Our Very Own is a 1950 American drama film directed by David Miller. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert focuses on a teenage girl who learns she was adopted as an infant. Ann Blyth, Farley Granger, and Jane Wyatt star in the film.

Plot
Los Angeles teenager Gail Macaulay is going steady with deliveryman Chuck, a relationship that sparks jealousy in her younger sister Joan. When Joan needs her birth certificate in order to obtain summer employment, her mother Lois tells her to look in a box in her dresser, where the girl discovers Gail's adoption papers.

That evening, at Gail's 18th birthday party, Joan flirts with Chuck, and when her angry sister confronts her, Joan reveals the truth about her background. The following morning, Lois tells Gail her biological father was killed in an accident before she was born, but her mother, Gert Lynch, is alive. Gail persuades Lois to have their lawyer arrange a meeting with her birth mother, but Lois decides to visit Gert in her Long Beach home first. Gert is thrilled to see photographs of Gail, but is loath to let her second husband Jim know she has a child, so Lois arranges a meeting the following evening, when Jim will be out.

After Gail and her friend Zaza depart for Gert's home, Lois receives a panicked phone call from the woman telling her Jim canceled his plans and is staying home to play cards with friends. Gert waits for the girls outside her house, but before they arrive Jim asks her to prepare refreshments. When Gail enters the house, Gert introduces her as the daughter of an old friend. Gert quietly explains the situation to Gail and apologizes for the mixup.

Gail returns to the car and tells Zaza the reunion went well, then asks if she can spend the night at her house. Chuck, who had arrived at the Macaulay home just before Gail left for the ill-fated reunion with Gert, has spent the worried night with Gail's parents after having the situation explained to him. When Gail fails to return home, Gail's parents begin to worry and Chuck goes to Zaza's house and reproaches Gail for hurting the people who raised her and loved her as their own. This idea of family as "the people who are there for you" is reinforced when Gail learns that Zaza's father will not be attending their high school graduation ceremony, having chosen to attend an out-of-town party instead.

At the graduation ceremony, Gail imbues her senior class Vice President speech about citizenship with a loving message about the true meaning of family, to the delight of her parents, sisters, and Chuck.

Cast
Ann Blyth ..... Gail Macaulay
Farley Granger ..... Chuck
Jane Wyatt ..... Lois Macaulay
Donald Cook ..... Fred Macaulay
Ann Dvorak ..... Gert Lynch
Joan Evans ..... Joan Macaulay
Natalie Wood ..... Penny Macaulay
Phyllis Kirk ..... Zaza
Jessie Grayson ..... Violet
Martin Milner ..... Bert
Ray Teal ..... Jim Lynch

Production
With this film, producer Samuel Goldwyn wanted to return to the simple family values portrayed in the Andy Hardy films MGM had released a decade earlier. Farley Granger thought the script was "pointless and meandering", but as a Goldwyn contract player, he faced suspension if he refused to make the film. He thought director David Miller was "a perfectly nice man", but "no help to anybody". Granger later went to Paris and then London, where he rang up a substantial bill at the Savoy Hotel. When Goldwyn implored him to return to the States to help promote the film, Granger agreed to give The Times an interview and then fly to New York City to appear at the premiere there if the studio settled his hotel bill, and Goldwyn reluctantly agreed.

Jane Wyatt, on loan from 20th Century Fox, was disappointed to find herself cast as an advice-dispensing mother after having played a succession of sophisticated roles opposite Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and Gregory Peck. She had little regard for the role until a few years later, when she was cast in the successful television series Father Knows Best as a direct result of her performance in Our Very Own.

Critical reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York Times observed, "What is there so disturbing about the knowledge of being an adopted child? This picture doesn't tell you. All that it arbitrarily does is assume that the knowledge would be upsetting and then proceeds from there — proceeds to tug at the heartstrings with close-ups and weeping violins and Ann Dvorak sniffling profusely as a regretful woman who abandoned her infant child. And then, after this has been worked over for a sufficiently heartrending while, the picture hops back to teen-age clowning and a belief that all's right with the world. No, thank you, Mr. Goldwyn. There is more to the problem than this. Adoption deserves clarification with something better than farcical laughs and corny sobs."

Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Sound (Gordon E. Sawyer), but lost to All About Eve.

Comic book adaption
 Eastern Color Movie Love #5 (October 1950)

References

External links

1950 films
1950 drama films
American drama films
American black-and-white films
1950s English-language films
Films scored by Victor Young
Films about adoption
Films set in Los Angeles
Samuel Goldwyn Productions films
Films adapted into comics
Films directed by David Miller
1950s American films

Our Very Own (1950 film)


is an action-adventure stealth video game series, originally developed by Japanese developer Acquire, where the player assumes the role of a ninja in 16th-century Japan. The title in Japanese literally translates in English as "Divine Retribution", with 天 (ten) meaning heaven and 誅 (chū) meaning death penalty (another translation of this phrase, Wrath of Heaven, is the title of the first PlayStation 2 entry in the series).

Plot
The series takes place in 16th-century feudal Japan. The original story (Stealth Assassins) revolves around two ninjas, Rikimaru and Ayame, who have both been members of the Azuma Ninja Clan since childhood. The two ninjas serve the benevolent Lord Gohda and work for him as his secret spies to root out corruption and gather intelligence in his province. However, the evil demonic sorcerer Lord Mei-Oh sought to destroy Lord Gohda, and using his demon warrior Onikage, wreaked havoc throughout Lord Gohda's province. Although Lord Mei-Oh was killed in the first game, Onikage appeared in all subsequent games (except Fatal Shadows and Tenchu Z) as the archenemy of the two ninja, especially Rikimaru. Another major character who shows up frequently is Princess Kiku, Lord Gohda's daughter who often needs to be saved.

Gameplay
The game perspective is third-person. There are numerous items to help the ninja on his/her mission, but unlockable items can be acquired if the player gets a "Grand Master" rating at the end of the level by being as stealthy as possible. Items and controls vary from game to game, but the gameplay is essentially the same throughout except Tenchu: Shadow Assassins. Stealth is a very important element in the game, where players have to duck, crouch, and hide behind walls to avoid detection.  Enemies can be killed with one maneuver by using Stealth Kills, and a player can avoid detection by using the Ki meter. The larger the number, the closer the player's position to an enemy. If a player is spotted, the Ki meter will turn red, the enemy will alert everyone in the area, and the player is forced to fight hand-to-hand or hide somewhere until the enemies give up their search and resume their patrol routes.

