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10 Reasons To Love About ‘Raya And The Last Dragon’

Inspired by Southeast Asian cultures, Disney’s latest animated feature is a worthy addition to the Disney Princess franchise.

By Marguerita TanPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
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The titular characters of 'Raya and the Last Dragon' [Credit: Disney]

It features Disney’s first-ever Southeast Asian Disney Princess, complete with adorable animal sidekick and a sassy talking dragon as mentor. But is Raya and the Last Dragon any good? Glad to say, it is.

Visually-stunning with distinctive Southeast Asian influences, the film is a fun epic fantasy adventure filled with lovable characters, amazing action sequences, and strong messages about social trust.

It is also brilliantly voiced by a stellar cast of predominantly Asian descent that includes Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost).

Set in the fantasy world of Kumandra—home to five warring tribes namely Heart, Fang, Spine, Talon and Tail—the story follows Heart princess Raya who searches the lands for the last surviving dragon, whose return she believes will fix her fractured world infested once again by monsters called the Druun. Learning to trust people she long viewed as enemies, however, will prove to be Raya’s biggest challenge.

As a Southeast Asian, it was fun to see cultural influences from the region reflected in the film's backdrops, costumes, rituals, et al. Granted not all 11 Southeast Asian countries can have their traits featured prominently, this food-loving Singaporean was ecstatic just seeing popular Southeast Asian foods being well depicted! (See #8 below.)

Although Frozen 2 remains as my all-time favorite Disney animated feature, Raya has earned a special place in my Heart (pun totally intended.)

In no order of merit, here are 10 reasons to love about Raya and the Last Dragon. (SPOILERS ahead, naturally.)

10 Reasons to Love about 'Raya and the Last Dragon'

1. A New Gutsy Warrior Princess

Raya with her Keris-inspired sword in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

Filial, feisty and skilled in martial arts, Raya (masterfully voiced by Tran) is every inch a warrior princess a la Fa Mulan, her Asian predecessor from 1998’s Mulan. She may be flawed, have huge trust issues, but ultimately her heart is in the right place. From her love for her father, to putting her life on the line for the sake of restoring her broken world, Raya is a heroine in every sense of the word.

2. The Massively Adorable Animal Sidekick

Raya lending Tuk Tuk support in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

Most Disney Princesses have an adorable animal sidekick: Rapunzel has her pet chameleon Pascal in 2010’s Tangled and Moana has kooky chicken Hei Hei in 2016’s Moana, just to name but two. Raya, however, wins hands down as the Disney Princess with the biggest animal sidekick ever with Tuk Tuk (named after the Filipino three-wheeled taxi,) her über adorable part-pill bug, part-armadillo of a pet that doubles up as a reliable mode of transport.

3. The Sassy, Quippy Magical Dragon

Awkwafina voices Sisu the dragon in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

Once you get used to an Asian-looking dragon speaking in Awkwafina’s heavy Nora from Queens accent, Sisu is easily the film’s funniest character with her countless quips and sassy one-liners. Whether in dragon or human form (she can shape-shift,) the titular last dragon brings on the chuckles when sprouting words of wisdom or trying to readjust to the human world. Next to the amusing “shopping on credit” stint in Talon, Sisu’s “bring a gift” mantra—a very traditional Southeast Asian custom—is a running gag that will resonate with any Asian whose mom utters the same whenever you plan to visit someone.

4. The Explosive Farting Beetles

Sisu meets a Toot 'n' Boom in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

Whilst in Tail with Raya to retrieve a broken piece of her Dragon Gem, Sisu gushes over a green beetle with a lighted booty called Toot ‘n’ Boom. When agitated, the bug emits a green mist of gas from its rear with a “toot” sound, before the pungent fart explodes with a “boom”, hence its name. Arguably one of the most innovative fantasy creatures ever seen in a Disney film, the bugs prove to be an asset when Raya and Sisu set off loads of them in a narrow passageway to keep their Fang pursuers at bay.

