I totally agree that we should take our culture more seriously. I only know very few about Filipino mythology and precolonial culture and I don't even know if any of what I know are accurate. They never teach us much about it at school. It almost feels like we're diverging away from our own identity as we adapt too much of foreign culture. Supporting other cultures is nice, like loving anime, KPop or whatever, i love some parts of foreign cultures too, but I believe we should know more about ourselves first.
Mabuti pa yung vikings na series detalyado sa history, Pero sa'tin sinira ng mga español ang kultura noon, kahit mga characters or letters natin ay wala tayo'ng alam, siguro kaunti lang ang nakakaalam sa alphabets natin but may marami pa talagang mas mahalagang kultura na nakalimutan na.
Think hard. Who set up the schools, curriculum, text books, etc in the Philippines? The Spaniards, then the Americans. It’s not crazy to think that they wanted to wipe out the precolonial history of the country. Even our WW era history is not complete. Many I’ve learned Justin the last 5 years. I’ve learned a lot from this channel as well as other YT’ers for sure.
@@jessicaal415 while it’s totally true that the colonizers were intent in erasing our pre-colonial history AT THE TIME OF THEIR OCCUPATION, like most colonizers do since the dawn of time, we cannot pass ALL the blame to them on the lack of pre-colonial studies NOW. We’re no longer under colonial rule, are we? The point is, the government TODAY have done almost nothing to restore what we’ve lost.
Yeah please do the spoiler review. Eventhough Raya is not perfect, at least we SEA people finally have our presence in the big screen. Love to hear the not knit-picking reaction. I myself give it 9/10 (asianly extended score) for Disney to stick with the trust concept so well at least they don't spoil Raya like they did with Mulan live action. Love from 🇹🇭
Filipino know more about Greek Mythology than our own Philippine Mythology. FACT!!!! It's about time for our own Mythology to be taught more in school.
I know right? It’s pretty annoying how people these days are more interested in Greek Myths rather than our own myths. Also, there isn’t really a singural Filipino Mythology, it’s more like Filipino Mythologies
Also, Encantadia kinda had a lot of misrepresentation and misconceptions about our myths, and no, being a fantasy show doesn’t give it an excuse. Diwitas aren’t these faries or ageless people, they’re deties. Also, they named the show Encantadia but didn’t include Engkantos? Like... bruh. And Hathoria felt too “evil” it’s like they didn’t even have a personality and depth.
And what’s especially hurtful is that our mythology has *aged well* . Even by modern standards, a bunch of them will still have lessons that make sense to teach-
No hate on the people that loved this movie, but as a Southeast Asian (I'm Thai, Chinese, Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese and distantly Filipino) I felt like our cultures were used as props rather than any meaningful story telling. The lesson about trust feels more Judeo-Christian than Buddhist/Hindu, two religions that culturally affected every country in southeast Asia. I'm glad they got a lot of details correct to flesh out the world, but overall it doesn't feel like a Southeast Asian story and I wish they did more to consider our cultural stories and complex identities.
I agree with you about the delivery of the message, having a sense of Trust and Unity is nice given our current situation but they could have done so much more even though it doesn’t need to be perfect And seeing that historically speaking, the Dharmic religions of Hinduism 🕉 and Buddhism ☸️ have influenced ALL of SEAsian cultures to varying degrees (Ancient/Medieval SEAsia) with the later additions of these Abrahamic religions of Islam ☪️ and Christianity ✝️, they could have incorporated more of the interconnected cultures within the story for it to resonate stronger with both SEAsians and their local demographic; remember that it’s still a movie 🎥 that is based in the USA 🇺🇸 In a final note: search for Dayang Marikit who can be found on Quora to learn more about pre-colonial Filipino culture better
Tbh, i think it's just a reskinned Avatar The Last Airbender with SEA vibes, too lazy and too forced i should say. They should have made a 5-part movie that defines SEA culture which is Indigenous, Indic, Sinic, Arabic and Western and let raya explore thoroughly each of these cultures in every movie...
As a SEA who honestly didn't enjoy the movie, I am happy it exists and I agree with the positives you gave. I'm surprised Sisu and the dragon designs grew on you though lol. For me it made me cringe because of how westernized and cute they look. Especially when concept art came out with cooler and more accurate designs but they picked the one made by the white person...
@@KirbyAraullo I can see that the creators are trying to make Sisu as endearing as possible for the audience especially their American audience (it’s still a movie 🎥 based in the USA 🇺🇸) by making it into a talking Dragon with “personality” like humor (looking at you Mushu 🐉) oh marketability but Sisu the Water💧Dragon 🐉 in terms of design and character while it has it’s positives there should be more time to do more adjustments Here’s an idea from me about what I expect: Looks Intimidating in their first meeting (like Dragons are supposed to be 🐉), but is Approachable the more you get to know your Dragon 🐉 companion and actions speaks louder than words like in some situations, the Dragon has to be silent at first while communicating non-verbally but when her Trust (it looks important) is Earned this is where Sisu will slowly open up rather than just trusting a stranger immediately who could potentially misuse her power Also the Naga’s design in the Disney movie 🎥 (in terms of looks and character traits) should be inspired by the various Nagas of SEAsia as in ALL of SEAsia 🇧🇳🇰🇭🇮🇩🇱🇦🇲🇾🇲🇲🇵🇭🇸🇬🇹🇭🇹🇱🇻🇳 for it to be recognizable to SEAsian audiences and foreign audiences, appealing to everyone right? Apparently, it’s Not so easy a task
It's interesting how some people expected a 3+hour fantasy world Lord of The Rings feel from a Family movie (possibly with a toddler) that runs for 1.5 hours and rated PG. That alone will limit the creative decisions on how a dragon is "supposed" to look like or how this animated movie is "supposed" to be drawn.
@@TheIndonesianPride Yeah I know what the loose inspiration was, the design is still really simplified and western looking though. Like something I'd see out of My Little pony tbh...
I’m a 1st gen Thai American and I felt like I was going crazy for not feeling like she represented me (even though I liked the movie). It’s just moments of “oh look there’s lumyai” or “that looks like muy Thai”. It shouldn’t feel so hard for me to see my culture in a movie about SEA. Feels like they just checked all of us off the list and they’re not going to give any of us a dedicated princess in the future that actually reflects our diverse cultures
@@bluewolf4789 that is the thing she was talking about, you have random southeast asian stuff dumped into the movie, but it didn't really authentically represent the people. We are talking about people, not objects.
@@bluewolf4789 also I'm not sure which temple you are talking about, cause most of the architectures in the movie actually felt more like a fantasy world rather than SEA, with the exception of the Heart tribe palace and the market place from Claw tribe(was it Claw?)
@@otakub3atz2397 would've been fine if they were professional voice actors even if they arent asian. the only problem i see in the casting is the fact that i feel like they only chose them because they're asian even though they're not really the right type of asian. Which just seems like they're trying to avoid backlash so they just picked asians even if they weren't from the right region. Dante basco isnt even in the cast.
As a Filipino, I felt sad that we didn't really have a lot of Filipino representation in the film. We didn't have that much Filipino stuff aside from arnis and the thought of mentioning mango(our national fruit). I wish we could have more Southeast Asian voice actors. We have some Filipino-American actors in Hollywood or have more Southeast Asians in the movie. I watched a video that they (allegedly) focused only on five countries(Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia). Nevertheless, it is fun to watch! 💖✨🐉
Yup, most of the voice actors were East Asians (Korean and Chinese). I lost my excitement when Cassie Steele, a Filipino-Canadian, was replaced as the lead.
Actually a missed opportunity for Disney imo. Who better to promote anything, at all but the Filipinos. Anything we touch and see/hear we make it go viral and because we can communicate in a more universal language, English, other countries are affected by the trend somehow. I am hoping for part 2. Hopefully more Filipino references, voice over actors, etc. Nevertheless I love the movie for the same reasons already mentioned in the video. Hopefully this is just a start. Another message besides “trust” which I don’t know if it’s been mentioned yet (I paused the video) is UNITY. We as SEA, as Asians, here in the US as Americans should all unite as one people. And yes, trust is the more obvious message. Update: I unpaused and heard something from Kirby that I didn’t know. I wasn’t aware that Disney did not make this available to SEA viewers. Sad. Again, another missed opportunity. If this was accessible to Filipinos not just here in the US but also in our motherland, Filipinos would be raving and promoting this like crazy.
As a viet, there wasn't much for me to exactly relate to either. I think it's because the movie honestly generalized all our cultures into a fantasy world rather than an actual SEA country. It felt more SEA *inspired* rather than SEA which isn't offensive for me (although I can see how that can come off as Orientalist) but I'd like if Disney made another SEA princess/protagonist that was actually from our world.
I actually think Talon is based on the Philippines haha kasi yung village nila puro parol, and reminiscent of Badjao stilt houses. I could be wrong though ha
@@markjosephbacho5652 yeah my bad nag comment ako before watching the video. but yeah I saw it na.But still that's still a small detail hindi katulad ng sa Cambodia thailand indonesia theres a lot of reference
I was so dissapointed by the fact that there aren't Southeast Asian voice actors, they could have even brought back Lea Salonga, such a missed opportunity
@@gissneric I was just talking about representation in the cast, she doesn't need to sing, her speaking voice would have sounded so good. I just suggested her because of her legacy in Disney
I'm Javanese, and I really love when they use Javanese character as the nemesis of the main character. Because of that we got more spotlight in that movie, like Joglo (traditional house of Java), Wayang Kulit, and etc
Raya & the last dragon are shown in ACTUAL movie theaters in Southeast Asia (It was premiered in Thailand yesterday). In these countries, lockdown isn't so restrictive.
That's good to know! Although some countries did poorly in handling the pandemic (i.e. Philippines) so I do hope it's safe enough for people to see, I just also really worry about the little children❤️
U just can’t expect Disney to focus on one specific country or they will have to do a movie for every country. Especially if it’s not based on previous material or myth /legend.
Sisu design is very “safe” and it feels like Disney wanted to have their own sets of “my little ponies” especially with the brothers and sisters mentioned. but Awkwafina is giving her the amazing soul and personality. and now im loving the design.
The voice cast was good, but I was also disappointed in the casting. I love all of them, but if we were going to talk about representation about a SPECIFIC part of Asia, I feel like they missed the mark with the cast which is predominately East Asian. Baby steps...