Characters
The main characters of the Tenchu series are Rikimaru, Ayame, Tesshu and Rin. Rikimaru is a tall, white-haired shinobi with a single ninjatō named "Izayoi" and a scar over his right eye. He is physically stronger than Ayame and Rin, but relatively slower. Ayame is a kunoichi (female ninja) who wears standard ninja clothes with her midriff exposed and carries a pair of kodachi. She is faster and can perform more combos than Rikimaru and Tesshu, but is weaker than them. Tesshu is a vigilante who wears blue doctor's clothes and fights bare-handed with acupuncture needles; he is strong like Rikimaru, but slower than Ayame and Rin. His appearance is heavily based on the character "Baian Fujieda". Rin is a young kunoichi who carries a large katana called Natsume. Despite wielding a sword, she prefers to use hand-to-hand combat, relying on fast combos like Ayame.

Games

Activision purchased the rights to this game from Sony Music Entertainment, who originally published the game in Japan. However, Activision sold the rights to the Japanese game publisher FromSoftware in 2004. FromSoftware's rights agreement does not include games previously published by Activision. FromSoftware licensed distribution of Fatal Shadows to Sega.

There is an additional Japan-exclusive release for Tenchu on the PlayStation. One hundred of the best competing levels designed with the level editor of Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen (an expanded version of Tenchu re-released in Japan) were put together to form a stand-alone, non-story based expansion set called Tenchu: Shinobi Hyakusen. The engine and game fundamentals remained unchanged. Shinobi Hyakusen is famous for the hardest level settings among Tenchu fans, especially because of the tight time limits and the overall lack of the items, excluding the caltrops and the throwing stars. No North American or European versions were released however.

Several games were also ported to mobile phones with graphic changes. These include Tenchu: Ayame's Tale 3D which was released for the Sony Ericsson mobile phone series and Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven by TKO-Software and Digital Bridges which was released for mobile phones in 2005, although it used two-dimensional graphics. A stage play adaptation Tenchu Butai was performed in 2014. A Game Boy Advance version of the franchise was attempted by Classified Games in 2000, but it was scrapped due to the publisher's problems.

It's estimated that the whole series sales are at 10 million games sold worldwide as of 2018.

See also
List of ninja video games
Shinobido: Way of the Ninja – a 2006 PS2 game with similar gameplay and stealth/action principals, also developed by Acquire.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – a 2019 title developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision which was initially conceived as a new Tenchu game.

References

External links

Activision Blizzard franchises
Kadokawa Dwango franchises
Video game franchises
Video games set in 16th-century Sengoku period
Video game franchises introduced in 1998

Tenchu


Robert Clohessy (born June 10, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Correctional Officer Sean Murphy on the HBO prison drama Oz from seasons 3–6, in addition to playing Officer Patrick Flaherty on the NBC police procedural Hill Street Blues, Warden Boss James Neary on the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire for the first two seasons and Lieutenant Sid Gormley on the CBS police drama Blue Bloods.

Early life
Clohessy was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of John Clohessy, a police officer. He fought in the 1975 Golden Gloves in Madison Square Garden. He graduated from Pearl River High School in Pearl River, New York, and from SUNY Purchase where he studied under Walt Witcover.

Career
Clohessy has had recurring roles in daytime dramas All My Children, Boy Meets World, and Guiding Light. In primetime, he has become known for his multiple regular turns as police officers and other law enforcement officials, creating parallels between his acting career and upbringing by his policeman father. The first of such roles was in the seventh and final season of Hill Street Blues, as Officer Patrick Flaherty. The following season, Clohessy was cast as the new co-star of Pat Morita on the ABC detective series Ohara, playing Lt. George Shaver. In 1995, he appeared in the episode "Hell's Angel" of the situation comedy Double Rush.

He later joined the cast of the HBO prison drama Oz as Correctional Officer Sean Murphy. However, in between these roles, Clohessy had a supporting role as Thomas Smaraldo on NBC's comedy/drama Tattingers (1988–89) and soon after appeared in a starring role on NBC's short-lived comedy One of the Boys (1989). Clohessy co-starred on the Neal Marlens/Carol Black ABC sitcom Laurie Hill in 1992, playing a stay-at-home freelance writer. In 2008, Clohessy had a regular role in the short-lived Fox show New Amsterdam. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

In feature films, Clohessy played a supporting role in Across the Universe, playing the part of Jude's long-lost father. He played Jack Parker in The Crimson Mask. His largest big budget film role was opposite Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines. Onstage, he played Mike in the Broadway Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Pal Joey, from November, 2008 through February 2009. He played the bartender in 27 Dresses (2008). From 2010 to the present (2021), he has had a supporting role as Sid Gormley, on the police drama Blue Bloods. In January 2012, he played Jack Healy in Season 1/Episode 13 in Unforgettable. In 2012, he portrayed Sergeant Silva in the film The Avengers.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

1957 births
Male actors from New York (state)
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male musical theatre actors
Living people
People from Pearl River, New York
State University of New York at Purchase alumni
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors

Robert Clohessy


Leslie Monod (born  1976) is a Swiss former pair skater. With Cédric Monod, she is a three-time Swiss national champion (1992–94) and placed as high as sixth at the European Championships (1993).

Personal life
Born  1976, Leslie Monod is the younger sister of Cédric Monod. She married Christophe Mounoud, with whom she has two children, Taotim and Natoé. She is a pediatrician.

Skating career
Leslie Monod competed in pairs with her brother, Cédric. They represented Switzerland internationally and CP Lausanne in domestic events. Their coaches included Heidemarie Steiner and Jacques Mrozek.

The Monod siblings won the first of their three Swiss national titles in 1992. They finished 8th at the 1992 European Championships in Lausanne and 12th at the 1992 World Championships in Oakland, California. The following season, they placed sixth at the 1993 European Championships in Helsinki and 9th at the 1993 World Championships in Prague. Their Worlds result allowed Switzerland to send two pair teams to the 1994 Winter Olympics.

In the 1993–94 season, the Monod siblings won their third national title but finished just out of the top ten, in 11th place, at the 1994 European Championships in Copenhagen. Following the Copenhagen result, the Swiss Olympic Association elected not to send them to the Olympics. The pair announced their competitive retirement on 3 February 1994.

Programs
(with Cédric Monod)

Competitive highlights
(with Cédric Monod)

References

1970s births
Swiss female pair skaters
Living people
Sportspeople from Lausanne

Leslie Monod


Cinémoi is a television network focusing on film, fashion and international style.

History
Cinémoi was founded in 2009 by Oliver Bengough of Mint Entertainment. British broadcaster Jonathan Ross joined Cinémoi in December 2010, becoming the channel's creative director and minority shareholder.

Olly Bengough and Cinémoi formed a joint venture with Daphna Edwards Ziman and Rod Sherwood of Multi Vision Media (MVM) to launch Cinémoi in North America on September 17, 2012, broadcasting to over 20 million households, as the first network on DirecTV dedicated to film, fashion, and lifestyle. However, it was dropped by DirecTV in July 2013.

