As for the "embarrassed" part, in the past, I think Luffy had no motivations other than going with the flow. He's recognizing Zoro's ambition to be the greatest and saying yeah if I'm going to be the Pirate King you'd better be the greatest! But it sounded cool to say, too. Obviously if Zoro doesn't make it -- as long as he keeps fighting his hardest to get there, that's okay by Luffy.
That statement making Zoro feel bad? Is all due to Zoro's perspective and how heavily he holds his own promises. Like he feels Luffy would be embarrassed but--it's on him to fix that. I suppose what I mean to say is that, insofar as Zoro's characterization, I don't think that it's a bad thing that he uses that to spur him on and that is a motivation which changes in any case. He's basically saying sorry I screwed up but next time I'll do better. Luffy at that point isn't going with Zoro's flow because he's too wrapped up in worry and so all he does is smile at Zoro's promise and then say hehe nope! When Zoro asks if he has a problem.
I don't think that Zoro is treated any differently than the others in terms of joining up. Luffy asked him to join up when he was still tied up, after all. He didn't know the strength of Zoro's swords, just the strength of his ambition...and as I said, going with the flow.
I agree that Luffy treats Zoro differently, but he treats everyone differently according to who they are and how they interact with him. Right at this very moment, Zoro and Luffy have the deepest connection because they have been together so long and on terms of ambition and pressing forward, they think the same.
So yes, right now, we'll say their connection stands at 9 while all the others are about at a 2.
But as the series progresses, everyone gains a deep connection of about 9 in different ways according to how Luffy feels about them and they feel about Luffy. In Luffy's perspective, he gets from each of them what he can't get from the other. Like, Zoro and Luffy understand each other without words, but Zoro is less likely to hunt for bugs with him or tell him stories, like Usopp.
To Sum Up: Luffy saying he would be embarrassed was him being pulled into Zoro's tough guy serious mode. It's tough guy banter and he means it because he believes in the strength of Zoro's ambition and his own desire to reach there.
As for why Luffy doesn't name Zoro first mate officially, he doesn't really need to. Because I think over time it's a role Zoro fills into without really knowing/acknowledging it. I'll go through and look out for it more and point out 'first mate' instances as the story progresses but I think in this instance it's more in how he views himself and how the crew view him.
For promises being meaningless... I think there is this expectation that because this is a shonen, the characters have to be perfect and do just what they say. But everyone is "human" in OP so they are allowed to succeed and fail and it allows for plots to change on a dime and for expectations to be flounced.
I do think the Christian Symbolism is largely coincidental XD But I agree in what Luffy represents-- but that is not until a little later.
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Date: 2014-08-30 10:08 pm (UTC)That statement making Zoro feel bad? Is all due to Zoro's perspective and how heavily he holds his own promises. Like he feels Luffy would be embarrassed but--it's on him to fix that. I suppose what I mean to say is that, insofar as Zoro's characterization, I don't think that it's a bad thing that he uses that to spur him on and that is a motivation which changes in any case. He's basically saying sorry I screwed up but next time I'll do better. Luffy at that point isn't going with Zoro's flow because he's too wrapped up in worry and so all he does is smile at Zoro's promise and then say hehe nope! When Zoro asks if he has a problem.
I don't think that Zoro is treated any differently than the others in terms of joining up. Luffy asked him to join up when he was still tied up, after all. He didn't know the strength of Zoro's swords, just the strength of his ambition...and as I said, going with the flow.
I agree that Luffy treats Zoro differently, but he treats everyone differently according to who they are and how they interact with him. Right at this very moment, Zoro and Luffy have the deepest connection because they have been together so long and on terms of ambition and pressing forward, they think the same.
So yes, right now, we'll say their connection stands at 9 while all the others are about at a 2.
But as the series progresses, everyone gains a deep connection of about 9 in different ways according to how Luffy feels about them and they feel about Luffy. In Luffy's perspective, he gets from each of them what he can't get from the other. Like, Zoro and Luffy understand each other without words, but Zoro is less likely to hunt for bugs with him or tell him stories, like Usopp.
To Sum Up: Luffy saying he would be embarrassed was him being pulled into Zoro's tough guy serious mode. It's tough guy banter and he means it because he believes in the strength of Zoro's ambition and his own desire to reach there.
As for why Luffy doesn't name Zoro first mate officially, he doesn't really need to. Because I think over time it's a role Zoro fills into without really knowing/acknowledging it. I'll go through and look out for it more and point out 'first mate' instances as the story progresses but I think in this instance it's more in how he views himself and how the crew view him.
For promises being meaningless... I think there is this expectation that because this is a shonen, the characters have to be perfect and do just what they say. But everyone is "human" in OP so they are allowed to succeed and fail and it allows for plots to change on a dime and for expectations to be flounced.
I do think the Christian Symbolism is largely coincidental XD But I agree in what Luffy represents-- but that is not until a little later.