5. The Savvy Shrimp-orium Boss

Captain Boun cutting a deal in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

It’s always cool to see a young person depicted as being enterprising such as Tail native Boun (Izaac Wang) who is the street-smart owner, chef and chief financial officer of the bumboat restaurant, Shrimp-orium. After losing his entire family to the dreadful Druun, he fends for himself by being a boatman and serving up culinary delights. That the lad has no qualms in joining Raya’s quest to mend their broken world is nothing short of admirable.

6. The Super Cute Con Baby and Ongis

Con artist extraordinaire Noi and her Ongis in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

“Don’t trust anyone,” so says Raya upon landing in Talon and the first thing she did was to be tricked by the super cute toddler con artist Baby Noi (Thalia Tran) and her mischievous monkey-like trio of Ongis. They are fast, cunning, and can climb tall buildings with amazing acrobatic agility. Whether they are messing up Boun’s boat or climbing all over Sisu and Spine strongman Tong (Benedict Wong,) you can’t help but smile whenever this quartet is onscreen.

7. Epic Fighting Scenes

Raya and Namaari not exactly seeing eye-to-eye in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

Among the film’s best bits are the fierce duels between Raya and Fang's Princess Namaari (Gemma Chan), two dragon nerd tweens who grew up becoming arch enemies highly skilled in martial arts. These pulsating scenes are, in my humble opinion, among the best fighting sequences ever seen in animation.

Add to that, distinctly Southeast Asian-influenced weapons and combat styles also got to shine in the limelight. Raya’s longsword is inspired by the Indonesian Keris dagger and she also carries a pair of Arnis sticks used in Filipino martial arts. Meanwhile, her fighting style is akin to Indonesia’s Pencak Silat, whereas Naamari’s combat moves are inspired by Thailand’s Muay Thai and weapons-based Krabi-Krabong. In short, these princesses are simply kick-ass!

8. Food, Glorious Southeast Asian Food

The Raya and the Last Dragon poster released for Lunar New Year 2021. [Credit: Disney]

As a foodie, I was thrilled to see that Raya got most of the Southeast Asian food spot-on, as illustrated in the film’s special Lunar New Year poster pictured above. These range from the tom yum goong-like soup brewed by Raya’s dad and Vietnamese spring rolls as seen in Heart, to the prawn congee and satay that Boun serves on his boat, to the love-it-or-hate-it durian (the green, thorny pungent fruit seen under the left Ongis' arm above) being tossed around in Talon!

9. The Vibrant Land of Talon

Concept art of Talon, one of Kumandra's five lands, in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

While Fang's militaristic monumental buildings bore very characteristic Thai and Cambodian influences, it is the land of Talon that arguably projects the most Southeast Asian feels - from its above-water stilted housing—reminiscent of Brunei’s famous water village—to the vibrant night market where Sisu has her shopping spree which is clearly inspired by the lively pasar malams and floating markets of countries such as Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.

10. Sacrificing Oneself for the Greater Good

(L-R) Tong, Boun, Tuk Tuk, Noi and Ongis as seen in Raya and the Last Dragon. [Credit: Disney]

Amidst comedic and action moments, Raya also has a few poignant scenes. None more so than the moment after the climactic battle when Raya—despite her trust issues throughout the film—decides to uphold Sisu’s faith in humanity and trust the barely-trustworthy Namaari to do the right thing just when all hope seems lost.

Watching Raya and her allies from different lands sacrificing themselves for the greater good was quite a heart-stopping moment. In real-life, the move was probably a tad naïve, but within the film’s premise, it’s a powerful scene that emphasizes the underlying theme that every tribe needs to trust each other before Kumandra can be unified and have peace restored.

'Raya and the Last Dragon' is in cinemas and on Disney+ via Premium Access (available for free with subscription fee from June 4, 2021.)

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Disney’s Live-Action ‘Mulan’: 6 Big Changes from the 1998 Animated Hit

From Silent Movies to Disney Musicals: A Cinematic History of Lady Warrior Hua Mulan

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About the Creator

Marguerita Tan

A freelance writer who loves God, movies, music and TV; esp Star Wars, Animation/Anime, GOT, The Wheel of Time, and anything that's entertaining! X/Threads/ISG: @marfield49

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