Art Notes

The legend of Hua Mulan comes back to life every time someone needs a source of hope and inspiration. In Disney’s Mulan, she is depicted as a strong and independent woman, whose fate and destiny are determined by her own decisions. Even though she’s at a disadvantage at training camp and Captain Shang is hard on her, she overcomes every obstacle in her path and proves herself to be a worthy soldier. Later, she becomes one of the greatest heroes the Chinese army has ever seen, by using her intelligence and cunning to figure out how to defeat the Huns. To this day, Mulan is a symbol of bravery and honor. Many people believe she was a real person and as long as she inspires them, it may not matter if she ever truly existed.

Key Points

• Gaze carefully into the clouds and you will spot Mulan’s ancestors keeping watch over the Fa family.
• Standing next to Mulan’s parents is Grandmother Fu, the spunky and outspoken grandma who is truly an inspiration for all.
• Little Brother, Mulan’s dog, is often used to spread chicken feed by hanging a bone in front of him, like the carrot-on-a-stick trick.
• Mushu, the scrawny tiny red-orange dragon with a cheeky personality, was once a guardian spirit of the Fa family. After failing to protect a family member, he was demoted to the humiliating position of an incense burner and gong ringer.
• Cri-Kee, a supposedly lucky cricket originally belonging to Grandmother Fa, is incredibly selfless and cautious—almost the polar opposite of his good friend Mushu.
• Few villains are as intimidating and horrifying as Shan Yu, leader of the Huns. From his chilling demeanor to his falcon, everything about him is the stuff of which nightmares are made.
• Perched upon the mighty Stone Dragon Statue that Mushu could not wake, is the ruthless and vicious Hayabusa, Shan Yu’s trusted falcon.