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Well friends, if you’ve watched my previous PEEs (specifically 2 and 4) you’ll know my opinion on the geographically-convenient plot thing. So that means I won’t get into how we have to journey to Wei Ling to meet Mulan (but see those other videos for my feelings on that)
What we want to focus on is how this episode brings honor to us all and to our honorary princess, Mulan. Because remember, not actually a princess, but fits in well with our animated heroines (and Disney needed a good mix of diversity, I guess). We’re not complaining, the woman’s pretty high on most people’s fave list. So let’s dive on in to Princesses to the Rescue!
As the plot dictates, Sofia and her siblings accompany their dad to Wei Ling the China expy of this universe. We get quicky re-aquainted with the prince and princess of the country who attend school with the kids and have appeared in a few non-special-DP episodes. Their names are Jun and Jin because of course they are..
Princess Jun takes Sofia and Amber to look around the lovely gardens while James and Jin get bored and go off to do something dumb that will nevertheless get the action going.
James is apparently good for this. Several episodes of the show can be boiled down to
“James don’t do the thing”
And then James does the thing.
James don’t be a sore loser, James don’t try and solve all your problems with magic and candy, James don’t prance around boasting about how awesome you are causing you to fall and break your wrist so you can’t fly in the derby,
And now we have “James, don’t just pull stuff on an ancient statue”.
Future king of Enchancia, everyone!
Yeah, that might be a bit harsh. I mean, what young boys could resist a secret treasure map? Because that’s exactly what they find inside the mouth of the statue. It’s a map that leads to the treasure of the Jade Jaguar, which yes, does sound very fancy and cool and eastern. But actually quite inaccurate. Legends of the Hidden Temple this is not. Zooloigists know what I’m talking about.
If this is set in a China-type land, there would not realistically be any jaguars. Jaguars live in Central and South America. But I suppose the need to get ‘Jade’ into it somehow was far more important than using an animal that worked geographically. There are only a few things I’ll use the ‘it’s a kid’s show’ card on, and this is something just minor enough to qualify. Although there *are* several options for big cats they could have gone with . Topaz Tiger or Coral Clouded Leopard, maybe?(and jade isn’t always green, ya know).
As the boys go off on their treasure hunt the girls tell the Emperor and Roland II the Wrath of Khan where they went. The emperor tells them that there is an actual jaguar for which the treasure is named, and he gathers it and hoardes it like an out-of-place dragon. Hey, why couldn’t this have been a dragon in the first place? Treasure of the Jade Dragon, that would be awesome.
Anyway, the dads set off to find the boys before they get into real trouble. The girls want to come and help too, but they won’t let them. Stating that it’s far too dangerous for princesses.
Naturally, the young princes get captured by the large green big cat by falling into the most obvious booby trap ever, and since the apples don’t fall far from the trees, the king and emperor do as well. (Well, James had to get it from somewhere ;P)
Since they’ve been relegated to waiting for the men folk to handle things, Sofia, Amber and Jun just sort of hang out for a bit watching Wei Ling’s royal sorcerer and listening to Jun play her flute. Sofia is still concerned about their dads and brothers and - upon hearing that they’d gone in search of that treasure - the not-Cedric tells them about the trap that the big green cat set, and shows them a secret path to get to his cave.
Hence begins the princesses to the rescue of the title. It’s up to the three girls to save their brothers and dads from the beast. (Apparently because not-Cedric doesn’t feel like it. At least he gets them on their way.) They make it to the opening of the cave their families wnet through, but they take not-Cedric’s advice and try to go around to the back and sneak up on the glowy green kitty.
The other girls are uncertain if they can succeed, and even as determined as Sofia is, even she has some doubts. They come across a maze of warrior statues that seems impossible to solve. I really do like that instead of an ‘I don’t know what to do’, this time what gets the amulet glowing and the princess summoned is that Sofia says ‘maybe we can’t do this after all’. Because this time she knows what to do, but what to do is presenting difficult, so the amulet swoops in right before Sofia decides to throw in the towel.
Or rather I should say Mulan swoops in, because like with Snow, this summon occurs moreso in the second act of the episode as opposed to the climax. And as she lands in front of the girls and removes her helmet--- *gasp* What? OH, it’s beautiful! Look at her! Look at her! No merchandise makeover whatsoever ! Not a golden kimono or painted face to offend the eye (or the fan boys/girls)!
Yes, this is exactly what we wanted. Mulan gets to keep her uniform and armor for this appearance. Taking a break from being an agent of SHIELD, Ming Na Wen returns to voice her, as well as Lea Solonga (the one who also sings for Jasmine) as her singing voice. I also think it’s interesting that Mulan apparently knows what’s up already, as opposed to some of the other DPs who’ve had to be filled in on Sofia’s trouble.
It’s also cute to note that Jun is apparently voiced by Ming’s actual daughter, so that’s pretty cool.
