People Are Rightfully Outraged That ‘Mulan’ Has No Chinese Subtitles

The film, set for a Chinese theatrical release on Sept. 11, arrived on Disney Plus last Friday but only included captions in European-origin languages.

 

The fact that a movie based on Chinese culture excludes its language as a subtitle has unsurprisingly disappointed some Disney Plus subscribers.

“Mom and dad were so excited to watch Mulan and I bit the bullet & paid $30. They don’t even have Chinese subtitles and this is literally a movie about MY CULTURE. Netflix has Chinese subtitles. More importantly, look at how Eurocentric this list is. Yes I had to look up who speaks Suomi too,” one wrote in a now-viral Facebook post, which was also shared on Twitter.

The matter also sparked discussions on the Disney Plus subreddit. Some users expect the film to have Chinese subtitles for its Chinese release, but this is unclear.

However, some pointed out that the absence of Chinese captions could be a preventive measure against piracy. “The only reason I could see it not being included is simply because the film is playing in China and they do not want piracy in that region to hamper ticket sales,” one user noted.

The animated version, released in 1998, flopped at the Chinese box office. Now, Disney created the live-action remake with Chinese audiences in mind, reportedly commissioning film testers and working with the Chinese government to ensure a theatrical release.

Based on the narrative poem the “Ballad of Mulan,” the 2020 film departs from the animated feature in several ways. Among them is the inclusion of a new villain, a witch named Xianniang.

Feature Images via @naamanzhou (left) and Walt Disney Studios (right; screenshot)