As a Filipina American gal, I am delighted to find your channel through searching for our people's views on this movie. There's so little, and it's because Raya isn't even available to the people Disney is repping! I'm so glad you pointed that out; it frustrates me that my cousins across the sea won't be able to watch it. My take on the movie is that I view this as a start-- I knew Raya & the Last Dragon wasn't going to be perfect, I never expected it to be perfect. But I don't want Raya to be the one and only SEA rep we get-- I'm hoping for more SEA cultural movies to be made and exposed to the western eye, and Raya is the gateway to showing that it's worth it. The critiques from the community about the melting pot of cultures and the weird design of the dragon are TOTALLY valid, I completely understand. I still kind of don't know what Raya is specifically-- Google doesn't give me a straight answer whereas googling the other princesses' ethnicities will give one block answer. So, because of that ambiguity, my self gratification, and my desperate want for a princess to look like me, she'll be Filipina in my head LOL But I understand that it's a fictional place, and I shouldn't get too hung up on the minutia of the lands. Though, if Disney was struggling to find a culture that's unified and broken up at the same time, it would be actually easier to pick one place and sift through the different tribes within the country. (And because I'm totally biased, yes I do recommend Philippines LOL we've got sooo many tribes and islands. We're one big ass archipelago; there's even some distinctions between our language dialects. But that's my wishful thinking haha) I, too wish, that the actresses/actors were of SEA descent because those actors are out there, all you have to do is come find us. But my bigger frustration is with a specific comment/attitude I've been seeing for the last month anticipating Raya, different from the crits above. The ones outside our community that go like "this is just Moana + Mulan" or "ugh what a ripoff from Korra", "can't they think of something original instead of copying ATLA". It low-key grinds my gears. While I get the compulsion to associate things and make connections, I want people to recognize Raya as her own person and stand her story on her own merit. One of the negative aspects of underrepresentation is the need to compare and contrast POC content on the scale that's kind of unfair. With overrepresentation of white content, people are more able to separate characters and acknowledge their greatnesses on their own because they're more accustomed to seeing white faces. Just because TLOK & ATLA and Raya and the Last Dragon are of similar culture and aesthetic, doesn't mean they're same thing. Same goes with the personality of Raya herself and the comparisons of Mulan and Moana. Like I said, I get it, cuz we're associative creatures, but Raya deserves her own time in the spotlight. I also have critiques on the story structure itself-- the message is nice, and it's very relevant for our time. Raya has a prominent personality in that, unlike other princess counterparts, she doesn't hide away, fear her power, and/or question herself. She's very assured and capable from the get go, and also unlike the others, she actually has no intention of caring for the other lands (I kind of don't know why all the trailers depict it as such LOL). She's a refreshingly flawed character-- she's rightfully distrustful because of the betrayal, and she just wants her Ba back. Bringing back the rest of the world is Sisu's want, and to Raya, it's just a bonus. Writing her as not pitch perfect and golden makes her more relatable. The pacing of the movie itself, in my opinion, is wayyyy too fast. There's a difference between being action-packed and cramming. I think the movie would've hit its impactful moments to be more resonating if they had stretched the runtime just a leeeeetle bit more. Its runtime is 1hr 47min I believe; it should've been maybe 2hrs flat. Because of the cut time, the different lands didn't have enough time to shine; it felt like they straight up teleported in some scenes LOL. The fight scenes are incredible, but also cut-- I timed it, and the longest martial arts fighting that Raya and Namaari do is like 1min 10 seconds. The different characters didn't really get fleshed out even though they're supposed to represent each of their respective lands. I think, if they cut one character out (tho I understand why they can't do that) that would've made room to flesh out Raya and Sisu's relationship, and more importantly, Raya and Namaari. (By the way, TOTALLY get queer vibes from them! I felt stupid giggling to myself when they're throwing insults at each other, but I can't help but feel like its a bit flirtatious, like hot ex-girlfriend vibes. Kelly Marie Tran, voice of Raya, even said she ships it, soooooo LOL) I don't see too much crit revolving around the music other than the lack of songs and soundtrack. I think the decision to leave out the musical numbers was a good decision, though I was curious how they were going to interpret SEA music if they did include it. Instead, we have a score, and I've got to say, even the score is mixed. I get SEA vibes whenever Raya makes an grand entrance (like at the Spine confrontation or the Fang showdown) but at other times it seems to mold back into a regular action score. The only reason that I even noticed it was because, in order to have any SEA music, you need DRUMS. Lots of it. And I heard some within the movie, but the score could've been more SEA inspired if they put more focus on the drumming and heavy beats. Ever been in the middle of an SEA festival? It's enough to make your heart leap into another dimension. That's about all. I had to put my thoughts down somewhere. Overall I liked Raya and The Last Dragon-- definitely going to be her for Halloween hehe :) I'm still going around the inter web and collecting other people's thoughts, but I generally agree with the community. Wish they remove that godforsaken PAYWALL-- I would pay for it if it meant that it would be given to SEA organizations and efforts, but this is Disney and you know they gonna keep all the profits for themselves. So for anyone wanting to watch it but don't want to pay the Disney Plus fee and can't see it in theaters cuz of the pandemic, *whispers* just pirate it, its okay :)
Some people in the comments section have already pirated 🏴☠️ the movie 🎥 because they don’t want the USA 🇺🇸 based corporation to rake in more money 💰 for themselves, in other words people want to know Where their money 💰 is going towards whenever they want to see a interesting movie 🎥
I am half Indonesian, and I loved this movie! Generally I am the last person to get caught up in the representation conversation, but I was elated to see the cultural details that Disney did include! A lot of the visuals and sounds felt very familiar to me, and seeing it in theaters with my mother was definitely a special experience. It's not a perfect or clear-cut representation, but that is understood when writing fantasy, and I think Raya could potentially help spark interest in SE Asian cultures, making way for more accurate representations in the future.
Hello, Indonesian here. Raya face reminds me to Indonesian movie actress, Tara Basro. Please share if Raya reminds you to any other SEAsian actress from your countries!
Please! I would love to see the spoiler video! Also thank you for the SHOUT OUT for my reddit post! Ever since the teaser came out, it gave me the passion and opportunity to learn about other Southeast Asia countries beside mine (Malaysia) and just truly blown away how rich and diverse we are. Legit, once we are safe to travel, I will go on a trip to see all parts of SEA. Being an animator myself, I can see that this movie open the doors for more productions that focus on our culture and heritage, especially with growing SEA studios pitching their own projects rather than outsourcing to foreign studios. Luckily for Malaysia, the cinemas are opened on the movie's premiere day and lots of us enjoyed it. Also, I wish it also bring a closer bond between us Southeast Asians.
I sincerely agree with you different variations of the same thing like the conical hat 👒 being one example because there’s plenty more to point out Salakot-Philippines 🇵🇭 Terendak-Malaysia 🇲🇾 Caping-Indonesia 🇮🇩 Non la-Vietnam 🇻🇳 And Search: Boxer Codex or Manila Manuscript for more information ℹ️ on what Filipinos wore Pre-colonial phase
I know that Raya and The Last Dragon is a movie that represents Southeast Asian heritage, but I can't stop thinking that it has a lot of Filipino-touch to it. Raya using arnis in the first part of the movie and equipped with her kris-like sword in most of her battle scene is so Filipino. Plus the 'balangay' they rode, which offers a ride and food created a pre-hispanic atmosphere from which barter system was done is undeniably a so 'Sangleys' thingy. I noticed also that there's a part when Raya called his father 'Baba', a filipino- dialect term for a father. Imagine what if the Dragon's name was Bakunawa, considering that the movie shows that she has the ability to be on water and fly to reach the moon. Looking forward for the day that we'll have a Disney movie that depicts solid Filipino's rich culture and heritage. God Bless.
oof hate to burst your bubble but sadly Kris is also from Indonesia and Malaysia, The boat was more inspired by the boats in the Floating Market of Thailand, although yes, we did have those floating market before we were colonized but the creators didn't know about our past so yeah it's not really a Filipino representation. Baba on the other hand I'm not sure about that one because I know for a fact that Baba means Father in Chinese too.
@Blue Berry yes sir/ma'am, I respect your opinion and thank you for your insights. It only shows how interconnected and relative the culture and the arts amongst SEA nations. I just watched a narrative on how the crews and men-behind prepared and crafted the story line, and found out that they did research (just like what they did on Moana since they're also the mind behind this movie) and even visited countries in SEA to study, and it includes studying the histories of respective countries (including the pre-hispanic era of PH). Moreover, Philippines is a melting pot of different culture from various countries brought about by invasion, colonization and trade. Somehow, this enriched and continuously enriching the culture and the arts of the country including our language and dialect, that's why noticably we have some terms and jargons similar with different countries just like the influences brought by the 'SANGLEYS' which I've mentioned. This 'SANGLEYS' are the Chinese people and merchants who came here in PH during the pre-hispanic period and became one of our ancestors then (having their Filipino-Chinese Children called as Mestizo de Sangley). Most of their words were adapted by the Filipinos, like the word 'BABA' which means father, and even the Tagalog term 'ATE' which originated from the Chinese word 'ACHI'. And I think Disney made clear that Raya and The Last Dragon represents SOUTH EAST ASIAN HERITAGE AND PEOPLE. And the last time I checked, SOUTH EAST ASIA has eleven nations; Brunei; Cambodia; Myanmar (Burma); Timor-Leste; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Vietnam; Singapore; Thailand; and the PHILIPPINES. It doesn't include China, because it is located in the Northeast/ East Asia. God Bless. 😊
@@blueberry8983 we share same or similar culture with other SEA countries..still you cant discount that it is not filipino representation because it is still part of our history or culture
@@kasa-ysayan it can be seen in the dialects of different islets near the Panay Island or Visayas Island today. But, because culture revolves so as with dialects brought by different factors and influences, it can be minimally noticed today. In contrary, historical and oral documents prove this thing and even filmed though different movies supported and verified by different cultural organizations.
