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* The Huns falling for the Concubine disguises seem silly especially since they look like male drag queens and even "ugly concubines" to quote one of the Huns. At first a classic example of "PlayedForLaughs". However the Huns were knocked out unconscious and buried under snow after the avalanche in what is obviously very cold weather and they still had to march to the capital and feign under disguise to capture the emperor. Cold weather is known to not only distort people's state of mind but even cause hallucinations and other weird effects and that just cold weather thats not exactly low enough to cause snow to fall and freeze water but simply cold enough to wear a jacket in a November night as you visit a friend's house. Even the warm levels of cold temperature can cause effects to your mind when you stay outside too long. Now when you couple its probably 32 Fahrenheit and the fact they were UNDER the SNOW for whats implied to be several hours, it makes sense they'd mistaken Mulan's disguises for the trio Chinese soldiers. Being forced to sprint to the city and than remain in disguises to kidnap the emperor probably spent up some of their energy and dehydrated them to add to the fact. So they probably literally saw the concubines as "ugly women"!
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*** Even this is fridge brilliance and explains why Mulan adapted quite quick especially in a time women would be out of shape. She may not have been used to backbreaking jobs such as mining or chopping trees, but she still had to do not only hard household chores (for a Chinese woman at the time) but also farm work. Having worked at the easier jobs at a farm, I tell you that carrying small sacks of food stock may seem like playing a leisure game of soccer but it TIRES YOU OUT quickly if you're not used to it. Even jobs that don't require strength such as feeding the rooster can be exhausting and builds up endurance. As shown her prime difficulties were with strength and the actual skillsets of war like using with rockets. In many parts of the strength such as the stretching, aerobics,martial arts sparring,, and warm up jogging (without weights), she did quite well and was even outperforming some of the less competent soldiers in the camp. A typical Chinese girl would be so used to very easy labor such as doing the dishes she would not have lasted even the less intense activity like stretching that Mulan did. She merely needed to get used to handling weapons and build up strength to carry heavy military equipment.
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*** Pretty much agree but to also, she performed excellently at non-strength stuff like practising katas and jumping. But to add on specifically to the horsemanship thing, not how Mulan discovers the trick to going on top before everyone could? Rather than relying sole on her arms, she used the entirety of her legs and even wrapped it around in a modified bodily posture for riding. The strength horsemanship would have given to her legs was essential for her making it to the top of the pole and getting the arrows before everyone else could. If she was a normal Chinese peasant, even with the shown month or so of training, she would not have done the pole climbing exercise so fast enough to be the first one to do so. Also she particularly is shown to do quite well in leg based stuff like jogging, even beating other men which is probably as a result of riding horses for a longtime. Without all the hard household chores and especially farm work (which would have involved horse training), she would never have lasted so long in bootcamp despite initially being so far behind than than all soldiers in most exercises. If she were a normal contemporary Chinese girl, her body would be broken from the first day of training (even taking into account how difficult easier household chores like keeping the building warm was during this time period) and she'd probably be discovered sooner and put to death. It was indeed a good thing she was rich enough to live in a farm property but so poor that she had to do a lot of the work only men would do because thats how she got the physical athleticism to pass bootcamp.
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** Piggybacking on your comment, in Chinese social structure things were a bit more meritocratic. To start with how you get placed in social classes is primarily based on your academic performance. A peasant can not only rise through the classes via performing well in state sponsored tests, the aristocracy of Chinese civilization for the most part tended to be scholars who were the most educated and scholars had to maintain their reputation for intelligence as required by their social classes even after passing the test and being accepted into the equivalent of nobility. Even non-academic stuff like CEOs and politicians required showing intelligence expected with the scholar classes to even be accepted. The fact Li was already a Captain at the start of the film and his father a high ranking general (with implications that Li's family line was military) pretty much is the signal Li's family had been in the equivalent of royalty for generation. So in a sense Mulan did become a Princess by marrying someone from the (scholarly) aristocracy.
*** Also while not strictly the scholarly castes, Mulan's father was a war hero and given a parcel of land that was pretty big even by the standards of minor nobility in Europe. Going by his reputation and his assets, Zhou was probably made into the Chinese equivalent of a knight which was lesser royalty in Europe. This is especially since Mulan's maternal relatives are so obsessed with her marrying a man (even by the standards of her sexist culture) and were so upset Mulan had to do hard labor outside the kitchen. They wanted to maintain the image that they were a noble family. So while technically not a princess, not even an aristocratic daughter, Mulan had a position that would qualify as a "minor princess".
*** Also while not strictly the scholarly castes, Mulan's father was a war hero and given a parcel of land that was pretty big even by the standards of minor nobility in Europe. Going by his reputation and his assets, Zhou was probably made into the Chinese equivalent of a knight which was lesser royalty in Europe. This is especially since Mulan's maternal relatives are so obsessed with her marrying a man (even by the standards of her sexist culture) and were so upset Mulan had to do hard labor outside the kitchen. They wanted to maintain the image that they were a noble family. So while technically not a princess, not even an aristocratic daughter, Mulan had a position that would qualify as a "minor princess".
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* The Huns are depicted as inhuman if not outright demonic because the movie is framed as an in-universe legend. This could also explain Mushu.
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* The sudden attack from above on Shang's army from above by Hun archers perched on the mountains adds an element of horror for him because it's nearly a repetition of the way his father likely died. The Huns probably ambushed the General's army in the same manner, used arrows to both thin the ranks and force the Chinese to expend their cannons, and then Shan Yu and his cavalry would have swept in to mop up the survivors.
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* The sudden attack from above on Shang's army from above by Hun archers perched on the mountains adds an element of horror for him Shang because it's nearly a repetition of the way his father likely died. The Huns probably ambushed the General's army in the same manner, used arrows to both thin the ranks and force the Chinese to expend their cannons, and then Shan Yu and his cavalry would have swept in to mop up the survivors.
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* The sudden attack from above on Shang's army from above by Hun archers perched on the mountains adds an element of horror for him because it's nearly a repetition of the way his father likely died. The Huns probably ambushed the General's army in the same manner, used arrows to both thin the ranks and force the Chinese to expend their cannons, and then Shan Yu and his cavalry would have swept in to mop up the survivors.
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* When Mulan returns home after being disgraced by the matchmaker, she prays to the Great Stone Dragon, and sits under the statue, very depressed, while her surroundings are soaked and it’s the middle of a thunderstorm. [[DrivenToSuicide Was she hoping she’d die?]]
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*** In an earlier draft of the script Mulan did pass the matchmakers test, things only went pear shaped after meeting her chosen husband... Shang.
