Chapter 2: They Call Him Strawhat Luffy
Apr. 16th, 2013 03:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
we_areAlvida Arc
While I call the Alvida arc the Alvida arc, it's very much focused on telling us about Luffy, though mostly through the eyes of another. For those writerly types, this chapter is a great example of show, don't tell. (in fact, much of One Piece is).
We start right off with a cute Luffy grin! Abububu. Oh...and some nifty foreshadowing
Or--considering there's a huge whirlpool that he's currently getting sucked into, really freakin quick foreshadowing. I'm just gonna let Luffy tell this part of the story himself.
So, right off the bat, what does this show us? (other than Luffy being absolutely adorbs) Quite simply, that he is probably facing certain death in the maw of a huge whirlpool and--not seeming particularly concerned about it! Note, this is not because he is stupid. He very much knows what kind of fate awaits him as evidenced in the lower right panel. Additionally, something has changed in 10 years. Let's go back to where we first saw him face certain death:
Granted, he is actively drowning here. But one of these things is not like the other. It is a similar situation. Luffy is going to drown, there is no one (he can see) that is around to save him, and he's reduced to a state of sheer panic.
Something must have happened in the 10 year interim. Hmmm.
And then we cut to the villain of this arc, Alvida.
So, going on show don't tell. What can we see about Alvida, other than the fact that she is a woman and could possibly be gorgeous.
She doesn't like things not meeting her standards and she is terrifying and quite brutal.
We quickly learn that this, indeed the case and we get a glimpse of the second major character in this arc, Coby. Before we get into him, however it is important to note that Alvida isn't terribly important in this arc, other than for two reasons.
Reason Numero Uno: This is Oda setting the template for a villain. And so far, she is rather a typical villain. Short-tempered, obsessed with perfection, but also demands to be told of her own beauty rather than exemplifying it.
Reason Numero Dos: Remember that harsh world of the high seas Shanks was worried about? Yeah. This is it. This will become better exemplified later on in the chapter but suffice to say, not all pirates are fun and games and adventure.
Now on to Coby. Keep that panel in mind, and then feast your eyes on these panels:
So what do we see of Coby? He's absolutely miserable but does whatever Alvida wants because he's absolutely terrified of her as most of her men are. He is her doormat. But is incredibly alone and incredibly sad and hopeless. He hates this and everything he does for her.
While this is integral to Coby's characterization and development later on, it is mostly used to show Luffy's character.
Speaking of Luffy, where is he? This series is about him, right?
Why, hello barrel that looks oddly similar to one that we saw sitting ever so innocently on Luffy's boat. Whatever in the world could be inside you!
Of course we know. We further see how the men under Alvida's command don't have much respect for Coby and also treat him as a doormat, knowing he won't tell Alvida what went down after they snitch some sake. So here they are, trying to be all secret and:
They are flagged by a Monkey in a barrel!
Well, hello, Luffy. What can be seen from this page? 1. Never trust an innocent barrel and 2. Luffy is laughing at the thought that he was about to die. HMMM. Also funny Luffy expression time:
Dat look. He's just like: The hell is wrong with you? In another moment of small but hilarious characterization. Luffy, much like everyone else, doesn't think anything he does is weird. But in his case, thinks it's weird when other people think it's weird. In other words, he is so confident in who he is, he doesn't really care what other people think.
Alvida hears this and attacks her men and leads to another interesting character point for her and villains in general:
She likes to be in complete control of her guys and won't tolerate any kind of disobedience. Her power structure is rooted in intimidation and fear. This is something we will see again and again, particularly in the pre Grand Line villains.
Alivda's men tell her of the intruder and she thinks it is perhaps it is badass bounty hunter extraordinaire, Roronoa Zoro.
Now, for those of us who have read ahead; we can't help but think: lawl, Zoro. Boneheaded? Yes. Evil? Not so much. But pretend you know nothing about him and you see that Oda has thrown you a really neat curve ball that will come to play in the next arc.
All we know about Zoro is that he is evil-- No, that Alivda says he is evil. To be fair, it's quite easy to believe that a brutal woman calling someone else evil must mean they are pretty evil. But how much do we know how much she knows about him? Also, you have to ask yourself-- whose perspective is this from. Alvida is a pirate. Zoro makes a living by hunting pirates. Does that make him evil if he hunts pirates who bully others?
