Puberty might be the most relatable human experience we go through.

But in the case of the character of Meilin Lee in Disney and Pixar’s latest film, “Turning Red”, her teen angst is marred with the slight complication of turning into a red panda bear.

The film, directed by Domee Shi, tells the story of Meilin (played by Rosalie Chiang), a Chinese Canadian 13-year-old, battling the ups and downs of the early 2000’s with her friends, trying to please her mom (played by Sandra Oh) and crushing on her favorite boy band.

The coming-of-age story also breaks some barriers in the industry; Shi is Pixar’s first solo female director, and it’s the first Asian-led film by the studio. The film, which premiered Friday on Disney+, been widely hailed as a refreshing, creative look at tweendom and the awkwardness of growing up.v

But one review posted online earlier this week sparked outcry.

CinemaBlend’s managing director Sean O’Connell wrote that he couldn’t connect with the film, calling it “limiting.”

“By rooting ‘Turning Red’ very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for Domee Shi’s friends and immediate family members. Which is fine — but also, a tad limiting in its scope,” O’Connell wrote.

In a since-deleted tweet, he also called the movie “exhausting.”

The review has since been taken down and both O’Connell and the editor-in-chief of CinemaBlend have apologized.

To call the film ‘limiting’ is a white-centered perspective, expert says
For many in the Asian community, O’Connell’s review felt all too familiar, and still deeply frustrating.

Nancy Wang Yuen, a sociology professor at Biola University and author of “Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism,” said the review didn’t match up with her perception of the film at all.

“She’s just this average 13-year-old girl who has this puberty issue, so I think it’s funny right? Because it’s actually probably the more relatable representation of Asians, the most humanized version,” Wang Yuen said.

For O’Connell to say that the film was made for a narrow group of people, it’s “the centering of whiteness,” Wang Yuen said.

“If it’s not white, it’s somehow marginal,” she said, “The global majority is Asian, so there are a lot of people who can relate to this.”

https://figshare.com/s/9169cc55a32ece3a08f8
https://figshare.com/s/b5938a63805c90ff50cc
https://figshare.com/s/fc09a02d2ac6d23030bb
https://figshare.com/s/148b1b63b8282517d18d
https://figshare.com/s/65dd1de60007ce9498e7
https://figshare.com/s/7edaa0172c43a64f16e4
https://figshare.com/s/3aba8c72f052de09478d
https://figshare.com/s/d5be4c795139ec383eeb
https://figshare.com/s/57bd3d2e75c850cf19d1
https://figshare.com/s/6921611517dcf4a4d8a6
https://figshare.com/s/e63b648ef3724d931c92
https://figshare.com/s/9ddc2d4310f704439992
https://figshare.com/s/6b29252e3b14b64aafcf
https://figshare.com/s/a64a92907a531c533ac0
https://figshare.com/s/b56591e3526cac02771a
https://muckrack.com/turning-red-is-a-turning-poi-why-is-it-seen-as-unrelatable/bio
http://www.shadowville.com/board/general-discussions/turning-red-is-a-turning-point-for-asians-in-film-why-is-it-seen-as-unre#p518379
https://m.mydigoo.com/forums-topicdetail-431021.html
https://www.gdpr.associates/community/dpo-exclusive/turning-red-is-a-turning-point-for-asians-in-film-why-is-it-seen-as-unrelatable/#post-209

She also points out that most animated movies are “strange” in some way, and that a film doesn’t have to reflect her personally, as a straight, Asian woman, in order for her to connect.

“It’s not like I could relate to Ratatouille… I didn’t even know Ratatouille was a dish,” she said. “It’s not like we’re not exposed to things that don’t speak to us personally.”

“It’s uncomfortable for people who are used to a white male-centric perspective, not understanding that there are other ways of storytelling… There’s emotions in ‘Turning Red’ that are absolutely part of a human story,” she said.

Asian representation on-screen impacts more than just the film industry
Phil Yu, who blogs under the name “Angry Asian Man” and is co-author of the book “Rise,” says the review is reflective of the scarcity of stories that center around Asian characters.

