While Raya’s hair is kept simple for most of the movie, the style that she sports as a child is reminiscent of those worn by the Water Tribe natives from Avatar: The Last Airbender, which takes inspiration from the Inuit culture. The hat she wears is designed in a conical shape with a distinct slope, resembling the Philippine salakót. Raya’s final design focuses mainly on practicality and breathability, given her adventure-packed journey, rather than donning on restrictive or flamboyant garb that’s typical of animated heroines. According to the film’s Malaysian-born writer, Adele Lim in an interview with IGN, Raya isn’t based off a specific hero, and instead is a symbol of the strong Southeast Asian women that she grew up with.Īs for Raya’s costume, it’s heavily based on the traditional Cambodian dress, called a sampot or sompot, that’s made from a rectangular cloth that’s worn around the lower body.

Those who can understand the Malay language will know that Raya’s name translates to “celebration”, just like how this movie looks to celebrate a strong female lead and its Southeast Asian roots. Rather than basing the entire movie off one specific country or culture, Disney worked closely with specialists of their “Southeast Asia Story Trust”, who helped to provide insight into the different cultures – from visual anthropology and botany, to choreography and architecture. Speaking of Southeast Asia, where in the massive region does Raya and the Last Dragon take from? Well, a lot of them. It’s a vibrant film that lets some of the unseen feel seen, while beautifully illustrating its themes of healing, unity, and diversity in one Disney-fied package. Whether you’re jumping onboard the inclusivity train presented by Raya and the Last Dragon, or are a skeptic at Disney’s depiction of (several) Southeast Asian cultures by quite literally blending them together into one fantastical creation, viewers and fans can’t get enough of it. The 3D animated film may be their most ambitious project yet, starring its first Southeast Asian heroine, and the film featuring its first female lead of Southeast Asian descent. However, after the studio’s disastrous remake of Mulan, it’s an understatement to say that a lot is riding on its latest movie: Raya and the Last Dragon. From introducing their first Polynesian princess to recasting Ariel with a black actress, Disney is on a roll to progress in terms of representation.

The last dragon movie remake