Is this a hint of the theme: Don't judge by appearances/hearsay? You bet your boots it is!
I will try not to let this devolve into cute Luffy expression theater, but look at that smile! That pout! It's so adorbs! Also again emphasizing his character. He's pretty blasé about the almost dying thing, and while admitting the whirlpool was scary, is ready to keep on going.
Also we find out that while Luffy is a rather straightforward individual, Coby is secretive, though largely out of necessity, and just wants to run away. Also, Coby bb, when Luffy calls your boat a coffin, you might want to rethink your choices.
Okay, the next page is pretty significant in a lot of ways and different forms. So let's cut it up into bite sized pieces.
So characterization present here!
Coby: What we have suspected and been shown all this time is finally emphasized by Coby speaking it outright. He is way too afraid to go against Alvida, even though there is something he really wants to do. He has resigned himself to this fate, in fact, even if it makes him miserable.
Luffy: Gives advice as bluntly as a hammer. And it also shows his philosophy. If you want something, go get it.
Before we get into characterization here, a brief aside. This is another example of how brutal the pirate world can be. Coby did nothing but walk onto the wrong ship and he has been miserable and facing death for two years. Misteps and mistakes can go a long way to changing your life for the worst. Note that he didn't have to work hard in order to not get beat up, but to stay alive.
For characterization:
Coby, unlike Luffy, is afraid of death. Afraid of it enough that he would rather live in abject misery than fight for his freedom and his dream.
Luffy, calls 'em how he sees 'em.
Luffy doesn't like wimps. But let's look at what he means here. How does he define wimp? Someone who doesn't fight, despite wanting to, and being a doormat for others.
Coby is stung. He has probably though this many times himself and he wants to be brave enough to go on his own but is too afraid to reach for that dream even as he asks for Luffy's.
Yeah, yeah, we already know this. But I couldn't not put up that grin! Look at it! Abububu.
Coby points out that he'll be facing tons of danger because everyone else is going after the One Piece and is he crazy? And then just kind of flips the hell out.
Now, just to look at it from Coby's characterization, this thought scares the shit out of him. He is such a wimp that even other people reaching for such a goal scares him. But looking at it pulled back, he is insulting Luffy's dream and ability to make it. It's no wonder Luffy conks him one.
“I won't hit you, Coby” indeed.
And then we hear something else that we've long suspected...
Coby continues to be a doormat, shrinking back rather than standing up for himself--
But more importantly, Luffy is not afraid of dying. Again, this just emphasizes the point we were shown before.
Firstly, this right here is the core of Luffy's character. He follows his dream and doesn't mind dying for it. And this is inspired by the strength he received from someone else, that is Shanks. Even though Shanks did nothing to further his dream except show faith in his ability (and, well, saving his life)-- it also shows how Luffy inspires others around him.
Remember the theme: know what you're getting into? Yeah, that. Luffy knows it's going to be hard. He doesn't care. He's under no impression that this will be easy. But that doesn't matter because he's already made his resolution to do or die.
You can also see the start of Coby's transformation here. He'd never thought of risking his life for his dream and just that he thought of it foreshadows his eventual strength.
This shows a further transformation from something other than doormat. Even though his dream will end up with him going against Luffy, someone who might hit him again--and even if not that, someone he likes, he boldly states it.
With this we see that Coby has to go entirely on the strength of his own ambition. Luffy doesn't say, sure he will! Mostly because it's not something he can predict. Coby has to forge his own way and gain his own confidence--and you can see his strength grow despite the fact that Luffy didn't assure him.
Then enter Alvida who smashes his boat, controlling through terror once again. Luffy asks who the hell she is, everyone freaks out, afraid of her temper and Coby starts to try and get Luffy to say that she is beautiful-- but then of course remembers what he himself just said about his dream and stands up to her for the first time.
And it's no small thing either. Look at how huge and imposing Alvida is against the sky, so much taller than Coby and how scrawny she looks. And even though she screams at him and he screams, he's still set his course and will sail it even if it terrifies him. (something we will see echoed much later)
Luffy, by the by, thinks this is the shit. Oh, Lu, never change.
