#2. live-action characters

[aangarchy]

Y'ALL

Now THIS is the first look they should have given us from the start. Not those bad photoshopped pictures with generic backgrounds. At least here we see the costumes come to their full potential!

[revasserium]

i’m CRAVING a sanji fic rn 🤤🤤

maybe something on showing affection with him? cause i feel like he’s kinda superficial with his affection when first trying to get with u, but then as the relationship progresses the affection becomes so much more.

well ur in luck bc i do have a sanji fic cookin currently but who knows how long it'll take me to actually finish... in the meantime... here are some sanji domestic/affectionate!headcanons bc why not

in the beginning, it would be the grand gestures -- always waking you up with a kiss and coffee (or tea, if you're sick, or just don't feel like coffee that day) and your favorite foods; a bouquet of fresh flowers (do not ask him how he obtains these in the middle of the ocean; he will not tell you and robin remarks loftily one day that you might not like the answer)

in the beginning, he'd tell you he loves you every single hour, lest you forget for even a minute, even though it's only been like... a week and you're not entirely sure what "love" means quite yet

and then, it'd taper off, not because the 'honeymoon phase' is over, but because he'd find other ways to show you -- other ways of tellin you he loves you without telling you in so many words

there's still breakfast, but sometimes instead of coffee or tea, there's a book that you mentioned you'd been wanting to read, there's an origami crane folded out of the napkin with such excruciating care it almost breaks your heart, there's a note written in his sloppy, slanted handwriting that he dreamt of you last night and couldn't figure out if he wanted to wake up to tell you or keep sleeping not to break the fragile dream

and the "i love you"s become something else too -- they become "how did you sleep, love?" and "i knew you'd be craving that" and "c'mon, drink up -- there's more where that came from" and "tell me about your dreams" and "funny, those sound an awful lot like my dreams too".

it'd solidify, this kind of love -- his kind of love -- into something much quieter than anyone might suspect. this kind of love that simmers, the kind of love that curls around you like a hot bath, that draws you in

it's the way he always saves the wishbone whenver he cooks up any kind of bird, how he always waits till everything is done and the kitchen's all cleaned up before pulling you toward the counter, to the tiny little bone with it's winged flanges, him holding one end, the other offered out like a promise (or a wish)

you've pulled so many between you that you've lost count of how many wishes you've made, until you're laughing and complaining that you're running out of things to wish for

"what do you wish for?" you ask one day, when you've tugged and sanji gets the wish, to which he only looks at you and says, "always the same thing, actually. always... just another day with you."

[wesleysniperking]

It would break my heart…

…If for some reason the chemistry among the East Blue 5 cast were to start fading, I don't mean to be negative, but I don't know... this is just one of my concerns.

I'm concerned that as the second season progresses and more characters are added to the show, there may be so many changes that the dynamic starts to fade. Unfortunately, I worry that Jacob Gibson could end up losing popularity and positive feedback from fans. It seems to me that in shows with diverse casts, the black characters are often sidelined and to see it happen again would be disheartening. It's important for everyone to be represented fairly.

And I want to express this sincerely—this has been weighing on my mind for a while now. People praise One Piece LA while also pointing out its flaws (which is totally fine), but I believe that Jacob now bears a lot of responsibility given the current negative reception of (anime/manga) Usopp within the fandom as a whole, which is disheartening and can be quite hurtful (especially considering the double standards). It seems that Oda’s world-building has somewhat contributed to the Usopp hate (and feeling left behind)…and while people may disagree, having more cast members and additional Straw Hats will inevitably involve some trade-offs. It's a matter of balancing money, quality, or time for pretty much everything.

Right now, everything seems great and everyone is happy, but I'm worried about what might happen in the future. Online, people often avoid discussing these issues because the internet is an escape for them, and escapism is a natural part of being human. However, I hope I'm proven wrong. Generally, the second season of live-action shows is better than the first, but then the quality tends to decline. Despite this, I will continue to be a fan of One Piece because it's something I enjoy discussing and experiencing. Therefore, I'll keep doing what I've been doing - supporting Usopp, engaging in debates, blogging, analyzing, and keeping hope alive.

