The Beauty of Boa

[@MelonTeee]

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[@sexmachine77]

Yes

[@andycrisis971]

don't worry I get it, Law saying "I don't like bread" was one of the greatest moments of one piece comedy.

[@PER578]

Oda says she is the hardest character to draw because she is do beautiful

[@ArtistLunatalia]

Bleach ISN'T on US Disney+? That's embarrassing. It's on the Canadian one, so I kind of assumed the US had it.

[@tpsam]

Her beauty is the reason why people objectified her body Her beauty is how Boa objectifies people's bodies Literally transforming people's bodies into objects stone statues

[@Ain08195]

boa is one of the most popular characters among women in japan. they love that you don’t mess with her, yet she’s feminine and sincere when it comes to luffy.

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

Really? Do you have an article about that? I'd love to see how female japanese readers view One Piece since I can only really engage in western discourse

[@SR-kh6yq]

Boa who? Sonia? Marigold? Hancock? Can't people just call Hancock by her actual name like Oda does and not a family name lol?

[@ludmyla7182]

​@@SR-kh6yqBoa

[@namikwcii]

@@frauleinzuckerguss1906idk if there’s any but their top 2 women in one piece for the longest time based on the two official polls were nami and hancock. both two opposite characters so idk why these two were/are the most popular in japan.

[@VinsBloodshotEye]

@@namikwcii I mean, they're not too dissimilar. Both strong independent women who don't shy away from weaponizing their sex appeal (Nami to a lesser extent as she only does so on rare occasions)

[@YouTubdotCub]

as a survivor of sexual assault, the whole scene with her showing the mark to Luffy and being vulnerable had me in tears but when emotionally intelligent and perceptive and kind Luffy insisted she didn't have to go into it, I was SOBBING

[@jedexentry]

Luffy is every woman's dream when you openly tell him your past he will definitely says "I don't care about your past. What matters most is today and your future".

[@juleshachemi5274]

Sandersonia having a panic attack got me

[@Devilspade]

​@@jedexentrynuh uh, he's every man's dream. Luffy x koby for life!

[@jedexentry]

@@Devilspade where is this come from? Are you starting for a woke political agenda here? Are you one of those people being influence by the live-action but never read manga/anime and wants to start to gripe of a beloved series for almost all generation and still running to this date? Just asking btw

[@Devilspade]

@@jedexentry you're comment is a yikes, but anyways nah it's just a joke cause koby is always thinking about luffy and praising him. They the first time they met up over on frankys homeland they talked about the past alone, it's just a silly joke ship but yeah no keep in mind that if I ever saw you irl I would shove your nerd ass in a locker

[@notationmusical]

I love how even after falling in love with Luffy, Boa doesn't really change. She doesn't do a whole 180 and immediately amend her ways. She still kicks kittens, looks down on people, and calls herself beautiful. Because that's just a part of who she is. Just those little details make me appreciate her character.

[@ShatteredGlass916]

"Bitch, i'm beautiful !!" -Boa Hancock

[@Pinstripe105]

She's an empress of course she's not gonna change but she's found someone pure to give her heart to

[@arandomdudeontheinternet4199]

man i wish i was a kitten lol

[@Dreamfillah]

It's beautiful, because she's allowed to keep and relish in the strength, power and confidence she's built up while being allowed to heal her trauma in private. The mask no longer a mask, but a part of who she is.

[@CapGodSama]

She becomes a boring character when luffy enters the picture

[@jr-hc2iv]

I also believe that a major part of why she 'falls in love' (i think its more of a girlhood crush that she was never truly able to have) is specifically BECAUSE she knows he has no attraction to her and because he's kind to her anyway. This has literally never happened to her before even with women EVERYONE shes ever met (except her sisters) seems to have some attraction to her so even the few people who have been kind to her before, she has no way of knowing if it's only because they are attracted to her. Attraction that likely because of her abuse she specifically views as "evil". I think that luffy not being attracted to her makes him the only man shes ever felt completely safe around.

[@rinaliny]

Absolutely agree on this and it's pretty much exactly what I thought when we saw her backstory for the first time.

[@strgz3r_]

Rayleigh didn't either, but he's a father figure so it's of course very different

[@abeklein7815]

That is a really great way to look at it; I had never thought about that!

[@Kalaki9996]

He also clocked a Celestial dragon who she thought were untouchable and she hates.

[@NeyamStar]

Frrr

[@iuffcgpuu]

I really like how Oda avoided being graphic about Hancock's backstory. He could have gotten away with writing almost anything by that point in the story, because who the hell in shonen jump is going to say no to Oda? But he didn't. He had a genuinely tragic and compelling character, and he refused to indulge himself in how fucked up her story is like an edgelord. That's a level of maturity as an author that is really hard to find. Also, I feel like the Boa sisters' story of how they killed a medusa-like monster and were forever cursed by it says something about Hancock's self-loathing or something, but I'm too sleep deprived to organize my thoughts on that rn.

[@kylepessell1350]

I imagine it was a metaphor they crafted for themselves about confronting and overcoming their past while still being emotionally and physically scared by it. Of course, whether or not they actually succeeded at doing that is a totally different story.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

As an author, the most powerful things you will ever write are what you choose not to. The audience's imagination is far more evocative than any words could hope to be. That's the difference between a good writer and a great writer. The confidence to trust your audience to fill in the blanks with the ideas you wanted to present.

[@diegonavarrete7423]

Yesss and I wish more stories would do the same cuz really we don’t need to always be presented with gruesome and graphic situations

[@DBfan12]

I mean, Oda is regularly told to to tone things down by Shonen Jump. There’s a reason why it was only ever slightly implied and later confirmed in an SBS that Doffy and Viola had a sexual relationship together. But yeah, I’m still glad Oda doesn’t get too graphic if he doesn’t have to.

[@simon-peterwilliamson2412]

​@@DBfan12yes that. And they censor alot of scenes from the manga when translating to anime. So he doesn't have entirely free reign

[@Ragnay977]

I think the gag of her looking down so hard at you she's looking up, to this day is still one of my favorites in the series. It's still unbelievable to me that after hundreds maybe even thousands of characters Oda still has amazing unique quirks to bring to each of his characters he really is a one of a kind writer.

[@rachelciel3330]

It's not only a gag. It's THE gag. I can't tell you how many times I saw it being referenced in many, MANY, other medias. The most memorable one in my mind because it was the first reference I saw was in a chinese manhua "Battle Through The Heavens" in the earlier chapter where the MC did the pose in a mock-serious situation. It was funny. I saw it many other times in other manhuas and mangas but I forgot the titles. Hancock was so popular that it's ridiculous. Especially back then, when the Marineford was still a fresh masterpiece, chinese manhuas just love OP reference, especially Hancock reference.

[@MarioBeart]

I laugh so hard whenever she does it. A great gag. She is a very profound character but it's clever that she can be hilarious as well. I do the pose with my cat or with my friends ahah

[@NeyamStar]

Frr

[@UdayrajThakur-sn3fb]

where can i read these chinese manhwas specifically (somewhere that has a whole collection of them)@@rachelciel3330

[@FritoEnjoyer]

That moment with Boa explaining her trauma gets me to cry every time Especially with Sonia crying out

[@BobtheX]

Yeah that shit is beyond tragic. I really hope by the end of the series they get the Sun Pirates tattoo on top of it like all the Fishmen that escaped too. Honestly, of all the characters in the series, I hope Boa is the one that ends up Destroying The Holy Land.

