The animated feature film Mulan was a break from convention for Disney upon its release in 1998. It was the first Disney movie to look to the East for inspiration, with a plot inspired by a Chinese folk tale, the Ballad Of Mulan. The story is thought to have originated during the period known as the Northern Wei dynasty, named after the regime which ruled China from AD 386- AD 535. Children’s author Robert D. Souci – then working as a consultant at Disney – was working on his own book based on the tale. When he heard that the studio was keen to develop an East Asian heroine, he suggested an adaptation.
Mulan also introduced a new type of Disney heroine. While Disney’s female lead characters had traditionally been princesses in search of love, Mulan was a fearless warrior fighting for her family’s honor. Mulan begins with the lead character accidentally sabotaging attempts by her family to match her with a suitable partner thanks to her clumsiness, poor timekeeping, and general aversion to traditional feminine ideals. When an invasion of China means that her father is called up for army service, Mulan takes his place, passing as a man and bravely serving in the army under the command of Captain LI Shang…