‘Just needed to put my thoughts somewhere.

Usopp fan club (feel free to join)

[goingbuggy]

Although I absolutely loved episode 2 because of how Jeff Ward and the writers portrayed a different side of Buggy, if there's one thing that I didn't like, it's this line:

In Orange Town, Buggy's reasons for why he wants to enter the Grand Line are kept purposefully vague. It is clear that he wants the "world's treasure/all the treasure in the world," but not once does Buggy outright state that he wants A.) the One Piece, and B.) to be Pirate King.

Of course, after 1082, we know that being Pirate King has been his dream all along, and these manga panels do let readers form their own conclusions. (i.e. If Buggy wants "all the treasure in the world," does that mean he knows and wants to find the One Piece, too? Oda encourages us to ask these questions.)

I don't believe the live action adaptation will reach as far as 1082, unfortunately; it would be nice if it did, but there is a lot getting in the way. However, the writing decision to jump the gun and just have Buggy claim to want to be king.... totally undermines the impact of 1082. Buggy never believed in himself. Even though he desperately wanted to be king, it was the one thing he could not bring himself to say explicitly until 1082.

There are so many throwaway lines in Orange Town which imply Buggy sees himself as incapable/inferior. Take his "Pirate God" comment, for example. He underestimates Luffy, yes, but the impact of that line -- "If you are the next Pirate King, then I must be Pirate God" -- also serves to underestimate himself. Of course he's not a god; he's not claiming to be. He is belittling them both. "If someone as little as you can become king, then I can be god," is what he's really saying, which implies that he, too, is lesser. Buggy talks himself down in subtleties because he needs to maintain his facade, for his crew's sake and his own.

That is why it is so inspiring and emotional to see Buggy finally admit his real dream in 1082 -- one, because it was only ever (at most) implied before, and two, because as a character, we realize he was too insecure to achieve that dream before this point in the story. Buggy talks a big game, but it was not until he recognized he was on equal footing with Shanks that he realized he could finally go after his own dream. By 1082, he is not just a former warlord, but a man with massive influence. He's a goddamn emperor! For an insecure character, realizing you have power is a hell of a motivator.

Buggy has no real reason to outright claim the title of king yet. It just... doesn't work from a narrative standpoint, given where we are in East Blue. And for that, I am a little disappointed. Feel free to give your own thoughts, though!

[returquoise]

ATLALA, aka Avatar the Last Airbender Live Action

Sooooo, I finished the first season and had thoughts (just like everyone else lol). First context, non-spoilery thoughts, and then spoilers under the cut, yadda-yadda.

Why context? Because for a lot of people OG ATLA was their childhood, and they have super strong feelings about it and about any adaptation that exists. I'm not one of those people.

The first time I watched OG ATLA I was over 20 years old, which means I was an adult and had adult viewpoints about the story – worldbuilding, character writing, etc. It was never the hallowed most perfect show ever for me. It was and still is a fucking good show with some amazing writing and worldbuilding but I did have some gripes.

So when ATLALA was announced I remained neutral – I've seen the movie that shall not be named and din't really like it but shitty adaptations have always existed. When we started getting photos and trailers and news pieces, I was feeling pretty positive about the visuals, but neither news pieces or trailers actually tell you shit about what the writing or worldbuilding is like. However, I was about 70% optimistic.

Because what indications I did get about visuals, writing etc, were very reminiscent of another adaptation that had come out recently, about a series that was actually a bit more important to me on an emotional than ATLA. I'm talking about One Piece, and OPLA which came out last August. I've been a fan of that for 10 years longer than ATLA, and while they did a lot of changes, the spirit of the story was there.

So I copied my optimism and good feelings from that, going into ATLALA.

Now, the thoughts.

Visuals are pretty good. There are moments when I can tell they left some visuals out due to trickiness/budget (the "is Zuko's ship real?" review after the premiere). Some things look fake or plasticy, some stuff is too clean. Bending looks a lot better than in the movie that shall not be named.