And yes, that does mean that this is the second time another person - or in this case persons - have witnessed a DP summon as Amber and Jun are there too. And yess, that also means we do get a song with Mulan.
The song’s title is ‘Stronger Than You Know’ and it really hits upon some of the points I think of when I think about Mulan’s original movie. It’s honestly one of the most perfectly fitting songs that we’ve had for a DP on the show, right up there with ‘Ever After Friends’. She mentions how she did doubt herself as well, and there were ‘so many things they told me that I couldn’t do’.
That goes beyond the obvious ‘oh, they said you couldn’t go the thing because you’re a girl’, but if you’ll recall even when Mulan was doing the thing that girls are supposed to do people told her she couldn’t. Then when they didn’t even know she was a girl Shang tried to send her home because he thought she didn’t have what it took. It wasn’t just those outside naysayers but her own doubt she needed to overcome. Then when she did she ended up surprising and impressing everyone, even herself.
All of this she sings while climbing and swinging around on ropes for reasons. But at least it gives Sofia the idea to go over the statues instead of trying to go through. The song and Mulan’s appearance encourages the girls to get past their first obstacle on their way to the cave. That brings me to my one big gripe with this DP summon: this was their *first* obstacle.
Sofia asks if Mulan came come with them, but she pulls an Aurora and says that they don’t need her help, and that they already have what it takes. Weeeelll, I feel that this might have been too premature. I feel like the encouraging song and those words might have fit better at the last obstacle before they got to the cave.
Because then Mulan could have used the other stuff as examples for how they really do have what it takes. Because as the rule of three dictates, they have to get past the warrior maze, a big (group) of silver moths, and these komodo dragon looking things. Each time one of these trials comes up, each of the three princesses comes up with an idea to get past them.
Had the appearance of Mulan come near the end, that would have been a good capper on the adventure and underlined the girls’ achievements.
But for what we got, I am actually really happy. It was a short appearance, but this was a well-fitted story to go with the selected princess. Saving one’s family by doing something not typically associated with girls by the cultural standards, and overcoming the doubt that comes from both within and outside.
They don’t exactly save China, but Sofia does convince the spotty feline to let everyone go and the princesses do indeed rescue their well-meaning dad’s and mischief-y brothers.
While this isn’t as compelling to me as Enchanted Feast, it does have a good lesson and I think it does our visiting princess justice. I feel like this might have done better as an hour long special just to flesh things out more, but I still enjoyed it very much.
So far season 2 is killing it on the princess summon episodes, let’s see how well the next super-special hour long advenutre goes down.
Soon it’ll be time to see the light with Rapunzel.
What we want to focus on is how this episode brings honor to us all and to our honorary princess, Mulan. Because remember, not actually a princess, but fits in well with our animated heroines (and Disney needed a good mix of diversity, I guess). We’re not complaining, the woman’s pretty high on most people’s fave list. So let’s dive on in to Princesses to the Rescue!
As the plot dictates, Sofia and her siblings accompany their dad to Wei Ling the China expy of this universe. We get quicky re-aquainted with the prince and princess of the country who attend school with the kids and have appeared in a few non-special-DP episodes. Their names are Jun and Jin because of course they are..
Princess Jun takes Sofia and Amber to look around the lovely gardens while James and Jin get bored and go off to do something dumb that will nevertheless get the action going.
James is apparently good for this. Several episodes of the show can be boiled down to
“James don’t do the thing”
And then James does the thing.
James don’t be a sore loser, James don’t try and solve all your problems with magic and candy, James don’t prance around boasting about how awesome you are causing you to fall and break your wrist so you can’t fly in the derby,
And now we have “James, don’t just pull stuff on an ancient statue”.
Future king of Enchancia, everyone!
Yeah, that might be a bit harsh. I mean, what young boys could resist a secret treasure map? Because that’s exactly what they find inside the mouth of the statue. It’s a map that leads to the treasure of the Jade Jaguar, which yes, does sound very fancy and cool and eastern. But actually quite inaccurate. Legends of the Hidden Temple this is not. Zooloigists know what I’m talking about.
If this is set in a China-type land, there would not realistically be any jaguars. Jaguars live in Central and South America. But I suppose the need to get ‘Jade’ into it somehow was far more important than using an animal that worked geographically. There are only a few things I’ll use the ‘it’s a kid’s show’ card on, and this is something just minor enough to qualify. Although there *are* several options for big cats they could have gone with . Topaz Tiger or Coral Clouded Leopard, maybe?(and jade isn’t always green, ya know).
As the boys go off on their treasure hunt the girls tell the Emperor and Roland II the Wrath of Khan where they went. The emperor tells them that there is an actual jaguar for which the treasure is named, and he gathers it and hoardes it like an out-of-place dragon. Hey, why couldn’t this have been a dragon in the first place? Treasure of the Jade Dragon, that would be awesome.
