Line #117 YMMV/Coco


1	!! '''Spoilers involving this movie will remain unmarked. Spoilers involving other works will remain marked, though. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!'''
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5	* AccidentalAesop:
6	** According to Imelda, Héctor's motivation for leaving was to "Share his music with the world". In a twist of cruel irony, once he dies, Ernesto shares Héctor and Coco's personal lullaby "Remember Me" with the entire world. And decades later, it's been bastardized into an empty, womanizing show tune that Héctor ''never'' intended it to be. Although not intentional, one could count it as a lesson in being an artist: 'be careful what you share with the world, because once it's shared, it technically belongs to everyone from here on.'
7	** Be mindful of not only what you consider taboo and why. Sometimes, it might be an outdated practice that hurts people for no real reason based on a misunderstanding. And sometimes it's there for a very good reason.
8	** Be careful not to judge and there is sometimes more to what happen then you may think. Miguel's whole family hated Héctor because they perceived him to have abandon the family, however by the climax we learned that he was actually murdered by Ernesto just as he was about to go back to his family no less because he wanted to be with them instead of chasing his dream. For that matter Miguel and most of the world looked up to Ernesto as this great talented musician but later discovered that he was just a ruthless fraud who murder Héctor and took credit for Héctor's work and Ernesto wasn't really who they though he was.
9	* {{Adorkable}}: Héctor Rivera is considered to be both UglyCute and CreepyCute because of him being a cartoony funny-looking skeleton who looks borderline zombie-like due to his ugly ragged clothes and almost broken bones. Not only you'll feel sorry for this poor guy because of his tragic backstory, but you'll also fall in love with him because of how attractive he used to be when he was alive, he even still is when he’s dead! Muy guapo, eh? [[note]]Very handsome, right?[[/note]]
10	* AlternateAesopInterpretation: There are two examples that can be interpreted if you read between the 'Family comes first' and the 'let your children follow their dreams' aesops. According to [[https://www.cracked.com/article_29699_6-lessons-childrens-shows-taught-parents-instead.html this Cracked article]] (the 2nd entry), an aesop that can be taken from is the potential damage a FantasyForbiddingFather can do to your descendants, especially the latest generation who could have radically different views from the original. The second example is that love is more, if not only sincere, if the parties involved get along ''despite'' their differences rather than their ''lack of''. The only reason Miguel getting his guitar smashed is remotely considered a good thing was because it sparked the chain of events that led to him learning the truth in the Land of the Dead. If this is the real world, Miguel would have still attended the festival with the stolen guitar before returning home a shell of his former self and being forced to learn a trade he has no passion in. This is a situation faced by many real children raised in strict traditional and/or religious households who were never given a chance to express themselves unlike Miguel.
11	-->"Because loving someone, supporting someone -- sometimes it means loving and supporting things you don't particularly care for or understand. Because it's important to that person, and that person is important to you. Family, as it turns out, matters."
12	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
13	** '''Miguel:''' Did his passion for music come about ''[[DoNotDoThisCoolThing because]]'' of the family's music ban? And did his ambition to play music include playing for the world? It's revealed in the novelization "Coco: A Story About Music, Shoes and Family" that Miguel had always had a love of music, even when he was an infant. Ironically, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Mama Coco was the one who encouraged his love of music by singing to him when he was a baby]].
14	** '''Héctor:''' Did he leave his family on his own accord or was he encouraged or coerced into touring by Ernesto? "Coco: A Story About Music, Shoes and Family" mentions that Héctor left for the simple reason of gaining inspiration for his music, and it's implied that Ernesto had to convince him to leave his family temporarily. But Héctor quickly regretted leaving and made plans to return home, but we all know how ''that'' turned out.
15	** When he entrusts Miguel with his photo, is he trying to get over the bridge to see Coco before he disappears, or is he hoping for a long enough burst of longevity to be able to greet Coco when she crosses over?
16	** '''Imelda:''' How long was it after her husband left her that she set about banishing music from her life? Also, did she know about her daughter [[TragicKeepsake holding onto her father's letters and his face from the family photo]] and turned a blind eye out of fear of breaking Coco's heart? WordOfGod mentions that Imelda had begun her shoe business ''before'' her husband Héctor had left, and that Héctor's birthday is November 30, meaning that he'd died in December of 1921. The novelization "Coco: A Story About Music, Shoes and Family" reveals that the story told by Miguel at the start of the movie was actually told to him by [[UnreliableNarrator Elena, meaning that it was told from]] ''[[UnreliableNarrator her]]'' [[UnreliableNarrator interpretation of what had really happened based on Imelda's bitterness at her husband's disappearance.]]
