I love Usopp, I've always been a fan of underdog characters that fight the good fight no matter how scared or weak they may be. I love Krillin for the same reason.
Probably Robin. She has this very smart and dignified air about her, but on the inside she’s rather similar to Luffy. This makes for a pretty fun character because she’s both very intelligent but also has her own brand of silliness
PLUS he's one of the most hilarious characters EVER? his dumbness reaaaally adds to that 🤣 Luffy has these iconic face gestures that no other character in all of fiction can do! seriously! 🤣 Maybe being rubber helps that? Idc he's just naturally hilarious & his confused/dumb plain face stare alone is hilarious 😂 It's like he doesn't like to think about anything he doesn't care about..until he DOES & when he does think it's something so genius & original! based! Besides being a natural charm of a leader & having the super ability of affecting everyone around him & gaining everyone's hearts, Luffy has no personal fears, no insurities, he's care-free... Luffy truly is the most FREE character in fiction He's truly the GOAT 🐐
he has a simple goal and a simple mind and a simple heart and i think that simplicity makes him so relatable. he's just a guy who wants to have fun doing what he loves and he's damn good at it. Luffy really is a fresh of breath air for protags because I think he could be a grandiose, larger than life kind of character and still do well, but its just that every day type of guy with extraordinary gifts that make him so loveable. even his design is perfect: simple straw hat, sandals, and clothes that are just basic. i love him.
@@r.8902 Other Anime Protags : Over the top clothing with detailed and aesthetic styles venturing to modern looks. Luffy: Fckng strawhat, sandals, a red shirt and a blue short.
My take on Luffy always was, that if he were in a world, where he wouldn't have to fight for freedom, than one piece would just be a lighthearted kid cruising from island to island and exploring the world. He doesn't per se want to beat everyone, he simply has to.
The thing that I love about Luffy is that even after seeing some horrible injustices, he still has that innocent vibe about him while also carrying out what he believes to be justice. He watched slavery in sabaody and a whole nation being subjugated in Wano, but it never broke his carefree and adventurous spirit. He delivered retribution right then and there with no thought of the consequences, he only did what he thought was right. Yet even after all that, he’s still the fun and goofy pirate we all know and love
this is kinda funny, 'i love that he doesn't develop whatsoever, no matter what happens, or what he goes through, he always reverts back to how he was, love it' lmao
@@DawnChaser-yn yeah luffy a flat character type I get it, it's more how they wrote it. It could easily sound super odd if looked at from another perspective
One thing I really like about Luffy is how his development is relatively subtle. He mainly stays true to himself like most Shonen protags but you can really tell that (most of the time) he’s learned from his mistakes and you can see that in his decisions as a captain.
Exactly, those people say that his development is lacking, just isn't reading the same story I think. His character development is there, but it's not in your face like in other weaker stories. It's also because Luffy's character was solid from the beginning unlike other protagonists who had to start from a negative, to fully appreciate their growth.
Right, Luffy did not need to be like those edgy character just for the sake of showing he has developed as a character. As a matter of fact, I think making a happy character turns to an edgelord is the cheapest way to make a character development.
Yeah im rewatching it with my sister and she keeps commenting on what a bad captain he is currently. And I'm like huh! I never noticed how much he changed and got better at that
@@LannasMissingLinki agree. The difference between alabasta and wano in his commanding presence in times where it's needed, responsibility for the crew and their lives, and trust into each member and that they will fulfill their roles is immense.
The main thing I love about One Piece is that it never lost it’s central theme. Even now, 1000 chapters later, it’s more about the characters, the emotions, the feeling of freedom, what it means to be free. One piece is STILL going with those themes front and center, it didn’t dissolve into some generic fight anime where we just lazily watch the downtime till the next fight. It’s all about the lead up and journey to that fight.
Hunter X Hunter is interesting because every arc seems like it has a different theme/direction. Oda’s plowing ahead with consistent discipline while Togashi is popping back into his story when he feels like it.
@@aniverse_574 The theme of Luffy being the second coming of JoyBoy isn't a change? what about Luffy and the allies taking down Kaido and Big Mom, two emperors of the sea? And the truth unravelling about the void century?
You make a fantastic point about the strength of character Luffy displays when recruiting his crew members. I found it especially poignant when he recruited Brook though, as Brook didn't take any notable action before being asked to join. The scene is played-off like a gag where Luffy sees a skeleton and wants him to join the crew because he's a skeleton. The actual reason though, likely ties into Luffy's loneliness. Luffy saw Brook floating alone on an abandoned ship and immediately knew he had a kindred soul that had to be saved from its isolation.
@@bruhbruh4635 I mean...Brook is on the team...they have a great point. The thing about Luffy is that, while he is simple minded, the decisions he makes aren't random. He wanted Brook on his team for multiple reasons: 1.He's a Musician 2.What the person above said... 3. Whatever you think Luffy was thinking...because it's up to interpretation
I LOVED how you talked about Luffy's loneliness, I feel like it's one of his most ignored features while being one of his most interesting ones! For being such a goofy character, Luffy suffers from a loneliness so profound and so invisible that's honestly really sad, specially when he was a child and chose getting t0rtured and bullied over being alone. For Luffy, to think he's alone again is the worst thing in the world, and he thought (genuinely thought) that he had been left behind when Ace died, rendered to a desperate state where he couldnt even rationalize that his friends were still alive and would do the impossible to come back to him
Before I started One Piece, I used to be one of those people who thought Luffy was just a typical shounen protagonist who was the least interesting person in his world. But now, 1100+ chapters deep, I can confirm Luffy is the most distinct & memorable characters ever, despite him being so "simple". The joke was on me for not getting into One Piece earlier.
One of the most interesting creative choices Oda has made is how RARELY you get to see what Luffy is thinking. Almost everything we know about him is our intepretation of his actions, which on a meta level really serves to double down on the themes you outlined in this video.
I love the answer he gave to Rayleigh saying he doesn’t want to rule anything, pirate king just means being the freest person there is while every other main character would say “if that’s what it takes to become king of the pirates then I’ll rule it all”
I didn't realize that, it just reinforces that Luffy isn't a character that will bend to the world's logic. He has his own goal and how he wants to accomplish, and he won't accept any alternatives. I love it.
To me that's a pivotal moment when I actually know Luffy as a person and a character. Up until then, we all know what and who Luffy is, stubborn, determined, adventure-loving, kind, loyal, and helpful. And with just those bits of informations, many people already loved Luffy so much. But then Oda kicked my door down with that “I don’t want to conquer anything, I just want to be the freest man in the sea” and my DAMN HEART BEAT SO LOUD at that scene. The voice tone, the atmosphere tone, the delivery, the paneling, and Rayleigh’s surprise mixed with delight and nostalgia as a response. It was all perfect and I suddenly gained A LOT of insight on what kind of person Luffy is in this one scene compared to everything I compiled before Sabaody. The only thing that I remembered being memorable before this one is that scene where Luffy told Vivi “People die.” When she naively insisted to save everyone. That scene makes me think Luffy had known deaths, intimately perhaps, and this was proven true in ASL’s flashback. But this scene over here blew the alabasta one out of the water. It gives me the core insight of Luffy’s character, something that I never expected to exist, I thought we already knew the core with all those hundreds of chapters but NO. It gives me an insight that Luffy is a rebel through and through, with no desire for conquest nor to rule anything. That freedom is more than everything to him. That’s why when (SPOILERRRR if you haven’t watched Stampede) in Stampede, it’s revealed the treasure box’s content is an Eternal Post to Laugh Tale, I immediately knew Luffy would destroy it. Fans knew Luffy will destroy it. And he destroyed it, WE SCREAMED IN CHEER because HECK YEAHHH THAT’S OUR CAPTAIN! We want ADVENTURE! Not boring QUEST! That’s why when I also see that (SPOILER for Manga in Reverie arc) Throne full of swords, I just confidently blurted out “Luffy will destroy that throne.” And many fans agreed with me. Because Luffy is not the type to sit on a throne, he will destroy it and its symbolism of tyranny and suppression.
No Any other main character would say that He will become the pirate king to free the world from the oppressive government While Luffy will become just because he wants to And he will save the world from the government After it as his goal is achieved
My favorite aspect of Luffy is his emotional intelligence, normally he's a dumb guy who acts goofy, but give him a friend who needs help or someone who isn't honest with themself and he will see right through it and call them out. He doesn't need to know your backstory, only that the issue is agonizing to them. We see it with Nami, Vivi, Sanji, and many others. The thing I really love about the One Piece world is how utterly dark it gets at points. It showcases some truly diabolical stuff and if it weren't for the Straw Hats, especially Luffy's sunny disposition and the art style, the One Piece world would definitely be up there in one of the darkest fictional settings. I mean we have multiple genocides, slavery, history erasure and revision, sexual violence (heavily implied, never shown), racism, classism, and even deep diving familial abuse.
