#rayaari analysis

Here we have Namaari’s look of devastation as Raya turned into stone and Boun just offered his piece to her. She looks completely torn and anguished as she glances back at the Heart princess’ stone figure. Boun joins soon after, leaving even more dread and the reality of the situation finally catching up on Namaari.

She seems to be really conflicted because she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t understand why Raya decided to sacrifice her life like that, now everyone was following along, and she just doesn’t get why it has to be her. Is it because of the severe desperation that their leader is gone so they ought to follow? Or they’d all just rather turn into stone than be infested with Druuns and ruled by Fang. They had nothing left to lose anyway. She’s unsure of the intentions but I have a feeling her heart knows why. Why Raya had chosen her. Coz this was her last chance.

Exhibit Q:

Which leads me to this scene, that had me screaming coz to quote myself “she better fuckin not runaway” I aggressively said to my screen the first time I watched it. 

Here we have Namaari glance at the exit that made its way visible as the world literally collapses around her.

Okay, the first time I saw this scene, I got mad. But after the next few times, I noticed it was pure instinct for her to run. The fight or flight response triggered. To leave with all the gems, away from danger as the Druuns get closer and the power of the gem fading. I’d like to believe and give her the benefit of the doubt that she momentarily forgot about the others. But, as she is climbing the steps, realization dawns on her.

No, she didn’t take a break coz she was tired, as some would say. Namaari is all muscle and athleticism, a bunch of rocks won’t stop her from sprinting over it like its nothing especially if her life depended on it. But the weight of the reality sets in perfectly, as she turns to the bitter truth. As she looks back to the people who shouldn’t have sacrificed their lives but did. We have the movie cut right at the close up of Raya’s stoned figure, (Disney editor we know this was intentional, you damn cowards.)

It’s like Raya is gravity pulling her back, a big part of her physically stops her from running away, the part that yearns for the Heart princess. A part that doesn’t want to disappoint her again. Somehow, she knows she won’t ever be okay or continue living if she betrays and misuses her trust this last time.

Let’s pause at her expression.

This is basically her desperately weighing her options. The stone figures set as a reminder of what she’s about to leave, if her decision of running away is actually valid this time. Will there be a point of no return? Should she go back to her people and try to help the rest of them? Or should she risk everything and put her trust and Raya’s trust especially, on the unconfirmed belief that fixing the gem will actually work? That a binturi like her can actually fix what she had help break in the first place. Her heart only lurched painfully at the idea of hope.

And then, we have the look. When she stands up, I’d like to think this is her mind coming into conclusion with her decision. Her last few heaves of breath before the scene change of her hastily putting the gem back together.

Y’all this is quite a long time to be staring at your kinda dead lover in stone realizing you’ve known nothing but betray her all your life and this is your chance to actually redeem yourself, type of vibes. Right?

Jokes aside, the way her face pinches together tightly, eyebrows furrowing, eyes narrowing. Each heave and puff of breath is her exhaling her fears, as she probably intensely stares at Raya’s stone figure, replaying the scene in her mind as she sacrificed herself turning into stone before her eyes. The way Raya placed her last fragile trust on her, should she choose to fix it or break it after all these years, is totally in her hands. The symbolism is so strong, I might cry.

Exhibit R:

R is for REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE coz omg this scene

Her sighs. The way her face scrunches up.

Let's pause at her intense vulnerable stares:

And that LAST look before the Druuns completely take her soul:

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Ok. This scene is just wow when slowed down. Let’s talk about it.

To sum it up in one, this is what I think Namaari’s last thoughts were:

“Idk why you trusted me but thank you. I’ll be joining you now. Hopefully wherever we are, I can make up for what I’ve done, and we can start over”

Who’s crying in the club with me? No one? Ok, that’s fine.

But to further elaborate, this scene is so important because this is the time we see Namaari’s most genuine feelings for Raya. No one, no actual human life form is present around her. It’s just her and the end of Kumandra as she knows it. But she spares her last few precious seconds on gazing at Raya’s stone figure as if she were still there. She probably relived their whole past in her mind, flashes of their meeting, the betrayal and years of tracking her playing through her head. How they’ve got to where they are right now, she wouldn’t have ever imagined risking her own life like this. 

But I feel like, Namaari is so tired. Tired of following rules, tired of being afraid of her own decisions and tired of hurting her. So, she’s a little glad, even if Raya weren’t there to see it, that this is her actually trying to start and mend things the right way. This is her finally doing the right thing, not just for Kumandra but for herself. There’s still fear present in her eyes in that scene. You can see it. The years of uncertainty, despair and regret washing over her in that last few seconds. I feel like she knows its far from redemption, but she tried. After years, this is the best she can do, it’s all she can do.

So as she takes her last breath, her face scrunching up and expression resolute, she makes sure Raya is the last thing she sees, as a reminder of who it is that started the change within her. To leave it imprinted in the back of her mind and soul wherever she may be in the afterlife.

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Can you believe the fact that they are each others last looks before the Druuns takes them?

Neither can I.

Exhibit G :

I like to call this #worriedpotentialgirlfriend after her mother implied that she might kill the only lovely binturi that keeps her living.

I'd like to add that this is probably the first time she properly questioned her mother's decision and hidden intentions. She doesnt know what to make of it.

Exhibit H:

Ah yes the debby ryan hair thing Namaari does that had us all trembling in gay. But look after,

We arent the only ones pretty damned endeared by this gesture. Raya's face of slight surprise. I bet she had a flashback of innocent little Namaari when they were younger doing the same. Now, it looked even more pure as Raya didn't think Namaari was anything more than a binturi. She's glad to see that flash of soft genuine shy trait still existed.

Exhibit I:

Which leads us to this scene after Raya had decided to trust Namaari again after giving her the pendant but ya girl ever the rule follower breaks her trust

Theres a flash of hurt in her eyes in the way her eyebrows furrowed, before turning into anger. She was already hesitant but she was trying to trust in what Sisu said, and she did try. And she cant help but get hurt just at the moment when she thought it finally worked. Just when she wanted to trust in Namaari again but was proven wrong.

Exhibit J:

Aaaa I just love how complex they make Namaari's character. To anyone who paid attention, you can see the clear and obvious hesitation here,

Besides her long eyelashes, I'd like to believe that in this whole scene, Namaari thought about how she can please both sides, meaning her mother and raya+sisu.

She does offer the gem, a part of her probably believes Sisu can bring everyone back but hesitantly so she remembers the convo she had with her mother and she pulls her crossbow so a part of her doesnt feel so bad for turning her back against her own tribe. It always lands back to them, her decisions always hooked for the good of Fang or for her Mother. Never a decision for herself.

She just wants them to comply so Virana doesnt act up and kill both of them. So she thinks in exchange, what if she brings them back safely and alive although with needed force so they have no choice to comply and Namaari is doing them a favor by saving their lives.

Well obv we all know how stilted that plan was. Adding in Raya's major trust issues and her emotional turmoil for feeling like she was betrayed twice, which led it to an even worse outcome.

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