17	** Did Imelda truly believe that her husband had abandoned her and Coco for music? Or did she still miss him but set about a ban on music and purge of all memory of him to suppress her sadness so that she could raise her daughter and subsequent family?
18	** '''Ernesto:''' Did he ever consider Héctor a friend or was he using him for the sake of fame? It's revealed in the novelization "Coco: A Story About Music, Shoes and Family" that Héctor and Ernesto were childhood friends and Héctor held him in high regard. But what did Ernesto think of Héctor back then? Was he always a {{Jerkass}} even as a boy? Or was he a truly good friend who was corrupted by his desire for fame?
19	** Did Ernesto feel any remorse for murdering Héctor? Was him putting his own murder of his friend in his movie, just showing off that he got away with it? Or trying to ease his own guilt? Notably, the poisoner in the movie is the ''villain'' and ends up getting beaten up by their would-be victim. Notice that when Ernesto pours the tequila for himself and Héctor, he is not putting anything else in either glass. While this could be just something that wasn't added to save time, it could imply the drink was already poisoned, meaning Ernesto might have been planning to kill his best friend and steal his work all along. Notice how he hesitates to take one sip of his drink.
20	* {{Applicability}}:
21	** Much has been written about the (presumed unintentional given ProductionLeadTime) topicality of a story about discovering one's favorite celebrity is secretly a horrible person, as the film came out amidst revelations that the American entertainment industry had been covering up decades of sexual abuse by prominent people.
22	** Additionally De la Cruz is a historical figure in-universe who was much less accomplished and nice in life than his legend claims, and receives all the honors while the person he victimized and profited from is forgotten. This would seem like a take on the Confederate statues controversy, except it was developed independently from it.
23	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
24	** [[HeroicDog Dante]] has created some heated debates among fans of the movie as well as critics. The critics usually portray him as a [[DogsAreDumb dumb mutt]], who [[GratuitousAnimalSidekick felt tacked on]] to give the movie [[TheScrappy an animal comic relief]]. Unfavorable comparisons to [[WesternAnimation/{{Moana}} Hei Hei]], another divisive character, are made. His fans are eager to jump to his defense, arguing that Dante is [[SmarterThanYouLook smarter than he seems]] and that that Miguel and Héctor would've never met and Miguel would've died if it wasn't for him.
25	** Ernesto De La Cruz. One side thinks that he's a [[LoveToHate great villain]], or at the very least tolerable. The other thinks that he wasn't necessary as a character, thinking that Héctor dying by accident when he tried to return [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot would've been a stronger and more realistic story]]. However, the general reception is that he's one of the better-''executed'' Disney twist villains.
26	* CaptainObviousReveal: Pretty much ''everyone'' who isn't completely GenreBlind is going to predict the true identity of Miguel's great-great-grandfather correctly. The same people also expected that Ernesto isn't [[BitchInSheepsClothing as nice as he seems]].
27	* CatharsisFactor:
28	** After all of the reprehensible crimes Ernesto committed for the sake of fame (murdering Hector to steal his music, causing Hector’s family to believe he abandoned them, and throwing Miguel off a roof) seeing him get exposed on stage, crushed by a bell for a second time, and be exposed as a fraud in the real world is one of the most cathartic villain downfalls in animated films.
29	** The Rivera family, particularly Elena and Imelda, upholding the music ban for generations can be seen as cruel to many viewers. As a result, it's really satisfying to see Miguel refuse to put up with their unreasonable actions and stand up to them.
30	* ClicheStorm: You've seen this movie before. Kid with dreams that his family doesn't approve of, ParentalAbandonment, talent show the protagonist wants to enter, revered hero [[EvilAllAlong revealed as]] {{Jerkass}} BrokenPedestal, etc. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Not that it's a bad thing.]]
31	* CrossoverShip: The fandom has been happily pairing Miguel with [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6 Hiro Hamada]] since the movie's release. Miguel x [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut Riley]] is also gaining popularity.
32	** In a more platonic sense, Héctor and [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Naveen]] are a well-loved crossover bromance.
33	* CrossesTheLineTwice:
34	** Ernesto's death. It's not every day someone is crushed to death by a giant bell. The fact that it becomes a BrickJoke with his defeat, and the fact that he ''[[AssholeVictim majorly]]'' deserves it, even if it was an accident, only makes it funnier.