I liked this movie. For someone who took world music class back in college, I had a chance to see and learn more about the music & culture of Indonesia. So seeing this movie brings me back the memories. I've also seen some Vietnamese, Thai, and other South East Asian countries represented in this film. My Observations/ Interpretations of the film: - Tuktuk's massive growth represents how a lot of Insects in South East Asia generally grows bigger. - The Duuns represents Volcanoes or many volcanic activity in the region. It is represented by how people gets covered with Ashes, and how Duuns is destroying lands. - Sisu or Dragons in general represents Water such are rivers or rain that gives life and hope to the people. Very vital to South East Asian people.
I've seen the movie and its fantastic. It makes me proud being a Southeast asian. This is my first time seeing a disney movie that has no song involved, i mean characters that are not singing, or i think so. Anyways, im waiting for you to do the RV of the whole movie in the future and learn something more about our culture. ♥️🇵🇭
@@areyoureadyforit2508 yes disney is known for making catchy song number.and every princess especially in the european princesses has there song number its been very beautiful if this have a song no. even nammari or raya its the best to make a song both of them
Yes please do an extensive review. I don't mind the spoilers so much. I value the historical & cultural facts & references more. Plus when I do actually get the chance to watch the movie, with my husband & our kids, I'll be able to appreciate it more with the knowledge you have to share. I can't thank you enough for all the content you've created & have in the works. You've made it so much easier to make my hopes & dreams of creating a Pilipinx Centric learning experience for my 14 yr old daughter. I agree with you over 9,000% that Ethnic Studies is important to implement in Pre-K - 12th grade & not just beyond education.
I’m of very distant Southeast Asian descent, and I’m so happy that my friends that are Southeast Asian get to see characters that look like them. I’m pretty put off by the fact that there is only two SEA actors in the cast. To me, it still implies that stereotype that all Asians are Chinese, Korean, or Japanese, and that’s just not okay. Overall though, I loved the movie.
nah.. more of because there are more East Asian actors in Hollywood. I don't know why the production didn't take the time to audition SEA actors for the film.
@Elgene is this movie suppose to be a documentary? It's an animated film where they make a story from the SEA culture. Not a biopic where everything is accurate to a tee.
I just want to point it out that the hospitality that Heart showed to the rest of the tribes seems more like a Filipino thing to me -- inviting guests, welcoming with warmth, and of course greeting visitors by offering food. "Who's hungry?" - Raya PS: Raya's father looks like the person from PhPeso coin. 😂
the only thing disappointing in this movie is the casting, It lacks more S.E. Asian actors/tress especially Filipino, since we're the 2nd biggest Asian immigrant group there next to Chinese which is east Asia. it's almost impossible to not put a Filipino there, but there isn't any in the cast. The movie checks in cultural references but outside nope. Plus this movie has the power to make stars so it would've been awesome if they had casted local talent from the actual s.e. Asian countries.
Don't worry, I check the SEAsia culture consultants in the movie are almost all from Southeast Asia, so it's still on the corridor how they try to represent the cultures.
Would you mind to do a review of "Bagani". It was criticized for being inaccurate without considering the fact that the story is under fantasy category. I find the story very interesting knowing na based siya sa Philippine Mythology.
I do love the idea of a spoiler review!! Please!!! Also, as much as I would like Tagalog reviews, I think that because Raya and The Last Dragon is inspired by SEA and not just Philippines, it shouldn't just be Tagalog so other people in SEA could watch if they want to. Or even, foreigners! There's bound to be some people who would be interested about the inspirations and references from Raya, and could be more educated as well while watching your videos kuya Kirby 😁💖💖
uwahhh,,, watching this video made me tear up, even though im filipino i never knew that i was apart of a marginalized community but once it was spelt out it kinda hurt hard and made me tear up, but i would love to hear your spoiler review of raya!!!
1. SALAKÓT (hat) is a traditional lightweight headgear from The Philippines used for protection against the sun and rain. They are usually dome-shaped or cone-shaped and can range in size from having very wide brims to being almost helmet-like. 2. ARNIS (two sticks) was developed by the indigenous population of The Philippines, who used an assorted range of weaponry for combat and self-defense. Just over a century later, in 2009, the government of The Philippines declared Arnis to be the martial art and national sport of The Philippines. 3. PAROL (lanterns) The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in mid-December in the City of San Fernando in The Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant parol lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the "Christmas Capital of The Philippines". 4. BAKUNAWA (sea serpent) In Philippine mythology, Bakunawa is a gigantic sea serpent deity of the deep and the underworld who is often considered as the cause of eclipses. Was once known to be a beautiful goddess who lived at the bottom of the sea, she was mesmerised by the light that was shining. She went up and saw the moon, so beautiful. 5. KARÍT (sickle) A traditional Filipino tool with a semicircular blade attached to a short handle. It is used for cutting grain, tall grass, and rice plants called Palay. This tool shows in the movie, one of the region of Kumandra called 'Tail'. 6. KALIS/KAMPILAN (sword) is a type of double-edged Filipino sword of Maranaos, often with a "wavy" section, that can be used for both cutting and thrusting. In addition, Philippines is known for spices and food. Rice was also featured and we all know that Filipinos love to eat rice.
Would love a spoilery review and a review/reaction for "Gabay" being the first ever Disney song in Tagalog/Filipino (can't believe it took this long to have one, but I'm glad we have it now).
Would love an indepth breakdown of the cultural/historical aspects that stood out to you as a Historian of South East Asian Culture!!! Please as a Pinoy myself I really enjoy the knowledge you share about our culture a specifically 😄 and of course the diverse cultures of South East Asia
Yes, please do the spoiler review! I haven't watched it yet, but appreciated the spoiler-free review. Definitely going to watch it. Also: please do the Tagalog review!
Yeah I agree, Filipinos are not that appreciative with the mythologies that we have. And that's why I'm currently writing a Kapampangan mythology inspired story to share with others the undiscovered beauty that we have. And yeah! I want a Kumandra Universe! unfold more about SEAns!!!
Hello, I am a Filipino-American living in the Philippines! I haven't seen the movie yet but I wanted to thank you for making your videos! I am really curious about Filipino mythology but most materials I have found on the subject are all in Tagalog. I am not really fluent in that dialect so it is hard for me to learn about the myths. My Filipino elders are also not really well versed in the subject. I think that one day I would like to try writing a story based off of Filipino myths, so I really hope that I can continue to watch your videos and maybe even read your book. Thank you for the work you have done!
@@MeowMeow202 Thank You for the reminder! I have always wanted to visit a big Library here in The Philippines but my parents are too overprotective to let me go by myself and to busy to take me. Just for a clarification on the E-book and Kobo, are they free or is it something that you need to pay for use?
@@rachellynnparker8092 Tagalog and as well as other philippine languages (Kapampangan, Ilocano, bisaya, pangasinense, waray-waray, Hiligaynon, and Bicolano) are NOT DIALECTS. Maybe you can start with that.
yes! I absolutely loved this movie :( As a filipino, this movie felt like it was a gift from the universe to me on my birthday since my birthday is also march 5, :( Please do that spoiler alert video!! ^^ And if you could, maybe a direct video on showing correlations between movie aspects / words / names that correlate with the originating countries :O
Back then women warriors are called "Srikandi" in the Malay World. Here are some Srikandis in Malaysian history: 1)Cik Siti Wan Kembang (Kelantan) 2)Puteri Saadong (Kelantan) 3)Ratu-ratu Pelangi (Pattani-Kelantan) 4)Walinong Sari (Pahang) 5)Tun Fatimah (Melaka) 6)Tun Teja (Melaka) 7)Tun Kudu (Melaka) 8)Puteri Han Li Po (Melaka) 9)Laksamana Keumalahayati (Aceh-Melaka) 10)Puteri Gunung Ledang (Johor) 11)Dang Anum (Johor) 12)Mahsuri (Kedah) 13)Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang (Sarawak)
Sawadee khap, Maayong Aga, Maayong Buntag, Good Morning, Fye Flafus, Hyu h'lafus, Selamat Pagi, or buoi sang tot lanh. Galing talaga ni Sir Kirby since before I love how he speak, how he discribe, how he explain and especially how he share thoughts to us his viewers. I am happy to be his viewer his fan I learn many things such as myths and facts about cultures in every country especially in ASEAN countries. Thank you Kuya Kirby You are a inspiration for all of us. More power to you I wish many people will discover your channel so they can learn many things from you.
It will be great to put SARIMANOK also in Disney. Legendary myth that is totally separate from chinese dragons. Indirapatra and Sulayman must already been forgotten.
Thank you so much for sharing! I'd love to learn more about the influences and what you recognize from the movie and where they could have done better with representation within the context of the film. I'd also be curious to learn if each of the regions were inspired by any specific countries or if they all pull various things from around SEA. There's some concept art out there too of Sisu that looks a lot more inspired by direct references to various SEA depictions of dragons, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as well if you have the time!
My whole family just watched the movie today and I'm only going to say the positive: it's a good start, Disney. The storyline is encouraging especially with what's happening these days.
Love your videos! Yes, please do a spoiler review. Loved the movie but totally agree, wished there was more SE Asian voices used. Keep up the great content. 💯
I would love a full breakdown! I cannot pinpoint which Filipino references are there, although a lot of them feels familiar. I'd like to know which is which. But anyway, this review is awesome! Your vlogs always encourage me to know my roots. :") Padayon!
you seem to have such a beautiful soul! you and raya and the last dragon make me want to learn more about south east asian culture!! I am from canada and I would lovveee to see a review with spoilers maybe once it comes out without premier access? so cool thank you!
Im not asian, but many people have asked me if i am filipina and that has made me want to learn more about asian culture, i think its so awesome that they made this movie and i think it was made really well their facial expressions were at points too realistic i was shooketh. Also please review the movie because i have so many questions lol! Thank you for sharing this video! :) - i just read the comments and even i felt the same way, i feel like they “mixed” cultures and it felt overwhelming. Its true it didn’t feel like an authentic representation of individual cultures.
When you have the opportunity please also watch it legally in cinema and or buy the merchandise. This tells Disney that we want more stories and representation. There is a reason why there is so much Frozen media, it’s because it made Disney a lot of money so they think that’s what people want. Remember Disney and Hollywood in general cares about money above anything else so as consumers we vote for the media we want with our money.
Hope to watch the full movie. Excited for the full spoiler movie review 😉. I'm excited to watch the role of Southeast women in the movie as reflected in our tradition.
