As it is with the creation of so many distinctive characters in fiction, Shi drew from personal experience when creating the heart of Turning Red.
Shi even related a story where she wore One Piece cosplay to school and regretted it, an incident that may have inspired the embarrassing transformation that gives Turning Red its name.
In a chat with the Washington Post, director Domee Shi revealed how she tapped into her own experiences growing up to shape the character and her relatable set of fandoms.
“Both of us just love that chunky cute aesthetic, and that was definitely fostered by playing Nintendo games, like Pokémon, like EarthBound.