Anime’s influence on Pixar’s Turning Red – Spirited Away is director Domee Shi’s favourite movie – and how its giant panda is a metaphor for the pains of growing up
- ‘Spirited Away is not just my favourite anime film, it’s my favourite ever film,’ says Domee Shi, whose direction gives Turning Red an anime feel
- The Chinese-Canadian put her own experiences growing up into the lead character, Meilin, voiced by Rosalie Chiang, who Shi chose over more seasoned actresses
Adolescence is a difficult time for everyone, but most of us didn’t have to suffer the ignominy of turning into a giant red panda every time we felt emotional or embarrassed.
That’s what happens to Meilin, the 13-year-old heroine of Pixar’s Turning Red, a lively animation that sets the trials and tribulations of growing up inside a colourful rendition of Toronto’s Chinatown.
The giant red panda is a metaphor for the awkwardness we all feel in that transitional time, says Turning Red’s Chinese-Canadian director Domee Shi. The film, she notes, is partially designed to tell adolescents that what they are going through is perfectly normal.
How do you handle honouring your parents, but also stay true to yourself? For Meilin in the movie, the red panda … sets off this internal conflict
“I wanted it to be a guide for adolescents who are experiencing these crazy changes in their bodies and their emotional relationships,” she says.
“I want to let them know that although it’s a crazy, awkward and embarrassing time, it’s actually OK. You will survive – you’re not alone, as we’ve all been through it.”
