Disney Pixar’s new movie Turning Red reminds me of middle school in a nostalgic way. 

Released on Disney+, this film is about Mei Lee, a girl who has the ability to turn into a red panda when she feels any strong emotion. It’s now become one of my favorite Disney movies because of the good mix of heartwarming scenes and comedy. 

Mei’s friendships with Priya, Abby, and Miriam reminded me of my friendships in middle school, especially when they expressed how they liked boy groups such as 4Town. My friends and I were equally obsessed with BTS. 

Although Turning Red may look like it’s just portraying a certain ethnic group because Mei Lee is Asian, this movie gives the right amount of representation through a lot of its characters. 

The mother-daughter relationship between Mei Lee and her mom, Ming Lee, reminds me so much of my relationship with my mom that it made me tear up seeing this in the movie. Ming wanted the best for her daughter and was overprotective, but Mei just wants her mom to understand that she’s growing up—it’s hard to be the “perfect daughter” for her mom.

Turning Red has explained many peoples’ experiences like mine and has brought us back to our inner child. This movie made me think that we’re still looking for who we are.