OJ LuNa stuff: What’s the appeal of LuNa as a potent pairing?

Original post: October, 2020

This is the first entry in a possible new series of “analyses.” The difference is, these aren’t mine. The original posts were made by other LuNa fans I “secretly” met in the OJ forums before things went a little out of hand there.

I merely rescued their posts, while trying my best to update them without changing their essence. Well, without further ado, let’s get into the meat and potatoes!

Sometimes semi-canon pairings are far more compelling that relationships that already became canon. Part of the reason being that growth and development catch the attention of the audience more effectively than a pairing that already got a relationship upgrade with relative ease.

Of course, the expectations surrounding a genre has an effect on whether or not the audience gets invested on any particular relationship. But, when it comes to the shonen demographic, a significant amount of readers may end up supporting bonds that take time to evolve without resorting to clichés, cheap jokes, or off-screening development.

And that leads me to the main subject of this post: the appeal of LuNa

Some may feel drawn to how comfortable and safe Nami feels with Luffy. We already mention how Luffy is her “rock,” someone who gives Nami emotional stability and strength during difficult times.

One notable moment being Nami seeking comfort and relief in Luffy’s arms…

She contained herself and didn’t start crying until she saw Luffy.

Another aspect of their bond that makes it more compelling, is that they’re both “equals.” It’s not like a master-servant relationship, where one drools or idealize the other. They’re actual partners who, while seeing both the virtues and flaws in their respective characters, developed a strong companionship.

Nami not only trust Luffy with her life, like other characters do. He is one of the most important person to her, and Luffy himself promised Genzo back at Cocoyasi village that he’d never let Nami lose her smile. And there’s the iconic “pass of the hat,” a gesture meant to provide comfort and inspire both trust and confidence.

Luffy conveys a silent and deep message through this particular gesture.

A third aspect  of their relationship is how Nami confronts Luffy when he acts in a stupid or reckless manner, but still puts her faith on him. Instead of idealizing him as a flawless being, or turning a blind eye to his faults, she sees Luffy for who he is. It might not sound big, but one good book decribes the purest form of love as the capability of seeing the faults in someone you care about, and still valuing them as a person dear to you.

And Nami has seen him at his worst: his obsession with food, his lack of manners, and so on, but she’s also seen his best: his courage, his steadfast loyalty, his leadership… While Luffy has seen her crying, he’s seen her sick, he’s seen her fail, and he’s seen her determination…

If their do end up together; it would be a culmination of feelings. From strangers (Nami the pirate-hater, Luffy the adventurist), to friends, to heroes, to lovers.

Their dynamic, while sometimes overshadowed by arc fatigue or a faulty adaptation, is another aspect that adds to the overall appeal of their bond.

Aside from the huge moments, the story offers little details that get readers invested. Which is why we can tell this relationship shows multiple facets:

Many of their interactions offer something fun that feels natural. Their misunderstandings, Luffy’s incoherent personality, Nami’s obsession for money, their roles as captain-navigator and their love-hate relationship. Despite the fact that Nami’s patience is growing thin for his captain’s dumbness, and Luffy having to put up with Nami’s money obsession as well as her bossy personality, both of them tolerated each other’s unique self. They could have just rid themselves with each other yet they didn’t that’s why the longer they stayed, the stronger the bond became. It just sums up to a really beautiful relationship.

Arlong Park, Skypiea, Strong World, and Water 7 all gave us a bit of drama that takes advatange of their potent bond. True chemistry occurs when both of the characters involved can affect each other in meaningful way

There are many other points we could address, but they’ve been mentioned in previous analyses.

The conclusion is that these two share such a deep and unique relationship that no other character can take the place each hold for the other. Even if some people say Luffy’s bond with the each of her crewmates is equally strong, we know that isn’t the case. E.g. he’s not as close to Brook as he is to Zoro

This emotional connection between Luffy and Nami only exist between them, and it’s incredibly difficult for anything or anyone to connect with them on such a level.