[@SR-kh6yq]

Boa who? Sonia? Marigold? Hancock? Can't people just call Hancock by her actual name like Oda does and not a family name lol?

[@Phanthief95]

It’s from that mental anguish & how it was so hard for Hancock to talk about it that made me think that the Celestial Dragons who owned them raped them.

[@Disheartthorn]

I'll be honest, when I saw that scene I didn't understand what she was talking about, I must've been 12-13 when watching this.

[@thelastwish558]

@@Phanthief95 same

[@superspider64]

Honestly after rewatching this I finally noticed just how nervous Luffy looks the whole time Boa is telling him everything. As you've said before he's shockingly great at reading people, so he can clearly tell that the three of them reliving this trauma is hurting them, but I think at the same time there's a part of him that knows that they're doing this not just to hurt themselves, but to finally have the comfort of actually fucking telling someone about the horrible shit they went through for once in their lives, so he just listens, soaking in everything they say

[@Swiminatub]

Which is a big deal for luffy who normally falls asleep at everyone’s long backstory. Character wise he’s giving a shit compared to even big things like fish man’s backstory

[@Mangaka718]

Moments like these for Luffy are what make him such a good character to me. Normally he's such a reckless, impulse-driven goofball, even in serious scenes (ie the "I don't know exactly what's going on but I don't like it" vibe) that a lot of people forget that he's actually got a pretty intelligent core. He knows when he can or can't afford to let little things like history and circumstances change his mind about things. His emotional intelligence is a HUGE reason I love the series so much (even if yes, it's only *emotional* intelligence and I sometimes doubt if he can even read)

[@jamiereid7428]

⁠@@Swiminatubyeeeees, exactly! I can’t remember another time he willingly sat through someone’s history, let alone paid attention! Luffy cares who people are, in that moment, and I think he realized that through this history, Boa was telling him who she is.

[@NeyamStar]

Damn fr

[@UdayrajThakur-sn3fb]

@@Mangaka718 "I don't know exactly what's going on but I don't like it" this is complete opposite of luffy. luffy's more aware of his surroundings than anyone. He simply knows what he should and doesn't care abt anything else. Him being willingly ignorant makes people thing he is pure dumb.

[@santiagovillarreal7306]

I like that Boa, contrary to other female characters, was saved just by meeting Luffy, and even more, she is the one that helps him a lot later.

[@Monkeytheluffy56]

I have never seen a girl fall for a guy for better reasons than hancock.she deserves luffy.For once she deserves to be given what she wants without being objectified.

[@rexistreves]

​@@Monkeytheluffy56Yeah I do agree, but poor woman, Luffy doesn't like this things 😭

[@Someguyonline7732]

@@rexistrevesI honestly think a luffy who has accomplished his dream would be more open to finding a partner. I just think he is so singularly focused on his dream that nothing else matters rn, but I could also just see him being to childish for that.

[@BlackLotus30]

She's also one of the few characters outside of the Strawhats that he refer by name and not a nickname heck not even Law has that privilege.

[@MonsterPumpkin]

@@rexistreves I mean no where is it said that Luffy doesn't *like* those types of things, he can grow extremely strong bonds after all, but its just that right now he is more interested in adventure than anything of that sort. I mean look at Garp, he and Luffy are so similar in this way yet we know Garp does have a son lol, same with Dragon, they just put their passion before their other affairs.

[@DarkDay2012]

Luffy immediately bowing and saying thanks also shows his growth from Drum Islamd where Vivi had to take a bullet and tell Luffy he wasn't acting like a captain before he stopped and bowed to the people when asking for help. God I love One Piece

[@Vivigreeny25]

The phrasing of Vivi having to TAKE A BULLET to get Luffy to get his act together is so so funny lmao

[@culturedcrazygirl]

I find her backstory to be one of the most horrific ones to me. Something about it feels so real. Like the other stories may be dark but I feel like the implications of Boa’s story just makes it feel so real.

[@frandaesquina]

And It has a Lot of implications I mean, for every former woman salve that turned into a Shichibukai (1, godammn Oda...) There must have been so many more... And there must still be so many... It is Just a glimpse of what was punched in the face in the chapters previous to Boa's introduction And what could've been of Cammie... And the whole reason behind Luffy's presence in Amazon Lilly in the First place And afterwards we know of Sabo's backstory Man, from Sabaody to Luffy's backstory is Just AMAZING... While writing this I Just thought "I wish I could read It for the First time again..."

[@igoonx15]

Yeah i think Oda did a great job not to explain everything she went through. He lets us the viewers think what happened to her, and as a woman myself, i thought of many horrible things that could’ve happened to her and her sisters and the slaves of the Celestial dragons. I literally thought of everything she went through as a woman slave, the way her sisters reacted when she was talking to luffy... it’s horrible and i think Oda handled her character and backstory so well and in a way where he showed us who she is and what the world is without going too far and making the story too dark instead he lets us decide how dark we want the story to be.

[@sakura5sango6]

x2!! I don't know if it's because I'm a woman and, even if I wasn't a victim of... *that* , thankfully, the implications are so HORRIFYING it hurts to even think of them, or if the way Oda made it "subtle"/hinted makes it take a darker tone... but I agree with you. As I see it, it's the worst thing that could ever happen to any woman, period.

[@sakura5sango6]

@@igoonx15 Exactly, because being women ourselves we KNOW... unfortunately we can thing of "the worst"...

[@frandaesquina]

@@sakura5sango6 I don't think we should condition our capability of empathy on our gender identity, or any kind of identity actually, It is much easier to be a biggoted Man If the empathy In this kind of situations isn't even expected of you. That being Said, I am a man and I was abused as a child. I don't think this should be the conditioning factor of my capability of understanding others, but It certainly... Helps to... Which is a Very bad way of saying that the experience changes one's perspective

[@xdthespino9179]

Seeing Boa’s backstory brought me to tears when I first saw it. The visuals of the flashback and what is implied by the words she seemed she couldn’t bring herself to speak almost made me feel the pain. I can’t imagine what’d she went through and it makes the reality of human trafficking that much more gut-wrenching. I hope one day we get to see a Boa and her sisters that are more in peace with their past.

[@SR-kh6yq]

"Boa and her sisters" is just wrong as they're all called Boa. It's their family name. Just use Hancock, her actual name Oda calls her with...

[@xdthespino9179]

@@SR-kh6yq okay? My bad bro. Chill

[@SalviHippo]

As someone that went thru something similar to human trafficking, I’ll never be at peace with my past and its only made my future bleaker. I don’t know f many people who have gone through that or similar can be.

[@xdthespino9179]

@@SalviHippo I guess what I'm trying to say is I hope they can find a life outside the overwhelming trauma that comes with it. I want them to feel better, ya know? I know it's not something one can ever fully recover from, but I wish you the best in life as you go on. Find help if you haven't. Your life doesn't have to feel bleak because of someone else's actions.

