Mushu was once a guardian spirit of Mulan's family, but he has been demoted to the unappreciated position of an incense burner and gong-ringer for the deceased Fa ancestors ever since he failed to protect a family member, a soldier named Fa Deng, resulting in the soldier's demise by decapitation.
In Shanghai, Mushu is one of the characters set to be part of Garden of the Twelve Friends, representing the Chinese Zodiac symbol of the Dragon. His likeness is also featured during the Mulan float in Mickey's Storybook Express.
While dragons do play a large part in Chinese art and culture, it's clear that the animators of the film were using these dragons as a storytelling technique. They symbolize Mulan as the protector of her family, a pillar of strength, and they foreshadow her eventual success at the end of the film.
USC professor Stanley Rosen said the character was seen as trivializing Chinese culture by Chinese moviegoers. "Mushu was very popular in the U.S., but the Chinese hated it," they said. "This kind of miniature dragon trivialized their culture." "You have to deliver on the war of it," Caro said.
Mushu is the deuteragonist of Disney's 1998 animated feature film, Mulan. He is a fast-talking, self-absorbed Chinese dragon and the self-appointed guardian of Fa Mulan.
Mushu, Mulan's guardian red dragon, pretends to have been sent to protect her. In reality, his primary interest is to return Mulan's home victorious, so he can be reinstated among the ancestors. Like Donkey in Shrek, Mushu corresponds to the archetype of the Trickster and retains some comic characteristics.
He is silly, and although he is selfish most of the times, he does have a heart of gold. Not only that, but he is a fun character to play with. There are those who he would easily get along with, and those who he wouldn't.
The film is speckled with minor historical infractions. For instance, the Chinese characters Mulan writes on her arm at the beginning of the film are a form of writing which didn't exist in the fifth century, the time period in which “Mulan” takes place.
China blocked the release of Disney's animated “Mulan” for eight months in the late 1990s after the company backed Martin Scorsese's “Kundun,” a film seen as sympathetic to the Dalai Lama. The animated “Mulan” bombed in China as a result.
Mushu was once a guardian spirit of Mulan's family, but he has been demoted to the unappreciated position of an incense burner and gong-ringer for the deceased Fa ancestors ever since he failed to protect a family member, a soldier named Fa Deng, resulting in the soldier's demise by decapitation.
Scholarly consensus is that Mulan is a fictional character, probably developed in Northern China in response to the greater independence women enjoyed there, whose legend was then revised in succeeding eras to reflect the values and challenges of the times.
Mulan is a feminine name of Chinese origin. While this name refers to flowers, meaning “magnolia blossom” or “wood orchid,” it also brings feelings of strength and victory. Mulan was also the name of a legendary Chinese warrior who disguised herself as a man to take her sick father's place in the army.
Throughout the movie, Mushu refers to Khan as a "cow," yet only once, after the Hun archers attack the cart carrying cannons with fire arrows and destroy it, Mushu calls Khan a horse. The name "Khan" translates to "prince" but can also mean "king" or "leader" in many Tuco-Mongol languages.
With disappointed eyes he looks at her and says “Mulan…you dishonor me…” Later in the movie, you hear Mushu yelling at Mulan the infamous line “Dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow!”
While "Mulan" is only loosely based on the mythical tale of Hua Mulan, China's official Xinhua news agency said she was too "foreign-looking" in her Disney incarnation and "her complexion, disposition, and manner of behaviour were different from an [authentic] Chinese character," the BBC reported in 1999.
Whether we interpret Mulan as a gender-bending feminist or someone who is gender-fluid, her acceptance of her identity is core to her story arc. And the message is clear: Embrace your own identity. Defy what society expects. Present your true self to the world.
Even though Disney bent over backwards to create a live-action “Mulan” that would appeal to China, disgruntled Chinese viewers have dubbed it “the worst 'Mulan' in history,” saying that it feels “wooden” and offensively inauthentic.
"So there was certainly a lot to work within that department." In the animated feature, Mushu acted as a guardian to Mulan, giving her guidance and protection during her perilous journey after posing as a male soldier in the Chinese army.
Mushu, like Donkey in Shrek corresponds to the archetype of the Trickster and retains some comic characteristics. Donkey too, in fact, supports Shrek in his business but for his personal interest. In Harry Potter, instead, Dobby represents this archetype.
Mushu may not be the most traditional mentor, but he provides Mulan with the knowledge and confidence she needs to succeed. He encourages her to embrace her unique strengths and to believe in herself, even when others doubt her abilities.
She ends up saving the day, bringing honor to her family, and coming home safe and sound -- all because Mushu forged a document to ensure she'd see combat. Without Mushu, Mulan would have never been in a position to save the day, meaning Mushu is secretly one of Mulan's greatest heroes.
He strives to be one of the family guardians again and selfishly decides to convince Mulan to join the army to turn her into a war hero, believing this will get him back on the "top shelf." However, he comes to realize how selfish he has been, admitting to Mulan that he risked her life to further his own goals.
For instance, a specific discrepancy in the original film is regarding Mulan's family name. It was changed from what it is commonly known as “Hua” in Chinese households to “Fa” in the film to create a character more comfortable for American audiences.