Writing has issues. Some of it is very expositiony which makes it wooden and the shots uninteresting (there were so many badly framed shots with characters just awkwardly standing and talking). There are some lovely bits of dialogue that gave me feelings, but those moments were in the minority. And some writing choices were also quite childish, even for an adaptation of a kids' cartoon, so I'm a bit confused about the intended age demographic – except there are some really violent bits in there, which leave me even more confused.

Pacing was either frantic or okay-ish. The writers clearly had trouble paring down the OG series, and then ended up cramming stuff together. I could keep up with it (knowing what certain characters roughly meant for the plot, even if they were at a different place and time), but I'm not quite sure if someone uninitiated in the OG series could. The last 2 episodes had probably the best pacing and even then there were some things that made me go "hmmm."

Some actors have issues emoting – main and extras. I agree that the Gaang has lost some of their flaws compared to the OG series. Maybe some of them will make more of an appearance in season two when everyone's more experienced at acting? Especially considering that they'll likely have stuff more spaced out there – there are some episodes I'm pretty sure they'll outright skip, just based on the choices in this season. But we'll see. There were some fun and interesting bonding moments between different characters.

Sokka, Zuko, and Suki were the standouts from the younger cast. Suki is considerably different from the OG but it was acted and written well, and is an interesting choice. Sokka's quips, while not as numerous as in the OG, were fun. Physical comedy is obviously more toned down because real bodies can't do the same shit as cartoons. More about his arc choices later. Zuko was a bit toned down from the OG but IMO also the closest to it. And as someone who's almost finished with a Zuko AU fanfic, I was positively cackling due to the fact that some of the choices made for the character are similar to something I've done in my fic.

As for the rest of the main kids, there'll be more in the spoiler bits, BUT, they're different, and feel less experienced in acting. They're not bad but some choices were definitely different than in the show and they offer interesting opportunities. We'll see how they pan out, but be prepared for some speculation from me.

Fight scenes sometimes had IMO slow moments in the choreo, and they could have been better. Some were excellent, some a bit ehhh.

On the whole, I think this is about 7 out of 10. Some moments were 8 out of 10. It's a passable adaptation

Spoilery thoughts waaaay down.

Whoo boy. Where to start here?

Let's start with the cramming. As far as I can tell from my notes, the episodes are roughly divided like so:

EP1: 3,5 and bits (Boy in the Iceberg, Avatar Returns, Southern Air Temple, half of the Storm, bits of Avatar and the Fire Lord)

EP2: 1 and bits (Warriors of Kyoshi, part of Waterbending Scroll)

EP3: 3 halves (King of Omashu, Jet, Northern Air Temple)

EP4: 1, 4 halves and bits (King of Omashu, Jet, Northern Air Temple, Cave of Two Lovers, half of Winter Solstice P1, bits of the Avatar Day,)

EP5: 2 halves and pieces of 3 (half of Winter Solstice P1, half of Bato of the Water Tribe, part of Southern Raiders, part of the Library, part of Siege of the North) AND timeskip mention of the Great Divide and the pirates from Waterbending Scroll

EP6: 2, two halves and bits (Winter Solstice P2, Blue Spirit, half of Bato of the Water Tribe half of the Storm, part of Siege of the North)

EP7: 2 (Waterbending Master, Siege of the North)

EP8: 2 and pieces (Siege of the North, Return to Omashu, bits of Northern Air Temple, part of the Library)

Waterbending Scroll is a bit of throughline because you see moments of training in pretty much all of the episodes.

Episode 1 was very full, and felt rushed at times. There were a few places where they could have shortened some parts (like the earthbender spy scene at the start) to give more time for other stuff. Biggest gripes are the convenience of timing – Aang going off to clear his head only for everyone to die that very night. HOWEVER, me and my friends talked about it being likely Spirit shenanigans going "fuck, Air Nomads are gonna die now, we need to deepfreeze the Avatar for storage." We also concluded that the sudden current of Sokka and Katara finding Aang was either physics we don't understand, or Spirit shenanigans. Also the thing about all the Air Nomads coming over for the Great Comet festival? And then having so few of them on screen? Sorry, but I ain't buying it. Having such a sparse population in one temple I could have bought (with caveats) but adding in the gathering, nah.

