Since Turning Red was released in March of 2022, the movie has gotten lots of attention. Although some people have raised concerns about the movie’s subject matter, the film has received lots of positive feedback overall. As with any other popular movie, though, people can’t help but speculate that there may be more to the story than what was shown on screen. As a result, there’s a very interesting theory floating around that has left a lot of people scratching their heads. If you’ve seen the movie, you might want to go back and watch it again after learning about this interesting take. Keep reading to learn more about this bizarre Turning Red Theory.
What Is Turning Red About?
Before we can get into what the theory is about, it’s probably a good idea to provide some context on what the movie is actually about. To put it simply, the film follows a 13-year-old girl named Meilin “Mei” Lee who is trying to navigate life as a teenager and the winding road that comes with going through puberty. That isn’t the only thing she has on her plate, though. Mei has also developed the habit of turning into a big red panda when she starts to feel strong emotions. Minus the whole red panda transformation thing, anyone who has gone through puberty can probably relate to this story.
The movie has been praised by reviewers all over the world, but there are also some people who believe that a children’s film that discusses things like puberty and menstruation is inappropriate. Despite what some may see as “too much” for a young audience, many have reported that the movie isn’t a bad influence. According to an article from The New York Times, “child psychologists say it’s unlikely that the movie will promote bad or salacious behavior, or cause harm to younger children who may not understand its mature themes. If anything, they note, the movie could bring families together by sparking age-appropriate conversations about key issues and values, and by validating the struggles that teens often experience.”
The Theory That Has Fans Perplexed
Now it’s time to get into the juicy stuff. Since Turning Red is a pretty straightforward movie, you may be wondering what kind of theory could’ve possibly have gotten cooked up. All I can say is, I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that this one will leave you scratching your head.
The theory was started with a video from a YouTube channel called Gate of Theory. According to Looper, the idea behind the theory is “that 22 is the soul that eventually becomes Meilin in “Turning Red.” The theory revolves around basic numerology (the “Turning Red” 2022 release date, “Soul” having a character named 22, and the 2002 setting), and the fact that 22 and Meilin are both searching for purpose. Perhaps most damning of all: It appears as though 22 lands somewhere in mainland China at the end of “Soul,” which is where Meilin’s ancestors lived. Plus, Disney has, more than once, confirmed fan theories that all of the Disney-Pixar storylines do, in fact, exist in the same fictional universe”.
As with lots of other theories, this one made its way to Reddit where fans of the film instantly started picking it apart. A Reddit user named Julieandrea97 quickly pointed out “This can’t be possible because Turning Red takes place in the year 2002 and Soul takes place in todays time since they had smart phones. The only way this could work is if Mei dies after the events of turning red”.
Even many people in the comments section of the YouTube video don’t seem to be connecting the dots on this one. At the same time, however, there are a few people who believe this theory holds weight. That said, it doesn’t appear that anyone has provided a strong argument to support the theory as of now.
Have Disney or Pixar Addressed The Theory?
Every once in a while, theories gain so much traction that they are eventually addressed by the person or team who created the project. As of now, there haven’t been any official comments pertaining to this theory. Since the theory hasn’t gained much traction yet, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever hear directly from anyone who is involved with the movie. At the end of the day, though, these theories are a fun way for viewers to connect with the film in different ways. As more people start to see Turning Red, there will probably be even more interesting theories that start to come out of the woodwork.
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