Anyway, the dads set off to find the boys before they get into real trouble. The girls want to come and help too, but they won’t let them. Stating that it’s far too dangerous for princesses.
Naturally, the young princes get captured by the large green big cat by falling into the most obvious booby trap ever, and since the apples don’t fall far from the trees, the king and emperor do as well. (Well, James had to get it from somewhere ;P)
Since they’ve been relegated to waiting for the men folk to handle things, Sofia, Amber and Jun just sort of hang out for a bit watching Wei Ling’s royal sorcerer and listening to Jun play her flute. Sofia is still concerned about their dads and brothers and - upon hearing that they’d gone in search of that treasure - the not-Cedric tells them about the trap that the big green cat set, and shows them a secret path to get to his cave.
Hence begins the princesses to the rescue of the title. It’s up to the three girls to save their brothers and dads from the beast. (Apparently because not-Cedric doesn’t feel like it. At least he gets them on their way.) They make it to the opening of the cave their families wnet through, but they take not-Cedric’s advice and try to go around to the back and sneak up on the glowy green kitty.
The other girls are uncertain if they can succeed, and even as determined as Sofia is, even she has some doubts. They come across a maze of warrior statues that seems impossible to solve. I really do like that instead of an ‘I don’t know what to do’, this time what gets the amulet glowing and the princess summoned is that Sofia says ‘maybe we can’t do this after all’. Because this time she knows what to do, but what to do is presenting difficult, so the amulet swoops in right before Sofia decides to throw in the towel.
Or rather I should say Mulan swoops in, because like with Snow, this summon occurs moreso in the second act of the episode as opposed to the climax. And as she lands in front of the girls and removes her helmet--- *gasp* What? OH, it’s beautiful! Look at her! Look at her! No merchandise makeover whatsoever ! Not a golden kimono or painted face to offend the eye (or the fan boys/girls)!
Yes, this is exactly what we wanted. Mulan gets to keep her uniform and armor for this appearance. Taking a break from being an agent of SHIELD, Ming Na Wen returns to voice her, as well as Lea Solonga (the one who also sings for Jasmine) as her singing voice. I also think it’s interesting that Mulan apparently knows what’s up already, as opposed to some of the other DPs who’ve had to be filled in on Sofia’s trouble.
It’s also cute to note that Jun is apparently voiced by Ming’s actual daughter, so that’s pretty cool.
And yes, that does mean that this is the second time another person - or in this case persons - have witnessed a DP summon as Amber and Jun are there too. And yess, that also means we do get a song with Mulan.
The song’s title is ‘Stronger Than You Know’ and it really hits upon some of the points I think of when I think about Mulan’s original movie. It’s honestly one of the most perfectly fitting songs that we’ve had for a DP on the show, right up there with ‘Ever After Friends’. She mentions how she did doubt herself as well, and there were ‘so many things they told me that I couldn’t do’.
That goes beyond the obvious ‘oh, they said you couldn’t go the thing because you’re a girl’, but if you’ll recall even when Mulan was doing the thing that girls are supposed to do people told her she couldn’t. Then when they didn’t even know she was a girl Shang tried to send her home because he thought she didn’t have what it took. It wasn’t just those outside naysayers but her own doubt she needed to overcome. Then when she did she ended up surprising and impressing everyone, even herself.
All of this she sings while climbing and swinging around on ropes for reasons. But at least it gives Sofia the idea to go over the statues instead of trying to go through. The song and Mulan’s appearance encourages the girls to get past their first obstacle on their way to the cave. That brings me to my one big gripe with this DP summon: this was their *first* obstacle.
Sofia asks if Mulan came come with them, but she pulls an Aurora and says that they don’t need her help, and that they already have what it takes. Weeeelll, I feel that this might have been too premature. I feel like the encouraging song and those words might have fit better at the last obstacle before they got to the cave.
Because then Mulan could have used the other stuff as examples for how they really do have what it takes. Because as the rule of three dictates, they have to get past the warrior maze, a big (group) of silver moths, and these komodo dragon looking things. Each time one of these trials comes up, each of the three princesses comes up with an idea to get past them.
Had the appearance of Mulan come near the end, that would have been a good capper on the adventure and underlined the girls’ achievements.
But for what we got, I am actually really happy. It was a short appearance, but this was a well-fitted story to go with the selected princess. Saving one’s family by doing something not typically associated with girls by the cultural standards, and overcoming the doubt that comes from both within and outside.
They don’t exactly save China, but Sofia does convince the spotty feline to let everyone go and the princesses do indeed rescue their well-meaning dad’s and mischief-y brothers.
While this isn’t as compelling to me as Enchanted Feast, it does have a good lesson and I think it does our visiting princess justice. I feel like this might have done better as an hour long special just to flesh things out more, but I still enjoyed it very much.
So far season 2 is killing it on the princess summon episodes, let’s see how well the next super-special hour long advenutre goes down.
Soon it’ll be time to see the light with Rapunzel.
