This review may contain spoilers.
I watched this with my 11 year old daughter and, as an armchair feminist, I was so confused…
[Some spoilers ahead]
The panda as a metaphor for hormones, coming-of-age and finding your true self – works 100% for me. Big thumbs up, I liked it. I liked Mei and her weird friends a lot. The fact that Mom suspects first period, when panda first appears, is also quite funny and sweet and positive. In fact, not mentioning it, given the circumstances, would feel like an omission. So, that’s really great.
However, during Mom’s subsequent stalking, presumably prompted by concern regarding panda, she bizarrely decides to use first period as a cover story. This weirdly entangles the two themes, resulting in both appearing as a potential source of embarrasment and shame AND then later something to be trapped, controlled and hidden. So, that all felt really negative.
But, I can’t tell if that entanglement was entirely unintended. Maybe that’s an intended reflection of societal attitudes: little girls, stay in your box and keep your feminity hidden?
[Major spoilers ahead]
If that’s the case, I don’t feel like the movie goes on to challenge that. If anything, it leans into it. At the end, I found myself hoping that all the women would keep their “panda” and celebrate it.
Ultimately, I’m not sure what an 11 y/o girl takes away from this.
★★★½ (contains spoilers)