[@jbpiano5313]

Im just praying for the day we see Bartolomeo and Boa interacting with each other

[@Trefox87]

A clash for the ages of who cares about Luffy the most, and who has the more busted power

[@TheAlexio00]

I feel like the envy Bartolomeo may feel hearing about whatever bs Boa will say to him about her and Luffy will just make him invulnerable to the Mero Mero🤣

[@Da_caffeinated_insomniac]

The strawhat SIMP wars

[@yaB0i_Hawkx]

But i feel like they could also settle down and simp over luffy together xd that be my headcanon

[@rexistreves]

​@@yaB0i_HawkxThat would be so awesome. Like if there's a situation where both of them are trying to help Luffy and they seal a kind of a pact to do it together 😂 Oda, do your magic my man

[@JDubs1464]

11:38 My favorite moment from that entire arc. When you realize Zoro stepped in, took the attack from Boa head on, and vanished so fast none of them saw him, Only to reappear after, still standing for his caption. Another peak Zoro moment

[@yaseen9044]

😂😂😂

[@darkironyoshi]

I would like to point out that, if I remember correctly, its said Strength is beauty on Amazon Lily. All this just to say there might have been another layer to Boa blaming herself for what happened to her and her sisters. In a sense Boa and her sisters suffered because Boa was "UGLY". So she feels this constant need to reaffirm her beauty at every point she can.

[@ingonyama70]

Ooh, that recontextualizes her catchphrase something fierce. "I can get away with anything because I'm beautiful" translates in Amazon Lily into "Might makes right", which is an extremely common theme among the show's villains, on both sides of the fight. It makes her 'mask' make that much more sense.

[@NeyamStar]

Wow

[@freakda96]

I think it might work in reverse as well. She has so much Beauty, so much "strenght" and for what, her Beauty/strenght still couldn't stop what happened to her and her sisters

[@aethersaltaccount3551]

My favourite thing about Luffy? He’s quite easily the most emotionally intelligent character in the show, but this is only ever shown towards other people. He doesn’t understand him own emotions and traumas, just everyone else’s. And how he treats Boa and her background, is a key example of this.

[@shyguypro9876]

I'm really glad you touched on the fact that when Boa is being her genuine self, rather than the cold mask she wears to protect herself, she's such a ridiculous silly dork.

[@johnam5]

*sipping on my respect women juice while watching this*

[@Crow_is_your_god]

Same bro *is literally sanji*

[@inforism.]

lemme get a sip brother man

[@Crow_is_your_god]

CHEERS, TO WOMEN... I mean CHEERS, TO RESPECTING WOMEN

[@catto8331]

I almost forgot to read respect in the sentence 💀

[@Dirtymutiehater]

Women juice🤨

[@karolinaviktorie4983]

I was rewatching Amazon Lily recently and noticed something that I don't think you mentioned - the story was Luffy saw Hancock's mark, the love beam didn't work on him and then he explicitly said to Hancock that she disgusts him. Based on her reaction I 100% thought she believed he knew the meaning of her mark and *that's* why he hated her. Only when he covered Sandersonia's mark and later asked him explicitly did she realise this wasn't the case. It felt pretty heartbreaking. I also love the fact that Hancock loves Luffy not only "despite" being seemingly aroace, but *because* he is aroace. Great video as always Melon ilysm

[@tylerreeves1211]

I love Boa Hancock. The ridiculousness of her character is charming. Shes easily one of my favorite females of OP and her backstory broke my heart.

[@SR-kh6yq]

Boa who? Sonia? Marigold? Hancock? Can't people just call Hancock by her actual name like Oda does and not a family name lol?

[@SR-kh6yq]

@@meinkanal7438 brb gonna make a video about Luffy called "the strength of Monkey" since for the Western fandom first names and family names are apparently all the same

[@jonnjones8263]

@@SR-kh6yq It's too long. Saying Boa is short-hand even though we know it's incorrect.

[@smittywerben2508]

@@SR-kh6yq Boa Boa Boa Boa Boa Boa Boa

[@bullettime1116]

​@@SR-kh6yqbitching in every comment saying her family name will never not seem completely stupid to me

[@Arkayjiya]

I don't know if Oda is aware of the famous book "save the cat" but as a writer he's at least aware of the general principle of saving a cat/kicking a puppy to introduce a character. And the fact that he went for the most obvious and literal application of the principle with even adding a "baby seal" of all things, one of the most universally cute and endangered animal in baby version is, as you say, hilarious because it's clearly a joke in itself. Especially with the fact that the joke is repeated and exaggerated by having two animals the second time, it's just so goofily unnecessary.

[@spiderlily723]

I think one part the dislike of Boa's crush reveals is the attitude we have to victims and women in general. When you think about it, the silly, girly, dramativ, lovey-dovey crush Boa gets is AN IMMESURABLE WIN for her. It's everything that was used against her, what was used to hurt her and what she denied herself: love, care, vunerablity, wanting someone to care for her. Boa not only allowing herself, but being able to fall for someone at all is such a massive, positive moment of healing I can't help but side-eye people who say it makes her character worse. Cause please think: why? Why femininity and loving someone is 'bad'? Why is Boa being cold, lonely and hateful supposed to be better? We have some real problems with how we expect victims to act and this shows one of the two major ones (one being the Good Victims who is only ever made kinder and nicer by their abuse and never even dreams of havingsome bad coping mechanisms or lashing out): the, ironically, stone-cold statue who is stuck in her pain and never heals from it. Think about it: how many times did you see hurt female characters be reduced to their pain? To the harsh mask of PTSD or Bad Bitch cliche and nothing else? Victims are told they need to toughen up and to not let their guard down ever again, the same way a Bad Boy is supposed to never get over whatever makes him the bad boy: because they're supposed to remain a Special Fantasy Only You Can Fix, a character nobody ever gets close to, but oh, if you only had the chance... So, yeah, the way people treat Boa's crush can tell you a looot about our culture and how we treat victims.

[@rexistreves]

I think most people see the girlboss turning into "simp" I kinda get it, usually that would be so meh, but for Hancock things are different, exactly because of her story. Both her being a girlboss and a simp have very solid reasons, and that's what most people who dislikes her fails to see imo

[@toffeeburins2579]

I think the reason why I don’t like her crush on Luffy, as well as some other people, is because he was 17 when he met her and she was well into her 30s

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

@@rexistreves, Sanji is a major simp in both Pre-Timeskip and Post-Timeskip, and there’s no other defining character traits to him besides being a simp, yet for some reason people love him more than Boa Hancock with the exception of Zoro fanboys such as myself deeply despising Sanji, so you can’t really bash Boa Hancock, but being totally fine with Sanji as a character.

[@ItsComicG]

​@@toffeeburins2579if we give her the benefit of the doubt luffy was 17 at the start of the series and might have been 18 by that point. It's also worth noting that boa's crush is clearly an extremely innocent one. Her idea of concepts like love romance and marriage are literally akin to that of a preschoolers. I don't think there is anything creepy about it. Lastly if boa and luffy do get married at the end of the series which seems possible if not unlikely then by that time luffy will be in his twenties and and boa will still be in her thirties so not that bad.

[@spiderlily723]

@@toffeeburins2579 They're fictional.

[@sidetracker3496]

We also love Boa because she embodies in the show what we all trully feel. Our endless adoration for the bestest good boy of them all Luffy

[@moor5868]

So true

[@nelly8682]

you get her SO well. i really hope this gives some boa haters some insight on her character because she is so tragic and so well written and shes hilarious!

[@ProjektTaku]

Its less the tragedy that gets me but more how she reacts to it with a "mask" of strength, aka beauty on amazon lily, and I get that the "mask" stems from the tragedy, but slavery backstories are quite common in OP, sorta how like in dc there's tons of characters with dead parents but how they react to it is different.