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*** In an earlier draft of the script Mulan did pass the matchmakers matchmaker's test, things only went pear shaped after meeting her chosen husband... Shang.
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** Also, [[spoiler: filial piety]] is one of the greatest cultural values of China. She had endangered her own life, risking a most shameful death, to respect that value well beyond anyone would deem possible. It explains not only why Shang [[spoiler: spared her]], but also why even [[{{Jerkass}} Chi Fu]] kept the secret.
*** Except Chi Fu ''didn't'' keep the secret. He squealed on her the first chance he got ("I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan...").
*** Except Chi Fu ''didn't'' keep the secret. He squealed on her the first chance he got ("I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan...").
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** Also, [[spoiler: filial piety]] is one of the greatest cultural values of China. She had endangered her own life, risking a most shameful death, to respect that value well beyond anyone would deem possible. It explains not only helps explain why Shang [[spoiler: spared her]], but also why even [[{{Jerkass}} Chi Fu]] kept the secret.
*** Except Chi Fu ''didn't'' keep the secret. He squealed on her the first chance he got ("I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan...").her]].
*** Except Chi Fu ''didn't'' keep the secret. He squealed on her the first chance he got ("I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan...").
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* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck -- case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. But if Cri-Kee really IS lucky, then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself to be so unlucky that the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him... but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then ''all of China would have fallen to the Huns'', and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like that to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
%%%Do not respond to the above post. That would be natter which is not allowed on wiki pages.
* Noted in a WMG: the letter that Mushu gave Chi Fu was exactly what was needed for Shang's troupe to arrive in time to save the day. Now think about who actually WROTE the letter for a second... That is one lucky cricket.
%%%Do not respond to the above post. That would be natter which is not allowed on wiki pages.
* Noted in a WMG: the letter that Mushu gave Chi Fu was exactly what was needed for Shang's troupe to arrive in time to save the day. Now think about who actually WROTE the letter for a second... That is one lucky cricket.
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* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck -- case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. But if Cri-Kee really IS lucky, then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself to be so unlucky that the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him... but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man the matchmaker or her parents chose for her... and then ''all of China would have fallen to the Huns'', and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like that to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
%%%Do not respond to the above post. That would be natter which is not allowed on wiki pages.
* Noted in a WMG: the letter that Mushu gave Chi Fu was exactly what was needed for Shang's troupe troop to arrive in time to save the day. Now think about who actually WROTE the letter for a second... That is one lucky cricket.
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* One thing that has circulated around the various pages are questions regarding the small size of Shang's unit which, upon close examination, is barely platoon strength (by modern force organization standards). His father, a General, leads a much larger unit of Mounted Infantry [[note]]Infantry that only uses their horses for travel, but fight on foot [[/note]]. Basically, Shang, a Captain, is leading a support contingent of this larger force. What's the evidence? Watch the training sequence and notice how the trainees are basically getting lots of practice in with cannons and bows, but very little with close combat (beyond some basic hand-to-hand training and calisthenics). During the mountain battle, Shang orders everyone to save the cannons, as well as ordering everyone to get out of range of the arrows, which is something regular line infantry NEVER do when attacked (they usually close the distance or seek cover). Support units are trained to fall back and avoid direct contact where possible, but once they get set up, the party begins. In short, and in modern terms, the unit that Mulan is part of is basically a Mortar Detachment of Shang Sr.'s Mounted Infantry Brigade... all of which is going up against a [[OhCrap Hun army of ten thousand strong...]]
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* One thing that has circulated around the various pages are questions regarding the small size of Shang's unit which, upon close examination, is barely platoon strength (by modern force organization standards). His father, a General, leads a much larger unit of Mounted Infantry [[note]]Infantry that only uses their horses for travel, but fight on foot [[/note]]. foot[[/note]]. Basically, Shang, a Captain, captain, is leading a support contingent of this larger force. What's the evidence? Watch the training sequence and notice how the trainees are basically getting lots of practice in with cannons and bows, but very little with close combat (beyond some basic hand-to-hand training and calisthenics). During the mountain battle, Shang orders everyone to save the cannons, as well as ordering everyone to get out of range of the arrows, which is something regular line infantry NEVER do when attacked (they usually close the distance or seek cover). Support units are trained to fall back and avoid direct contact where possible, but once they get set up, the party begins. In short, and in modern terms, the unit that Mulan is part of is basically a Mortar Detachment of Shang Sr.'s Mounted Infantry Brigade... all of which is going up against a [[OhCrap Hun army of ten thousand strong...]]
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*** Except Chi Fu ''didn't'' keep the secret. He squealed on her the first chance he got ("I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan...").
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* This troper is Vietnamese (born and bred in Hanoi), and she doesn't know if it’s the same in Chinese culture (granted, the two cultures are extremely similar due to China's multiple attempts on Vietnam), but she has just realized something brilliant about Mulan's names. In Vietnam, we have a term for a vapid, apparently quiet and demure and well-behaved but is simply an airhead of a woman: “bình bông di động”, which basically means “moving flower-pot”. And in Mulan’s time? Being a moving flower-pot is what females are expected to do -- be quiet, obey your parents and husband, be pretty and graceful and virtuous, stay in your/your husband’s ancestral home, produce heirs to preserve the family lineage, etc. (As evident in Honor to Us All and A Girl Worth Fighting For.)Both her make-up in Honor and her false name are masks. Society dictates that she cannot marry into a good house if she’s not a flower-pot, and no matter how valiantly she fights or how clever she is, she is still just a woman, which is seen as something shameful. No matter what she does, society will insist upon labeling her as vapid and worthless without a man. But at the end of the day, Mulan’s story is a big “Screw You!” to the ideal of the flower-pot. She still fulfills her filial duties as set by Confucian values without being erased by society: she is lauded as a hero(ine) of China (preserving her family name and bringing honor to her ancestors), she marries Shang (a man of great station, whom she loves, as opposed to the traditional arranged marriages) and by this she can, to use a Vietnamese term, “keep the incense burning on the family altar,” i.e. produce children. She proves that you do not need to be a flower-pot to be a dutiful, ideal wife and daughter.