Subsequently, Cinémoi began broadcasting on Verizon/FiOS on January 27, 2014. It also is available in the United States on Frontier Communications, Sling TV, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Apple iOS, Google Play and Xfinity.

Programming
Cinémoi premium programming includes live and prerecorded content with a focus on acclaimed international film, film festivals, and fashion, covering an array of global events, including the Cannes Film Festival, Paris, New York, Milan and London fashion weeks and the exclusive broadcast of the CinéFashion Film Awards.

United States
Cinémoi North America offers daily afternoon and evening movies — ranging from CinéCouture, CinéDirectors, CinéGreen, CinéIcons and CinéStars. Some of the films that have aired on the U.S. channel are Alegria, featuring Oscar-winner Frank Langella; Contempt, starring Brigitte Bardot and Jack Palance; Dangerous Beauty with Jacqueline Bisset and Naomi Watts; Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Earth from Above; Fellini: I'm A Born Liar, directed by Damian Pettigrew; Five Easy Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson; Gilda and Lady from Shanghai, featuring Rita Hayworth; Redacted, directed by Brian De Palma; Roman Polanski's Repulsion starring Catherine Deneuve; and Two Lovers, with a cast headed by Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix.

In addition, the U.K. late night talk show, the Jonathan Ross Show, debuted on Cinémoi N. America on December 24, 2012. Guests have included David Beckham, Sandra Bullock, Eminem, Gordon Ramsay, Justin Timberlake, and Oprah Winfrey.

Also, beginning in the Fall 2015 Cinémoi began broadcasting three dramatic series: Falcon, based on the bestselling novels of crime writer Robert Wilson; Lucan, the true story of an aristocrat living a dark life beneath a polished public image; and Underbelly: Razor, set in the crime culture of Sydney, Australia during the roaring '20s and '30s.

Production
On July 27, 2014, Cinémoi produced its 1st International Fashion Film Awards show (IFFAs) at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Hosted by Jonathan Ross and actress/singer Jordin Sparks, the ceremony honored the best fashion film shorts from around the world and the talent who created and starred in them. Joan and Melissa Rivers were among the icons recognized that year, for the way their E! show, Live From The Red Carpet, changed the way in which fashion is seen and packaged on television. The IFFAs also featured several live performances, including Cirque du Soleil's avant-garde Couture Runway Presentation filled with fashion from their shows in Las Vegas, and the World Premiere of the single "Miss Incredible" by singer/songwriter Mark Ballas, of Dancing with the Stars. Presenters included Lance Bass, Tyson Beckford, and Kristin Cavallari. And the show was a 'Finalist Award Winner' in the 2015 New York Festival's World's Best TV & Films Competition.

The 2nd IFFAs took place on October 25, 2015, also at the Saban, and were hosted by ABC's Dancing With the Stars champion Cheryl Burke and former star of E!'s Fashion Police, George Kotsiopoulous. The Supremes were presented the Timeless Icon Award, and founding member Mary Wilson accepted on behalf of the group before singing "I am Changing" and "You Can't Hurry Love." Additionally, there was a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the pop culture film, Clueless, a "Next Generation" Icon award given to X Factor contestant singer-songwriter Eden xo, and the 'Stylist of the Year' honor went to Johnny Wujek, the stylist behind Katy Perry, and a past judge on America's Next Top Model.

See also
 List of French-language television channels

References

External links

Defunct television channels in the United Kingdom
Foreign-language television stations in the United States
Television channels and stations established in 2009

Cinémoi


St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral is the Cathedral in Brussels. It is named in honour of St. Michael and St. Gudula. In Dutch it is called Sint-Michiels- en Sint-Goedelekathedraal, usually shortened to "Sint-Goedele". In French it is called Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule. It is the main church of the bishop of Brussels and Mechelen.

There already was a shrine (or chapel) to Saint Michael there in the 8th century. The Cathedral was begun in 1226. Building finished when the belltower (or belfry) was done, at the end of the 15th century. The cathedral is built in Gothic style. As it is the main Church of the Kingom of Belgium, there are often royal ceremonies, such as marriages and funerals, there.

Roman Catholic cathedrals
Buildings and structures in Brussels

St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral


Henry II of France (March 31, 1519 – July 10, 1559) was a King of France and a member of the House of Valois. Henry was crowned King in Rheims, France, on July 25, 1547.

Birth
Henry was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, on March 31, 1519. His parents were Francis I of France and Claude of France.

Marriage
Henry was married to Catherine of Medici on October 28, 1533 when he was only 14 years old. Their children were:
 Francis II of France
 Elizabeth of Valois
 Charles IX of France
 Henry III of France
 Margaret of Valois

Henry did not love Catherine of Medici. He spent most of his time with his mistress, who was called Diane de Poitiers.

Death
Henry died on July 10, 1559 after a jousting accident. He is buried in the Saint Denis Basilica. The next King was Francis II of France.

1519 births
1559 deaths

Kings and Queens of France
House of Valois
16th-century French people
People from Yvelines

Henry II of France


Delta is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. The capital is Asaba. Warri is a commercial capital city of Delta State.

The current executive governor is Sheriff Oborevwori.

Notable people
 Cornelius Adam Igbudu, founder of Anglican Adam Preaching Society

 Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, former CAN President

 Sunny Ofehe, environmental rights activist

 Anderson Esiti, Nigerian footballer

Peter Palmer Ekeh, Nigerian sociologist and university teacher

Delta State

Delta State


Vincent Pepi (June 25, 1926 – March 12, 2020) was an abstract expressionist painter associated with the New York School. His contribution to American art includes some of the foremost examples of action painting, produced consistently over the course of the second half of the 20th century. His art parallels the works of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Conrad Marca-Relli and others. He adapted the automatic techniques of the Surrealists and transformed it into his own kind of gesture painting.

Biography
Vincent Pepi studied at Cooper Union and Pratt Institute. He traveled to Africa and Mexico. In 1949 he went to Rome, Italy. This was the same time that the Abstract Expressionist movement began in New York City. Three years later, in 1951, Pepi joined with many of the innovators of Action Painting in New York City. Upon his return to the United States, Pepi studied briefly with Hans Hofmann. Along with other first generation abstract expressionists, he showed his work at the Stable Gallery in 1953 and at the March Gallery on Tenth Street, from 1955 until its closing in 1960.

Pepi attended the "Artists' Club"
from time to time, but preferred his own studio and a more solitary existence. A graphics business which he created permitted him to live and paint while freeing him from the necessity of regularly exhibiting his work. His choice to live in Italy from 1949–51, during a crucial time in the formation of the New York School, as well as his preference for painting in a consistently smaller format, may have obscured the recognition and fame that otherwise might have been his.