@@Deode-d4h i cant really think of it as shallow as early one piece has an good things going on even if I am not a fan on old anime. Planning to watch the entire thing (without not plot related fillers)
The entire video had me thinking of Amazon Lilly and how it showed us who Luffy was when he was at his most vulnerable. When he was alone. And still Luffy shines by protecting his opponent, by sacrificing his goal for those chasing him, and thanks to his actions he is rewarded. It is an amazing arc and I’m glad you brought it up here. Well done.
I also like how Mark places a secondary focus on the writing techniques that bring out the best aspects of the characters he’s analyzing, while Melonteee wholeheartedly goes in on the character analysis. Watching each creator’s videos about a respective character back to back provides a great contrast IMO.
Hope the future Usopp video can highlight Syrup Village's strengths in introducing him, he's brilliantly contrasted with Kuro Usopp lies for good reasons, he's passionate about his dreams despite his fear, he protects his friends despite his weakness Kuro lies for selfish reasons, he's given up on his dream and he wouldn't protect anyone if it didn't serve his best interests
What stuck out to me was how Kuro immediately betrayed his crew the moment they stopped being useful to him. While Usopp was ready to throw his life for Kaya knowing that he had no chance of winning.
also, to note, kuro is also cowardly. he gives up on his pirate life out of fear of being pursued nonstop by marines. which is something the majority of pirates accept with gusto, celebrating their bounties.
Great point. Luffy insisted on being captain but, while he is indeed a good person, he was a horrible leader initially. Vivi even called him out on it. He's come an extraordinarily long way and is almost unrecognizable as a leader now. Not that he's General Patton, mind you lol. But he's certainly the de facto leader of the crew.
@@sakazakijin Right? Oda does a great job with his development, like when Nami desperately needed medical help at Drum Island, then its people end up shooting Vivi in the process, but instead of retaliation, she bows down and humbly ask for assistance while also making Luffy follow her lead. The diplomatic qualities she's shown from her childhood are gold! And of course, Zoro as his right hand man, also put him in line on the whole Luffy vs Usopp thing, so yeah, pretty deep stuff mate.
@@Yukisomahira that. Vivi was the one who taugh Luffy to put aside his ego and bow down for others. We saw him do that again at the end of Amazon arc and thats amazing
@@msnina5379 Right?!! Had he displayed anything but the sheer willingness to help the girls that turned into stone statues, he would’ve proven Hancock right for not expecting anything but selfishness coming from a man!
@@msnina5379I always loved vivi as a character and the impact she had on luffy. she was like his first sort of guide and friend after entering the grand line. no wonder he likes her and misses her as much as the rest of the east blue + chopper crew
"Show, don't tell" is truly the best expression to use for Luffy. There are so many meanings behind his actions throughout the series, but a lot of people don't see it because Oda doesn't shove it in our face. The best example imo is with Rebecca. Everyone says Luffy fought Doflamingo just because Rebecca gave him free food. Which isn't wrong, but that's a very shallow way to see it. Think about Rebecca's character. She was a young girl who was trapped in a colosseum, forced to fight to the death just to entertain a crowd that hated her. And they only hated her because of who her grandfather was. Nobody could blame her if she hated the world and only cared about herself. But she never let that break her, and she paid for Luffy's meal when she barely had money for herself. Luffy loves those kind of people. Even if Rebecca isn't a fan favourite, it makes perfect sense why Luffy would respect her. There is so much more to tell about him, but I think the popularity poll results show enough that people can at least sense something deeper about Luffy. There is no way a one-note protagonist could take 1st place in every poll. Other series proved that it doesn't work, and it's especially impossible in One Piece with all the amazing characters in it.
One quote that I love in the series is the one Mihawk says about Luffy, in which he says "Luffy has the most dangerous ability on the seas, which is turning anyone around him into allies, even former enemies." That's a quote to me that opitimises just who Luffy is as a person.
I'd like to just take a moment to appreciate how One Piece went from a sort of 'pirate of the week with rubber boi' story to full blown sagas with ancient histories, global revolutions, and secret world emperors, and it somehow just works.
The thing I love about Luffy is he never let's power distracts him from his goals. He treats his forms as weapons needed to end a conflict instesd of tools that he can abuse or be lazy.
One of the best OP videos I've seen. Aleczandxr's recent One Piece readthroughs, analysis and reviews made me realise that I'm not insane for thinking that Luffy is actually a really nuanced character with so much to give and a ton of depth hidden for many in plain sight. He genuinely is one of the greatest of all time!
i always felt like what the post-Marineford flashback accomplishes for luffy's character was monumental at the time. Up to this point he was portrayed in this miracle man "en devenir" way, something that you can't bend, almost everlasting. Yes his characterization was still very human but there was something unique and alien about the way he was simultaneously carefree and very "radicalized" in few aspects (for example his fixation on living freely with no regrets and why he yearns for strength and equates it to = being able to protect his loved ones, why he values companionship this much, why he doesn't want to hear people's past, why he hates the idea of someone predicting/choosing a path for him, why he likes and knows this much about beetles) i was often finding myself asking "ok but where did he get this from?", the Shanks flashback had a few pieces of the puzzle but it wasn't enough. it can be risky to have your main character remain "unrealized" in that sense but it's also boring to have luffy spell out why he is the way he is through plain exposition or dialogue. So instead you have to pick up on subtext and small bits of characterization and patiently wait for 500 chapters until oda finally decides it's time to draw his origin story, and then you get rewarded when he recontextualizes some of his quotes and actions, vol. 60 "Little Brother" is one of my favorites for this reason. I truly think he struck gold with his character, i wouldn't say his (character)arc is as dwelt upon or nuanced as other greats but he undoubtedly changes throughout the series. Also a sentiment that i find hard to articulate but it's how poignant the story can get when it puts luffy's thoughtfulness front and center, he has a quiet way of showing how much he cares for people's struggles that moves me to tears sometimes and it's usually done in a way that rarely feels uncharacteristic : when he's unaware of the details, not having any global grasp of the situation..etc
I think every single Straw Hat would make for a great protagonist of their own self contained story. Each one could be the main character of their own adventures and tell a compelling story. But what makes them all work incredibly well is when they're a group. It's what makes the Straw Hats my favorite main group in any series I've gone through. Despite there being 10 characters, they all feel distinct and well developed and serve a purpose in the greater picture.
As someone who’s an amateur in writing and has been practicing writing fiction, I see Luffy as a great example of how to handle a flat character (a character who never really goes through an arc to change, positive or negative). He never stops showing his true self loud and proud, and will do anything for his crew or anyone who he believes needs help. Just because a character is made to be flat, doesn’t mean they’re automatically boring or uninteresting. Characters like Spider-Man or Batman would be considered flat characters as their characters never change, but they still go through their deal of hardships. And it’s how they respond to those trials and how they overcome them is what makes them interesting. A flat character should help change the characters and the world around them. That’s why Luffy works so well. The world around him is almost made to be against him. A world with a ruling government who hates pirates or anyone who refuses to follow their rules. Luffy in his introduction is already shown to be someone who hates to be under a cruel ruler, with Kobe and Alvida. It’s actually amazing how stuff like that is built up just at the start. I know this is a lot but I just wanted to show my appreciation for one piece’s writing.
@@Deathmare235 true but I meant it more in the sense that he doesn’t change completely. He does change a bit from the hardships a bit but he’s still his same heroic self at the end of the day. The only time he’s changed was after Uncle Ben’s death and then he gained a new perspective for the rest of his life. Sorry if I confused anyone.
This has the potential to be my favorite video series on this channel. After Pokemon, one piece was the first anime I ever watched. I’m a massive fan of it and Mark’s review videos were not the first time I followed a content creator as they made their way through this story; and it certainly wasn’t the last. There is no feeling more magical that watching someone express how much they like something that you like. Taking a closer look at individual characters thought? That’s a wonderful idea.
One thing I like about luffy is that he is actually bothered by the worlds injustices. While he can give off an air of selfishness Luffy when he sees things like slavery or racism makes it a fight on sight especially if it’s towards his friends. It’s almost impossible not to compare Luffy with goku and while goku cannot understand the consequences for his actions luffy can. In sabaody luffy knew full well hitting a celestial dragon would bring an admiral but did it anyway because it was the right thing to do
This is so cool, I thought you'd never bring this series back! I just started One Piece and I'm still super early on, so I'll watch once I get far enough!!
Youve given me a new perspective on Luffy. Especially the loneliness part. To me, his actions speak way more than his words. The reached he’d go for his friends and family touched me. Especially with Robin.
Luffy is simple, but people who don't want to pay attention pass that simplicity off as 'one-dimensional', but Luffy is far from that; he's a dreamer, a fighter, a survivor, a leader, a force of nature, and he always has been. He's naive but he's aware of those flaws, which is why he values his crew to fill in the gaps, if more people in the world were like Luffy the world would be a better place, albeit more chaotic, he's the inner child we all wish we could bring out, the strong heart who draws people behind him: charisma, loyalty, honor, courage - Monkey D. Luffy is everything in the world that the quote unquote 'good guys', the marines, should represent, but in contrast he's a pirate, and these traits make him different but no less of a pirate; he's still irrational, greedy, stubborn, and intimidating to those who he disagrees with. To your point his journey is essentially a wrench in the system of the world; the plot doesn't happen to Luffy, Luffy happens to the plot, he is free - running to the literal beat of his own drum - but he's free in terms of goodness, which beautifully counters the rigid and oppressive system in the World Government. But this and more is what makes Luffy for me the best Shonen Protagonist
Luffy is defined by his goodness, but goodness isn't defined by Luffy. He makes mistakes and occasionally treats people badly. He's got major flaws that influence the story every single arc. He's got a backstory that informs his character, so much so that we barely knew anything about it until more than halfway through the story. And yet, despite knowing Luffy so well, we still can't predict what he's gonna do next.
