I think the thing that’s most compelling for me about the live action iteration of Luffy is that they’ve stripped away all the expectations of the Shonen Protagonist.
Right away they let him have some character growth and vulnerability that we didn’t get from the manga until several dozen or hundred chapter in! He’s allowed to be indecisive and to make the wrong call and to NOT know what to do and to get comfort and reassurance and advice from his friends!!!
Everything goes to shit - Zoro is mortally wounded by Mihawk - and after they drag Zoro’s bleeding body into the galley, Usopp is running around looking for the first aid kit and Nami is trying to staunch the bleeding and Luffy completely detaches himself from the moment because it’s more than he can process! He never for a moment thought Zoro would lose and here are the consequences. Nami has to call his name several times before he can even answer her! And even when he runs into the Baratie’s kitchen, he’s so flustered and upset that he’s nearly incoherent and the pathetic way he says “My friend is dying” is absolutely heartbreaking!
It’s such an interesting take to see so early on, because the few instances in the manga where Luffy has lost a fight or not know what to do or royally fucked up have been because he didn’t understand the situation or he wasn’t properly motivated, etc. His authority as captain and the whole “playing at pirates” thing isn’t even something that gets called into question until WATER 7, and it’s Zoro who calls him out because he’s so ready to forgive Usopp.
To do it NOW? During the East Blue arc???
To have it be Nami who tells him he’s shit at his job and that he Needs to take it more seriously because Zoro is DYING??
I’m frothing at the mouth about it tbh because Luffy takes that shit to heart - because it’s after this confrontation that Nami LEAVES. Luffy says it himself when he’s talking to Zoro while he’s unconscious. HE lost the grand line map, HE lost Nami, and HE feels responsible bc he might lose Zoro too!
All those failures - all that guilt - bothers the hell out of him and we get to SEE that!
Part of Manga Luffy’s charm apart from his emotional intuition is that he’s a lil fuckin bulldozer and he’s so arrogant and selfish and that head is empty zero thoughts 98 percent of the time - to soften those harder (arguably less palatable) traits and make live action Luffy just so fucking earnest and thoughtful and intelligent is such an incredible take I’m just obsessed with it! I’m eating it up!!! Bc he’s still LUFFY at his core!
He’s goofy and smiley and charming and fun and happy and easygoing and he’s dumb as hell and he’s constantly hungry and he loves to fight and he’s KIND and he sticks up for other people and he believes in himself!
He believes in other people’s dreams!
He doesn’t think you should let anything or anyone stand in your way!
He cares so much about his friends and he LOVES them and he’d die for them in a heartbeat!
But he’s also allowed to have a fucking panic attack when his friend is literally bleeding to death and oh boy do I love to see it!
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Ash unfolded the paper. A jolt went through his body. He turned away quickly so that Jace and Sebastian, deep in conversation, wouldn't see his expression.
It was her, the strange human girl he's once seen in the Unseelie weapons room. Dark hair, eyes the colour of the sky he only partially remembered. A murder of crows circled in the sky behind her. Not a photograph, but a drawing, done with a wistful hand, a sense of love and longing emanating from the page. A name was scribbled in a corner: Drusilla Blackthorn.
Drusilla. She looked lonely, Ash thought, but determined as well, as if a hope lived behind those summer-blue eyes, a hope that could not be quenched by loss, a hope too strong to feel despair.
Ash's heart was pounding, though he could not have said why. Hastily, he folded the drawing and thrust it into his pocket.
there is literally nothing (and i mean nothing) that anyone could say that would convince me that ash doesn't have the biggest crush on dru blackthorn idfc.
LET ME TELL YOU this ain't platonic in the slightest, okay?
NOW FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TIME I WANNA ANALYSE THIS BC I HAVE ISSUES WELCOME
this one is for the folks who doubt morgenthorn will be endgame *peace out*
like the "her" being in italics is already sus enough because he's like "omg it's the pretty girl i saw that one time *blushes furiously*" and then he seems so pleased to finally know her name????? drusilla???? and then like examines the drawing so thoroughly it’s actually mental???? he thinks she’s the most gorgeous human to ever walk the earth (and he’s not wrong)
and to top it all off he’s all “hmmm my heart is beating kinda fast lolsies i wonder why” and then wait for it HE FUCKING TAKES THE DRAWING!!! LIKE HE FOLDS IT AND PUTS IT IN HIS POCKET BC OFC HE DOES!!!! HE HAS TO LOOK AT IT IN HIS FREE TIME U KNOW BC THAT’S WHAT U DO (when ur a freaking simp)!!! he is so so whipped already and twp hasn’t even been released pls i’m so far gone for them save me
dru is getting like properly thirsted over AND FUCKING RIGHTFULLY SO bc she’s an absolute goddess and we all know it… and ash is the drusilla blackthorn fanclub founder idc like god he is gonna have it SO bad for her in twp and guys when she finds out he kept the drawing all these years, i will simply evaporate out of existence
morgenthorn is gonna be my downfall mark my words
i can’t wait yay A N G S T😀
[pterodactyl screech]
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sorry im coping with aus again oopsie daisy. anyway here's my take on a fantasy au
it all started with me rewatching the D&D movie and thinking "hm. what (broad) classes would the neighbors have?"