The artist's acknowledged sources range from old masters to the Futurists (especially Boccioni and Balla): from Klee and Kandinsky to Matta, Gorky and Pepi's contemporaries. His academically trained teacher in Italy, Beppe Guzzi, helped him to incorporate rigorous discipline into his painting, as well as introducing him to a number of important Italian painters and sculptors. Like Pollock and other Abstract Expressionists he admires, Pepi has always loved music, particularly jazz, going as far as learning to play the tenor saxophone. Color and music appear parallel to him: the artist/ musician improvises with both. And so it follows that Pepi's own automatic painting and line poems" are reminiscent of works by Paul Klee, with the latter's powerful equations of color, line and music.

Pepi defines himself as an academic artist, but one who felt he had to take that "main highway between Cézanne and Kandinsky". His paintings do indeed, reveal a Cézanne-like underpinning of abstract structure, while adopting the free improvisatory phase of Kandinsky at the same time. It is the revelation of the unconscious that Pepi seeks in his work. He wants his work to be spontaneous and uncontrived.

This biography was realized from the writings of Greta Berman, Author, Art Historian, Juilliard School of Music, New York.

References

External links

Books
Marika Herskovic, New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists, (New York School Press, 2000.) . p. 33; p. 38

Abstract expressionist artists
20th-century American painters
American male painters
21st-century American painters
21st-century American male artists
Modern painters
Painters from New York City
1926 births
2020 deaths
20th-century American male artists

Vincent Pepi


The Greatest Generation is an American term for a generation of people. They were born from about 1901 to 1927. They are also called the G.I. Generation and the World War II generation. Members of this generation were born after the Lost Generation and before the Silent Generation. They were affected by the Great Depression. Most of the enlisted military members in World War II were part of the Greatest Generation.

Date and age ranges
Pew Research Center defines this generation as people who were born from 1901 to 1927. Strauss and Howe use the birth years 1901 to 1924. The first half of the generation, born between 1901 and 1913, are sometimes called the Interbellum Generation.

United States

Youth

In the United States, members of this generation were born and became adults during the Progressive Era, World War I, and the Roaring Twenties. This was a time of economic prosperity with distinctive cultural changes. People who lived between 1918 and 1920 also experienced the deadly Spanish Flu pandemic. During their youth, they saw the invention of many new technologies. These included radio, telephone, and automobiles. Income inequality was growing around the world. The economy was also growing quickly. After the stock market crashed in 1929, this generation had deep economic and social problems.

Despite the hard times, literature, arts, music and movies of the time period flourished. This generation had the "Golden Age of Hollywood." It began in the 1930s. Many popular types of movies, including gangster movies, musical movies, comedy movies and monster movies, attracted large audiences. The Great Depression also affected literature. During the Depression, the first modern comic books were published. Comic books were popular with members of this generation with characters such as Doc Savage, The Shadow, Superman and Batman. The Greatest Generation often listened to jazz, blues, gospel and folk music. Swing jazz became very popular with them. This has caused them to be described as the "Swing Generation". The popularity of the radio also had a large effect in their lives. Millions of people listened to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats" (or radio programs). They absorbed news in a way like never before.

World War II

Over 16 million Americans served in World War II. Most of them were members of this generation. 38.8% were volunteers, and 61.2% were drafted into the military. The average length of their service was 33 months. 671,278 Americans were killed and wounded during the war.

After the war

After the war, this generation produced many more children than earlier generations. Over 76 million babies were born between 1946 and 1964. The G.I. Bill helped the many veterans in this generation. The government paid for their education in colleges, universities, and trade schools. It gave them loans for many purposes, and helped them buy houses. Because they were richer, many people in this generation moved their families into the suburbs. They largely promoted more conservative ideas as the country faced the threat of the Cold War and a Second Red Scare. Some were again called to serve in the Korean War together with the Silent Generation. The first member of their generation to be elected president, John F. Kennedy, began a Space Race against the Soviet Union. His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, promoted a controversial "Great Society" policy. Research professor of sociology Glen Holl Elder, Jr., an important figure in the development of life course theory, wrote Children of the Great Depression (1974), "the first longitudinal study of a Great Depression cohort." Elder followed 167 people born in California between 1920 and 1921 and "traced the impact of Depression and wartime experiences from the early years to middle age. Most of these 'children of the Great Depression' fared unusually well in their adult years". They came out of the hard times of the Great Depression "with an ability to know how to survive and make do and solve problems."

Relationship to later generations
This generation faced chaos in the form of the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, Watergate scandal, and the counterculture of the 1960s. Attitudes shaped during World War II clashed with those of the Vietnam era. Many struggled to understand the general distrust of the government by the younger generations, while some supported anti-war protests.

Later years and legacy

According to a 2004 study done by AARP, "There are 26 million people aged 77 or older in the United States. These people are largely conservative on economic (59%) and social (49%) issues, and about one-third of
them say they have become more conservative on economic, social, foreign policy, moral, and legal issues as they have aged. Over 9 in 10 (91%) of this age group are registered to vote and 90% voted in the 2000 presidential election. The last member of this generation to be elected president was George H. W. Bush (1989–1993), and as of 2023 the last surviving president from this generation is Jimmy Carter (1977–1981). In its later years, this generation was introduced to continued technological advancements such as mobile phones and the Internet.

As of 2019, approximately 389,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II remain alive. Living members of this generation are either in their 90s or are centenarians (over 100 years old).

The lives of this generation are a common element of popular culture in the Western world. Media related to this generation's experiences continues to be produced. Some people have criticized the romanticizing of this generation. However, some also praise the traits and actions of this generation, and say that their sacrifices should be a lesson for current generations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, living members of this generation have been impacted by the pandemic, such as Lee Wooten, who was treated in the hospital for coronavirus and recovered just before his 104th birthday in 2020.

Britain
In Britain, this generation became adults, like most of the western world, during a period of economic difficulty as a result of the Great Depression. When the war in Europe started, millions of British citizens joined the war effort at home and abroad. 2.9 million members of this generation served in the war, and 384,000 were killed or wounded. At home, The Blitz killed thousands of people and destroyed entire British cities. The men and women of this generation continue to be honored in the U.K., particularly on V-E Day. In 2020, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson compared this generation to current generations, and indicated his desire for current generations to show the "same spirit of national endeavour", in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Queen Elizabeth II, a member of this generation who lived through World War II, said many of the same things.

Germany
Members of the World War II generation in Germany became adults after World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919. They faced economic difficulties related to the Great Depression and Treaty of Versailles, as unemployment rose to nearly 40%. Adolf Hitler then rose to power, and many of this generation joined groups such as the Hitler Youth. In 1935, Hitler started military conscription. During the war, nearly 12.5 million members of this generation served in the war and 4.3 million were killed or wounded. By the end of the war, 5 million Germans were dead, including civilians. German cities and towns were ruined or destroyed by Allied bombing attacks. 12 million Germans were refugees and many were forced to live in the Soviet Union. In addition, the Holocaust killed millions of German Jews and others. After the war, the Allies began the denazification and demilitarization of Germany. Returning German veterans found their country divided into four zones of occupation; later becoming West Germany and East Germany. In the west, the Marshall Plan resulted in the "Wirtschaftswunder", an economic boom that caused 185% growth between 1950 and 1963. Surviving members of the German World War II generation would go on to experience the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the creation of the European Union. Unlike the Western allies and the Soviet Union, Germany did not honor its veterans, as the association with Nazism continues in Germany today.

