With the recent arrival of the live-action adaptation of Mulan landing on the small screen, many fans of the original film are revisiting the animated classic. Mulan was historic in many ways, including that it was the first Disney animated film to feature a character of East Asian descent.
While rewatching the original 1998 film, there are many easter eggs and moments to enjoy. We’ve compiled a list of essential moments, bits of trivia, and hidden easter eggs you need to know as you watch the original Mulan. With both films streaming on Disney+, there’s no reason not to dive in and explore all Mulan has to offer.
It Almost Earned A PG Rating
Mulan was a groundbreaking film for many reasons, but to this day, it’s the only Disney animated film to have an implicitly LGBTQ+ storyline. At the very least, on the surface, Mulan prominently features a girl cross-dressing as a boy. Reading deeper, “Reflection” can be read as a song about gender dysphoria and questioning identity.
Disney is notably reticent with making overt sociopolitical statements in their films. Nevertheless, it’s the only Disney animated movie to use the word “crossdresser” and it almost earned an MPAA PG rating as a result.
Tai Chi Easter Egg
Early on in the film, Mulan’s father is seen practicing Tai Chi before he injures his leg and is further endangered for battle. An internal, meditative martial art, Tai Chi has many different forms and variations.
As it turns out, the specific form of Tai Chi Mulan’s father practiced is Mulan Quan Tai Chi, a feminine form of Tai Chi named after Mulan herself and considered to be fluid and elegant. Mulan Tai Chi focuses on form and artistry, rather than the aggressive postures seen in other martial arts movements.
Donny Osmond Is The Singing Voice of Li Shang
The production of Mulan tried its best to be intentional about casting Asian actors. While Li Shang was voiced by BD Wong (Law and Order: SVU, Jurassic Park, Mr. Robot), former 1970s child star and heartthrob Donny Osmond provided Li Shang’s singing voice after previously auditioning for Hercules.
Fans of “I’m a Little Bit Country” will recognize Osmond’s voice on Li Shang’s training montage song, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” Osmond joked that his children felt he had finally “made it” after being in a Disney movie.
The Origin Of Mushu
Throughout the storyboarding and development process, Mulan’s animal sidekicks took on many different forms. Initially, the animators were reticent to use a dragon, due to their imposing and frightening reputation.
However, one of the writers, Robert D. San Souci, pointed out that according to Chinese tradition, dragons could be any size, leading to Mushu’s “travel size,” as he jokes in the film. Additionally, Mushu was Eddie Murphy’s first voice acting role, who later went on to play Donkey in the hugely popular Shrek franchise.
Mulan Launched Christina Aguilera’s Career
For some 90s kids, it can be hard to remember a time before Christina Aguilera was in The Mickey Mouse Club and launched to stardom from her genie bottle. While she has had a hugely successful pop career, Aguilera’s single “Reflection,” from the Mulan soundtrack, was, in fact, the first of her career.
Indeed, the contemplative and standout song from Mulan led to Aguilera signing a contract with RCA Records. “Reflection” has become such a legendary part of Aguilera’s canon that she re-recorded the song for the Mulan reboot.
Gender Bending Behind The Scenes
While the story of Mulan involves a woman dressing and posing as a man, many of the male voice actors in the Mulan cast also played characters with similar stories. BD Wong, who voiced Li Shang, won numerous awards for originating the role of Song Liling, a man pretending to be a woman, in M Butterfly on Broadway.
Harvey Fierstein, who voiced Yao, is an out gay actor who played Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway. Additionally, Soon Tek-Oh and Gedde Watanabe played women in the 1976 musical Pacific Overtures.
Look For The Magnolias
Repeat Mulan viewers will likely notice that magnolias are a common motif throughout the movie, seen most notably in Mulan’s formal hair comb she leaves behind with her parents. This was likely intentional on the part of the animators, as Mulan means “wood orchid” or magnolia in Chinese.
There are also several magnolia flowers surrounding Mulan’s home, many of which can be seen throughout the “Reflection” number. Additionally, magnolias are referenced in the dialogue itself, when the Emperor refers to Mulan as a flower.
Mulan Was Originally A Romantic Comedy
In its original conception, Mulan was conceived as an animated twist on Tootsie. Mulan was originally supposed to have been married to Shang without ever having met him. The central conflict would revolve around Mulan’s black sheep tomboy nature and her inability to fit in with everyone else before finally setting out to pursue her own destiny.
However, when one of the screenwriters, Chris Sanders, came onto the project, he took the story back to the roots of the original Mulan legend and oriented the character around Mulan’s selfless desire to protect her father.
Szechuan Sauce Promotion
After a string of disappointments at the box office with Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney took a different, more scaled-back approach with its promotion for Mulan. Part of this unique marketing included a partnership with McDonald’s to release special Mulan Happy Meal toys, along with a chicken nugget Szechuan dipping sauce.
In a bizarre turn of events, Rick and Morty inadvertently reignited the popularity for the Szechuan sauce in its season three premiere, leading to many Rick and Morty fans demanding that McDonald’s have the sauce once again.
A Violent Disney Princess
Mulan is the first Disney animated film to focus so thematically and specifically on war and battle. As a result, Mulan has far more on-screen kills than any other Disney princess, due to her character’s goals and conflicts in protecting China from the invading Huns.
Additionally, many other Disney princesses before Mulan are mostly internally focused, looking for a prince to marry. While Mulan discovers she has a crush on Shang, their romantic relationship is not at the forefront of the film, her heroism is, which is what ultimately saves the day.