[@Kirbychu1]

I'm very guilty of forgetting how complex some of these side characters are after years of them only really being represented by their gags

[@deeks86]

This arc was one of my favorites for all the reasons you broke down so well in this video. When Luffy bowed to save the girls and gave up on his dream for them I literally cried. One of my absolute favorite moments in the overall story. It says so much about Luffy's character, and the fact that he smiles from ear to ear while doing it is a call back to the smiles that are given by Roger at his death as well as Oden's death. These characters live freely and have no regrets even in defeat. Thanks again for making another banger essay. Boa is one of my favorite characters in the story, if people honestly dislike her I think they're failing to understand the nuance of her character as you've laid out here.

[@audreym3908]

And him bowing down was also kind of a nod to Vivi since she showed him that sometimes violence isn't always an answer, until it is.

[@deeks86]

@audreym3908 True that. The theme was also gone into more openly in Film Z. Zephyr asks Luffy if he's like all the other pirates who are willing to sacrifice his friends in order to fulfill his own dream. But as we know, Luffy loves his friends and is willing to sacrifice himself and his dreams in order to protect his friends. Why this matters so much to me is that to my mind in the real world, greed and selfishness leads to all kinds of evils. When you look deeper into wisdom traditions from all over the world, selflessness is pointed at as a high virtue. And when it comes to heroic figures they tend to sacrifice themselves or fight to preserve the lives of those who are innocent usually against an unjustified aggressor. There's just so much to say about why I loved the Amazon lily arc and One Piece as a whole.

[@Stacko1515]

It always makes me so happy to see someone with actual media literacy making videos. This was fantastic.

[@tpsam]

Her beauty is why people want to objectify her body Her beauty is how Boa objectifies people's bodies Literally she turns them into objects Stone statues

[@riiddisbuk2496]

I wonder... If you have EXTREME hatred for Boa, and she turns you to stone via her powers, would you break out? 🤨🤨🔍🔍

[@abeklein7815]

Oh my LORD you're right

[@waretafai]

her name is Hancock. Boa is the last name. Name order is reversed in Japanese. Boa Hancock, Boa Marigold, and Boa Sandersonia, remember? Boa sisters? Boa is not a person's name, pay attention to the show. Did you think Dragon, Garp, and Luffy all shared the "first" name of Monkey and had different last names?

[@riiddisbuk2496]

You know that Aizen's first name from Bleach is *Sosuke* and people just often call him Aizen =/@@waretafai

[@logicalunar3556]

​@@riiddisbuk2496 we people actually calle Aizen a "b1tch'.

[@solitas5636]

Boa is one of the most misunderstood characters in one piece, this clears up a lot of stuff and I hope everyone who hates her for being a "shallow character" or for having a "bad personality" sees this and reconsiders

[@waretafai]

Boa who? Her name is Hancock. Boa is the last name. Name order is reversed in Japanese. Boa Hancock, Boa Marigold, and Boa Sandersonia, remember? Boa sisters? Boa is not a person's name, pay attention to the show. Did you think Dragon, Garp, and Luffy all shared the "first" name of Monkey and had different last names?

[@lasmousse8694]

​@@waretafaiwow calm down satan this ain't that deep all the fan implicitly understand that when someone say boa they're refering to Hancock most of the time

[@waretafai]

@lasmousse8694 Boa is not a person's name. No one in One Piece has ever called Hancock "Boa". So, why do you Americans insist on calling her that?

[@anianiani963]

she's not shallow but she has a terrible personality, there is no way around that

[@FlowerEmblem]

@@waretafai It's clear that Hancock is her given name, but people call her Boa because it's much faster to type, she is also a much more prominent character than her sisters so it's obvious knowing who Boa refers to in most cases. The other reason is that the word Boa is a more feminine sounding name while Hancock has the word "cock" in it which is slang for the word penis, it causes an awkward situation at first glance Looking up the name Hancock, it was originally an English surname, meaning "Son Of John" (Hann = early form of John, cock = old slang for a young man). Likely Oda took the name from some historical figure without knowing past and current English slang, it's a very masculine name. Due to modern Western implications and also being easier in conversations overall it's just better to call her Boa.

[@chaeyoungmymeowmeow1536]

i was literally complaining to my friend a few days ago how there's not alot of video essays for hancock out here THANK YOUU FOR THIS ❤❤❤

[@niinestormtv2331]

I still think Luffy thinking boa had the slow slow fruit was amazing

[@madskristiansen]

I love Boa too. The version of the story of Medusa you referenced was the one written by the Roman author Ovid. He took the existing story of the monstrous Medusa, born of the gods Phorcys and Ceto as one of three monstrous gorgon sisters, and made her a human woman assaulted by Poseidon and cursed afterwards by Athena to be the snake haired gorgon monster. His version was highly influenced by his own banishment from Rome by emperor Augustus, and he wrote other stories of mortals being unjustly punished by gods. His version is valid, tragic and compelling, but it would be misleading to call it the "real" Medusa. Mostly because there really is no "real" canon for greek mythology.

[@RedXlV]

Yeah, the myths were constantly changing, and there's no way to pin down either the original or "definitive" version of any of them.

[@SharkmanJhones]

@@RedXlV Believe it or not, we have a some idea. Hesiod's Theogony names the Gorgon Sisters' parents as the primordial ocean gods Phorcys and Ceto, so all 3 were just always monsters. Ovid was a Roman, not a Greek, and he wrote Metamorphoses in 8 AD, more than a century after Greece's conquest by Rome and more than 700 years after Heisod's Theogony, which is one of the major documents we have for Greek Mythology. The thing is, his poem was so popular, it supplanted the myth of the actual culture it came from. None of this has anything to do with Boa, who clearly uses Ovid's version of the myth as a framework, but it's still interesting!

[@oblivion1924]

I am so glad someone mentioned this. She was originally a monster, then a sympathetic villian, then a victim. Not the other way around.

[@kylecyrus9457]

My personal geadcannon with the cat and seals(after learning more about boa of course) is that Boa actually likes cute things as much as a regular person and rejects them harshly before she gets attached to them. Love your videos, can't wait for the luffy one(though it’d be cool if you covered Vivi first. Maybe even a 3 in one talking about the three princesses luffy has interacted with.)

[@ingonyama70]

They're such drastically different characters, it'd be a fascinating compare-and-contrast. Vivi is my favorite, but Rebecca and Shirahoshi each have some great points as characters.

[@windhelmguard5295]

also, when boa kicks small animals, we know her heart's not in it, because she could be kicking a *lot* harder.

[@indulgencerofindulgence5970]

Same thing with the old woman, if Boa truly wanted she brutalize her and would get away with it. Instead she does something that is quite harmless. And of course, she could kill Luffy with a flick to the head instead of giving him so many chances.

[@windhelmguard5295]

@@indulgencerofindulgence5970 she probably could have also wagered luffys head to get out of having to go to marineford.

[@SalviHippo]

I would say she probably likes them more than the regular person and probably adores&loves them, but can’t afford to actually be excited about it and loving towards it.

[@katdicky1911]

boa gets so much hate and it breaks my heart because i can see that everything she does for him is because she knows he sees her as a person and still respects her for who she is, even after learning about her trauma which makes HER feel less than. boa isnt in love with luffy, she's just let herself be vulnerable with someone and feels safe for probably the first time ever.