35	** The RunningGag of Elena using her shoe as a weapon, ''especially'' if you're Mexican or know someone who is and remembers this popular form of CorporalPunishment.
36	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
37	** Pepita, for being an incredibly badass yet gorgeous [[MixAndMatchCritters giant jaguar chimera]], especially when she gives De La Cruz his comeuppance.
38	** Frida Kahlo, thanks to her hilariously [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible incomprehensible "artwork"]] display for De La Cruz' big show.
39	** The band of purple-suited skeletons who help Miguel on his way, thanks to both their awesome music display, great look, and being incredibly nice folks overall.
40	** The man at Ernesto's Sunshine Spectacular who ''missed the entire climax''.
41	** Wrestling/ElSanto only gets a momentary cameo with no lines, but considering he is pretty much ''the'' MemeticBadass of Mexican culture it's hardly a surprise that people cheered his appearance.
42	** The [[https://78.media.tumblr.com/a105353214ca1e42df76c36dfdf50863/tumblr_inline_ozs44nsnDP1re46ch_540.gif one goofy guy]] in the audience (during the "Battle of the Bands" scene) who absolutely ''loves'' the trio of accordion-playing nuns, and is enthusiastically dancing along to their music as everybody else in the audience just stares in confusion/annoyance. Despite only being on-screen for two seconds, he got a lot of laughs out of viewers.
43	** Among Miguel's living family, his cousin Rosa is popular for her attitude and the fact that she became a proficient violinist herself in the ending. Among the dead Riveras, Tia Victoria is popular for being the only one who doesn't cower in the face of Imelda's blessing.
44	** Hector’s seamstress fan Ceci has less than a minute of screen time, but is a regular fan fiction supporting character.
45	* EvilIsCool: Ernesto De La Cruz is among the most popular modern Disney villains, only being rivaled by [[WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph Turbo]]. Mainly because he manages to be both [[BitchInSheepsClothing charismatic]] and [[TheUnfettered totally ruthless]], without breaking previously established characterization, but rather putting [[HarsherInHindsight his previous scenes into a new light]]. He's pretty much what Disney tried and failed to do with their previous attempts at the HiddenVillain.
46	* FandomEnragingMisconception: While fans of both ''Coco'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' don't mind if one compares one with the other, do '''not''' call ''Coco'' a ''Book of Life'' ripoff in front of any ''Coco'' fan. Unless you want to hear a lengthy speech about the massive differences between the two works, as the only thing they have in common is the setting, the protagonists having vague similarities, Creator/AnaDeLaReguera voicing characters in both (the Latin American Spanish dub only for ''Coco''), the dead disappearing if the living ones completely forget about them, and both taking place on the Day of the Dead.
47	* FanficFuel:
48	** Even with Ernesto being revealed as a murderer in both the dead and living worlds, it is possible that at least one LoonyFan would still put up an ofrenda for him. If they did, would he be able to cross over? And would he try to take revenge on Miguel and the Rivera family? Is it possible to take revenge in the spirit plane? Or what if said LoonyFan took it upon themselves to [[AvengingTheVillain take revenge]] [[WouldHurtAChild on Miguel]] and his family?
49	** What if Ernesto's surprise over Miguel's declaration of being his great-great-grandson was because [[ExactWords he wasn't aware he had a great-great-grandson, only a great-great-granddaughter]]? And what would happen if said great-great-granddaughter's family [[AvengingTheVillain tried to avenge Ernesto]]?
50	** Everyone in the Land of the Dead is Mexican. Are there different afterlives for people of other cultures? The Land of the Dead exists, but what about Valhalla, the Elysian Fields, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaru Aaru]], or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yomi Yomi-no-kuni]]? And what happens to someone who dies but doesn't believe in any afterlife?
51	** What happens to a skeleton after their Final Death? Are they erased from existence, are they reincarnated, or do they move on to heaven...or hell? Do they go to ''[[WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife The Land of the Forgotten?]]''
52	** Aside from the information shown in the movie, what were Imelda's, Héctor's, Ernesto's and the other dead characters' lives like when they were alive? Some details are given, but there's plenty of room for fanfic writers to fill in the gaps.
53	** The Rivera family's ofrenda contains a few photos of family members who are not seen with the deceased Riveras in the Land of the Dead. Who are they? What happened to them?
54	** In a more… sad yet bittersweet case, killing off Miguel so young to have him reunite with the dead Rivera members in the Land of the Dead is also common fanfic fuel. Bonus points if the fanfics show Miguel bonding with Héctor over the fact they both died young.
