Mushu, Mulan Although this dragon's name may have been inspired by the Chinese dish moo shu pork, the characters of his name (Mù and xū) translate to “wood” and “necessary.” Voiced by Eddie Murphy, Mushu appeared in the beloved Disney film Mulan as a wise-cracking, bumbling sidekick.

What does Mushu stand for?

Mushu is named after moo shu pork, a popular Chinese dish in the United States. The characters of Mushu's Chinese name "木/Mù" and "須/xū" mean "wood" and "necessary" respectively. The latter character, as a noun, also means "beard," "palpus," or "feeler."

Why did the Chinese hate Mushu?

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."

What is Mushu supposed to be?

Once Mulan decides to take her father's place in the war and heads off for battle, the spirits of her ancestors wake up. These ancestors awaken Mushu — a small dragon and a former guardian of the Fa family — who they then instruct to summon the Great Stone Dragon to help Mulan on her quest.

Why was Mushu removed from Mulan?

Though the director shared that Mushu was removed to allow Mulan to better enhance her relationships with her fellow soldiers, his absence may have also been more about not offending viewers, who found Mushu to be insensitive in the 1998 animated feature.

The REAL Reason Why Mushu Couldn’t Awaken The Great Stone Dragon

Why is Mushu controversial?

It turns out that the traditional Chinese audience did not particularly think that was the best interpretation of the dragon in their culture. That the dragon is a sign of respect, and of strength and power, and sort of using it as a silly sidekick did not play well with a traditional Chinese audience.”

What does Mushu represent in Mulan?

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.

Why did Eddie Murphy not do Mulan 2?

A clause in Eddie Murphy's contract for doing Shrek 2 (2004) forbade him from reprising the role of Mushu in this film, therefore having his other voice actor Mark Moseley (a man best known for filling in for Murphy's characters like Mushu and Donkey in their TV and Video Game appearances) fill in for this film.

Is Mushu good or bad?

Mushu's antics were bad, but later became good by becoming the Golden Dragon of Unity. He later rejoiced with the ancestors near the end of the film.

Is Mulan Based on a true story?

Mulan is a fictional folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century AD) of Chinese history. According to the legend, Mulan takes her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as a man.

Why was Mulan such a flop?

Even though Disney spent a lot of effort to fit the Chinese market, the reason why Mulan failed in the Chinese market is due to the stereotype and misunderstanding of the traditional Chinese culture, make-up, costumes and sceneries, and characteristics, which ultimately caused the movie to become nondescript.

Why did the emperor bow to Mulan?

After Mulan saves the emperor from the Huns, he bows to thank Mulan, and even allows a hug.

Is Mushu from Mulan real?

Mushu was never part of the original legend, he was actually created for the 1998 movie. When the trailer was released it mostly confused the Western audience that had only ever seen the little comedic “lizard” version of events.

Is Mushu a dragon or Phoenix?

In the animated movie, Mulan was aided by Mushu: a talking dragon that is also the guardian of her ancestors and who was voiced by Eddie Murphy.

What dragon is Mushu based on?

So, I was bored and decided to re-watch Mulan with my younger brother when we noticed something concerning the side character, Mushu.

Is Mushu a trickster?

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.

Is Mushu selfish?

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.

Is Mushu a fire dragon?

Mushu – Mulan (1998)

A serpentine, flightless figure in the tradition of Chinese dragons, Mushu can breathe a little fire, but he delivers a lot more sass and humor as he helps Mulan find her destiny.

Is Mulan 2 Based on a true story?

While the social and cultural milieu of the Northern Wei dynasty provided the context for the tale's origins, there's no corroborative evidence to confirm that Mulan was ever a real person. Over time, the story and character's nomadic and tribal origins have significantly changed from the original.

Why is there no Mulan 3?

Why it was Cancelled. It was cancelled due to the extremely negative reception of Mulan II. John Lasseter called off all future direct to DVD films after being appointed as head of Disney in 2006. The production was left unfinished.

Why did they change the Mulan movie?

Li Shang is replaced with Hong Hui

In the original, the general's son Li Shang trains the recruits and ultimately falls for Mulan. The team behind the new movie explained the change was down to the #MeToo movement - they felt Mulan's officer becoming her love interest felt a bit off given his position of power.

What does Mushu call Mulan's horse?

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.

What is Mulan's last name?

Though Mulan did not have a surname in the original ballad, Hua Mulan eventually became her most commonly known name. According to Vulture, the '98 movie renamed her to Fa Mulan—a Cantonese rendering more closely related to the “Fa Mu Lan” of Chinese-American Maxine Hong Kingston's memoir, The Woman Warrior.

Why does Mushu break up Mulan and Shang?

Mulan and Shang, along with Yao, Ling and Chien-Po, set out with the princesses to Qui Gong. In order to protect his position as guardian, and believing that Mulan and Shang are incompatible due to their different behavior, Mushu tags along to sabotage their relationship, while Cri-Kee attempts to stop him.