Mark, you never fail to make me appreciate one piece in a whole new light. None of what was said was necessarily new to me but you and your team present it and narrate it so well! Thank you and i am so excited to see the rest of the characters!
I have been a One piece fan for 18 years. I have shared my love for it with anyone in my life who would listen. And after all this time you've shown me things I didn't see or interpret quite the same way. Thank you for that. And thank you for sharing with us something you love.
The fact is that whenever I think about a group of anime and manga protagonists and their teams coming together into a big army Luffy is the one who deserves to be the main leader of the whole group because everyone respects him for his strength courage and loyalty.
Over the past year and a half I’ve been catching up on one piece manga and watching your arc reviews in between and I’m so excited to be caught up and be able to hear someone who enjoys this series the same way I do as the videos come out. One Piece really is something special
I really love this analysis of Luffy- he’s such a special character to me, and it’s because of that unique personality of his. Even before we knew about Nika, he has always just been sunshine personified!
One Piece is that deep. It has many layers. Strong layers. On characters alone, we know their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, fears, personal goals, and what binds them together. Mark talks about those.
I'm very much curious to hear Mark's perspective and overall thoughts on Jimbei, not only as a character, but also how Jimbei creates a huge impact and understanding into the many issues that topics such as racism, classism, and heritage can have in our society.
One and hxh show how you can have both ways of writing work. Luffy doesn't think much or even have inner thoughts bubbles. He's action and says what he is thinking. That honestly wins over people to his side. Hxh we got multi paragraph sentences to explain a single event but that's great as it's realistic on how people would take a power system in real life. Dbz had a mix of this with the early saiyan saga where every move on vegeta was a stragety based one.
@@ASS-tb3mqhe befriends some villagers who are abused by them and he basically wind up destroying them entirely. After that he bump heads with them over the dragonballs
HxH is like that not because mangaka wants that to happen though, Togashi's health issues sometimes makes it more effective to write a full page of dialogue to move the story forward
Aaaaaaaaaw YEAH! Mark doing a deep dive on One Piece characters will truly be a delight to watch. I love him exploring the meta of the story, showing why Luffy works so well as a main character without lots of people realising. Preach that good word.
luffy is my favourite character in one piece, and maybe one of my favourite characters of all time. the way he is so straight forward and blunt is honestly amazing. there is never a moment he doesnt act exactly like what youd expect him to and that consistancy is also just amazing to watch play out. i would love to see you make a video like this about doflamingo as well, i have a friend who hates them becuase htye view doflamingo as childish and i have alwasy struggled to explain the depths to his character that make him such a compelling villain.
Luffy's stength as a character is in how he inspires others. In that sense, you can see the influence of Goku on his character as Goku similarly inspires those around him. Luffy manages to motivate people to move beyond despair and hopelessness to take their future back into their own hands.
Great vid! I can't get around the idea some people still view him as one dimensional and fail to see how he has grown. Luffy is a phenomenal character.
This video perfectly explains why Moist Critical's critique's on Luffy's character are very confusing and even wrong. He finished Water 7 and still said Luffy was his least favorite character. Which just tells me that he completely misunderstood his character the entire time, and I fear he may still not fully understand who Luffy is and what makes his character so special.
Your scriptwriting is INSANEEE this has such good discussion, good opening, and even greater analysis. I've been going around watching One Piece analyses and this is by far one of the best ones I've ever watched. Kudos to you!
Amazon Lily is one of my favourite arcs and it compeltely baffles me when i hear someone say they didnt like it The reason it is one of my favourites is because of Luffy and two of Luffy's greatest moments (in my opinion) happen back to back in that story line the 1st is when he covers Sandersonia's back, even though he didnt fully understand what was going on or who she was, and even though Sandersonia was his enemy at the time trying to kill him he knew that the mark on her back is her biggest shame so without hesitation he covers it up for her, and then the 2nd right after is when Boa throws him an ultimatum: either a boat or ill save these people you only just met today, and without even needing a second to think he bows his head and thanks Boa for saving the people that helped him it's these two moments above any that make Luffy such a wonderful character
And right after that they learn Luffy punched a celestial dragon, an act only a fool can make, and Luffy is like "yeah because friend :D". And because of that the most beautiful women, who hates men, falls in love. Too good writing
Watching this video when it came out is what finally convinced me to start watching One Piece. I just finished the Dub and I sincerely thank you for convincing me.
Going through Water 7 right now with my girlfriend who doesn't like Shonen (we've watched from the beginning). Seeing Luffy coming to terms with what it means to be a Captain, and really kick-starting the 'hes now way out of depth' part of his adventure and shes loving the adventure.
This video made me cry just thinking back on all those emotions I felt while watching the show and watching the crew develop and grow with one another. This comment section, G.O.L.D.. I love this show for its writing, for its creative designs of both people and places, and as you mentioned, every character we meet have a story and a personality. And as the show goes on, even when we don't see them for hundreds of episodes, these background characters aren't put on the back burner and also grow. There is so much depth to this show, and Luffy is fantastically written to show the depth surrounding him in the most simple ways.
I think one piece is one of the few anime where the BIG moments are characters emotions and actions as they are fights. And luffy is the perfect protagonist for this story. He’s more about dreams and family than power, money, or influence. Luffy is a goofy wacky character. But he also has an incredible emotional intelligence to him. And he’s a superb judge of character. One piece is amazing for a ton of reasons. And luffy being who he is a big reason for it.
absolutely incredible video. ive started writing my own screenplay and your observations has given me some influence for crafting the part im most hard on myself for: the main character.
I try to explain the show by telling people who don't know it as, "it's a show about damaged people finding the friendship and support they didn't know they needed."
My favorite Straw Hat is Straw Hat Luffy himself. I started watching one piece around 2014-2015. I was in the eighth grade with low confidence. Being introduced to Luffy from Romance Dawn was an entirely new experience to from any other main protagonist. I enjoyed his humor, emotional intelligence, confidence, and the light in him that paints him as a good character. The scene that solidified my opinion was with the dog Shu Shu. Despite not knowing what the dog been through Luffy heard and saw what that dog been protecting. Once that was destroyed and Luffy stood up for him, I honestly cried. After that, Luffy became the person I want to become. I truly enjoyed this video and I cried watching it, because this character sometimes gets overlooked for his personal gags. I loved this video!
This is cool and everything but it is painful that most people don't talk about his actual interesting aspects. selfishness and malice. which ironically combine perfectly with his kindness. the best example is his koby dynamic. Luffy hated him. although he know that koby is a slave. He bullied him and left him to rot. While secretly trying to encourage him to stand for himself and be brave. When he actually did that. luffy decided to fight for him. those small moments are what make luffy's charismatic moments hit so hard
I wouldn't quite say he bullied him and left him to rot. He's just emotionally intelligent enough to tell someone what they need to hear in the way they need to hear it. Vivi lets her idealism blind her, Luffy literally knocks some sense into her until she gets it through her head. Sometimes you need a soft hand, but other time you need a good kick in the butt.
@@JDog2656 that’s not true at all. Because when luffy grows as a captain. He talks to people he inspires with more empathy. Like udon prisoners for example. That’s an important piece of character growth for luffy. That’s very different from the case of vivi. Because luffy hates weaklings and he said it directly to koby, momo and shirahoshi. Luffy wanted koby to man up. But if koby didn’t. Luffy would have just left him to rot. Luffy learned empathy and compassion throughout his journey.
I once found your channel through videos about characters in a series I didn’t really care about, making me appreciate it all in a new way. I look forward to similar videos about characters from a series I’ve loved for 20 years.
Still haven’t seen one piece or have at least watched a episode (seen many clips and have been spoiled of some stuff and seen reviews) but despite even tho I may not get around to it anytime soon, I’m happy to have known a lot about this series and its wonderful characters like Monkey D Luffy ❤
Admittedly yeah, the supernatural fights of one piece aren’t what makes it so amazing, but it feels like that comes down to the difference between an action flick and a story with actual heart behind it. An emotional breakdown, written well, will naturally be more impactful than luffy landing ‘biggu panch’ on a bad guy. This analysis somehow made me understand better why I don’t really like Gear 5 and egghead so far, and why I have a slight love/hate relationship with Luffy at times. Very nice vid!
idk who said it but someone said “Luffy is the man who makes the impossible, possible” and that has always struck me as a perfect encapsulation of what makes Luffy special.
