@sggupta:
so you are saying that nami brutally beat luffy to a pulp?
No, not at all, but the circumstances are still the same. Nami, like Sanji in this chapter, felt the need to face her oppressor alone, and tried to hurt Luffy in order to get him to leave. Literally the only difference in that respect is that Nami didn't resort to physical violence, but that makes sense considering that Nami isn't the kind of character to resolve most problems with those methods. Sanji is. If you go back and read Nami's dialogue in Chapter 76, it's remarkably similar to Sanji's monologue here. That's what I'm talking about.
People keep bringing up Nami only pretending to stab Usopp in Arlong Park as a comparison to Sanji attacking Luffy, but in that instance, there actually was a slight difference in what they were trying to do. Nami was trying to provide Usopp with an easy escape from a dangerous situation while still maintaining her cover, while Sanji was just trying to force Luffy into stepping down. Also remember, the first thing Nami did to Usopp in that scene was to actually attack him, and only after that did she do the knife-hand trick to save him from Arlong. Even though the tactics were different, the intent was still the same. So again, something that Nami should have been able to pick up on, because she's not stupid.
why does a character need a reason to behave like a normal human being?well,if you really want some indication,i'd suggest carefully looking at the facial expressions and body language.
Okay, for clarification, when reading this chapter, I actually really liked Nami's role, for precisely the same reasons that everyone else is saying. Particularly during the slap, there was a whole lot that could have been conveyed while saying very little, enough to kind of give me goosebumps. That is, until Oda deliberately ruined any chance of subtext by giving Nami a line making it implicitly clear to the reader that she has no idea what is happening. That's my problem with the chapter, not her behavior, not her actions, the fact that all of that is based around her not being able to recognize that which should be obvious to her.
if you think this is silly and emotional,nami has always been silly and emotional.nami isn't some kind of emotionless,completely calm and stone-faced character which you seem to believe she has.in fact,she used to be like that before she became more open and honest with herself,which as i said contrasts what you seem to suggest regarding character growth
Being emotional and being able to empathize with someone under similar circumstances are not mutually exclusive. She doesn't have to be cold or emotionless to still be logical regarding Sanji's actions. For an example of a character being emotionally-driven while also being intelligent… heck just read any serious dramatic scene featuring Nami written prior to, oh, 2006.
she did get more variety in her attacks in that fight,however awkward it was.and to be fair,it's not like all the other characters got some sort of growth in EL,probably because it was more of an action-packed arc instead of being character -driven.
Getting new special moves is not the same thing as character development. Also, despite being action arc, Robin, Usopp, Franky, Chopper, and Luffy all got clear, definitive moments of character growth, so it's not like it was impossible to do. Her being skipped over in that arc isn't necessarily bad by itself, I'm not even that put off by the presence of (occasional) fanservice as long as it doesn't get in the way of the story, but when they start a trend that's gone on for the entire rest of the manga until now, then it becomes a problem.
i have no idea what you see as level-headed in nami's actions there.she was basically scared stiff from enel,and could only follow him.she didn't have a master-plan or something,she was just winging it.when it became clear that there was no way out,she then attacked enel.if she was really a superly calm and smart person,she would have just gone on with enel because logic dictates that the chances of enel's victory are higher
She was faced with an insanely powerful God-man who just took out several incredibly powerful fighters, and could predict every move she was going to make, yet, despite her fear she was able to manipulate the situation and buy time for as long as she could until her friends showed up. In that regard, she lasted against Enel longer than pretty much anyone else in that arc. For a more direct example of character growth though, then her "I might as well be completely alone" line in chapter 282 is a perfect example.
you seem to think characters in a story are like characters in an RPG,unlocking and gaining new skills which they can then automatically use regardless of the context or situation."hey,nami has the become 100% calm skill.why didn't she use it when sanji initiated the create a farce to distance himself from the crew event?of course,it shouldn't matter that seeing a beloved crewmember insulting the entire crew and beating the shit out of luffy makes her sad,frustrated and disappointed."
No, but I do think that characters in long-form works of fiction should grow and be shaped by things that happen to them throughout the story. And, I hate to repeat myself, but there are multiple instances where similar conflicts have happened, either with her at the center or her as a spectator, and her lines in this chapter are entirely inconsistent with that. BECAUSE of what character growth we have had with Nami in the past, we know that empathy and logic are two of her defining traits. They're part of what make Nami who she is. And in this chapter, both of those traits are ignored, in favor of letting her play out the Confused Hysterical Girl archetype for Luffy and Sanji's manly conflict. That shouldn't be so acceptable.
firstly,she didn't really understand where her friends come from,because they were in fact not behaving reasonably.nami even tried to talk the both of them out of it,but to no avail.
and then you seem to have the notion that having the same reaction to similar things that are happening is going backwards,somethings which i can't understand the head or tails of
But she should have understood, because she once made the same choice that Sanji made. You don't have to agree with what someone is doing, or even accept the choice they're making, in order to understand them. On the contrary, this could have been a hugely emotional moment for her, precisely for that reason. But yes, having her scream, "Why would he do this?" actually is going backwards.
as Cyclone said,nami is not a shrieking twit.
but anyway,the basic assumption you are making which i feel is just wrong is that nami is a super-smart,cold and calculative character,or at least is becoming like that,which is think is just baseless and wrong.true,she is a somewhat calm and somewhat smart person,but she can also be very emotional and very rash.
and i'd again bring up the point which i and other people have pointed out:barely any time has passed.nami is still in shock and basically distressed in this situation,and also angry and really unable to think straight.usually what happens whenever people fight.there is still a possility of nami realising the similarites between her predicament and sanji's
You're right about one thing here, it is too early to say definitively what's going on, and I can only talk based on the material we're given thus far. Having all the various qualities we've discussed so far are what make Nami a three-dimensional character to begin with. What's happened in this chapter though, is something else entirely, since we've now seen those same traits stepped on in favor of something more stereotypical and troubling. Even at her worst moments, Nami's thought process has never been so muddled or arbitrary, and since there's nothing in the text to suggest why this is, we instead need to examine the author.
@keekoishere:
I think most people complaining about Namis reaction would rather have her do anything at all that would help Sanji. We don't even know for sure if she understood Sanji is bluffing and that's not excusable. Sure she could've just been angry for him being too violent, but it wasn't made clear and she didn't show any resolve or companionship towards sanji in the same way Luffy did, so I guess she looks extra bad in comparison
Yes. This. This exactly. Thank you.