Roger vs. Nami

[bevin]

You can't have it both ways, though. If a character is degrading now, she sucks now. If she improves, fine, but her best days are behind her.

The Nami of old is dead. All that remains is a pair of tits with dialogue. Even the Nami of old was difficult for me to stomach back then, but now that she doesn't even have anything going for her anymore, I just plain hate her now.

I think you're over-dramatizing this. Nami's actual personality hasn't changed from what I can tell, she's just getting less important things to do and being put in situations she's better than due to crappy writing. I don't think her character sucks now, I think the corner she's being written into sucks. I certainly don't think the Nami of old is "dead", but that's subject to personal interpretation, I suppose. Frankly, just about all of Oda's female characters have taken a dive in quality the past while and I'm really hoping it's a trend he grows out of, since one of the main reasons I read the title is because I loved how he handled women characters. If it continues, my interest will probably continue to wane, but if Nami does start to get written with her brain and personality first again, I'll be very happy. again, I don't see this as a failing on the part of the character, but rather the author.

[Zarnikon]

Vote Roger!!!

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[Taz]

Captain Shmeckie, I don't undestand you. Before you kept on touting Kuma's being a pimp as a reason to vote him over Nami. But do you realize the irony of what you're saying?

Nami is the DEFINITION of pimp. The rest of the Straw Hats are the hos bringing in the bread and she's there to collect. Someone has a problem with that? Pimp fist o' love!

But seriously:

This would hold water if she didn't pick up the standard slack by out-fanservicing every other woman in OP (even the one whose very power is based on being slutty), including being in one of the most embarassing (both for the characters involved and the audience) fights in OP history. No, the most embarassing fight. No fight in this series has come close to how horrible Nami vs. Califa was. None. Cindry licked the fuggin' floor, and it still hasn't come close to how Nami's degraded over the series' run.

Nami's character has degraded to the point where she's the Straw Hats' equivalent of a fight card girl during a boxing match. Just stand around, look pretty, show some leg, and pretend you actually belong here and couldn't be replaced by an LED sign.

Last time we saw her, it looked like the Kuma incident traumatized her. So, fingers crossed that gives her an excuse for some gat dang character growth.

While I agree the fanservicey, damsel-in-distress use of her in Thriller Bark was god awful (her low point of the series), this is not the result of a character flaw like with Usopp and the Ennies Lobby fiasco. She was freaking unconscious. If anything the plot decisions and story-telling are at fault there, not Nami's character.

As soon as she woke up, she was back to her old self. I can't think of one thing she did between that point and the Kuma incident that would give anyone cause for aggravation.

I wasn't thrilled with how Nami vs Califa was handled, but it can't be dismissed as pure fanservice. The first half, yes - that part was horrible. But the second part was quite awesome and Nami did a kickass job at working her strengths: manneuvering Califa into her lightning trap. And this was despite yet again working with a weapon that was fairly new to her.

Actually, he was mocking her more than anything. Particularly when she sang Luffy's praises. He just went and called her faith idiotic.

Of course he was mocking her faith in her Luffy. That's pure Crocodile. But he ALSO commented that she was quite fiesty. He could have said "wow, you're a STUPID girl" but no, he said fiesty. Crocodile acknowledges fire when he sees it.

[Captain Shmeckie]

The author controls the character, though. Whatever he writes for them becomes what they are. They're under his control, after all.

[Taz]

But how does Nami's being unconscious make her a bad character?

[Chrissie]

I like Nami. Now and then she is really cool. But this is THE Pirate King. Gol D. Roger! Whenever his name comes up, I get the chills!! Not many characters can do that! So GOOO Roger!! GO!

[Thousand Lion-chan]

Seriously, I don't get this. Nami beat Kuma and now she's losing to Roger. Does that mean that Roger>Kuma?

[Sanji The Cook]

Seriously, I don't get this. Nami beat Kuma and now she's losing to Roger. Does that mean that Roger>Kuma?

I think it was mostly pity for how Drake hacked.

[Captain Shmeckie]

While I agree the fanservicey, damsel-in-distress use of her in Thriller Bark was god awful (her low point of the series), this is not the result of a character flaw like with Usopp and the Ennies Lobby fiasco. She was freaking unconscious. If anything the plot decisions and story-telling are at fault there, not Nami's character.

As soon as she woke up, she was back to her old self. I can't think of one thing she did between that point and the Kuma incident that would give anyone cause for aggravation.

