Luberto shippers get a lot of hate for multiple reasons that im not getting into right now, but one thing i have seen pop up is not only why do people ship them but also why do people believe that they could possibly be canon?
Theres a lot of canon moments that support the idea that the relationship they share is the beginnings of puppy love. One that I’m going to discuss today is the blatant jealousy that Alberto displays (he’s a literal green eyed monster) regarding Luca’s relationship with Giulia.
“but jealousy isn’t only applicable to romantic relationships.”
And you’d be correct. Obviously any kind of relationship can bring up feelings of jealousy. it’s what the person is jealous of that changes the meaning behind it. Alberto displays jealousy over things most friends don’t. This makes people question if his feelings are entirely platonic.
To put it simply, it’s not because he’s jealous it’s what makes him jealous.
Drawing from my own experience with jealousy & my fear of abandonment when it came to my best friend, i remember being jealous of the time she spent with our other friend, because it felt like i was missing out on her time. if it was the three of us together i would be fine, but say that i was home sick from school for a few days and when i came back to school my best friend would tell me a funny story of what she did with our other friend while i was away. i would feel left out because they now have a fond memory that bonded them that i wasn’t apart of or an experience that i couldn’t relate to. i was so used to it being just the two of us that i had a hard time realising that im not going to be able to share in all of her experiences.
This is the most common form of jealousy friends or best friends experience at least once in their life.
it’s the kind of jealousy people first recognise in Alberto, and people assume it’s the only type that he displays.
but there’s another type that shippers or just people who have watched Luca more than idk like 3 times have noticed.
He feels jealous of the physical affection Luca receives from Giulia.
Now going back to my personal experience with jealousy in regards to my best friend: i never picked up or even cared about the amount of affection she shared with our friend. not once. because i never felt as if i was losing out on her affection if it wasn’t directed towards me. i wasn’t interested in receiving more affection than she was giving me because i saw her as a friend.
Alberto not only pays attention to how much affection Giulia shows Luca, but it actually makes him angry. to the point in which on multiple occasions he snaps at Giulia or forces himself in between them.
Now i don’t know about you but the only time I’ve ever felt jealous over a friend being affectionate with someone other than me was when i had my first crush. Funnily enough it was me reflecting on why i was so annoyed any time someone hugged or held her hand that i realised my feelings for her so…
It doesn’t matter if you don’t support the idea of luberto in canon or fanon. But to deny the evidence that suggests that at the very least Alberto has feelings for Luca, even if it remains one sided…. It’s there. Plain as day. That boy has it bad.
if you’re still completely against the idea then you might want to check yourself and the way you view gay teens. cause they exist whether you like it or not.
I also wanted to add on an observation that didn’t quite fit into this discussion.
We know that Alberto is a touchy person, his affection is casual and second nature to him.
When he’s angry or jealous it becomes forceful.
Luca picks up on it which leads to him rejecting Albertos touch on the beach.
This rejection hurts Alberto. It turns his affection into something possessive instead of protective.
Luca values his freedom and he found that in Alberto so it shakes him up when he sees Alberto trying to tie him down.
The fear of being outed was one thing but it was the fear of losing his freedom that pushes Luca to betray Alberto.
That’s why at the end of the movie Luca can face his fear of being outed to protect Alberto. But he can’t let go of his freedom even if it means being apart from the people he loves.
And Alberto accepts this and even grants Luca his wish, even at the expense of his own feelings. Albertos growth is fucking amazing and it shows just how much this little fish loves to see Luca happy.
Anyways, feel free to add your thoughts im not used to discussing my thoughts and analysis in length so any input is appreciated.