[@gregorypan]

Hancock was one of my favorite characters when I first watched One Piece, with Amazon Lily being an arc I've re-watched several times, so I am always surprised when people don't like the arc and the central character of it. In my opinion, Hancock is a character that exemplifies one of Oda's favorite writing techniques in the best possible way. That being, a character's actions and exterior representation being the opposite of their internal nature. There are so many characters in One Piece that follow this pattern, including almost every single Straw Hat. Zoro seems like an intimidating murderous bounty hunter, but is actually a goofy idiot. Sanji seems like a crass pervert, but is actually a compassionate gentleman (and a pervert). Nami seems like a backstabbing manipulative greedy trickster, but is actually a self-sacrificing generous hero. It is therefore always shocking to me just how often Oda manages to get away with this common characterization despite it being everywhere in his series. To me, Hancock was the single most surprising usage case of this technique, because Oda does an amazing job of making you hate her at first. She's hilarious, to be sure, but she's also petty, nasty, and downright evil at times. The moment where she turns Marguerite, Sweet Pea, and Aphelandra into statues solidifies the audience's dislike of her, and also does a good job of making the audience feel the same way Luffy does. Sure, Hancock is attractive, but the previous actions of Marguerite especially have made us like her, so that quality immediately flies out the window. Then, the moment Hancock explains what she's been through and the audience realizes why she acts the way she does, as well as re-contextualizes every single scene she's in before that point, everything flips on its head. Every single misdeed Hancock performed is easily forgiven and looked at from a perspective of "well, it wasn't that bad". Every person she turned into a statue, including the marines, is turned back into a human. There is even a moment later where after kicking the dog, cat, and seal in front of her, she tells the owner to stop leaving them in her path. Her rudeness and pettiness becomes a clear and obvious cover for her true, kind and naive nature. This is in my opinion one of One Piece's most appealing qualities. Oda writes things in a way that when you check back with new information, everything old still holds up. Every new piece of information adds and re-contextualizes everything that has happened, and it never feels like Oda just changed his mind about something. This also means One Piece is a series that is amazing to reread/rewatch, because you get to see all the hints that broadcast future events and reveals, as well as understand the deeper reasons why things are happening. Hancock particularly is a joy to watch, because when you see her the second time, you no longer hate her, you find her absolutely hilarious as well as feel bad for her.

[@Lina-qg1me]

Just want to say I love your comment!

[@SR-kh6yq]

Thank you for calling her Hancock, her actual name, and not "Boa" like everyone here is doing...

[@audreym3908]

​@@SR-kh6yqI think people just wrote Boa because it's a bit easier/shorter than Hancock, but I do understand what you mean.

[@maychanbrigs9924]

As someone who rewatched the anime, I am psyched to see you have written EXACTLY how I felt about rewatching OP. Oda will always be a genius to me because of this.

[@NeyamStar]

Yea

[@BrownishSage15]

It's similarly implied that Viola was also forced to 'entertain' her captor, evident through the familiarity by which Doffy refers to her.

[@dreamz1417]

I do think it's weird how everone in the fandom just calls her by her family name though. There's at least 3 different Boas! lol

[@dreamz1417]

By the way I think you got your Medusa lore twisted around a bit. The original Medusa was just a regular ol monster, iirc the tragic backstory was added about a 1000 years later by a different interpretation. A retcon, so to speak.

[@ーテイル]

@@writer9197 A friend of mine seriously thought her name was Hencock.

[@terenceflynn4555]

As I say whenever Greek mythology comes up: whatever you think, you’re right. In most surviving tellings of the myth of Perseus, Medusa had sex with Poseidon in a temple of Athena, and had her sisters help distract Athena. Because Poseidon was more powerful and respected (good ole sexism), he was held blameless, and Athena punished the three sisters, taking special ire with Medusa. Later, a Roman poet by the name of Livy retold the story through his own lens, where he viewed gods and authority as morally repugnant, and Greeks as immoral people. Thus, Poseidon raped Medusa instead of had a consensual relationship with her. However, most of the “surviving” stories we have from this period are on their 20th retelling before they were written down. As such, it is entirely possible that it started out as rape, but became sexual assault then became a consensual relationship in the 20 retelling over a span of 600 years.

[@GSSAGE7]

​@@terenceflynn4555Hesiod's Theogony stated that Medusa was born a monster. The tragedy in her character was that SHE was mortal, unlike her immortal sisters Euryale and Stheno. A common theory is that the reason Ovid's stories were so famously anti-god was because he was salty over his exile.

[@spiderlily723]

@@GSSAGE7 You mean the dude that Plato called a lying liar? lol Gotta love the way someone literally tells you 'the myth records we have are retelling of retelling so it's impossible to say which one is true' and you legit go 'this one dude wrote this, so it makes it true!'. On a video about very feminist issue. Oh, the irony.

[@meitg9015]

"She's dramatic, She's excessive, She's weird" AND SHE'S AN ICON FOR IT WE LIVE!!

[@abeklein7815]

WE LOVE WEIRD WOMEN WE SUPPORT WEIRD WOMEN

[@akabbaj07]

@@abeklein7815 same women said fuck men... yes please

[@kaylafoster5084]

Please talk about the ASL brothers one day. They’re brotherly bond is just so cute, funny, heartwarming, and tragic. We see a sense of family with the straw hats and certain characters but the feeling of such caring siblings and their bond don’t feel like it gets much attention.😢

[@Phanthief95]

As well, their relationship captures one of the biggest themes in One Piece: Your family doesn’t have to be tied to blood.

[@NeyamStar]

Yea

[@simon-peterwilliamson2412]

I have to say it was really refreshing and shocking to see her story in an anime. Anime makes light of grape without the g. And oda implements it so subtly that people still think she only hates men because of slavery despite there being female celestial dragons. To me it's very clear that the dragons after giving her that fruit, had their way with her which is horrifying but her hatred for men can be completely understood. I wasnt always sure but now that you told me she was based off medusa it makes it all the more clear

[@Phanthief95]

From what she said in her story, I also thought that her hatred of men came from the Celestial Dragons graping her & her sisters. It also showed me something about Hancock: She’s someone who wants control of every situation because she’s afraid of having no control like she did with the Celestial Dragons.

[@chaisawchan2345]

How so? Her powers petrify anyone who gets those feelings from her so how could the fruit be an indicator?

[@simon-peterwilliamson2412]

@@chaisawchan2345 the love love fruit is one of those devil fruits that make you more attractive than you already are. Like the smooth smooth fruit. If they force fed it to her. It was to up her beauty and make their perverse abuse all the more fun for them. Plus it turns you to stone on her command. She would've been trained to not resist as she likely tried before but no way shes getting past cp0 or the admiral's so she had no choice

[@chaisawchan2345]

@@simon-peterwilliamson2412 and the snake snake no mi?

[@simon-peterwilliamson2412]

@@chaisawchan2345 well snake waifs are popular for a reason. Especially since the celestial dragons are at the top of the world I can imagine they have weird taste. Either strange sexual desires or the sadistical pleasure of watching the girls freak out as they moprh and become monsters

[@isadorae9551]

I love Boa! I think it factors in her mask the fact the kuja have a whole apreciation for strength, her feeling weak is twice as devastating bc she cant even turn to her own people (it also feels so real it hurts) Another thing that stood out to me is that Mari is the one com comforting Sonia while Hancock braves on and relives their trauma. Mari being the youngest either is the one who remembers the least or - and I don't usually take anime scenes to support my views but this one is good - was shielded by the worst of it as much as possible by the big sisters, as they're seen hiding behind little Hancock when in chains. Lastly I'm staring at Oda rn bc recent developments make it entirely possible these 3 heard of Nika somehow

[@ekayn1606]

Finally, someone who appreciates the humor of Boa being a savage! She has a beautiful arc! It's so wholesome seeing Luffy break through her facade by being a genuine person. Let the king and queen sail off happily ever after😭

[@zmp323]

The character writing in this series is spectacular. So many characters have incredibly compelling backstories that perfectly inform their actions in the present.

