The Real Reason That Mulan Plays With Her Hair So Much

The Real Reason That Mulan Plays With Her Hair So Much

The Disney animated film, Mulan, was released in 1998 and has since become a classic (and even garnered a live-action remake, which came out in 2020). The story follows the title character, Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen), as she becomes fearful that her ailing father will be drafted into the Chinese military. In response, Mulan finds a way to get around the patriarchal rules that make her, as a girl, ineligible to serve in the military by disguising herself as a man to take her father's spot.

Throughout the film, Mulan can be seen touching her hair frequently. It's a subtle detail, although one of those things you can't unsee once it's pointed out. While watching, the viewer may figure that it was a character detail the writers saw fit to Mulan — it could be a nervous habit, or maybe a small foreshadowing to the scene in which she chops it mostly all off. Well, it turns out there's a charming story behind why Mulan plays with her hair so much.