and after much thinking i came to the conclusion: Barnaby = Bard / Eddie = Paladin / Sally = Sorcerer / Julie = fighter / Frank = monk / Howdy = Artificer / Poppy = Healer / Wally = 'Wizard'
those seem fitting! BUT i don't like restrictions or rules so in this very light worldbuilding for a casual (strongly glaring at myself here) CASUAL au, it's only dnd-esque. not actually dnd yk yk
in my head, they're not technically puppets for this au. they're flesh and blood, they've got bones, etc. they're actual Creatures, though they still look like Them! Julie's still pink w/ candy-corn-horns! Frank is still a gray tube! Barnaby is a big blue dog! they're just... not puppets. it's the same for the other beings in this fantasy world - they all keep the style, but they're all flesh n' blood if that makes sense. a cartoony fantasy world
so they have their little found family adventuring group titled, of course, The Neighborhood. because when they were first forming, Wally went "oh! are we a neighborhood? i've always wanted neighbors!" and it Stuck. so they all lovingly refer to each other as neighbors, even though the closest they get to being actual neighbors is pitching their tents next to each other & staying at an Inn in neighboring rooms
like your classic group of adventurers, they're almost constantly on the move. the longest they stay in one place is a couple of months - the rest of the time they're wandering! they take quests, get roped into general Shenanigans, etc. they adventure! and get into a lot of battles of varying severity
so Barnaby is still kiiiiind of a bard? best i can describe him is jack-of-all-trades moral support! he provides battle music, keeps the mood light, and stands off to the side to offer quips and tips. he prefers not to fight, and only Gets Involved when the others need Backup. even then, he usually takes the role of defending his neighbors. he has a good eye for whether or not physical support is needed - he never needs to be asked when there's a legitimate need for him! unless he's thoroughly distracted from the goings-on. he does have magic, but it's more for show / defense-based
Eddie's still pretty classically a paladin. healing powers, armor, there to be on the front lines and Protect! the group's sword and shield! he technically serves a god but he forgot who <3 he just makes the occasional general offering and mumbles some vague prayer. he's super friendly! super helpful! super willing to dive into the line of fire! Will disregard his own safety without a second thought! his magic is pretty much restricted to healing, and it's weak healing at that (maybe because he can't properly serve his god...), so it's mostly good for quick mid-battle heals and little wounds. temporary fixes!
Sally has innate fire/light magic, and she's very showy with it! she puts Flair and Pizazz into all of her casts and is very dramatic on the battlefield - she manages to turn her fights into a performance. She tag-teams keeping the Neighborhood entertained with Barnaby. he handles the humor/lightheartedness, she handles the escapism/encouragement. she writes scripts & stories in her off-time, and often reads them (or spins a new one) after dinner. when they have weeks / month breaks in one spot, sometimes she'll recruit local thespians to create a play
Frank is all about that hand-to-hand combat babey! he wants to feel bones break under his fists! he wants those split knuckles! he very often starts fights, and even more often finishes them - what he lacks in raw power he makes up for in vicious tenacity. he just Keeps On Going! he seconds as the group's Knowledge Guy. while his hobby is studying insects, he also catalogues/studies monsters and enemies and terrain so that the Neighborhood can always be prepared. the only time he stays out of fights is when he's researching or note-taking. he tries to micromanage the battle from afar anyway
Julie is like... put a druid, a fighter, and a barbarian in a blender. she's got a big sword! she's got seemingly endless energy in battle! she can talk to plants, especially flowers! her flora magic is very minor, so it's not like she's making giant roots burst out of the ground and strangle people. but plants can give her information, and if she asks nicely and they feel like it, sometimes they'll help her out. in battle she's a force to be reckoned with! nothing will stop her and her sword! she's usually the second (closely following Frank, with Eddie hot on her heels) Neighbor charging into battle - but she's the one with the stellar war cry! & where Sally and Barnaby tend to the Neighborhood's emotional wellbeing & entertainment, Julie keeps things fresh with Physical Activities during their downtime!