[@nestrior7733]

The thing that I struggled most with concerning Boa, which has kept me from actually liking her, is how the mechanics of her Devil Fruit were first if not explained at least implied to work. Her beauty still plays part of it, but I think it's the "evil thoughts" part that's most important here. Because this is so much broader than just the beauty aspect. Especially when it concerns a former slave. A former possession. Yes, even a former object. That's why her power works so well regardless of any inclinations the person opposite of her might have. They rely on Boa not being perceived as a full person. Not as a full human. Not every random marine on Momonga's ship would have wanted to let her relieve her trauma. But what every marine, including Momonga himself, saw in her was a Pirate. A Criminal. Somebody who is not deserving of their full humanity due to the things they have done, no matter their reasons. And that is enough for her power to work on you. Not that this detracts anything from the "Luffy is asexual" theories. He most certainly judges people by their actions and, for lack of a better term, their "vibes." But he also did not default to "Oh, beautiful (naked) woman, run protocols 1,5 and 8" the way Sanji might have. Which would have made Boa's powers work on him. That much we know for certain. And it's frustrating to me that it took until this video for me to realise that this is the actual, deeper meaning behind how her powers work. Yes, it is the "Love Love Fruit." But it's about anything but love. It's about being seen as less than a full person.

[@NeyamStar]

Damn

[@tabsi2436]

For me her love for luffy is also fascinating. Because luffy not lusting after her was so new and wondrous for her. His absolute disregard of her beauty was the factor that let her fall for him. I like to think, that luffy feels save for her in that regard, and through him she can experience such feelings for the first time and knows that he will not use her. And I think that's beautiful. ❤

[@m.q.m.39]

Boa character really shows us how amazing Oda's writing is. How bad the condition of the slavery is, really chilling and I have a literal goosebumps. I hope people read one piece can understand the clear message behind it.

[@m.q.m.39]

Also, this also shows how good Luffy is written. I always have a soft spot for him.

[@nelsonboubou7006]

You have no idea of how glad I am that you made a video about her. The writing of her character is so underrated and I’ve always felt like a lot of people tend to barely overview her character. Our baddie finally get the recognition that she deserves !

[@ILoveAnime1121]

Boa calling the marine's lust for her "wicked thoughts" is worth pointing out because there are two members of the Straw Hat who are horny on main without being shown as wicked for such a character trait.

[@lorddarkrai5753]

They are not any different than Sanji's or Brook's pervert gags.These soldiers are nothing more than that , they are the boys next door that get to the Navy because the more personnel it has , the better the chances your island or any other island has to survive a pirate raid.The Navy is a lot different than the World Government and to them the World Government is nothing more than just the leader sitting atop.They hardly care about its existence.All the Navy wishes to do is just stop piracy and crime rhroughoit rhe world because you see rhe sad reality is most pirates are lile Blackbeard , not Luffy or Whitebeard.Keep in mind that the most holy man in One Piece , Bartholomew Kuma , was able to find even greater shelter from the Government through working tightly with the Navy and even made 2 great friends or probably 3 considering he definitely knows Garp too. The Marines just get too much unnecessary hate by most One Piece fans because unlike Oda they hardly understand their view and what they represent.

[@SennaHawx]

The way Oda then connected her story to Fishers Tiger was also great

[@zacharyross9466]

As I looked at boa Hancock; The thought that kept coming to me was that hurt people hurt others. It almost feels like she knows that she is doing that which is why she’s trying to channel all that hurt and anger to anywhere but her people. I also think that is why when she perceives that luffy has shown her love through his actions of not judging her and caring about the people that helped him, she was so affected by it, because love is the only thing that can counter hate. At that moment she was at a place she never was before and she has no clue how to deal with it emotionally or in fact, any other way.

[@jesusmen6308]

Well so much for trying to not direct it to her people...a Was 100% on with killing them at the Slightess disagreedment...

[@Dreamfillah]

That Stampede kick-scene and the latest incident on Amazon Lily also did wonders for keeping her relevant in the final saga, 'cause it's becoming more and more clear that 2B bounty of hers is for PURE STRENGTH.

[@blakan1478]

That was established way back when even just her foot soldiers could use haki on their weapons which is basically ryo.

[@csch1510]

I could see the love fruit being almost as powerful as the paw fruit if used wisely...

[@lorddarkrai5753]

​@@csch1510Eeeeeh not really.I don't see Boa stopping an Ursus Shock at all.

[@StareachValcin]

A great character analysis of Boa Hancock. I honestly like Boa Hancock as a character, despite how horrible she was initially. She's beautiful and strong, and despite her cold and uncaring exterior that she initially had, she isn't as heartless as she let on, while having some care for her people. She did genuinely care for her sisters. I especially love how Boa Hancock genuinely fell in love with Monkey D. Luffy. She's at her silliest when she's expressing her feelings for Luffy. Even though Luffy has expressed how he isn't interested in marrying her and only views her as a good friend, I honestly hope that Boa Hancock does get together with Luffy someday. She clearly can't be with anyone else.

[@rivaldogutierrez2283]

Literally found your channel 3 hours ago and ATE UP every single one piece related video you had. Just finished the brook video and outta of nowhere this is uploaded :)

[@GastaoHEsteves]

The anime version is a little more explicit about Boa's sinister and sad past. In the scene where Hancock is about to rise her hair to show Luffy the mark, she closes her eyes and some fast flash of memories passes. One of the memories show her hands, in shackles, being held agaisnt a wall (or floor) with a male hand wearing celestial dragon's gloves holding her wrists tight as she tries to resist an obvious abuse. Theres both women and men among the Celestial Dragons, but Hancock's hatred is toward men. You get the picture.

[@glingglop9587]

Even tho I’m not finished with the video yet by assuming off of every other video you’ve made I can deduce this video is in fact fire

[@glingglop9587]

Yup watched the video, itches my brain, 10/10

[@ascrinkleyfellow]

If this comment ain't frfr idk what is frfr

[@galiyak6485]

In my opinion, you described the complexity and beauty of Boa's character really well.

[@exudeku]

I bestow to you The "I always watch your videos while cooking and eating" award

[@DaxSchaffer]

Boa kicking the kitten is one of the hardest times I've ever burst out laughing at a moment in One Piece. It just caught me so off guard the first time it happened and said everything it needed to about her character. You are not at all weird for finding it so funny. I love how they 1-up the joke later with her kicking the puppy and baby seal one after the other, which also reinforces that, despite being affected by Luffy, her public persona hasn't changed. She's still just as ridiculous and over the top as she's always been. Great video btw 🐍👍

[@gayman8886]

I always thought it was weird how they would force her and her sisters to eat devil fruits but now I understand and it hits close to home because I’ve been through stuff Boa has at a young age. Her sisters given “ugly” abilities due to them not being beautiful while Boa was given one to entertain those who found her beautiful as a child. Now that I truly understand her story I can appreciate her more than just being the girl I want luffy to get with. I knew she was a victim but never really thought that much of it until now.

[@waretafai]

her name is Hancock. Boa is the last name. Name order is reversed in Japanese. Boa Hancock, Boa Marigold, and Boa Sandersonia, remember? Boa sisters? Boa is not a person's name, pay attention to the show. Did you think Dragon, Garp, and Luffy all shared the "first" name of Monkey and had different last names?