55	** Exactly how Miguel was able to expose Ernesto's murder and plagiarism in the Land of the Living during the ending's TimeSkip is the subject of quite a few fanfics.
56	** On a related but slightly more morbid note, locating Héctor's physical remains in the Land of the Living and reinterring him with Coco and Imelda is usually touched on in such fics.
57	** What would've happened if someone other than Miguel made the journey to the Land of the Dead?
58	** When and how did any of the minor characters in the Land of the Dead, well, die? Specially the ones that look young? What's their story?
59	* {{Fanon}}:
60	** The fanbase seems to almost universally agree in their fan works that Miguel should have a chance to visit the Land of the Dead again when he's older, oftentimes with his little sister [[DeadGuyJunior Coco]] in tow.
61	** Some fans have taken to the belief that Miguel's experiences in the Land of the Dead have left him [[ISeeDeadPeople the ability to see ghosts.]]
62	** More than a few fans have headcanoned Miguel to be gay, bisexual, or asexual.
63	*** To a lesser extent, Tia Victoria is sometimes depicted as a lesbian and/or asexual in fanworks.
64	*** If there's a shipping fanfic of them then Hector and Ernesto are most likely gonna be bisexual in it.
65	* FriendlyFandoms:
66	** The movie ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' has sparked a lot more interest in the Creator/{{Pixar}} movie ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' that is also based on the Day of the Dead. The movie originally had a lot of flack from many wondering how you could even make a movie about the holiday, but ''The Book of Life'' proved you could make a good movie that wasn't just a Halloween redress. Becomes HilariousInHindsight after the Creator/{{Disney}} acquisition of [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox 20th Century Fox]], bringing ''The Book of Life'' and ''Coco'' under the same company, and both on the same streaming platform.
67	** Fans of ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'' may enjoy this film with the shared theme of deceased loves ones helping the living end a cycle of revenge and the similar theme here of spirit animal companions guiding or protecting.
68	** With ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'' due to both works being Pixar films which deal with young protagonists dealing with GenerationalTrauma.
69	* GeniusBonus:
70	** Crosses over with BilingualBonus: The untranslated song at the climax, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona_(song) La Llorona]], was probably first sung in the years of the Mexican Revolution. The genius here is that Imelda opened the shoe-making workshop on 1921, based on a sign on the Rivera's house, so of course she knows so well the song: she was there when La Llorona became popular! Also that means that Imelda, Héctor and Ernesto went through the fighting years.
71	** Furthermore, the line Imelda sings while tenderly looking at Héctor is "I won't stop loving you".
72	** After Miguel and Héctor's meeting with Ernesto goes bad, both are tossed into what looks to be an old well some 100 feet deep leading into a natural cave. The typical name for a dungeon built like this is an "oubliette", which means "place of forgetting." What's the one thing the people in the land of the dead fear?
73	** In addition, said holes are "cenotes," found in the Yucatan peninsula, where the asteroid that helped kill the dinosaurs hit, and were revered by the Mayans as both a source of freshwater and as an entrance into the afterlife.
74	** Miguel uses Héctor's song to remind Mama Coco of him. Music is often used to help trigger memories in older people with Alzheimer’s.
75	** Frida Kahlo's dance number is a BilingualBonus for people familiar with Mexican dirty slang, where "papaya" refers to a woman's nether regions.
76	** Being guided through the underworld by [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante]].
77	** The architecture in the Land of the Dead is a clever summary of Mexican history, with the lowest levels being Mayan-inspired, then Aztec, then colonial Spanish, then Victorian, and finally Art Déco and modern styles, all built on top of each other.
78	** The town the family lives in is called Santa Cecilia. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of ''music'', making the Rivera's outright rejection of it all the more ironic.
79	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
80	** It [[WinBackTheCrowd won back the crowd]] in Spain, where some had accused Disney/Pixar of being lazy and cheap before release, due to the fact that there is no SameLanguageDub [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage for the country]]. After the movie came out, the Mexican dub was praised instead for its quality (with even minor characters voiced by first line actors), and immersive power, due to the story being so profoundly Mexican.
81	** The film was an unexpected hit in China, presumably because of its themes revolving around family, memory, and honoring ancestors, [[ValuesResonance all of which are traditional elements in Chinese culture]]. The Day of the Dead has many similarities to UsefulNotes/ChineseFuneraryCustoms. [[https://twitter.com/leeunkrich/status/945868492179324928 It's made more than all the previous Pixar films in the country]] ''combined'', and [[https://www.forbes.com/sites/robcain/2017/11/27/how-coco-got-all-those-ghosts-past-chinas-superstition-hating-censors/#166e3fbb20b0 so popular that it wasn't even censored or banned by the Chinese Censorship Bureau, despite their own rules prohibiting the display of supernatural elements (especially skeletons), presumably because they were just that moved by the film's story.]]