There is NO Musical Scene all through out the movieee, I really thought she'll sing since she's a disney princess. I enjoyed the film but kinda dissapointed since parang sa Moana yung concept just like yung sa gem and parang ang bilis lang ng mga pangyayari.
Can you do a video about philippines precolonial mythology because i've been trying too look for information about that and so far I could only find little bits of pieces please
The initial pick to play Raya is Filipina-Canadian actress Cassie Steele and was replaced last August because there was a key change to Raya’s character.
Full review please. Also do "All the Philippine References in Raya". So far I got, the arnis, rambutan, mangosteen, dragon fruit and mangoes. I was kinda sad that most PH references here are fruits which could also be common to other SEA countries.
Great review Kirby 🙂 I’m definitely conflicted and was disappointed finding out the majority of the voice cast were only East Asians, but I am still looking forward to the movie for what it is. I hope you’re doing well during these hard times and take care!
Hi! I'm a new fan! 😊 How is your page not popular?! Our history is so interesting and our culture is so beautiful! 🙌🏼💕🌟 And I'm all in for the spoiler review! 😂
This might be a bit controversial but as a Filipino, I honestly feel more represented in Coco (and now Encanto) than here in Raya. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this film but yeah it wasn't as relatable as Coco was for me. And yes I know, colonialism played a role but as someone born and raised in a catholic/christian ubringing along with wonderful fiestas, lechon and rondalla music, Coco definitely hit closer to home. Not just the traditionally hispanic elements but the problems and the messages that the movie wants to convey such as your family imposing their dreams on you, the idea that if your family are majority from this industry (i.e. nurses, engineers, teachers etc) you should also be in here as well, the family must come first before anything else, the importance of having a dream, the dynastic elements of passing down legacies of your ancestors and many more. Ps, This isn't meant to discredit Raya for the wonderful story that it has and all other opinions of Southeast Asians regarding this film. After all, they said that they just took bits of everything throughout SEA.
I love that Disney had KZ Tandingan sing a tagalog version for the very first time of the movie soundtrack titled "Gabay" but what' sad is they still used the english version in the movie.
Yes bitiiiinn I wanted more of Kumandra but so LOVEEE, same for swimming po, and also the food hahahha SEAsian loves fooooodd, who wouldn't? hahaha please do a detailed/spoiler review, had been waiting on this since March 5 hahaha.
Minus Kelly Marie Tran, the cast is pretty East Asian. I mean, it's a good movie especially compared to the earlier Disney princesses but I'm kind of bummed.
Definitely loved this film. It was graphically superior to its predecessors and the action scenes are remarkable I almost forgot it was made by Disney. The cuteness and childish nature is still in full display here which is a staple of their animated films. Moreover it was because of Raya that I've become just a bit more proud of being Filipino. So much of our culture and heritage are focused in this animated film and I wowed at the mere fact that I'm seeing them in their full glorious image in a mainstream film. Also, I really really love KZ Tandingan's tagalog version of the theme song 'Lead the Way' (Gabay). For the lack of southeast asian voice actors in this film, I think Disney more than redeemed themselves in the music department at least.
I really could not find much filipino representation sadly, except maybe Arnis and Salakot(?) my guess is that the river as the actual spiritual embodiment of a naga/dragon is something mainly reflected in river cultures such as Mekong and Solo. The Tonle Sap river (Cambodian, connected to the Mekong) is also the only river in Asia that runs in both directions, which is shown as a cinematic device which confirms this tighter focus. My deeper guess is also that America already has a sizeable Pinoy population and maybe Disney felt it was time for other SE Asian cultures to be featured instead. if they relied too heavily on Filipino representation, it could skew the whole movie as a Pinoy film, due to how easily the shoutouts or Easter Eggs would stand out and be recognised as Filipino over lesser known Asean cultures. I felt this was a good move to let other cultures have a highlight, while reverting to base Malay representation of which the Filipino race is. That way it could still be familiar while not distinctly Filipino.
Just a thought, Kumandra's center was the water shaped lake. Southeast Asia's center is South China Sea as this body of water is being engulf by almost of the entire Southeast Asia. 😉
sorry, the body of water running through Kumandran states is supposed to be the Mekong, which is seen in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam as the spiritual embodiment of an actual river dragon/naga. the river Solo in Indonesia also has a similar reflection of a naga embedded as part of its physicality. The Tonle Sap river is also one of the few rivers which flows both ways, as seen in the film.
I really wish more of the spirituality in the world of Raya and the last dragon was explored. I also would have enjoyed it more if there was a Bakunawa or other creatures from Southeast Asian lore besides the dragons
The Bakunawa IS the dragon. They based it on the almost universal horned Southeast Asian dragon. Bakunawa look very similar to the Thai naga, with a nose horn. Look at bakunawa carvings on sword pommels.
@@AngryKittens The dragons in this movie were explicitly based on the Phaya Naga. What I'm saying is I would have liked it more to see other creatures too that's all.
@@sonicluffypucca96 correct, the river as Naga is predominantly a Phya Nak, more closely related to the sleeping dragon of the Mekong. the Bakunawa is mostly remnant of shamanistic ritual, but it is a lesser known entity more associated with the moon, which is not a theme in Raya and The Last Dragon.
personally I liked the film. sad that they had to recast the filo actress originally assigned to voice raya but I understand why they had to give it to kelly (marketing purposes) and tbfair she did a good job. kinda agree though with some of the commenters here that I kinda felt like they just had a list of things they need to include in order for this to be considered as a SEA film but (another but) the joy in doing that blink and you'll miss it hunt made me hooked. also I'm not sure if this is spoilery but the food renders for this film is on another level. definitely giving all the anime producers a run for their money c:
I know there were some things to disappointment, but I still loved it and i love that you were positive about it. Because she looks like me and i was so excited to see it.
Kuya Kirby, were there any Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka "door guard" in the pre-colonial Philippines? And are there some existing up to this day in the Philippines?
When Cassie Steele Fil-Canadian was replaced, I was already disappointed. Not too may representations of Phil Culture here. I heart mangoes 3x prolly tho. East Asian casting. And the disappointment goes on. Like the message of the film tho. I was just hoping for more authenticity.
The Philippine community is under represented in this movie. But at least it was SEA inspired. Yes baby steps. This is better than having no representation at all.
I had fun guessing which tribe was based on which country. My guess is Talon, where Baby Noi (Pinoy?) is from, is based on the Palawan, Davao and Gen. Santos region of the Philippines. Raya seems Indonesian. Fang looks like Thailand. I'm guessing Tail is Vietnam. The snow in Spine really gives me no good guesses except maybe Mongolia, but that isn't a south east Asian country.
I totally agree that we should take our culture more seriously. I only know very few about Filipino mythology and precolonial culture and I don't even know if any of what I know are accurate. They never teach us much about it at school. It almost feels like we're diverging away from our own identity as we adapt too much of foreign culture. Supporting other cultures is nice, like loving anime, KPop or whatever, i love some parts of foreign cultures too, but I believe we should know more about ourselves first.
I completely agree! I guess we are more familiar with the post-colonial Philippine culture.
Mabuti pa yung vikings na series detalyado sa history,
Pero sa'tin sinira ng mga español ang kultura noon, kahit mga characters or letters natin ay wala tayo'ng alam, siguro kaunti lang ang nakakaalam sa alphabets natin but may marami pa talagang mas mahalagang kultura na nakalimutan na.
Think hard. Who set up the schools, curriculum, text books, etc in the Philippines? The Spaniards, then the Americans. It’s not crazy to think that they wanted to wipe out the precolonial history of the country. Even our WW era history is not complete. Many I’ve learned Justin the last 5 years. I’ve learned a lot from this channel as well as other YT’ers for sure.
@@kalvin3691 whites🧐
@@jessicaal415 while it’s totally true that the colonizers were intent in erasing our pre-colonial history AT THE TIME OF THEIR OCCUPATION, like most colonizers do since the dawn of time, we cannot pass ALL the blame to them on the lack of pre-colonial studies NOW. We’re no longer under colonial rule, are we? The point is, the government TODAY have done almost nothing to restore what we’ve lost.
Yeah please do the spoiler review. Eventhough Raya is not perfect, at least we SEA people finally have our presence in the big screen. Love to hear the not knit-picking reaction. I myself give it 9/10 (asianly extended score) for Disney to stick with the trust concept so well at least they don't spoil Raya like they did with Mulan live action. Love from 🇹🇭
Filipino know more about Greek Mythology than our own Philippine Mythology. FACT!!!!
It's about time for our own Mythology to be taught more in school.
Please rec any youtubers who can teach Philippine Mythology!
I know right? It’s pretty annoying how people these days are more interested in Greek Myths rather than our own myths. Also, there isn’t really a singural Filipino Mythology, it’s more like Filipino Mythologies
Also, Encantadia kinda had a lot of misrepresentation and misconceptions about our myths, and no, being a fantasy show doesn’t give it an excuse. Diwitas aren’t these faries or ageless people, they’re deties. Also, they named the show Encantadia but didn’t include Engkantos? Like... bruh. And Hathoria felt too “evil” it’s like they didn’t even have a personality and depth.
And what’s especially hurtful is that our mythology has *aged well* . Even by modern standards, a bunch of them will still have lessons that make sense to teach-
Exactly!!!
No hate on the people that loved this movie, but as a Southeast Asian (I'm Thai, Chinese, Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese and distantly Filipino) I felt like our cultures were used as props rather than any meaningful story telling. The lesson about trust feels more Judeo-Christian than Buddhist/Hindu, two religions that culturally affected every country in southeast Asia. I'm glad they got a lot of details correct to flesh out the world, but overall it doesn't feel like a Southeast Asian story and I wish they did more to consider our cultural stories and complex identities.
I like the movie but I do agree, it's put another culture in it and the story might not get affected at all.
I agree with you about the delivery of the message, having a sense of Trust and Unity is nice given our current situation but they could have done so much more even though it doesn’t need to be perfect
And seeing that historically speaking, the Dharmic religions of Hinduism 🕉 and Buddhism ☸️ have influenced ALL of SEAsian cultures to varying degrees (Ancient/Medieval SEAsia) with the later additions of these Abrahamic religions of Islam ☪️ and Christianity ✝️, they could have incorporated more of the interconnected cultures within the story for it to resonate stronger with both SEAsians and their local demographic; remember that it’s still a movie 🎥 that is based in the USA 🇺🇸
In a final note: search for Dayang Marikit who can be found on Quora to learn more about pre-colonial Filipino culture better
Tbh, i think it's just a reskinned Avatar The Last Airbender with SEA vibes, too lazy and too forced i should say. They should have made a 5-part movie that defines SEA culture which is Indigenous, Indic, Sinic, Arabic and Western and let raya explore thoroughly each of these cultures in every movie...
