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It’s Not All Black and White: An Analysis of Po and Shen’s Relationship through Yin-yang and Wuxing in Kung Fu Panda 2

NOTE: i wrote this essay several years ago (pre-kfp4) as a mere sophomore in uni. i am posting it now -- completely unedited from its submission to my prof, with the exception of some extra paragraph breaks -- because an anon asked me to talk about kfp2. in other words, what else am i going to do with this essay? might as well post it on tumblr for fellow kfp fans to read -- i hope y'all enjoy! (as you read, be gentle with my sophomore self; i promise my writing and my knowledge of critical sources have improved vastly in the years since)

Introduction

The Kung Fu Panda trilogy is a DreamWorks production that follows giant panda Po on his journey to learn different aspects of kung fu. He becomes Dragon Warrior in the first, finds inner peace in the second, and masters chi in the third. The films are set in a fictitious ancient China full of anthropomorphic animals (C. Wang 6, 10). The movies have been successful worldwide, garnering a total of over $1.8 billion (“Box Office”). With this popularity comes criticism, often centered on the issue of orientalism in the first film. Chenjun Wang argues that the movies, particularly the first, become “a hybrid image where orientalism lingers” because they emphasize “western values” amidst superficial Chinese aesthetics (3, 11). Naomi Greene agrees, claiming Kung Fu Panda is empty of “historical, moral, and spiritual weight” because Po “remains preoccupied with the self” throughout the film (204, 210). Alternatively, Xiao-yan Bu asserts Kung Fu Panda is an example of transculturation, where both Chinese and American cultures influence the movie and are given equal weight, offering that being “a cultural hybrid” is not a criticism but a compliment (883).

This research departs from previous literature by focusing on the influence of Chinese philosophies in the second film. Specifically, it will examine yin-yang and wuxing philosophies because of the recurring yin/yang and fire/water motifs throughout Kung Fu Panda 2 [KFP2]. The second film was chosen because of this clear presence of Chinese philosophical motifs and the lack of existing literature, but also because it deals with the most mature themes of the trilogy. There are two plots to KFP2: the first is the overarching plot of Po trying to defeat antagonist Lord Shen, an albino peacock who seeks to conquer China with his firework weapon. This plot is resolved through Shen’s defeat (Kung Fu Panda 2 [KFP2] 00:18:59 – 00:19:04; 01:13:07 – 01:17:05). The second is Po grappling with PTSD and his repressed memories of Lord Shen killing all the pandas, including Po’s parents, when Po was a baby. 1 This plot is resolved when Po allows himself to recall and accept his memories, finding inner peace (KFP2 00:01:13 – 00:01:22; 01:02:00 – 01:05:04). KFP2 thus deals with themes of genocide and trauma that are not present in the first or third film, setting it apart. Furthermore, it approaches these themes through Po and Shen’s relationship as narrative foils, Po and Shen being the two characters the aforementioned yin/yang and fire/water motifs are applied to in the film. Foils are “literary device[s] designed to illustrate or reveal information, traits, values, or motivations of one character through the comparison and contrast of another character” (“Foil”). The primary reason Po and Shen are foils is their inherent connection. In the first and third movies, Po and the antagonists have no prior relationship. In the second, however, Shen is directly responsible for the genocide of Po’s people, meaning their narratives were intertwined from the beginning, thus marking the foilistic nature of their dynamic. As such, this research intends to examine how Po and Shen’s relationship in Kung Fu Panda 2 is influenced by the Chinese philosophies of yin-yang and wuxing; specifically, it will analyze how these philosophies accentuate the characters’ complementary and contrasting qualities as foils through their narrative arcs and their visual portrayals.

Yin-yang and Wuxing

What are yin-yang and wuxing?

