20 reasons we still love the magic of Mulan 20 years later

7. “A Girl Worth Fighting For”

After Mushu and Crickee fake a letter from the general, the troops move out and start singing on their way. Their song of choice is “A Girl Worth Fighting For,” which talks about finding the perfect girl that will make them want to come home after fighting the war. It’s a stereotypical gender role song that goes along the lines of “men fight while women cook and have children.”

The entire movie fluctuates between “women can do anything” and “only men fight.” When Mulan came out, this song had mixed reviews due to the gender roles and the signing. But one person from Tasteful Reviews said, “A Girl Worth Fighting For” is as funny as Disney songs get, second to only “Gaston” from Beauty and the Beast.

Every soldier takes a turn and sings about what they want in a girl like great cooking, pale skin, and bright eyes. When it was Mulan’s turn she says, “How ’bout a girl who’s got a brain? Who always speaks her mind?” the guys scoffed at it. But it’s nice that even pretending to be a man, she is still lobbying for independence and feminism.

It might not have worked, but Mulan never gives up on herself or all the other women who are fighting for equality.