Soviet Union
Members of this generation became adults during Stalin's rise to power. They lived through the Holodomor famine, which killed millions. The World War II generation of the Soviet Union was further decimated by the war. Stalin's scorched earth policy left its western regions to be destroyed by the advancing German army. The USSR lost 14% of its pre-war population during WWII. This decrease in population had huge long-term consequences. Huge numbers of people were used as forced labor. Between 10 and 11 million Soviet men returned to help rebuild, along with 2 million Soviet dissidents held prisoner in Stalin's Gulags. Then came the Cold War and the Space race. Even in the mid-1980s, around 70% of Soviet industrial output was directed towards the military. This was one of the factors in its eventual economic collapse. Members of this generation are known as "Great Patriotic War" veterans. Today, former Soviet countries celebrate an annual Victory Day in honor of these veterans.

Japan
The World War II generation of Japan became adults during a time of growing imperialism. One member of this generation, Hirohito, became Emperor in 1926, when Japan was already one of the great powers. Nearly 18 million members of this generation fought in World War II. Approximately 3 million, including civilians, were killed or wounded. Japanese cities, towns, and villages were ruined or destroyed by Allied bombing campaigns. In an effort to prepare for the assumed Allied invasion, the Japanese government planned to use this generation for "Operation Ketsugo", in which the Japanese population would fight a war of attrition. This generation is one of the only generations thus far that have been killed by an atomic bomb; as hundreds of thousands lost their lives when the United States dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Returning veterans found their country occupied and received little support or respect. Surviving members of this generation saw Japan become the world's second-largest economy by 1989. Surviving veterans visit the Yasukuni Shrine to show respect for their fallen comrades.

Even after defeat Japan's economy became more successful than ever before, through businesses, such as Sony Corporation, and cultural influence, as in movies by Akira Kurosawa.

References

Cultural anthropology
Demography

Greatest Generation


, also known as , is a fictional character and the protagonist of the One Piece manga series, created by Eiichiro Oda. Luffy made his debut as a young boy who acquires the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the Devil Fruits that belonged to "Red Hair" Shanks.

Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and dreamt of being a pirate since childhood from the influence of his idol and mentor Red-Haired Shanks. At the age of 17, Luffy sets sail from the East Blue Sea to the Grand Line in search of the legendary treasure, One Piece, to succeed Gol D. Roger as "King of the Pirates".

He fights multiple antagonists, and aids and befriends the inhabitants of several islands on his journey. Usually cheerful, he becomes serious and even aggressive when he fights. Luffy uses his rubber body to concentrate his power, executing a range of attacks. In his signature attack, the Gum-Gum Pistol, he slingshots punches at opponents from a distance. Luffy also grows stronger over the course of the story by transforming his body through different "Gears;" this is reflected in his bounty, which is used to measure the threat he poses to the World Government. He is the grandson of Monkey D. Garp, who is a vice-admiral of the Navy; the son of Monkey D. Dragon, who is the leader of the Revolutionary Army; and sworn brother of Portgas D. Ace and Sabo.

Luffy appears in most of the episodes, films, television specials, and OVAs of the manga's anime adaptations and several of the franchise's video games. He is the only character in One Piece who appears in every story arc of the series. Due to the series' international popularity, Luffy is one of the world's most recognizable manga and anime characters. In addition to the One Piece franchise, the character appears in a number of manga and anime series and collaborative video games. His critical reception is largely positive.

Creation and conception

Development
When Eiichiro Oda created Luffy, he strove for a "manliness" similar to that of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series. Oda said that he named his main character "Luffy" because he felt that the name suited him. When he later learned about the sailing term, "luffing", he was delighted by the coincidence. In his prototype one-shot, "Romance Dawn", Oda refined the artistic style and story elements before publishing the final product a year later as the first chapter of One Piece. In the second version of "Romance Dawn", Luffy resembled his design at the beginning of the series. After the one-shot of One Piece was made, Oda contacted his former mentor, Nobuhiro Watsuki, whom he assisted in making the manga Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki was pleased with Luffy's characterization and advised Oda to briefly change him for the main series to make it look like Luffy is always acting on his own free will. To please his readers, Oda added rubberization to Luffy for comic effect and tries to make the character straightforward. In retrospect, Watsuki felt characters like Luffy reflect a trend of heroes who do not kill their enemies similar to his character Himura Kenshin.

Portrayals
In the original Japanese version of the One Piece  anime series and later spin-offs of the franchise, Luffy is voiced by Mayumi Tanaka. Tanaka said jokingly that she regrets providing Luffy's voice because she is a mother in real life and Luffy is much younger. Asked about her voicing, Tanaka said that she "strives for reality" in scenes where Luffy speaks when he is eating or touching his nose. In the OVA Defeat the Pirate Ganzack!, Luffy was voiced by Urara Takano.

The character was voiced by Erica Schroeder in 4kids Entertainment's English-language dubs of the franchise between 2004–2007. Following Funimation/Crunchyroll's acquisition of the franchise license in 2007, Colleen Clinkenbeard became the voice of Luffy in all English-language releases.

In the live action adaptation of One Piece, Luffy is portrayed by Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy.

Description
Luffy is usually recognizable by his straw hat, a gift from "Red-Haired" Shanks. In his early childhood, he wears a white shirt and blue shorts. The character has a scar under his left eye from stabbing himself to demonstrate his courage to Shanks and his crew. He later wears a red vest, denim shorts, and sandals, before replacing his vest with a red, unbuttoned sea captain's coat (revealing the X-shaped scar on his chest he received from Akainu), and a yellow sash tied around his waist. In an interview, Eiichiro Oda said Luffy's real-world nationality analogue is Brazilian.

Personality
Luffy is portrayed as a carefree, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky character with great ambition and a huge appetite, often thinking with his stomach and comically gorging himself. Optimistic and generally good-hearted, he is not as dimwitted as many believe him to be, and he often demonstrates more understanding than the other characters expect. Knowing the danger ahead, Luffy is willing to risk his life to become King of the Pirates and protect his crew. A capable and reliable captain, he never puts his crew or himself at risk out of incompetence. During the Loguetown story arc, Smoker (a navy captain at the time) says that Luffy "enjoys playing stupid"; Luffy responds with a mysterious smile.