Characterization point and also clarification. To Luffy, a wimp is not someone who can't fight, but someone who won't try. But he is more than willing to fight for someone who is trying to fight for themselves but for whatever reason aren't strong enough to combat the antagonist on their own.
This is actually a callback you can see to Shanks. If Luffy had just defended Coby from the get-go, without Coby trying and stating his own dream--what would Coby have learned but to rely on others? Likewise, if Shanks had taken Luffy to sea when Luffy thought it was all fun and games, how would Luffy know better when his own time came?
This also cements that Luffy is not a White Knight. He is no hero. Rather he is someone who fights where he wants to fight because he feels like fighting.
At any rate, Alvida attacks Luffy using bludgeon. It's super ineffective. We learn that Alvida speaks tough but against Luffy she is barely a speck in the wind.
Aw, yeah, Lu! You tell 'em! This is not exactly Conquerors Haki because these guys are wimps as shown by how easily they acquiesce when the monster in their lives was beaten by a stronger monster-- but it certainly shows Luffy's confidence. He's going to have things his way whether they like it or not. And, note, he doesn't take any more than they need. Also, rather than becoming a hero, he is the defender of Coby's dreams. Part of his character theme that we'll see again and again and will have greater significance later.
Just, their faces. Abububu. I love Luffy grins. Now that the tense situation is over, he can smile! Also Coby's utter relief and gratefulness. He is finally free. He has hope. It's such a small expression but it means so much.
So they head off to the marine base so Coby can join, two boys in a small boat. Luffy says he's heading toward the Grand Line and we establish what a scary place that is. (haha remember the days?) Luffy says he will need a strong crew and he says that he's thinking of picking up Zoro.
Huge characterization point here. IF Zoro is a good guy, Luffy will ask him to join. He doesn't know if Zoro is good or bad yet. But rather than listening to hearsay and assuming how Zoro will be-- he is going to find out for himself.
So to sum up:
Themes
Don't judge by appearances/hearsay.
Alivda looks strong. Is she? Not compared to Luffy.
Zoro is evil. Is he? Lawl. Not really.
Know what you're getting into/the sea is a dangerous place/actions=consequences
Luffy knows what he's getting into, knows the sea is dangerous and that he can't predict it but accepts the consequence of fighting hard for his dream and maybe dying.
Coby made one little misstep and it got him into a world of hurt. Was it his fault? No. But the sea can be unexpectedly brutal.
Also a new theme!
True strength comes not from physical blows, but standing up for yourself even when you are afraid.
Characterization
Alvida: A perfectionist bully who controls using terror and violence. Also fairly arrogant but continually demands to be affirmed by her crew. An example of a bad pirate and also a bad captain as we'll see later. While her appearance is something I want to touch on, I will be touching on that when she reappears in Lougetown.
Coby: Wimpy doormat who finds his courage when he sets his course and decides to sail it. Could he have done it alone? Maybe not! All he needed was a little push from someone else. A chance to see that there were other options for him to take if he chose it. This will come up again and again as well.
Luffy: A really happy guy! No really. Do you know how much he grins? A freaking lot! He loves his life completely and the adventure that he's on. He loves it despite almost dying because he's not afraid of dying in pursuit of his dream. He is utterly confident in his own abilities and his own thoughts and can't stand doormats who won't even take a stand against people that abuse them. (Which, in fact, is a callback to him being mad at Shanks) But once they do take a stand, he will fight for them if they are not strong enough to fight themselves. He also does not judge by appearances but by actions. No one can tell Luffy anything about someone, he makes his own decisions. He knows when to be serious when it calls for it and when to just laugh something off.
Also a core theme of Luffy's characterization is that he empowers people to follow their dreams. He doesn't hold their hand, but he kicks down the wall in their way so that they can choose to go down that path. It is a step further than Shanks' own empowering by belief. We will see this constantly as well, especially as Luffy gathers crew.
Manga vs. Anime
I'll be brief here, since I already covered the anime version of this. (And anime sections will likely always be brief) The two are more or less similar, other than the inclusion of Nami. I don't really see anything wrong with that since, well, the episode would have been short. The only touchy thing I have is that Luffy broke the blades--which--uh how? Otherwise it was a good adaptation.
