My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: april 2020

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize

Sherlock has now received competition ;)

I'm (Elena) is a child at heart,
despite my age and size :)
That`s why I'm in Disney
Junior :)

I look like a Cyclop, don't I? :)

Following the footsteps of Sofia the First and Elena of Avalor, came another property to be placed that lineup: Mira Royal Detective. At least it's relevant to place Mira in the same category, since it's a Disney Junior series made for pre-schoolers starring a female protagonist. Yet what really differentiates Mira from her two predecessors, is how for once the titular character isn't a Princess. Which is a big step for Disney lately, considering how they've practically milked the Princess staple for what it's worth this last decade. Since both Sofia and Elena were made to cater to the Princess staple (still Sofia was more leant to the gimmicky inclusion, since it featured cameos of most of the Disney Princesses)

And yes, while Doc McStuffins would also fall into this same category (since it was a musical show with a wee, female lead), at least Mira is easily more comparable to both Sofia and Elena, because of it's fictional setting. And just with Elena, Mira has been dedicated to depict a certain culture. Having premiered on Disney Junior on March 20 Stateside and March 22 in India in 2020, the series aired in 160 countries afterwards. The show is produced by Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior. But already before it's premiere, Disney Junior has ordered a second season of the series in late 2019.

Mira`s Cultural Setting & Premise

What makes Mira noteworthy is that it's dedicated towards Indian culture. Which is a nice step for Disney after so many years. Besides The Jungle Book and it's spinoff properties (relevantly The Jungle Cubs), there haven't been many animated propertoes by Disney that's been dedicated towards Indian culture. Even The Jungle Book explored it vaguely and one could assume that Disney never made an full-length feature set in India in the Renaisssance, because of the similarities of Aladdin (just a suggestion, yet I could be wrong, though). Yet it's nice that we'll at least get a series that's dedicated to it, yet one would still hope to see a movie about it in the not so distant future. But yes, we're getting another fictional setting within a real country, in the land of Jalpur. Each episode will weave authentic music, dance and customs into two 11-minutes stories. And due to Disney's forever ongoing scrutiny about their non-White properties, let's hope that there won't be any controversy regarding Mira's portrayal.

While Mira is far from the first female detective in fiction, it's still
bold and daring of Disney to make a series about an little Indian girl who's an actual detective. The series follows the brave and resourceful Mira. A whipsmart 8-year-old who's appointed to the role of royal detective by the Queen (yeah, she still has royal influence, but at least it doesn't make her a Princess) after solving a mystery that involves saving the kingdom’s young prince (yes, we'll get some royals here, nonetheless. But hey, Royalty is a part of Disney).

Don't look at us as
if we were food :)

This was my way of posing
and looking smart :)

The press release described Mira "as a young girl who looks at things with her own unique lens to gain different perspectives and help others in her community". And how the creatures hope that she will encourage it's audience to actively engage with the inspiring world around them and appreciate the little details that make life extraordinary. And yes, the series makes clear that she'll be the first detective to be a female one.

I'm Mira in the Middle :) Yes,
this pun was taken from
Malcolm :)

Joe D’Ambrosia, senior vice president, Original Programming, thinks what sets Mira apart from other Disney Junior heroes, is her special gift of observation. Which enables her to see things from a different perspective. “We feel and we hope that she’ll inspire young kids all around the globe to utilize their critical thinking and problem-solving skills and actively engage and help in their community,” he says. Or, as Mira herself puts it, “If I can’t help my friends and family, what good is being Royal Detective?”

Yes, the humans are our puppets :)
And they're not getting paid :)

Yes, my name means that
you have to look :)

As royal detective, Mira travels throughout the kingdom helping royals and commoners alike. Mira may be the most diminutive royal detective Jalpur has ever known, but no sleuthing is needed to understand why the Queen appointed the young commoner to the prestigious role. Nothing can stop Mira when she’s on the case, and she never hesitates to make solving mysteries a team effort.

Mira`s Voice Cast and Characters

This is our equivalent of
a school album :)

And yes, since Disney and racial correctness are practically synonymous, Mira is voiced by an all-Indian cast. Mira herself is voiced by (then) 16-year-old newcomer Leela Ladnier. Doing her first voiceover job. Regarding the other characters, some of the most pivotal are Mira’s creative cousin, Priya (voiced by newcomer Roshni Edwards). And the talented inventor Prince Neel (voiced by Kamran Lucas from Disney’s Mech-X4). Jalpur is in benevolent and compassionate hands with Queen Shanti as their ruler (another Disney character with the same name, after the village girl in The Jungle Book). It is Queen Shanti who saw in Mira all the qualities that are so important in a royal detective, and she becomes a mentor to Mira as the young girl grows into her role. Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) lends her voice to Queen Shanti. Mira’s aunt, Auntie Pushpa, is proprietor of the high-end boutique in Jalpur where the royal detective’s first adventure in the series, The Case of the Royal Scarf, unfolds. Auntie Pushpa is voiced by Jameela Jamil (The Good Place).

Who's the most
adorable of us? :)

We're integrating with
blending different species :)

What could be better than a mongoose sidekick? How about a pair of them? Mikku is charming and quirky, and he’s a stickler for rules. He’s also obsessed with food. Chikku is certainly not one to pass up a snack himself; the zany, cuddly mongoose also has a fondness for the spotlight. Kal Penn (Sunnyside) lends his voice to Mikku, while Utkarsh Ambudkar (Brittany Runs a Marathon) plays Chikku. (Ambudkar is in the group Freestyle Love Supreme. A hip hop-improv group, co-founded by Moana's Lin-Manuel Miranda. Ambudkar got to rap and sing as a mongoose alongside Penn, whom he's admired).