He enlists Chopper and Brook for his crew not just for their personality or appearance, but also because of his instinctive ability to read people. Luffy needs key jobs filled by his crew (cook, navigator, medic, musician, and shipwright, filled by Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Brook, and Franky, respectively). At the beginning of the series, he said that he wanted at least ten crew members with abilities he felt necessary for his goal. Despite his carefree personality, each crew member respects him in their own way. Luffy is rarely concerned about the consequences of his actions, doing what he feels is right at the moment, even if it leads to retaliation by a powerful force. He is an extremely loyal captain, who has demonstrated throughout the series that he is willing to risk his life for the well-being of his crew.

Abilities

Devil Fruit
Luffy's rubber attributes are a result of him eating a devil fruit called the Gum-Gum Fruit. Granting him a rubber-like body, his powers make him immune to electric attacks and most blunt forces, but he is susceptible to attacks made with a sharp object or weapon (eg. sword, spear). His rubber devil fruit powers grant him the ability to stretch his body at will. He uses his elasticity to accelerate part or all of his body to deliver punches, kicks, head butts, and many other varied attacks as seen throughout the series. Although like others who have eaten a Devil Fruit, Luffy cannot swim; when he is submerged in water or contacts the Sea-Prism Stone, he loses his strength and cannot move on his own. In addition to his Devil Fruit powers, he has immense strength, durability, speed, reflexes, agility, endurance, and stamina.

Luffy's signature attack is the , a punch which he learned during years of training. Another technique developed later in the series is , which increases his strength and speed for a short time but strains his body and can shorten his lifespan if used too long. Observing CP9's  technique, Luffy adapts the move to his rubber body and matches the assassins' speed. , another technique, uses air in his bones to attack but makes him shrink afterward. Luffy can use both techniques simultaneously; after the two year time skip, he gains better control of these techniques and is no longer affected by their drawbacks.

Luffy develops another technique,  (similar to Gear 3), inflating his muscles with air to increase the size of his body (except for his legs) while his limbs are coated in Armament Haki. In contrast to Gears 2 and 3, Luffy uses compression rather than extension for his attacks, compressing and releasing his limbs to dish out devastating blows. The force of his kicks are to an extent that he uses them to fly in a similar fashion to CP9's  technique.

Later, it is revealed that the Gum-Gum Fruit's real name is the "Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika", a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit whose "awakening" grants Luffy's rubber-like body increased strength and freedom, including turning the environment and other living beings into rubber, which is limited only by the user's imagination. It is for this reason that the user is said to become the "embodiment of freedom", able to bring joy to the people around them and making it "the most ridiculous power in the world". In , Luffy's hair and clothes also turn white. The World Government renamed it to erase the fruit's original name from history and reclassified it as a Paramecia in order to conceal its true nature. The fruit was originally a treasure sought by the World Government for over 800 years until it was stolen by Red-haired Shanks. According to the Five Elders, the fruit had not been awakened for centuries prior to Luffy's having done so.

Haki
Luffy has the ability to use . This ability has three types: , an armor-like force, which can amplify defense and the force of attacks and negate a Devil Fruit user's defense, allow physical contact and damage; , a sixth sense, which can read a person's moves and detect their presence; and , which can render weak-willed people or animals near him unconscious. Luffy learns all those types of Haki and uses them with his improved attacks. As a result of his encounter with Magellan, he has also developed an immunity to poison (although it is shown that a strong poison may affect him, albeit very slowly). During his fight against Charlotte Katakuri, Luffy gains an advanced form of Observation Haki (Called Future Sight) to see several seconds into the future. During his time at Udon prison in Wano, Luffy gains two new advanced forms of Armament Haki. The first one is called Emission to shoot a short blast of Haki from a distance while the second one is called Internal Destruction which can also go inside his target's body or objects and destroy it from within. During his fight with Kaidou at the top of Onigashima, Luffy unlocks an advanced form of Conqueror's Haki. It is the ability to coat his entire body with it, similar to Armament Haki, which could further enhance his attacks.

Bounty
Throughout One Piece, the bounty placed on Luffy continually increases as he faces off against increasingly powerful pirates, representing his notoriety in the One Piece world. After defeating Buggy, Don Krieg, and Arlong of East Blue, early on in the series, Luffy's initial bounty is set to 30,000,000 Berries. By the major timeskip in One Piece, this number had increased to 400,000,000 Berries after defeating some of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, rampaging at Enies Lobby, and retaking Nico Robin. In current arcs, Luffy's total bounty has increased to 3 billion Berries after becoming one of the "Four Emperors in the New World."

Appearances

One Piece

Luffy first appears as a young boy in Windmill Village located in the Goa kingdom, who befriends the pirate "Red-Haired" Shanks and intends to become one himself. He accidentally eats the Human Human fruit, model: "Nika" fruit and acquires rubber powers at the cost of being unable to swim. Luffy is later saved at sea by Shanks from being devoured by a Sea King, a large sea beast, but costs Shanks his left arm due to it being eaten by the beast in the encounter. Ten years later, Luffy leaves the village in a small fishing boat in search of the legendary treasure 'One Piece' and to become King of the Pirates, while doing so he encounters the same Sea King that almost ate him 10 years ago, Luffy knocks it out in a single punch to avenge Shanks. He meets swordsman Roronoa Zoro, ocean navigator and thief Nami, cowardly marksman and liar Usopp, and chivalrous chef Sanji and invites them to join his crew. Luffy also encounters and defeats the East Blue pirate Buggy the Clown and the Fishman Arlong, becoming known to the general populace and the pirate-hating Marines, such as Captain Smoker.

The crew leaves the peaceful East Blue and enters the dangerous Grand Line on their ship, the Going Merry. He later accepts an offer to return Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta to her homeland to stop a rebellion incited by Seven Warlords of the Sea member and Baroque Works crime syndicate leader Sir Crocodile. On the way, Nami nearly dies of an illness and the crew goes to find a doctor on the winter Drum Island, which was recently devastated by the Blackbeard Pirates. After Nami is healed, the reindeer doctor Tony Tony Chopper joins the Straw Hat crew. Upon arriving in Alabasta, Luffy briefly reunites with his brother Portgas D. Ace, a commander in the Whitebeard Pirates, who is hunting his former subordinate Blackbeard. After defeating Crocodile, the World Government hides the fact that pirates saved the kingdom. Luffy accepts Crocodile's mysterious subordinate Nico Robin as the archeologist of his crew.

Robin's knowledge comes in handy as the crew ventures toward an island in the sky. Though the existence of Sky Islands is widely ridiculed, Luffy meets the pirate Blackbeard — but does not find out his name. Blackbeard encourages Luffy that Sky Islands do exist, and dreams of pirates never die. While visiting Skypiea, the crew is drawn into a four-hundred-year war over land. Luffy ends the war by defeating the god Eneru.