While I call the Alvida arc the Alvida arc, it's very much focused on telling us about Luffy, though mostly through the eyes of another. For those writerly types, this chapter is a great example of show, don't tell. (in fact, much of One Piece is).
We start right off with a cute Luffy grin! Abububu. Oh...and some nifty foreshadowing
Or--considering there's a huge whirlpool that he's currently getting sucked into, really freakin quick foreshadowing. I'm just gonna let Luffy tell this part of the story himself.
So, right off the bat, what does this show us? (other than Luffy being absolutely adorbs) Quite simply, that he is probably facing certain death in the maw of a huge whirlpool and--not seeming particularly concerned about it! Note, this is not because he is stupid. He very much knows what kind of fate awaits him as evidenced in the lower right panel. Additionally, something has changed in 10 years. Let's go back to where we first saw him face certain death:
Granted, he is actively drowning here. But one of these things is not like the other. It is a similar situation. Luffy is going to drown, there is no one (he can see) that is around to save him, and he's reduced to a state of sheer panic.
Something must have happened in the 10 year interim. Hmmm.
And then we cut to the villain of this arc, Alvida.
So, going on show don't tell. What can we see about Alvida, other than the fact that she is a woman and could possibly be gorgeous.
She doesn't like things not meeting her standards and she is terrifying and quite brutal.
We quickly learn that this, indeed the case and we get a glimpse of the second major character in this arc, Coby. Before we get into him, however it is important to note that Alvida isn't terribly important in this arc, other than for two reasons.
Reason Numero Uno: This is Oda setting the template for a villain. And so far, she is rather a typical villain. Short-tempered, obsessed with perfection, but also demands to be told of her own beauty rather than exemplifying it.
Reason Numero Dos: Remember that harsh world of the high seas Shanks was worried about? Yeah. This is it. This will become better exemplified later on in the chapter but suffice to say, not all pirates are fun and games and adventure.
Now on to Coby. Keep that panel in mind, and then feast your eyes on these panels:
So what do we see of Coby? He's absolutely miserable but does whatever Alvida wants because he's absolutely terrified of her as most of her men are. He is her doormat. But is incredibly alone and incredibly sad and hopeless. He hates this and everything he does for her.
While this is integral to Coby's characterization and development later on, it is mostly used to show Luffy's character.
Speaking of Luffy, where is he? This series is about him, right?
Why, hello barrel that looks oddly similar to one that we saw sitting ever so innocently on Luffy's boat. Whatever in the world could be inside you!
Of course we know. We further see how the men under Alvida's command don't have much respect for Coby and also treat him as a doormat, knowing he won't tell Alvida what went down after they snitch some sake. So here they are, trying to be all secret and:
They are flagged by a Monkey in a barrel!
Well, hello, Luffy. What can be seen from this page? 1. Never trust an innocent barrel and 2. Luffy is laughing at the thought that he was about to die. HMMM. Also funny Luffy expression time:
Dat look. He's just like: The hell is wrong with you? In another moment of small but hilarious characterization. Luffy, much like everyone else, doesn't think anything he does is weird. But in his case, thinks it's weird when other people think it's weird. In other words, he is so confident in who he is, he doesn't really care what other people think.
Alvida hears this and attacks her men and leads to another interesting character point for her and villains in general:
She likes to be in complete control of her guys and won't tolerate any kind of disobedience. Her power structure is rooted in intimidation and fear. This is something we will see again and again, particularly in the pre Grand Line villains.
Alivda's men tell her of the intruder and she thinks it is perhaps it is badass bounty hunter extraordinaire, Roronoa Zoro.
Now, for those of us who have read ahead; we can't help but think: lawl, Zoro. Boneheaded? Yes. Evil? Not so much. But pretend you know nothing about him and you see that Oda has thrown you a really neat curve ball that will come to play in the next arc.
All we know about Zoro is that he is evil-- No, that Alivda says he is evil. To be fair, it's quite easy to believe that a brutal woman calling someone else evil must mean they are pretty evil. But how much do we know how much she knows about him? Also, you have to ask yourself-- whose perspective is this from. Alvida is a pirate. Zoro makes a living by hunting pirates. Does that make him evil if he hunts pirates who bully others?
