Tenchi ML,

Federico Talens Alesson <talens@angel.qui.ub.es> said:
> Hi,
> 
> The other day I watched again the eps. 11-12, and wondered what was exactly
> what went on about Washuu, Ryouko and Zero.
> 
> ZERO.
> 
> Clay builds Zero (actually I believe she is built, a true machine) as the
> site of an artifical intelligence. Overdoing it, he makes such a perfect
> site that the intelligence becomes sentient.
> 
> Zero does for Clay exactly the same kind of job as Ryouko: she is a marauder
> (in another style, but this is irrelevant).
> 
> However, as Zero is not a living being, she lacks things sentient living
> beings have, as psychological defences: people can forget things they have
> done (even to amnesia) to protect their own minds. Also, they can feel
> embarrasment or shame, especially if deep feeling or thoughts are revealed.
> But she does not needs that kind of protection.

Normally, this flaw would spell disaster for any esponiage robot.  If 
they can't understand or even fain "human" emotions, then they will 
be discovered so easily.

But I digress...

> RYOUKO.
> 
> Ryouko has been psychologically maimed by Kagato, and is a sentient living
> being. Therefore, she has barriers to protect her from ego. She loves Tenchi
> but does not knows how to admit it or cope with it (about that:someone said
> there was a SM masochistic song sung by Ryouko. I think that the only
> chances for Ryouko not being the masochistic partner of a couple with Tenchi
> are that Tenchi does not evolves to be sadist and that Aeka is not the other
> wife. If Aeka is the other one, Ryouko may want to stay at the same level
> and learn how to train Juraian bridegroom.)

No comment.  ^_^;;;

> WASHUU.
> 
> Washuu wants her daughter back somehow: she cannot be a child again (and is
> the one and only-cf. Funaho-Washuu OAV 13) but she might learn to behave in
> a nicer way.
> 
> When Zero drops after Clay breaks the ring, calling for Tenchi, Washuu
> suspects something, possibly that Zero's minds is a perfect copy of
> Ryouko's (She falls calling out for Tenchi). And then, when Zero gets back
> she possibly assumes that the gem must be powering Zero and therefore that
> she has become tuned to the gems (and similar to Ryouko, somehow).
> 
> This is why she does what she does, merging the two minds: to lower Ryouko's
> barriers. And this iw why Zero can cause this effect. Once someone suggested
> that Ryouko and Zero had been merged phisically. Don't think so: I believe
> it was just copying Zero's mind on Ryouko and getting an averaged mind. OAV
> 13 is not significant about the eventual change: it is too abnormal a
> situation to see if Ryouko as fully recovered from the end of OAV 12.

This is where addition writings from the author would have made 
things very clear.  *shrug*

I've always suspected that Zero was made from Masu as well.  After 
all, it's pretty tough, easily manipulated, and darn powerful.  ^_^;
Also notice Zero initally has the same dirty brown color that the 
Masu have, but that's completely subjective.  ^_^;

Another point that needs to be brought up is that the only way that 
Ryoko and Zero can even become merged is that if they were both made 
of Masu.  The dominate obsorbs the extra Masu and they both exist 
happily.  There is no other "system" in the Tenchi-verse that offers 
an explaination that is as clean as this one.

As for the sudden shift back to the old Ryoko in #13, I've always 
suspected that #13 is like the #7...it was ment to be an independant, 
special episode.  If you take #13 and put it before #8 in the OAVs, 
you have a nice and neat continuing storyline.  I guess they didn't 
complete #13 before the release of #8 so they stuck it on the end.  
^_^;

Tomar
aka tomar@helser14.res.iastate.edu

           Tomar: aka tomar@helser14.res.iastate.edu
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