In Turning Red, Mei and her mother, Ming, are sometimes at odds as Mei goes through girlhood. Domee included this in the movie to reflect the experiences of Asian and immigrant children.
“I think, especially for immigrant kids, Asian kids, and for Mei in the movie, I think she has to come to realize that there is no perfect relationship with your parents, that it is always going to be messy,” Domee said in her NBC News interview.
She was also quoted as having said in a press conference that the filmmakers chose to “explore the nuances of Asian parent-child relationship in dealing with change, and of intergenerational conflict and how it can shape who we become.”