Episode 2, Sokka-Suki was beautiful. I think it works even with the removed downplaying of girls capabilities (this change also brought some other stuff to Sokka I absolutely adored in later episodes but I'll talk about that when I start ranting about the characters). This was pretty close to the OG episode in many ways and I really don't have other problems with it, besides the somewhat childish end discussion about hope and shit with Aang and Suki's mom (Suki having a badass mom is fun). Manifesting Avatars and being able to talk to them only at their shrines will be an interesting take on stuff. Because that will affect some stuff on later seasons and I'm not sure how.

(And considering how scared Aang is of the Avatar State this early on, we might end up skipping the Avatar State in the next season. At least partially. Because we did get a lot of info now.)

That's a very full itinerary and it was hardest to follow at eps 3-4 because there were so many things going on. Jet's and the Mechanist's conflicting storylines made for an interesting drama (though, again, hard to follow) and gave Sokka and Katara something to do – which they didn't really have in the OG Omashu episode, which was what Aang was mostly dealing with here. In my opinion these two episodes didn't get a proper handling, because they're one of the few instances were we get people from the Earth Kingdom doing questionable shit, but we don't really discuss it. And while everyone know marketing is a mistake (it makes no one happy), considering that this series was trying to sell itself as a more mature take, that feeling is left kinda lacking in regards to Jet and the Mechanist. I do appreciate Bumi being fucking bitter, like Yass, you go king, as well as the bit with the Earth Kingdom soldiers speaking of grief and mistreating Iroh. That complexity is what was left lacking with Jet and the Mechanist, and how Katara and Sokka dealt with that emotionally. Also loved Zuko getting hit by a broom and Iroh taking the fall for him. The Zuko-Zhao alliance was an interesting angle to take (after messing it up pfft) and establishing early that Azula is a master infiltrator? I liked that move, also the fact that there are Fire Nation rebels. Although I fucking loved the quick fake marriage.

5 and 6, despite being about as full if not fuller, were weaven together really well in my opinion. My biggest gripe with that two episode storyline was how the Fire Sage Shyu-Aang team-up was done – not that it was any better in the OG to be fair but it is more jarring in live action. I just about died at the 41st twist because holy shit that's an amazing angst take and I appreciate it so much. And while we do get Aang planting an acorn, it feels like a really small moment and I think the Hei Bai issue should have got a bit more attention as the episode was resolved. Koh was fucking terrifying and the appearance of Wan Shi Tong – and in the last two episodes the appearance of the celestial objects calendar machine, as well as the fact that Zhao got his dirt on Tui and La from a Fire Sage – leads me to believe we won't be getting the Library episode next season.

(The only way I can see Return to Omashu happening is if it's remixed with Imprisoned which was totally left out of this season, or we get the important info aka neutral Jing info all from the Swamp, or from a letter Bumi sent. I personally think Return to Omashu-Imprisoned remix is more likely, just so we can prep Teo and the Mechanist for the Day of the Black Sun which we saw flashing by on the celestial objects machine just before we finally got the confirmation that Sozin's Comet is still a thing. Although The Avatar State could also be remixed into this in a sort of "yes, Earth Kingdom needs to free Bumi etc but I can't do it in Avatar State, we need to be smart.")

Episodes 7 and 8 were pretty chill in pacing issues. I thought Yue was a bit too quick in warming up to Sokka but considering how it was explained I can accept it. Also, the fact that Tui and La are intelligent enough to not be fish 24/7/365 is a change that makes sense although the whole Ice Moon (is it the local Halloween?) thing was very out of left field. Women joining the fight was a wild update and definitely more of a modern take than an early 2000s take. Do I have other thoughts? Sure, but I don't want to write bajillion essays and I just want a general overview in one post.