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84	[[folder:H to P]]
85	* HarsherInHindsight:
86	** TheReveal (the beloved Ernesto de la Cruz is actually a fraud and murderer) is a lot harder to swallow after Pixar founder/CEO and hero to many aspiring animators Creator/JohnLasseter took a leave of absence, and ultimately resigned at the end of the next year, following reports of his history of sexual misconduct and mistreatment of female and minority employees. Even worse, it occurred ''one day'' before the movie was released! And not just Lasseter. The movie came out within a period of accusations of sexual misconduct committed by much respected and famous actors and other film/television industry big shots that destroyed fans' passion for them and/or their work, much like how Ernesto's actions being revealed to the public almost instantly turned his fans against him. Additionally, reportedly John Lasseter stole the idea and credit for ''WesternAnimation/Cars1'' from Jorgen Klubien, an animator who was friends with Lasseter at [=CalArts=] and later Pixar, [[KickedUpstairs and booted Klubien to script-writing]] before removing him from the film altogether. The parallels to Héctor, Héctor's friendship with Ernesto de la Cruz, and how Cruz ultimately threw Héctor, his best friend, under the bus in order to steal Héctor's idea and went on to fame and glory are eerie.
87	** Ernesto's death by being crushed by a bell while performing on stage became harder to watch for fans from Hong Kong after a giant monitor [[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/world/asia/mirror-hong-kong.html fell]] during a concert by local BoyBand MIRROR, severely injuring a backup dancer and forcing the concert's cancellation. To make matters worse, a local TV channel aired this film barely a week after the accident happened, when the incident would still be fresh in public memory.
88	* HeartwarmingInHindsight:
89	** Part of Miguel's plea for Mama Imelda to help retrieve Héctor's photo could apply to viewers who want to continue appreciating John Lasseter's contributions to animation, without condoning his behavior out of the spotlight.
90	--->You don't have to forgive him, but we shouldn't forget him.
91	** Coco's [[DiedHappilyEverAfter death and reuniting with her parents in the afterlife]] in the epilogue becomes this following the death of her voice actress Ana Ofelia Murguía at age 90 six years later.
92	* HilariousInHindsight:
93	** While we never figure out where the forgotten go after they fade away, [[WesternAnimation/{{Soul}} the next Pixar film about a land of the dead]] gives us a possible answer: The Great Beyond.
94	** For one that even nullifies an above FAM, the Netflix show ''Series/JulieAndThePhantoms'' features a band who actually ''did'' die from eating bad hot dogs.
95	* HoYay:
96	** Ernesto declares that he would move heaven and earth for his friend Héctor... but when Héctor is insistent on going home to his wife and daughter, [[IfICantHaveYou Ernesto murders him.]]
97	** During Ernesto's performance of "Remember Me", we can see a [[EvenTheGuysWantHim few men in the audience swooning over him]] in addition to the women.
98	* IAmNotShazam: The main character '''is not''' Coco. His name is Miguel. Coco is his great-grandmother.
99	* IKnewIt: Many viewers correctly guessed that [[spoiler:Héctor is Miguel's actual great-great-grandfather]] long before it was revealed. Luckily, this doesn't ruin the enjoyment of the film for most people.
100	* IronWoobie:
101	** The eponymous Mama Coco. Her father left her when she was very young and was murdered on his way back. She was raised by a very embittered mother. When she herself grew older, both her husband and [[OutlivingOnesOffspring one of her daughters passed away before her]]. And through it all, she likely witnessed most of her descendants hating on her father for decades. Despite all these, the woman appears to be unfaltered by negativity.
