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

18. Mulan teaches girls they can be smart and strong

Mulan defies the typical gender roles just by being who she is. She is a true feminist at a time when that was not okay, especially considering the respectful and honor-driven culture she grew up in.

That means a woman being anything other than a wife and mother is not acceptable. Mulan breaks that barrier with a sledgehammer! She refuses to listen to those who think a woman can’t be intelligent or join the army.

Mulan is a movie that has always made me and other young women feel empowered and strong. The scene where she yells out in anger at her father is a sign of disrespect in her culture. But it also shows that she can’t fight the part of her that is strong and cares for her family more than doing what she’s technically supposed to do.

Mulan decided that regardless of her gender, she is more than capable to enter the army and save her father. The gender roles are blended together as Mulan cuts her hair, puts on the armor, and runs away to the army. She then becomes Ping, the weird fake-son of the Fa family.

Mulan is a woman who gets things done better than any man; this movie shows feminism at its finest, if you ask me!