What is Turning Red a metaphor for? What is the meaning of Turning Red? What is the message of Turning Red?

Turning Red is a 2022 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Turning Red was directed by Domee Shi in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Shi and Julia Cho and stars the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, and James Hong.

Turning Red is the first Pixar film to be solely directed by a woman, the first to take place in Canada, and the second to feature an Asian lead character after Up.

Set in Toronto in 2002, the film centers on Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who is horrified to discover that she turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets into a state of strong emotion.

Mei’s transformation during Turning Red is clearly a metaphor for the onset of puberty, when your body betrays you and becomes unrecognizable overnight.

Turning Red tells a story about shame, repression and social anxiety.