Yin-yang is associated with many Chinese philosophies, where yin and yang are two opposing yet complementary forces that change naturally from one into the other (e.g. day into night), acting as “a process of harmonization ensuring a constant, dynamic balance of all things” (Littlejohn “Daoist”; R. Wang). Yin (black/dark swirl) represents qualities that are receptive, passive, and so on, while yang (white/light swirl) represents qualities that are prominent, active, etc. (“The Deep”). Wuxing is similarly connected to many Chinese philosophies, often translated as “five elements.” These elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, and they are seen as “ever-changing material forces” that possess different relationships with one another, either generating or overcoming (Littlejohn “Wuxing”). These philosophies will be discussed together within Po and Shen’s relationship because each wuxing element is considered more yin or more yang, though an element can be further divided into yin and yang qualities (e.g. water is yin, but a flowing current is yang to still water’s yin). (“Yin-Yang and Five”; Pun-Yin). As such, it is appropriate to acknowledge the philosophies’ interconnectedness (an interconnectedness fitting for foils, two characters that share inherent connection).

How do yin-yang and wuxing apply to Po and Lord Shen?

Wuxing predominately applies to Po and Shen because it highlights contrasting qualities of their relationship as foils through visual fire/water motifs. In KFP2, Shen is consistently associated with fire, while Po is consistently associated with water. For example, Shen’s very introduction is him experimenting with fire; similarly, Po’s climactic achievement of finding inner peace involves manipulation of a single water droplet 2 (KFP2 00:00:39 – 00:00:47; 01:02:10 – 01:03:43). Within wuxing, fire and water are considered opposite elements, thus presenting the contrast of Po and Shen as protagonist and antagonist (Littlejohn “Wuxing”). This opposition is enhanced through fire being a yang element and water a yin element, highlighting how Po and Shen stand against each other. Wuxing also asserts that water overcomes fire, which directly applies to Po’s (water’s) eventual defeat of Shen (fire) (“Yin-Yang and Five”; Littlejohn “Wuxing”).

A more in-depth analysis, however, reveals the application of wuxing to Po and Shen’s relationship goes far deeper. Not only does water overcome fire through Po’s defeat of Shen, but Po’s victory comes on the water of Gongmen Harbor. In fact, all of Shen’s firepower is destroyed in this harbor, and Shen himself dies on the water, too, emphasizing the inevitable triumph of water (Po) over fire (Shen) that wuxing illustrates (KFP2 01:14:30 – 01:15:16; 01:15:30 – 01:16:55). Moreover, Po (water) never succumbs to Shen’s fire, neither when he was a baby during Shen’s attack on his village nor later when Shen tried to kill him with his firework weapon. Po’s victory comes as he visualizes Shen’s firework as a water droplet to redirect it, again demonstrating the inevitable submission of fire to water that wuxing asserts (KFP2 01:01:17 – 01:01:43; 00:58:21 – 00:58:35; 01:13:25 – 01:13:38). As such, the fire/water duality of wuxing is reflected in the oppositional dynamic of Po and Shen’s relationship as protagonist and antagonist, particularly through visual association.

It is also worth noting, however, that Shen’s fire in KFP2 was always yang (i.e. beyond the general association of fire/yang) because his use of fire was action-based and destructive. Namely, he slaughtered the pandas with an uncontrollable blaze and intended to use his firework weapon to conquer China (KFP2 01:01:17 – 01:01:43; 00:27:27 – 00:27:39). This predominance of yang in Shen’s fire is juxtaposed with how Po defeats him by harnessing yin water. As aforementioned, Po visualizes Shen’s fireworks as water droplets when he redirects them in their penultimate battle; the water’s yin qualities of stillness and curvature are thus emphasized (KFP2 01:13:25 – 01:13:38; Pun-Yin). Po’s water overcomes Shen’s fire as yin’s stillness eases yang’s destructiveness. The oppositional dynamic of Po and Shen demonstrated through the fire/water visuals of wuxing therefore comes full circle in the film, beginning with Shen destroying Po’s people with yang fire and ending with Po defeating Shen by yin water. One should also acknowledge that while Shen is only associated with yang qualities of fire, Po’s association with water in KFP2 reflects both yin and yang aspects of the element. There is the yin of the water droplet and of the harbor’s stillness, but there is also the yang of the river’s current that guides Po to the soothsayer after Shen hits him with his weapon (KFP2 01:11:39 – 01:12:52; 00:58:57 – 00:59:10). Po’s association with both yin and yang qualities of water, something Shen never demonstrated with fire, relates to another crucial aspect of their relationship as foils: inner peace.

