Was Mulan real? Did Mulan exist? And, if so, how accurate is the movie Mulan? This week we get down to business to uncover the history behind our favorite female warrior. Maia spotlights three extraordinary women whose boldness and brilliance helped reshape East Asian and global history: Tamoe Gozen, a Japanese Samurai from the 12th century, whose bravery and romances were featured in Heike monogatari (The Tale of Heike); Murasaki Shikibu, the author of what's thought of as the world's oldest novel, Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji); and the legendary Hua Mulan, brought to life through a 5th-century poem and her fierce promise to take her father’s place in war. And, of course, we sing a couple of lines from that killer movie soundtrack (singing podcast?). Along the way, they unpack samurai code, Heian-era culture (calligraphy, poetry, doll festivals, and all), and why storytelling remains one of the most powerful weapons in any era—printing press or not. Women in history had something worth fighting for!

00:00:00 Catch-Up

00:28:08 Worth Fighting For

00:34:32 Tomoē Gozen, Samurai Superstar

00:41:12 Seven Heads, Seven WINS

00:42:41 Vanish or Vacation?

00:44:32 Enter Murasaki Shikibu

00:48:16 Genji-mania

00:59:55 The Ballad of Mulan

01:38:48 Japanese Shakespeare

01:39:11 Mulan’s Poetic Mic Drop

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