1 & 11.

Turning Red introduces viewers to 13-year-old Meilin Lee

Disney and Pixar’s new original feature film, Turning Red, debuted exclusively on Disney+ last month. In the film, viewers are introduced to 13-year-old Meilin Lee, who lives in Toronto, Canada. Set in the early 2000s, Turning Red is a coming-of-age story about change, transitional moments, and the relationship between mothers and daughters.

Directed by Domee Shi, the film features the voices of Rosalie Chiang as Meilin; Sandra Oh as the protective if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming; Orion Lee as the father, Jin; Wai Ching Ho as Grandma; Ava Morse, Hyein Park, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Meilin’s friends Miriam, Abby, and Priya, respectively; and others.

Meilin — Mei to her friends — is a confident, slightly dorky middle-schooler who has a solid group of friends, an admirable record in school, and a better-than-average relationship with her family. She’s exuberant, ambitious, overachieving, and excels both in school and at home.

Similar to a lot of 13-year-olds diving headfirst into adolescence, Mei is in for a wild ride, which viewers of Turning Red also get to experience. The wild ride begins when the teen starts to mysteriously "poof" into a giant, uber emotional red panda at the most inconvenient times, which leads to an exploration of Mei as the dutiful and obedient daughter and Mei the spirited teenager.

"Red Panda Mei" is the same Mei her friends and family know and love — but in the form of a fluffy, eight-foot-tall, unpredictable and destructive red panda. It’s a time full of unexpected emotions.

"We’re basically using the red panda as an adorable metaphor for the very unadorable phenomenon of puberty," explained director Shi, with "Red Panda Mei" representing Mei as her most vulnerable, messy, and true self.

Film producer Lindsey Collins said the story is relatable in large part because it is rooted in Shi’s own life. "She was 13 in 2002," Collins said of the director. "She had a very tight and somewhat hilarious and complex relationship with her mom. Some of the craziest moments in the film are based on things that actually happened to Domee."

Turning Red presents universal themes about growing up that will ring true to many viewers, whether they are a parent or child. The film is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America and is currently streaming on Disney+.

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