As aforementioned, the natural flow of yin and yang ensures balance in the universe (R. Wang). In KFP2, Master Shifu explains that inner peace is about “harness[ing] the [natural] flow of the universe” (00:06:05 – 00:06:10). As such, a harmony of yin and yang equates to inner peace in this film, and moreover yin-yang is already associated with inner peace in popular culture (“The Deep” 00:00:13 – 00:00:19). This equation of yin/yang harmony and inner peace is crucial to understanding Po and Shen’s relationship as foils because the “inner peace” aspect of yin-yang philosophy is reflected in their complementary arcs. Po and Shen share the same narrative struggle in KFP2: they have complicated relationships with their past and future. As such, both characters have a dependence on yang, where their first instinct is always to take action. Po and Shen both need the passivity and receptiveness of yin to accept their pasts for what they were, understand the future is out of their hands, and thus find inner peace. This shared struggle with yin and yang illustrates the complementary nature of their arcs. Shen sought to control his future; upon learning he would be defeated by “a warrior of black and white,” he took the action of killing all the pandas and later tried to kill Po to prevent his defeat (KFP2 00:01:03 – 00:01:22; 01:07:13 – 01:07:18). Shen is also unable to let go of his parents’ past actions, explaining he is driven by the belief that “[his] parents wronged [him]” when they sent him away (KFP2 00:53:17 – 00:53:37). He seeks to “right” that “wrong” by taking action to conquer China. In other words, Shen’s excessive action (yang) to control his future is a direct result of his inability to accept the past. Shen’s belief that “[h]appiness must be taken” epitomizes his dependence on yang, as he relies too much on taking and struggles to receive (yin) (KFP2 00:53:49 – 00:53:57).

Po’s struggle parallels Shen’s. His own dependence on yang is clear in that for a majority of the film, he seeks answers about his past from everyone except himself. He even attempts to get information from Shen, his enemy. For most of KFP2, Po also actively represses his memories about when his people were slaughtered (00:55:37 – 00:55:59; 01:00:14 – 01:01:54; 00:57:55 – 00:58:21). Similar to Shen’s need to control the future, Po sought these answers because he believed knowing his past would help him understand who he was supposed to be. Po and Shen’s parallel struggles with the past/future and with yin/yang therefore complement each other, strengthening their relationship as foils. They have too much yang, they need more yin. By decreasing their reliance on yang (action) and embracing the receptiveness of yin, both characters could find inner peace (a harmony of yin and yang).

Here is where Po succeeds and Shen fails, their parallel arcs splitting. During the sequence of “Po Finds the Truth,” Po harnesses the receptiveness of yin by allowing himself to recall his memories of Shen massacring his people instead of repressing them. The importance of yin in this scene is further emphasized by how he manipulates a water droplet, again highlighting yin qualities of stillness and curvature. Po accepts his memories for what they are by embracing yin, and in doing so, he finds inner peace (KFP2 01:02:00 – 01:05:04). His achievement of inner peace is exemplified through his understanding that the past and future are not within his control. All that matters is the present—“who [he] choose[s] to be” (KFP2 01:04:12 – 01:04:15). Shen, on the other hand, cannot fully embrace yin to reduce his reliance on yang; thus, he cannot find inner peace. His failure is demonstrated by his rejection of the soothsayer’s advice that the present is the most important time (i.e. he continues to cling to the past/future) and by his inability to understand how Po achieved inner peace when he disbelievingly asks, “How did you [Po] do it… How did you find peace?” (KFP2 00:28:24 – 00:28:31; 01:15:49 – 01:16:22). That said, while Shen cannot find a harmony of yin and yang, he does demonstrate some of yin’s passivity through his final act in the film: he accepts his death, allowing his weapon to crush him instead of moving aside (KFP2 01:16:52 – 01:16:54). Ultimately, Po and Shen’s narrative arcs complement each other as foils because they share the struggle of coping with their past and future, reflected in how both were driven by yang and needed more yin to find inner peace. Only one succeeded.

