D82 wrote:New book covers.
I like how Raya looks in the first one. It's about time they gave us new clip-art of hers. It got tiresome seeing the same two pictures of hers over and over again on merchandise.
D82 wrote:The third and fourth ones are final versions of provisional covers and the last one is probably an old version
Not fond of that 'tude pose and expression Noi's doing on the sticker book.
D82 wrote:On the second to last cover we can see young Namaari and the last one features an old design of Sisu. She's white there and has whiskers like the design shown at D23, but the horn looks different.
The horn might look different because of the 2D stylization. Or maybe they were experimenting with horn designs before settling on the final one, and this was one of the options.
D82 wrote:It turns out the line on Raya's face was as strand of hair as I thought, and it seems Noi has some kind of slingshot, doesn't it?
A strand of hair always made more sense than a scar. Disney wouldn't dare blemish their female protagonist. Yes, it seems like a type of slingshot. Noi looks hideous there, by the way. She looks more like a short, balding, chubby man than a baby.
I like the composition of
this one. It gives off a vintage, Old West vibe. There's funny a spelling mistake in
this one; it says "never wave" at the bottom instead of "never waver".
It's interesting that person found similarities to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. I didn't make the connection at first, but I do see some similarities there. I doubt they were intentional though.
This worries me. There's so much mythology and exposition to cover that I fear the pacing may feel rushed or frantic. I hope that's not the case.
This comment makes me believe the prologue will be animated a different style than the rest of the film. It will probably look like the papyrus art with the dragons we saw in the teaser.
Disney's Divinity wrote:Is it weird that I'm imagining a fight between Raya and Namaari that's similar to the fight between Boseman's and Jordan's characters at the end of Black Panther? Of course, I don't expect Namaari will be that level of a villain, but still.
It looks like you were right on the money.
I liked the intense fight between the two in the new trailer. I just hope there's more to their relationship than simple rivalry. I think it would be more interesting if Raya and Namaari started out as friends when they were young, but their parents or their respective clans urged them to be more antagonistic and hostile to each other.
Disney's Divinity wrote:As for the geography of the film's universe--seeing the land all mapped out like that with the landmarks and everything included, the dragon-shaped sea comes across less ridiculous than I thought it seemed before. Spine, in particular, looks impressive.
I agree. I'm glad the filmmakers put thought into designing Kumandra and made it look like a believable location.
D82 wrote:Here's a
close-up of Raya from that last still. I think she looks quite good there.
I think so too. It looks like she finds a piece (the first one?) of the dragon gem in that scene. The presence of the skeleton there gives it an edginess and a sense of peril. There aren't any recent WDAS films that feature skeletons, are there? The last time I recall a skeleton being in a WDAS movie was Hunchback.
D82 wrote:Apparently, the cover reveals the location of the dragon gem (or maybe the place where it has to be put once its fragments are found and it's complete again). At least it's similar to the design that
appeared on that figurine set. It seems to be situated in the middle of the Kumandrian sea, I guess where the heart of the dragon would be. I wonder if it's on an island.
Good eye! I never would have noticed that. It does look it will be located on an island or an islet. Looking at the carvings on the stone tablet again, it seems to me that the dragon gem will need to be placed at the center, the five Kumandra flowers around it and the five clan members on their respective clan symbol surrounding them. I also noticed there are crescent moon symbols on the tablet, which makes make wonder if the dragon gem will need to be touched by moonlight to activate.
DisneyFan09 wrote:So it seems like Raya is going to be a sullen character (due to a trauma) who's going to learn to trust someone again? Well, it confirms why the character seemed to be more serious than her Revival predecessors. And that's she's going to have a arc.
It will interesting to see a character who's emotionally closed-off due to trauma learning to open up and trust again. It's no surprise Raya will be a more serious character though. Female characters of color tend to be more serious and down-to-earth in terms of personality (see: Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Kida, Tiana, Moana) whereas white female characters (see: Ariel, Jane, Rapunzel, Anna) tend to be more bubbly and quirky. It's probably something unintentional, but there does seem to be a pattern. I think there's just more pressure when writing characters of color. There's an increased need for such characters to be taken seriously, seen as authentic representations of their culture and positive role models which usually results in writers playing it safe and giving them more grounded personalities.
D82 wrote:Better look at the young and adult versions of Namaari from recent book covers.
