Character Discussion Imu is a bad Mind Control villain

[ImmaIvanoM]

I was wondering what about Domi reversi Rocks and Harald being controlled was so lame to me about this flashback.

I get that one of the main themes of One piece is “freedom” so it makes sense that the final villain would be the complete opposite with Mind control.

But even if Mind control is thematically appropriate for Imu, it’s being poorly executed to me.

Two examples of good mind control villains are the Purple Man in Jessica Jones and Makima in Chainsaw man

These two are polar opposites in the way mind control is used as far as stakes. The Purple man exists in the Marvel universe so he can’t go around taking over the world coz a random hero can just punch his head off, so he settles for being incredibly intimately evil. He rapes the main character using his mind control and the entire plot of the first season is the repercussions of this act. Makima does do the Imu, world domination stuff with the mind control and similar to the purple man, the story takes great effort to explain how mind control powers affect the personality and way of thinking of such a character.

The two things Imu is missing that the above two villains have is direct relationship with the hero to show how mind control directly affects the hero and mind control affects your personality the easiest as a power so we can’t tell if mind control affected Imu as a person at all.

Maybe we will get these things later on but I feel like Luffy will simply be immune to Mind control and Imu seemingly has nothing unique about them in personality compared to Doflamingo or Enel despite having this power.

 

[Logiko]

The two things Imu is missing that the above two villains have is direct relationship with the hero to show how mind control directly affects the hero and mind control affects your personality the easiest as a power so we can’t tell if mind control affected Imu as a person at all.

Maybe we will get these things later on but I feel like Luffy will simply be immune to Mind control and Imu seemingly has nothing unique about them in personality compared to Doflamingo or Enel despite having this power.

Wait. Like I said. It's too soon to judge until your have all the narrative clues. For the moment, the goal is for the power to feel overwhelmingly powerfull and feerfull. When you will see the power interact in full display with the hero, then, you might have a shot. But what you are doing right now, is try to find all the reason to hate. It's useless and it will only ruin your experience. Wait and be patient.

 

[ImmaIvanoM]

Wait. Like I said. It's too soon to judge until your have all the narrative clues. For the moment, the goal is for the power to feel overwhelmingly powerfull and feerfull. When you will see the power interact in full display with the hero, then, you might have a shot. But what you are doing right now, is try to find all the reason to hate. It's useless and it will only ruin your experience. Wait and be patient.

I’m mostly just guessing how Oda usually writes this stuff

Imu is most similar to Doflamingo and Enel. And interestingly enough, Luffy has no personal relationship with either of them too. People actually wanted law to be the one to beat Doffy since Luffy barely interacted with him. And with Enel it’s treated as a gag how little Luffy and Enel are connnected despite Luffy wanting to stomp Enel

like you’re not going to tell me that Oda isn’t fond of repetition. Me basing my opinion on Oda’s confirmed patterns of repetition is just that, I’m using Oda’s writing to analyze Imu

 

[Logiko]

Imu is most similar to Doflamingo and Enel.

First, these two cahracters are completely different, both thematically and in their personnality and desires. One want control and chaos, the other simply want to reach a idealized land and reign their. Now, why would they be similar to Imu ? There are no reasons to think that right now.

Luffy has no personal relationship with either of them too.

Protagonist don't necessarily need a relationship. What they needs is mirroring desires and convergent thematics. Which Oda does perfectly each time, Enel and Doffy included.

like you’re not going to tell me that Oda isn’t fond of repetition.

Of course he is, but repetitions are not necessarily bad. They are also ways to explore thematics differently. In the case of One Piece, it creates a deeper philosophical discussion. For ex, One Piece has an amazing reflexion on the role of parenting. But this only exist because of the deepness and diversity of the dynamics, all thematically different. Repetition is not a weapon of evil, it's a tool to explore things.

I’m using Oda’s writing to analyze Imu

In Imu's case, everything point toward an intimate and conflicted villain. Someone who whose link with joyboy will be reflected in their relationship with the characters. For the moment, Imu's power are thematically connected to Luffy both in term of personnalities and power. Time will tell if the desires align too but it seems to be going that way also. For the moment, there are no reason to complain.

 

[ImmaIvanoM]

In Imu's case, everything point toward an intimate and conflicted villain. Someone who whose link with joyboy will be reflected in their relationship with the characters. For the moment, Imu's power are thematically connected to Luffy both in term of personnalities and power. Time will tell if the desires align too but it seems to be going that way also. For the moment, there are no reason to complain.

Imu’s business with Joyboy has no bearing on how good he is a villain to Luffy

also theres very many signs that Imu was an “Orochi” type to Joyboy’s “Oden” type

Elbaf is 43 chapters long, Imu was introduced like 20 chapters ago as the main villain.

