Turning Red is Disney and Pixar’s latest sensation, but it’s recently gotten negative reviews from parents for its mature conversations surrounding puberty. The story of Meilin (Mei) becoming a woman when she transformed into a red panda due to a family curse is symbolic in many ways, which is why a majority of fans love the film. Despite the unpopular opinions from some viewers, Turning Red is seen as a success.
On Reddit, fans defended Turning Red’s messages, characters, and storylines — even creating fan theories. While some fan theories are a little far-fetched (like Mei actually being the future version of 22 from Disney’s Soul), others seem plausible.
The Meaning Behind 4*Town
Turning Red takes place in 2002, meaning the love of boy bands is high for Mei and her friends. The band that has their hearts is 4*Town. The girls break out in dance routines when they hear their songs and act as if each member of 4*Town is their soulmate. It’s a fun aspect of the movie.
Funny enough, there are five members in 4*Town, making their name nonsensical. However, Reddit user SeatedTiger4380 had a theory about where their name came from. They wrote, “What if 4*Town started with 4 members then the 5th one joined and they couldn’t be bothered to change their name?” Another Redditor agreed because “4town sounds way better than 5town.”
Did Ming Exaterate The Panda’s ‘Rules’ To Keep Mei From Transforming?
Ming was an intelligent character in Turning Red because she knew her daughter was going to transform into a red panda whether she wanted it to happen or not. She was overprotective and watchful of Mei because she didn’t want Mei to transform into a red panda in public.
When Mei eventually transformed, Ming told her that the more time she spent as a panda the harder it would be to turn back into a human to keep the panda at bay. However, BananaArcher72 theorized that Ming exaggerated how hard it would be to keep Mei safe. “[Ming] warns [Mei] that the more time she spends as the panda, the more difficult the ritual is. However, the movie, and Mei herself, pay no attention to this. Mei goes around as the panda, and when the ritual begins, there doesn’t seem to be any direct connection to an increase in difficulty,” they wrote. They believe that Ming lied to Mei as a way of keeping the panda out of their lives, which is a strong possibility.
Is Abby Boo From Monster’s Inc?
Abby is one of Mei’s best friends and has some of the best quotes in Turning Red. Abby is passionate, aggressive, and hilarious. Based on her looks, outfit, and love of all things “fluffy,” Cover2cp thinks she’s Boo from Monster’s Inc. in the future.
They wrote, “The two share eerily similar hairstyles/bangs. Abby even wears overalls that don the same flowers and purple and pink color palette as Boo’s door and bedroom.” They also mentioned, “Abby is immediately a huge fan of Mei Mei, the massive fluffy panda, just like Boo has strong reactions towards Sully in Monsters Inc.” This is a strong theory on Reddit that’s gotten a lot of love and could make sense given the timeframe.
The Possible Reason Why Priya Was So Chill
Priya, Abby, Miriam, and Mei had amazing friend moments throughout Turning Red. It was the power of friendship that allowed Mei to transform back and forth between a human and a red panda after all. Shockingly, when the girls saw Mei in panda form, Priya didn’t look surprised in the slightest.
In fact, Priya was more curious about Mei’s tail and if she was a werewolf. Tobiagamesyt wrote, “I think Priya is so chill because she has got a panda too and is trying not to trigger it.” Because she was obsessed with werewolves, perhaps that’s what she turned into when her emotions weren’t in check.
A Theory On Colors & Outfits
When Mei unexpectedly transformed into a red panda and escaped school, causing havoc in the city, her distant family members saw it on the news and traveled to see her to get everything under control.
While Mei’s mom Ming hated her mother being in town, she knew she couldn’t transform Mei without their help. Redditor rubberducky1212 noticed a contrast between Mei and her family members. Throughout the movie, Mei is dressed in red while her family members were typically in green. “Red and green are opposites on the color wheel, this could show just how different Mei is from the rest of the women in her family,” they wrote. Poetically, the Redditor also mentioned, “Opposite colors are also called complementary colors, so while Mei is very different, she is still in harmony with her family.”
The Real Reason Why Ming’s Panda Was So Big
Fans are torn on the likability of Ming in Turning Red. While she’s a dedicated and caring mother, she’s also forceful in her views and didn’t allow Mei to be her true self. Her behavior towards her daughter was a direct correlation to the relationship she had with her own mother, which viewers realized later on.
Like Mei, Ming also turned into a red panda when she had strong emotions. Except her red panda was far bigger than Mei’s. When one Redditor asked why Ming’s panda was so big, anonymous4me123 had a good theory. “I read a theory somewhere that it’s because out of everyone in her family [Ming] had the most pent-up frustration and energy hence why her panda was so big.”
Miriam Had A Crush On Mei
If there was one person that Miriam was closest to, it was Mei. The two had a sweet connection that was seen on screen. And while it was never dissected, fans theorize that Miriam had a crush on Mei and perhaps that’s why Ming wasn’t very fond of her. Because Miriam loved music and dressed differently than Mei, Ming was probably wary.
Poe_daberon asked Reddit if anyone else thought that Miriam liked Mei romantically and the popular opinion or theory is that she did. “They’re very close with each other, and Miriam seems to have a deeper level of caring towards Mei,” they wrote.
Ming’s Teenaged Self
When Ming transformed into a giant red panda, her temper was at an all-time high. Mei was able to talk things through with her mom on the other side — a place where their red panda spirits lived. However, when Mei approached Ming, Ming was her teenage self instead of an adult.
Many viewers were confused about how Ming was suddenly a teenager again but Benji1819 had a theory as to why. “I thought it was because she was so emotional she reverted to when she was a teen and when she hurt her mom,” they wrote. They continued writing, Probably from guilt over the generational trauma she sees being perpetrated in her own relationship with her daughter,” which is a probable theory.
The Aarons Of 4*Town
A behind-the-scenes fact that Turning Red fans should know is that singer/songwriters Billie Ellish and Finneas O’Connell wrote the songs for 4*Town. The fictional boy band created a cult following and led fans to learn more about Robaire, Aaron Z., Tae Young, Aaron T, and Jesse.
Reccomendedbyrysa thought that the Aarons were siblings, but as it turns out, there’s another theory that they’re actually a couple. According to the group’s Fandom page, among the five, the Aarons are the closest and balance each other the same way a couple would. To confirm the theory, the Redditor wrote, “I saw a pic. that Domee Shi [the director] posted on her Instagram story of fan art of them and said that she ships them.”