PLEASE DO A SPOILER REVIEW NEXT! I love how you connect history with the intricacies of the story and presentation of the movie.
As a SEA who honestly didn't enjoy the movie, I am happy it exists and I agree with the positives you gave. I'm surprised Sisu and the dragon designs grew on you though lol. For me it made me cringe because of how westernized and cute they look. Especially when concept art came out with cooler and more accurate designs but they picked the one made by the white person...
I had no idea they picked the one made by the white person 😬
@@KirbyAraullo
I can see that the creators are trying to make Sisu as endearing as possible for the audience especially their American audience (it’s still a movie 🎥 based in the USA 🇺🇸) by making it into a talking Dragon with “personality” like humor (looking at you Mushu 🐉) oh marketability but Sisu the Water💧Dragon 🐉 in terms of design and character while it has it’s positives there should be more time to do more adjustments
Here’s an idea from me about what I expect:
Looks Intimidating in their first meeting (like Dragons are supposed to be 🐉), but is Approachable the more you get to know your Dragon 🐉 companion and actions speaks louder than words like in some situations, the Dragon has to be silent at first while communicating non-verbally but when her Trust (it looks important) is Earned this is where Sisu will slowly open up rather than just trusting a stranger immediately who could potentially misuse her power
Also the Naga’s design in the Disney movie 🎥 (in terms of looks and character traits) should be inspired by the various Nagas of SEAsia as in ALL of SEAsia 🇧🇳🇰🇭🇮🇩🇱🇦🇲🇾🇲🇲🇵🇭🇸🇬🇹🇭🇹🇱🇻🇳 for it to be recognizable to SEAsian audiences and foreign audiences, appealing to everyone right? Apparently, it’s Not so easy a task
It's interesting how some people expected a 3+hour fantasy world Lord of The Rings feel from a Family movie (possibly with a toddler) that runs for 1.5 hours and rated PG. That alone will limit the creative decisions on how a dragon is "supposed" to look like or how this animated movie is "supposed" to be drawn.
The Naga is based on Vietnamese or Cambodian/Thai style on temples.
@@TheIndonesianPride Yeah I know what the loose inspiration was, the design is still really simplified and western looking though. Like something I'd see out of My Little pony tbh...
I’m a 1st gen Thai American and I felt like I was going crazy for not feeling like she represented me (even though I liked the movie). It’s just moments of “oh look there’s lumyai” or “that looks like muy Thai”. It shouldn’t feel so hard for me to see my culture in a movie about SEA. Feels like they just checked all of us off the list and they’re not going to give any of us a dedicated princess in the future that actually reflects our diverse cultures
Hahaahah even Tuktuk doesnt feel represented your nation 😂😂😂 but the temples, swords and martial arts are the main representation of this movie.
Thank you! It didn't help that most of the cast were East Asian.
@@bluewolf4789 that is the thing she was talking about, you have random southeast asian stuff dumped into the movie, but it didn't really authentically represent the people. We are talking about people, not objects.
@@bluewolf4789 also I'm not sure which temple you are talking about, cause most of the architectures in the movie actually felt more like a fantasy world rather than SEA, with the exception of the Heart tribe palace and the market place from Claw tribe(was it Claw?)
@@otakub3atz2397 would've been fine if they were professional voice actors even if they arent asian.
the only problem i see in the casting is the fact that i feel like they only chose them because they're asian even though they're not really the right type of asian.
Which just seems like they're trying to avoid backlash so they just picked asians even if they weren't from the right region.
Dante basco isnt even in the cast.
As a Filipino, I felt sad that we didn't really have a lot of Filipino representation in the film. We didn't have that much Filipino stuff aside from arnis and the thought of mentioning mango(our national fruit).
I wish we could have more Southeast Asian voice actors. We have some Filipino-American actors in Hollywood or have more Southeast Asians in the movie.
I watched a video that they (allegedly) focused only on five countries(Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia).
Nevertheless, it is fun to watch! 💖✨🐉
Yup, most of the voice actors were East Asians (Korean and Chinese). I lost my excitement when Cassie Steele, a Filipino-Canadian, was replaced as the lead.
Actually a missed opportunity for Disney imo. Who better to promote anything, at all but the Filipinos. Anything we touch and see/hear we make it go viral and because we can communicate in a more universal language, English, other countries are affected by the trend somehow.
I am hoping for part 2. Hopefully more Filipino references, voice over actors, etc. Nevertheless I love the movie for the same reasons already mentioned in the video. Hopefully this is just a start. Another message besides “trust” which I don’t know if it’s been mentioned yet (I paused the video) is UNITY. We as SEA, as Asians, here in the US as Americans should all unite as one people. And yes, trust is the more obvious message.
Update:
I unpaused and heard something from Kirby that I didn’t know. I wasn’t aware that Disney did not make this available to SEA viewers. Sad. Again, another missed opportunity. If this was accessible to Filipinos not just here in the US but also in our motherland, Filipinos would be raving and promoting this like crazy.
As a viet, there wasn't much for me to exactly relate to either. I think it's because the movie honestly generalized all our cultures into a fantasy world rather than an actual SEA country. It felt more SEA *inspired* rather than SEA which isn't offensive for me (although I can see how that can come off as Orientalist) but I'd like if Disney made another SEA princess/protagonist that was actually from our world.
I actually think Talon is based on the Philippines haha kasi yung village nila puro parol, and reminiscent of Badjao stilt houses. I could be wrong though ha
Boon was filipino 100%
Everyone asking "Have you eaten?" is probably the most Filipino thing ever
nah, even east Asians do that. Sadly the only Filipino representation in Raya is the arnis. Thats all.
@@blueberry8983 I could've sworn I saw yakan and maguindanaoan tapestry in some of their clothes
@@blueberry8983 Ngek. Someone didn't watch the video completely. Might as well watch his other reaction videos.
NEXT!
@@markjosephbacho5652 yeah my bad nag comment ako before watching the video. but yeah I saw it na.But still that's still a small detail hindi katulad ng sa Cambodia thailand indonesia theres a lot of reference
@@markjosephbacho5652 nag base lang ako sa napanood ko sa movie
I was so dissapointed by the fact that there aren't Southeast Asian voice actors, they could have even brought back Lea Salonga, such a missed opportunity
Maybe, she could be Virana, Namaari's mother? It would be interesting to see her play an antagonist 😅
What's the point of bringing back Lea if this movie is not a musical anyways. If they would bring back Lea, it should be on a movie with songs.
@@gissneric I was just talking about representation in the cast, she doesn't need to sing, her speaking voice would have sounded so good. I just suggested her because of her legacy in Disney
@@velky_reeds right
Kelly Marie Tran or Raya is Canadian - Filipino i think
I'm Javanese, and I really love when they use Javanese character as the nemesis of the main character. Because of that we got more spotlight in that movie, like Joglo (traditional house of Java), Wayang Kulit, and etc
Raya & the last dragon are shown in ACTUAL movie theaters in Southeast Asia (It was premiered in Thailand yesterday). In these countries, lockdown isn't so restrictive.
That's good to know! Although some countries did poorly in handling the pandemic (i.e. Philippines) so I do hope it's safe enough for people to see, I just also really worry about the little children❤️
Indonesia too, I watch it in theaters
I'm a bit dissappointed too much mixed of culture ..and you can't already identify which culture it represent
@@alpha_jasperflair1097 the river boat town is definitely Peninsular Southeast Asia (Vietnamese or Thai) not Maritime Southeast Asia
It's a mish mash of all ASEAN. Just enjoy it and rejoice.
U just can’t expect Disney to focus on one specific country or they will have to do a movie for every country. Especially if it’s not based on previous material or myth /legend.
Very disappointed, the cast itself didn't mention Philippines.
Only Thaïland Singapore Indonesia Malaysia were mentionned
One of the animators/designers of Raya is a pinoy who I used to study with, way back in college.
Wow that's so cool! Thanks for sharing 😊
Sisu design is very “safe” and it feels like Disney wanted to have their own sets of “my little ponies” especially with the brothers and sisters mentioned. but Awkwafina is giving her the amazing soul and personality. and now im loving the design.
Dude was it Pengu? the oldest dragon, he felt like a discount Haku from Spirited away. Disney's Dronies.
Unicorn dragons for merchandise
The voice cast was good, but I was also disappointed in the casting. I love all of them, but if we were going to talk about representation about a SPECIFIC part of Asia, I feel like they missed the mark with the cast which is predominately East Asian. Baby steps...
Overall, I hope it opens up for more SE Asian stories and Filipino stories in the mainstream. Fil Am stories as well. 💯
As a Filipina American gal, I am delighted to find your channel through searching for our people's views on this movie. There's so little, and it's because Raya isn't even available to the people Disney is repping! I'm so glad you pointed that out; it frustrates me that my cousins across the sea won't be able to watch it.
