Animated: ‘Kung Fu Panda’ kicks Chinese culture into action

Walking into the School of Cinematic Arts building for class last semester, I’d immediately catch sight of the giant “Kung Fu Panda” statue in the foyer. As I walked through the hallway, I’d gaze at the towering figure of Po, the panda protagonist, and be reminded of why I came to USC: to become the prophesized Dragon Warrior. 

Jokes aside, seeing Po did provide a sense of belonging for me. Whenever I felt insecure about my writing abilities or questioned myself in general, I would look at the statue on my way to class and think about my goal of telling stories about China and Chinese culture. I’d spin my own prophecies of who I wanted to be in the future. For me, this panda statue became a guiding force in my quest to represent myself as a Chinese storyteller. 

Perhaps, contrary to my investment in the “Kung Fu Panda” series, I don’t possess any kung fu skills whatsoever and am, consequently, no Dragon Warrior. Yet I would also argue that Po is more than just his “destiny.” 

Throughout the “Kung Fu Panda” series, Po looks to discover who he is both as and beyond being the legendary hero destined to save China. At the beginning of the first film, Po is a martial arts enthusiast eager to find out who the legendary Dragon Warrior will be, only to discover that it’s himself and that the label comes with its challenges.

As expected of an animated series, Po grapples with physical threats to the peace of China that he must battle with epic kung fu fight sequences. Also present, however, is Po’s initial struggle of not conforming to the expectations placed upon the Dragon Warrior. 

Later, his status as the esteemed Dragon Warrior leads Po astray emotionally; he doesn’t really know who he is beyond the label. Po’s constantly underestimated by his opponents and those around him, yet he ultimately defeats them with more than a mastery of kung fu but a mastery of self as he finds out more about his background. 

I’ve already written briefly about “Kung Fu Panda” in a longer feature article about Chinese representation in animation, but I think the series is worth speaking about in-depth. Particularly during the Lunar New Year celebration, I want to think about what it means to tell a Chinese story thoughtfully and artistically. Most of all, I’m reflecting more on what it means for a story to be authentically Chinese.

A 2008 New York Times article by Richard Bernstein cites Chinese sources praising the first “Kung Fu Panda” film. These sources expressed that the film largely captured Chinese cultural elements and themes that appealed to the majority of Chinese audiences. According to the China Daily, “Kung Fu Panda 2” integrated cultural imagery such as dan dan noodles and Qingcheng Mountain characteristic of the city of Chengdu, which the DreamWorks Animation team visited during a cultural research trip. 

All of this is to say that, at least from my perspective, Chinese culture is presented insightfully and with care in this series. Watching the films, it’s clear that Chinese national identity is represented in the food, the setting and the characters. It’s easy to stereotype such elements from a Western point of view, but I never got the sense that the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise negatively stereotyped Chinese culture. To me, Po’s story simply felt like a story employing Chinese elements in a way that didn’t seek to diminish or degrade Chinese identity. It was a story of appreciation.

Silliness aside, there’s a lot to love about the franchise. At the heart of the story, there’s a great inspirational core about becoming who you were born to be. All of that is rendered with China as the backdrop, where Po, the “hero” of the story, isn’t a “hero” purely because he’s a kung fu master. He’s a hero because he doesn’t let others tell him he can’t be one. 

I guess the reason why I love “Kung Fu Panda” so much is because I could relate to Po, who doesn’t quite fit in and is just trying to figure that out — you don’t have to be a Dragon Warrior to struggle with insecurities about your abilities. So, while I could argue that “Kung Fu Panda” is incredible because of its universality, there’s something to be said about a story that respects Chinese culture and values storytelling about China. There’s something significant in that, when animators create a story about belonging, it is destined wholeheartedly for its culture and audience. 

I wish everyone a happy Lunar New Year.

Valerie Wu is a junior writing about animation and digital arts from a contemporary perspective. Her column “Animated” runs every other Friday.