Sorry if this spoiler text doesn’t work. The only records left behind by the Nomai were their writings, save for a few pictograms, which left a lot to the imagination. The Owlks did have writing, but it was clear that visual story telling was much more important to their culture so we got to see for ourselves what they went through. Seeing the prisoner at the end would not have hit so hard had we just read about them.
I think it’s the change in medium that does it.
spoiler
Sorry if this spoiler text doesn’t work. The only records left behind by the Nomai were their writings, save for a few pictograms, which left a lot to the imagination. The Owlks did have writing, but it was clear that visual story telling was much more important to their culture so we got to see for ourselves what they went through. Seeing the prisoner at the end would not have hit so hard had we just read about them.