Zuko is, like I said, a standout. Absolutely love his conspiracy board, and as someone who writes a fic with a more scholarly inclined Zuko, I loved him being able to draw, being the foremost Avatar expert in the world (you can't tell me there can be more than one or two people out there who know more than Zuko at this point, look at his research), and having opinions about calligraphy brushes. Ugh, my heart. There's some absolutely wonderful acting happening and he does action really well. Is he a bit less explosive than in the OG? Sure, but one must remember, that adaptations are just licensed fanfics. His abuse background is in the performance, and my biggest question is the Agni Kai. There was a certain desperation in his face, so he must have wanted to make an impression on Ozai, and maybe felt a bit more like he had the right to it – as this show made it clear he had been invited in the War Council and did not needle his way in. Also the 41st twist oh holy smokes I just about screamed. His flaw is still anger and trouble thinking plans through.

Azula (her bangs in the flashback crack me up, was that her emo phase?) is more obviously affected by Ozai's games in this. I know OG Azula has loads of fans and there are loads of deep dives into her character and abuse and etc, but this is actually the first time her writing has made it obvious to me. She's still cold and calculating, but she's affected by more things and that makes her into a more approachable character for me. I know many fans got this from the OG portrayal so I know this is a me thing.

Sokka is another standout. I saw an interview where the actor was like "I tried to interject and ad lib humour where I could" and I appreciate it, because a lot of them made me cackle. There was some really good humour there. As for his arc and conflict; I think it's really interesting that he tries to live up to his dad's image of a warrior, and doing it very much out of duty. It isn't so much that he wants to be a warrior, but he wants to be good enough and I think that came through wonderfully. He can be a warrior, but it ain't his passion. It also offers very interesting bonding possibilities and parallels with Zuko. My heart broke at that ice-dodging scene in episode 5, as well as his heart-to-heart with Katara in episode 4 (fucking SIBLING LOVE TRIUMPHS). Also absolutely loved the fact that he supported Katara being a warrior in the North. His flaws in the OG are self-esteem issues (nailed here), and a certain level of arrogance, that affected his attitude towards girls at times. The latter has been removed but considering it only lasted until episode 4 in the OG series anyway, I don't see it as a terribly big deal. We can still get his "it'll totally work out this way" arrogant moment at pretty much any point in the story in the future.

Katara has trouble emoting. I don't know how much experience her actor has with acting, but I hope she gets better with practice. There are some very nice bonding moments she has with Sokka and Aang that bring emotion out, but she's very stone faced a lot of the time. One could read it as a symptom of seeing her mother being literally burned alive but that depends on how her arc is written in future seasons, and how it's acted. I really like the parallel with Sokka, of him trying to be a warrior out of duty, while Katara wants to be that and has trouble getting the opportunity to do so. This came out really well in episode 4. The fact that she was made a fucking commander of sorts at North was amazing moment of proving to her that she can be, that she is, a warrior. I'm kinda sad her temper has been left out of the writing, because with her being a self-taught water bender (which I'm okay with because we see her practising every fucking episode) there's a threat of her sliding into so-called Mary Sue territory. Hopefully Toph's inclusion brings her temper out next season. She's also missing some of her naiveté, although having a crush on the first good looking outsider (with fucking mirrored shots) just like her brother is hilarious.

Aang is... to mature. He gets a lot of really good and morally and ethically right speeches, and while he expresses that he's scared and doesn't know what he's doing, it still feels too mature. He also doesn't have that many dumbass child moments (what was that episode he just went "oops" in, that was funny and felt childlike, and then there was the water fight he had with Katara). It could be because we're going through stuff so fast but it'll be hard to fix later. I kinda like how his connection with Katara is being the last of their kind and loss – and then the small really good acting in ep7 when Katara says stewed sea prunes taste like home, and you can just see him go "oh, there's still someplace she can belong to, unlike me." I loved his calligraphy brush discussion with Zuko, because there was the beginnings of a bond there. As a friend said, it's nice they removed the Disney princess like love at first sight thing from the OG. If this turns into a romance (I have thoughts on that... later) I feel like it has a better chance to grow organically. No, I never shipped Kataang, please refer to the context part of this post.