It took me decades to finally give one piece a chance. Like many I couldn’t get over the art style, but now I find it endearing. Honestly I don’t regret waiting so long to hop in either, I had almost 1000 episodes to watch through when I finally got on the bandwagon with a nearly infinite amount of fan content to consume. Nowadays its in my top 3 anime of all time, possibly #1.
Great video. I don't really understand how anyone could walk away from OP and not feel like it's one of the greatest stories they've ever heard. I like to compare it to Lord of the Rings. To me, they're on a similar level. And Frodo and Luffy make for an interesting comparison. Especially if you consider that Sam sort of rounds out Frodo in the comparison, which I'll get to later. On the surface, Frodo and Luffy are almost polar opposite characters, but they shine in similar ways. Frodo is dragged into adventure, where Luffy drags adventure towards him. Frodo is reserved, polite and humble. Luffy is anything but. Frodo is weak and afraid. Luffy is the literal opposite. Frodo is bound by responsibility whereas Luffy is tethered to freedom. Luffy is chasing a dream while Frodo is fleeing a nightmare. Frodo is corruptible and Luffy is not. Frodo becomes traumatized by his journey where Luffy will not. Frodo has a certain maturity while Luffy has a certain immaturity. The list goes on and on of how they are, in a practical sense, opposites. But in many ways, they are also akin to one another. Both would carry the entire burden so nobody else has to. Both are surprisingly wise given what's expected of them and their underlying innocence. Both are virtuous and overflowing with strength of character. Both would do what has to be done, no matter the cost. Both value companionship greatly, but would risk the lives of their friends if necessary. Both are compassionate, even towards their enemies. Both are particularly fond of feasts and parties. Both have a great sense of adventure and know there is more to life than what they've known. Both have a great sense of humor. Both would risk their lives to save those around them. Neither seek power. Where the comparison breaks down is the whole emotional intelligence factor. Luffy is an emotional genius whereas Frodo, while emotionally competent, may not be as keen. But that's where Sam comes in. Frodo's other half fills that void of emotional intelligence. Because, much like Luffy, Sam is an emotional genius. Throughout LOTR Sam shows a great understanding of emotion and displays empathy in spades, but it never, ever gets in the way of his judgment. That's what makes him a great hero. You could say the same about Luffy. Of course, many of these similarities are the things that make heroes heroes. But I just like how these characters that are so different from one another can be so similar.
Think this is the first video I've seen talking about Luffy that really does him service. A lot of people are quick to dismiss him as a one dimensional character without any depth.
Luffy does not have to be extremely deep. He works perfectly for a story like One Piece. He does not develop much but he develops the world and the side characters.
Well I don't really think luffy does develop throughout his own story so far, outside of them crossing the redline luffy rarely changes. He's a well developed character from the getgo though.
@@Emilstekcor I agree that he was well developed off the bat, but he developed more as he went along. He learns to be a better leader for his crew such as learning when he needs to put something aside to make sure they are okay, taught to him by Vivi after Little Garden. Luffy isn't a static character. He learns a lot, but sometimes it isn't obvious.
My favorite Straw Hat was Zoro for a long time but the more I watched I started to like Luffy more and more and now he's one of my favorite characters in fiction!
Luffy is great. I tell the kids i know about how they underestimate his intelligence. He has a moment with every crew member where he demands they be true to their dreams before he helps. It translates so well in real life too. Too many people condition themselves into how theyre supposed to think and what theyre supposed to want.. this happens to One Piece characters in the same way. Its not just recruitment, its to remind them of who they are.. thats why hes captain, and thats why so many see him as the next pirate king. P.s. as a tip.. the way Nani throws things at Luffy until she realises that he understands her is also very telling of how women behave in real life too.
Luffy is the pinnacle of the "flat" character. He dosnt change a whole lot over the corse of one piece, there is change sure, but the story isn't about luffy changing as a character, it's a about luffy forcing the world around to him change. He makes the story happen. He brings out the best and worst in every character he comes across. He frees people.
Your videos are genuinely amazingly made. By far an incredible experience to watch these. You knocked it out of the park on these one piece videos for sure!!!
"Being alone is more hurtful than getting hurt!" That's the line that lives in my head rent free. Luffy has abandonment issues but I always wonder who caused it. Is it Dragon who left him as a baby? Shanks who showed him what it's like to have a father figure? Garp who always has to leave him to do his duties as a marine? Abandonment issues simply do not manifest. It is usually caused by a person. That's why I believe Luffy is incredibly a "selflessly selfish" person. He sees Dragon and Garp being focused on their own goals of trying to change a system and becoming heroes. They sacrificed their family, Luffy, in the process. That's why Luffy will never be a hero because he chooses his friends and family above all else.
oh my gosh this video is incredible!!everything from the script to the dialogue is fantastic. I literally never comment on videos but wow, i’ve never loved an analysis video so much. THANK YOU🤍🤍🤍
Hey mark! i don't comment on channels at all,but i love your way of analyzing characters and it will mean the world to me if you do one on re:zero (especially subaru) please upvote if you agree.
Can I just say I love that luffy hasn’t had an internal thought the whole series. Not one thought bubble of text. He wears everything on his chest and it just makes him so loveable
Not sure if you know who Melon Tree is, but they’re one of my favorite One Piece RUclipsrs who have slowly been making separate video essays on each Straw Hat member but unlike you, they’ve saved Luffy for last. I just thought that was interesting
Maybe check out "Dawn and Dusk" too if you really liked those two. She mostly does theories and predictions but hearing it from a Japanese perspective makes thing two folds more clear and she even fixed some translation issues by bringing it in light like "Shanks wants to steal One Piece" rather than "take it".
Thinking is hard so let me punch it instead (luffy probably) Jokes aside. He's done very well in how he rushed into things as he wants to have that fun. Body wise. Everything stretches snd i mean everything
Who's your favourite Straw Hat pirate and why?
I love Usopp, I've always been a fan of underdog characters that fight the good fight no matter how scared or weak they may be. I love Krillin for the same reason.
I like franky because he’s such a silly guy :3
I’ve gotten to really love Jinbe and how long it took him to become a straw hat. He really had to fight for it
I like zoro, because in spite of the yelling and how simple and driven he is, he's written very subtly, plus he has some of my favourite crew dynamics
Probably Robin. She has this very smart and dignified air about her, but on the inside she’s rather similar to Luffy. This makes for a pretty fun character because she’s both very intelligent but also has her own brand of silliness
TO ME, Luffy is the epitome of "sometimes simple is better". All he wants is a world where everyone is free and that's why I like him so much.
PLUS he's one of the most hilarious characters EVER? his dumbness reaaaally adds to that 🤣
Luffy has these iconic face gestures that no other character in all of fiction can do! seriously! 🤣
Maybe being rubber helps that? Idc he's just naturally hilarious & his confused/dumb plain face stare alone is hilarious 😂
It's like he doesn't like to think about anything he doesn't care about..until he DOES & when he does think it's something so genius & original! based!
Besides being a natural charm of a leader & having the super ability of affecting everyone around him & gaining everyone's hearts,
Luffy has no personal fears, no insurities, he's care-free...
Luffy truly is the most FREE character in fiction
He's truly the GOAT 🐐
he has a simple goal and a simple mind and a simple heart and i think that simplicity makes him so relatable. he's just a guy who wants to have fun doing what he loves and he's damn good at it. Luffy really is a fresh of breath air for protags because I think he could be a grandiose, larger than life kind of character and still do well, but its just that every day type of guy with extraordinary gifts that make him so loveable. even his design is perfect: simple straw hat, sandals, and clothes that are just basic. i love him.
@goodson91 Luffy is funny as fuck bro
@@r.8902
Other Anime Protags : Over the top clothing with detailed and aesthetic styles venturing to modern looks.
Luffy: Fckng strawhat, sandals, a red shirt and a blue short.
My take on Luffy always was, that if he were in a world, where he wouldn't have to fight for freedom, than one piece would just be a lighthearted kid cruising from island to island and exploring the world. He doesn't per se want to beat everyone, he simply has to.
The thing that I love about Luffy is that even after seeing some horrible injustices, he still has that innocent vibe about him while also carrying out what he believes to be justice. He watched slavery in sabaody and a whole nation being subjugated in Wano, but it never broke his carefree and adventurous spirit. He delivered retribution right then and there with no thought of the consequences, he only did what he thought was right. Yet even after all that, he’s still the fun and goofy pirate we all know and love
this is kinda funny, 'i love that he doesn't develop whatsoever, no matter what happens, or what he goes through, he always reverts back to how he was, love it' lmao
Akainu broke his spirit but jinbei repaired it
You've never heard of a character that inspires change in others? It's not that abnormal an archetype @@WuMyth
@@DawnChaser-yn yeah luffy a flat character type I get it, it's more how they wrote it. It could easily sound super odd if looked at from another perspective
Bros the literal physical embodiment of freedom
One thing I really like about Luffy is how his development is relatively subtle. He mainly stays true to himself like most Shonen protags but you can really tell that (most of the time) he’s learned from his mistakes and you can see that in his decisions as a captain.
Exactly, those people say that his development is lacking, just isn't reading the same story I think. His character development is there, but it's not in your face like in other weaker stories. It's also because Luffy's character was solid from the beginning unlike other protagonists who had to start from a negative, to fully appreciate their growth.
