Is Raya based on Thailand?

“Raya” takes its visual inspiration from many countries, including Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. The team also traveled to Southeast Asia for research.
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Is Raya based on Thai culture?

Raya and the Last Dragon is a fantasy film set in the fictional land of Kumandra, but that world is inspired by the beautiful cultures of Southeast Asia. Writer Adele Lim emphasized that Kumandra is a fictional land, and that Southeast Asia served as its inspiration.
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What nationality is Raya based on?

She is Malaysian, not Malaysian-American.
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Is Raya Vietnamese or Thai?

Raya is voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, who is Vietnamese American. The film is inspired by diverse Southeast Asian cultures. The screenplay was written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, who both trace their roots back to Southeast Asia. That's one reason why there are so many cool cultural easter Eggs to find in the film.
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What cultures are Raya based on?

The filmmakers drew from the cultures of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Malaysia in making the film.
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How Raya and the Last Dragon CHANGED Movie History... FOREVER!



Is Raya based on Philippines?

Raya may not be a common name for girls from Southeast Asia but it has deep Indo-Malay roots. In Indonesia and Malaysia, raya pertains to grandness or greatness. We often hear it also following the word hari which then altogether means "a great feast" or "celebration".
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Is Raya based on Cambodia?

Raya's costume draws inspiration from traditional Cambodian and Philippine garments, such as the salakót headgear and sampot dress.
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What country is tail in Raya?

Tail is one of the five lands of Kumandra that appears in Disney's 2021 animated feature film, Raya and the Last Dragon. It is located in the far east of Kumandra and is known for being a desert.
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Is Raya a Cambodian princess?

Raya Isn't Based On A Legend — But It's Inspired By Real Women. The story of Raya and the Last Dragon isn't taken from any specific legend or myth. But, as co-screenwriter Adele Lim, who is Malaysian, told IGN, Raya is symbolic of the Southeast Asian women she grew up with.
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What tribe is Raya?

Raya is the titular protagonist of Disney's 2021 animated feature film Raya and the Last Dragon. The daughter of Chief Benja, she is the princess of Kumandra's Heart Land. In her youth, Raya was appointed the Guardian of the Dragon Gem.
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What race is Southeast Asia?

Insular Southeast Asia contains a mixture of descendants of Proto-Malay (Nesiot) and Pareoean peoples who were influenced by Malayo-Polynesian and other groups. In addition, Arabic, Indian, and Chinese influences have affected the ethnic pattern of the islands.
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What does Raya call her father?

The representation in 'Raya and the Last Dragon' is far from perfect, yet, I cried when Raya calls her father, “Ba".
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Is China Southeast Asia?

East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan.
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Is Raya Japanese?

Raya (pronounced “RYE-ah”) is set in a fantasy land called Kumandra, a blend of Southeast Asian nations and cultures. The real-world region consists of about a dozen countries, including parts of India and the South Pacific, which between them encompass hundreds of miles, languages, cultures, and islands.
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Is Raya culturally accurate?

Culturess spoke to the creative team about the importance of representation, how they made sure that the fictional land of Kumandra was culturally accurate, and how the thorough process that Disney utilizes for all of its animated movies helped them bring Raya and the Last Dragon to life.
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What nationality is Raya and the Last Dragon?

The film is set in a fantasy land called Kumandra, inspired by the Southeast Asian cultures of Brunei, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
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What are the 5 areas in Raya?

Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon introduces the beautiful fictional world of Kumandra. Over the course of the movie, viewers are taken on a journey through the kingdom's five regions. Inspired by countries within Southeast Asia, the lands of Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail each showcase distinct tribes.
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What are the 5 tribes in Raya?

So in spite of all the effort the dragons pored into saving Kumandra, the people divided into Five Kingdoms. The kingdoms were named, Heart, Fang, Talon, Spine, and Tail.
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Which countries are Kumandra based on?

Of course, the kingdom – which is made up of five different areas that together form the shape of a dragon – is not actually a real place, but it does take inspiration from a number of different countries in Southeast Asia, including Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
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Which country is Fang in Raya?

Fang is one of the five lands of Kumandra that appears in Disney's 2021 animated feature film, Raya and the Last Dragon. It is located Northwest of Kumandra and is known for its fearsome warriors and love for felines.
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What country is Talon based on?

The fictional kingdom Fang draws on geometric architecture from Indonesia, while Talon is made up of floating markets reminiscent of those in Thailand. The titular last dragon, Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), is modeled after naga, serpent-like creatures from Southeast Asian folklore.
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What country is Encanto?

Now Encanto, the latest production from the famous animation stable set in Colombia, has won an Oscar (best animated feature).
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Is Raya half Filipino?

I'm half Filipino, and I've just never really seen a kind of Filipino or a southeast Asian representation in mainstream media." Disney's newest princess, Raya, is a back-flipping (and butt-kicking) martial artist who wields swords and Filipino fighting sticks, called Arnis.
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What represents Philippines in Raya?

The main character Raya is also skilled in arnis, the Philippines' national martial art. In the movie's teaser trailer, Raya is seen swinging a pair of arnis sticks while fighting off a masked man.
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