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* This troper is Vietnamese (born and bred in Hanoi), and she doesn't know if it’s the same in Chinese culture (granted, the two cultures are extremely similar due to China's multiple attempts on Vietnam), but she has just realized something brilliant about Mulan's names. In Vietnam, we have a term for a vapid, apparently quiet and demure and well-behaved but is simply an airhead of a woman: “bình bông di động”, which basically means “moving flower-pot”. And in Mulan’s time? Being a moving flower-pot is what females are expected to do -- be quiet, obey your parents and husband, be pretty and graceful and virtuous, stay in your/your husband’s ancestral home, produce heirs to preserve the family lineage, etc. (As evident in Honor to Us All and A Girl Worth Fighting For.)Both ) Both her make-up in Honor and her false name are masks. Society dictates that she cannot marry into a good house if she’s not a flower-pot, and no matter how valiantly she fights or how clever she is, she is still just a woman, which is seen as something shameful. No matter what she does, society will insist upon labeling her as vapid and worthless without a man. But at the end of the day, Mulan’s story is a big “Screw You!” to the ideal of the flower-pot. She still fulfills her filial duties as set by Confucian values without being erased by society: she is lauded as a hero(ine) of China (preserving her family name and bringing honor to her ancestors), she marries Shang (a man of great station, whom she loves, as opposed to the traditional arranged marriages) and by this she can, to use a Vietnamese term, “keep the incense burning on the family altar,” i.e. produce children. She proves that you do not need to be a flower-pot to be a dutiful, ideal wife and daughter.
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* Mushu had a point when he saw that Mulan aimed the cannon at the mountain: "He was three feet in front of you!" Shan Yu stops because of the cannon's fiery trail, and turns to see where it lands. In those seconds Mulan could have slashed at his horse or got up to mount a defense, rather than standing there with a smirk. As a result, she gets slashed, which outs her later. NiceJobBreakingItHero, Mulan.
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* Mushu had a point when he saw that Mulan aimed the cannon at the mountain: "He was three feet in front of you!" Shan Yu stops because of the cannon's fiery trail, and turns to see where it lands. In those seconds Mulan could have slashed at his horse or got up to mount a defense, rather than standing there with a smirk. As a result, she gets slashed, which outs her later. NiceJobBreakingItHero, Mulan.Mulan.
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Grammar, spelling, indentation, word cruft
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Mulan didn't ruined the chances for the other girls with her that day as the Matchmaker was probably really pissed off with Mulan at the end of the session. What if it effect her evaluation with the other girls or if she even decide to evaluate them at all? Mulan would had been better off in the end but the other girls will most likely don't have the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
* So Mushu scares the firework men from the tower and they jump off... at least six stories...
* So, Mushu is sent to wake up the Great Stone Dragon guardian. Instead, he accidentally shatters him. Congrats, Mushu. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero You just murdered a family friend.]]
** Unless, of course, you buy into the theory that Mulan is, in fact, the Great Stone Dragon.
* Okay, so Shang finds out "Ping" is Mulan, freaks out, spares her life--and then leaves her to find her way back home... in the snow... ''during a war.'' She still had her clothes and horse and stuff but she's alone and a long way from home.
** It's worse than that. This troper noted how the soldiers had not much with them. Their primary objective was speed, so they took little in terms of extra clothing, and her armor was damaged when she was struck by Shan-Yu. If she had been left with it (it didn't look like she was, as she had had to change out of it when she was treated), she would have still succumbed to cold quite quickly, given that it was winter. Result: had she not spotted some of the Huns were still alive later on, she could likely have frozen to death where the unit left her. And that's before we get to the issue of her ''one'' basket of dumplings, and total lack of fodder.
*** Also, take this idea: If Mulan hadn't heard the Huns, even if she was getting herself ready to go home, there ''is'' the possibility that she would have been found/crossed paths with them. Even if he was so close to the city and his objective, Shan Yu would have noticed how strange it was and ''would have probably realized right there that Mulan was the soldier from the mountains''.
* So Mushu scares the firework men from the tower and they jump off... at least six stories...
* So, Mushu is sent to wake up the Great Stone Dragon guardian. Instead, he accidentally shatters him. Congrats, Mushu. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero You just murdered a family friend.]]
** Unless, of course, you buy into the theory that Mulan is, in fact, the Great Stone Dragon.
* Okay, so Shang finds out "Ping" is Mulan, freaks out, spares her life--and then leaves her to find her way back home... in the snow... ''during a war.'' She still had her clothes and horse and stuff but she's alone and a long way from home.
** It's worse than that. This troper noted how the soldiers had not much with them. Their primary objective was speed, so they took little in terms of extra clothing, and her armor was damaged when she was struck by Shan-Yu. If she had been left with it (it didn't look like she was, as she had had to change out of it when she was treated), she would have still succumbed to cold quite quickly, given that it was winter. Result: had she not spotted some of the Huns were still alive later on, she could likely have frozen to death where the unit left her. And that's before we get to the issue of her ''one'' basket of dumplings, and total lack of fodder.
*** Also, take this idea: If Mulan hadn't heard the Huns, even if she was getting herself ready to go home, there ''is'' the possibility that she would have been found/crossed paths with them. Even if he was so close to the city and his objective, Shan Yu would have noticed how strange it was and ''would have probably realized right there that Mulan was the soldier from the mountains''.
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Matchmaker, Mulan didn't ruined ruin the chances for the other girls with her that day as the day. The Matchmaker was probably really pissed off with Mulan at the end of the session. What session, what if it effect that affected her evaluation with of the other girls or if she even decide decided to not evaluate them at all? Mulan would had been better off in the end end, but the other girls will would most likely don't not have the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
had.
*So Mushu scares the firework men from the tower and they jump off... at least six stories...
*So, Mushu is sent to wake up the Great Stone Dragon guardian. Instead, he accidentally shatters him. Congrats, Mushu. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero You just murdered a family friend.]]
** Unless, of course,friend]] (unless you buy into the theory that Mulan is, in fact, the Great Stone Dragon.
Dragon.)
*Okay, so Shang finds out "Ping" is Mulan, freaks out, spares her life--and then leaves her alone to find her way back home... home, in the snow... snow, ''during a war.'' She still had her clothes and horse and stuff but she's alone and a long way from home. \n** It's worse than that. This troper noted how the The soldiers had not much with them. Their them in the first place; their primary objective was speed, so they took little in terms of extra clothing, and her clothing. And Mulan's armor was damaged when she was struck by Shan-Yu. If Shan-Yu; even if she had been left with it (it didn't look like she was, as she had had to change out of it when she was treated), she would have still succumbed to cold quite quickly, given that it was winter. Result: had she not spotted some of the Huns were still alive later on, she could likely have frozen to death where the unit left her. And that's before we get to the issue of her ''one'' basket of dumplings, and total lack of fodder.