Vivi scolding Luffy still has an impact to this day. My boy learned something and grew as a person.
Right, Luffy did not need to be like those edgy character just for the sake of showing he has developed as a character. As a matter of fact, I think making a happy character turns to an edgelord is the cheapest way to make a character development.
Yeah im rewatching it with my sister and she keeps commenting on what a bad captain he is currently. And I'm like huh! I never noticed how much he changed and got better at that
@@LannasMissingLinki agree. The difference between alabasta and wano in his commanding presence in times where it's needed, responsibility for the crew and their lives, and trust into each member and that they will fulfill their roles is immense.
I love how you casually showed Crocodile when mentioning Luffy’s mother 😂
was just about to mention hHAHAH
Editor-san is the GOAT
Well yeah he needs to show luffy’s mom crocodile
oh, you're one of THOSE one piece fans...🤢
@@afish.fish4 Haha undisputed!
The main thing I love about One Piece is that it never lost it’s central theme. Even now, 1000 chapters later, it’s more about the characters, the emotions, the feeling of freedom, what it means to be free. One piece is STILL going with those themes front and center, it didn’t dissolve into some generic fight anime where we just lazily watch the downtime till the next fight. It’s all about the lead up and journey to that fight.
Exactly
Unlike some jujutsu anime
Hunter X Hunter is interesting because every arc seems like it has a different theme/direction. Oda’s plowing ahead with consistent discipline while Togashi is popping back into his story when he feels like it.
It has become very repetitive now
I want it to change 😂
@@aniverse_574 The theme of Luffy being the second coming of JoyBoy isn't a change? what about Luffy and the allies taking down Kaido and Big Mom, two emperors of the sea? And the truth unravelling about the void century?
You make a fantastic point about the strength of character Luffy displays when recruiting his crew members. I found it especially poignant when he recruited Brook though, as Brook didn't take any notable action before being asked to join. The scene is played-off like a gag where Luffy sees a skeleton and wants him to join the crew because he's a skeleton. The actual reason though, likely ties into Luffy's loneliness. Luffy saw Brook floating alone on an abandoned ship and immediately knew he had a kindred soul that had to be saved from its isolation.
It's a gag, it's not that deep bro
@@bruhbruh4635 shh
@@bruhbruh4635 I mean...Brook is on the team...they have a great point. The thing about Luffy is that, while he is simple minded, the decisions he makes aren't random. He wanted Brook on his team for multiple reasons:
1.He's a Musician
2.What the person above said...
3. Whatever you think Luffy was thinking...because it's up to interpretation
Nice Interpretation, but in the Same arc luffy also tried to recruit a zombie tree :D
@@vini99killertbf you don’t see any other yonko crew with a zombie tree
I LOVED how you talked about Luffy's loneliness, I feel like it's one of his most ignored features while being one of his most interesting ones! For being such a goofy character, Luffy suffers from a loneliness so profound and so invisible that's honestly really sad, specially when he was a child and chose getting t0rtured and bullied over being alone. For Luffy, to think he's alone again is the worst thing in the world, and he thought (genuinely thought) that he had been left behind when Ace died, rendered to a desperate state where he couldnt even rationalize that his friends were still alive and would do the impossible to come back to him
YES. This aspect of him is so important, yet so overlooked
When was he tortured and bullied in his childhood again?
@boncoderz1430 he was tortured by the bluejam bandits over Ace's and Sabo's treasure and he was bullied by Ace lol
Oh no I barely started the video and Im already getting emotional because of this comment. I love luffy so much ;_; he deserves so much more ❤
Before I started One Piece, I used to be one of those people who thought Luffy was just a typical shounen protagonist who was the least interesting person in his world. But now, 1100+ chapters deep, I can confirm Luffy is the most distinct & memorable characters ever, despite him being so "simple". The joke was on me for not getting into One Piece earlier.
I started watching One piece because the frames looks so beautiful
One of the most interesting creative choices Oda has made is how RARELY you get to see what Luffy is thinking. Almost everything we know about him is our intepretation of his actions, which on a meta level really serves to double down on the themes you outlined in this video.
whoa whoa you think luffy thinks
I don't think I have ever seen Luffy with a thinking bubble in the manga
I love the answer he gave to Rayleigh saying he doesn’t want to rule anything, pirate king just means being the freest person there is while every other main character would say “if that’s what it takes to become king of the pirates then I’ll rule it all”
I didn't realize that, it just reinforces that Luffy isn't a character that will bend to the world's logic. He has his own goal and how he wants to accomplish, and he won't accept any alternatives. I love it.
To me that's a pivotal moment when I actually know Luffy as a person and a character. Up until then, we all know what and who Luffy is, stubborn, determined, adventure-loving, kind, loyal, and helpful. And with just those bits of informations, many people already loved Luffy so much. But then Oda kicked my door down with that “I don’t want to conquer anything, I just want to be the freest man in the sea” and my DAMN HEART BEAT SO LOUD at that scene. The voice tone, the atmosphere tone, the delivery, the paneling, and Rayleigh’s surprise mixed with delight and nostalgia as a response. It was all perfect and I suddenly gained A LOT of insight on what kind of person Luffy is in this one scene compared to everything I compiled before Sabaody.
The only thing that I remembered being memorable before this one is that scene where Luffy told Vivi “People die.” When she naively insisted to save everyone. That scene makes me think Luffy had known deaths, intimately perhaps, and this was proven true in ASL’s flashback.
But this scene over here blew the alabasta one out of the water. It gives me the core insight of Luffy’s character, something that I never expected to exist, I thought we already knew the core with all those hundreds of chapters but NO. It gives me an insight that Luffy is a rebel through and through, with no desire for conquest nor to rule anything. That freedom is more than everything to him.
That’s why when (SPOILERRRR if you haven’t watched Stampede) in Stampede, it’s revealed the treasure box’s content is an Eternal Post to Laugh Tale, I immediately knew Luffy would destroy it. Fans knew Luffy will destroy it. And he destroyed it, WE SCREAMED IN CHEER because HECK YEAHHH THAT’S OUR CAPTAIN! We want ADVENTURE! Not boring QUEST!
That’s why when I also see that (SPOILER for Manga in Reverie arc) Throne full of swords, I just confidently blurted out “Luffy will destroy that throne.” And many fans agreed with me. Because Luffy is not the type to sit on a throne, he will destroy it and its symbolism of tyranny and suppression.
Yes. Like there is predefined definition of the pirate king many people have and Luffy just denies this definition and decides : im gonna make up mine
No
Any other main character would say that
He will become the pirate king to free the world from the oppressive government
While Luffy will become just because he wants to
And he will save the world from the government
After it as his goal is achieved
My favorite aspect of Luffy is his emotional intelligence, normally he's a dumb guy who acts goofy, but give him a friend who needs help or someone who isn't honest with themself and he will see right through it and call them out. He doesn't need to know your backstory, only that the issue is agonizing to them. We see it with Nami, Vivi, Sanji, and many others.
The thing I really love about the One Piece world is how utterly dark it gets at points. It showcases some truly diabolical stuff and if it weren't for the Straw Hats, especially Luffy's sunny disposition and the art style, the One Piece world would definitely be up there in one of the darkest fictional settings. I mean we have multiple genocides, slavery, history erasure and revision, sexual violence (heavily implied, never shown), racism, classism, and even deep diving familial abuse.
I thought one piece is an fun teenage show but I sence all of that while watching.
@zian01000 Don't get me wrong, the show is a fun goofy show, but don't let that trick you into thinking it's shallow.
@@Deode-d4h i cant really think of it as shallow as early one piece has an good things going on even if I am not a fan on old anime. Planning to watch the entire thing (without not plot related fillers)
The entire video had me thinking of Amazon Lilly and how it showed us who Luffy was when he was at his most vulnerable. When he was alone. And still Luffy shines by protecting his opponent, by sacrificing his goal for those chasing him, and thanks to his actions he is rewarded. It is an amazing arc and I’m glad you brought it up here. Well done.
I really love that Mark's series of videos started with Luffy while MelonTee's character analysis of the straw hats are ending with Luffy
I don’t blame her, there’s just so much to talk about
I LOVE Melontees analysis they are so amazing and detailed
I also like how Mark places a secondary focus on the writing techniques that bring out the best aspects of the characters he’s analyzing, while Melonteee wholeheartedly goes in on the character analysis. Watching each creator’s videos about a respective character back to back provides a great contrast IMO.
Hope the future Usopp video can highlight Syrup Village's strengths in introducing him, he's brilliantly contrasted with Kuro
Usopp lies for good reasons, he's passionate about his dreams despite his fear, he protects his friends despite his weakness
Kuro lies for selfish reasons, he's given up on his dream and he wouldn't protect anyone if it didn't serve his best interests
What stuck out to me was how Kuro immediately betrayed his crew the moment they stopped being useful to him. While Usopp was ready to throw his life for Kaya knowing that he had no chance of winning.