Yin-yang philosophy is also reflected in Po and Shen’s character designs. As aforementioned, Po is a giant panda while Shen is an albino peacock; a black and white antagonist was thus purposefully chosen to complement the existing black and white protagonist.

Figure 1. Po and Lord Shen in DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda 2 from DreamWorks; Po; Kung Fu Panda Wiki, Fandom, 2021, kungfupanda.fandom.com/wiki/Po. and DreamWorks; Lord Shen; DreamWorks Animation Wiki, Fandom, 2021, dreamworks.fandom.com/wiki/Lord_Shen.

The side-by-side comparison in Figure 1 reveals Shen’s design is predominantly white in nature, while Po’s is more evenly divided between black and white. The abundance of white in Shen’s coloring—including his robes, which could have been any color 3—emphasizes his inability to overcome his dependence on yang (white swirl). Po, on the other hand, demonstrates greater balance of black and white in his design, reinforcing his capacity to decrease his reliance on yang, harness the receptiveness of yin, and find a balance of yin and yang within himself (inner peace). Their designs highlight how inner peace was inevitable for Po and impossible for Shen, calling attention to where their complementary arcs as foils diverge into contrasting ends.

There are also implications of wuxing in their designs: Dr. Shan Tung Hsu explains that each element is associated with a color, the key ones here being fire-red, metal-white, and water-black (“Yin-Yang and Five”). The abundance of white (metal) and unique presence of red (fire) in Shen’s design present a connection to his weapon, which “breathes fire and spits metal,” and to his previously discussed association with fire (KFP2 00:18:59 – 00:19:04). Metal itself is actually a lesser yin element, meaning the predominance of white in Shen’s design may foreshadow his comparatively lesser acceptance of yin through death (“Yin-Yang and Five”). White also symbolizes death in China—a fitting color to dominate a character who chose death as his defeat (Li 708). The white and black of Po’s design, on the other hand, corresponds to his inevitable victory over Shen’s metal (white) weapons by visualizing them as droplets of water (black), and to his previous discussed association with water (KFP2 01:13:25 – 01:13:38). The synthesis of yin-yang and wuxing in Po and Shen’s designs thus further emphasizes their complementary and contrasting nature as foils: their similar-yet-different coloring reflects not only their shared struggles with yin/yang, but also their different ends with life and death and with victory and defeat.

There is also explicit yin-yang imagery used in KFP2 to highlight Po and Shen’s relationship as foils. This research seeks to analyze the most poignant example of this motif:

Figure 2. Netro Man. Po and Shen in a Stylized Yin-yang from Kung Fu Panda 2. 2011. YouTube, 19 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYpZjsPP-PI.

In Figure 2’s stylized yin-yang symbol, Po and Shen are posited as the “dots” (KFP2 00:21:16 – 00:21:19). Po is in the yellow half, but his figure is tinted with the red of the other swirl. Shen is in the red half yet lacks a corresponding yellow tint. The presence of both colors in Po’s swirl foreshadows how he will eventually achieve a balance of yin and yang (inner peace), while the presence of only one color in Shen’s swirl emphasizes how inner peace is impossible for him. It is also worth noting that red, being associated with fire, is a yang color; Po’s red tint and Shen’s red backdrop thus illustrate their complementary dependence on yang (Hsu; “Yin-Yang and Five”).

