Enjoy Disney's first Southeast Asian princess in a new legend: 'Raya and the Last Dragon'

OPINION

I've written this article several times. That gives you an idea of how conflicted I am about Disney's newest animated feature, Raya and the Last Dragon.

On one hand, I'm pleased that Southeast Asians see so much of themselves and their cultures in the film. Representation matters. I get that. 

I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but on the other hand, I can't shake myself of this feeling that Filipinos have been erased again.

Unlike Mulan that is based on ancient mythic stories, Raya is totally made up springing from the imaginations of writers Malaysian Adele Kim, whose writing credits include the groundbreaking Crazy Rich Asians, and Vietnamese American Qui Nguyen.

My uneasiness began when Cassie Steel, a Filipino Canadian, was supposed to voice Raya, the lead character. I probably jumped the gun when I loudly and proudly proclaimed the new Disney princess as Filipino. 

When Steele was replaced by the Vietnamese American actress Kelly Marie Tran, a loud cry of anguish arose from the Filipino Americans who, like me, are constantly looking, pushing and cheering for representation in this halo halo culture of America.

Don't get me wrong. Critics have praised Tran giving voice to Raya, but the explanation for dropping Steele was not entirely satisfying, leaving her fans and Filipino Americans frustrated at losing an opportunity to be represented, by voice if not by character. That's an indication of how few good roles specifying Southeast Asian characters are written in Hollywood.

It is not even based on any myths or legends from that part of the world. Kumandra, the fictional country, comes from the imagination of writers Malaysian Adele Kim, whose writing credits include the groundbreaking Crazy Rich Asians, and Vietnamese American Qui Nguyen.

Only by reminding myself of this can I  embrace the Disney film, one of the few Hollywood products that claims its characters are Southeast Asians.

My mistake was when the project was announced, Cassie Steel, a Filipino Canadian, was supposed to voice Raya, the lead character. I probably jumped the gun when I loudly and proudly proclaimed the new Disney princess as Filipino. 

When Steele was replaced by the Vietnamese American actress Kelly Marie Tran, a loud cry of anguish arose from the Filipino Americans who, like me, are constantly looking, pushing and cheering for representation in this halo halo culture of America.

I'm a fan of Tran and rode the rollercoaster of emotions as she suffered the attacks from online trolls for her primary role in Star Wars' The Last Jedi  as Rose Tico and the subsequent minimization of her character in the The Rise of Skywalker. I could even accept her role as Raya as Disney's way of apologizing for what happened to her character in the latter film.

Kelly Marie Tran lends her voice to Raya.

According to the press notes from Disney, the filmmakers wanted to pay homage to Southeast Asia by creating the fantasy world of Kumandra to look like various lands inspired by the fabrics, colors, and decor found in those Southeast Asian regions.

“We’re making a movie that is inspired by the cultures of Southeast Asia, and we want to make sure that when people from the region see this, although Kumandra is a made-up place, they can feel the love and respect the team had for the incredible real places that inspired us," explained director Carlos López Estrada, a Mexican American. 

"We worked hard to make sure that this world we created feels dynamic, that the inspirations affecting the story really come through and that nothing is lost. We want to pay tribute to these cultures that inspired the story and the world of Kumandra.”

During a press conference the Raya team was united in emphasizing the care they took in properly presenting Southeast Asia. Some might say, they deliberately oversold it.

It wasn't until a recent article by NBC did anyone connected with the film mention the Philippines. "“Raya” takes its visual inspiration from many countries, including Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines," wrote Diep Tran.

Before that article in the tons of articles and PR that I was able to find online, none of the writers, cultural watchdogs, director or any of the Disney execs say "Filipino" or "the Philippines."

I wasn't the only one to notice the one country that was missing in Disney's publcity. Perhaps they didn't want to remind anyone of the casting snafu with Steele. (More on that later.)

"One of the more surprising things to see was the notion that no one of Filipino descent was part of the main cast to provide representation as part of Southeast Asia," writes Laura Sirikul for TVGuide online "Oftentimes, Filipino representation is ignored when it comes to Asian American representation. Filipino Americans are often labeled as the ‘forgotten Asian American’ as they tend to be excluded from the Asian diaspora in media and politics. Some have even questioned if Filipinos are part of Southeast Asia, which they most certainly are. 

"However, rather than move forward with further Filipino casting," continued Sirikul. "to compensate for Steele’s replacement, the casting department instead seems to have decided to fall back on “easy celebrity wins” via the casting. Although Tran is not you would all an "A-lister" capable of carrying a movie on star power alone, she is better known than Steele because of her Star Wars experience, which exploded in Disney's face when they decided to minimize her character as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker after making her central figure in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

It would be a more satisfying explanation if Disney admitted they blew it when they yielded to the male misanthropes who didn't like Rose Tico's prominent role, or simply didn't like the way she looked and giving her the Raya role was a way to make up for that weak decision.

Like it did for Mulan and Moana, Disney put together a Southeast Asian Story Trust as a consultant in the film’s development. The Story Trust was led by Dr. S. Steve Arounsack, an anthropology professor with 25 years of research experience in Southeast Asia. Additional members of the Story Trust include Emiko Susilo (choreographer), Juliana Wijaya (linguist), Dewa Berata (Gamelan musician), Nathakrit “Tatan” Sunthareerat (architect), and Jes Vu (cultural consultant).  Again, the absence of a Filipino consultant is hard not to notice.

Despite my misgivings, when I see the salokot, the Moros' kriss, the eskrima fighting style, the various shades of brown skin on its characters, I can't help but be reminded of the Philippines.

The advance reviews of the movie from Southeast Asians have been mainly good and happy to see their representation onscreen. I'm glad a new generation of youngsters will be able to see characters that look like them depicted in a heroic fashion on the big screen (or, in this coronavirus era) on a flatscreen.

I love the excitement the movie is generating and the representation and inclusivity that it demonstrates. Disney's first Southeast Asian princess is not some damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. She is a badass warrior princess fully capable of defending herself against all types of foes.

By all accounts, the animated feature is beautifully rendered, populated with well-rounded characters, lovable critters (it's still Disney, folks) and enough small touches in the fighting styles, costumes, relationships and food to remind us of the film's Southeast Asian underpinnings.

I can't wait until Disney does a live-action version.

I've already written way too much and thanks for reading this far. I plan on enjoying Raya and the Last Dragon. I just have to keep reminding myself that Kumandra is a fictional country located just south of Camelot, a mountain range away from  Wakanda and a week's sail from Westeros.

"Raya and the Last Dragon" is now available in theaters and streaming on Disney+ for $19.99.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In earlier versions of this post Adele Lim was incorrectly identified as Malaysian American. Marcy 7, 1:30 p.m.