@@shn4449 and he's ready to die protecting his lie to the village (protect them) as well
also, to note, kuro is also cowardly. he gives up on his pirate life out of fear of being pursued nonstop by marines. which is something the majority of pirates accept with gusto, celebrating their bounties.
Luffy’s interactions with Vivi were amazing! made him mature a lot in certain aspects!
Great point. Luffy insisted on being captain but, while he is indeed a good person, he was a horrible leader initially. Vivi even called him out on it. He's come an extraordinarily long way and is almost unrecognizable as a leader now.
Not that he's General Patton, mind you lol. But he's certainly the de facto leader of the crew.
@@sakazakijin Right? Oda does a great job with his development,
like when Nami desperately needed medical help at Drum Island, then its people end up shooting Vivi in the process, but instead of retaliation, she bows down and humbly ask for assistance while also making Luffy follow her lead.
The diplomatic qualities she's shown from her childhood are gold!
And of course, Zoro as his right hand man, also put him in line on the whole Luffy vs Usopp thing, so yeah, pretty deep stuff mate.
@@Yukisomahira that. Vivi was the one who taugh Luffy to put aside his ego and bow down for others. We saw him do that again at the end of Amazon arc and thats amazing
@@msnina5379 Right?!! Had he displayed anything but the sheer willingness to help the girls that turned into stone statues, he would’ve proven Hancock right for not expecting anything but selfishness coming from a man!
@@msnina5379I always loved vivi as a character and the impact she had on luffy. she was like his first sort of guide and friend after entering the grand line. no wonder he likes her and misses her as much as the rest of the east blue + chopper crew
"Show, don't tell" is truly the best expression to use for Luffy. There are so many meanings behind his actions throughout the series, but a lot of people don't see it because Oda doesn't shove it in our face.
The best example imo is with Rebecca. Everyone says Luffy fought Doflamingo just because Rebecca gave him free food. Which isn't wrong, but that's a very shallow way to see it. Think about Rebecca's character. She was a young girl who was trapped in a colosseum, forced to fight to the death just to entertain a crowd that hated her. And they only hated her because of who her grandfather was. Nobody could blame her if she hated the world and only cared about herself. But she never let that break her, and she paid for Luffy's meal when she barely had money for herself. Luffy loves those kind of people. Even if Rebecca isn't a fan favourite, it makes perfect sense why Luffy would respect her.
There is so much more to tell about him, but I think the popularity poll results show enough that people can at least sense something deeper about Luffy. There is no way a one-note protagonist could take 1st place in every poll. Other series proved that it doesn't work, and it's especially impossible in One Piece with all the amazing characters in it.
One quote that I love in the series is the one Mihawk says about Luffy, in which he says "Luffy has the most dangerous ability on the seas, which is turning anyone around him into allies, even former enemies." That's a quote to me that opitimises just who Luffy is as a person.
Buggy: true😊
Buggy and Mr 3 'he's so sweet!'
I'd like to just take a moment to appreciate how One Piece went from a sort of 'pirate of the week with rubber boi' story to full blown sagas with ancient histories, global revolutions, and secret world emperors, and it somehow just works.
I don't think it ever had an episodic (or monster of the week) nature, even Morgan had 4 chapters (an entire month!) of being the villain
@@VichoKTrue. The OP needs to rewatch early One Piece
@@VichoKagreed
I mean... until Loguetown, it kinda was.
Maybe not a Monster of the week, but maybe a Monster of the month or smth.
Arlong Park is when the series starting picking up for me. This is when the real meat of the series started to show.
The thing I love about Luffy is he never let's power distracts him from his goals. He treats his forms as weapons needed to end a conflict instesd of tools that he can abuse or be lazy.
One of the best OP videos I've seen. Aleczandxr's recent One Piece readthroughs, analysis and reviews made me realise that I'm not insane for thinking that Luffy is actually a really nuanced character with so much to give and a ton of depth hidden for many in plain sight. He genuinely is one of the greatest of all time!
AJ just gets One Piece. I really love ytbers like Mark, AJ, Merphy, etc who analyze One Piece as a story! They always have the best reviews
i always felt like what the post-Marineford flashback accomplishes for luffy's character was monumental at the time. Up to this point he was portrayed in this miracle man "en devenir" way, something that you can't bend, almost everlasting. Yes his characterization was still very human but there was something unique and alien about the way he was simultaneously carefree and very "radicalized" in few aspects (for example his fixation on living freely with no regrets and why he yearns for strength and equates it to = being able to protect his loved ones, why he values companionship this much, why he doesn't want to hear people's past, why he hates the idea of someone predicting/choosing a path for him, why he likes and knows this much about beetles) i was often finding myself asking "ok but where did he get this from?", the Shanks flashback had a few pieces of the puzzle but it wasn't enough.
it can be risky to have your main character remain "unrealized" in that sense but it's also boring to have luffy spell out why he is the way he is through plain exposition or dialogue. So instead you have to pick up on subtext and small bits of characterization and patiently wait for 500 chapters until oda finally decides it's time to draw his origin story, and then you get rewarded when he recontextualizes some of his quotes and actions, vol. 60 "Little Brother" is one of my favorites for this reason.
I truly think he struck gold with his character, i wouldn't say his (character)arc is as dwelt upon or nuanced as other greats but he undoubtedly changes throughout the series. Also a sentiment that i find hard to articulate but it's how poignant the story can get when it puts luffy's thoughtfulness front and center, he has a quiet way of showing how much he cares for people's struggles that moves me to tears sometimes and it's usually done in a way that rarely feels uncharacteristic : when he's unaware of the details, not having any global grasp of the situation..etc
That little sandstorm audio addition…
Genius😂
Was looking for this comment
14:41
I think every single Straw Hat would make for a great protagonist of their own self contained story. Each one could be the main character of their own adventures and tell a compelling story. But what makes them all work incredibly well is when they're a group. It's what makes the Straw Hats my favorite main group in any series I've gone through. Despite there being 10 characters, they all feel distinct and well developed and serve a purpose in the greater picture.
As someone who’s an amateur in writing and has been practicing writing fiction, I see Luffy as a great example of how to handle a flat character (a character who never really goes through an arc to change, positive or negative). He never stops showing his true self loud and proud, and will do anything for his crew or anyone who he believes needs help.
Just because a character is made to be flat, doesn’t mean they’re automatically boring or uninteresting. Characters like Spider-Man or Batman would be considered flat characters as their characters never change, but they still go through their deal of hardships. And it’s how they respond to those trials and how they overcome them is what makes them interesting. A flat character should help change the characters and the world around them.
That’s why Luffy works so well. The world around him is almost made to be against him. A world with a ruling government who hates pirates or anyone who refuses to follow their rules.
Luffy in his introduction is already shown to be someone who hates to be under a cruel ruler, with Kobe and Alvida. It’s actually amazing how stuff like that is built up just at the start.
I know this is a lot but I just wanted to show my appreciation for one piece’s writing.
I agree with you except for Spider-Man, he’s definitely not a flat character as he changes constantly
@@Deathmare235 true but I meant it more in the sense that he doesn’t change completely. He does change a bit from the hardships a bit but he’s still his same heroic self at the end of the day. The only time he’s changed was after Uncle Ben’s death and then he gained a new perspective for the rest of his life. Sorry if I confused anyone.
@j.b.5422goku maybe
This has the potential to be my favorite video series on this channel. After Pokemon, one piece was the first anime I ever watched. I’m a massive fan of it and Mark’s review videos were not the first time I followed a content creator as they made their way through this story; and it certainly wasn’t the last.
There is no feeling more magical that watching someone express how much they like something that you like.
Taking a closer look at individual characters thought? That’s a wonderful idea.
Yeah i like tekking for this kind of thing as well
I've loved luffy from the start, but whole cake island and his scenes with Sanji is where I really felt Luffy's love for his crew.
The usopp fight was one of the first moments luffys char showed THAT kind of serious emotion.. especially when he had that convo with nami about usopp
One of the greatest MCs. One Piece is Luffy and Luffy is One Piece. The heart of this beautiful story and world
One thing I like about luffy is that he is actually bothered by the worlds injustices. While he can give off an air of selfishness Luffy when he sees things like slavery or racism makes it a fight on sight especially if it’s towards his friends. It’s almost impossible not to compare Luffy with goku and while goku cannot understand the consequences for his actions luffy can. In sabaody luffy knew full well hitting a celestial dragon would bring an admiral but did it anyway because it was the right thing to do
This is so cool, I thought you'd never bring this series back! I just started One Piece and I'm still super early on, so I'll watch once I get far enough!!
see you soon
SOON??? Ain't no way @@monkeyboy275bobo8
@@monkeyboy275bobo8sacasa
Youve given me a new perspective on Luffy. Especially the loneliness part. To me, his actions speak way more than his words. The reached he’d go for his friends and family touched me. Especially with Robin.