Regarding the yellow of Po’s swirl: yellow is a holy color in Taoism, a Chinese philosophy with connections to yin-yang (Li 709). Tao is “the alteration of… yin and yang” in the universe, an explanation noticeably similar to Shifu’s explanation of inner peace as harnessing this flow (Littlejohn “Daoist”; KFP2 00:06:05 – 00:06:10). As such, the predominance of yellow in Po’s swirl and lack thereof in Shen’s again emphasizes the contrast of Po’s inevitable success at finding inner peace and Shen’s inevitable failure. This theme is also connected to wuxing, where yellow is associated with earth, an element often considered to have a balance of yin and yang (Hsu; “Yin-Yang and Five”). It is thus telling that Shen has no yellow in his swirl while Po is surrounded by it. Shen, who could not fully embrace yin, was condemned to inner turmoil. Po, who accepted yin and thus found a harmony of yin and yang within himself, achieved inner peace. Moreover, the red and yellow of this stylized yin-yang is reflected in Po and Shen’s framing throughout the film. 4 Perhaps the most crucial parallel is the conversation before their final battle, where Po is framed by the yellow light of the rising sun and Shen is lit with the red glow of his destroyed weapon, as this imagery emphasizes the contrasting endings of their arcs (KFP2 01:15:42). Such a visual represents the inevitable success of water over fire in wuxing, of inner peace over inner turmoil in yin-yang, and of Po over Shen in KFP2. As a result, their complementary journeys and oppositional fates as foils are reflected in the visuals of the film itself, particularly emphasized by stylistic yellow/red imagery as seen in Figure 2.

Discussion

Throughout the film, Po’s association with water and Shen’s with fire emphasizes their oppositional dynamic as protagonist and antagonist, particularly through wuxing, which declares fire and water opposite elements. Because water overcomes fire in wuxing, it draws attention to the inevitability of Po’s victory through water over Shen’s fire (“Yin-Yang and Five”; Littlejohn “Wuxing”). This juxtaposition is strengthened by the complementary nature of their narrative arcs, as both Po and Shen grapple with their pasts and future and with yin and yang. Po and Shen demonstrate a shared reliance on yang because both are driven by action; to achieve inner peace, they need to harness the passivity and receptiveness of yin, a task at which only Po succeeds. As such, the inevitable power of water over fire in wuxing becomes the marker in Po and Shen’s parallel arcs where their paths diverge; water overcomes fire, Po defeats Shen, and Po finds inner peace where Shen failed.

Their characters designs shown in Figure 1 further synthesize these yin-yang and wuxing qualities, as the shared black and white visuals demonstrate a complementary aesthetic. The presence of red in Shen’s feathers as well as the differing ratios of black/white (Po with nearly 50/50, Shen with a predominance of white) are moreover emblematic of the contrasting conclusions to their arcs. Shen was crushed by his own weapon (red and white feathers) because he rejected full acceptance of yin (white/yang feathers > black/yin feathers). Po, despite his struggles, was destined to find inner peace (white/yang fur ≈ black/yin fur); with this achievement being impossible for Shen, inner peace became the key to Po’s victory. Through inner peace, he harnessed the yin of water to defeat the yang of Shen’s weapon, demonstrated by how he chanted “inner peace” before redirecting the fireworks (KFP2 01:13:25 – 01:13:38). The stylized yin-yang symbol of Figure 2, then, is perhaps the most direct visual illustrating Po and Shen’s relationship as foils. Yin and yang are two opposing yet complementary forces that experience mutual attraction and repulsion, causing constant change (“The Deep” 00:00:52 – 00:01:00). Positioning Po and Shen in a stylized version of this symbol emphasizes how Po and Shen are these opposing yet complementary forces. Shen is the only character besides Po himself who witnessed the genocide of the pandas, meaning Po is drawn to him for answers. Inversely, Po is the only character—the prophesied “warrior of black and white”—who stands in the way of Shen’s victory; as such, Shen seeks to repel (kill) him (KFP2 00:01:03 – 00:01:22). These foils are thus intertwined in every way, from their narrative arcs to their visual portrayals, and it is near impossible to see one framed alone in KFP2 without feeling the presence of the other.