Imu has been doing shit on Elbaf and in this flashback for 20 chapters and he sucks

as a comparison 20 chapters after Doffy went to Punk hazard, He had started his colloseum games, he had fought law with Fujitora, he had had that badass scene with Kuzan and smoker. Enel as well, 20 chapters in his rampage, he had beaten Zoro Robin and the rest in that line up, he had his interactions with Wiper and he had almost gotten killed and restarted his heart.

All the fun shit with these characters was brought up very quickly in their introduction into the main plot. Imu is nothing. He’s just spamming his boring mind control for the last 20 chapters with no interesting character moments of any kind

like the scene with Doffy smoker and Kuzan is 1000 times better than a single scene Imu has been in character-wise. And that was 1 chapter after Doffy entered the plot.

20 chapters of Imu fodderizing everyone and he has no good character moment to speak of

 

[Logiko]

Imu’s business with Joyboy has no bearing on how good he is a villain to Luffy

Actually yes it has. Simply because, as explained. Their relationship to joyboy is fundamental with how they will interact with Luffy. And again, we are talking about mirroring desires. In this cases. It's will be important.

also theres very many signs that Imu was an “Orochi” type to Joyboy’s “Oden” type

I think we should stop making bad comparison.

Elbaf is 43 chapters long, Imu was introduced like 20 chapters ago as the main villain.

Imu has been doing shit on Elbaf and in this flashback for 20 chapters and he sucks

All I hear is "I don't have enough information yet therefore Imu sucks.". Also, Imu is ONE OF Elbaf's villain. Elbaf is particular in the sense that it does not follow the usual process of Oda's arc. What the strawhat will face is a less powerfull version of Imu, not Imu. This arc is part of the last Saga that begin in Egghead, it's not the end.

as a comparison 20 chapters after Doffy went to Punk hazard, He had started his colloseum games, he had fought law with Fujitora, he had had that badass scene with Kuzan and smoker. Enel as well, 20 chapters in his rampage, he had beaten Zoro Robin and the rest in that line up, he had his interactions with Wiper and he had almost gotten killed and restarted his heart.

Stop comparing what is not comparable. It's not the same story and the goal is not for you to have all the informations at the moment. So stop trying to make it seems like it's bad because you don't have them. It's the fucking point.

You will have the informations and the characterization when you will NEED the characterization. For the moment it's not the case.

All the fun shit with these characters was brought up very quickly in their introduction into the main plot. Imu is nothing. He’s just spamming his boring mind control for the last 20 chapters with no interesting character moments of any kind

like the scene with Doffy smoker and Kuzan is 1000 times better than a single scene Imu has been in character-wise. And that was 1 chapter after Doffy entered the plot.

20 chapters of Imu fodderizing everyone and he has no good character moment to speak of

Ok I'm done talking with you and your nonsense. Hate , hate, hate. It's everything I see here for absolutely no reason and at one point. We need to say : Stop analyzing if you can't read and understand storytelling. You are supposed to be scared, not understanding Imu right now, so be scared ffs. F-eeing doomed website

 

[ImmaIvanoM]

Actually yes it has. Simply because, as explained. Their relationship to joyboy is fundamental with how they will interact with Luffy. And again, we are talking about mirroring desires. In this cases. It's will be important.

Are you saying that if Imu has no story with Luffy outside of Luffy punching him to shit and all his story is with Joyboy, that would make Imu a good villain in your eyes?

Ok I'm done talking with you and your nonsense.

Cry I guess

 

[Logiko]

Are you saying that if Imu has no story with Luffy outside of Luffy punching him to shit and all his story is with Joyboy, that would make Imu a good villain in your eyes?

No, I'm telling you that the quality of a villain is not necessarily measured to how much they interact of have deep personnal connection with the protagonist. In reality, there can be none and the relationship could be completely remote. What counts, is the obstacles and challenge but also the thematic mirror that the antagonist project to the protagonist. As such. they will have an interaction on this basis.

Cry I guess

You are the one who is crying. I'm telling you that there are no reason to. So be patient for now This interaction is not the point. The point is for you to get scared of Imu. Luffy is not even aware of Imu Yet. It will come later. Probably after their first interaction. It's also worth noting that Imu is not necessarily the antagonist of this arc. This could be the role of another villain.

 

[Johnny B. Decent]

I wouldn't say it's mind control, it's soul control.

 

[soupongo]

Yeah, Imu´s mind control stuff is just kind of lame. It just erases character agency, and it doesn´t help that Imu has the least interesting motivations in the entire manga.

 

[MonsterKaido]