Upon landing back in the Blue Seas, the Going Merry is heavily damaged and Luffy seeks a shipwright to repair it. He meets Admiral Aokiji, who easily defeats him. Luffy learns about Robin's background and faces enemies connected to her on Water 7, the island with the best shipwrights in the world. Luffy's crew aligns with the cyborg shipwright Franky, initially an enemy, against the World Government intelligence agency Cipher Pol No. 9. Luffy and his crew save Robin and Franky from the government at Enies Lobby. After their fight with CP9, Luffy encounters his grandfather, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp. Garp tells him Shanks and Whitebeard are two of the Four Emperors, the most powerful pirates in the second half of the Grand Line. Luffy is surprised to learn from Garp that the leader of the Revolutionary Army which seeks to topple the World Government is Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy's father.

On the way to Fishman Island in their new ship, the Thousand Sunny, which Franky built, Luffy encounters the skeletal musician Brook. Brook accepts Luffy's offer to join the crew before declining since his shadow has been stolen. To return Brook's shadow, they defeat Warlord Gecko Moria, and Brook becomes Luffy's long-sought musician of the crew.

To enter Fishman Island, the crew takes a detour to the Sabaody Archipelago. Roger Pirates' First Mate, Silvers Rayleigh, is enlisted to coat the Thousand Sunny to enter the ocean depths under the Red Line, which marks the beginning of the second half of the Grand Line, known as the New World. By this time, Luffy has gained worldwide fame as a notorious rookie with bounties of over 100 million Berries; these rookies are known as Supernovas and include Zoro, Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kidd, and Capone "Gang" Bege. Yet Luffy, Zoro, and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates are easily defeated by Admiral Kizaru after Luffy punches a World Noble, and Warlord Bartholomew Kuma sends the Straw Hat crew to separate parts of the world.

Stranded on Amazon Lily, an island ruled by the warlord Boa Hancock, Luffy impresses Hancock with his bravery and selflessness. Hancock falls in love with Luffy and brings him to the underground Impel Down prison to save his brother Ace, from execution after Ace was defeated by Blackbeard. Luffy breaks into the prison and meets previous foes and new allies, such as former Warlords Crocodile and Arlong's old captain Jimbei. Along with Buggy and members of the Revolutionary Army, Luffy frees the prisoners, but Ace is transferred to Marineford for his execution. Luffy and Buggy lead the prisoners into the war in Marineford between the navy and Whitebeard's forces. Ace gives his life to save Luffy from Admiral Akainu. A broken Luffy is evacuated with Jimbei from Marineford by Trafalgar Law.

Returning to Amazon Lily, Luffy remembers first meeting Ace; after Shanks left Windmill Village, Luffy's grandfather Garp left him in the care of his friend, the bandit Curly Dadan. Luffy befriends Ace and Sabo, who are like brothers to him, but Sabo is seemingly killed by a World Noble. After returning to Marineford to send a hidden message to his crew, Luffy trains with Rayleigh on Ruskaina Island to become stronger.

Two years later, the Straw Hats reunite and finally make it to Fishman Island. Luffy and the others meet Jimbei and the island's princess, Shirahoshi, and are drawn into a battle for the island against the Fishman supremacist Hody Jones. He, the crew, and Jimbei conceive a plan to defeat Hody and his henchmen in a way that will alleviate racial tensions between humans and fish-men. After Hody's defeat, Jimbei promises to join the crew at a later date and Fishman Island seeks to join the Reverie summit of human kings, held every four years. Luffy learns Akainu was promoted to Fleet Admiral and Blackbeard replaced Whitebeard as one of the Four Emperors. Luffy begins a feud with Emperor Big Mom over control of Fishman Island. The crew leaves the ocean depths and enters the secret New World island, Punk Hazard.

Upon arriving at Punk Hazard, half of the crew is captured by Caesar Clown, a jealous rival of the scientist Vegapunk and a subordinate of the Warlord and underworld broker Donquixote Doflamingo. Luffy and his crew ally with Trafalgar Law, now a Warlord, who plans to kidnap Caesar as part of a plan to take down Emperor Kaido. Samurai from the Wano Country, Kinemon, and Momonosuke join the alliance to venture to Dressrosa, the kingdom ruled by Doflamingo.

With Caesar hostage, the alliance lands on Dressrosa, where Luffy enters a tournament to win Ace's Devil Fruit. Here he finds out that Sabo is still alive and is part of the Revolutionary Army. Sabo wins the tournament, and with Luffy's blessing, Sabo consumes Ace's Devil Fruit. Due to the machinations of Doflamingo, some of the crew is forced to leave for the island of Zou. Luffy and the rest of the crew are forced to fight for their lives when they stumble on the truth of Doflamingo's operations, who attempts to kill everyone in Dressrosa to keep the truth of his rule hidden. With the aid of his fellow competitors in the tournament, Luffy defeats Doflamingo. In the aftermath, seven pirate crews pledge their loyalty to Luffy, despite his protests, marking the formation of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

Afterward, the remaining crew and their friends are transported by their new subordinates to Zou and learn it was devastated by the forces of Emperor Kaido. Luffy also learns that Sanji, who was part of the group that heads to Zou first, had been blackmailed by his family to agree to an arranged marriage to the daughter of Emperor Big Mom. The crew learns from the Mink Tribe about the Road Poneglyphs and their connection to the final island Laugh Tale, where the One Piece is. An alliance between the Samurai, Mink, Straw Hats and Law is made to defeat Kaido, who is revealed to rule over Wano via a puppet Shogun.

Being forewarned going to Wano, Luffy, and half the crew, along with the Mink warriors Pedro and Carrot, infiltrate Big Mom's territory Tottoland both to retrieve Sanji and copy the writing on the Road Poneglyph that Big Mom has in her possession. Luffy and Sanji learn the wedding is a set-up to murder Sanji's family for their advanced technology, while Brook steals a printing of the Road Poneglyph. Big Mom's subordinates Jimbei and Bege betray her and Luffy and Sanji enact a failed assassination attempt on Big Mom at the wedding, in front of the press. Jimbei joins the crew but is temporarily left behind as the rest of the crew barely escapes from Big Mom's territory. Luffy defeats two of Big Mom's three generals and his bounty skyrockets.

After the fight with Big Mom, Luffy becomes a hot topic at the Reverie, a global summit of rulers of fifty nations in Mary Geoise, the capital of the World Government above the Red Line. Most view him as a dangerous madman, but the kings of Sakura, Alabasta, Fishman Island, Dressrosa, and Prodence, secretly favor Luffy since he saved them from tyranny. Meanwhile, Luffy and the others are separated entering the Wano Country. Luffy reunites with Zoro before meeting with the rest of the crew and alliance. Luffy challenges Emperor Kaido but is defeated and thrown in prison alongside fellow Supernova Eustass Kidd. There, he meets Hyogoro of the flower and trains under him, learning a new form of armament Haki that will enable him to damage Kaido. They later escape the prison and plan to attack the Island of 'Onigashima' which Kaido and his crew currently occupy. Luffy along with his crew allied with Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid and the 9 retainers of Kozuki Oden, charge for the Island to beat Kaido and free the country of Wano. During the battle, he faces Kaido, and after several rounds in which Luffy ends up at his limits, he ends up awakening the power of his Devil Fruit, thanks to which he can defeat the Emperor of the Sea. Because of this, a week later of the events Luffy happens to be considered one of the Four Emperors.