Suki had a fun isolated, but curious, and socially awkward vibe to her. She's obviously different from the OG, but it's a fun and interesting difference, as the most characterisation we ever got for her was badass. Yue was interesting, more assertive and playful, which I liked. I also liked the fact that she had obvious duties and was expected to be the next chief. Even if the Northern Water Tribe sexism was kept, this felt like it added some dimension to it. June flirting with Iroh was hilarious, enough said. Mai and Ty Lee are blanks of wood. Their writing, and the direction they were given was horrible, and they're a prime example of that awkward standing and bad framing issue I mentioned way earlier. Ty Lee could have at least been bending herself into a pretzel, and Mai could have been using a knife to dig stuff from under her nails or something. I hope they get better writing and direction in the future.

Iroh was honestly pretty enjoyable. There were some moments of skilled evasive answering, but I was left missing him saying that Zuko was like a son to him. They do have really good chemistry though and you can see the care between the characters. I hated the long monologue at the end of episode 6, that felt very much beneath whatever target audience they were aiming for, and failed show not tell. Not perfect but can improve. Also, that one part where they played Leaves on the Vine, I almost died.

Ozai being a manipulative, abusive game addict is different but offers him some agency and motivation besides megalomania, which I appreciate. He had a peculiar expression when he burned Zuko, and that smells like hidden lore to me.

That's probably every character I feel like addressing at this point. However, I did mention romance in Aang's section, and I have to agree with the other whispers on the net. The fucking scarf scene. At this point, it's more likely for this show to be Zutara than Kataang IMO. BUT before people go and blow up about it, some points; cartoons offer more leeway in visual age differences, I feel like they would need to extend ATLALA plot line to last several years (instead of like, 9 months it's in the OG) to make it visually make sense. The Fortuneteller (as well as Katara's obsession with love?), and Aang's love at first sight have all been written out. Cave of Two Lovers was used for sibling love on the first season, and we ain't visiting that location again, not with how efficiently we did pretty much all of the Omashu stuff this season. Most of the Kataang iconic moments have been left out deliberately. Does this mean we'll get Zutara? Of course not, but due to the scarf scene, as well as that rivals thing they have going (we literally have two fights between Zuko and Katara this season, and the water sprout she used to thwart his fireball in episode one, and if that isn't a traditional beginning of a rivalry, nothing is), it's certainly more likely at this point than Kataang.

But we'll see, just like with everything else. It's an okay start, it's far from perfect, but it does offer new viewpoints that I find fascinating.

What's in the future.

I already explained my Return to Omashu-Imprisoned-Avatar State mash-up idea above, and that we'll likely miss the Library. I also think Avatar Day will be left out. I do however think, that we'll get the Deserter next season. We also need a way for Aang to learn about the Comet coming again and if Library is out (and probably also the Desert), best chances are IMO the Swamp or the Fortuneteller (remixing those two together is also possible). Or maybe Yeong Yeong has spies and they tell him about the Comet and he tells the Gaang. I also think they'll be foreshadowing/setting up White Lotus a bit more than we got in the OG.

I don't quite have my thought together enough to make any other guesses, but we will get Toph, Ba Sing Se, and Azula's Mean Girls Squad, but no clue yet how they'll be remixed. Season 2 has a much clearer timeline structure, whereas season 1 had a lot of episodic stuff that doesn't timeline wise offer too many roadblocks for remixes, as we saw with what they did with Omashu.

I think that's about everything I can think off. If you have comments, please be nice. This was mostly rambling, and tin foil hat baiting.

[toadstoolillustrations]

🍳💙

[Image description: A digital drawing of pre-timeskip Sanji from One Piece. He is drawn from the collar up, coloured in warm bright colours and grinning around a cigarette with heart shaped smoke. The background is a paper texture and behind Sanji are a red triangle and yellow circle, framing his head. /end description]

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

[beanghostprincess]

Do you think there’s a chance OPLA will make non canonical ships into canon? I saw people noticing zo/lu got a lot more obsessed with each other scenes together and said it’s possible. Or mish/anks with how the actor openly supports the ships, with likes, comments, being open to fan bringing it up. What do you think?

