This is an archive article published on January 20, 2022
‘It’s me mommy’: 2-year-old looks just like Encanto character
Disney’s Encanto has made more than $200 million since its release in November 2021.
In a video shared by her mother, Hannary Araújo, two-year-old Manu can be seen visibly excited at the sight of her anime twin. (Source: manubaby03/Instagram)
Ever since comedy-drama Encanto was released last November, it has been raking in praise for its representation of diverse ethnicities. And last week, a two-year-old girl from Brazil’s Sete Lagoas spotted herself in Mirabel, a character in Encanto.
In a video shared by her mother, Hannary Araújo, two-year-old Manu can be seen visibly excited at the sight of her anime twin. She can be heard exclaiming in Portuguese, “It’s me, mommy!”
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As per the video translation by BuzzFeed, Manu’s mother responds to her by asking, “It’s you? Look at mommy, let me see if it’s you,” as her daughter turns around. Later in the movie, as Mirabel’s character grows into an adult, Manu says, “I grew up, mommy”. To this, her mother remarks, “How beautiful.”
Araújo told BuzzFeed, “There’s nothing better than seeing your child’s joy, especially being represented in a Disney movie!”. “My biggest fear when I learned that Manu would wear glasses would be bullying at school! But over the course of the movie, I completely changed my mind and saw that princesses wear glasses too!” she added.
The video featuring Manu was posted on Instagram last week and it has gone viral now. Many people of colour have also shared how they spotted their lookalikes in the movie.
I’m Colombian, I’m very pale, light skinned, wavy hair, my mom is brown w natural, super black curly hair, my half sister n brothers have green eyes, some have blonde hair, a few of my cousins look exactly like this little boy in Encanto. it’s awesome to finally see in a movie🥰
5: Mama! She looks like you! You have the same hair!!!
In case you were wondering if representation matters. The joy of my 5yr old seeing “his mama” on the screen was palpable.
Thank you @EncantoMovie for another piece of diversity in media for brown boys like mine ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7FiHeRDFST
The fact that everyone looks like my family has me feeling all kinds of ways. The girl with the long hair & flowers looks like me, the little boy w/ the animals looks like my nephew, Mirabel looks like my mom & aunt, the dad/grandpa? looks like my abuelo. #EncantoDisney#Encanto
Earlier this month, two-year-old Kenzo Brooks found out he resembled Antonio, another Encanto character. His mom captured his reaction and shared the pictures on Instagram with #representationmatters.
“He was able to see someone that looks like him. For me, it did make me feel a little bit emotional to think that my son was able to see this and have this experience. Just for so many other Black and brown boys and girls to be able to have that same experience now, I think that was amazing,” Brooks’s dad said in an interview with ABC7 New York.
In a video shared by her mother, Hannary Araújo, two-year-old Manu can be seen visibly excited at the sight of her anime twin. (Source: manubaby03/Instagram) 
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