My take on the movie is that I view this as a start-- I knew Raya & the Last Dragon wasn't going to be perfect, I never expected it to be perfect. But I don't want Raya to be the one and only SEA rep we get-- I'm hoping for more SEA cultural movies to be made and exposed to the western eye, and Raya is the gateway to showing that it's worth it. The critiques from the community about the melting pot of cultures and the weird design of the dragon are TOTALLY valid, I completely understand. I still kind of don't know what Raya is specifically-- Google doesn't give me a straight answer whereas googling the other princesses' ethnicities will give one block answer. So, because of that ambiguity, my self gratification, and my desperate want for a princess to look like me, she'll be Filipina in my head LOL
But I understand that it's a fictional place, and I shouldn't get too hung up on the minutia of the lands. Though, if Disney was struggling to find a culture that's unified and broken up at the same time, it would be actually easier to pick one place and sift through the different tribes within the country. (And because I'm totally biased, yes I do recommend Philippines LOL we've got sooo many tribes and islands. We're one big ass archipelago; there's even some distinctions between our language dialects. But that's my wishful thinking haha)
I, too wish, that the actresses/actors were of SEA descent because those actors are out there, all you have to do is come find us. But my bigger frustration is with a specific comment/attitude I've been seeing for the last month anticipating Raya, different from the crits above. The ones outside our community that go like "this is just Moana + Mulan" or "ugh what a ripoff from Korra", "can't they think of something original instead of copying ATLA". It low-key grinds my gears. While I get the compulsion to associate things and make connections, I want people to recognize Raya as her own person and stand her story on her own merit. One of the negative aspects of underrepresentation is the need to compare and contrast POC content on the scale that's kind of unfair. With overrepresentation of white content, people are more able to separate characters and acknowledge their greatnesses on their own because they're more accustomed to seeing white faces. Just because TLOK & ATLA and Raya and the Last Dragon are of similar culture and aesthetic, doesn't mean they're same thing. Same goes with the personality of Raya herself and the comparisons of Mulan and Moana. Like I said, I get it, cuz we're associative creatures, but Raya deserves her own time in the spotlight.
I also have critiques on the story structure itself-- the message is nice, and it's very relevant for our time. Raya has a prominent personality in that, unlike other princess counterparts, she doesn't hide away, fear her power, and/or question herself. She's very assured and capable from the get go, and also unlike the others, she actually has no intention of caring for the other lands (I kind of don't know why all the trailers depict it as such LOL). She's a refreshingly flawed character-- she's rightfully distrustful because of the betrayal, and she just wants her Ba back. Bringing back the rest of the world is Sisu's want, and to Raya, it's just a bonus. Writing her as not pitch perfect and golden makes her more relatable.
The pacing of the movie itself, in my opinion, is wayyyy too fast. There's a difference between being action-packed and cramming. I think the movie would've hit its impactful moments to be more resonating if they had stretched the runtime just a leeeeetle bit more. Its runtime is 1hr 47min I believe; it should've been maybe 2hrs flat. Because of the cut time, the different lands didn't have enough time to shine; it felt like they straight up teleported in some scenes LOL. The fight scenes are incredible, but also cut-- I timed it, and the longest martial arts fighting that Raya and Namaari do is like 1min 10 seconds. The different characters didn't really get fleshed out even though they're supposed to represent each of their respective lands. I think, if they cut one character out (tho I understand why they can't do that) that would've made room to flesh out Raya and Sisu's relationship, and more importantly, Raya and Namaari. (By the way, TOTALLY get queer vibes from them! I felt stupid giggling to myself when they're throwing insults at each other, but I can't help but feel like its a bit flirtatious, like hot ex-girlfriend vibes. Kelly Marie Tran, voice of Raya, even said she ships it, soooooo LOL)
I don't see too much crit revolving around the music other than the lack of songs and soundtrack. I think the decision to leave out the musical numbers was a good decision, though I was curious how they were going to interpret SEA music if they did include it. Instead, we have a score, and I've got to say, even the score is mixed. I get SEA vibes whenever Raya makes an grand entrance (like at the Spine confrontation or the Fang showdown) but at other times it seems to mold back into a regular action score. The only reason that I even noticed it was because, in order to have any SEA music, you need DRUMS. Lots of it. And I heard some within the movie, but the score could've been more SEA inspired if they put more focus on the drumming and heavy beats. Ever been in the middle of an SEA festival? It's enough to make your heart leap into another dimension.
That's about all. I had to put my thoughts down somewhere. Overall I liked Raya and The Last Dragon-- definitely going to be her for Halloween hehe :) I'm still going around the inter web and collecting other people's thoughts, but I generally agree with the community. Wish they remove that godforsaken PAYWALL-- I would pay for it if it meant that it would be given to SEA organizations and efforts, but this is Disney and you know they gonna keep all the profits for themselves. So for anyone wanting to watch it but don't want to pay the Disney Plus fee and can't see it in theaters cuz of the pandemic, *whispers* just pirate it, its okay :)
Some people in the comments section have already pirated 🏴☠️ the movie 🎥 because they don’t want the USA 🇺🇸 based corporation to rake in more money 💰 for themselves, in other words people want to know Where their money 💰 is going towards whenever they want to see a interesting movie 🎥
I am half Indonesian, and I loved this movie! Generally I am the last person to get caught up in the representation conversation, but I was elated to see the cultural details that Disney did include! A lot of the visuals and sounds felt very familiar to me, and seeing it in theaters with my mother was definitely a special experience. It's not a perfect or clear-cut representation, but that is understood when writing fantasy, and I think Raya could potentially help spark interest in SE Asian cultures, making way for more accurate representations in the future.
Hello, Indonesian here. Raya face reminds me to Indonesian movie actress, Tara Basro.
Please share if Raya reminds you to any other SEAsian actress from your countries!
Please! I would love to see the spoiler video! Also thank you for the SHOUT OUT for my reddit post!
Ever since the teaser came out, it gave me the passion and opportunity to learn about other Southeast Asia countries beside mine (Malaysia) and just truly blown away how rich and diverse we are. Legit, once we are safe to travel, I will go on a trip to see all parts of SEA. Being an animator myself, I can see that this movie open the doors for more productions that focus on our culture and heritage, especially with growing SEA studios pitching their own projects rather than outsourcing to foreign studios.
Luckily for Malaysia, the cinemas are opened on the movie's premiere day and lots of us enjoyed it. Also, I wish it also bring a closer bond between us Southeast Asians.
I sincerely agree with you different variations of the same thing like the conical hat 👒 being one example because there’s plenty more to point out
Salakot-Philippines 🇵🇭
Terendak-Malaysia 🇲🇾
Caping-Indonesia 🇮🇩
Non la-Vietnam 🇻🇳
And Search: Boxer Codex or Manila Manuscript for more information ℹ️ on what Filipinos wore Pre-colonial phase
I know that Raya and The Last Dragon is a movie that represents Southeast Asian heritage, but I can't stop thinking that it has a lot of Filipino-touch to it.
Raya using arnis in the first part of the movie and equipped with her kris-like sword in most of her battle scene is so Filipino. Plus the 'balangay' they rode, which offers a ride and food created a pre-hispanic atmosphere from which barter system was done is undeniably a so 'Sangleys' thingy. I noticed also that there's a part when Raya called his father 'Baba', a filipino- dialect term for a father.
Imagine what if the Dragon's name was Bakunawa, considering that the movie shows that she has the ability to be on water and fly to reach the moon.
Looking forward for the day that we'll have a Disney movie that depicts solid Filipino's rich culture and heritage.
God Bless.
oof hate to burst your bubble but sadly Kris is also from Indonesia and Malaysia, The boat was more inspired by the boats in the Floating Market of Thailand, although yes, we did have those floating market before we were colonized but the creators didn't know about our past so yeah it's not really a Filipino representation. Baba on the other hand I'm not sure about that one because I know for a fact that Baba means Father in Chinese too.
@Blue Berry yes sir/ma'am, I respect your opinion and thank you for your insights. It only shows how interconnected and relative the culture and the arts amongst SEA nations.
I just watched a narrative on how the crews and men-behind prepared and crafted the story line, and found out that they did research (just like what they did on Moana since they're also the mind behind this movie) and even visited countries in SEA to study, and it includes studying the histories of respective countries (including the pre-hispanic era of PH).
Moreover, Philippines is a melting pot of different culture from various countries brought about by invasion, colonization and trade. Somehow, this enriched and continuously enriching the culture and the arts of the country including our language and dialect, that's why noticably we have some terms and jargons similar with different countries just like the influences brought by the 'SANGLEYS' which I've mentioned. This 'SANGLEYS' are the Chinese people and merchants who came here in PH during the pre-hispanic period and became one of our ancestors then (having their Filipino-Chinese Children called as Mestizo de Sangley). Most of their words were adapted by the Filipinos, like the word 'BABA' which means father, and even the Tagalog term 'ATE' which originated from the Chinese word 'ACHI'.
And I think Disney made clear that Raya and The Last Dragon represents SOUTH EAST ASIAN HERITAGE AND PEOPLE. And the last time I checked, SOUTH EAST ASIA has eleven nations; Brunei; Cambodia; Myanmar (Burma); Timor-Leste; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Vietnam; Singapore; Thailand; and the PHILIPPINES. It doesn't include China, because it is located in the Northeast/ East Asia.
God Bless. 😊
@@rafaelgutierrez4562 what dialects are those?
@@blueberry8983 we share same or similar culture with other SEA countries..still you cant discount that it is not filipino representation because it is still part of our history or culture
@@kasa-ysayan it can be seen in the dialects of different islets near the Panay Island or Visayas Island today. But, because culture revolves so as with dialects brought by different factors and influences, it can be minimally noticed today. In contrary, historical and oral documents prove this thing and even filmed though different movies supported and verified by different cultural organizations.
I liked this movie.
For someone who took world music class back in college, I had a chance to see and learn more about the music & culture of Indonesia. So seeing this movie brings me back the memories. I've also seen some Vietnamese, Thai, and other South East Asian countries represented in this film.
My Observations/ Interpretations of the film:
- Tuktuk's massive growth represents how a lot of Insects in South East Asia generally grows bigger.
- The Duuns represents Volcanoes or many volcanic activity in the region. It is represented by how people gets covered with Ashes, and how Duuns is destroying lands.
- Sisu or Dragons in general represents Water such are rivers or rain that gives life and hope to the people. Very vital to South East Asian people.
I've seen the movie and its fantastic. It makes me proud being a Southeast asian. This is my first time seeing a disney movie that has no song involved, i mean characters that are not singing, or i think so. Anyways, im waiting for you to do the RV of the whole movie in the future and learn something more about our culture. ♥️🇵🇭
This is the reason why I'm not liking it as much as I should have cause there were no singing parts.
@@areyoureadyforit2508 yes disney is known for making catchy song number.and every princess especially in the european princesses has there song number its been very beautiful if this have a song no. even nammari or raya its the best to make a song both of them
And for those who doesn’t know. The whole team made this at their own houses.