Poppy is a powerful healer! she draws on an individual's energy (often taps into her own as well) to convert it into healing power. it's draining but it's damn good healing! she also takes the role of the Neighborhood's cook (the others still like to help, especially Frank who is essentially her sous-chef) and makes sure they're all healthy. she hangs back during battles, waiting to (and hoping that she doesn't have to) heal a wounded Neighbor. if one of them is badly hit, she forces herself to run into battle and drag them to safety before working on their injury. she has a tiny bit of illusion magic, which she'll cast from afar to assist her Neighbors. she tries not to use it outside of emergencies - it takes a lot of energy, which she tries to conserve just in case.
Howdy has Zero Magic! none! four hands and none of them are magical! however, he's a damn good inventor & a whiz at potion making. he can Use magical items like there's no tomorrow - he just can't wield it himself. he supplies the group with potions, helpful items, all sorts of goodies - given that they can trade for it with anything he'd accept in-canon. the only exception is when they're mid-battle - he hands stuff out when needed without haggle. he supplies the group with their cash when they're not getting it from looting/quests - he has a magic backpack that can unfold into a fully-stocked merchant stall! he sells at towns, on the road, anywhere he can! In battle he hangs back with Poppy and, yes, supplies items, but he also uses ranged attacks - magical weapons that cast for him, magic 'bombs', that sort of thing! but there's a little secret - he's the Neighborhood's secret weapon. he invented fantasy guns! four magic revolvers that, when the 'second safety' is turned off, multiply into a giant clusterfuck of guns (with ammo ranging from magic 'bullets' to essentially rocket launchers). unfortunately he can only use this setting once & for a limited time before the guns overload & have to be manually repaired. so he either uses them off of the first safety (i.e, they're 'normal'), or not at all. you know shit is Really hitting the fan when he joins a fight
and Wally! Wally Wally Wally... you may have noticed that i put his class 'wizard' in quotes. that's because he says he's a wizard, but he's not! he just says he's one due to the automatic stigma and fear of what he really is - a Warlock! his patron is Home, an eldritch horror that many would classify as a demon. they have a very special, codependent pact that neither of them can live without - Wally wears their 'seal' as a house-shaped pendant on a choker (necklace) hidden under his clothes. Home is extraordinarily powerful, but Wally barely taps into that power. he has a grimoire that Home inscribed with a bunch of sigils that convert into spells when drawn & then cast in the air. the only other powers he uses are seeing-in-the-dark, seeing-magic, and opening teleportation doors! Wally can't sleep, but he can doze - though he's never fully unaware of his surroundings (its kind of like how dolphins only sleep with one half of their brain). he still eats with his eyes, which both feeds him & acts as a form of providing daily energy to Home, since Home can't exactly consume souls every day. If Wally uses too much magic, he has to rest inside of Home's house-form, which is the only time he actually fully sleeps. no one knows about Home, or that Wally is lying about his wizard status.
Home is a lovecraftian being with three forms. the first is the lowest power level - a cute one-room house with Eyes! i.e: Home Classic! Wally's pendant unfolds into it, and it's the main way Wally and Home physically interact & communicate. the second is possession - if Wally explicitly allows it, Home can completely take over his body and kind of 'tuck him away' to have a nice deep nap while Home takes the reins (Home can technically force this, but it's very difficult and would not go over well w/ Wally - it would also be an unstable possession). the third is Home's true form - a massive shadowy eldritch monster made of writhing darkness and nightmares that no one in their right mind would look at, let alone fight. Home has very complicated feelings about Wally & the Neighborhood. they are also, quite literally, Wally's heart - which is part of their pact.
i have some scene ideas & little Plot Concepts (most notably the times the Neighborhood learns two Very Big Secrets about Wally, one of which being the warlock/Home reveal).
but yeah that's moooostly it. basic stuff yk, not very in depth! just fun things to feed my maladaptive daydreaming & escapism
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I just cried over the ending of the railway children (again), what was the last book/tv/film you cried over?
ohhhh interesting question because going on testosterone killed my ability to cry. i think the last time i cried over anything was in november when i was going through insane bullshit at church lmao. this excerpt from reset the heart by mai-anh le tran, a book that i still need to finish but have lacked brain power to do bc it was hard to read (emotional)(unlearning)(also i can't read), made me wildly emosh last may though:
[text reads: "We assume loving also is a personal thing---the arenas for which are largely hidden spaces, whether or not permissible (from the bedroom to public parks), until we factor in the public morality plays, and socio-cultural and legislative regulations of how and whom to love. We also assume that praying belongs to self-select private or sectarian domains, until we are reminded by liturgical theologians such as Marjorie Procter-Smith that praying is a very political act, and that sometimes deal-dealing community can render us silent---unable and unwilling to pray.
This public/private confusion presents a vexing irony for people of faith: we love the idea of community, we exhort one another to "build community," and yet we have a hard time figuring out why it is hard to be in community, and we struggle to admit that sometimes being in community hurts."] (bolding mine)
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