*** Also, take this idea:fodder.
* If Mulan hadn't heard the Huns, even if she was getting herself ready to go home, there ''is'' the possibility that she would have been found/crossed paths with them. Even if he was so close to the city and his objective, Shan Yu would have noticed how strange it was and ''would have probably realized right there that Mulan was the soldier from the mountains''.
*
*
** Unless, of course,
*
*** Also, take this idea:
* If Mulan hadn't heard the Huns, even if she was getting herself ready to go home, there ''is'' the possibility that she would have been found/crossed paths with them. Even if he was so close to the city and his objective, Shan Yu would have noticed how strange it was and ''would have probably realized right there that Mulan was the soldier from the mountains''.
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Mulan didn't ruined the chances for the other girls with her that day as the Matchmaker was so pissed off with Mulan what if it effect her evaluation with the other girls if she even decide to match them at all. Mulan would had been better off in the end but the other girls don't hadn't the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Mulan didn't ruined the chances for the other girls with her that day as the Matchmaker was so probably really pissed off with Mulan what at the end of the session. What if it effect her evaluation with the other girls or if she even decide to match evaluate them at all. all? Mulan would had been better off in the end but the other girls will most likely don't hadn't have the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Mulan didn't ruined the chances for the other girls with her that day as the Matchmaker was so pissed off with Mulan what if it effect her evaluation with the other girls if she even decide to match them. Mulan would had been better off in the end but the other girls don't hadn't the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Mulan didn't ruined the chances for the other girls with her that day as the Matchmaker was so pissed off with Mulan what if it effect her evaluation with the other girls if she even decide to match them.them at all. Mulan would had been better off in the end but the other girls don't hadn't the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
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** Let's hope that by ruining her chances with the Matchmaker that Mulan didn't ruined the chances for the other girls with her that day as the Matchmaker was so pissed off with Mulan what if it effect her evaluation with the other girls if she even decide to match them. Mulan would had been better off in the end but the other girls don't hadn't the same chances/opportunities as Mulan did.
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* Chi Fu isn't just a {{Jerkass}}; he's also right in regards to the odds that Shang and his men face. That explains why she has to break typical rules of combat to turn the tide:
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* Chi Fu isn't just a {{Jerkass}}; he's also right in regards to the odds that Shang and his men face. That explains why she Mulan has to break typical rules of combat to turn the tide:
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** Chi Fu points out that the men aren't ready for war. When the Huns attack them, all of the soldiers are outmanned and outgunned. Shang tried his best, but he had no idea what the soldiers would face. Mulan ends up saving them with a creative solution, by using the environment as a weapon rather than brute force.
** He also says that Shang is an academy student who hasn't actually fought in a real battle. This ends up proving correct: Shan-Yu delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown which nearly kills Shang. Again, Mulan changes the rules by drawing Shan-Yu's wrath so that he doesn't murder her captain, drawing him to the roof, and defeating him with a fan and fireworks as an ImprovisedWeapon.
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* The song "A girl worth fighting for" is all about the various characters singing about their ideal bride, but at the end of the song they find a girl actually worth fighting and sacrificing their lives for... an unknown little girl, murdered by the Huns, whose only proof to having existed in the first place is a lost doll left in the snow.
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* The song "A girl worth fighting for" is all about the various characters singing about their ideal bride, but at the end of the song they find a girl actually worth fighting and sacrificing their lives for... an unknown little girl, murdered by the Huns, whose only proof to having existed in the first place is a lost doll left in the snow.snow.
* If Chi-Fu hadn't promised Shang that the men would never see war, and Mushu hadn't overheard, there would have been nothing stopping the Huns from marching to the capital.
* When Mulan took the last cannon from Yao to aim at the mountain rather than at Shan Yu, Shang isn't just screaming for "Ping" to come back because she's defying orders. He didn't know what the foot soldier was planning. As Shang saw it, Ping was doing a SuicideMission to take out Shan Yu at a closer range and spare her comrades before they'd go down fighting. No wonder he's screaming "Stop!" and charging after Ping.
* Mushu had a point when he saw that Mulan aimed the cannon at the mountain: "He was three feet in front of you!" Shan Yu stops because of the cannon's fiery trail, and turns to see where it lands. In those seconds Mulan could have slashed at his horse or got up to mount a defense, rather than standing there with a smirk. As a result, she gets slashed, which outs her later. NiceJobBreakingItHero, Mulan.
* If Chi-Fu hadn't promised Shang that the men would never see war, and Mushu hadn't overheard, there would have been nothing stopping the Huns from marching to the capital.
* When Mulan took the last cannon from Yao to aim at the mountain rather than at Shan Yu, Shang isn't just screaming for "Ping" to come back because she's defying orders. He didn't know what the foot soldier was planning. As Shang saw it, Ping was doing a SuicideMission to take out Shan Yu at a closer range and spare her comrades before they'd go down fighting. No wonder he's screaming "Stop!" and charging after Ping.
* Mushu had a point when he saw that Mulan aimed the cannon at the mountain: "He was three feet in front of you!" Shan Yu stops because of the cannon's fiery trail, and turns to see where it lands. In those seconds Mulan could have slashed at his horse or got up to mount a defense, rather than standing there with a smirk. As a result, she gets slashed, which outs her later. NiceJobBreakingItHero, Mulan.
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* Why does the disguise plot work better than battering down the palace doors? Because the Huns are prepared to slaughter any of the men who would charge in, and in that time of the battle the emperor could be killed. Deceiving the Huns and taking them down was much faster, especially with how Shan Yu is demanding that the Emperor bow to him.
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* [[DragonsUptheYinYang Take]] a look at Khan (Mulan's Horse) and Shang's Horse- the feminine dark Yin and the masculine light Yang.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck- case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. But if Cri-Kee really IS lucky, then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself to be so unlucky that the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him... but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then ''all of China would have fallen to the Huns'', and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like that to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck- case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. But if Cri-Kee really IS lucky, then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself to be so unlucky that the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him... but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then ''all of China would have fallen to the Huns'', and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like that to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
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* [[DragonsUptheYinYang Take]] a look at Khan (Mulan's Horse) and Shang's Horse- Horse -- the feminine dark Yin and the masculine light Yang.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him forluck- luck -- case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. But if Cri-Kee really IS lucky, then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself to be so unlucky that the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him... but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then ''all of China would have fallen to the Huns'', and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like that to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for
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* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune Cri-Kee brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx - the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes. Perhaps this is why Cri-Kee tearfully declares (as translated by Mushu) that he is not a lucky cricket during the scene in the mountains after Mulan's secret is discovered.