102	** Héctor might be the biggest IronWoobie in Pixar history, or even in all of Disney history, ''period.'' He left his wife and child to pursue a music career with his friend Ernesto. When he changed his mind and tried to go back home to his family, Ernesto poisoned him, stole his songs to make himself rich and famous, and let Héctor's family believe he abandoned them for the sake of his own dream. As a result, his wife Imelda and the rest of his family hated him, [[{{Unperson}} deliberately forgot his memory,]] and refused to put his picture on the ofrenda, preventing him from crossing over to the living world on Dia de los Muertos, even to see his daughter Coco, the only person who still loved and remembered him. Reduced to living in the slums with other family-less skeletons, cut off from both his living and dead family, he was forced to watch [[KarmaHoudini Ernesto]] become [[VillainWithGoodPublicity rich, famous, and beloved]] on the songs that he stole from Héctor, while Héctor himself never got any credit for them or even got invited to Ernesto's parties. But still, he never gave up hope that he would see Coco again. Every year, he tried to cross over and see her, but failed each time. He tried [[TheDeterminator for years and years and years,]] until Coco herself was a senile old woman on her deathbed, about to forget him for good, which meant [[DeaderThanDead he would fade away]] without ever seeing her again. It's only when Miguel comes into his life that he gets the chance to uncover the truth, ''finally'' be reunited with his family, and be remembered as the legendary songwriter and loving family man he really was. Héctor had to [[EarnYourHappyEnding wait a long time and go through a great deal of hell to get his happy ending]], but there's no doubt that he really ''really'' needed one.
103	** Imelda, too. Even though Miguel has been stifled by her influence since birth, some admiration creeps through in his narration of her life, especially when he says "She didn't have time to cry over that walkaway musician!" Being a single mother is never easy (especially since there weren't a lot of options for women in 1920s Mexico), but Imelda did it so successfully that her descendants revere her to this day, and her business is still supporting her family decades after her death. And when she finds out that her no-good, useless husband ''didn't mean'' to abandon her, that he was on his way home when he was murdered, she's at first indignant -- "So what if it's true?!" But she rallies, puts her feelings behind her, and is the real [=MVP=] in the effort to try and get Héctor's photo on the ofrenda so he can see their daughter again. The scene at the end where all three of these characters, Héctor, Coco, and Imelda, are finally reunited as a family, is one of the most heartwarming and cathartic moments in the history of Pixar.
104	* JustHereForGodzilla: Some fans of ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen\|2013}}'' went to see the movie in theaters during the first two weeks just to see the new Christmas special, ''WesternAnimation/OlafsFrozenAdventure'', which played before it. Conversely, others who didn't care about the short deliberately showed up to their screening late to avoid having to watch it.
105	* MemeticMutation:
106	** The picture of Miguel used for his character folder on the character page has become one thanks to WebVideo/SchaffrillasProductions.
107	** "Mi amigo... te empiezan a olvidar"/"My friend... you are being forgotten"[[labelnote:Explanation]]Starting in Spanish-speaking circles, the meme (complete with two panels from the scene) is used for (mock-)mournful comments on something or someone being forgotten by the net as a whole.[[/labelnote]]
108	*** "Pedazo de mierda, al fin te olvidaron." [[labelnote:Translation & Explanation]]"You piece of shit, they finally forgot you". Similar to the above, but obviously making it clear the poster is ''glad'' that whatever the subject was is left behind. Most often seen with {{Discredited Meme}}s that got especially bad.[[/labelnote]]
109	* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales: Unsurprisingly, Mexicans love how loyal the movie is to one of their oldest and most cherished traditions, as well as being a very beautiful and accurate tribute to Mexican culture in general. The movie debuted in Mexico on October 30th. By November 15th it became '''[[https://io9.gizmodo.com/coco-is-already-the-highest-grossing-movie-in-Mexican-h-1820490429 the highest-grossing film ever in that country]]'''. Not bad for a movie that caused a backdraft when it was first announced!
110	* MindGameShip: Hector/Ernesto (Also known as Ernector.) There's surprisingly a decent amount of fanfics made about the pairing despite the latter's murder of the former.
111	* MisaimedMarketing:
112	** The official soundtrack features [[RewrittenPopVersion two covers that turn "Remember Me/Recuérdame" into a bouncy pop song.]] Y'know, the exact same thing the bad guy did?
113	** The merchandise with Héctor and the phrase "Seize Your Moment"... as in, the bad guy's reasoning for killing him.
114	** Pepita and Dante are awesome alebrijes, so naturally there is official Disney marketing of them. Whether or not they pay royalties to the still-living Mexican family who created the ''concept'' of alebrijes, and with alebrijes being a very closely-protected cultural heritage of Mexico, is another issue.
115	* {{Moe}}: Miguel is just so cute! Especially in skeleton makeup!
116	* MoralEventHorizon: Ernesto de la Cruz crosses over when he kills Héctor with poison and takes credit for all of his work in order to make himself a big celebrity, ''[[SpeakIllOfTheDead even stealthily bragging about his murder in one of his movies]]'', without showing any remorse decades later.
