In 2021, Disney came up with a new animation movie titled "Raya and the Last Dragon." The 107-minute movie tells the story of Raya, a young female hero from Southeast Asia.
The film is set in the fantasy land of Kumandra, which is home to five different tribes. Each tribe has a distinct culture inspired by various parts of Southeast Asia.
Throughout the movie, these inspirations are clearly visible. For example, their audio-visual such as traditional house with gamelan as backsound. Raya wears a hat similar to the Salakot, a traditional headwear in the Philippines. Her transportation, Tuk-Tuk, shares its name with the popular three-wheeled rickshaw used in Thailand.
Raya's fighting style is also influenced by Silat, a traditional martial art widely practiced in Malaysia and Indonesia. Even Raya’s main weapon is very similar with keris.
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Raya and the Last Dragon tells the story of Raya, the daughter of the leader of the Heart Country, who seeks to unite the five countries (the Lands of Heart, Nail, Fang, Bone, and Tail) to fight the evil plague-causing force known as the Druuns.
This is no easy at all, as each country originally united under the name of Kumandra, has ambitions to surpass the others and secure its own. The Lands of Nail, Fang, Bone, and Tail want to seize the dragon gem, a precious treasure that can save the entire world from the threat of the Druuns that is came from Heart Country.
However, instead of one country successfully obtaining the gem, chaos ensues, leading to a major disaster. With no other choice, Raya seeks out the Last Dragon, Sisu, to help her clean up the mess.
Amidst her mission, she must face various challenges, including issues of trust and betrayal.
Pros and Cons
Like many previous Disney films about heroes, Raya and the Last Dragon received mixed reactions from audiences. Some viewers praised Disney for adapting a Southeast Asian folk tale and for casting actors of Asian descent, as well as hiring Asian-American writers for the main characters.
However, others criticized the film for its inadequate representation of Southeast Asian. They argued that the movie simply "ripped" elements from various Southeast Asian countries and blended them together without proper context. This criticism was also directed at the voice cast, which was predominantly of East Asian descent.
In response, the director, Carlos Estrada, acknowledged the difficulty of incorporating so many cultures into a single film. He stated that he and his team had tried their best to represent Southeast Asia as effectively as possible.
Moral Value
There's an interesting dialogue between Raya and Sisu, which emphasizes that people from other countries are not worthy of trust. This attitude grew and became entrenched in Raya when she witnessed the betrayal of her father, Benja, in his efforts to unite all the countries, ultimately leading to the loss of her father.
For those who choose competition and distrust, as Raya initially did, this mindset serves as a defense against unexpected attacks. However, persistent distrust can become a significant barrier that ultimately proves to be self destructive.
This is clearly seen in Raya's journey, where she initially believes she must overcome challenges through fighting, viewing everyone around her as an enemy.
Sisu, the last dragon, offers Raya a different perspective, suggesting that cooperation is the best path to achieving their goals. In stark contrast to Raya's approach, Sisu consistently chooses a peaceful path when confronting the leaders of the other lands. Raya finds this ridiculous, yet it is Sisu’s unwavering belief in trust that ultimately saves them.
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Trust becomes a key element in Raya’s mission. By doing this, she paved the way for collaboration with other nations.
The Druuns were so powerful that Raya could not handle them alone. She even had to temporarily "lose" and entrust her rival-turned-ally, Namaari of the Land of the Fangs, to solve the problems she could not solve, until they finally defeated the Druun.
Putting aside competition and choosing collaboration may not be easy for everyone. But we can learn from Raya's example.
References:
BBC. (2021). Raya and The Last Dragon: Cerita Disney Pertama yang Tampilkan Pahlawan Perempuan dari Asia Tenggara. https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/majalah-56310579
Women Lead. (2021). Raya and The Last Dragon: Pesan Kolaborasi dalam Kepemimpinan Perempuan. https://womenlead.magdalene.co/2021/03/24/kepemimpinan-perempuan-dalam-raya-and-the-last-dragon/
Time. (2021). Raya and The Last Dragon Intoduces Disney's First Southeast Asian Princess. Advocates Say Hollywood Representation Shouldn't Stop There. https://time.com/5944583/raya-and-the-last-dragon-southeast-asia/
