Searching for Raya and the Last Dragon in a City of Ghosts - Animation #13
Welcome to the latest chapter of Renegade Animation, featuring our Captain, Mike, our Guru, Cameron, and our Special Guest Host, Maxwell, from the PJ Campbell Network! This episode sees our hosts with the most take a critical look at Netflix’s new series, City of Ghosts, as well as Disney’s 59th animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon! Stay tooned and hit that play button!
For all the latest in animation news and views, please check out the first 45 minutes or so of the podcast! Cameron, Mike, and Max break down all the latest happenings in the animation world with their signature eloquence and aplomb, as always!
Now, let’s get to the main part of the show notes: the reviews! City of Ghosts is up first, with thoughts from The Captain and Guru teed up and ready to go!
City of Ghosts (series, Netflix)
“City of Ghosts is a wonderful new animated series created by Elizabeth Ito. It uses mixed media in a very unique way, that's part documentary and part narrative. This would be great to show children in elementary school if they want to learn more about a variety of different cultures, particularly in Los Angeles where the series is set. City of Ghosts is currently streaming on Netflix, and it comes highly recommended!” - The Captain
“Animation-wise, this show takes a bit from series creator Elizabeth Ito's previous short, Welcome to My Life, where it's a mix of photorealistic background and low-fi CGI animation. Sure, you can argue that you see this style in plenty of indie games, but you don't see it a lot in animation. The only other show I can say looks similar to City of Ghosts is Gumball, and if you know anything about that show's unique and vibrant style, then you are in good company. I know people are getting tired of the current "style", but to me, it's all in the way you execute said visual style. I love the low-key visuals, and the designs for the humans and ghosts are all incredibly charming. They stand out visually, and all of it feels cohesive. I really can't get over some of the great ghost designs. They are simple but hugely effective. One of my favorite elements that I have found out about this show is that every character in it is voiced by actual local people of Los Angeles. It gives the world a more relatable and "real" feeling. Now, I know this sounds like you have the biggest risk on your hands to make this all feel natural and not stilted, but Ito and her team found a way! It brings you into this world and never takes you out of it. I can't wait for people to watch City of Ghosts. It's a show that can rightfully say is unique and stands on its own. With its low-fi atmosphere, likable lead characters, soulful commentary about culture and life, and adorable CGI animation, City of Ghosts is easily one of my favorite new series of 2021. I highly recommend watching it.” - The Guru
Raya and the Last Dragon (film, Disney+ Premiere Access and in theaters)
“It's a fantastic action/adventure/heist film that deals with themes of loss, love, and trust. It's an incredible experience with some fantastic animation and music that elevates some great performances and action sequences. The Premiere Access price point is well worth it.” - The Guru
“Our story takes place long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, where 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. Surprising absolutely nobody, I loved this movie. As somewhat of a "dragon nerd" myself, its core premise was practically pitched right over the plate, and hit a home run. This movie is a first for a handful of people: it's the first Disney film with a Southeast Asian protagonist, the first animated feature that Carlos López Estrada has directed, and it's Kelly Marie Tran's first leading role. That's a lot of firsts, and that this also came together during the quarantine makes it even more impressive. Animation wise, this is Disney at its most beautiful. Ever since Moana, I've been consistently impressed with the way they've handled water, and since that plays an important role in the narrative, they had to make sure they nailed it. The voice cast all around is terrific, but the standout for sure are Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, Awkwafina as Sifu, the titular Last Dragon, and Gemma Chan as Namaari, Raya's friend/rival. Some people might argue that the film tends to lean a little too heavily on the Disney Revival era formula, and while I don't necessarily disagree, I also don't personally find it to be a dealbreaker. What makes the film work for me is the characters, the theme of learning to trust others, and the incredible score by James Newton Howard. Raya and the Last Dragon is now playing in theaters and streaming on Disney+, please check it out as soon as you can!“ - The Captain
“What we have here with Raya and the Last Dragon is a call to arms for the animation industry, and I say that because this movie has INSANE water, hair, fur, and even grass effects! The fact that I’ve seen 3D animation evolve to this level of wizardry is enough to make my head spin, and that already sets Raya apart from the pack in terms of quality. In terms of story, however, I do have a few issues, as it relies upon the same tropes that many Disney animated films have since the 2010s. Still, I have to give the team at Disney so much kudos for their exquisite work on this film, from the character designs to the aesthetic of the entire world they’ve crafted, and for the incredible fight scenes and action choreography. I really like this movie, and as both the Guru and the Captain mentioned, the voice cast is excellent, too! Two thumbs up!” - Neoplasmic
Before we close out the show notes, let’s look at a couple of recommendations from Cameron and Max! First up is a project from Max’s friend, Galleghost called The Sound of One Hand Clapping:
Oh, I like this! It’s a pretty awesome motion comic, with some great voice acting and solid dialogue, including a couple of… shocking lines, hahahahaha! Ooh. I think the Joker’s laugh is rubbing off a little. Anyway, give it a look! Dan Nye makes for a great Superman, and Zeyne Guzeldereli is fantastic as the Joker! This is cool stuff.
And Cameron suggests we take some time to watch this video by New Frame Plus about animating the characters in Sonic the Hedgehog video games, which is apparently much more tricky and difficult than we realize! Sonic is a classic character, and while the quality of his franchise has oscillated over time, it’s pretty neat that an old school video game mascot not named Mario or Donkey Kong has lasted for 30 years! Indeed, NFP’s The Animation of Sonic Games is an intriguing deep dive into the animation methods behind many of the console games in the Sonic franchise. An excellent and informative choice, and time well spent, in my opinion.
And thus, another Animation episode comes to a close! Thanks to Maxwell, our special guest host! Please check out his work here! Be safe, let us know how we’re doing, and keep on truckin’, friends!
Also, if you’d like to support our podcast and website, please consider buying us a coffee for a couple bucks! Thank you so much!
-Neoplasmic
