Encanto is THE movie of the moment. Same goes for its soundtrack, which is sitting comfortably at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Needless to say, people are really connecting with it. Especially with Luisa, who is Mirabel's older sister/the middle child with superhuman strength.
Many eldest children/first-gen kids saw themselves reflected in Luisa's struggle when she sang "Surface Pressure," a song about needing to support your family and everyone around you, often at the expense of your own needs.
View this video on YouTube
So when Maribel Martinez (not to be confused with Mirabel) watched the film and first saw Luisa, she told BuzzFeed that it was amazing to see someone who looked like her. "I was surprised to see a masculine-yet-feminine presented female [character]...I’ve always been told I look too 'masculine' to be feminine, but seeing Luisa just made me feel comfortable with loving myself even more."
She said, "Growing up as a middle child, I felt so much pressure to take care of my siblings and handle adult responsibilities. I never really had the opportunity to be just a child. I was my mom's emotional support and a role model to my younger siblings."
"I felt like I had no choice but to take on so much weight."
Also, you remember when Luisa moves literal boulders with her hips?
And the crying?
Thousands have since commented on her videos, with people either pointing out the physical similarity, the importance of representation, or sharing their own personal connections to Luisa. "I was surprised and shocked that so many people could also relate to Luisa," Maribel said. "Honestly, I feel honored to be called the real-life Luisa."
In recent TikToks, she's also been seen getting a full-blown Luisa outfit together, so Maribel has plans to take the look to the next level very soon. She said, "I will be doing a cosplay for Luisa and working on other projects."
We look forward to seeing the full look come to life and to continued healing!