But while this analysis of yin-yang and wuxing’s influence on Po and Shen’s relationship contains merit because of the consistency of their applications, one question remains: is this interpretation what the creators intended? It is near-impossible to answer with certainty. However, production designer Raymond Zibach mentioned in an interview with the New York Times that Po and Shen’s fight on the harbor was “an ultimate battle of fire vs. water,” indicating influence of wuxing, if unnamed (Murphy). Zibach also explained that when making the first and second films, the crew researched color meanings in Chinese culture and sought to magnify similarities between Chinese and Western interpretations; as such, they utilized specific color symbolism in the movies 5 (“Kung Fu Panda” 00:00:05 – 00:00:28; 00:00:59 – 00:01:02). This blending of Chinese and Western color symbolism is abundantly clear in the film’s repeated use of red and yellow; the golden framing of Po throughout the film appeals to the Taoist and wuxing balance of yin and yang that Po achieves through inner peace, as well as to a more Western sense of glory and heroism that Po achieves as the protagonist (Hsu; “Yin-Yang and Five”). Similarly, Shen’s association with red appeals to the meanings of danger and power shared between China and the West through his role as the antagonist (Li 707, 709-710). Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson also emphasized in an interview with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences how important visuals are for her in film, which may allude to the repeated fire/water motifs of wuxing and to the yin-yang imagery seen with Po and Shen (“Creative Spark” 00:00:04 – 00:00:15). Again, while it is difficult to conclude with certainty what the “original intentions” of the filmmakers were, the interwoven application of wuxing and yin-yang on Po and Shen’s relationship is clear for all the aforementioned reasons, and commentary from the creators suggests this influence may have been part of their plan for these foils, too.

Implications

The use of these Chinese philosophies in KFP2 illustrates that a sequel can improve from the orientalism of its predecessor. While Kung Fu Panda exists in a “one-dimensional [China]… ruled by American values, attitudes, and behavior patterns,” KFP2 moves away from merely superficial Chinese influence (Greene 210-211). To improve, DreamWorks hired an East Asian director and sent much of the crew to visit China for the second film (Inoa). Zibach and art director Tang Kheng Heng explained in one interview how the visit was enlightening and that they drew extensive inspiration from the areas they visited for new designs in the sequel (“Kung Fu Panda” 00:01:26 – 00:02:15). In another, Zibach discussed how they worked directly with Chinese individuals as they absorbed the influence of real locations (such as Mount Qingcheng), Taoist philosophy, and different forms of kung fu for the second film (Xinhua). The greater interaction between “East and West” in the production of this film is clear, as KFP2’s inclusion of specific Chinese landscapes and better understanding of Chinese philosophies helps distance it from the superficiality of the first movie (for example: yin-yang is embedded into the film through the theme of inner peace, not solely treated as an “aesthetic”). While KPF2 is not a perfect film, as it does not use explicit yin-yang or wuxing terminology despite harnessing these motifs, it nonetheless illustrates that orientalist mistakes of one movie need not carry over into the next.

As aforementioned, KFP2 uses yin-yang imagery throughout the film, and yin-yang philosophy is a core part of Po and Shen’s complementary arcs. In Western audiences, there is often a conflation of yin and yang with the racialized concepts of good and evil. Specifically, “good” is associated with light, meaning “good” is ascribed to yang (white swirl), while “evil” is associated with darkness, thus “evil” is ascribed to yin (black swirl). Of course, yin-yang cannot be reduced to such a binary division, but nonetheless the Western misconception that yin/black is evil and must be defeated by yang/white lingers. What is interesting about KFP2 is that it subverts this notion. Po and Shen’s parallel struggles of an overdependence on yang (action) has to be overcome, or rather balanced out, by acquiring more yin (passivity and receptiveness). Rather than the reductive interpretation of yin/black being defeated by yang/white, KFP2 can be assessed as having a triumph of yin over yang, as it is Po’s yin water that defeats Shen’s yang fire. However, such an analysis is a simplistic one, and a more appropriate conclusion is not the triumph of yin or yang over the other but rather of the need for inner peace, a harmony of yin and yang, for victory. The film emphasizes the power of this balance in that when Po redirects Shen’s final firework, he catches it in his chest, the force propelling him into the air with such speed that his spinning body combined with the glow of the firework creates a yin-yang symbol (KFP2 01:14:51 – 01:15:07). KFP2 thus emphasizes that both yin and yang (inner peace) were necessary for Po’s triumph; it was not a “superiority” of either force. As such, the movie avoids the pitfall of conflating yin-yang with Western good/evil, and perhaps other Western films could take a lesson from this portrayal.