Nah 😭 First things first, I HIGHLY doubt our dearest (sarcastically) (derogatory) Net*lix is going to make queer couples if it's not necessary. We're lucky we didn't get the show canceled with the amount of sapphic energy Nami and Kaya had going on, honestly. Two girls holding hands is enough to get a show canceled on that platform. And if they do make queer couples canon they're not going to be between the main characters, keeping in mind how much they're risking doing so.

And also,, I don't want any of the ships to be canon, either. The whole point is to not make romance between the straw hats in canon so it doesn't take the spotlight of their development and you view their dynamics however you want. I'd be annoyed if something as awesome as the next arcs that are to come get sidelined because Net*lix wanted romance. I mean, I wouldn't be annoyed if they made Namivivi canon or at least confirm some main characters to be queer, but it just feels like they'd do it to put their "we are so woke and cool we made your favorite character LGBT" pin and then... Do nothing about it later. As per side characters, idk, maybe there are some non-canon couples here and there and I don't really care but I wouldn't want it to be with the main characters. Especially with Luffy. Do not touch Luffy.

Luffy has such deep bonds with all characters in different ways, and you can see them as romantic, but making it canon just takes away that magic by putting a label on his feelings, something that I feel he wouldn't even do.

Worst case scenario they make Vivi x Koza or Zoro x Nami canon because if Net*lix doesn't have its daily unnecessary romance in shows it dies or smth.

So I don't think it's happening and I don't even want it to happen. The next arcs are so damn good and I really don't want to have to deal with ship wars or shit like that next season.

[kloudprince]

An impromptu rant about the Nico Robin casting

I'm severely disappointed in the Nico Robin casting choice. I've been sitting with my thoughts for the past few days. My thoughts have not changed and there is little anyone can say to change them.

I think a hispanic/latina actress should have been cast, just like casting call said. As a latina, I was overjoyed when I saw that the casting call said that they were looking for a latina actress to play Robin. I felt seen. Robin is one of my favorite characters and the idea that someone who looked like me was going to play her was exciting. I'd been been eagerly anticipating the announcement of her casting and then two days ago, I saw the leak. Initially, I was okay with Lera Abova as Robin. Yes, I think she can fit the role VISUALLY. But I think playing a character involves more than just visuals. There is a lot more nuance that I don't think people are taking into consideration. They just see a pretty woman who kinda looks like Robin and loose their minds.

Outside of my personal feelings (betrayal) over the casting choice, I do have some narrative (/narrative adjacent) reasons why I think a latina actress would have been more powerful and why Robin does NOT need to be Russian.

Robin's story contains heavy themes of genocide, oppression, and destruction of ancient history & texts

The burning of Ohara, the Buster Call (genocide) of all Oharan citizens, and Robin's persecution. Considering all of these aspects of her story we can draw parallels with the history of the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. During the age of colonization, Spaniards intentionally destroyed texts in order to prevent the continued practice of indigenous languages, religions, and other cultural practices. In a similar way, the World Government destroyed or attempted to destroy the books and research the scholars of Ohara kept within the Tree of Knowledge. Across the Americas, indigenous people were persecuted and oppressed in some way shape or form. Robin, from age 8, had a bounty placed on her head and was hunted like an animal for simply existing and holding knowledge that the government deemed illegal. Robin as a character, represents the resilience of Ohara and the dedication they had to learning the true history of their world. She is last surviving member of her native community and she's going up against the most powerful organization in world. I'm sorry but seeing some white girl play a role like this just feels disheartening. In all honesty, I think an actress of indigenous decent would have been far more powerful. Though I know Netflix would likely never cast an indigenous actress in such a major role but I think at least casting a latina actress would have been significantly more powerful than just another white girl.

Current world events should be taken into consideration when casting a character with a story that touches on such delicate topics.

