Aldo Bellini's Cross: An Analysis

today i am thinking about zoro and luffy both having two constantly depicted scars. one on their eye each and one on their chest each. so intrinsically intertwined they have matching mortal wounds.

and i know it’s silly, and coincidental, but i like to think it symbolises them understanding each other more and more as time passes.

zoro got his chest scar clambering and falling on the way to his dream, being defeated by mihawk so easily then swearing to never lose again. and luffy who got his chest scar clambering and falling in a different way. they understood ultimate defeat respectively, loss and something that hit, quite literally, over the heart. their chest scars are their most important reminders of strength, the need for it. and loss, the need to avoid it.

and then luffy, who’s eye scar is a self-inflicted wound as he tried to convince shanks he could be a pirate too- he was strong enough. and zoro who got his eye scar during the timeskip, in a way we still don’t completely know, in the height of his self loathing for not being strong enough. they both got the scars around their eyes for the future ahead of them, and in trying desperately to get there. luffy asking shanks to take him onboard, and zoro asking mihawk to train him. the scars around their eyes are ground zeroes, an ask, a plea, complete determination.

one piece started and zoro quickly learned to understand loss, knew loss, while luffy would learn loss so deeply in marineford. one piece started and luffy understood the need helpless desperation, growing up with shanks refusing him. and zoro learned that later, so horribly, after thriller bark turned into the sabaody incident turned into marineford where he couldn’t do anything.

zoro and luffy understand each other so completely, they’re soulmates. but there are still parts of themselves which are obscured, different, simply because they are two different people with two different histories. and those things that are missing come with age, experience or being together. they understand one another more each day, somehow that’s possible, and i think their scars are a good example of it. them learning things which they may not have understood before, connecting to parts of each other they may not have connected to before.

i like dick best when he's stylistically handsome and not just... a man who is handsome. does that make sense? i don't want the usuals that combine to make the average handsome man. i don't want the regular european niceties that create a man you'd pass on the street or see on tv and think handsome. dick should be stunningly normal guy handsome. there should be a certain style or fashion about him that makes you look back, take a second look. you should see him and recognize that there's something there, something eerily beautiful, but by the time your brain processes this, he's already turned the corner, or his face is looking a different way, or he's just out of sight. there should be something in his essence that does make you want to look but also something that's a bit hard to grasp in the second he's in your view. there should be something there that lingers in your brain, like some kind of hauntingly ethereal after image

Can we all just take one second to admire this giant brute of a man hyping himself up after being the first person to get an exclusive interview with Dick Grayson? Clark Kent, you are so loveable.

Superman: American Alien #4

okay, so i've yapped a lot about how umemiya and kaji relate to sakura's character development as a leader and now i want to yap about how his personal growth is mirrored in nirei (+suo).

at the beginning of the series, sakura and nirei were functionally polar opposites: sakura was physically strong, but was out of touch with his social and emotional skills, whereas nirei had strength in social and emotional intelligence, but was physically weak.

when sakura first met nirei, he formed a negative opinion based on what he could see that he would soon retract. it's hard to see inner strength at a glance, just like how it's hard to track the growth of one's inner strength, especially in a fighting series.

what isn't hard to track in a series like wind breaker is physical strength, which is where nirei's arc comes in.

nirei's journey in becoming physically stronger is running parallel to sakura's journey to build his emotional strength, meaning that nirei's growth in physical strength is a direct, visual representation of sakura's growth in emotional strength.

and the person who is largely shepherding these two in their respective journeys? suo.

suo not only helps translate emotional/social situations to sakura (and also sakura's emotions to others) thus helping him navigate those conflicts, but he is also nirei's literal fighting instructor.

he also sometimes has to guide nirei on how to interact with sakura since they're so opposite from each other, which does suggest a personal familiarity with both sakura and nirei's mindsets. (we don't know much about suo yet, but if i had to wager a guess, i would say that he started out both physically and emotionally weak, which would be why he has such a deep understanding of sakura and nirei.)

from what i can see, these three are a really well-crafted trio and i'm excited to see where the series takes them.