In other media
Luffy has appeared in every One Piece video game to date, including Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars, and is featured in the 2006 Dragon Ball Z-One Piece-Naruto crossover game Battle Stadium D.O.N. Luffy, Son Goku and Naruto Uzumaki were avatars in the MMORPG Second Life for a Jump Festa promotion, "Jumpland@Second Life". Luffy has also been mentioned in songs. He sings about being a wanted pirate in "Wanted!" and about One Piece in "Every-One Piece!" Luffy is a major playable character in the crossover game J-Stars Victory VS. Luffy and several other characters joined the cast of Dragon Ball in a spinoff entitled Cross Epoch. On April 3, 2011, Luffy and the other One Piece protagonists appeared in the first episode of the Toriko anime series and the crossover manga chapter. Luffy made a cameo appearance in a Weekly Shonen Jump episode of To Love-Ru, and the Gum-Gum was mentioned in the 50th episode of the Gin Tama anime series.

Reception

Critical reception
According to Funimation Entertainment's Mike McFarland and Christopher Sabat, Luffy was more likable than Dragon Ball Son Goku. Joe McCulloch preferred Luffy to Naruto Uzumaki from Naruto because Luffy "work[ed] his ass off" to achieve his goals after accidentally acquiring his powers. Luffy has been praised in a number of publications. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews called Luffy "likabl[y] goofy" and an idealist with infectious optimism. In a review of One Piece The Movie: Dead End no Bōken, the fourth One Piece film, The Star Online described him as "an airhead and brilliant fighter". Rika Takahashi of EX wrote that Luffy's stretching powers set One Piece apart from "the old stereotypical adventure manga" and the many other "combat-oriented ", making the series "something new and interesting". Anime News Network (ANN) writer Zac Bertschy found Luffy reminiscent of Rurouni Kenshin character Himura Kenshin in personality and attitude, but still thought him entertaining. Mania Entertainment's Bryce Coulter called Luffy a "great shonen hero". ANN's Carl Kimlinger wrote, "Colleen Clinkenbeard's Luffy continues to grow on you".

Popularity
Luffy ranked first in all of One Piece Characters Official Popularity Poll. The only main protagonists that achieved ranked first in all of their correspondent popularity polls are Luffy and Gintoki Sakata. On The 1st Global One Piece Characters Popularity Poll, the latest official popularity poll of One Piece in which more than 12 million voted from all over the world, Luffy topped the list having total votes of 1,637,921.

NTT customers chose Luffy as their second-favorite black-haired male anime character. The Gum-Gum Gatling technique topped the male category in a Japanese survey of the most popular moves in manga and anime.  Luffy was even nominated in the Best Male Character category for the 2008 Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation Awards. He ranked 22nd on Chris Mackenzie's IGN list of top-25 anime characters of all time. In a Japanese TV special from August 2017, Luffy was voted as the 8th "strongest hero" from the Showa Era as well as the 4th one from the Heisei Era.

Luffy had appeared in magazines, Japanese television shows, manga etc. Luffy was the first manga character that had been on the cover in the Men's Non-No fashion magazine's 24-year history and his clothes were designed by Shinichi "Miter" Mita. He also appeared in the cover of a famous fashion magazine, ELLE MEN together with Roronoa Zoro after the collaboration between One Piece and Gucci. He had appeared in CGI in the semi-annual live-action television series Yo nimo Kimyō na Monogatari (Tales of the Unusual) for the celebration of the series's 25th anniversary. He appeared together with the Japanese actor and model Hiroshi Abe. Costumed character version of Luffy together with Goku appeared at the 39th International Emmy Awards Gala in New York and they stood on stage for presentation of the Children & Young People Award, won by the Chilean Children's program ¿Con Qué Sueñas? (What is your Dream?). In the final chapter of Naruto, Boruto Uzumaki makes a drawing of Luffy as a legacy of him and the series. In a Weekly Shonen Jump manga, Tsugihagi Hyouryuu Sakka (a character resembling Luffy) says, "Instead of saying what you hate, say what you like!". In the One Piece manga, Luffy cited but changed it to "Instead of saying what you like, say what you hate!" The meme was acknowledged in the crossover fighting game, J-Stars Victory VS. Toei Animation sponsored the Italian Pallavolo Modena volleyball team in 2008; Pietro Rinaldi and Edoardo Ciabattini's black uniforms were decorated with an image of Luffy on the front.

Takashi Kawamura, mayor of Nagoya City in Japan, had cosplayed Luffy in the 10th World Cosplay Summit in which 40 cosplayers from 20 countries and regions all over the world were competing. Also, the famous Japanese actress and model Kanna Hashimoto had cosplayed Luffy in the celebration of One Piece's manga 18th anniversary. She dressed up as Luffy (albeit in a feminine reinterpretation) for Weekly Shonen Jump's combined 37-38 issue.

Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece posed Luffy's Gear 2 during his entrance before the Long Jump finals on Tokyo Olympics 2020 and won Gold Medal. Another Olympic gold medalist Massimo Stano pulled out Luffy's Gear 3 pose just as he was crossing the finish line. As well as Major League Soccer player Nicolas Benezet imitated Luffy's Gear 2 pose after scoring a goal on Sunday night in his first match with Seattle Sounders FC. China's most popular actor Xiao Zhan stated on his interview that he wanted to be like Luffy. He admired Luffy because, "he had been working hard to realize his ideals and despite always facing difficulties he never give up". Gear 5 was acclaimed by Polygon as one of anime's most iconic power ups ever due to the handling of Luffy's movements as he starts acting like Looney Tunes cartoon and becomes unique in battle.

Notes

References

External links

 Monkey D. Luffy's bio at One Pieces official website

Adoptee characters in anime and manga
Fictional orphans
Anime and manga characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Anime and manga characters with accelerated healing
Anime and manga characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
Anime and manga characters with superhuman senses
Anime and manga characters with superhuman strength
Martial artist characters in anime and manga
Comics characters introduced in 1997
Fictional characters who can stretch themselves
Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities
Fictional characters with disfigurements
Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder
Fictional sea pirate captains
Fictional treasure hunters
Fictional prison escapees
Male characters in anime and manga
One Piece characters
Shapeshifter characters in comics
Teenage characters in anime and manga
Vigilante characters in comics

Monkey D. Luffy