Is this a hint of the theme: Don't judge by appearances/hearsay? You bet your boots it is!
I will try not to let this devolve into cute Luffy expression theater, but look at that smile! That pout! It's so adorbs! Also again emphasizing his character. He's pretty blasé about the almost dying thing, and while admitting the whirlpool was scary, is ready to keep on going.
Also we find out that while Luffy is a rather straightforward individual, Coby is secretive, though largely out of necessity, and just wants to run away. Also, Coby bb, when Luffy calls your boat a coffin, you might want to rethink your choices.
Okay, the next page is pretty significant in a lot of ways and different forms. So let's cut it up into bite sized pieces.
So characterization present here!
Coby: What we have suspected and been shown all this time is finally emphasized by Coby speaking it outright. He is way too afraid to go against Alvida, even though there is something he really wants to do. He has resigned himself to this fate, in fact, even if it makes him miserable.
Luffy: Gives advice as bluntly as a hammer. And it also shows his philosophy. If you want something, go get it.
Before we get into characterization here, a brief aside. This is another example of how brutal the pirate world can be. Coby did nothing but walk onto the wrong ship and he has been miserable and facing death for two years. Misteps and mistakes can go a long way to changing your life for the worst. Note that he didn't have to work hard in order to not get beat up, but to stay alive.
For characterization:
Coby, unlike Luffy, is afraid of death. Afraid of it enough that he would rather live in abject misery than fight for his freedom and his dream.
Luffy, calls 'em how he sees 'em.
Luffy doesn't like wimps. But let's look at what he means here. How does he define wimp? Someone who doesn't fight, despite wanting to, and being a doormat for others.
Coby is stung. He has probably though this many times himself and he wants to be brave enough to go on his own but is too afraid to reach for that dream even as he asks for Luffy's.
Yeah, yeah, we already know this. But I couldn't not put up that grin! Look at it! Abububu.
Coby points out that he'll be facing tons of danger because everyone else is going after the One Piece and is he crazy? And then just kind of flips the hell out.
Now, just to look at it from Coby's characterization, this thought scares the shit out of him. He is such a wimp that even other people reaching for such a goal scares him. But looking at it pulled back, he is insulting Luffy's dream and ability to make it. It's no wonder Luffy conks him one.
“I won't hit you, Coby” indeed.
And then we hear something else that we've long suspected...
Coby continues to be a doormat, shrinking back rather than standing up for himself--
But more importantly, Luffy is not afraid of dying. Again, this just emphasizes the point we were shown before.
Firstly, this right here is the core of Luffy's character. He follows his dream and doesn't mind dying for it. And this is inspired by the strength he received from someone else, that is Shanks. Even though Shanks did nothing to further his dream except show faith in his ability (and, well, saving his life)-- it also shows how Luffy inspires others around him.
Remember the theme: know what you're getting into? Yeah, that. Luffy knows it's going to be hard. He doesn't care. He's under no impression that this will be easy. But that doesn't matter because he's already made his resolution to do or die.
You can also see the start of Coby's transformation here. He'd never thought of risking his life for his dream and just that he thought of it foreshadows his eventual strength.
This shows a further transformation from something other than doormat. Even though his dream will end up with him going against Luffy, someone who might hit him again--and even if not that, someone he likes, he boldly states it.
With this we see that Coby has to go entirely on the strength of his own ambition. Luffy doesn't say, sure he will! Mostly because it's not something he can predict. Coby has to forge his own way and gain his own confidence--and you can see his strength grow despite the fact that Luffy didn't assure him.
Then enter Alvida who smashes his boat, controlling through terror once again. Luffy asks who the hell she is, everyone freaks out, afraid of her temper and Coby starts to try and get Luffy to say that she is beautiful-- but then of course remembers what he himself just said about his dream and stands up to her for the first time.
And it's no small thing either. Look at how huge and imposing Alvida is against the sky, so much taller than Coby and how scrawny she looks. And even though she screams at him and he screams, he's still set his course and will sail it even if it terrifies him. (something we will see echoed much later)
Luffy, by the by, thinks this is the shit. Oh, Lu, never change.