Luffy is simple, but people who don't want to pay attention pass that simplicity off as 'one-dimensional', but Luffy is far from that; he's a dreamer, a fighter, a survivor, a leader, a force of nature, and he always has been. He's naive but he's aware of those flaws, which is why he values his crew to fill in the gaps, if more people in the world were like Luffy the world would be a better place, albeit more chaotic, he's the inner child we all wish we could bring out, the strong heart who draws people behind him: charisma, loyalty, honor, courage - Monkey D. Luffy is everything in the world that the quote unquote 'good guys', the marines, should represent, but in contrast he's a pirate, and these traits make him different but no less of a pirate; he's still irrational, greedy, stubborn, and intimidating to those who he disagrees with. To your point his journey is essentially a wrench in the system of the world; the plot doesn't happen to Luffy, Luffy happens to the plot, he is free - running to the literal beat of his own drum - but he's free in terms of goodness, which beautifully counters the rigid and oppressive system in the World Government.
But this and more is what makes Luffy for me the best Shonen Protagonist
Luffy is defined by his goodness, but goodness isn't defined by Luffy. He makes mistakes and occasionally treats people badly. He's got major flaws that influence the story every single arc. He's got a backstory that informs his character, so much so that we barely knew anything about it until more than halfway through the story. And yet, despite knowing Luffy so well, we still can't predict what he's gonna do next.
Mark, you never fail to make me appreciate one piece in a whole new light. None of what was said was necessarily new to me but you and your team present it and narrate it so well! Thank you and i am so excited to see the rest of the characters!
I have been a One piece fan for 18 years. I have shared my love for it with anyone in my life who would listen. And after all this time you've shown me things I didn't see or interpret quite the same way. Thank you for that. And thank you for sharing with us something you love.
The fact is that whenever I think about a group of anime and manga protagonists and their teams coming together into a big army Luffy is the one who deserves to be the main leader of the whole group because everyone respects him for his strength courage and loyalty.
Having people show you their nature is way more powerful than them telling you. It fits Luffy’s instinctive personality. Great video as always!
You managed to put into words why I always loved Luffy most in One Piece. Now I can just point people to this video. Thanks for that :)
Over the past year and a half I’ve been catching up on one piece manga and watching your arc reviews in between and I’m so excited to be caught up and be able to hear someone who enjoys this series the same way I do as the videos come out. One Piece really is something special
I really love this analysis of Luffy- he’s such a special character to me, and it’s because of that unique personality of his. Even before we knew about Nika, he has always just been sunshine personified!
Marks new series: "Bro, it is that deep"
I know i will love it
One Piece is that deep. It has many layers. Strong layers. On characters alone, we know their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, fears, personal goals, and what binds them together. Mark talks about those.
ONE PIECE AGENDA!!!!!!
AGENDA PIECE!
Agenda>scaling
AGENDA PIECE!!
12:13 bro put crocodile as luffy’s mom, I’m weak 😂😂😂
I just saw that🤣🤣 Didn't notice at first
I literally just laughed out loud at that haha
i screamed
I'm very much curious to hear Mark's perspective and overall thoughts on Jimbei, not only as a character, but also how Jimbei creates a huge impact and understanding into the many issues that topics such as racism, classism, and heritage can have in our society.
One and hxh show how you can have both ways of writing work.
Luffy doesn't think much or even have inner thoughts bubbles. He's action and says what he is thinking. That honestly wins over people to his side.
Hxh we got multi paragraph sentences to explain a single event but that's great as it's realistic on how people would take a power system in real life.
Dbz had a mix of this with the early saiyan saga where every move on vegeta was a stragety based one.
I remember in original dragon ball why did Goku fight the red ribbon army again was it because of that girl he befriended ?
@@ASS-tb3mqhe befriends some villagers who are abused by them and he basically wind up destroying them entirely. After that he bump heads with them over the dragonballs
@@pogo8050 😭o Yh I forgot how crazy kid Goku was
HxH is like that not because mangaka wants that to happen though, Togashi's health issues sometimes makes it more effective to write a full page of dialogue to move the story forward
@@ASS-tb3mq Kid Goku was the GOAT. 💪
Aaaaaaaaaw YEAH! Mark doing a deep dive on One Piece characters will truly be a delight to watch. I love him exploring the meta of the story, showing why Luffy works so well as a main character without lots of people realising. Preach that good word.
luffy is my favourite character in one piece, and maybe one of my favourite characters of all time. the way he is so straight forward and blunt is honestly amazing. there is never a moment he doesnt act exactly like what youd expect him to and that consistancy is also just amazing to watch play out. i would love to see you make a video like this about doflamingo as well, i have a friend who hates them becuase htye view doflamingo as childish and i have alwasy struggled to explain the depths to his character that make him such a compelling villain.
14:40 caught me off guard with that Sandstorm sound clip, well played Mark 😂
I really hope this series covers the Going Merry, she was just as much a part of the crew as anyone else
Heck yeah booi!
Luffy's stength as a character is in how he inspires others. In that sense, you can see the influence of Goku on his character as Goku similarly inspires those around him. Luffy manages to motivate people to move beyond despair and hopelessness to take their future back into their own hands.
Great vid! I can't get around the idea some people still view him as one dimensional and fail to see how he has grown. Luffy is a phenomenal character.
You DID NOT play Darude Sandstorm when Crocodile summoned the mini sand tornado 😂😂😂😂
This video perfectly explains why Moist Critical's critique's on Luffy's character are very confusing and even wrong. He finished Water 7 and still said Luffy was his least favorite character. Which just tells me that he completely misunderstood his character the entire time, and I fear he may still not fully understand who Luffy is and what makes his character so special.
Your scriptwriting is INSANEEE this has such good discussion, good opening, and even greater analysis. I've been going around watching One Piece analyses and this is by far one of the best ones I've ever watched. Kudos to you!
i LOVE that you put Croco in the edit when talking about his mother.
best one piece theory out there
Bravo!
Phenomenal video man! Luffy is peak fiction MC. I pray all the voice actors live to the end of One Piece.
Amazon Lily is one of my favourite arcs and it compeltely baffles me when i hear someone say they didnt like it
The reason it is one of my favourites is because of Luffy and two of Luffy's greatest moments (in my opinion) happen back to back in that story line
the 1st is when he covers Sandersonia's back, even though he didnt fully understand what was going on or who she was, and even though Sandersonia was his enemy at the time trying to kill him he knew that the mark on her back is her biggest shame so without hesitation he covers it up for her, and then the 2nd right after is when Boa throws him an ultimatum: either a boat or ill save these people you only just met today, and without even needing a second to think he bows his head and thanks Boa for saving the people that helped him
it's these two moments above any that make Luffy such a wonderful character
And right after that they learn Luffy punched a celestial dragon, an act only a fool can make, and Luffy is like "yeah because friend :D". And because of that the most beautiful women, who hates men, falls in love. Too good writing
Watching this video when it came out is what finally convinced me to start watching One Piece. I just finished the Dub and I sincerely thank you for convincing me.
Going through Water 7 right now with my girlfriend who doesn't like Shonen (we've watched from the beginning).
Seeing Luffy coming to terms with what it means to be a Captain, and really kick-starting the 'hes now way out of depth' part of his adventure and shes loving the adventure.
Yo spoilers in the video
@@sivasankars808 Why are you telling me..?
This video made me cry just thinking back on all those emotions I felt while watching the show and watching the crew develop and grow with one another. This comment section, G.O.L.D.. I love this show for its writing, for its creative designs of both people and places, and as you mentioned, every character we meet have a story and a personality. And as the show goes on, even when we don't see them for hundreds of episodes, these background characters aren't put on the back burner and also grow. There is so much depth to this show, and Luffy is fantastically written to show the depth surrounding him in the most simple ways.
I think one piece is one of the few anime where the BIG moments are characters emotions and actions as they are fights. And luffy is the perfect protagonist for this story.
He’s more about dreams and family than power, money, or influence. Luffy is a goofy wacky character. But he also has an incredible emotional intelligence to him. And he’s a superb judge of character. One piece is amazing for a ton of reasons. And luffy being who he is a big reason for it.
Love hearing an intellectual breakdown on characters from you mark no one does it better
Luffy is the ultimate example of "simple doesn't mean stupid".
absolutely incredible video. ive started writing my own screenplay and your observations has given me some influence for crafting the part im most hard on myself for: the main character.
People who think Luffy is one dimensional either haven't seen One Piece or never cared to understand it.
I try to explain the show by telling people who don't know it as, "it's a show about damaged people finding the friendship and support they didn't know they needed."
12:15 showing crocodile when you said his mom was absent is a sneaky move by you😏 and it got a chuckle out of me🤣
14:42 not to say that this took me out of the drama, but it literally made me drop my pencil from laughing
My favorite Straw Hat is Straw Hat Luffy himself. I started watching one piece around 2014-2015. I was in the eighth grade with low confidence. Being introduced to Luffy from Romance Dawn was an entirely new experience to from any other main protagonist. I enjoyed his humor, emotional intelligence, confidence, and the light in him that paints him as a good character. The scene that solidified my opinion was with the dog Shu Shu. Despite not knowing what the dog been through Luffy heard and saw what that dog been protecting. Once that was destroyed and Luffy stood up for him, I honestly cried. After that, Luffy became the person I want to become. I truly enjoyed this video and I cried watching it, because this character sometimes gets overlooked for his personal gags. I loved this video!
