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[melloblueanimated]

Turning Red (2022) - My Impressions

So it has be approximately 4 hours since I've watched Pixar's latest film Turning Red (2022) and here are the only thoughts I still have floating around hours after my first viewing (I have ADHD so my memory is fleeting. No spoilers but I'll put a filter anyway):

These children are queer. I'm sorry (not sorry)

There is no hetero explanation for the interaction between Priya and the goth girl

Mei and Miriam

Just Miriam I mean...look at this queer baby

Tyler

At the very least bi/ sapphic/ace/demi

At the heart, this again is about generational trauma (and we are still recovering from Encanto. Good lord Disney)

This is as much a mother/daughter story as it is a coming of age story. One that ends well and where the mother is overbearing (at first) but in very much a relatable way. I never viewed her as the villain. They really did such a great job with Ming.

RED. PANDAS. ARE. ADORABLE

The feels of the early 2000s period mixed in with 90s anime is amazing

Idk how they did it but they were able to blend 2D effects with 3D animation

Pads/feminine hygiene products/ periods finally EXIST in animation OMG

This is such an unapologetically girly, feminine, pink film that really embraces pre-teen/teen hood! I love when child characters are able to actually at like, well, CHILDREN.

I have been seeing a lot of complaints from people that this movie is...cringe. Well in my opinion, it was probably done on purpose. Just from seeing the behinds the scenes work on the film, this was a crew of women then knew what they were doing. Weren't we all that cringey at that age? Didn't we have moments where our parents made us wanna puke from embarrassment? I feel like it is a great testament to the crew that they were able to make us feel uncomfortable. To make us FEEL the embarrassment of Mei and to take us back to that period of time.

An edit: I will like to acknowledge those that wish to make this purely a platonic film about a group of friends. That’s okay too! Platonic relationships are so important, just as much as romantic ones. I’m not the kind of person to just make a character gay just because, but if I do see signs of it I will say it.

I'm planning to actually write a complete and fully realized essay on this movie after my second viewing but I had to write down my impressions before I forgot.This is definitely going to become a comfort movie.

[melloblueanimated]

Encanto Essay Part 2: The Madrigal Sisters

Click here for part 1: https://kcrartlove.tumblr.com/post/672397919215878144/encanto-essay-series-part-1-abuela-madrigal

Encanto Essay Series: Part 1 - Abuela Madrigal

Abuela Alma Madrigal: The Matriarch of the Madrigal family and mother of Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta. Rewatching Encanto a second time it is ha

We are now going to switch gears here and focus on the two sisters: Luisa and Isabela.

Immediately starting from just the first song of the movie "Family Madrigal", we can already see where each sister fits within the dynamic. From Mirabel's perspective they are both "perfect in every way".

Luisa is the "beauty and the brawn/ do no wrong" and Isabela the "perfect golden child". Of course as the movie goes on we realize that they are not "perfect" and merely feel pressured into living up to Abuela's standards. Even Mirabel sings:

This is my family A perfect constellation So many stars and everybody gets to shine

Whoa! But let's be clear, Abuela runs this show, whoa

Let's start with Luisa, with her song "Surface Pressure".

I'm the strong one, I'm not nervous I'm as tough as the crust of the earth is I move mountains, I move churches And I glow 'cause I know what my worth is

She starts off the song showing this blaring confidence in herself. According to her words she knows what she is worth, so why should she worry about the crack in the walls? She can fight whatever obstacle comes her way. But the deeper we go into the song, the cracks in her confidence start to show.

Under the surface I feel berserk as a tightrope walker in a three-ring circus Under the surface Was Hercules ever like "Yo, I don't wanna fight Cerberus"? Under the surface I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service

There it is. Underneath her tough exterior she feels that if she can't serve then she is "worthless". She's seen what has happened to Tio Bruno and her younger sister Mirabel. They were of no use to the family so they were cast aside.