nice: futility in the pursuit of perfection

(spoilers for EP 1 under the cut)

note: i'll refer to the original nice in this analysis, not lin ling. (we'll talk about him later LOL)

this is purely based off of the official trailers, pv, character concept, and episode one, so my thoughts are subject to change as more episodes are released <3

in nice’s character concept, he’s is shown to be nothing short of a perfectionist. everything has to be perfect: stationary, plates, silverware (or goldware, i suppose) have to be in their rightful positions. all of his belongings are gold, white or fall in a shade of brown, black. even his pillowcase is set in a neat geometric pattern. his hero costume’s color scheme- gold, white, and blue- screams sophistication and poise.

nothing can be out of place- so why choose to die the way he did? it's messy, undignified- and most importantly, public.

what type of fan wants to see their shining hero's brains splattered out on the street? in his hero suit, no less.

nice wanted to permanently tarnish his image of being “perfection incarnate.” he decided to damn himself even further by pointing finger guns at lin before falling- a bittersweet farewell.

despite his endless pursuit of perfection- and having seemingly obtained it (with the title of no.10 hero, his face plastered across every other billboard in the city, and a beautiful girlfriend fitting of his clean, polished image)- i think nice hated himself.

his floor in hero tower is devoid of any personality or sentimentality. the only decor is a piano off to the side, two treadmills (the other presumably meant for moon)- and most importantly, a statue of himself- of nice- in the middle of it all.

offering a palm out to whomever stands before it, the statue almost seems welcoming, friendly. almost. it looks like it belongs in a city hall or museum, not someone's personal residence.

so why keep a statue of himself in his personal living space?

you could theorize he's narcissistic. i mean, people would kill for the prestige tied to the name "nice." (we even get a glimpse of this jealousy in his character promo- hello mysterious stranger.) maybe it inspires him as he steps into another day of being “nice.”

but to me, it’s a reminder fueled by self-loathing.

nice has nothing- is nothing- without being perfect, adored, and envied. he's a former ballet dancer- an art form known for its severe dedication to the craft. we don’t even know his real name. If he can’t be the perfect hero, what is he? And when that image is threatened, what will he do to maintain it?

according to the official trailer 3, nice says he will “use whatever dirty tactics it takes to prevail.” the “villain” we see in his PV calls him out on his hypocrisy, implying that he was involved- or at least knows of some of nice’s misdeeds in the pursuit of perfection.

hell, even his own hero name calls him out. To be nice is to be agreeable, pleasing. niceness is a surface level trait: a veneer meant to cover imperfection and rot. he's not supposed to be kind, much less good.

“Nice” has to be perfect, and whoever held the mantle before lin was unable to afford the cost.

I agree with your points about how Suo and Sakura fool each other super well! I also love how differently they approach problems when a plan is needed. Like how Sakura tends to jump in headfirst, but when a plan is really needed he turns to Suo and trusts him to handle it. And Suo’s plans for protecting the bridge were legitimately brilliant, showing how correct Sakura was to trust him with it. (Seriously, Suo’s talent for strategy that goes beyond even their normal one on one fights and into planning out giant group fights is insanely impressive and I somehow never really see anyone mention that) But I just love that while being foils of each other they also support each other where they can and become much stronger for it

Going off on a tangent here, but Suo’s intelligence has to be one of my favorite parts of his character.

A little detail I like is how he references Japanese mediums of storytelling:

But the best example of Suo’s sheer intellect is during the Tsubaki chapters.

When Suo talks about the significance of Yui planting the dogwood tree, he first explains it’s Hanakotoba (Japanese flower language).

However, the “Am I indifferent to you” definition is not part of the dogwood tree’s flower language. In fact, Suo actually refers to this custom from the 19th century:

As Yui was the one who planted the tree (rather than Ito, the male), she (the woman) conveys that her feelings towards her husband are not of indifference despite his prior belief. Since this was a tradition from the Victorian Era (which predominantly took place in the United Kingdom and its colonies), Suo explains the meaning in English rather than Japanese.