This is cool and everything but it is painful that most people don't talk about his actual interesting aspects. selfishness and malice. which ironically combine perfectly with his kindness.
the best example is his koby dynamic. Luffy hated him. although he know that koby is a slave. He bullied him and left him to rot. While secretly trying to encourage him to stand for himself and be brave. When he actually did that. luffy decided to fight for him.
those small moments are what make luffy's charismatic moments hit so hard
I wouldn't quite say he bullied him and left him to rot. He's just emotionally intelligent enough to tell someone what they need to hear in the way they need to hear it. Vivi lets her idealism blind her, Luffy literally knocks some sense into her until she gets it through her head. Sometimes you need a soft hand, but other time you need a good kick in the butt.
@@JDog2656 that’s not true at all. Because when luffy grows as a captain. He talks to people he inspires with more empathy. Like udon prisoners for example.
That’s an important piece of character growth for luffy.
That’s very different from the case of vivi. Because luffy hates weaklings and he said it directly to koby, momo and shirahoshi.
Luffy wanted koby to man up. But if koby didn’t. Luffy would have just left him to rot.
Luffy learned empathy and compassion throughout his journey.
I once found your channel through videos about characters in a series I didn’t really care about, making me appreciate it all in a new way.
I look forward to similar videos about characters from a series I’ve loved for 20 years.
Still haven’t seen one piece or have at least watched a episode (seen many clips and have been spoiled of some stuff and seen reviews) but despite even tho I may not get around to it anytime soon, I’m happy to have known a lot about this series and its wonderful characters like Monkey D Luffy ❤
If you enjoy One Piece like this. You do you, I guess 👍
"His mom is absent..." while showing us Crocodile left me wheezing
We all need a friend like Luffy.
Admittedly yeah, the supernatural fights of one piece aren’t what makes it so amazing, but it feels like that comes down to the difference between an action flick and a story with actual heart behind it. An emotional breakdown, written well, will naturally be more impactful than luffy landing ‘biggu panch’ on a bad guy.
This analysis somehow made me understand better why I don’t really like Gear 5 and egghead so far, and why I have a slight love/hate relationship with Luffy at times. Very nice vid!
Finally some more One Piece content from TNM so excited!
I think it be so cool if you did a Edward Newgate video at some point
idk who said it but someone said “Luffy is the man who makes the impossible, possible” and that has always struck me as a perfect encapsulation of what makes Luffy special.
It took me decades to finally give one piece a chance. Like many I couldn’t get over the art style, but now I find it endearing.
Honestly I don’t regret waiting so long to hop in either, I had almost 1000 episodes to watch through when I finally got on the bandwagon with a nearly infinite amount of fan content to consume.
Nowadays its in my top 3 anime of all time, possibly #1.
"Damn I need a vid to watch rn."
*New TNM Notification*
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Great video. I don't really understand how anyone could walk away from OP and not feel like it's one of the greatest stories they've ever heard. I like to compare it to Lord of the Rings. To me, they're on a similar level. And Frodo and Luffy make for an interesting comparison. Especially if you consider that Sam sort of rounds out Frodo in the comparison, which I'll get to later.
On the surface, Frodo and Luffy are almost polar opposite characters, but they shine in similar ways. Frodo is dragged into adventure, where Luffy drags adventure towards him. Frodo is reserved, polite and humble. Luffy is anything but. Frodo is weak and afraid. Luffy is the literal opposite. Frodo is bound by responsibility whereas Luffy is tethered to freedom. Luffy is chasing a dream while Frodo is fleeing a nightmare. Frodo is corruptible and Luffy is not. Frodo becomes traumatized by his journey where Luffy will not. Frodo has a certain maturity while Luffy has a certain immaturity. The list goes on and on of how they are, in a practical sense, opposites. But in many ways, they are also akin to one another.
Both would carry the entire burden so nobody else has to. Both are surprisingly wise given what's expected of them and their underlying innocence. Both are virtuous and overflowing with strength of character. Both would do what has to be done, no matter the cost. Both value companionship greatly, but would risk the lives of their friends if necessary. Both are compassionate, even towards their enemies. Both are particularly fond of feasts and parties. Both have a great sense of adventure and know there is more to life than what they've known. Both have a great sense of humor. Both would risk their lives to save those around them. Neither seek power.
Where the comparison breaks down is the whole emotional intelligence factor. Luffy is an emotional genius whereas Frodo, while emotionally competent, may not be as keen. But that's where Sam comes in. Frodo's other half fills that void of emotional intelligence. Because, much like Luffy, Sam is an emotional genius. Throughout LOTR Sam shows a great understanding of emotion and displays empathy in spades, but it never, ever gets in the way of his judgment. That's what makes him a great hero. You could say the same about Luffy.
Of course, many of these similarities are the things that make heroes heroes. But I just like how these characters that are so different from one another can be so similar.
Love these character studies! You are awesome 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
Think this is the first video I've seen talking about Luffy that really does him service. A lot of people are quick to dismiss him as a one dimensional character without any depth.
Luffy does not have to be extremely deep. He works perfectly for a story like One Piece. He does not develop much but he develops the world and the side characters.
"he does not develop much" bro just ignored the entire message of the video lol
Well I don't really think luffy does develop throughout his own story so far, outside of them crossing the redline luffy rarely changes. He's a well developed character from the getgo though.
@@Emilstekcor
I agree that he was well developed off the bat, but he developed more as he went along. He learns to be a better leader for his crew such as learning when he needs to put something aside to make sure they are okay, taught to him by Vivi after Little Garden.
Luffy isn't a static character. He learns a lot, but sometimes it isn't obvious.
@@lynx4082 Development does not mean what you think it means.
My favorite Straw Hat was Zoro for a long time but the more I watched I started to like Luffy more and more and now he's one of my favorite characters in fiction!
Luffy is great. I tell the kids i know about how they underestimate his intelligence. He has a moment with every crew member where he demands they be true to their dreams before he helps. It translates so well in real life too. Too many people condition themselves into how theyre supposed to think and what theyre supposed to want.. this happens to One Piece characters in the same way. Its not just recruitment, its to remind them of who they are.. thats why hes captain, and thats why so many see him as the next pirate king.
P.s. as a tip.. the way Nani throws things at Luffy until she realises that he understands her is also very telling of how women behave in real life too.
Luffy has natural and genuine rizz.
Luffy is the pinnacle of the "flat" character. He dosnt change a whole lot over the corse of one piece, there is change sure, but the story isn't about luffy changing as a character, it's a about luffy forcing the world around to him change. He makes the story happen. He brings out the best and worst in every character he comes across. He frees people.
We are so back.
Your videos are genuinely amazingly made. By far an incredible experience to watch these. You knocked it out of the park on these one piece videos for sure!!!
MORE ONE PIECE CONTENT YAAH WOOOOOO
"Being alone is more hurtful than getting hurt!"
That's the line that lives in my head rent free. Luffy has abandonment issues but I always wonder who caused it. Is it Dragon who left him as a baby? Shanks who showed him what it's like to have a father figure? Garp who always has to leave him to do his duties as a marine? Abandonment issues simply do not manifest. It is usually caused by a person.
That's why I believe Luffy is incredibly a "selflessly selfish" person. He sees Dragon and Garp being focused on their own goals of trying to change a system and becoming heroes. They sacrificed their family, Luffy, in the process. That's why Luffy will never be a hero because he chooses his friends and family above all else.
love this
oh my gosh this video is incredible!!everything from the script to the dialogue is fantastic. I literally never comment on videos but wow, i’ve never loved an analysis video so much. THANK YOU🤍🤍🤍
Hey mark!
i don't comment on channels at all,but i love your way of analyzing characters and it will mean the world to me if you do one on re:zero (especially subaru)
please upvote if you agree.
Oh I hope he dose
Can I just say I love that luffy hasn’t had an internal thought the whole series. Not one thought bubble of text. He wears everything on his chest and it just makes him so loveable
Not sure if you know who Melon Tree is, but they’re one of my favorite One Piece RUclipsrs who have slowly been making separate video essays on each Straw Hat member but unlike you, they’ve saved Luffy for last. I just thought that was interesting
Also my favorite one piece RUclipsr and I can't wait for that Luffy video
Maybe check out "Dawn and Dusk" too if you really liked those two. She mostly does theories and predictions but hearing it from a Japanese perspective makes thing two folds more clear and she even fixed some translation issues by bringing it in light like "Shanks wants to steal One Piece" rather than "take it".
I totally agree. What made me fall in love and relate to Luffy was not his big dream, but his compassion for others.
Thinking is hard so let me punch it instead (luffy probably)
Jokes aside. He's done very well in how he rushed into things as he wants to have that fun.
Body wise. Everything stretches snd i mean everything
Oohhh youll be covering the other Straw Hats with their own individual videos? Im super excited to see those!!
New Anatomy Of Anime Video!?
HELL YA!!!!
someone finally made video about luffy that been in my head for years. and for that i thank you and will watch it more than one time.
You made me watch Luffy cry... I don't like it.