[@gemkitten984]

​@@waretafaiAight bro chill it ain't that serious. So mad and for what? You clearly comprehended what they were saying didn't you? so relaaaax. Being so dramatic lmao

[@anabellapuz2206]

​@@waretafaibro chill boa still a part of her name

[@Nam3l3ssAnami]

I love just how you presented this topic because, even if I considered some of it myself, I never put into perspective how this affected her actions in the beginning. How all of this is how a victim tries to protect herself and her people, how she refused to give any sense of power to others if she could help it. It was eye opening and fascinating, and this is one of the reasons I love video essays! Seeing or reading others point of view on the same topic you’ve watched time and time again and catching things you weren’t aware of is outstanding. I also respect Oda so much on how he handled Hancock’s past. It’s not uncommon on manga and shonen to portray these topics in a heavy handed way. Be that because they wanna use them because of it’s shocking value or a glorification of violence, I don’t know. They might sincerely think it is helpful in portraying it in a pretty detailed way, but with Oda… I just feel he was really respectful of his character pain, especially with the themes that were alluded to. As someone that responded in a quiet and meekly way after a history of abuse, I didn’t understood Boa when I was younger even if I liked her. But now? Now i adore her dramatic bratty diva self, goofy and beautiful and all ❤❤❤❤ Thank you for your amazing videos, MelonTee. It’s always a delight seeing your content!

[@verdantmischief7092]

It was so incredibly telling how much more afraid she was of exposing her own back than she was appearing naked before someone else. Really shows how troubled her past was that something someone naturally covers up is something she would much rather show than the alternative

[@blaink8064]

I love how she did the opposite of the trope "save the kitten" in her first scene lol

[@Drip_Wooper]

it is however, another trope, the "kick the dog" which funny enough was actually 'broken', when she actually isnt 100% evil save the kitten on your first apparence troupe: show a character is supposed to be a beacon of goodness kick the dog on your first apparence troupe: show a character is supposed to be pure evil down to their soul and will never change throught the series meanwhile Boa kicks a kitten in her first apparence but turns out to be a "good person", kinda lol

[@dandyzoran4891]

When I was kid reading it and I remember just asking why she was acting that way from when she was introduced. When I read her back story of enslavment, my heart immediately sank. The real scary things were not what she was saying. it was what wasn't said, and tears flooded my eyes from an unadulterated rage. A few friends I haven't gone through what Boa has, but they have been in abusive relationships. It's not your fault at all. Watching the video brought those feelings back, and you gave alot more insight into her character where she blamed herself for what happened was a detail I missed.

[@NeyamStar]

Yea...

[@xina9032]

Great analysis as always! I'd like to add my thoughts on why Boa thinks that attraction is evil but still calls herself beautiful and seemingly likes to be beautiful. I think, since Amazon Lily defines "beauty" as powerful women (the stronger someone is, the more beautiful they are), Boa calls herself beautiful in a sense that she calls herself powerful. Of course, she's objectively beautiful aestheticallly. She uses this beauty as a weapon against people while being proud of being powerful thus beautiful on a different level and this is what she definitely likes.

[@yep1486]

and her beauty translate to literal power too

[@nataloserlover]

Realizing her narrative as the character that represents the struggles of women in real life and the potential impacts abuse has long after it occurs was enough to make me go from liking her a lot to loving her a character. Your analysis in how her current demeanor and actions were on the spot! As a guy who has a lot of friends who are girls, this video was actually enough to make my heart ache not just for Boa, but also to my friends who experienced similar hardships. However, above every true and real take you mentioned in this video, the part where you mention her Conqueror's Haki sent chills to my core. I have always viewed her to have that cause of her desire to be the most beautiful, but saying that her Conqueror's is actually a result of her wanting absolute control of her OWN power and body literally made me bawl my eyes out and audibly cry. Her desire of absolute dominance is for self-empowerment and self-identity, moreso than beauty, like you said, which is honestly the most beautiful interpretation I've seen for Boa's character. Sending nothing but love to everyone out there!

[@hamboy2610]

I love how even a character that seems like she's made for the male gaze at first glance, is one of the most tragic deep and interesting characters in the entire story. ill admit I love boobs. I love pretty ladies. ill admit the way girls in one piece are drawn can be a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, but what really matters is the story and the characters, and they are so well written and maturely written that none of the female characters are purley eye-candy to pull in more readers

[@Ris3451]

I come for the boobs, i stay for the feels.

[@idonthaveanygoodnametouse1704]

One of my favorite interactions involving Hancock was when she was arguing with Gloriosa about what marriage was, thinking that she and Luffy were married because he said her name right

[@Deeviiouss]

I’ma need Nami and Boa to meet, there’s so many parallels towards them.

[@Phanthief95]

I just know that she will kill Nami if she sees her hitting Luffy, even when he does deserve it.

[@TwoTonTiger]

I truly love how hard Hancock looks down on people. That pose is so iconic and over the top and it gets me everytime 😂

[@VultusPersefone]

Yesss, I think Hancock is one of the funniest characters in One Piece! And she is DEVOTED to Luffy, she doesn't need him to marry her, because the littlest kind act Luffy does to her is already SO MUCH for a woman who was enslaved in childhood and only has men intersted in her beauty or power. Also, Hancock is named after Thomas Hancock, the rubber creator, and I think that's amazing!

[@2001arms]

Boa is such a good character!! I geunienly think she and her crush on Luffy is on the top 3 for funniest gag in one piece. The best part is that it actually makes so much for her to be like that

[@erathymc.8765]

absolutely amazing video, realizing that I have a lot more in common with Boa besides an affinity for snakes and same height... making me strongly consider Amazon Lily one of my fave arcs

[@erathymc.8765]

okay yeah I ugly cried goddamn boa is fuckin real...

[@bhwings7480]

You made me look at Boa so differently after this. I never thought of her in anyway that you had said in the video. Incredible video, Ms. MelonTree.🙂

[@jayd.doubledubs]

I AM EARLY! My history with Boa is interesting. I initially hated her for her arrogance and loved her for her chaotic energy. I then hated her for falling in love with Luffy so abruptly, thought it was too forced and too "Shonen protagonist"-y. I finally liked her after all the support she gave Luffy And then Jay D Legend and Merphy Napier dissected her trauma and I fell in love with her character I kinda wished you analyzed her crush on Luffy, how she reverts back to her childlike self whenever she's with her because he's the one who helped heal her trauma and allowed her to be vulnerable and open again

[@Gemini053]

Because you said that her inner child feels comfortable with Luffy I can’t help but wonder if her crush is superficial, not in a bad way of course but in a very innocent way, and if childlike crush will eventually turn into more of a relaxed and mature devotion.

[@voltaksa]

This made me think of the theory how Boa and her sisters got kidnapped in one of the most notorious Kuja pirates boat in a broad day light. Maybe they're lured with some cute animals by the kidnappers because she said that she once let her guard down and that makes her didn't flinch the slightest when seeing kittens or baby seal even as far as kicking them. but she didn't do more than just kicking to get them out of her way because deep down she knows it wasn't the cute animal (whom might used as a bait) fault but herself for letting her guard down.

[@benl.4577]

Oda has his low points and writing weaknesses, but writing women undoubtedly one of his strengths. At face value, you could've never imagine this Japanese author who draws women like THIS, has come out and written women with some of the best character depth ever. Boa Hancock is absolutely an example of this. I'm willing to say Oda is one of, if not, the best author of women characters in shonen manga to date.

