People from different tribes gather at the Land of Heart for what is meant to be a peace summit while the adults are resistant, saying that the Land of Heart can ask for unity because the most powerful weapon is in their possession. Raya’s father, Chief Benja, still hopes to change the minds of the tribes, hoping to become one Kumandra, and instilling in Raya the belief that unity is possible. The orb is seen as the most powerful weapon out there instead of something that’s protecting them, so the other tribes want it for themselves. She and her father are now the two “Protectors of the Dragons” as she succeeds in touching the inner circle. The heist reveals the hiding place of the glowing orb, where she battles her father to reach the orb, as part of her training. The opening scene showcases what looks to be a heist by Raya and her pet, Tuktuk. An orb containing all of the dragons’ magic is what was used to defeat and contain the Druun the first time, and it was housed in the Land of Heart, where Raya belongs. It was very reminiscent of Avatar the Last Airbender, and not as well done. There was also high praise for our national fruit, the mango!ĭisney and their team heavily marketed Raya and the Last Dragon as a Southeast Asian-inspired story, and while this was true, it was very lazy storytelling. You’ll also spot a lot of food that’s familiar to us like mangosteens, longans, durian, rice, and even shrimp paste. The rice terraces and floating markets that are so popular in Laos, Thailand, and Indonesia also feature heavily in the film.Ī variety of Southeast Asian martial arts were used in combat scenes, like Namaari’s Krabi-Krabong from Thailand, Raya’s Pencak Silat from Indonesia, Muay Thai from Thailand, Võ Thuật from Vietnam, and Arnis from the Philippines. Traditional homes, like the bahay kubo, could be seen in the background. They showcased beautiful arches and carvings that were reminiscent of Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian temples. Visually, the film was great at highlighting different Southeast Asian architecture and aesthetics. Now, 500 years later, the same monsters have returned and it’s up to Raya to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good. One day long ago, the Druun, sinister monsters, began to threaten the land, and the dragons sacrificed themselves to save the human race. Raya and the Last Dragon is an animated fantasy action film set in the fantasy land of Kumandra where humans and dragons lived together peacefully. Their reactions mirrored the excitement of people across the Internet, and that got me hyped up as well. When the trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon came out, so many people posted reaction videos on Instagram and YouTube, most notably among these reactors were Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina who voice Raya and Sisu, respectively.