Even at the beginning of the film when Mirabel was trying to help prep for Antonio's gifting ceremony, Abuela told her to step aside because she is of no use in the preparations. This couldn't have been the first instance of this happening to Mirabel and mostly likely is what Luisa and Isabela has seen growing up. That trauma from Bruno, down to Mirabel, has been interwoven in the fabric of their family. Even though Luisa is gifted, she feels that she needs to constantly prove her worth to the family and her community. Luisa sees being herself as not good enough to protect her family and her home. I can imagine her being told to watch out and protect her sisters a lot while growing up.

When Luisa starts to lose her power, she immediately breaks down. While this is played up for laughs in the film (I will admit I myself chuckled and her struggling to carry the potted plant) this is a true trauma response. Since she can no longer life up to her typical high standards of physical strength, she sees herself as worthless even more than she did before. She can't protect the people she loves and can't even protect herself.

According to the National Association for Gifted Children "Some say that gifted children are more prone to depression and suicide because of their heightened sensitivities, perfectionism, introversion, overachieving behaviors, existential concerns, and feeling like they don’t fit in. This can result in behaviors such as low self esteem, being very critical of themselves, frustration, and anger." Luisa immediately displays low self esteem at the moment she loses her powers. She has officially deemed herself helpless and hopeless.

What is quite interesting is when Isabel's power start to go haywire she sees this as a means of freedom.

This is the part of the story where we learn that Luisa's perfectionism is merely a role that has been placed on her. Underneath her pleasant exterior is years of anger and pent up frustration at living up to an unsustainable ideal.

Lets look at some lyrics from her and Mirabel's song What Else Can I Do?:

I grow rows and rows of roses Flor de mayo, by the mile I make perfect, practiced poses So much hides behind my smile

What could I do if I just grew what I was feelin' in the moment? (Do you know where you're going? Whoa) What could I do if I just knew it didn't need to be perfect? It just needed to be? And they'd let me be?

This is the first time in the whole movie where we see the true Isabela. She wants to be free to express herself, and the only way she can do that is through the plants she grows and creates. I feel like the cactus she created represents her in a way: On the exterior the cactus is prickly and untouchable but deep down inside it is vibrant and full of delicious water and sustenance (also I just have to point out that the cactus is a hidden Mickey lol). I feel like maybe Isa doesn't feel good enough being herself until this moment where Mirabel pushes her to her limit.

As the song goes on her dress just becomes messier, and messier, AND MESSIER! It's a beautiful transformation to watch. Her dress turns a dark, almost midnight purple with splatters of color from what I'm assuming is pollen from the plants she creates. She turns from being this delicate flower to a woman to passionate, vibrant, and powerful being. She's messy, but she's beautiful in all her perceived flaws and passionate nature.

Side note: I can also see Isabella as being a metaphor for coming out in the queer community and I personally head-canon her as a lesbian but that's for another day.

One thing I love is the character arc we see in both Isabela and Luisa. By the end of the movie Luisa is giving herself permission to express and feel her feelings. "Sometimes I cry," Luisa admits in the song All of You. I love how Isabela and Mirabel respond singing "So do I!" in unison. She recognizes now that she deserves to rest when she feels like she needs to and to not push herself too hard, but also that her sisters are a valuable support system that up to this point she had been overlooking. She had been relying on herself for so long, she didn't even think of her sisters as an emotional outlet. I feel like also up to this point the sisters were very much divided but now they're a solid unit.

Isa, on the other hand, is starting to play a more active role in her life. Living closely under the thumb of her grandmother, she is now taking charge of her life. We can see this in the final song number of the movie where Isabel is actively helping to rebuild the house.

Next I will be talking about Mirabel in the next post. I feel that talking about her relationship with herself and her sisters will require its own post to be honest, because there's a lot to say due to the background I'll have to provide on family systems.

[melloblueanimated]

Hello all! I would like to introduce you to my OC Sanna Robinson. She is a part of a magical girl group that has different powers relate to the different chakras. She has healing abilities that can be helpful and harmful to herself and others.

[vegebullshit]

Ah! Thank you so much for reblogging by Goku sketch! Love your blog

Nawww no problem your sketch was so cute how could I not reblog ^.^

[lexareadsalatte]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You don't know me that well but I'm a follower. Thank you for your lovely blog and I hope you have a magical one :)

THANK YOU!!

I love when followers talk to me so thank you!! XD

Hope your day is MAGICAL too!