Turning Red introduced Mei Lee, her mother Ming, and her grandmother Wu, and the latter has a scar across her right eyebrow – and here's why.
Warning: spoilers for Turning Red
Turning Red saw Mei joining forces with her aunts and grandmother in the climax of the movie, and Mei’s grandmother, Wu, has a scar across her right eyebrow – and here’s how she got it. Pixar continues to be a powerhouse in the world of entertainment, and it maintains its popularity by releasing at least one movie per year, always with a family-friendly approach. This year, Pixar will treat the audience to two very different stories, and the first one is Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi, who directed and wrote the beloved Pixar short Bao.
Set in Toronto, Canada, Turning Red introduces viewers to Meilin "Mei" Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a confident and dorky 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who one day discovers that, whenever she gets too excited or stressed, she turns into a giant red panda, but she can turn back if she becomes calm. This “quirk” turns out to be linked to her ancestors, who have a shared history with the species as a family curse, but the curse can be contained by performing a special ritual on one specific night – however, that night coincides with a concert of Mei’s favorite boy band. In addition to this, Mei has to deal with everything puberty throws her way, along with her overbearing mother, Ming (Sandra Oh).
Related: Turning Red's Inspirations Explained: Are Red Pandas Considered Important?
Turning Red offers a look into what it’s like to go through puberty through the eyes of a teenage girl as well as how generational trauma affects the youngest generations. Mei has to deal with her overprotective, strict, and perfectionist mother, who she constantly tries to make proud through school achievements, taking care of the family’s temple, and more. As it turns out, Ming also had her issues with her mother, Wu (Wai Ching Ho), who she also tried to make proud and never really got her approval. Wu arrives at Mei’s house as soon as she learns that Mei’s red panda caused chaos in the city, making Ming nervous and anxious about her arrival. To everyone’s surprise, Wu has a scar across her right eyebrow, and it might be linked to Ming’s past.
Jin Lee (Orion Lee), Mei’s father, explains to Mei that her mother’s red panda was very big and got her into a lot of trouble with her grandmother, and it’s even mentioned that she lost control and hurt Wu. Although it can be interpreted as Ming emotionally hurting Wu (very much like Mei did by “abandoning” her family), it’s implied that she literally, physically hurt her mother while in her red panda form, leaving her with a very distinctive scar on her face. Wu’s scar and past aren’t addressed in Turning Red, but given the intensity of Ming’s red panda and how out of her control it was when unleashed, it wouldn’t be surprising if she left that scar on her mother’s face. This also adds to the complicated relationship between Ming and Wu, and it serves as a constant reminder to Ming of how she had “failed” her mother.
The origin of Wu’s scar might not be addressed in a potential sequel to Turning Red, but it could be in expanded media or Domee Shi could shed some light on it. Ultimately, not knowing how Mei’s grandmother got her scar isn’t key to Mei’s arc, but it certainly makes her mother’s story more complex and adds another layer to the generational trauma Mei, Ming, and the rest carried for years.
Next: Turning Red: Why Mei Decides To Keep The Red Panda
Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided's BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings. When she's not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.