* A lot of people were annoyed that Creator/EddieMurphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is: he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait a minute- that's it! The whole reason Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu was ''to help amplify the idea of throwing Western values into the Chinese society''. No wonder he's so out of place.
* A lot of people were annoyed that Creator/EddieMurphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is: he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait a minute- that's it! The whole reason Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu was ''to help amplify the idea of throwing Western values into the Chinese society''. No wonder he's so out of place.
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* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune Cri-Kee brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx - -- the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes. Perhaps this is why Cri-Kee tearfully declares (as translated by Mushu) that he is not a lucky cricket during the scene in the mountains after Mulan's secret is discovered.
* A lot of people were annoyed that Creator/EddieMurphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is: he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait aminute- minute -- that's it! The whole reason Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu was ''to help amplify the idea of throwing Western values into the Chinese society''. No wonder he's so out of place.
* A lot of people were annoyed that Creator/EddieMurphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is: he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait a
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* The entire training sequence might just seem like typical slapstick comedy, but upon further examination--''of course'' the men sucked at first, they were all recruited from their respective villages, and had probably never held a weapon in their lives. However, not being nobility, they would have had to be pretty fit to work in their respective occupations, which explains why they are able to complete the running exercises and why they improved so quickly.
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* The entire training sequence might just seem like typical slapstick comedy, but upon further examination--''of examination -- ''of course'' the men sucked at first, they were all recruited from their respective villages, and had probably never held a weapon in their lives. However, not being nobility, they would have had to be pretty fit to work in their respective occupations, which explains why they are able to complete the running exercises and why they improved so quickly.
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** By [[KneelBeforeFrodo bowing to her]], he also very publicly forgives her "crime" of pretending to be the Fa family's nonexistent son (because otherwise her deception was technically ''treason against the crown'' and the ObstructiveBureaucrat could've had her and her entire family executed--the movie glosses over this detail in favor of making Chi Fu a straight-up misogynist jerk, whereas in "reality" it was her lying that probably would've been the bigger issue)
* This troper is Vietnamese (born and bred in Hanoi), and she doesn't know if it’s the same in Chinese culture (granted, the two cultures are extremely similar due to China's multiple attempts on Vietnam), but she has just realized something brilliant about Mulan's names. In Vietnam, we have a term for a vapid, apparently quiet and demure and well-behaved but is simply an airhead of a woman: “bình bông di động”, which basically means “moving flower-pot”. And in Mulan’s time? Being a moving flower-pot is what females are expected to do - be quiet, obey your parents and husband, be pretty and graceful and virtuous, stay in your/your husband’s ancestral home, produce heirs to preserve the family lineage, etc. (As evident in Honor to Us All and A Girl Worth Fighting For.)Both her make-up in Honor and her false name are masks. Society dictates that she cannot marry into a good house if she’s not a flower-pot, and no matter how valiantly she fights or how clever she is, she is still just a woman, which is seen as something shameful. No matter what she does, society will insist upon labeling her as vapid and worthless without a man. But at the end of the day, Mulan’s story is a big “Screw You!” to the ideal of the flower-pot. She still fulfills her filial duties as set by Confucian values without being erased by society: she is lauded as a hero(ine) of China (preserving her family name and bringing honor to her ancestors), she marries Shang (a man of great station, whom she loves, as opposed to the traditional arranged marriages) and by this she can, to use a Vietnamese term, “keep the incense burning on the family altar,” i.e. produce children. She proves that you do not need to be a flower-pot to be a dutiful, ideal wife and daughter.
* This troper is Vietnamese (born and bred in Hanoi), and she doesn't know if it’s the same in Chinese culture (granted, the two cultures are extremely similar due to China's multiple attempts on Vietnam), but she has just realized something brilliant about Mulan's names. In Vietnam, we have a term for a vapid, apparently quiet and demure and well-behaved but is simply an airhead of a woman: “bình bông di động”, which basically means “moving flower-pot”. And in Mulan’s time? Being a moving flower-pot is what females are expected to do - be quiet, obey your parents and husband, be pretty and graceful and virtuous, stay in your/your husband’s ancestral home, produce heirs to preserve the family lineage, etc. (As evident in Honor to Us All and A Girl Worth Fighting For.)Both her make-up in Honor and her false name are masks. Society dictates that she cannot marry into a good house if she’s not a flower-pot, and no matter how valiantly she fights or how clever she is, she is still just a woman, which is seen as something shameful. No matter what she does, society will insist upon labeling her as vapid and worthless without a man. But at the end of the day, Mulan’s story is a big “Screw You!” to the ideal of the flower-pot. She still fulfills her filial duties as set by Confucian values without being erased by society: she is lauded as a hero(ine) of China (preserving her family name and bringing honor to her ancestors), she marries Shang (a man of great station, whom she loves, as opposed to the traditional arranged marriages) and by this she can, to use a Vietnamese term, “keep the incense burning on the family altar,” i.e. produce children. She proves that you do not need to be a flower-pot to be a dutiful, ideal wife and daughter.
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** By [[KneelBeforeFrodo bowing to her]], he also very publicly forgives her "crime" of pretending to be the Fa family's nonexistent son (because otherwise her deception was technically ''treason against the crown'' and the ObstructiveBureaucrat could've had her and her entire family executed--the executed -- the movie glosses over this detail in favor of making Chi Fu a straight-up misogynist jerk, whereas in "reality" it was her lying that probably would've been the bigger issue)
issue).
* This troper is Vietnamese (born and bred in Hanoi), and she doesn't know if it’s the same in Chinese culture (granted, the two cultures are extremely similar due to China's multiple attempts on Vietnam), but she has just realized something brilliant about Mulan's names. In Vietnam, we have a term for a vapid, apparently quiet and demure and well-behaved but is simply an airhead of a woman: “bình bông di động”, which basically means “moving flower-pot”. And in Mulan’s time? Being a moving flower-pot is what females are expected to do- -- be quiet, obey your parents and husband, be pretty and graceful and virtuous, stay in your/your husband’s ancestral home, produce heirs to preserve the family lineage, etc. (As evident in Honor to Us All and A Girl Worth Fighting For.)Both her make-up in Honor and her false name are masks. Society dictates that she cannot marry into a good house if she’s not a flower-pot, and no matter how valiantly she fights or how clever she is, she is still just a woman, which is seen as something shameful. No matter what she does, society will insist upon labeling her as vapid and worthless without a man. But at the end of the day, Mulan’s story is a big “Screw You!” to the ideal of the flower-pot. She still fulfills her filial duties as set by Confucian values without being erased by society: she is lauded as a hero(ine) of China (preserving her family name and bringing honor to her ancestors), she marries Shang (a man of great station, whom she loves, as opposed to the traditional arranged marriages) and by this she can, to use a Vietnamese term, “keep the incense burning on the family altar,” i.e. produce children. She proves that you do not need to be a flower-pot to be a dutiful, ideal wife and daughter.