Thanks for sharing those! I prefer adult Namaari to young Namaari. She has a better hairstyle and a more appealing design overall. That's not to say young Namaari looks bad. I like the formal outfit she's wearing.
D82 wrote:What I didn't understand from that synopsis is how Sisu can be "an innocent character who is always optimistic and believes in people too easily". Wasn't she supposed to be old and wise? This new details don't seem to fit with what we already knew about her.
That's not necessarily a contradiction. One can be optimistic and believe in people, but at the same time share words of wisdom or offer unique insights. It all depends on how it's executed.
D82 wrote:Also, the fact that Sisu and Raya are "the exact opposite" of each other shows that this film started being developed during the Lasseter era.
Yes, but we already knew that. The film started being developed in 2015 after all. It was bound to use the same ol' "two unlikely characters going on a road trip" narrative structure. It remains to be seen if WDAS will be able to deviate from that and evolve in the future.
farerb wrote:Based on the new trailer: I think it's safe to say that Druun was definitely cut, probably something from the previous version of the film, the "stone people" are just statues, probably to mark a grave (it reminded me the Winterfell crypts).
I wouldn't be too sure about that. Just because the Druun aren't present in the trailer doesn't necessarily mean they've been cut. Maybe they're reserved for the third trailer. The entire plot is predicated upon on them being the force that devastated the land. The story, as it's been set up, wouldn't make sense without them. Why are the dragons gone? Why there's a need to find the dragon gem? You can't answer those questions without the presence of an outside threat. The statues are most likely people who were petrified by the Druun, and when the dragon's gem power is unleashed and/or the Druun are defeated, they will come back to life. What I don't understand is why the clans were already at war with each other when Raya was young and her father still alive. Was it because of the first Druun attack and the dragons' disappearance? Is it a power play by one of the tribes? Imperialist tendencies of the white clan perhaps?
disneyprincess11 wrote:I really hope Sisu isn't as modern and irritating as she looks and the trailer shows her worst jokes. Not impressed with her lines.
Agreed. The joke about her butt and digestion in particular was too off-color and cringe-worthy for my taste.
D82 wrote:Gemma Chan lends her voice to Raya's cunning nemesis, Namaari, with Sandra Oh as Namaari's mother, Virana, leader of Kumandra's land of Fang. Lucille Soong, Patti Harrison and Ross Butler are the leaders of the lands of Talon, Tail and Spine, respectively, while Daniel Dae Kim rounds out the cast as Raya's father, Benja.
The most impressive names from the cast are Sandra Oh and Daniel Dae Kim. I guess this means Raya's mother won't appear, right? Will they address her absence in the film? Will they have her die at childbirth? I hope they show her even if it's a brief, non-speaking moment in the prologue or as a flashback.
Disney's Divinity wrote:Just wanted to say that I think it's obvious Namaari and Raya are going to be shipped together a great deal in fandom.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, if they're shipping Elsa and Honeymaren who shared like 2 minutes of screen time together, they're definitely shipping Raya and Namaari. The question is will there be any subtext in the actual film?
Disney's Divinity wrote:So far the dynamic is reminding me a bit of Cassandra and Rapunzel in the Tangled TV series.
That's an interesting comparison. What made the Rapuzel/Cassandra conflict work was the friendship and bond they had forged early on. There was a strong foundation there. For me, there will need to be some sort of personal connection and history between Raya and Namaari for their relationship to be engaging and meaningful. A rivalry between two people who barely know each other and there are no emotional stakes is hardly satisfying.
Disney's Divinity wrote:Were those cherry blossoms during the shot of Raya and her father? As if they needed another similarity to Mulan on top of the father-daughter focus and the sword being changed to be more like Shan-Yu's.[/spoiler]
It looks like it. It may be another similarity to Mulan, but I didn't mind it. It made the scene look prettier.
DisneyFan09 wrote:Though Namari reminds me of every sweaty, tank-topped Ellen Ripley-type badass females, it's nice to see an archetype like that as a villain in a Disney movie. Unless you'll count Helga from Atlantis).
Namaari reminded me of Helga too. But unlike Helga, I think she'll be given more of a backstory and made more sympathetic. Namaari will probably get more of a redemption than Helga as well.
DisneyFan09 wrote:It was still very DreamWorks-esque in tone (especially the beginning, which reminded me of Kung Fu Panda 2).
farerb wrote:Some things didn't sit right with me like that con baby, I'm sorry but she just takes me out of it, she doesn't fit, maybe they'll handle herbetter in the film itself, but so far it's just yikes from me, especially this part.
