27
May
Even if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game, you’ve undoubtedly played other titles influenced by the series. Basic JRPG tropes like the overhead view, turn-based combat, and the medieval fantasy setting all got their start with the original Dragon Quest (then called Dragon Warrior in the West). While many of these game design innovations are attributed to Final Fantasy, which was released in North America first, the Japanese release of Dragon Quest actually beat Final Fantasy by a full year at a time when Square and Enix were still separate companies. In fact, Final Fantasy probably wouldn’t exist if…
10
May
A new Dragon Ball Super movie has been announced. Here’s what little you need to know about it so far… “It’s been three years since Dragon Ball Super: Broly hit, kicked, and kamehameha-ed its way into theaters, raking in $120 million around the world. Now, a sequel movie is gearing up for a rematch. Other than it’s scheduled to premiere in 2022, we know virtually nothing about this second Dragon Ball Super movie, of course.” Read more at Gizmodo. Gal Gadot confirms that Joss Whedon tried to threaten her career on the set of Justice League over disputes of Wonder…
05
May
Production on HBO’s first Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is now underway. And we don’t even have to take the network’s word for it this time, as over the weekend grainy, far away photos and videos of actors in costume began to emerge on social media. Since we all clearly can’t help but snoop, HBO has decided just to go ahead and release high quality photos of said actors in costume. The first three official photos of House of the Dragon today and they highlight five brand new (or technically old in this prequel’s case) characters…perhaps even…
26
Mar
What began as a mod called Defense of the Ancients for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos in 2003 has become a multimedia empire for Valve. Dota 2 currently reigns as one of the most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games on the planet, spawning multi-million-dollar esports tournaments as well as a huge viewership on live streaming platforms. With Dota: Dragon’s Blood, Valve and Netflix bring the world of Dota to anime. Produced by Legend of Korra animation company Studio Mir, along with Netflix Animation and Valve, this new take on the franchise is inspired by the lore found in…
08
Mar
Kelly Marie Tran’s Raya of Raya and the Last Dragon made history by becoming the first Southeast Asian Princess in the Disney canon. This development is overdue, but it finally happening is still welcome, especially with Raya’s surprising tenacity and resilience that defies both the typical Disney Princess iconography and how Asian protagonists are often depicted by Hollywood movies. When we spoke with Raya and the Last Dragon co-writer Qui Nguyen in January, he told us, “When characters who look like me or Adele [Lim] or my kids show up in action movies, we’re always depicted in one certain way.…
06
Mar
Outside of the dragon Sisu, Tuk Tuk might be the most adorable thing in Raya and the Last Dragon. Technically a fantasy creature who is half-armadillo and half-pug, this hybrid beastie embodies pure fairy tale fun in Walt Disney Animation Studios‘ latest adventure. And with his nifty hard shell acting as a giant unicycle upon which our heroine Raya gets around desert wastelands, we are sure kids are already wishing they could have a Tuk Tuk of their own. It’s a nifty design, but what might surprise a lot of folks is the voice beneath the hard shell and cuddly…
06
Mar
This Raya and the Last Dragon article contains spoilers. You can read our spoiler-free review here. It almost didn’t end this way. For a brief moment during the climax of Raya and the Last Dragon, it felt like we were a million miles away from any kind of peace. And when Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) marched up the steps of Fang’s parameters in search of Namaari (Gemma Chan), I doubt there was a single viewer who didn’t share her anger—and maybe her thirst for revenge. Minutes before this sequence, Raya had once again extended the olive branch to her rival…
05
Mar
In Raya and the Last Dragon, the new film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Kelly Marie Tran voices the title character, a warrior princess who embarks on a quest to reunite her shattered land, the mythical kingdom of Kumandra, as an insidious evil from reemerges within. A formidable, fearless fighter already, Raya assembles a ragtag team as she goes, including the world’s last dragon (voiced by Awkwafina), who possibly holds the magical key that Raya needs to unite the peoples of Kumandra again. “It means a lot to me,” says Tran about landing the role of Raya after original star…
05
Mar
Raya and the Last Dragon‘s creation of a Southeast Asian-inspired fictional world 500 years since the presumed death of the last dragon isn’t without its issues, but, generally, it represents a bold new step for Disney animation when it comes to setting and authentic cultural inspiration. Most Disney Princesses have hailed from Eurocentric stories and origins, but, with Southeast Asian Raya and Polynesian “Princess” Moana before her, Disney finally seems to be recognizing the wide world of real-life cultures from which they can (responsibly) draw. While this can be and is a slippery slope as Disney has a history of…