Yes please do an extensive review. I don't mind the spoilers so much. I value the historical & cultural facts & references more. Plus when I do actually get the chance to watch the movie, with my husband & our kids, I'll be able to appreciate it more with the knowledge you have to share. I can't thank you enough for all the content you've created & have in the works. You've made it so much easier to make my hopes & dreams of creating a Pilipinx Centric learning experience for my 14 yr old daughter. I agree with you over 9,000% that Ethnic Studies is important to implement in Pre-K - 12th grade & not just beyond education.
I’m of very distant Southeast Asian descent, and I’m so happy that my friends that are Southeast Asian get to see characters that look like them. I’m pretty put off by the fact that there is only two SEA actors in the cast. To me, it still implies that stereotype that all Asians are Chinese, Korean, or Japanese, and that’s just not okay. Overall though, I loved the movie.
nah.. more of because there are more East Asian actors in Hollywood. I don't know why the production didn't take the time to audition SEA actors for the film.
I'm half Filipino and half Irish and Canadian my Lola really loves the trailer she thinks it's awesome.
@Elgene little to no? We do have references about dragons. You dont know much about your history I see.
@Elgene Sisu does not breath fire. Since this is not specific to a country, they got away with infusion of creative silence.
@Elgene is this movie suppose to be a documentary? It's an animated film where they make a story from the SEA culture. Not a biopic where everything is accurate to a tee.
I just want to point it out that the hospitality that Heart showed to the rest of the tribes seems more like a Filipino thing to me -- inviting guests, welcoming with warmth, and of course greeting visitors by offering food.
"Who's hungry?" - Raya
PS: Raya's father looks like the person from PhPeso coin. 😂
the only thing disappointing in this movie is the casting, It lacks more S.E. Asian actors/tress especially Filipino, since we're the 2nd biggest Asian immigrant group there next to Chinese which is east Asia. it's almost impossible to not put a Filipino there, but there isn't any in the cast. The movie checks in cultural references but outside nope. Plus this movie has the power to make stars so it would've been awesome if they had casted local talent from the actual s.e. Asian countries.
Don't worry, I check the SEAsia culture consultants in the movie are almost all from Southeast Asia, so it's still on the corridor how they try to represent the cultures.
They replaced the Filipino Canadian voice actor of raya with Tran to probably prompt her up after the disaster that is star wars.
Would you mind to do a review of "Bagani". It was criticized for being inaccurate without considering the fact that the story is under fantasy category. I find the story very interesting knowing na based siya sa Philippine Mythology.
Hahaha andaming haters ng palabas na yan. Gaya gaya daw. Hahahs
@@bluewolf4789 most of the haters were Encantadia fans.
@@thwb4661 totoo
I do love the idea of a spoiler review!! Please!!! Also, as much as I would like Tagalog reviews, I think that because Raya and The Last Dragon is inspired by SEA and not just Philippines, it shouldn't just be Tagalog so other people in SEA could watch if they want to. Or even, foreigners! There's bound to be some people who would be interested about the inspirations and references from Raya, and could be more educated as well while watching your videos kuya Kirby 😁💖💖
uwahhh,,, watching this video made me tear up, even though im filipino i never knew that i was apart of a marginalized community but once it was spelt out it kinda hurt hard and made me tear up, but i would love to hear your spoiler review of raya!!!
1. SALAKÓT (hat)
is a traditional lightweight headgear from The Philippines used for protection against the sun and rain. They are usually dome-shaped or cone-shaped and can range in size from having very wide brims to being almost helmet-like.
2. ARNIS (two sticks)
was developed by the indigenous population of The Philippines, who used an assorted range of weaponry for combat and self-defense. Just over a century later, in 2009, the government of The Philippines declared Arnis to be the martial art and national sport of The Philippines.
3. PAROL (lanterns)
The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in mid-December in the City of San Fernando in The Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant parol lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the "Christmas Capital of The Philippines".
4. BAKUNAWA (sea serpent)
In Philippine mythology, Bakunawa is a gigantic sea serpent deity of the deep and the underworld who is often considered as the cause of eclipses. Was once known to be a beautiful goddess who lived at the bottom of the sea, she was mesmerised by the light that was shining. She went up and saw the moon, so beautiful.
5. KARÍT (sickle)
A traditional Filipino tool with a semicircular blade attached to a short handle. It is used for cutting grain, tall grass, and rice plants called Palay. This tool shows in the movie, one of the region of Kumandra called 'Tail'.
6. KALIS/KAMPILAN (sword)
is a type of double-edged Filipino sword of Maranaos, often with a "wavy" section, that can be used for both cutting and thrusting.
In addition, Philippines is known for spices and food. Rice was also featured and we all know that Filipinos love to eat rice.
When it came to this movie, your review was the only one I was really looking forward to 😅🙌
Thank you 😊
THANK YOU! I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL WEEKEND FOR THIS!
Would love a spoilery review and a review/reaction for "Gabay" being the first ever Disney song in Tagalog/Filipino (can't believe it took this long to have one, but I'm glad we have it now).
I'm still bitter that Disney striked a copyright claim and shut down DisneyDubs PH. Which translated a bunch of Disney songs into Tagalog.
@@kanduyog1182
Why? Because of abusing Copyright © is this what I think it is?
Would love an indepth breakdown of the cultural/historical aspects that stood out to you as a Historian of South East Asian Culture!!! Please as a Pinoy myself I really enjoy the knowledge you share about our culture a specifically 😄 and of course the diverse cultures of South East Asia
Yes, yes, please do a very detailed dissection! I love to hear the many similarities between the SEA cultures.
I’m joining the chorus of people who need your spoiler version review!
Yes, please do the spoiler review! I haven't watched it yet, but appreciated the spoiler-free review. Definitely going to watch it. Also: please do the Tagalog review!
The discussions about this movie is gonna be interesting....
Yeah I agree, Filipinos are not that appreciative with the mythologies that we have. And that's why I'm currently writing a Kapampangan mythology inspired story to share with others the undiscovered beauty that we have. And yeah! I want a Kumandra Universe! unfold more about SEAns!!!
Should you ever release it, I'd love to read it. Hahaha, I need more Philippine fiction novels.
@@kanduyog1182 still writing it but sooonnnnnnnnm
Ahh, as a Lao gal, I loved this!! Please do the full spoiler review!!!!
First, am a student po.
Thank you for your amazing contents. Uwu🤧✊
Thank you din 😊
NOTICE ME!!
HAHAAHAHA
Hello, I am a Filipino-American living in the Philippines! I haven't seen the movie yet but I wanted to thank you for making your videos! I am really curious about Filipino mythology but most materials I have found on the subject are all in Tagalog. I am not really fluent in that dialect so it is hard for me to learn about the myths. My Filipino elders are also not really well versed in the subject. I think that one day I would like to try writing a story based off of Filipino myths, so I really hope that I can continue to watch your videos and maybe even read your book. Thank you for the work you have done!
@@MeowMeow202 Thank You for the reminder! I have always wanted to visit a big Library here in The Philippines but my parents are too overprotective to let me go by myself and to busy to take me. Just for a clarification on the E-book and Kobo, are they free or is it something that you need to pay for use?
@@rachellynnparker8092 Tagalog and as well as other philippine languages (Kapampangan, Ilocano, bisaya, pangasinense, waray-waray, Hiligaynon, and Bicolano) are NOT DIALECTS. Maybe you can start with that.
yes! I absolutely loved this movie :( As a filipino, this movie felt like it was a gift from the universe to me on my birthday since my birthday is also march 5, :( Please do that spoiler alert video!! ^^ And if you could, maybe a direct video on showing correlations between movie aspects / words / names that correlate with the originating countries :O
Back then women warriors are called "Srikandi" in the Malay World. Here are some Srikandis in Malaysian history:
1)Cik Siti Wan Kembang (Kelantan)
2)Puteri Saadong (Kelantan)
3)Ratu-ratu Pelangi (Pattani-Kelantan)
4)Walinong Sari (Pahang)
5)Tun Fatimah (Melaka)
6)Tun Teja (Melaka)
7)Tun Kudu (Melaka)
8)Puteri Han Li Po (Melaka)
9)Laksamana Keumalahayati (Aceh-Melaka)
10)Puteri Gunung Ledang (Johor)
11)Dang Anum (Johor)
12)Mahsuri (Kedah)
13)Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang (Sarawak)
Sawadee khap, Maayong Aga, Maayong Buntag, Good Morning, Fye Flafus, Hyu h'lafus, Selamat Pagi, or buoi sang tot lanh. Galing talaga ni Sir Kirby since before I love how he speak, how he discribe, how he explain and especially how he share thoughts to us his viewers. I am happy to be his viewer his fan I learn many things such as myths and facts about cultures in every country especially in ASEAN countries. Thank you Kuya Kirby You are a inspiration for all of us. More power to you I wish many people will discover your channel so they can learn many things from you.
Salámat 🙏🏽✨😊
It will be great to put SARIMANOK also in Disney. Legendary myth that is totally separate from chinese dragons. Indirapatra and Sulayman must already been forgotten.
Thank you so much for sharing! I'd love to learn more about the influences and what you recognize from the movie and where they could have done better with representation within the context of the film. I'd also be curious to learn if each of the regions were inspired by any specific countries or if they all pull various things from around SEA. There's some concept art out there too of Sisu that looks a lot more inspired by direct references to various SEA depictions of dragons, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as well if you have the time!
The three dislikes of this video are from the Druun.
🤣🤣🤣
it's 25 now...
My whole family just watched the movie today and I'm only going to say the positive: it's a good start, Disney. The storyline is encouraging especially with what's happening these days.
Love your videos! Yes, please do a spoiler review. Loved the movie but totally agree, wished there was more SE Asian voices used. Keep up the great content. 💯
Yes please on the full on review with spoilers!
I would love a full breakdown! I cannot pinpoint which Filipino references are there, although a lot of them feels familiar. I'd like to know which is which. But anyway, this review is awesome! Your vlogs always encourage me to know my roots. :") Padayon!
you seem to have such a beautiful soul! you and raya and the last dragon make me want to learn more about south east asian culture!! I am from canada and I would lovveee to see a review with spoilers maybe once it comes out without premier access? so cool thank you!
Thank you ✨🙏🏽✨
I wished this movie was made when I was a kid, i would’ve loved to see SE Asian culture represented
Im not asian, but many people have asked me if i am filipina and that has made me want to learn more about asian culture, i think its so awesome that they made this movie and i think it was made really well their facial expressions were at points too realistic i was shooketh. Also please review the movie because i have so many questions lol! Thank you for sharing this video! :)
- i just read the comments and even i felt the same way, i feel like they “mixed” cultures and it felt overwhelming. Its true it didn’t feel like an authentic representation of individual cultures.
