- Director: Domee Shi
- Year: 2022
Overview
Meilin "Mei" Lee is a confident thirteen-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl living in Toronto who struggles to balance her independent interests with being a dutiful daughter. She doesn't expect to inherit a family curse that transforms her into a giant red panda whenever she experiences strong emotions. Mei learns that her ancestors shared this trait, and her mother, Ming, expects her to suppress the beast through a ritual. Instead of hiding it, Mei uses the panda's popularity at school to raise money for concert tickets. This choice creates tension with her mother, leading to a public confrontation where Mei must decide how to manage her dual identity.
Takeaways
Turning into a giant red panda whenever she gets excited or upset shows how hard it is for Mei to keep her feelings bottled up. Her mother Ming wants her to suppress the panda completely, prioritizing family reputation and tradition over Mei's own growth. Mei shakes things up by embracing the panda and using it to raise money for a concert, turning what was supposed to be a shameful curse into something fun. Instead of getting rid of the panda like her mother and aunts did, Mei decides to keep it. She learns that accepting all parts of herself, even the messy and emotional ones, is much better than trying to look perfect.