03
Mar
One of the darkest stains on the history of Star Wars, Disney, and fandom in general was the disgraceful treatment of Kelly Marie Tran, who played Resistance mechanic Rose Tico in 2017’s The Last Jedi and 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Starting almost immediately after she was cast and continuing through the release of The Last Jedi, Tran was the subject of hideous online abuse and harassment from a toxic subsection of alleged Star Wars “fans.” The constant attacks ultimately drove Tran off social media as members of the Star Wars cast and crew — as well as other actors…
02
Mar
When studio executives are asked about the lack of representation in chief creative positions like writer or director, a common Hollywood response is something along the lines of: there was no one other than a white guy who was qualified (phrased more diplomatically… usually). More recently, however, as it becomes more and more clear just how much money there is to be made by giving big-budget opportunities to more diverse creators, Hollywood studio executives have gotten better at reframing the idea of “qualified,” a term that has historically been used as a way to prop up systemic inequality rather than…
01
Mar
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well. Rated: PGRelease Date: Mar 05, 2021
01
Mar
If Raya and the Last Dragon proves anything, it’s that Disney is trying to tell a more modern “Disney Princess” story with their latest animated effort. Commercially, Disney’s transition into the 21st century has been a smooth one. While the shuttering of Disney theme parks in the last year due to the pandemic has cost the billions-dollar conglomerate money, Disney has many, many revenue streams, and the Disney brand remains strong. And much of that brand still relies on the studio’s signature Disney Princess movies, which have not had as seamless a narrative transition into modern storytelling as many fans…
07
Feb
Sisu may not be what’s expected by a large portion of the audience that sits down to watch Raya and the Last Dragon next month. A long serpentine creature of watery origin, the dragon in the movie’s title does not breathe fire or lay waste to cities. Rather she’s a protector, a martyr who according to legend saved the mythical land of Kumandra 500 years ago. And when heroic loner Raya resurrects Sisu in the present, the lead character, plus her young fans, will discover greater layers still. By virtue of Sisu’s voice casting alone, parents in the audience will…
27
Jan
In the nearly 100 years since Walt Disney Animation Studios’ founding, it’s safe to say there never was a sight like the one facing animator Paul Briggs last March. For it was on a fateful early spring morning that the order finally came down: Raya and the Last Dragon would move its entire production—which had begun the very same month—to working from home. “I still remember the day where everybody is like, ‘We’re going home, we’re going to start building this thing from home,’” Briggs says. “And the animators were kind of walking out with their computers. Technology was scanning…
26
Jan
This article contains Batman: Soul of the Dragon spoilers. The latest DC animated film Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a complete reimagining of the Dark Knight. It’s an out-of-continuity story, the kind of tale DC usually places under its Elseworlds banner. Set in the 1970s, Soul of the Dragon places Batman (David Giuntoli) as part of an ensemble of heroes, a collection of the top martial arts masters in the DC universe including Richard Dragon (Mark Dacascos), Lady Shiva (Kelly Hu), Ben Turner a.k.a. Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), and O-Sensei (James Hong). “It’s a weird movie in that…
11
Jan
Batman: Soul of the Dragon sets Gotham’s caped crusader in a vintage martial arts homage. Directed by Sam Liu, who also directed the animated movie version of one of the greatest Batman graphic novels ever published, Batman: The Killing Joke, this is the 42nd project in the ongoing DC Universe Movies series. However, Soul of the Dragon is an original tale, not based on a precedent comic. Like the eye popping anime-style film Batman Ninja, this is a completely stand-alone story. Batman: Soul of the Dragon is yet another chapter in the many creation tales for Batman. It tells of…
12
Dec
This article MIGHT contain mild spoilers for House of the Dragon. The Game of Thrones prequel is heating up with three major lead additions to the House of the Dragon ensemble. With the casting of Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and Emma D’Arcy, significant pedigree has been added to the series, particularly for either Doctor Who or British Royal Family enthusiasts with regard to Smith. And it also feels a lot more tangible for fans looking on from the outside. However, other than a brief mention of who the new cast members are playing—Daemon Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, and Rhaenyra Targaryen—not much…
