Li Shang, Mulan's love interest in the 1998 animated movie, was dropped from Disney's live-action retelling of Mulan as he was both her direct superior and her "sexual love interest", according to producer Jason Reed.
“I think particularly in the time of the #MeToo movement, having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn’t think it was appropriate,” Reed told Collider on Feb. 27.
Instead, they will be splitting Shang's character into two characters in the upcoming movie, premiering on March 26.
Commander Tung (Donnie Yen) who serves as her surrogate father and mentor, and Honghui (Yoson An), Mulan's equal in the squad.
Furore on social media
The decision to axe Shang (and the dragon Mushu!) from the movie wasn't new, but the reasons that the producer gave struck a raw nerve with many fans of the animated series.
Many fans were dissatisfied with the explanation given by Reed, claiming that they failed to see any problem with Shang's position or character.
Twitter user @NipahDUBS said that Shang did not make any advances on Mulan while they were in training or during wartime; conversely, Mulan made the first move when she asked Shang to stay over at her family's home after the war.
Facebook user Cheryl Cooper also added that there was no problem for two adults to be mutually attracted to each other even one is subordinate to the other, calling the rewriting "an unnecessary move".
China wants to stay true to the original
By now, many would have come to realise that this retelling of Mulan is very different from the other live-action remakes that Disney is getting infamous for.
Other than booting out Shang and Mushu, the movie is not going to have a musical score, and romance is going to be seriously downplayed.
One reason for this is probably because the movie seeks to cater to the massive Chinese movie market.
In fact, the directors took out a kiss scene between Mulan and Honghui when Disney's Chinese executives said that it wouldn't work with mainland audiences.
"It was very beautiful, but the China office went, 'No, you can't, that doesn't feel right to the Chinese people,' " director Niki Caro told The Hollywood Reporter. "So we took it out."
The inclusion of Shang (and definitely Mushu) in the 1998 animated Mulan was a choice made by directors taking artistic liberties with the original story.
Although the witty characters and outstanding musical scores made 1998's Mulan a cultural icon in the U.S., the film was a box-office flop in China, due to its heavy Americanisation.
As the story of Hua Mulan is an integral part of Chinese folklore, those in the mainland appear to prefer a more serious tone in the portrayal of their beloved heroine.
In the original poem, which is included in nearly all textbooks across China, there was no mention of Shang nor any sort of romance for the matter.
Mulan was simply a brave, filial daughter who broke tradition to protect her family and her country.
Some - who are sick of Disney's carbon copy, nostalgia draining live-action remakes - actually look forward to this new film, as they don't know what to expect.
Screenshot from Mulan's Facebook page
Screenshot from Mulan's Facebook page
So perhaps leaving Shang out of the movie might have been a good decision, but pinning the reason to #metoo? Maybe not so much.
Image from Mulan/Disney