“A lot of this is based on the fact that people have no point of reference to when it comes to an Asian story because there are so few… so when something like this comes along, it feels like some kind of aberration because you’re forced to reckon with something you rarely experience in a movie,” Yu said.

The relatively invisible nature of Asians in films effects the “dehumanizing” of Asians off screen too, Yu said: “Everything from just random street attacks to racist policies.”

“There’s just this level of empathy that is not there, the kind of empathy that comes from being able to relate to somebody’s stories, somebody that you have no connection to,” Yu said.

Wang Yuen also added that the review felt dehumanizing, especially at a time when East Asian and Southeast Asian women are being targeted with violence.

“Even when you are the center of a story, I can’t possibly relate to you because you’re not human. That’s what it kind of felt like,” Wang Yuen said.

Cast members, director responded to the review
For all the backlash O’Connell’s review created, cast members from the film have responded by emphasizing how the movie is for everyone.

“The story of all of these friends and the family is so universal… so many reviews are going to say the other way, that so many people are able to relate to Meilin’s story regardless of whether you are a young Chinese girl from Canada, or not,” Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who voices the character Priya, said this week.

Shi, the director, might have had the best response when she was asked by CBC to respond to Sean’s critique calling the film “exhausting.”

“Was his puberty not exhausting? Lucky man.”

‘Turning Red’ cast responds after controversial review pulled offline
CinemaBlend’s review of Pixar’s first feature-length film directed by an Asian woman was pulled offline after being called “sexist” and “racist” by members of the press.

“Turning Red” cast members spoke up in support of the new Pixar film and its universality following a controversial review for the animated movie that was published by CinemaBlend. The review was pulled offline after being called “sexist,” “racist” and more by members of the press. CinemaBlend managing director Sean O’Connell wrote the review, saying that the film’s appeal was limited because it’s set in the Asian community of Toronto.

“I recognized the humor in the film, but connected with none of it. By rooting ‘Turning Red’ very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for [director] Domee Shi’s friends and immediate family members,” O’Connell wrote in the since-pulled review. “Which is fine — but also, a tad limiting in its scope.”

O’Connell doubled down on his opinion of the film in a since-deleted tweet that accompanied his review. The post read: “Some Pixar films are made for universal audiences. ‘Turning Red’ is not. The target audience for this one feels very specific and very narrow. If you are in it, this might work very well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting.”

“Turning Red” is directed by Domee Shi, who won an Oscar for animated short film with her Pixar offering “Bao.” The film tells the story of Meilin “Mei” Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang), a 13-year-old girl who finds herself turning into a giant red panda anytime she is overcome with emotion.

When asked by the CBC if “Turning Red’s” storyline would limit its appeal as the review suggested, voice actor Chiang responded, “Of course not. This is a coming of age film, everyone goes through this change… I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness and change is something everyone can relate to.”

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the breakout star of Netflix’s comedy series “Never Have I ever” who voices Mei’s friend in the film, also called the movie’s story “universal” in reacting to the pulled review. The actor added, “[Many people will be able] to relate to Meilin’s story, regardless of whether you are a young Chinese girl from Canada or not.”

Domee Shi also disagreed with the review and told CBC, “[The film] is a love letter to that time of our lives. It’s a love letter to puberty. It’s a love letter to Toronto.”

CinemaBlend announced Tuesday that the review was pulled from its website. CinemaBlend Editor-In-Chief Mack Rawden issued the following statement: “We failed to properly edit this review, and it never should have gone up. We have unpublished it and assigned to someone else. We have also added new levels of editorial oversight. Thank you to everyone who spoke up.”

O’Connell also issued the following apology on Twitter: “I’m genuinely sorry for my ‘Turning Red’ review. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with criticism, no matter how harsh. It is clear that I didn’t engage nearly enough with the movie, nor did I explain my point of view well, at all. I really appreciate your feedback.”

Despite pulling the review, backlash against O’Connell and CinemaBlend continued. As Entertainment Weekly digital editor Yolanda Machado fired back on Twitter, “This [review] was written by your managing director, not some junior writer. As an editor, there is no amount of editing that would have erased the racism. What are you doing to make sure he is held accountable and this doesn’t happen again?”

“Turning Red” debuts March 11 on Disney Plus.