Characterization point and also clarification. To Luffy, a wimp is not someone who can't fight, but someone who won't try. But he is more than willing to fight for someone who is trying to fight for themselves but for whatever reason aren't strong enough to combat the antagonist on their own.
This is actually a callback you can see to Shanks. If Luffy had just defended Coby from the get-go, without Coby trying and stating his own dream--what would Coby have learned but to rely on others? Likewise, if Shanks had taken Luffy to sea when Luffy thought it was all fun and games, how would Luffy know better when his own time came?
This also cements that Luffy is not a White Knight. He is no hero. Rather he is someone who fights where he wants to fight because he feels like fighting.
At any rate, Alvida attacks Luffy using bludgeon. It's super ineffective. We learn that Alvida speaks tough but against Luffy she is barely a speck in the wind.
Aw, yeah, Lu! You tell 'em! This is not exactly Conquerors Haki because these guys are wimps as shown by how easily they acquiesce when the monster in their lives was beaten by a stronger monster-- but it certainly shows Luffy's confidence. He's going to have things his way whether they like it or not. And, note, he doesn't take any more than they need. Also, rather than becoming a hero, he is the defender of Coby's dreams. Part of his character theme that we'll see again and again and will have greater significance later.
Just, their faces. Abububu. I love Luffy grins. Now that the tense situation is over, he can smile! Also Coby's utter relief and gratefulness. He is finally free. He has hope. It's such a small expression but it means so much.
So they head off to the marine base so Coby can join, two boys in a small boat. Luffy says he's heading toward the Grand Line and we establish what a scary place that is. (haha remember the days?) Luffy says he will need a strong crew and he says that he's thinking of picking up Zoro.
Huge characterization point here. IF Zoro is a good guy, Luffy will ask him to join. He doesn't know if Zoro is good or bad yet. But rather than listening to hearsay and assuming how Zoro will be-- he is going to find out for himself.
So to sum up:
Themes
Don't judge by appearances/hearsay.
Alivda looks strong. Is she? Not compared to Luffy.
Zoro is evil. Is he? Lawl. Not really.
Know what you're getting into/the sea is a dangerous place/actions=consequences
Luffy knows what he's getting into, knows the sea is dangerous and that he can't predict it but accepts the consequence of fighting hard for his dream and maybe dying.
Coby made one little misstep and it got him into a world of hurt. Was it his fault? No. But the sea can be unexpectedly brutal.
Also a new theme!
True strength comes not from physical blows, but standing up for yourself even when you are afraid.
Characterization
Alvida: A perfectionist bully who controls using terror and violence. Also fairly arrogant but continually demands to be affirmed by her crew. An example of a bad pirate and also a bad captain as we'll see later. While her appearance is something I want to touch on, I will be touching on that when she reappears in Lougetown.
Coby: Wimpy doormat who finds his courage when he sets his course and decides to sail it. Could he have done it alone? Maybe not! All he needed was a little push from someone else. A chance to see that there were other options for him to take if he chose it. This will come up again and again as well.
Luffy: A really happy guy! No really. Do you know how much he grins? A freaking lot! He loves his life completely and the adventure that he's on. He loves it despite almost dying because he's not afraid of dying in pursuit of his dream. He is utterly confident in his own abilities and his own thoughts and can't stand doormats who won't even take a stand against people that abuse them. (Which, in fact, is a callback to him being mad at Shanks) But once they do take a stand, he will fight for them if they are not strong enough to fight themselves. He also does not judge by appearances but by actions. No one can tell Luffy anything about someone, he makes his own decisions. He knows when to be serious when it calls for it and when to just laugh something off.
Also a core theme of Luffy's characterization is that he empowers people to follow their dreams. He doesn't hold their hand, but he kicks down the wall in their way so that they can choose to go down that path. It is a step further than Shanks' own empowering by belief. We will see this constantly as well, especially as Luffy gathers crew.
Manga vs. Anime
I'll be brief here, since I already covered the anime version of this. (And anime sections will likely always be brief) The two are more or less similar, other than the inclusion of Nami. I don't really see anything wrong with that since, well, the episode would have been short. The only touchy thing I have is that Luffy broke the blades--which--uh how? Otherwise it was a good adaptation.
