Mulan
Disney Animated Feature, 1998
Characters
- Mulan:
the high-spirited daughter of a former soldier, Mulan tries hard to please her parents but often feels she is letting them down. Independent and creative, Mulan doesn’t fit the traditional role for a female in her society. When her aging father is drafted into the army, Mulan decided to take his place and save his life by dressing as a boy.
- Voice of Mulan: Ming-NaWen
- Singing voice of Mulan: Lea Salonga
- Animated by: Mark Henn (same guy who animated Belle and Jasmine)
Mushu:
Mushu was once a guardian of the Fa family, but has been demoted to gong-ringer and incense burner after leading one of his relatives to disaster. Mushu is determined to gain his old status, so he decided to watch over Mulan on her adventure in hopes of making her a hero.
Shan Yu:
a former soldier of the Chinese army, Shan Yu has joined forced with the Huns. Brutal and calculating, he wants to challenge the power of the emperor after the building of The Great Wall.
- Voice:: Miguel Ferrer
- Animated by: Pres Rumanillos
Lee Shang:
Shang is the son of a great general, and a captain in the Chinese Army. His job is to train the inexperienced new recruits; a group that included Mulan and several other interesting characters.
The Emperor:
Loved and revered by his people, the Emperor is concerned with the threat of attack from the Huns and Shan Yu. He orders a draft of one man from every family to help defend his country. As he said, “A single grain of rice may tip the scales; one man may be the difference between victory and defeat.”
Cri-kee:
Cri-kee is a lucky cricket found by Mulan’s grandmother, who allies himself with Mushu and comes along when Mulan decided to "take her little drag show on the road.”
- Animated by: Billy Temple (same guy who animated Lumiere and the Sultan)
Khan:
Mulan’s strong black stallion who posses the power to understand every word said by both Mushu and Mulan. He is the victim of one of her shoe throwing fits.
- Animated by:Alex Kupershmidt (He also animated the hyenas from The Lion King)
Fa Li and Fa Zhou:
Mulan’s parents, who love her very much (also, this is one of the few Disney movies where both parents of the main character are present). Fa Li wants Mulan to carry on the family’s honor and tradition. Fa Zhou was a great warrior in his younger days, but now relies on a cane to walk.
- Voices: Freda Foh Shen and Soon-Tech Oh, respectively
- Animated by: Joe Haidar
Yao, Ling, and Chien Po:
These three are Mulan’s close friends after she wins their affection during training. Yao is short and stout with a permanent black eye; Ling is the tall, shapeless ladies man; Chien Po is a gentle giant who is the peacekeeper to his friends.
- Voices: Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, and Jerry Tondo (respectively)
- Animators: Broose Johnson and Aaron Blaise
Grandmother Fa:
Fa Zhou’s mother has a sense of humor the belies her age; she and Mulan are “kindred spirits.”
Other Supporting Characters:
Music from Disney’s Mulan
There are several songs from Mulan, most following the traditional corny Disney format -- some are better than others, to put it mildly.