But like, do you not know what slow-burn storytelling is? Where a character's arc is put on the backburner, but you can clearly see how they've changed by comparing their actions at different points in a story?
A character arc is every step a character go through from the moment he is put into a situation to the moment he resolves that situation. So yea a character arc can be a backburner and can eventually evolve. That's what happen (I think) with Carrot. Her character arc is in the background but STILL shown and STILL ungoing. It's not finished yet and has been developped since the beginning of Whole cake.
Aokiji directly tells Smoker that leaving the Marines changed his perspective on things. If you don't think that's a character arc I don't know what to tell you
It doesn't matter, a character arc can't be just a change of perspective at randome, it has to be
shown in the story.
Carrot has no character arc
She has, it's just a small and unresolved one.
Except that Sanji's arc in WCI wasn't flat. The whole point was that he learned it was okay to be selfish and ask for help.
Yes it was a flat arc.
Sanji did learned to ask for help, but Sanji did not changed drastically, he stayed the same from the start to the finish. That's what flat means. What did change on the other hand is everyone else around him. In other word, it's the kindness of Sanji who changed people around him.
I'm serious. What about Carrot's 'arc' in WCI was impactful? Pedro's was, sure, but Carrot didn't really have much of an arc to begin with
What was impactfull? Her capacity to accept the death of her mentor, her capacity to stay in action while living the worst moment in her life and her capacity to stay cheerful while suffering a major trauma.
Carrot's arc is still ungoing. That's what people fail to see. The defeat of Carrot is a nail on the coffin.
Why do you think Carrot is ONE of the few important character in the alliance who actually lost her fight. Defeat in manga is not something to overlook like I see a lot here. It's MAJOR. It's very... VERY important.
Carrot rushed toward Perospero thinking that she owned the place, that she could do something. Result? She got slapped in the face, worst she got laughed at by her antagonist. Let me remind you that it was something the fanbase was waiting for for years... and Oda choose the defeat and an humiliation.
This
screams "development".
You know what? What and Oda did through Perospero and her defeat, is something Oda has done since the beginning with Carrot:
Constantly... (Being scolded by Pedro and Wanda for wanting to have fun on the seas)
...putting her ... (defeat against brulee) ..
in front... (Pedro's death in the wonderland)
... of her (defeat against Katakuri)...
contradictions.... (Defeat against Perospero)
Oda has been VERY subtle with Carrot.. but everything is here.. in front of our eyes. Carrot is meant to learn that the naivety can be VERY dangerous. But she is also bound to surpass that... Why ?
Because she is a future strawhat.
All she did was Sulong which is not exclusive to her.