I'm the CGI version of
Jasmine :) Just a Golden one :)

The sweet and bubbly Pinky is a commoner in Jalpur, just like the royal detective herself. She loves animals—especially goats!—and is one of Mira’s closest friends. Hannah Simone (New Girl) voices Pinky. Sahil is Mira’s sweet and funny father that oversees transportation for Queen Shanti and the rest of the royal family. He is voiced by Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show). You’ll often find Mira’s stylish cousin Meena among the beautiful scarves and accessories in Auntie Pushpa’s boutique. Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman) lends her voice to Meena.

Prince Veer: Queen Shanti’s eldest son loves being a member of Jalpur’s royal family and he enjoys all of the trappings that come with his status. Prince Veer has strong opinions on, well, most things—and he’s always happy to share those opinions with Mira and her friends. Prince Veer is voiced by Karan Brar (Disney Channel’s BUNK’D). As for the other characters Karan Soni (Deadpool) voices the twins Ranjeet and Manjeet. Sarayu Blue (I Feel Bad) as the palace tailor. While Parvesh Cheena (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Sonal Shah (Scrubs) are the bandits, Manish and Poonam, respectively.

Behind the Scenes Information

Yes, you shouldn't play with
mongooses :) They have
rabies :)

Disney had been developing the show for a number of years before finally giving the greenlight. Production was formally announced back in November 2018. Aforementioned Ambrosia, recalls that the idea for Mira sprang from a “water cooler conversation” about great detectives from literature and entertainment, which inspired the team to develop their own young sleuth. Emmy® Award-nominated Sascha Paladino (Miles from Tomorrowland, Doc McStuffins, The Octonauts, Wonder Pets! and Sid the Science Kid) is executive producer of the series, which was developed by Becca Topol (Elena of Avalor) who also serves as story editor. Sue Perotto and Dorothea Schoentag (both of Phineas and Ferb) are supervising director and art director, respectively.

Don't worry, I can use this
glass, since we're not in the
sun :)

We're singing Gospel songs :)
Aren't we good at it?

And regarding it's aforementioned cultural scrutiny: Most episodes feature a spectacular dance sequence. All of the sub-genres of Bollywood dances (Bollywood Hip Hop, Jazz, contemporary) have been incorporated into Mira. Additional consultants include Bollywood dancer and choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan (So You Think You Can Dance) and music producer Deepak Ramapriyan (Basmati Blues). Emmy Award nominees Matthew Tishler (Fancy Nancy, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and Jeannie Lurie (The Muppets) writes and produces original songs, and Amritha Vaz (Miss India America) serve as the composer. World-renowned musician Zakir Hussain plays tabla on the theme song. Many authentic Indian instruments as possible have been used. As tabla, sitar, shehnai and others (and Mira happens to a great tabla player).

We're trying to be
your decoration :)

The crew used Hindi linguists to ensure proper pronunciation of certain words in the script. Among the cultural nuances Mira includes is how Indians addressing elders as “auntie” and “uncle.” Some of the key creatives behind the show actually visited India for reference. And believe it or not, the film’s animation is produced by Bangalore-based Technicolor India Although the show is CGI, the creators wanted to bring the special stylistic touch to the visuals. So you’ll see mandala patterns in the clouds. Or in the smoke that comes out a train stack is in the shape of traditional Indian patterns. Art director Dorothea Gerassimova was asked to create something that didn’t look like anything else on Disney Junior. Indian art and architecture is so detailed, so it was a big challenge for the crew to deliver all those intricate ingredients on a tight TV schedule. While there are some bits of hand drawn within the episodes.

For the first season, the show’s creators looked mostly to Northern Indian art and architecture. Yet as the stories evolved, they introduced characters and stories from other parts of India. The producers and Perkins wanted to be able to represent all of India. To narrow that focus down, the creators opted to make Jalpur a port city, that’s based on the Northeastern Rajasthan region of India. A palace in Udaipur called the Lake Palace is what Jalpur is based off. The teams were encouraged multiple times to put in more color and not worry about trying to make everything match or work within a limited color palette that animated shows would usually use.

But not in a
Theaer near you ;)

A music video featuring a mash-up of the series’ main title song and We’re on the Case, debuted February 21 2020 on DisneyMusicVevo and in the DisneyNOW app. Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack with 20 songs. The DisneyNOW app had a hidden object game in which players are invited to help Mira solve mysteries by following a trail of clues in an immersive 3D environment. Disney Parks, Experiences & Products debuted a product line by Just Play at the 2020 American International Toy Fair. Featuring dolls, role-play products, figures, playset and more, Which were released in Fall 2020.

Epilogue

And yes, this was the second time that I've managed to write an entry about a Disney Junior property (the reason for writing about Sofia the First was how it was catered to serve as a springboard for Princesses). While Mira doesn't have Sofia's ambitions, it's still has more cultural and admirable purposes. But regardless of that responsibility, Mira happens to be a very cute show. It's obviously made for a small demographic, but still both enjoyable and endearing on it's own right. The second season started in April 2021. So let's hope that Mira will have a good reception and have long and lasting life on Disney's expanded world of franchises.