Conclusion and Future Research

The Kung Fu Panda movies are often written off as children’s films, unworthy of deeper analysis. This assessment could not be further from the truth, and Kung Fu Panda 2 in particular has more depth than meets the eye. As this research examines, the Chinese philosophies of yin-yang and wuxing apply deeply to the core of the film, that core being Po and Shen’s relationship as foils. Po and Shen both reflect and contradict the other: they are water and fire; they struggle with yin and yang; they push and pull, receive and take, succeed and fail. Few DreamWorks films can claim to possess the intricate dynamic between protagonist and antagonist that Kung Fu Panda 2 has.

As expected, there are extensive opportunities for future research regarding these films. While this analysis focused on yin-yang and wuxing regarding Po and Shen’s relationship as foils, other studies may wish to consider the more Western theme of individualism, perhaps examining if Shen and Po’s dynamic ascribes more to that of the villain and the hero or of a genocidal dictator and the (apparent) sole survivor of said genocide. A more critical lens might be taken by investigating the orientalism still present in KFP2, such as how Lord Shen perpetuates evil, imperialist, and effeminate stereotypes associated with China since Fu Manchu (Greene 54). Other research could analyze the influence of Taoist wu-wei in the film, as wu-wei’s simplified definitions of “natural action” and “going with the flow” present a parallel to the soothsayer’s advice for Po to “let [his memories] flow” before he finds inner peace (Lin; Loy 76; KFP2 01:01:56 – 01:01:58). More analysis might also be conducted on the third film, particularly examining how “being produced by… a joint Chinese-American… film production company” may have further reduced issues of orientalism (Wang 9).

Footnotes:

During the second film, Po is not aware that his biological father and other pandas still live; as such, this analysis will reflect that belief (KFP2 01:20:30 – 01:21:05).

Other instances include Shen using fire to kill the pandas; the fire in Shen’s fireworks factory; Shen burning a map; Po discussing his father (Mr. Ping) with Tigress on the water; and Po’s final stand against Shen on the water; some of which will be discussed in more detail throughout this analysis (KFP2 01:01:17 – 01:01:43; 00:02:22 – 00:02:30; 00:52:39 – 00:52:46; 00:25:31 – 00:26:08; 01:11:39 – 01:12:52).

For example, given that Shen’s desire was to rule all of China, his robes theoretically could have been imperial yellow (Li 709). Instead, additional white fabric was chosen.

Instances include the red lighting of Shen’s fireworks factory; the association of Po with golden sunrise and sunset; the light changing from yellow to red during Po and Shen’s first battle as the upper hand switches from Po to Shen; Po bringing golden light into the red glow of Shen’s ships; and Shen’s fireworks switching from a red to a gold glow as Po redirects them in his penultimate battle with Shen (KFP2 00:01:54 – 00:02:30; 00:48:43 – 00:49:28; 00:07:20 – 00:07:42; 00:18:43 – 00:19:35; 00:45:46 – 00:48:43; 01:08:47 – 01:11:29; 01:13:07 – 01:17:05).

One example Zibach provides is the association of green with wisdom as a connection to green jade, hence green being assigned to Master Oogway in the first film (“Kung Fu Panda” 00:00:28 – 00:00:45). And indeed, Master Shifu wears green robes in the second film that were not present in his design for the first movie, thus indicating his newfound wisdom of having mastered inner peace (KFP2 00:06:05 – 00:06:10).

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