As someone who’s half-Filipino, I didn’t have a ton of characters to identify with growing up. Fortunately, there have been more AAPI characters on screen in recent years, but Southeast Asian representation in Western media still feels relatively rare in general.
While the film received largely positive reviews (it even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature!), the pandemic made things tricky. Like many movies released around that time, it just never quite got the full recognition it deserved.
Here are 11 reasons Raya and the Last Dragon is an underrated gem:
1.
Raya isn’t just a princess — she’s also a warrior and a complex hero, and her character journey is extremely satisfying to watch.
2.
The animated world of Kumandra is absolutely stunning.
3.
Kelly Marie Tran gives a stellar performance as Raya.
4.
There are *so* many cultural references and cool little details to spot.
5.
It’s equal parts fantasy and action/adventure, making it the perfect escape film.
6.
Sisu (Awkwafina) has a silly personality that complements Raya’s demeanor perfectly, adding a nice dose of comic relief to the movie.
7.
Raya and Namaari’s dynamic is incredibly layered and intriguing, and neither one of them is portrayed as just “good” or “bad.”
8.
The female characters aren’t reduced to simply being love interests or sidekicks: Instead, they’re front and center, and their relationships are the true heart of the story.
9.
The film is full of AAPI representation both on screen and behind the camera. The voice cast includes Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Gemma Chan, Sandra Oh, and more, while the film’s co-writers — Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen — are of Malaysian and Vietnamese descent, respectively.
11.
And lastly: The movie’s core themes — unity, forgiveness, and learning to trust others despite your differences — remain as important as ever.
Stream Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney+.