Ok, over the weekend, Dr. Heinous was in town, and he loaned me his copy of Tenchi Muyo GXP, which I quite enjoyed. He and I are now discussing which is our favorite, Ryoko or Amane. ( Poor Kiriko…. too ordinary. )
However, as a side effect of wondering exactly where Kiriko ends up
Edit: And I’m still on hiatus, dammit! This was, uh, just a hiatus from the hiatus… yeah, that’s right.
But when Seina chased after the stolen Kamidake, he found the mecha that contained the lost 1st generation seed — and in combination with Fuku and her clones, it absorbed the Kamidake. Later, we see the Kamidake reconstituted, but obviously Seina’s still bonded to the seed, since he’s acknowledged as third in line to the throne. Presumably, that means the mech and the Kamidake are effectively one and the same now. We could postuate that they were separated (possible, I’ll have to rewatch the segment where it’s being explained to Seina), but it would be strange, given that it would mean Seina would be traveling around without the tree/seed he’s bonded to. (I think there’s precedent, in Sasami’s case?)
But if he isn’t, and the Kamidake & mech are one and the same now, it means that the Kamidake is the fusion of a billion-year-old mecha with technology superior to Jurai’s, two Royal Trees, and Washu’s latest battleship design. Worse: a) it’s nowhere near it’s full power, because Fuku is a baby, Kiriko’s tree is a salpling, and Seina’s is a seed, and b) it all belongs to Seina and his wives.
Ouch. He’d have to be considered a heavyweight galactic power on his own, just due to that.
Kiriko’s tree is 2nd generation, same as Seto’s tree.
Hm. Yes, and I see, after re-reading your TMW, that you made the same point about the ship being extremely powerful — although I think it’s going to be more powerful than a 1st gen tree eventually, since it’s a four-way merger, not just two. (Edit: Re-re-read. No, you did state that it will become more powerful too.)
Alan, Barry, and Cohen, during that first payday, do make a reference to bounty money, so that’s in play, even if Kiriko didn’t mention it.
As I said in my e-mail, I have a problem with three grown women (and one millienia old loli) all falling for a not-very-notable 15 year old kid; it’s clear that Kiriko and Amane are both obsessed (albeit in different ways) with him long before his talents show. In fact, Amane vamps the hell out of him on sight.
However, it’s believable if their attraction is treated as an aspect of Seina’s powers; and in fact Airi & Seto reveal that they’ve discovered that the women are somehow connected to his power — they apparently help ground out his bad luck. (Note that after they enter his life full time, his luck significantly moderates — during down time, his bad luck still kicks in, but nowhere near as often or as violently. )
You remarked that he’s a weirdness magnet, and that is so; it extends to his meeting his four “fated mates” and their all being in love with him, almost on sight. Recall Ryoko’s reaction upon her first encounter with Seina’s transport: “There’s something that makes me want to chase that ship.” It could be the same thing that attracted all the rest of the pirates, but I don’ t think so — she is the only one who resisted the pull, not once, but twice. (She let the transport go after their meeting, when she could obviously have taken it.)
Of course, then I have to explain Seto’s four assistants, but at least by the time they really go nuts over him, he’s established as the Lorilei.
I don’t think that Seto’s bridge bunnies are motivated by the same thing. And I don’t think they’re in love with him, and I don’t think they eventually become wives.We’re venturing into spoiler territory here so I won’t go too far into details, but I think their motivation is patriotism, plain and simple. And in fact, at end-of-story+1year, I doubt they all stay with him. Possibly none do.
But for the others, I think there’s no doubt that Seina’s “gift” is a major factor in what happens.
Just in passing, they’re not the only ones affected by him that way. Remember near the end after Seina’s encounter with the T-Rex, there’s a doctor who bandages his hand — and then starts getting mushy with him. Looks like he affects many women that way.
I forgot that you had spoiler tags. I wonder if they still work?
[spoiler]A different point. Neige is different than the others in nearly every way. She likes him a lot, but I don’t think she’s affected by his power to the same extent as the others. I do think she’s falling for him, but I think it’s real, genuine in her case and not a function of his power.
Her own power is considerable, and it may afford her immunity against him. And her maturity and experience, plus centuries of exercising iron self control, will work in that direction too. Initially at least she got caught up in the situation and let herself be naughty, but I think she began to realize it and stopped it, mostly.
Her wanting to be part of his team is different than the others. For her, it’s the family she probably never had, or at least hasn’t had for a long time. It isn’t just Seina she wants to be with. She likes them all.
To me Neige is the most fascinating one of them, and not because of lolicon. She interests me, and she scares me. After Seina (and Tenchi) she’s the most dangerous person in the show. And she’s old enough and experienced enough so that even Seto is a bit afraid of her.
When Seto tells the four girls about the navy taking the Kamidake, we see another side of Neige. She stops being the loli entirely, and the chess player comes out, cold and calculating. It’s interesting to see, because it doesn’t happen very often.
The other three run off, consumed by the passion of the moment. Neige doesn’t. She informs Seto that Neige is playing her own game. And it is, I think, ultimately a good thing for Seto that in the long run Neige and Seto both have the same interest, because I’m not sure that in a full-out contest that Seto could win. And I think Seto knows it. Seto has more pieces to use, but Neige has a top strategic mind, who had hundreds of years of experience in interstellar politics when Seto was in diapers.[/spoiler]
Well, no, I don’t think Seto’s four assistants were added to the marriage. The possibility occurred to me but I think Nabeshin would have made it clear. I was just referring to how… er, enthusiastically they tried to make him feel at home. Of course, a lot of that could have been because of their role/job of getting him to Rezna. Easiest way to get him off Jurai would be to persuade him to come with them. However, I think they were genuinely attracted to him in the end — note the distinctly off-camera mayhem that ensued when the Kamidake caught up to them. And why would the others be jealous during operations if there wasn’t some worry that they might be tempted to, er, cut in line?
I’m not sure I got the same vibe from Neige that you did. She seemed rather fatalistic, assuming that she was going to be used as a pawn. But, Seto seemed to tread lightly around her, I agree. For Neige, I think Seina and the Kamidake were also a way to escape; if she stayed on her home planet, a certain amount of intrigue and plotting would follow her, no matter what. Going to play pirate-catcher got her successor out from under her shadow, as well. So it was part whimsy, part calculating, and part attraction to Seina.
I’d forgotten about the doctor. But by that time,he was famous, filthy rich, and considered a hero. Then he kicked it up a notch and became 3rd in line to the throne. Yeah, I wish I could meet four women that would change my luck like that! I’d settle for one…
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