I wasn't thrilled with how Nami vs Califa was handled, but it can't be dismissed as pure fanservice. The first half, yes - that part was horrible. But the second part was quite awesome and Nami did a kickass job at working her strengths: manneuvering Califa into her lightning trap. And this was despite yet again working with a weapon that was fairly new to her.

Hell, I can go arc-by-arc here. I'm off to bed soon, so tomorrow (or later today, I should say) I'll get specific, but it only goes downhill for her. Hell, her big fight with a Baroque Works agent amounted to her getting her ass kicked, followed by a series of sight gags with the Clima Tact. She gets mo-lez-ted by Califa and conveniently loses her pants, running around in thong underwear for the rest of the Enies Loby incident. Then she gets near-raped in Thriller Bark and spends the entire arc as an unconscious damsel in distress. Her biggest role in that arc, besides getting felt up in the shower, was her moment of "oh, right, Kuma's here too." Hell, she did nothing in the SH vs. Oz fight but run and hit Oz with lightning once or twice (I mean, shit, at least Robin made a move for Moria). Her past with Hachi was waved off in the Duval arc (what did it take, all of one page for her to forgive him?! Oh, she kinda stared at him once or twice That counts), and she was practically in the background during Shabaody.

She's just been the pretty face in the background either serving to round out a small group when the SHs split up, or fade into the background and look pretty when they're all together. Not only has she not done shit, but her personality has damn near fizzled out of existance. Except, of course, her gag crap. Which is great: reduce her to nothing but screeching at everyone. That'll make her more likeable...

But how does Nami's being unconscious make her a bad character?

That was directed to Bevin.

[IrishLuigi]

Lesse, bitchy navigator, or the gat damn Pirate King? Shrieky bitch, or living legend?

Hmmmmm...

Hmmmmm...

I voted roger anyways.

[Captain Shmeckie]

Hmmmmm...

I voted roger anyways.

He lives on in our hearts, after all.

[MagneticMonkey]

There are too much SHs in this round. Time for one to say good bye.
Vote for Roger.

[Zarnikon]

OMG, nami is catching up, how is it possible?

No One Piece without the pirate king folks!!

[jamjamstyle]

I'm with roger on this one, we need a non strawhat to win this tournament.

[bugiipoppu]

As much as I hate Straw Hat Syndrome, Nami is my favorite.

Gotta go with homegirl.

[Jejune]

And yet, jamjam, you voted for Zoro and Luffy, the ones most likely to win. HMMM

[Taz]

Hell, I can go arc-by-arc here. I'm off to bed soon, so tomorrow (or later today, I should say) I'll get specific, but it only goes downhill for her.

By "between that point and the Kuma incident" I mean, the point where she woke up on Thriller Bark.

But I'll be interested to hear just why you think she's gone downhill because, up until Califa vs Nami/Thriller Bark (which has been addressed already), I think she's gone nothing but uphill. The BW fight was her entry into the game as a regular fighter. It was partly played for laughs, but so are Usopp's and I think it's fitting given the type of fighters they are (completely lacking in physical power), and the opponents they face.

That brings up another point: She has a damn cool fighting style. Bo staff + weather-based abilities? Hell yeah! We've got melee attacks and firepower in one.

If only Oda committed to giving women serious fights, she has potential to be pretty kickass on the battlefield. What she lacks in brute strength she makes up with tactical skill and strategy. This is also why I find her and Usopp's fights generally more interesting to watch.

Not only has she not done shit, but her personality has damn near fizzled out of existance. Except, of course, her gag crap. Which is great: reduce her to nothing but screeching at everyone. That'll make her more likeable...

No one has really done shit besides Zoro and Sanji (and obviously Luffy) recently either. Doesn't make the others any less likeable. And it certainly doesn't mean their personalities aren't intact.

I will convince you somehow Shmeckie.

[TräshCät]

nami gets my vote ^-^

i am not voting for the king, just coz he is the king .. really -__-'' roger may have been awesome but that's just not enough to earn my vote.

even though i've to admit that nami has been used for fanservice more than anything else recently ... i still love her! she is a great character and i find it sad that so many people call her a bitch. it's hard to be one of the only girls in a shonen manga! and apart from the fanservice oda provides us with .. he also gave her an awesome character. it's the fans who reduce her to boobs.

so, nami deserves to win this match!

[dwo]

Nami is sexy, intelligent, a tough and very good fighter, humrous, simply a great character.

[bevin]

Fun fact: did you know lightning can heat the air in its immediate vicinity to over three times the heat of the surface of the sun? Nami utilizes it in fights not with a Devil Fruit, but with the power of her brain in combination with a weapon she uses in ways even its creator didn't envision.