* This troper is Vietnamese (born and bred in Hanoi), and she doesn't know if it’s the same in Chinese culture (granted, the two cultures are extremely similar due to China's multiple attempts on Vietnam), but she has just realized something brilliant about Mulan's names. In Vietnam, we have a term for a vapid, apparently quiet and demure and well-behaved but is simply an airhead of a woman: “bình bông di động”, which basically means “moving flower-pot”. And in Mulan’s time? Being a moving flower-pot is what females are expected to do
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** Better still: Magnolias are an example of what is known in botany as a "perfect flower" - that is, a flower with both male and female reproductive parts. Mulan may not be physically [[WrongGeneticSex intersex]], but considering her [[SweetPollyOliver crossdressing shenanigans]] it seems so appropriate that her namesake flower is naturally a perfect balance of both male and female.
* One thing that has circulated around the various pages are questions regarding the small size of Shang's unit which, upon close examination, is barely platoon strength (by modern force organization standards). His father, a General, leads a much larger unit of Mounted Infantry [[note]]Infantry that only uses their horses for travel, but fight on foot [[/note]]. Basically, Shang, a Captain, is leading a support contingent of this larger force. What's the evidence? Watch the training sequence and notice how the trainees are basically getting lots of practice in with cannons and bows, but very little with close combat (beyond some basic hand-to-hand training and calisthenics). During the mountain battle, Shang orders everyone to save the cannons, as well as ordering everyone to get out of range of the arrows, which is something regular line infantry NEVER do when attacked (they usually close the distance or seek cover). Support units are trained to fall back and avoid direct contact where possible, but once they get set up, the party begins. In short, and in modern terms, the unit that Mulan is part of is basically a Mortar Detachment of Shang Sr.'s Mounted Infatry Brigade... all of which is going up against a [[OhCrap Hun army of ten thousand strong...]]
* One thing that has circulated around the various pages are questions regarding the small size of Shang's unit which, upon close examination, is barely platoon strength (by modern force organization standards). His father, a General, leads a much larger unit of Mounted Infantry [[note]]Infantry that only uses their horses for travel, but fight on foot [[/note]]. Basically, Shang, a Captain, is leading a support contingent of this larger force. What's the evidence? Watch the training sequence and notice how the trainees are basically getting lots of practice in with cannons and bows, but very little with close combat (beyond some basic hand-to-hand training and calisthenics). During the mountain battle, Shang orders everyone to save the cannons, as well as ordering everyone to get out of range of the arrows, which is something regular line infantry NEVER do when attacked (they usually close the distance or seek cover). Support units are trained to fall back and avoid direct contact where possible, but once they get set up, the party begins. In short, and in modern terms, the unit that Mulan is part of is basically a Mortar Detachment of Shang Sr.'s Mounted Infatry Brigade... all of which is going up against a [[OhCrap Hun army of ten thousand strong...]]
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** Better still: Magnolias are an example of what is known in botany as a "perfect flower" - -- that is, a flower with both male and female reproductive parts. Mulan may not be physically [[WrongGeneticSex intersex]], but considering her [[SweetPollyOliver crossdressing shenanigans]] it seems so appropriate that her namesake flower is naturally a perfect balance of both male and female.
* One thing that has circulated around the various pages are questions regarding the small size of Shang's unit which, upon close examination, is barely platoon strength (by modern force organization standards). His father, a General, leads a much larger unit of Mounted Infantry [[note]]Infantry that only uses their horses for travel, but fight on foot [[/note]]. Basically, Shang, a Captain, is leading a support contingent of this larger force. What's the evidence? Watch the training sequence and notice how the trainees are basically getting lots of practice in with cannons and bows, but very little with close combat (beyond some basic hand-to-hand training and calisthenics). During the mountain battle, Shang orders everyone to save the cannons, as well as ordering everyone to get out of range of the arrows, which is something regular line infantry NEVER do when attacked (they usually close the distance or seek cover). Support units are trained to fall back and avoid direct contact where possible, but once they get set up, the party begins. In short, and in modern terms, the unit that Mulan is part of is basically a Mortar Detachment of Shang Sr.'s MountedInfatry Infantry Brigade... all of which is going up against a [[OhCrap Hun army of ten thousand strong...]]
* One thing that has circulated around the various pages are questions regarding the small size of Shang's unit which, upon close examination, is barely platoon strength (by modern force organization standards). His father, a General, leads a much larger unit of Mounted Infantry [[note]]Infantry that only uses their horses for travel, but fight on foot [[/note]]. Basically, Shang, a Captain, is leading a support contingent of this larger force. What's the evidence? Watch the training sequence and notice how the trainees are basically getting lots of practice in with cannons and bows, but very little with close combat (beyond some basic hand-to-hand training and calisthenics). During the mountain battle, Shang orders everyone to save the cannons, as well as ordering everyone to get out of range of the arrows, which is something regular line infantry NEVER do when attacked (they usually close the distance or seek cover). Support units are trained to fall back and avoid direct contact where possible, but once they get set up, the party begins. In short, and in modern terms, the unit that Mulan is part of is basically a Mortar Detachment of Shang Sr.'s Mounted
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* Shang's decision to have Yao try to kill Shan Yu. In real life, the Huns and other similar groups were literally held together by the will of their leaders. When those leaders died, the people usually fell into infighting to decide who should succeed him. Thus, even though the Chinese would have been wiped out in that battle, it's possible China would have been saved anyways because the Huns would be fighting each other.
* During the climax, Mulan and the others use disguise to take out the Hun soldier, who've left Shan Yu alone to threaten the Emperor. Once the Huns are beaten, Shang--who'd been hiding further back until now--rushes in to face Shan Yu directly. While Mulan is still the one who defeats Shan Yu in the end, it makes perfect sense to have Shang be the one ''intended'' to fight Shan Yu on two levels: firstly, Shang is the one and only professional soldier present, whereas all the others are conscripts, so he has the best chance of fighting Shan Yu and getting out alive even if he can't properly defeat him, and once the Emperor is safe they (either all the major characters or ''the entire population of the capital city'') can easily stop him just by sheer weight of numbers even if some of them die in the process; secondly, it looks better for Shang to be the one to save the Emperor--he's the decorated soldier, son of a famous general, leader of the forces who wiped out the Hunnic horde, ''and'' is a strong masculine figure, fitting in to Ancient China's gender roles as demonstrated in the film.
