I get that it wasn't historically accurate or might have come across as pandering, but as a poc it was really nice for me to see other ethnic people in a fantasy setting. I love fantasy, especially good old fashioned fairy tales; for me they are a form of escapism, so it really helps to see other poc in these films, because then it is easier to see and visualise myself in these stories. When I was younger a lot of stories and media didn't contain poc, or if they were included it was often in a negative or stereotypical or 'they are the loser' format - not really ever the protagonist or hero. This combined with the discrimination I would receive in my real life made me wish I was white when I was younger, and it also created some internalised racism. For years, I would struggle to even imagine myself in my dream settings because I didn't feel like I was allowed to or deserved to. Seeing poc people in films makes me feel seen and heard and worthy. It makes me feel like: 'yes I do belong and I can be here'. Hope this helps!
shareA long time ago, when I was in grade school, my teacher read a children's book to us, telling about an African folktale. It was called "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters." It was a good story about how important kindness, bravery, and selflessness can be when on the journey of life. Both daughters were beautiful, but one was cruel, selfish, and spoiled; while the other was kind, sweet, and thought of others before herself. Both were tested by a magical, shapeshifting king, and he chose the nice daughter to be his bride.
Never once did I care if the girls in the story looked like me. Never once, did I whine and complain about how everyone looked in the tale. All I cared about was that it was a good story, and I still feel that way. Never would I demand that they make this into a movie with white girls playing the key roles, just so I, as a white woman, could "identify" with them as people. I can do that easily with characters that don't look like me, but have traits I like and admire in others.
Please remember that next time you hear someone whine about superficialities like skintone and ethnicity.