Worstgen
Cinera
When Yamato declared that she needs to hurry and assist Luffy in his fight with Kaido, that was Yamato exercising agency.
Cinera
When Yamato finally confronts Kaido again, and they duel, that would be Yamato exercising agency.
Cinera
On panel, Yamato has been pretty agentic IMO.
Cinera
A nice detail about Yamato's character I liked was her interactions with Ace and later Luffy.
Since she was 8 Yamato has been imprisoned on Onigashima. She kept challenging her father but kept getting beaten down every time. Eventually, she came to believe she'll never escape, and kinda gave up. Kaido had succeeded in not only placing shackles on her body, but on her heart as well.
Since she was 8 Yamato has been imprisoned on Onigashima. She kept challenging her father but kept getting beaten down every time. Eventually, she came to believe she'll never escape, and kinda gave up. Kaido had succeeded in not only placing shackles on her body, but on her heart as well.
Cinera
When Ace fought her, he contested that they don't choose their parents, and even if Kaido has shackled her physical body, she did not need to let him shackle her heart as well.
In response, Yamato destroyed Kaido's dragon statue, the symbol of his power.
Yamato began to hope again, and expressed her dream to be free from the prison, to see the outside world she longed for so much. To sail with Ace.
In response, Yamato destroyed Kaido's dragon statue, the symbol of his power.
Yamato began to hope again, and expressed her dream to be free from the prison, to see the outside world she longed for so much. To sail with Ace.
Cinera
This was a dream that she had given up hope on.
Her conversation with Ace removed the shackles from Yamato's heart and set her free to _hope_. In that sense, Ace saved her.
Her conversation with Ace removed the shackles from Yamato's heart and set her free to _hope_. In that sense, Ace saved her.
Cinera
When she met Luffy he removed the physical shackles that kept her restrained on the island and set her free not just spiritually, but physically as well. For the first time ever, Yamato became capable of actually leaving her prison and realising her dreams.
In that sense, Luffy saved her.
In that sense, Luffy saved her.
Cinera
> Yamato never knew Oden personally, she’s just lost in a Barbie fantasy at 28 which is gross af. She needs to grow the fuck up already.
Yamato has desires that originate from her directly, and not from her hero-worship of Oden. I think she'll gain more of her own independent personal identity separate from the image of Kozuki Oden.
Yamato has desires that originate from her directly, and not from her hero-worship of Oden. I think she'll gain more of her own independent personal identity separate from the image of Kozuki Oden.
Cinera
That said, I once again do not share your chagrin at a character seeking to emulate their idols.
Cinera
* Yamato's friendship with Ace was all her, and had nothing to do with Oden
* Yamato's excitement for Luffy is due to her friendship with Ace and not emulating Oden
* Yamato's grievances with Kaido is due to their personal relationship
* Yamato disowned Kaido because he's a terrible father and not because of Oden
* Even Yamato's longing for the outside world is largely rooted in her long imprisonment
* Yamato's excitement for Luffy is due to her friendship with Ace and not emulating Oden
* Yamato's grievances with Kaido is due to their personal relationship
* Yamato disowned Kaido because he's a terrible father and not because of Oden
* Even Yamato's longing for the outside world is largely rooted in her long imprisonment
Cinera
I'm hopeful that when Yamato finally fights Kaido, it will be because of him being a terrible father, an even worse ruler, and for hurting her friend and not because "that's what Oden will do".
Cinera
If Oda has Yamato fight Kaido because "that's what Oden will do", I'll be really sad and disappointed. That will be an injustice to her character.
Cinera
> Having a backstory with no agency also makes a badly written and boring character. You mean to tell me that this person has not been able to make any meaningful choices, has never done anything meaningful until this group of randos shows up in their life?
Yamato made the meaningful choice of befriending Ace.
Yamato made the meaningful choice of destroying Kaido's dragon statue.
Yamato made the meaningful choice of befriending Ace.
Yamato made the meaningful choice of destroying Kaido's dragon statue.
Cinera
Yamato fought against Kaido many times in the past but lost every time. Regardless of her lack of success, that is again agency in action.
Cinera
> That’s not a real person. That’s a caricature, a blank slate that exists only from the point in time that Luffy landed in Wano.
This is Oda being a bad writer and not Yamato being a bad character. Defining your world only in relation to your protagonist is terrible writing.
This is Oda being a bad writer and not Yamato being a bad character. Defining your world only in relation to your protagonist is terrible writing.
Cinera
I do not fault characters that suffer because of Oda's poor writing. I think that would be applying unfair (relative to the rest of the One Piece cast) standards to the character (in this case Yamato).
Cinera
> Would a male character have a backstory in which he has almost zero agency? Of course not.
Wrong. Brook is an example.
Hell, Brook could not even recover his shadow himself. Zoro had to come and defeat Ryuma for Brook and regain his shadow. For 50 years, Brook was rendered a prisoner on Punk Hazard by virtue of his own impotence.
Wrong. Brook is an example.
Hell, Brook could not even recover his shadow himself. Zoro had to come and defeat Ryuma for Brook and regain his shadow. For 50 years, Brook was rendered a prisoner on Punk Hazard by virtue of his own impotence.
Cinera
He had to wait for Zoro to save him.
Cinera
What about Sanji?
Chopper?
Were their backstories all that agentic?
Chopper?
Were their backstories all that agentic?
Cinera
Oda just has a problem of anchoring his world on his protagonist(s) and defining characters in relationship to them. Yes it's terrible, but it's not limited to female characters.