I agree with both of you there. The beginning with Noi and the Ongis felt very off and DreamWorks-like to me too. It was like something out of the Boss Baby.
DisneyFan09 wrote:I'm not thrilled about the other characters as well except Raya Tuk Tuk and Namari.
I didn't care for any of the misfits myself, to be honest. I feel they're stock characters who won't add much to the narrative. Tong, Boun, Noi and the Ongis range from unnecessary to annoying.
D82 wrote:Young Raya looks up to her beloved father Benja, Chief of the Heart Lands. Benja, the legendary Guardian of the Dragon Gem, is an idealistic and bold visionary who seeks to reunite the fractured kingdom of Kumandra and restore harmony.
In that still, Benja looks a bit different than the way he does in the trailer. Benja's vision for the clans will undoubtedly clash with Virana's who's described as being calculating. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between the two leaders and their different leadership styles.
D82 wrote:Recovering a piece of her fractured Dragon Gem, Sisu discovers the ability to shape-change into human form.
It seems like each new fragment will bestow Sisu with a new power.
D82 wrote:In her newfound human form, Sisu learns the ways Kumandra has changed as she and Raya team up to save the world from the destructive Drunn.
We finally have confirmation that the Druun will remain part of the story. Sisu looks much younger in these stills than on her merch clip-art. I think her design may have been tweaked. Not loving her human look. She doesn't look like her dragon form. For some reason, her dragon form looks more appealing and feminine than her human form.
In the dangerous floating market of Talon, Dang Hu offers safety to a curious Sisu
.
There's a grandmother-type character in the movie after all. I'm sure DisneyFan97 will be relieved.
The cool and calculating chief of the Fang Lands and mother to Raya’s nemesis Namaari, Virana leads her people with fierce pragmatism.
Is this a piece of the dragon gem or the whole thing? Does each tribe own a fragment of it? For Raya to be searching for them, it must mean that at one point they lost them, possibly because of the Druun attacks (or maybe Raya stole the piece guarded by the white clan).
Raya and her nemesis, Namaari, face off amid the snowy mountains of Spine.
This looks like a shot from a fighting video game.
A lot of things make sense now!
The timeline for one, the course of events and why Raya doesn't trust people. Namaari's manipulation and betrayal will make it harder to sympathize with her. Her mother probably turned into stone because of her actions, so she at least paid for what she did. The filmmakers said we will understand her pain and where she's coming from. I wonder if her relationship with her mom is the underlying cause of Namaari's behavior. Maybe her mother put her down, berated or humiliated her. I'm not so sure they'll show her have a complete change of heart though. Maybe instead of a full-blown redemption, she will simply put aside her differences with Raya momentarily and help her in order for her mother to be saved. I like the idea of the Druun being trapped in the dragon gem and escaping when it breaks into pieces. I thought the Druun were going to be more traditional type of monsters, but they seem more like spirits of some kind. It makes sense they were referred to as demons in Japanese now. Also, it seems like dragons can only use the full power of the dragon gem at the cost of their lives. Does this mean there's a chance Sisu will die for using it? I doubt it. This is Disney we're talking about. They don't have the guts to do that. But they will probably do a fake-out to emotionally manipulate the audience.
I think this is what that person was referring to when they said they recognized some voices and didn't like it. Personally, I find this criticism a bit absurd. Should actors be limited to only playing characters that match their own nationality now? I don't think so. This reminds me of the casting controversy back in 2005 surrounding Memoirs of a Geisha. People were upset because Chinese actresses were hired to play Japanese characters.
I feel partly guilty but I'm really excited for this film and I haven't spent $ in a while for fun stuff...I wish ShopDisney had merch out...I really want a Raya bag...
Well, I doubted whether to post it or not because, though I've shared similar things before, on those occasions someone had already leaked them and I just found them online, while this time I was the one to leak it (at least I hadn't seen that article anywhere yet), so I felt a bigger sense of responsibility. If it would stay just on this forum, I wouldn't have thought about it so much, but I've noticed recently that the things we share here are posted by others on Twitter and other places, so I would be responsible to spread it. However, others also shared it on their own soon after I did, and I've seen today that even the author of that article is happy people are talking about his story, so I guess it's all fine after all.
