#lichen talks about one piece (sorry moots)

[lichenstone]

ok it took me a min to get around to this because of moving and getting sick and whatever. Anyway I might be doing more of these because one (1) person asked me to (@icedcancer thanks for enabling me) Anyway

I'm gonna talk about Usopp now because I love him and his character growth is 🤌, and I'm probably going to talk about Nami next because they have some similarities I want to touch on. (Once again spoilers for a series 2+ decades old)

Usopp as a character is very interesting to me. He's a bit (a lot) of a coward despite his lofty ambitions, and he lies and makes up stories about his grand exploits to compensate. Very easy comedic relief material right there. This is established in his introductory arc, while at the same time kind of subverted in a way that adds more depth to his character. Instead of just being pure comedic relief with no other abilities or qualites that contribute to the story, action, or character relationships, Usopp is actually a pretty damn talented guy.

Just from the first saga of the series (East Blue), Usopp is shown through various means to be not only a storyteller but also an excellent sniper, gardener, artist, and inventor. In later arcs he's shown to be a steadfast friend, even when it'd be easier for him to just cut his losses and run. This happens most notably pre-timeskip in Little Garden, Alabasta, Skypeia, and Water 7/Enies Lobby. He's a relatively level-headed dude when faced with obstacles and is a fairly logical person, at least until things get dangerous. He's also a very proud and simultaneously deeply insecure person, which can end up causing problems for himself and sometimes his crew, often digging himself into holes he can't easily escape from with his posturing. This is most notably seen in Water 7, when he challenges (and very nearly beats, I will die on this hill) Luffy to a fight for the Merry and temporarily leaves the crew because of it.

All of these traits are also relevant to Usopp's dream: to become a brave warrior of the sea. Unlike most of the other Strawhats' goals, this one is fairly nebulous and speaks to more of a personal journey than a specific endpoint. This is kind of acknowledged from the get-go with Usopp aware of his own cowardice and need for growth before his dream can become a reality. He's not very confident in himself, despite his skill, and this comes to a head during Water 7 when he begins to outwardly think of himself as a burden to his friends. He feels stifled by his own need for help and lack of physical strength; which coupled with the stress of having to let go of the Merry leads to his leaving the crew. It's obvious during Water 7 that Usopp sees the end of their time with the Merry because she can no longer safely operate as analogous to a potential future for his own place in the crew. He is worried that the gap between his ability and the rest of the crew will widen to a point that Usopp will be seen as an active hindrance and need to be left behind. He works through a lot of this with Franky and a bit with Robin at the end of Water 7 moving in to Ennies Lobby, but it was still important to see because it sets the tone for his later characterization and growth.

There's a consistent theme to Usopp's character that contributes to a lot of his motivations that I actually see in common with the Green Lanterns from the DC universe. That is: the opposite of fear is bravery yes, but bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery comes from the willpower to be afraid and keep going anyway. Usopp is a coward, but he's also one of the bravest characters in the show because he keeps doing things scared. Fighting Arlong's crew, helping Vivi save Alabasta, standing up to Enel on his own damn turf, infiltrating a marine base, leaving his crew for the sake of his pride and dedication, declaring war on the World Government, he does it all terrified but he still does it. After Water 7 and his discussion with Franky, Usopp resolves to not only trust more in his friends and their loyalty to him, but also to become more of a person that they can rely on. He isn't as worried about being left behind but he still wants to be able to support his friends, and I think that's beautiful.

I'm really excited to see more of Usopp's journey and his character bc I love it so much. :,)

[lichenstone]

I was just thinking about this, mostly through the line of thinking of "how did Garp stay so loyal to the marines despite Literally Everything?" and there's definitely some individual character traits and beliefs that keep that man licking the boot but. Like. Marine propaganda in One Piece has to go CRAZY to have their numbers even remotely make sense.

Like. I'm from the states, yeah? and with the amount of times the marines in op show their collective ass they are very comprable to my own country's police force (and frankly, also our military). Like they fuck up A Lot, and PUBLICLY too. And while they're very good at cover-up (e.g. Ohara, Alabasta) I'm left wondering how much effort they put into recruitment.

In the states, not only to we have the commercials for the various branches (and lmty those are wild as hell), but there's also a significant amount of time, effort, and money put in to making sure that mainstream entertainment is favorable of the military as well. Not to mention the recruiters sent to schools/events, the (J)ROTC classes, and the offers for paying through college in exchange for service. But the US has one of the biggest militaries in the world and an already broadly favorable public image (in the US). The world of One Piece has fucking Gol D. Roger.