Yes do a spoiler review just add a graphic on the title for those haven’t yet seen it. Their choice to watch or not.
If you ask me SPOILER ALERT i saw durian, hilaw na mangga, lansones, and rambutan in the movie. Mabuhay Pilipinas
No worries I watch a pirated hd from a free website.
When you have the opportunity please also watch it legally in cinema and or buy the merchandise. This tells Disney that we want more stories and representation. There is a reason why there is so much Frozen media, it’s because it made Disney a lot of money so they think that’s what people want. Remember Disney and Hollywood in general cares about money above anything else so as consumers we vote for the media we want with our money.
@@Shortandnerdyy too late already watched it...south eat asian people are the marginalized sector. many people would rather watch it for free.
@@dormamo6917 ye your right
@@billsuazo8083 No.
I think this is one of the best Disney movies for a long time!!!
We have to trust each other. Love it. .
That barong though. Fire!
It's from Thailand 😊
Just shows how much our cultures have been connected way before colonialism 😊
Exactly what I was thinking. Where’s the link so I can order a fire barong
Hope to watch the full movie. Excited for the full spoiler movie review 😉. I'm excited to watch the role of Southeast women in the movie as reflected in our tradition.
There is NO Musical Scene all through out the movieee, I really thought she'll sing since she's a disney princess. I enjoyed the film but kinda dissapointed since parang sa Moana yung concept just like yung sa gem and parang ang bilis lang ng mga pangyayari.
Can you do a video about philippines precolonial mythology because i've been trying too look for information about that and so far I could only find little bits of pieces please
The initial pick to play Raya is Filipina-Canadian actress Cassie Steele and was replaced last August because there was a key change to Raya’s character.
She was removed coz there's no more singing involved
Full review please. Also do "All the Philippine References in Raya". So far I got, the arnis, rambutan, mangosteen, dragon fruit and mangoes. I was kinda sad that most PH references here are fruits which could also be common to other SEA countries.
i think her sword kind of resembles a Kalis, which is filo! There is very little PH references and like thai is 80% hehe
@@caspercocomonkey2176 most of the architects are inspired by Cambodia. But the food is mostly Thai.
@@caspercocomonkey2176 Kalis is derived from Indonesian kris dagger. The Disney team admitted that the sword is inspired from the kris.
@@caspercocomonkey2176 originaly is from Indonesian, from Javanese island you must search on Internet and history dude!
Beautiful thoughts, I really hope you make a full video breaking down Raya!
I am 17 and I'm half Filipino and Canadian and I love this video and Raya The Last Dragon is amazing and awesome!
thank you
Great review Kirby 🙂 I’m definitely conflicted and was disappointed finding out the majority of the voice cast were only East Asians, but I am still looking forward to the movie for what it is. I hope you’re doing well during these hard times and take care!
I also just realized Im commenting using my gf’s account ahahahaha but this is Cha Nyia Lo 🙂
Cha Nyia!!!! We miss you! And thank you! Hope you're doing well 😊
Sir!!! Agree with all your points! Makikisali po ako sa paghingi ng SPOILER REVIEW!! ^^ Keep up the good work po!
Hi! I'm a new fan! 😊 How is your page not popular?! Our history is so interesting and our culture is so beautiful! 🙌🏼💕🌟
And I'm all in for the spoiler review! 😂
Thank you 😊
Imagine if Erni Zakri was a part of that movie singing Ku Bersuara. 😊😊😊 maybe the most epic soundtrack.
This might be a bit controversial but as a Filipino, I honestly feel more represented in Coco (and now Encanto) than here in Raya. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this film but yeah it wasn't as relatable as Coco was for me. And yes I know, colonialism played a role but as someone born and raised in a catholic/christian ubringing along with wonderful fiestas, lechon and rondalla music, Coco definitely hit closer to home. Not just the traditionally hispanic elements but the problems and the messages that the movie wants to convey such as your family imposing their dreams on you, the idea that if your family are majority from this industry (i.e. nurses, engineers, teachers etc) you should also be in here as well, the family must come first before anything else, the importance of having a dream, the dynastic elements of passing down legacies of your ancestors and many more.
Ps, This isn't meant to discredit Raya for the wonderful story that it has and all other opinions of Southeast Asians regarding this film. After all, they said that they just took bits of everything throughout SEA.
Yeah true.. Now I am confident with my skin color.I'm proud to be born here in the Philippines.💕
You weren't confident before?
You have mentioned Diwatas, do you have a video of it already? Thanks. Nice review po!
Filipino are part SEA and part pacific. They casted fil-am in moana
I did not even know it premiered?
Edit: Oh yeah Im from SEA... We dont have Disney + here lol
I love that Disney had KZ Tandingan sing a tagalog version for the very first time of the movie soundtrack titled "Gabay" but what' sad is they still used the english version in the movie.
A full breakdown of Raya with spoilers included? Yes please!! Gibme gibme 😂
Seriously I want to know more!
Probably the charisma brought by the voice actors to the characters. Before googling, I didn’t even know Gemma Chan voiced Namaari.
Yes bitiiiinn I wanted more of Kumandra but so LOVEEE, same for swimming po, and also the food hahahha SEAsian loves fooooodd, who wouldn't? hahaha please do a detailed/spoiler review, had been waiting on this since March 5 hahaha.
Minus Kelly Marie Tran, the cast is pretty East Asian. I mean, it's a good movie especially compared to the earlier Disney princesses but I'm kind of bummed.
watched the movie. Simplicity on story but eye candy graphics, love the animation, characters, voices are excellent. Love to see a sequel.
I love it. I didn't expect to be moved but once I saw Raya on-screen I felt happy.
Definitely loved this film. It was graphically superior to its predecessors and the action scenes are remarkable I almost forgot it was made by Disney. The cuteness and childish nature is still in full display here which is a staple of their animated films. Moreover it was because of Raya that I've become just a bit more proud of being Filipino. So much of our culture and heritage are focused in this animated film and I wowed at the mere fact that I'm seeing them in their full glorious image in a mainstream film. Also, I really really love KZ Tandingan's tagalog version of the theme song 'Lead the Way' (Gabay). For the lack of southeast asian voice actors in this film, I think Disney more than redeemed themselves in the music department at least.
I really could not find much filipino representation sadly, except maybe Arnis and Salakot(?) my guess is that the river as the actual spiritual embodiment of a naga/dragon is something mainly reflected in river cultures such as Mekong and Solo. The Tonle Sap river (Cambodian, connected to the Mekong) is also the only river in Asia that runs in both directions, which is shown as a cinematic device which confirms this tighter focus.
My deeper guess is also that America already has a sizeable Pinoy population and maybe Disney felt it was time for other SE Asian cultures to be featured instead. if they relied too heavily on Filipino representation, it could skew the whole movie as a Pinoy film, due to how easily the shoutouts or Easter Eggs would stand out and be recognised as Filipino over lesser known Asean cultures. I felt this was a good move to let other cultures have a highlight, while reverting to base Malay representation of which the Filipino race is. That way it could still be familiar while not distinctly Filipino.
Just a thought, Kumandra's center was the water shaped lake. Southeast Asia's center is South China Sea as this body of water is being engulf by almost of the entire Southeast Asia. 😉
sorry, the body of water running through Kumandran states is supposed to be the Mekong, which is seen in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam as the spiritual embodiment of an actual river dragon/naga. the river Solo in Indonesia also has a similar reflection of a naga embedded as part of its physicality. The Tonle Sap river is also one of the few rivers which flows both ways, as seen in the film.
I really wish more of the spirituality in the world of Raya and the last dragon was explored. I also would have enjoyed it more if there was a Bakunawa or other creatures from Southeast Asian lore besides the dragons
The Bakunawa IS the dragon. They based it on the almost universal horned Southeast Asian dragon. Bakunawa look very similar to the Thai naga, with a nose horn. Look at bakunawa carvings on sword pommels.
@@AngryKittens The dragons in this movie were explicitly based on the Phaya Naga. What I'm saying is I would have liked it more to see other creatures too that's all.
@@sonicluffypucca96 correct, the river as Naga is predominantly a Phya Nak, more closely related to the sleeping dragon of the Mekong. the Bakunawa is mostly remnant of shamanistic ritual, but it is a lesser known entity more associated with the moon, which is not a theme in Raya and The Last Dragon.
personally I liked the film. sad that they had to recast the filo actress originally assigned to voice raya but I understand why they had to give it to kelly (marketing purposes) and tbfair she did a good job. kinda agree though with some of the commenters here that I kinda felt like they just had a list of things they need to include in order for this to be considered as a SEA film but (another but) the joy in doing that blink and you'll miss it hunt made me hooked.
also I'm not sure if this is spoilery but the food renders for this film is on another level. definitely giving all the anime producers a run for their money c:
I'm okay with Kelly, she is Vietnamese after all.
I know there were some things to disappointment, but I still loved it and i love that you were positive about it. Because she looks like me and i was so excited to see it.
♥️♥️♥️
Kuya Kirby, were there any Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka "door guard" in the pre-colonial Philippines? And are there some existing up to this day in the Philippines?
I'd love to see a spoiler review!!!
💕💕💕
Done watching and I really loved it. We all need to trust each other.💕❤
When Cassie Steele Fil-Canadian was replaced, I was already disappointed. Not too may representations of Phil Culture here. I heart mangoes 3x prolly tho. East Asian casting. And the disappointment goes on. Like the message of the film tho. I was just hoping for more authenticity.
The Philippine community is under represented in this movie. But at least it was SEA inspired. Yes baby steps. This is better than having no representation at all.
Please do a full review with spoilers and your deepest analyses and explanations. I will watch it regardless of length.
I had fun guessing which tribe was based on which country.
My guess is Talon, where Baby Noi (Pinoy?) is from, is based on the Palawan, Davao and Gen. Santos region of the Philippines.
Raya seems Indonesian.
Fang looks like Thailand.
I'm guessing Tail is Vietnam.
The snow in Spine really gives me no good guesses except maybe Mongolia, but that isn't a south east Asian country.