--------- Original Message ---------

DATE: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 17:40:07 
> From: "Jeff Harris" <jlhonami@mchsi.com>
To: <tenchi@usagi.org>
Cc: 

>============================================
>I thought the Ryoko's characterization with Ryo-ohki
>made sense because it shows that Zero's personality
>hasn't completely disappeared after episode 12.  And
>Zero was sold as a soft version of Ryoko.
>
>Ryoko's reaction of being woken up is pretty close to
>her attitude in episode 3, where Sasami wakes her up
>and begs her to make the rain stop.  She has been
>shown to be pretty lazy.
>
>And she was none too kind to Mihoshi then in Mihoshi's
>room, hehe.
>
>And Ryoko answering the door, the reason has been
>shown.  Actually, in episode 12, she let Misaki mess
>with her pretty bad as well.  The she-demon also cried
>because Ayeka made fun of her in the onsen, right
>before Kagato came.
>============================================
>
>I can understand Ryoko's tears when her first attempt at civilized behaviour
>gets rebuffed, and I have no problem with the Ryoko/Ryo-ohki interaction,
>and I would agree that Zero's influence had a "softening" affect on Ryoko's
>otherwise abrasive personality -- but I didn't expect her to turn into a
>wimp.  (I was amazed that she didn't fry Misaki after the latter used her
>face like so much taffy.)  So, is it safe to say that Ayeka wins more of the
>arguments since the Zero-merger event?
>
>Oh, nevermind: I assume I'm in the minority on this one.  Perhaps the
>"kinder, gentler" Ryoko is more appealing to the mass audience in general,
>and to one clueless prince in  particular....
>

It might be in part because Tenchi probably doesn't want her fighting, and 
she's trying to be nice for his sake.
 

With episode 13, I got the impression that the plotline had more to do with 
Ryoko's behaviour than anything else.  Ryoko was sort of the extra baggage in 
that episode, so silly tricks and stunts were employed by the writer to keep 
her otherwise occupied.
 

The episode 14 scene at the door was rather odd, though.  The fact that she'd 
turn to jelly at the ring of the doorbell (you'd think that episode 13 was 
the day prior the way she was acting) seemed quite out of character.  In 
theory the merge with Zero should have just done odd things to her facade 
toward Tenchi, so I don't think that's to blame.  In fact, I'm half tempted 
to write it off as a very poorly thought out joke on the part of the writer 
that flies in the face of her character.
 

Of course, its probably best not to do that until I've seen more than just 
episode 14.
 


Regarding Ryoko's crying in the Onsen...

Yes, Ryoko is something of a softy, although she usually hides it quite well. 
 She was a little drunk in the Onsen, though, which explains her projected 
image slipping somewhat.
 


junior