I'm sure pre-great pirate era the marines had fairly little trouble in terms of recruitment, but post Roger's execution? No way in hell. I can just imagine it. All anybody cares about is the goddamn One Piece and the marines are Desperate for some fresh blood. Queue recruiters in every island in the grand line and beyond doing their damn best to "how do you do, fellow kids" their way into getting some baby-faced high-school juniors to sign their lives away. They try to make joining the marines sound like the coolest thing in the fucking world. "Who cares about the One Piece? Join the marines and you can uhh-"

Like the WG HAD to paint all pirates as uniquely evil and the marines as solely good because literally any other reason to join the marines beside serving the nebulous idea of justice Gol D. Roger already got by being a fucking pirate. Not only that, but promised to whoever could find the One Piece. Idk about y'all but going on a no-rules worldwide scavenger hunt with my besties to get fame and fortune sounds WAY more fun than joining the fucking navy as cannon fodder. The marines had to be working their ASSES OFF trying to get people to join; especially after every time they fucked up massively and publicly.

I know there's some very juicy thematic implications of this but all I'm thinking about is the workplace comedy that would be the marines' PR department trying to make the marines seem like a decent and honorable career path after every time a pirate crew does something cool or news is leaked of the marines publicly shitting the bed.

[lichenstone]

moving this up bc of my Usopp post

I've seen several posts recently about hope and optimism in stories, and my brain is currently locked on to One Piece; so let me take a sec to talk about my girl Nico Robin and why I love her so much.

Now I'm not near caught up with OP, but from what I know of Robin's character arc from what I've already seen (Water 7/Enies Lobby) and what I know of her story going forward, there is so much to be found in her character that I absolutely adore. (also spoilers for a series over 2 decades old ig)

When we first meet Nico Robin, it is in an antagonistic capacity; and while we know she's working against the strawhats, her motives for doing so are mysterious. We learn of the very basics of her dream to uncover the true history of their world and she joins the crew at the end of the arc. As time goes on in the episodes leading up to the next major arc, Robin's initially cold exterior towards the rest of the crew softens in a way that feels very natural. She's older than all of them and she's a bit of an outsider having previously been an antagonist, but she's still living and travelling with them, a bond is basically inevitable. She quickly becomes a valued member of the crew not only for her skills but also for her company and friendship.

During all this time, Robin is very passively suicidal: she never actually attempts to take her own life nor deliberately takes any actions in fights that may lead to her death, but she isn't opposed to dying if it's something that just ends up happening. She cares deeply about her new friends, but she doesn't put any particular value on her own life and doesn't seem to think that her death would affect them much.

This all changes during the Water 7/Enies Lobby arc. Robin's past catches up to her, and she has to make some very difficult decisions in order to keep her friends safe, which she believes would be away from her. She is fully prepared to sacrifice her own life and freedom if it secures those of the people she's come to cherish in her travels. But, this is the strawhats we're talking about, and they are Not Having it. They do their best to convince her to return to them, almost literally talking her down from the ledge. She's been told time and time again that she, like everyone, deserves freedom, deserves to love and be loved; and this time, something finally gives.

In one of the most moving scenes in anime history and with stellar performances done by both her Japanese and English voice actors, Robin *screams* her desire to live, breaking down from all the emotional suppression she forced herself into for the sake of survival and joining her friends once more.

After this, Robin becomes of the most subtly optimistic characters is think I've ever seen. She's a very intelligent individual, and often fully understands and voices the worst possible outcomes for any given situation, but she stubbornly refuses to give in to those possibilities. She's found her reason to live again, and she is happy to share that with whoever needs it.

I just love Robin so much, and I love characters who have had to fight tooth and nail for their optimism and treasure their joy and those who bring it to them with all their hearts. As nice as characters who are portrayed as natural optimists are, I think that there needs to be more characters like Nico Robin who show that optimism and hope aren't easy, but they're worth it. If not for the effects they can have on you and your loved ones, then for how they can drive us to move for a better world.

[lichenstone]

Born by the sacrifice of a mother under threat of the powers that be. Son of someone who is more legend than man, a messaiah raised amongst the people. He was visited upon by men who gave him gifts of wisdom fame and power. Brought faith and hope to nearly every place he visited, leaving deciples in his wake. He is Whirebeard's last son. Killed by the government in attempt to bring an end to what he represented only for that thing to spread across the world anyway because of his sacrifice. Survived by his mother and the people that followed him who became his legacy. Doomed by the narrative. A man born to die in order to bring about a new era.

inch resting to me how, narratively speaking, Ace is the Jesus of One Piece but I don't think y'all are ready for that conversation