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Young Mei is growing up. She is a dutiful and obedient daughter but longs to break out of her shell to express herself her way, to take the risks that she feels ready to take. She discovers that whenever she gets excited or agitated, she all of a sudden is turning into a giant red panda. While she works to hide this at first, she soon discovers that her friends love her as the panda, and she starts leveraging the ability to earn popularity (and money for a very important boy band concert).
Eventually Mei discovers that this transformation runs in the matrilineal side of her family, and that there is a ritual to seal her panda into a talisman. She decides to forego the ritual and keep her powers, but accidentally knocks her mother unconscious during an argument. It is then that the women in her family must release their own red pandas to heal the mother, and the two must find peace where the mom won't be so overprotective and will allow Mei to forge her own path.
This film is possibly the best version of the story where a girl must come into her next stage as fully herself, while honoring the rituals and customs of her own history. Of course, there are references to a girl getting her period and perhaps the red panda is even a metaphor for that, but the most important part of this sweet film is how Mei is able to find what's right for her without feeling obligated to one specific approach. This film has been touted as a wonderful honoring of the growing up process, and I am happy to serve as one of those recommending it. Lovely little movie.
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