Disney worlds collide as crossover fan art depicts Mirabel Madrigal from Encanto and Meilin "Mei" Lee from Turning Red as friends. Mirabel and Mei are the protagonists of their respective animated features from Disney Animation and Pixar. Both were released within the last four months, the former in theaters and the latter on Disney+. The two films have received praise from critics and audiences and were recognized for changing how Disney heroines can be depicted.
The stories of Encanto's Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) and Turning Red's Mei (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) both center around them as young girls of color dealing with some form of family conflict. Mirabel is the only member of her family to not have a special "gift," yet she's destined to save them all from a looming threat. Meanwhile, Mei gains the ability to turn into a giant red panda due to a centuries-long family curse while also having to deal with her strict mother. While both films have their differences, their depictions of generational trauma have caused fans to draw similarities, both literally and figuratively.
On Twitter, CaveHag posted two drawings of Mirabel and Mei together. The first image is of Mirabel with a drawing of herself and Mei with a red panda plush toy. The second image shows Mei "poofing" into her red panda form and giving Mirabel a big hug, thanking her. The caption "Art Trade" was added, elevating the newfound fictional friendship that the two characters have discovered through each other's creations. Check it out below:
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To say that the fan art of Mirabel and Mei's new, hypothetical friendship is adorable would be an understatement. The deeper subtext involving the generational trauma that the two protagonists deal with is what makes the art especially attention-grabbing. It shows how Mirabel and Mei can take comfort in sharing each other's pain and expressing themselves through art. Given that Mei turns into a red panda in moments of strong emotion, it makes sense why she feels the way she feels when giving Mirabel that big hug.
Even though Encanto and Turning Red have their differences, they both signify a changing tide in Disney animation, giving new voices to new creators and actors to tell new stories. Encanto chose the musical route whereas Turning Red goes for straight-comedy and anime influences, but both still deal with themes of family, adolescence, and destiny. There is no shortage of good storytelling at Disney and Pixar and there will undoubtedly be plenty more fantastical tales to come along in the wake of Encanto and Turning Red. It's not likely a crossover between the two universes will ever actually happen on screen, but that's why fan art exists.
Source: Twitter