Disney/Pixar's slate of films in their "Disney+ streaming era" as it was post-COVID-19 pandemic, to put it shortly, might have been a bit forgettable: the gang has discussed Soul and certainly enjoyed its mellow vibe, but Onward got dumpstered in March 2020 and Luca appears to have completely fallen out of the cultural headspace. 2022's Turning Red, on the other hand, was actually a film brought to our April Fool's special episode that year, and now we get to seriously discuss its impressive portrayals of the middle school experience, Asian heritage, the cultural hallmarks of the 90s, and a genuine coming-of-age narrative. We all agree that it's a bit underrated these days in the Disney/Pixar pantheon, and there's a ton of impressive emotional payoff and strong messages packed into a neat little 2-hour runtime. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
Editor's note: I think it's hilarious that this episode is Episode 4 of Season 18. It's like poetry.