117	** If he didn’t cross it by murdering Hector, he definitely crossed it [[spoiler: by throwing Miguel (who he thought was his own grandson) off a roof to keep him from revealing that he’s a fraud in the world of the living.]]
118	* OneSceneWonder:
119	** Frida Kahlo, mostly for the utterly hilarious and [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible incomprehensible]] opening act she plans for Ernesto's concert. It involves multiple versions of herself emerging from a papaya, Frida being a giant cactus as well as her own mother, and her children drinking her "milk" which is really the cactus's tears. Then, after talking with Miguel, she plans to also set it all on fire.
120	** Famous Mexican wrestler Wrestling/ElSanto shows up twice in the whole film, first trying to gain entry to Ernesto's party and taking a picture with one of his fans, then singing along with a number of other posthumous celebrities in a split-second cameo at the party. Truly, even in death, his legacy will live on.
121	** Chicharrón, Héctor's 'friend' who lives in the slum of the Forgotten. He's only there for one scene before he dies a final death, but the whole scene leading up to his death very gut-wrenching, marks the movie's turn to a more serious tone, and reveals Héctor [[HiddenDepths to be more than what he seems to be]].
122	** The Mariachi player who gets his shoes shined by Miguel at the beginning of the film and plays an unwitting [[TheWatson Watson]] to him. Even though he's uninterested in Miguel's story and would rather have the boy shine his shoes, he still made a point to pay attention and offers some earnest advice as well as an opportunity try and play his guitar. His encouragement is partly what makes Miguel seriously reflect on his love of music vs. his family duties.
123	* ParanoiaFuel: The idea that a favorite actor, singer, or musician may turn out to be [[NiceCharacterMeanActor bad]], or even [[ExaggeratedTrope murderous]]. What's scarier, the thought that even the ''nice'' actors aren't so nice [[WhatYouAreInTheDark behind closed doors]]...
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:R to W]]
127	* RealismInducedHorror: The thing that makes Ernesto de la Cruz such an effective villain is that he's a fairly realistic portrayal of a celebrity who uses their fame and public reputation to get away with doing horrible things, particularly how he murders Héctor by giving him a poisoned tequila and then writes a similar scene into one of his movies, none too dissimilar to how real murderers find clandestine ways to brag about what they have done.
128	** What's even terrifying is how the film averts PerfectPoison when Héctor drinks the spiked tequila. It takes a while for the poison to take effect, then he collapses in absolute agony and slowly fades away. This is how most poisons work in reality, making his death all the more terrifying and tragic.
129	* RonTheDeathEater:
130	** While no one believes Ernesto was entirely blameless for Hector's death, some blame Imelda for it, since he technically died because he wanted to go back to her and Coco, and she turned her back on him (even if she had her reasons for doing so).
131	** While Ernesto is already a killer, some fans make him even ''worse'' by writing him as a rapist and an abuser as well.
132	** Hector is also sometimes seen as the bad guy by fans because he left his family to advance his career.
133	* SignatureScene:
134	** Miguel strumming the skull guitar and marigold petals surrounding him.
135	** Miguel seeing the Land of the Dead for the first time.
136	** Miguel and Héctor's duet "Un Poco Loco".
137	** Miguel singing "Remember Me" to Mama Coco.
138	* SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing: Many Latin American Spanish speakers heavily preferred the Latin American Spanish version of the soundtrack over the English version. It helps that both versions had an AllStarCast.
139	* TheyCopiedItSoItSucks:
140	** Initially, fans of ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' were quick to write this off as a rip-off. The fact that this was conceived and directed by Lee Unkrich, a white man from Ohio, while ''Book'' was written and directed by Jorge Gutiérrez, a native Mexican, only added fuel to the fire. Gutiérrez has been very vocal about his support for the film on social media and even had to tell fans he was interested in seeing the film. This controversy has mostly died down after ''Coco'''s release, as while the films do have some similarities there are also large differences.
141	** ''Coco'' has been accused of ripping off ''WesternAnimation/ElTigreTheAdventuresOfMannyRivera''[[note]] coincidentally also made by Jorge Gutiérrez, while Imelda's voice actress Alanna Ubach voiced the titular character[[/note]] since both main characters have Rivera as a last name and the setting is Mexico. However, this was most likely coincidental.
142	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Despite all the apparent lead-up to it, we don't get to see the moment Héctor and Coco reunite in the afterlife, only interactions afterwards. The creators might have thought that Miguel singing "Remember Me" to Coco was ''the'' emotional climax of the film and adding another one would overdo it and possibly disrupt the pacing.
