Disney’s First South Asian Heroine: Raya and the Last Dragon
Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, and Moana: the only POC Disney princesses since Aladdin’s game-changing release in 1992. Now it seems a fifth princess of color will join the exclusive and largely white Disney Princess ranks with the upcoming release of “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
Raya, voiced by Star Wars breakout actor Kelly Marie Tran, is a South Asian warrior and daughter of Chief Benja. Set in the world of Kumandra, she embarks on a quest to find the Last Dragon, played by the husky-voiced Akwafina. Accompanied by her pet pill bug, Tuk Tuk, Raya must work together with Sisu the Dragon to save the world from the return of the evil Druun monsters. The action-adventure film emphasizes the importance of trust through vibrant fight scenes and Sisu’s laugh-out-loud commentary.
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios
“Raya and the Last Dragon” may be the 56th movie produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, but it is also the studio’s first film directed and animated remotely. When the unprecedented coronavirus put the world in lockdown, a crew of around 400 creatives were forced to adapt to a completely new situation. Everything from voice-acting to animating and storyboarding had to be done from home.
In an interview with Collider, heads of animation Amy Smeed and Malcolm Pierce detailed the technological difficulties they faced during early stages of quarantine. They also discussed the adjustments made to create a safe working home environment for their employees. Pierce recounted how, “Any time we're able to feel like we were focusing on the artwork and the film and not the technological limitations of working from home, it was a good moral compass.”
The production team formed a positive relationship that emphasized the humanity of every worker. New circumstances meant the company had to be more attentive to the needs of their employees. Pierce described many of the questions they asked, including: “What do you need from us to make sure that the priorities that you're feeling engaged in healthy, and we're not just burning everybody out to try and get this done?” Hopefully this environment can continue into future Disney productions.
Walt Disney uploaded a “Crafting Raya” featurette, which showed the process and work that went into creating the film virtually. Viewers got a sneak peek into how “Raya and the Last Dragon” employees worked in quarantine, alongside their pets and family members. Director Don Hall commended the diligent work of his crew, expressing that “[the film] could only have happened because everybody is passionate about the films we make and they brought that. I mean the movie is, I think, one of our most beautiful films.”
Long ago in Kumandra, magical dragons freely roamed the world and protected humans from the Druun monsters. Eventually, the noble beasts sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Lacking the mythical creatures that brought forth harmony, the people of Kumandra became plagued by distrust and fear, causing them to split apart. Sent out by her visionary father, Raya must rebuild trust among the warring clans to fix their divided world. This means grappling with her own arch-nemesis, Namaari, played by Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chang, daughter of the Fang Land Chief. Intense show-downs are pictured in the trailer, leaving viewers ready for a charged dynamic between the two powerful female warriors.
The movie took heavy inspiration from elements of South Asian culture that were incorporated to construct “Raya and the Last Dragon.” Co-writer and martial art consultant, Qui Nguyen, helped accurately represent fight sequences in South Asian methods, along with emulating each characters’ specific personality into their fighting style. There are countless different martial arts, but the crew eventually settled upon three main styles. Arnis, the national martial art of the Philippines, Muay Thai (also called Thai boxing), and Pencak Silat, a full-body Indonesian fighting form. These influences are evident in the teaser trailer, where Raya can be seen wielding the Arnis stick in fierce combat with an opponent.
Nguyen said “we could have gone anywhere with [the fighting styles]. But I wanted [them] to be grounded in real-world physics." Even in scenes where magic is used, characters’ movements reflect established martial art styles. Qui also voiced his hopes that the movie could encourage fans to celebrate South Asian culture, saying “kids will be able to go study real martial arts that represent the cultures of this film.”
The movie follows a well-known trope we’ve seen time and time again throughout cinema history: a group of unexpected misfits thrown together by chance must fight to save the world. In this case, the team includes a con-baby, a formidable giant, a shape-shifting dragon, and an enormous pill-bug with a soft spot for rubs. Raya must reckon with her own misgivings as she battles to restore faith in Kumandra. The five clans must put aside their differences, to heal old wounds and unite once more. Kelly Marie Tran notes how relevant the movie’s themes are, saying “Learning how to find the goodness in the world, I think, is such a beautiful, important message.”
Already the film has sparked mixed reviews, concerning Asian representation. Some people are glad to be finally getting a South Asian princess with an Asian cast, whereas others argue that “Raya and the Last Dragon” is poorly executed and performative.
One user wrote “As a Filipina-American, I am heavily emotional over this trailer for Raya and The Last Dragon. I am so proud of this representation. Using Arnis, wearing the salakot, holding the Moro sword... the different colors on their people. I’m crying. I am so proud.” Another user applauded Disney, commenting“oh this looks wonderful! the architectural details! though Disney has a particular style of faces, there are little facial characteristics that looks like faces I grew up with. yay for little kids that get to see ourselves represented in Disney!”
A negative review points out the scarce South Asian casting, writing “I'm all for Asians playing other Asian ethnicities, but the roles of Southeast Asians have been little to none. With #RayaAndTheLastDragon celebrating Southeast Asia, I feel like it'd be a huge moment to have SEA being able to play their own heritage.” Another social media user objected to what they deemed a poor attempt at honoring Asian culture. “Each country under South-East Asia is very unique… We speak different languages and have different customs. This movie represents no one in particular.”
Diversity is not only important for those shown on screen, but there needs to be representation among the creators and crew. To best produce a South-Asian inspired film in a respectful, well-researched manner, you need input from actual South Asians and specialists. If there’s one thing we can take away from this debate, it’s that Hollywood needs more East Asian actors. Other than Kelly Marie Tran, the “Raya and the Last Dragon” cast consists of A-list East Asian stars, such as Oscar-winning actor Sandra Oh.
As a half-white, half-Chinese teenage girl who identifies as a POC, I know firsthand the importance of representation in the media. Growing up, Mulan was a Disney princess who looked like me, with her long dark hair and almond-shaped eyes. She could sing, fight, and save a nation through her cunning and skill. She even had her own dragon spirit. Who doesn’t want a Mushu all to themselves? My only regret is that she didn’t have an upbeat solo song. Disney shaped my childhood: I sang “Be Our Guest” at the dinner table, pretended to be a mermaid like Ariel, and used hand fans to battle opponents in imitation of Mulan.
I can’t imagine how isolating it would feel to never see myself represented in a movie, or only as a supporting role. It’s so pivotal for kids to recognize characters that look like them and share their culture. We need strong role models of all races within and outside of the Disney bubble.
The movie’s Vietnamese star, Kelly Marie Tran, wrote an op-ed for the New York Times about what it means to be a woman of color in this society. She wrote “I know that I now belong to a small group of privileged people who get to tell stories for a living, stories that are heard and seen and digested by a world that for so long has tasted only one thing.” Her words reflect the current climate of our world and give readers insight to Tran’s intentions when embarking on a project. Hopefully, “Raya and the Last Dragon” fulfills its role in celebrating East Asian culture and creating a more diverse space in the Disney universe. And from a purely entertainment point of view, let’s hope that March 5th brings a wild ride of vibrant, laugh-out-loud fun.