Now I don't agree with anyone who sends hate or harassment towards Lera Abova simply for being Russian. The Russian Government is to blame for the war in Ukraine, NOT the Russian people. I don't know what beliefs Lera holds regarding the conflict so I can not speak on that. However, I think it was tone deaf on the part of Netflix and the OPLA production team to cast a Russian actress as a character who's entire story revolves around genocide, persecution, and oppression considering what the Russian Government is currently doing in Ukraine. I wish we lived in a world where things like war didn't have to be considered when producing entertainment. Unfortunately, we live in a world where media has a heavy impact on how we view the world. Also One Piece has always been a very politically charged series so taking it just, to me at least, makes sense to consider real world political issues when producing a show that has such a global audience. Had Lera been cast as ANY other character in the OPLA I don't think this would be an issue. It's because she's set to play Robin that people are taking issue with. This is such a nuanced issue that I don't think anyone is really speaking about with the respect it deserves.

edit: I'm not saying that I think that the roll should be recast or that Lera is undeserving of such a huge roll or anything like that. What's done is done and I'm sure Lera is going to do a great job. I just bring up this idea because I think it's something that people should at least take into consideration instead of blindly accepting a casting choice. There's always nuance to these decisions and issues.

She does NOT need to be Russian just because Oda mentioned her being Russian in ONE SBS.

I keep seeing people say things like "Oh well Oda is okay with so it's fine" or "Robin is supposed to be Russian, Oda said so." I'm tired of it. People are allowed to disagree or be unhappy with Oda's choices. He is not a flawless individual. He still has biases. Besides, he's already not following his own set nationalities/ethnicities for the characters we'd already seen. He said Luffy was Brazilian, Iñaki is Mexican. He said Sanji was French, Taz is British. He said Nami was Swedish, Emily is American. Usopp doesn't even have a set nationality or ethnicity, HE'S JUST AFRICAN!! What Oda says in an SBS is NOT the end all be all. He's proven that much with the casting decisions we've seen so far. I don't understand this insistence that each casting choice NEEDS to follow this one fucking SBS that Oda made in 2009!! Some of the nationalities clearly have more thought put into them than others. Usopp being a prime example, because he didn't even get a country! He got the whole fucking continent of Africa. However, if you look at his design he at least looks Black (except for when Toei Animation decides to steal his fucking melanin) Zoro is a great example of a character who's nationality was well thought out and integrated into the narrative. His backstory, his fighting style, most of his clothing, and his presumed connection to the country of Wano all implement aspects of Japanese culture within the narrative. On the other hand, you have Sanji, who is French simply because he is a chef. I think Robin falls into the later category. I don't think there was a lot of thought put into her being Russian.

Thanks to anyone who actually read through all my ramblings. You're allowed to disagree with me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Please don't yell at me, I will cry. Anyways, check out this tiktok from @/ xibalba1m. She talks about why Oda might have said Robin was Russian and how it relates to the history of the indigenous people of Mesoamerica and the latina Robin casting call. She articulates a lot of what I was thinking about really well, please check her out. (disclaimer: her video was made in May, months before the casting reveal.)

For those who want to see the nationalities SBS, here

EDIT: Also almost all of her attacks (at least in the english translation) are in spanish.

[averydedicateduck]

Let me introduce you to Lucas Amorim, Brazil's favorite to be Ace, his entire page is in preparation for the character and he has a whole campaign to join the series, he even auditioned for the role of Luffy

[ryan-waddell11]

I don’t care if nobody likes these. These are too funny to me so I’m sharing. In my eyes they’re the same person.

[khadgarbignaturals]

live action has become the death of cinema jfc

[averlym]

some very very quick costume shorthands!

[black-and-yellow]

can't stop drawing the clown (send help)

[papasmistakeria]

Hamish Linklater suddenly seeing a bunch of people drawing his character interact with an 8-bit pixelated blue stickman holding a cross from a video game he’s never even heard of:

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

omg i totally forgot i also made these and i don't feel like adding them to the original posts heheh