143	** For the title character, Mama Coco is little more than a ChekhovsGunman - we never really see the struggle on her side to keep her belived father's memory alive, all we see is that she still remembers him years later.
144	** More They Wasted a Perfectly Good Gag, but you'd think for a movie with prominent music and skeletons, there'd be at least one reference to [[WesternAnimation/TheSkeletonDance The Skeleton Dance]].
145	* UglyCute:
146	** Dante is a hairless stray dog with derpy eyes and a tongue that constantly lolls out...and he's so [[HeroicDog loyal and affectionate]] that it's impossible not to love him. Who's a good boy?
147	** The skeletons that live in Land of the Dead count too. Héctor is a prime example - he is a funny-looking skeleton who looks borderline zombie-like and wears ugly ragged clothes, but he is also so charming and funny that he is actually kind of ''adorable''. His [[TheWoobie tragic backstory]] and relationship with Miguel definitely helps.
148	* UnintentionalUncannyValley:
149	** The skeletons having normal eyes in their sockets falls into this for some. Though they would probably look a lot creepier without them.
150	** Héctor in particular, since the way he walks and his torn clothes sometimes make him look like an actual zombie.
151	** Ernesto is considerably more human-looking than the usual cartoonish skeletons, which just serves to highlight his undead nature.
152	** Miguel's skeleton transformation due to staying in the Land of the Dead for far too long. Though played for humor at first, it can get rather disturbing after it takes further effect, especially when it’s 95% complete prior to getting sent home with Imelda and Héctor’s blessing.
153	** Some people think that Mamá Coco's skin is way too realistic, to the point it looks kind of unsettling and almost gross.
154	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The animation is exactly what one would expect from Creator/{{Pixar}}. For reference, the scene where the Land of the Dead scene is introduced alone is an image with twelve layers, 3,000 unique buildings, and seven ''million'' individual light sources of varying kinds (i.e. light bulbs and candles), with dozens of different shades of every color of the rainbow.
155	* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: It's a family film based on the Dia de los Muertos, which gives a lot of focus on the concept of death, including a backstory scene where a character is shown dying on-screen from poison.
156	* WinBackTheCrowd:
157	** After the PR disaster that was the Day of the Dead trademark claim which initially left a sour taste in Mexican audiences' mouths, the movie almost universally beloved in Mexico thanks to how much the movie is TruthInTelevision and the [[ShownTheirWork amount of research put into it]].
158	* TheWoobie:
159	** Poor Héctor. All he did was befriend Ernesto, and in turn, he was killed by his friend, his wife assumed he had abandoned her and their daughter, and his family disowned him as a result. When Miguel meets him, his only motivation is to see his daughter again but he cannot cross the marigold bridge and once his daughter dies he will disappear forever before they can reunite on the Land of the Dead.
160	** Héctor's daughter, Coco, might count, given that for all the years she missed him, since she could not put his photo up on the ofrenda, she couldn't even feel his presence while she was alive.
161	** Sure, Miguel's a plucky and outgoing kid on the surface, but he has had to live with his family's constant disapproval of his passion for music, which drives him to increasingly desperate measures to live his dream, which leads to a ''lot'' of BreakTheCutie and KickTheDog moments for him throughout the movie. By the end of it all, you really need to give the poor boy a hug for all he's put through.
162	** Imelda, too. She's a total IronWoobie. As Miguel states in the intro, she rose from the ashes of her husband's abandonment to become a successful single mother and entrepreneur. So successful that her business is ''still'' supporting her descendants decades after her death, and she died surrounded by a loving, multi-generational family that still honors her today, even though she started with just herself and her daughter. But ''then'', after her great-great-grandson nearly dies and she has to "fish him out of a sinkhole" because he found that no-good, walkaway musician husband of hers... she's forced to confront the fact that not only did her husband ''not'' intend to abandon her, he was murdered by his best friend ''because'' he refused to abandon her. Her husband, that she admits she still loves, was dead all along, and because of her anger and betrayal, she's all but assured that he ''will'' cease to exist ''that same night'' when all he wanted was to see their child again.
163	* {{Woolseyism}}: In the Danish and Norwegian dub, the title of "Remember Me" is "Forglem Mig Ej/Forglem Meg Ei", which literally translates to "Forget Me Not". Said phrase is also the name of a flower, and is a very poetic way of speaking, making it very suitable for a song.
164	[[/folder]]

Context YMMV / Coco