And as you’ve mentioned here, Furin would’ve been cooked by Noroshi’s massive numbers if Suo didn’t come up with their main strategy. Additionally, Sakura would’ve never worked with Sugishita or realize that he can’t fight alongside other people properly if it wasn’t Suo who had guided him.

Because of Suo’s guidance, Sakura was able to take down enemies with Sugishita and fight well during the first half of Noroshi. In a way, Suo is the brains to Sakura’s brawn (and Nirei would be the heart).

sometimes i sit and wish zoro had a ‘hat moment,’ like nami’s in arlong park, usually just as an extension of me wanting zoro content. but i’ve been thinking about it, zoro and luffy’s straw hat, and realised just how many times he has either caught it or been trusted to hold it.

zoro doesn’t need a shifting character moment that impacts his relationship with the crew because he doesn’t have anything in his backstory that hinders his openness with them. as far as we can tell, there is nothing subdued and hurting in his past that needs addressing. if any of the strawhats asked, i think he would easily tell them about kuina, his parents, the dojo, if they don’t know already.

zoro being trusted to hold luffy’s hat, to catch it over open waters when it’s dangerous for luffy to, etc, it speaks so hugely about zoro and luffy. zoro doesn’t need the anchoring support it has, instead he acts as a person luffy trusts to protect it.

in a lot of ways, luffy’s strawhat is an extension of himself, his strawhat is him. it’s what makes the moment in arlong park so special, it makes every moment it’s in danger so terrifying. he’s straw hat luffy. in fact, many enemies, friends and acquaintances refer to him as just that- straw hat.

luffy’s trust in zoro to hold his treasure, a piece of himself, is so special. it perfectly sums up their relationship, their trust and their willingness for vulnerability with each other. luffy allows zoro to protect him, and zoro would catch him every time.

zoro not having a ‘hat moment,’ instead having multiple where he holds it in tricky situations instead, it makes sense. luffy leans on zoro, he allows himself to be supported. though not shown, i am sure zoro would be equally comfortable for luffy to hold onto wado if he couldn’t.

luffy physically handing over a part of himself to zoro, a part that i am sure he values over a limb if need be, it’s so telling. he repeatedly trusts zoro with his life many times, yet somehow giving him his straw hat feels just as special.

zoro doesn’t need the comfort of the hat, he’s able to offer the opposite instead. luffy is comforted with the knowledge it’s in his hands.

I feel like Dick and Damian definitely do regard each other as father and son to a certain extent but in a way that is so tied to Bruce's "death" that they'll never actually say it. Damian will just keep referring to Dick as his Batman, a role that has only ever meant father to him, and Dick will refer to Damian as his Robin, a name that has only ever meant son.

One of Dick's greatest strengths is his ability to manipulate every single person in existence.

Genuinely I think this makes him the smartest person in the room. Not only is he a brilliant detective, but the fact that he's able to outmaneuver and control virtually everyone including other geniuses and masterminds makes him the most terrifying. There's a reason why his enemies have give up using intelligence against him and simply resorting to brute force.

Now hold your horses before you bring your crowbars and let me explain.

Dick once said, "On an even playing field, I always win."

And it's true. But how do you even the field if your enemies are geniuses, detectives, or metas?

"Well, if you don't like how the table is it, turn over the table."

And that's exactly what Dick does.

Let's begin from his younger years. Dick is 19, newly out of Batman's wing and in no position to take on a skilled mercenary on by himself. But the mercenary isn't going to stop just because he says please. So.

DEATHSTROKE WAS CLEARLY NOT EXPECTING TO GET OUTPLAYED BY A 19 YEAR OLD.

"You're right Slade, he's not a fool so choose a dumber kidnapping victim next time."

Ofcourse this is the least of his abilities.

This cover is perfect because it shows how two of them are literally in a constant game of chess. And evidence of Dick's tactical expertise was never more obvious than the bombing of Bludhaven.

By all means Dick had won.

And he's right. Dick is incredibly intelligent, and he has to be given how he maneuvered the entirety of the world to save him city. Not just the heroes and villains, but everyone - the heroes, the villains, the government, the civilians, the organized crime - everyone. He ruled the freaking world at that moment.

