Can 拾う be used figuratively to mean "utilize"?


The sentence is:

> ──フューリィはいかがでしょうか。  
>  
>  光永：担当編集さんと「奴隷エルフとダークエルフ、どっちにしようか」って会議をしました。  
>  
>  ──奴隷エルフの方がボツになったんですね。  
>  
>
> 光永：「高貴な身分なんだけど、奴隷にまで身を落としてしまったがゆえにプライドが異常に高い子」……今のフューリィもそれを多少引き継いでいるわけですが、単純に見た目で「ダークエルフいいよね」って決まりました。担当さんがすごい「ダークエルフ、ダークエルフ！」って推してくるんですよ。  
>  
>  担当編集：僕は『ロードス島戦記』に出てきたピロテースがトラウマになったくらい好みなんです（笑）。  
>  ニーニャがスレンダー体型なんで、ムチムチ系がいいだろうってことで、巨乳ならダークエルフだろうという偏見が……それと『BASTARD!!
> -暗黒の破壊神-』に出てくるアーシェス・ネイも良いですよね！  
>  
>  光永：その二人は、日本人の中にあるダークエルフを形作るイメージの象徴じゃないですかね。「女戦士」って言われたら、真っ先に『ドラゴンクエスト
> III』のヘルメットをかぶった鳥山明先生のイラストが思い浮かぶのと同じで。  
>  ある世代以降から、共通のイメージ像になっているんだと思います。  
>  
>  ──大ヒットしたゲームや映画などを、みんなが共通体験として経験しているからですよね。  
>  
>  光永：メインヒロインに関しては、 **そこは正直に拾っていきたい気持ちがありました** 。

I think the thing being "picked up" is an イメージ像

Does 拾う here mean "utilize"?

Edit:

Link: <https://media.comicspace.jp/archives/17030/2>

I can't clearly tell if the think being "picked up" is the イメージ像 or what そこ
refers to.




In English, "to pick" used with intangible objects can mean something like "to
choose (or pay attention to) important ones (from similar entities)". 拾う in
Japanese has a similar usage, as shown in the following examples:

  * 彼の発言を拾う  
to pick up on his statement (among many statements in a conference)

  * 面白そうなコメントを拾う  
to pick interesting comments (among hundreds of comments)

  * 本を拾い読みする  
to skim the book

拾う in question is the same, too. The context (albeit not explicitly mentioned
near this sentence) is that he, as a mangaka, had many options to characterize
this dark elf in his mind. And the sentence is saying he wanted to
_choose/pick_ the most straightforward option, i.e., the most well-known
stereotype of dark elf. If you don't like "to pick", other possible free
translation would include "to respect", "to adopt", "not to ignore", etc.

正直に implies he did not want to do something tricky against his intuition. This
そこは is almost like an idiom used to describe minimum/natural expectations in
similar situations.

  * そこはまあ、黙っておきました。  
As is expected, I kept quiet.

  * そこは怒るべきだ！  
That's where you should be angry!

  * そこは、ねえ、ほら。  
In a case like this...well...you know.




In English, "to pick" used with intangible objects can mean something like "to
choose (or pay attention to) important ones (from similar entities)". 拾う in
Japanese has a similar usage, as shown in the following examples:

  * 彼の発言を拾う  
to pick up on his statement (among many statements in a conference)

  * 面白そうなコメントを拾う  
to pick interesting comments (among hundreds of comments)

  * 本を拾い読みする  
to skim the book

拾う in question is the same, too. The context (albeit not explicitly mentioned
near this sentence) is that he, as a mangaka, had many options to characterize
this dark elf in his mind. And the sentence is saying he wanted to
_choose/pick_ the most straightforward option, i.e., the most well-known
stereotype of dark elf. If you don't like "to pick", other possible free
translation would include "to respect", "to adopt", "not to ignore", etc.

正直に implies he did not want to do something tricky against his intuition. This
そこは is almost like an idiom used to describe minimum/natural expectations in
similar situations.

  * そこはまあ、黙っておきました。  
As is expected, I kept quiet.

  * そこは怒るべきだ！  
That's where you should be angry!

  * そこは、ねえ、ほら。  
In a case like this...well...you know.

