The entire premise, plot, and character arc of the film were built on Western concepts of universal sex, gender, and womanhood. It fails to paint the picture of that context, downplaying the significance of Mulan’s story, her actions, character development, intelligence, and loyalty. That Mulan has been a subversive story set in the context of patriarchal Chinese culture is what makes this latest live-action remake’s depiction so egregious. Beyond Mulan, there are many examples of female warriors in the Wuxia genre that solidified my place in the canon of warrior women. This stood in contrast to the depictions of white American womanhood with which I have never been able to identify.

For a young tomboy like me, knowing that there was precedent for Chinese women who enjoyed martial arts and roughhousing with boys gave me a sense of belonging in Chinese culture. from Taiwan, would read the story of Hua Mulan to me in Mandarin at bedtime. Even before Disney’s animated Mulan was released, my parents, immigrants to the U.S.

Whenever I think of the story of Mulan, I have fond memories from my childhood.

Loyal brave true in chinese mulan