@haroldhighballjordan actually made a post about this that explains this scene so well

But yeah Slade knew he lost so in his petty vengeance what he basically did was set the whole fucking chessboard on fire.

The perfection to which Dick had calculated and moved millions of people to force Slade into abandoning their game and leave him shrieking and seething in rage over his loss. Another reminder that this game only happened because Dick manipulated Rose away from her father, away from his control to a better life.

Spyral is one of my favorite comics because it shows just how good of a manipulator Dick Grayson is.

One of Dick's coldest traits is his ability to manipulate a situation to fit his needs.

In the beginning Dick wanted to calm the meta down and take him in but the second his opponent let out the slightest hint of weakness, look how fast he flips his words. This man is brilliant.

And his planning came to fruition as the meta wore himself out, allowing Dick to take control of the situation and the opponent with no harm to himself-a quick, two second exit. He can manipulate emotions, thoughts, and people to get what he wants like he's playing chess with a child.

But it's not just other people- he can completely change himself to become a whole new person. In the earlier chapters, Dick is learning how to shoot a gun for the agency.

Dick's a terrible shot. Not a single bullet lands in the center of the target-there's no way he's ever going to shoot well....or atleast that's what he wants you to think-

"Yeah, well, that's what spies do."

"We lie."

He's a puppet master and the final boss.

part 2

What if Dick could cycle through identities.

Dick Grayson has more identities than there are colors in the rainbow.

There’s Dickie Grayson - school favorite, basketball star, and mathlete. Best friend of the Titans and beloved love of many. Also a wonderful brother, devoted son, and dear grandson.

There’s Richie Grayson - darling of high society. Women swoon over him, men appreciate him (ie Roy’s “pretty bird”), and as a gothamite aptly put it, “who wouldn’t recognize Gotham’s very own Paris Hilton”.

There’s Ric Grayson - cold, night thrill seeking civilian with more trust issues than money in a trust fund.

There’s Nightwing - according to Supes, “your words are worth their weight in gold”. According to Bruce, “sometimes I feel he’s the only thing I did right”. According to Hawkman, “the one person the entire superhero community trusts after Superman”. And so much more. Strong enough to defeat Ra’s Al Ghul in a sword fight and be given the name “Detective”. Beloved hero and the pride and joy of the superhero community

There’s Agent 37 - An international, multilingual super spy who broke his partner’s hardened interior while rigorously maintaining his morals in the face of adversity. So handsome that while a psychotic murderer was chasing him and his partner, he reached up, switched off the spiral, and was so beautiful that the stunned woman went, “woof”, lost control of her bike and crashed.

There’s Renegade - Deathstroke’s apprentice who was carefully trained by him until he tricked the man and freed himself. Taught Deathstroke’s daughter Rose to be a hero and was punished by his nemesis through the Chemo bombing of Bludhaven. Yet Deathstroke still hugs him and says “Nice to see you again, kid. You look well” and leaves messages on his fogged bathroom mirror, “message received”, and waits in Dick’s bedroom while he’s dressing to let him know why he’s in the city.

There’s Crutches - mob enforcer for Black Mask and took down his crime syndicate from the inside out.

There’s Talon - His grandfather’s legacy of being an undead assassin for the court. The Gray Son of Gotham.

Finally there’s Robin - the 8-18yr old who went on joy rides with Superman, said “Holy ___ Batman!”, the one who was astounded when He asked if he would join the Justice league and Batman said, “no, you’ll be leading them”. The one who was driving batmobiles at 8 and singing songs to comfort victims that still remember him and his warmth 20 years later. The acrobatic prodigy that left the country in wonder. The first sidekick and role model for many young heroes that came after him.

He has many more identities I couldn’t name but - imagine if Dick could change these personalities in a heartbeat. One second he’s peppy and overjoyed Robin and the next he’s flippant and dismissive Ric Grayson. Oh the possibilities

I don’t remember where this quote’s from but: the man has a temper that could start wars. And a smile that could end them.