#-izes an ability to connect as in order to fully understand/attain freedom. genuine liberation. & like come marineford i think the way

[fiapple]

okay, i'm a good part of the way through impel down, & i'd like to say that it has made me fall in love with ace as a character. i really appreciate the way it adds depth to his prior characterization while also allowing us to look into a behavioural pattern for him that breaks from it. i love how subtlety the difference between how he views his mum & dad is introduced (paraphrasing again but "I owe a lot to the name portgas. i got it from my mother." is such a beautiful line to me for some reason?) & the way he claims whitebeard as his father & everything that distinction means to him, his entire conversation with garp, just how deep his awareness is on an emotional level that he is someone society rejected before he even took his firt breath & how that informs both his worldview & self-perception. the way it informs how he attachs to people. the way that informs how he's attached to luffy & whitebeard. his snarky but heartfelt bond with jimbei- the way jimbei then relates that to whitebeard, which then relates back to ace. the way he gave luffy his vivre card not to save him, but find him as an equal- but of course luffy is coming for him anyway. ace isn't surprised, he knows luffy, but his first response is to be afraid. to want luffy not to come because it's dangerous even if his escape could stop a war. in spite of the fact that he'd just asked garp to kill him for just that purpose. the constant contrast between the bitter & the tender, the brutal & the gentle. the way this reinforces the sun imagery, religous imagery, & the inital symbol of the crew ace comitted himself to meaning peace on a crew that bases itself around care. the way all of this has made ace the man he is & he knows it & he wants to die to protect it, but not at the expense of anyone he cares for- he doesnt deserve it. he's thematically fucking beautiful. & i'm so excited to see this built upon for all i know it is going to fucking hurt.