* During the climax, Mulan and the others use disguise to take out the Hun soldier, who've left Shan Yu alone to threaten the Emperor. Once the Huns are beaten, Shang--who'd been hiding further back until now--rushes in to face Shan Yu directly. While Mulan is still the one who defeats Shan Yu in the end, it makes perfect sense to have Shang be the one ''intended'' to fight Shan Yu on two levels: firstly, Shang is the one and only professional soldier present, whereas all the others are conscripts, so he has the best chance of fighting Shan Yu and getting out alive even if he can't properly defeat him, and once the Emperor is safe they (either all the major characters or ''the entire population of the capital city'') can easily stop him just by sheer weight of numbers even if some of them die in the process; secondly, it looks better for Shang to be the one to save the Emperor--he's the decorated soldier, son of a famous general, leader of the forces who wiped out the Hunnic horde, ''and'' is a strong masculine figure, fitting in to Ancient China's gender roles as demonstrated in the film.
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* Shang's decision to have Yao try to kill Shan Yu.Shan-Yu. In real life, the Huns and other similar groups were literally held together by the will of their leaders. When those leaders died, the people usually fell into infighting to decide who should succeed him. Thus, even though the Chinese would have been wiped out in that battle, it's possible China would have been saved anyways because the Huns would be fighting each other.
* During the climax, Mulan and the others usedisguise disguises to take out the Hun soldier, soldiers, who've left Shan Yu Shan-Yu alone to threaten the Emperor. Once the Huns are beaten, Shang--who'd Shang -- who'd been hiding further back until now--rushes now -- rushes in to face Shan Yu Shan-Yu directly. While Mulan is still the one who defeats Shan Yu Shan-Yu in the end, it makes perfect sense to have Shang be the one ''intended'' to fight Shan Yu Shan-Yu on two levels: firstly, Shang is the one and only professional soldier present, whereas all the others are conscripts, so he has the best chance of fighting Shan Yu Shan-Yu and getting out alive even if he can't properly defeat him, and once the Emperor is safe they (either all the major characters or ''the entire population of the capital city'') can easily stop him just by sheer weight of numbers even if some of them die in the process; secondly, it looks better for Shang to be the one to save the Emperor--he's Emperor -- he's the decorated soldier, son of a famous general, leader of the forces who wiped out the Hunnic horde, ''and'' is a strong masculine figure, fitting in to Ancient China's gender roles as demonstrated in the film.
* During the climax, Mulan and the others use
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** Alternatively, they probably all died during the huge RainOfArrows that the Huns fired at them moments earlier.
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*** Also, take this idea: If Mulan hadn't heard the Huns, even if she was getting herself ready to go home, there ''is'' the possibility that she would have been found/crossed paths with them. Even if he was so close to the city and his objective, Shan Yu would have noticed how strange it was and ''would have probably realized right there that Mulan was the soldier from the mountains''.
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** There is some irony in this: The Chinese tradition stated that Mulan deserved death when it was discovered she was a woman even though she had just destroyed the Hun army. However, if the situation was inverted and she were at the side of the Huns, Mulan would probably receive praises and the recognition of her value.
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Changed line(s) 67 (click to see context) from:
* The song "A girl worth fighting for" is all about the various characters singing about their ideal bride, but at the end of the song they find a girl actually worth fighting and sacrificing their lives for... a slaughtered, completely innocent girl, whose only proof to having existed in the first place is a lost doll left in the snow.
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* The song "A girl worth fighting for" is all about the various characters singing about their ideal bride, but at the end of the song they find a girl actually worth fighting and sacrificing their lives for... a slaughtered, completely innocent an unknown little girl, murdered by the Huns, whose only proof to having existed in the first place is a lost doll left in the snow.
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** Another layer of brilliance: Mulan not only keeping up but outrunning everyone at the end of "I'll Make a Man out of You" can be explained by her extremely good horsemanship. She can ride Khan bareback at a gallop, from the top of the movie. This builds up plenty of endurance but little strength (since Khan would have logically carried everything heavy), not to mention she is infantry, so her riding skills may have been noted but not utilized. All she needed was a little time to get used to carrying packs.
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** Unless, of course, you buy into the theory that Mulan is, in fact, the Great Stone Dragon.
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Changed line(s) 11 (click to see context) from:
* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune Cri-Kee brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx- the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes.
to:
* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune Cri-Kee brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx- TheJinx - the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes.misfortunes. Perhaps this is why Cri-Kee tearfully declares (as translated by Mushu) that he is not a lucky cricket during the scene in the mountains after Mulan's secret is discovered.
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Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
** Also, if you watch carefully, Mulan was being kicked out not only because she seemed unable to withstand the physical training, but also because she (well, it was actually Mushu, but not from Shang's point of view) resorted to trickery. He doesn't say "you are too weak", but " you are unsuited for/ the rage of war" (because an undisciplined soldier can result in many dying). He believed she lacked ''both'' strength and discipline. By passing the test, she proved him completely wrong.
** There's also the metaphor behind it all. Mulan was only able to succeed when she stopped viewing Strength and Discipline as obstacles pulling her back and started using them as tools to aid her.
** There's also the metaphor behind it all. Mulan was only able to succeed when she stopped viewing Strength and Discipline as obstacles pulling her back and started using them as tools to aid her.
to:
** Also, if you watch carefully, Mulan was being kicked out not only because she seemed unable to withstand the physical training, but also because she (well, it was actually Mushu, but not from Shang's point of view) resorted to trickery. He doesn't say "you are too weak", but " you "you are unsuited for/ the rage of war" (because an undisciplined soldier can result in many dying). He believed she lacked ''both'' strength and discipline. By passing the test, she proved him completely wrong.
** There's also the metaphor behind itall. all: Mulan was only able to succeed when she stopped viewing Strength and Discipline as obstacles pulling her back and started using them as tools to aid her.
** There's also the metaphor behind it
Changed line(s) 6,8 (click to see context) from:
** Also, [[spoiler: filial piety]] is one of the greatest cultural values of China. She had endangered her own life, risking a most shameful death, to respect that value well beyond anyone would deem possible. Explaining not only why Shang [[spoiler: spared her]], but also why even [[{{Jerkass}} Chi Fu]] kept the secret.
