Are you a fan of the wildly popular Pixar movie, Turning Red, featuring Meilin Lee, aka Mei Mei, and her family of giant red pandas?
If so, then it’s time to take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of the best quotes from this classic film.
From funny one-liners to inspiring words about growing up, here are my favorite Turning Red quotes that prove why Disney is still the king when it comes to captivating stories.
Whether you’re looking for a witty line or an insightful quote to share with friends and family alike, these amazing selections will bring joy and laughter into your day!
The number one rule in my family: Honor your parents.
In the opening scene of the movie, Meilin introducers her self and gives us some background on her family dynamics.
The number one rule in my family: honor thy parents. They’re the supreme beings who gave you life, sweated and sacrificed so much to put a roof over your head, food on your plate – an epic amount of food. The least you can do in return is every single thing they ask.
Meilin, Turning Red
A very enterprising, yet mildly annoying young lady.
In this scene, Meilin’s peers and even her teacher let it be known how odd they think she is.
The best part? Meilin just doesn’t care!
After listing off all the labels they’ve given her, she simply says “I accept and embrace all labels.”
Red is a lucky color.
Jin, Meilin’s father, reminds her early on that red is a lucky color.
While it might seem like an insignificant line, not many people know that red is considered lucky in Chinese culture.
Plus, I like to think that it’s a bit of foreshadowing, too. Perhaps morphing into a red panda isn’t so bad!
Did the red peony bloom?
I had to chuckle at this line from Ming when she was trying to figure out why Meilin was upset.
Growing up in the US, there were always weird sayings for menstruation mainly because people felt uncomfortable talking about it.
It’s oddly comforting to know this isn’t just an American thing!
Also, it kind of makes menstruation sound beautiful and delicate, which is nice for a change!
I’m a furry ticking time bomb!
Poor Mei Mei is not only dealing with getting her period, but also randomly morphing into a giant red panda.
As if she doesn’t have enough to deal with as a teen girl! I’d be just as exasperated if I were her, too.
I’m a gross red monster!
The teen years can be so rough! There are often feelings of frustration, disgust, and insecurity – just like in this scene featuring Mei Mei.
This isn’t just our first concert. This is our first step into womanhood.
Growing up in the 90s, so many of us teens were into boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSYNC. Going to a concert was also seen as a huge deal!
This scene just made me think about my teen years, as I’m sure it did for many other millennials.
I never ask for anything. My whole life I’ve been her perfect little Mei Mei!
Meilin’s frustrations with her parents’ expectations of her are starting to bubble up. Will they run over?
I’ve been obsessed with my mom’s approval my whole life. I couldn’t risk losing it. But losing you guys is worse.
Mei Mei has struggled with being the perfect daughter and obeying her parents and making her own decisions – even if it goes against her parents wishes.
But in this scene, she decides it’s important enough to her to rebel in order to experience a right of passage with her besties.
Aw. We’re like a warm and fuzzy blanket.
Priya is such an underrated character in this movie. She has some of the funniest one-liners throughout the movie!
In this scene, Meilin discovers she can control her strong emotions so that she doesn’t accidentally transform into the red panda because of her connection to her friends.
Ugh, he looks like a hobo. A hot hobo!
I had to lol at this scene, as well. Why do teenagers always have the most questionable crushes!?
You sicko! What were you thinking?
Meilin’s inner monologue processes what just happened after her mom showed her questionable doodles to Tyler, a teen that works at Daisy Mart that Meilin has a crush on.
You sicko! What were you thinking? Why would you draw those things? Those horrible, awful, sexy things? It’s fine. You’ll move to another city. Change your identity.
People have all kinds of sides to them, Mei. And some of them are messy.
In this scene, Jin has a heart-to-heart with Mei to remind her it’s ok to not be perfect all the time.
Be careful. Honoring your parents sounds great, but if you take it too far, well, you might forget to honor yourself.
There was a lot of controversy when Turning Red came out, mainly because of this line.
Many parents were in an uproar over it and felt it was encouraging kids to talk back and not follow their parents’ lead.
But isn’t it a parent’s job to raise tiny humans to become contributors to humankind rather than mindless robots?
I get that parents don’t want their kids to become back-talking rebels that run wild, but that’s not at all the point Mei Mei is making in this scene.
During your teenage years, it’s time to start practicing being an adult in some ways, and part of that means having your own opinions, dressing the way that you like, having your own special interests, and so on.
If you can’t let your teen start to figure those things out now, they are in for a rude awakening as an adult!
I love the lesson in this movie and the confidence Mei Mei gains throughout the movie.
So many teens don’t figure this out until they are well into adulthood!
Why are they called 4Town if there are 5 of them?
I mean, honestly, great question. Did the fifth one break off for a solo career and come back or something?
Don’t leave us hanging on this one, Pixar!
More great Turning Red Quotes
Before I go, I’ll leave you with a few more good lines from Turning Red. Enjoy!
My panda, my choice! – Meilin
I’m telling your mothers! – Ming
Sick. I’ve always wanted a tail. – Priya
Destroy her with your big butt! – Abby
Are you a triangle? ‘cuz you acute! – Meilin
The farther you go, the prouder I’ll be. – Ming
We are 4-townies, remember? Ride or die! – Meilin
I wanna throw a sick birthday party. An epic one. – Tyler
You are her pride and joy – so act like it. – Meilin, in a pep talk to herself
I like boys, I like loud music, I like gyrating. I’m 13, deal with it! – Meilin to Ming
YOU’RE SO FLUFFY! – Abby to Meilin when she first sees her as a red panda
Sometimes I miss the way things were. But nothing stays the same forever. – Meilin
Not to brag, but being 13 means I’m officially a grown up. At least according to the Toronto Transit Commission. – Meilin
I’m Meilin Lee and ever since I turned 13, I’ve been doing my own thing and making my own moves. 24/7. 365. I wear what I want, say what I want, and I will not hesitate to do a spontaneous cartwheel if I feel so moved! – Meilin, who proceeds to try to do a cartwheel only to fall
What are your favorite Turning Red quotes?
As you can see, Turning Red is a film packed with inspiring quotes and lines that have the power to stick with us and be thought-provoking.
This animated movie has certainly made its mark in Pixar’s library of films.
So next time when you are in need of some motivation or inspiration, turn back to these wonderfully written lines from Turning Red or catch the movie on Disney+.
And don’t forget to share your favorite Turning Red quotes in the comments below! I’d love to hear what they are.
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About the author
Meg Frost is the creator of The Park Pixie, where she covers Disney World, Disney+, and Disney fandom.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University and B.S. in Communication & American Studies from University of Miami in Florida.
This post was originally published April 22, 2023. It was last updated October 4, 2023.
