I think this alone says so much. Notice how Namaari, young, looked up at her mother. For approval no doubt. This part really got me.
This puts a whole new meaning behind Namaari saying “I never meant for any of this to happen.” I believe that there was good in Namaari. She did what she did for all the right reasons, wanting to help her land, but she put others in jeopardy in the process, which frames her as the bad guy.
this movie did a great job with letting us see from the villains perspective for a change.
How much of Rayaari do you think about? Ready set go
OP what kind of question. Clearly the answer is A LOT.
Part two. Part three. Part four. Part five. Part six.
Exhibit A:
I think about Namaari's look in this gif while Raya was momentarily distracted
HOW she glances at Raya then immediately looks down in GUILT knowing what she was about to go through.
I had an argument with a friend saying "their friendship was fake in the beginning" EXCUSE. This doesnt scream fake. And it is a genuine pained expression. Then she glances down to her necklace and GIVES it's to Raya.
I'm fine. I'm ok.
Namaari was prepped by Virana to pretend to get close so they can take the gem, but she didn't expect to have a real connection. Pls.
Cue all the slow burn angst fics
Exhibit B:
Ya girl Raya ready to get beat tf out by the hands of this good looking binturi.
Her eyes screams, "Do it. Its not the first time you've hurt me"
How much yall wanna bet this look struck a chord somewhere in Namaari's troubled heart.
OMG please dont shut up! your post with all those analyzing sajdhkajs , PART TWO of How much do you think about Rayaari ? ready set GOOO
AHA. So quite a few people told me not to shut up so heres a PART TWO. So ladies, gents and my non binary pals have a seat.
Part one. Part three. Part four. Part five. Part six.
EXHIBIT C:
Let's talk about Raya's face here when Namaari says "Is that any way to call a friend ",
There's not only the obvious anger there but if you look closer (or you're desperate like me), you'll see a flash of hurt in her expression here. Coz first of all, how dare this gay backstabbing binturi? But also you see the impact of how much Namaari's betrayal is still present and how true Raya's feelings were when becoming friends. And to see how Namaari just throws it out there like it wasnt important to her at all just pains Raya in so many ways.
I'm just...fhdjhsbsgd.
Imagine all those years of Raya thinking what ifs, like what if they actually became friends but then scolds herself for even thinking of a ridiculous idea.
EXHIBIT D:
Let's talk more about AFTER that Spine fight, yees? Okok
So this is what I like to call #GAYLONGING
Coz wtf. From that part one post of discussing Raya's look when Namaari was about to knock tf out of her before Sisu stepped in.
Just imagine what her mind is going through here, what if Sisu didnt step in? Would Namaari actually pull through and possibly hurt her more than she ever has?
What if she spotted that hint of hesitation cross Namaari's features while they were eye to eye so shes thinking... why? Why did she suddenly care if she did. Why chase her almost most of her life only to almost hesitate there.
OR what if she didn't hesitate? And all Raya saw was burning rage and exhaustion in her eyes but there was a glaze of wet tears that were begging to be shed.
AAAAA
I'm ok.
EXHIBIT E:
(are we going thru all the alphabets? Maybe)
THIS one is my favorite coz yall know it, the gays know it, there is no straight explanation.
I like to call this #GAYSIGH
These two will be the actual death of me.
Is there anything to even analyze here. Namaari over here worrying about what her Mother is gonna do to Raya. Is she gonna kill her ? Wait why should she care, didnt she just hurt tf out of her a mere few hours ago? But she doesnt want her dead. Coz who will be the reason and source for her passion?LOL
Raya over here OVERthinking if giving the pendant back was a great idea. Shes thinking whether or not that symbol ever meant something real or was it part of that devious plan to get the dragon gem. But a big part of her is aching for it to be REAL. Prove to her she isnt imagining the way Namaari's previous actions were during that Spine fight. What are her true intentions ?
PLEASE more of Rayaari analysis. SCREW TUMBLR'S 10 IMAGE LIMIT. Ruining the vibes >:(((( PART 6 LESGO
OK. ITS HERE, ANON. I somehow managed to squeeze 10 pics. (Damn you tumblr & your damn media limit) I didn't wait 3 weeks to do this part aha. But Part 6 LESGO.
Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four. Part five.
Exhibit P:
P stands for please kill me coz this scene always make me tear up.
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.
-×-
Can you believe the fact that they are each others last looks before the Druuns takes them?
Neither can I.
Cue the song: “I dont want to watch the world end with someone else by Clinton Kane”
OP NEVER SHUT UP, DONT even be sorry. I'm not the same anon as who demanded part one or two. But, PART THREE of How much do you think about Rayaari? ready set GOOO
I’m ngl this sat in my inbox for a while coz I needed to make gifs of the movie before I could answer this 👀But HEY LETS GO
Part one. Part two. Part four. Part five. Part six.
Exhibit F:
Let's rewind a bit further back, with young Namaari and Raya. Their first look/glance, Raya looks at Namaari causing her to smile a tiny bit but her face falls probably realizing what she has to do, recalling mother's plan.
Tbh, I can imagine a younger Namaari's inner turmoil at this. But she's been taught to put Fang first. So she probably sees her tribe starving in her head and decided to keep pushing through. That she wasn't there to make real friends. This was a mission she was entrusted with and shes not about to disappoint her mother and her whole tribe. Even if a big part of her oh so badly wants to as she glances back at the unexpected kind soft look Raya gave her.
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.
-×-
I got more but I'm shutting up now 🤡🤡 Till a potential part four maybe?? LOL. Tbh when I do make the next one, that's gonna have most of the rayaari spice in it.
Can you maybe if ur not busy create a master post for your rayaari analysis? Pretty please 🥺🥺 🙏🏽🙏🏽 itll help tons
I'll use this as the base then! You should be able to find it under the rayaari analysis tags for an easier search i guess.
Part one.
Part two.
Part three.
Part four.
Part five.
Part six.
To be honest, who would've expected this would be take more than just one part. Certainly not me 🤡
I'll come back to update this when I post part 7.
Okay, so this movie had a ton of great symbolism. I should know, I just finished rewatching it for the 5th time- never gets old to me.
But one form of symbolism that really stuck out to me was during the boat dinner scene, after Raya sent Noi and her ongis to give Namaari a note and the dragon pendant, as a sign of peace. When Boun and Tong were making soup.
“There’s too much spice!” Tong complained.
“No, there’s too much bamboo,” Boun replied.
“What do you know, you have the taste buds of a tall baby.” Tong insulted.
“Well you dress like a tall baby,” Boun nagged.
“Give me the spoon! I’m taking over!” Tong snapped.
“Back off, tidal wave. I’m the professional here,” Boun threatened.
“May I?” Raya asked, sprinkling a mineral into the soup.
Okay, so let’s say that soup represents Kumandra. Boun and Tong squabbled over ingredients, and wether the soup was good or not. Tong and Boun represent the people of Kumandra. Not trusting each others judgment and point of view, and always accusing and assuming the worst from the other person.
It’s not that the soup was bad, it was just that it was missing something. It was unfinished, incomplete. Just like Kumandra. But when Raya added what I’m guessing was palm sugar to the soup:
“Woah, that’s good!” Boun exclaimed, after trying the soup.
“Just a little something my Ba showed me.” Raya replied.
Now the soup was delicious, because the missing ingredient was added, which made the soup one, complete. If Raya never added the palm sugar too the soup, the soup wouldn’t have been good. Just like how if all the nations didn’t come together and become one, they wouldn’t be good. They would continue to tear each other apart. They all had to do there part to fix the common problem, so the soup would taste good.