* [[DragonsUptheYinYang Take]] a look at Khan (Mulan's Horse) and Shang's Horse. The feminine dark Yin and the masculine light Yang.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in Mulan as simple RuleOfFunny—everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck; case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. If Cri-Kee really IS lucky then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself unlucky the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then all of China would have fallen to the Huns, and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like it to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
* [[DragonsUptheYinYang Take]] a look at Khan (Mulan's Horse) and Shang's Horse. The feminine dark Yin and the masculine light Yang.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in Mulan as simple RuleOfFunny—everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck; case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. If Cri-Kee really IS lucky then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself unlucky the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then all of China would have fallen to the Huns, and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like it to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
to:
** Also, [[spoiler: filial piety]] is one of the greatest cultural values of China. She had endangered her own life, risking a most shameful death, to respect that value well beyond anyone would deem possible. Explaining It explains not only why Shang [[spoiler: spared her]], but also why even [[{{Jerkass}} Chi Fu]] kept the secret.
* [[DragonsUptheYinYang Take]] a look at Khan (Mulan's Horse) and Shang'sHorse. The Horse- the feminine dark Yin and the masculine light Yang.
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee inMulan ''Mulan'' as simple RuleOfFunny—everyone RuleOfFunny. Everyone believed he was lucky when he truly wasn't, thus explaining why so much went wrong when people depended on him for luck; luck- case in point, Mulan's session with the matchmaker. However, unless Grandma was really lucky on her own, there's no way she could have made it across that road without Cri-Kee's luck. If But if Cri-Kee really IS lucky lucky, then why did he cause so much trouble with the matchmaker? Sure, he may have just been trying to escape, or hated being taken advantage of, or he was just a little troublemaker, or because he believed himself to be so unlucky that the thought of him being there to help Mulan terrified him him... but then the answer comes: if Mulan had passed the matchmaker's assessment, she would have become "a perfect porcelain doll", married some rich man her parents chose for her... and then all ''all of China would have fallen to the Huns, Huns'', and she would never have proven she could bring honor by her own individual merit instead of through marriage (not to mention find a fine man all on her own, thank you). Therefore, even though it didn't feel like it that to her at the time, being humiliated before the matchmaker was the ''luckiest'' thing that could ever have happened, for her or for China.
* [[DragonsUptheYinYang Take]] a look at Khan (Mulan's Horse) and Shang's
* It's very easy to dismiss the subplot involving Cri-Kee in
Changed line(s) 10,12 (click to see context) from:
* Noted in a WMG, the letter that Mushu gave Chi Fu was exactly what was needed for Shang's troupe to arrive in time to save the day. Now think about who actually WROTE the letter for a second... That is one lucky cricket.
* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune he brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx; the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes.
* A lot of people were annoyed that Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is; he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait a minute. That's it. The whole reason Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu was to help amplify the idea of throwing Western values into the Chinese society. No wonder he's so out of place.
* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune he brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx; the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes.
* A lot of people were annoyed that Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is; he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait a minute. That's it. The whole reason Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu was to help amplify the idea of throwing Western values into the Chinese society. No wonder he's so out of place.
to:
* Noted in a WMG, WMG: the letter that Mushu gave Chi Fu was exactly what was needed for Shang's troupe to arrive in time to save the day. Now think about who actually WROTE the letter for a second... That is one lucky cricket.
* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortunehe Cri-Kee brought to his keepers cost everyone else: the terrible traffic accident Mulan's grandmother caused with her reckless test was a terrible misfortune to all the people driving those carts and rickshaws, the matchmaker suffered a lot of AmusingInjuries and ClothingDamage for the sake of Mulan's fortuitous change of career path, and the barbaric Huns (or Xiongnu) suffered a catastrophic defeat at Mulan's hands. His "lucky" letter that brought Shang's forces to the front lines saved China, but also introduced the entire unit to the very "unlucky" [[WarIsHell horrors of war]]. That cricket is actually TheJinx; TheJinx- the good fortune he brings his keepers comes at the expense of a great many others' misfortunes.
* A lot of people were annoyed thatEddie Murphy Creator/EddieMurphy was cast as Mushu, the disgraced Chinese Dragon sent to help Mulan. (Sort of) Everyone else in this movie was Asian-American, so why not Mushu? Look at what he is; is: he's selfish, lighthearted, joking, obsessed in regaining his reputation, and willing to pull a few strings in order to get what he wants. OK, but what's the big thing? He breathes fire. Now fire breathing is normally a Western Dragon trait. Western? Wait a minute. That's it. minute- that's it! The whole reason Eddie Murphy was cast as Mushu was to ''to help amplify the idea of throwing Western values into the Chinese society.society''. No wonder he's so out of place.
* More on the cricket: note that in war, good fortune for one side is terrible fortune for the other. Now consider what all the good fortune
* A lot of people were annoyed that
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* During Mulan's preparations for meeting the Matchmaker, one of the women getting her ready sings that she'll turn "this sow's ear into a silk purse". The thing is, the proverb specifically states that it can't be done, just like Mulan could never be the perfect little doll that everyone expected. Nevertheless, the woman was stating how she knows its impossible, and is accepting the challenge.
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* During Mulan's preparations for meeting the Matchmaker, one of the women getting her ready sings that she'll turn "this sow's ear into a silk purse". The thing is, the proverb specifically states that it can't be done, just like Mulan could never be the perfect little doll that everyone expected. Nevertheless, the woman was stating how she knows its impossible, it's impossible and is accepting the challenge.
Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
* Shan Yu's lack of humiliation at being [[IWasBeatenByAGirl defeated several times by a woman]] makes sense: most steppe people have had warrior women and up to the 12th century, the Huns in particular were very accepting of women hunting and going to battle. To him [[WouldHitAGirl she was just another warrior to defeat]]!
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* Shan Yu's lack of humiliation at being [[IWasBeatenByAGirl defeated several times by a woman]] makes sense: most steppe people have had warrior women and up to the 12th century, the Huns in particular were very accepting of women hunting and going to battle. To him him, [[WouldHitAGirl she was just another warrior to defeat]]!
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Changed line(s) 65 (click to see context) from:
* THe song "A girl worth fighting for" is all about the various characters singing about their ideal bride, but at the end of the song they find a girl actually worth fighting and sacrificing their lives for... a slaughtered, completely innocent girl, whose only proof to having existed in the first place is a lost doll left in the snow.
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* THe The song "A girl worth fighting for" is all about the various characters singing about their ideal bride, but at the end of the song they find a girl actually worth fighting and sacrificing their lives for... a slaughtered, completely innocent girl, whose only proof to having existed in the first place is a lost doll left in the snow.