[@oakleyturner9544]

Since I learned of Hancock’s backstory my mind assumed that the Celestial Dragons abused that poor girl in ways that Oda can’t write on paper but subtly conveyed. Does she see her beauty as a curse? Or something more than just a tool to get away with whatever she wants? She is indeed a very deep character and one that many fans appreciate in one way or another. Thanks again for the content!

[@MsGhoulz]

Oda really is talented being able to make the most likable toxic female ever.

[@pootispencer9765]

Sigma female

[@david23627]

He did it with Nami first

[@Ethan-yd4gn]

She was already a character i liked ever since her first arc in Amazon Lily, but this video and getting to go back and think about her characterization just made me love her so much more. Sure i love the dumb trope that she has this absurd infatuation with Luffy, but I also love that there is a genuine explaination for someone who's been through years and years of trauma and then several more of having to hide it. I also love the little reference to her moment in Stampede, regardless of canonicity, because it was so absurd and kinda stupidly badass that i couldn't help but love it, regardless about how i felt during the rest of the movie. She was already in my top 10 favorite characters in all of One Piece I'd say, but I think she's gone up quite a few spaces after watching this wonderful breakdown of her absolutely **beautiful** character. She also got some TIG OLE BITTAYSSSSSS. Respectfully, coming from a man of class.

[@ShatteredGlass916]

When you realized that the other reason why Luffy refused Boa's story, other than seeing Sonia's breakdown, is because he himself have seeing the similar horrible reality from Sabaody. The last place where he witness his own friend got auctioned, treated less because she and Hachi were a different race, and how the Govt and Marine will helped those oppressor and slave owners

[@dragonblast417]

It really baffles me the amount of story telling, world building and writing skills that one man has is a thousand times more amazing and impressive than a team of writers of a show have

[@drx7138]

I just want to say that your videos genuinely make my day better, your style in video essays is so simple and funny to follow, I love watching them during my break at work. Really… thank you ❤️

[@eurinis]

one thing i never expected before getting into op is for it to be so weirdly relatable , in all my life of bingeing and reading animangas I’ve never been more touched by some backstory’s of characters in my life , even in character’s personalities like ive got to give it to oda he really understands his audience.

[@HoldenDude123]

I love how your videos can make me love a character that I never really thought about much but has so much depth to them. And it even gives me a whole new perspective on main characters like the strawhats

[@alexistired3790]

seeing her in stampede is what made me love her, because i loved seeing how powerful she was, but after watching this video, i understand Boa's character better than ever. can't believe some of the implications of her past flew over my head. it perfectly explains her cockiness as a defense mechanism more than anything to protect herself and those important to her. Oda Sensei can really write em

[@crimsontanooki7212]

Boa is super funny and super tragic. That's why she's one of my favorites Btw did you go see barbie?

[@notationmusical]

I just did today.

[@NeroPiroman]

Or oppenheimer

[@n.n8991]

If you were asking Melony, she did! She went in her Doffy cosplay, it was posted on Twitter.

[@rubinperez]

It almost feels like you're not talking about Boa in the video, rather about something deeper, a human experience based on suffering and self-blame. That's what I really love about your one piece content, you dissect so well the characters that anyone can relate at some point to them :)

[@SUTTYEA]

Just finished the new episode. Now a melontea video. This weekend is great

[@doorframe2315]

Indeed

[@hoho-v6n]

true

[@gittaszabo8551]

I also always felt like she does those horrible things (like kicking kittens) to constantly check if someone would finally call her out on those actions, finally not letting her get away with things just bc of her beauty

[@jeremycards]

Man, every video you release makes me more eager for a video about Luffy himself! i love the insights you have on the show and have made me appreciate just how an insanely good character Luffy actually is! You truly turn my understanding of how he relates to others on its head, i really wanna see what u have to say about him in a full video! But maybe, you were waiting for "that" to happen in the anime before talking about him, hmm? 👀

[@fl00fydragon]

Gods, I had forgotten about how much of a brilliant hot mess boa is. An incredible and complex character that's a great allegory for trauma and how victims hides it with insane over the top weirdness that just clicks in the one piece world.

[@johnlink9397]

2:18 the fact that you used sheep kalifa is one of the reasons i love this channel and these videos

[@ashtersshadow8]

18:56 Baby Boa protecting her sisters from the enslavers despite being scared to death never ceases to make me bawl TmT Thank you for the video! I'll be putting pics of the celestia dragons on a punching bag.

[@2portal19]

So excited for every MelonTree upload, I can't wait to find out about how Sanji's reaction to the zoro vs mihawk fight effected Boa as a person. (I'm being snarky but genuinly your videos have re-ignited a passion for this series I had previously lost. Your perspectives and contet are valued keep up the good work :)

[@mr.boomguy]

I thought that at least half of Boa's past was obvious, but it's always great to know the deeper lore and characters of One Piece. Like, I may never have guessed myself that her closing herself off was for her never to bee taken advantage off again. My main interests may be science and history, but I also love a bit of phycology springled in there from time to time

[@stalhein62]

I’ve always believed that Luffy refuses to marry Hancock because when he found out her past, she said she’d never let someone control her again. Luffy may not be book smart but he’s very emotionally intelligent, and I think it’s reasonable he’d see marriage as taking away some freedom for Hancock. Now I’m not ruling out that they end up in a Rayleigh and Shakky situation where they’re together but he goes off for months to do his own thing.

[@hunterkudo9832]

Nah luffy is just not interested in marriage. He said so himself

[@Swiminatub]

Marriage should never be confinement. Luffy just is on that sweet one piece ride and focus

[@SCaptian458]

What I really like about Hancock was that even after she falls for Luffy, she still hasn't changed to the point where she's just a shy deredere girl. Instead she's a goofy likable character that has as many badass moments as she does the funny moments. Also while the possible imagery of what she went through as a slave was never shown, just thinking about it after her intro made me feel sorry for her and felt glad that she was finally able to let the pain out to Luffy.

[@lyd8747]

Yaas, the Queen❤ I was waiting for that, Boa is a surprisingly interesting character for someone with such little screentime

[@SR-kh6yq]

Boa who? Sonia? Marigold? Hancock? Can't people just call Hancock by her actual name like Oda does and not a family name lol?

[@lyd8747]

​@@SR-kh6yq Boa is just as much her name as Hancock is, so why not? It's even in the thumbnail💁 Besides I really like how their family name sounds like, it's so pretty and fitting for their powers. Though I don't disagree, sometimes people confuse names and surnames in anime which is a bit irritating at times. I've heard someone deliberately refer to Luffy as just "Monkey D." and my brain blanked for a second

[@SR-kh6yq]

@@lyd8747 I find calling her Boa just as irritating, personally, maybe because in my language "boa" literally means "buoyancy aid" and it just sounds silly, not powerful at all xD

[@lyd8747]

@@SR-kh6yq Awww yeah, that sucks😂 It's also ironic since Hancock can't float being a DF user. For me it's the other way around. Whenever I see "Hancock" I think of that one movie with Will Smith where he is an alcoholic superman lol

[@Spicy0505]

This video made me realize something. Boa, to my knowledge, is the only character that Luffy actively knows the backstory of. Including strawhats. Some may say Robin, but I don’t think he does, he just knows her enemy. He doesn’t care about people’s origins, just who they are when they meet. Am I wrong? Is there another character Luffy actively knows the back story of? Sure there’s bits of characters like Momo and, Rebecca and maybe vivi, but he doesn’t know much about their past. Boa goes out of her way to tell Luffy everything, and Luffy hears all of it.

[@OizysDiary]

Omg that so true