Friday, March 4, 2011

Rozen Maiden

Anime Review
Rozen Maiden
Genre Comedy, Drama, Supernatural

Season 1: Rozen Maiden

Plot Summary:

Due to a deep trauma at school Sakurada Jun has refused to return. He spends his time in his room, surfing the web and ordering anything that takes his fancy, only to return the items just before payment is due. One day, he finds a web site that tells him to put his order in a drawer of his desk. He does so thinking it to be a joke, only to find that the letter disappears and a strange package arrives soon afterwards. It contains an exquisite doll, that, when wound, comes to life. She treats him as a servant of little worth, but over time helps him come to grips with his fears and in the life-or-death fights that soon follow her arrival.


Season 2: Rozen Maiden Traumend

Plot Summary:

As summer break arrives for the students, Jun Sakurada is busily studying on his own in the library, making up for time lost while he had confined himself to his home. Meanwhile, his Rozen Maiden doll, Shinku, has been having troubling dreams of late. The pain and sadness of defeating Suigintou was overwhelming, despite the inevitable battle they waged. After waking suddenly from a nightmare, she finds Suigintou's companion spirit wandering; upon giving chase, she discovers that the seventh Doll-- Barasuishou-- has awakened. She now realizes that Suigintou's fate may very well befall the other Dolls, for the appearance of the last Doll signals the beginning of the end of the Alice Games.

OVA: Rozen Maiden Overture

Set during the second season, the story between Shinku and Suigintou is told by Souseiseki when Jun buys Shinku a brooch. The first OVA starts with the creation of Sugintou, Rozen's first doll, which he abandons and moves on to create the rest of the Rozen dolls, ignoring Sugintou's cries for help.

Characters:

Humans
Jun Sakurada
Voiced by: Asami Sanada (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English), Sanae Kobayashi (early drama CD) Jun Sakurada (桜田 ジュン Sakurada Jun?) is a traumatized boy who lives a hermit's existence in his room and does not go to school after cracking under the pressure of entrance exams. He suffers from what is known as tōkō kyohi, or a refusal to go to school, as well as hikikomori, the phenomenon of isolating oneself from society.
He spends a lot of time in front of his computer, and has a hobby of ordering things from the Internet — mostly fake magical or occultic implements— and then returning them before he has to pay, for the thrill of receiving something ridiculously stupid. He is also interested in cars and collects miniature versions of them. When he comes into possession of Shinku and winds her up, he is unwittingly and unwillingly caught in the crossfire of the Alice Game — Shinku declares him to be her "servant" and demands that he obey her at all times. Jun is extremely skilled at crafts and at sewing. Although he is arrogant, and occasionally cold and rude, he cares for others but typically refuses to let his feelings show. He is especially friendly with Hinaichigo, and at times, blushes around Shinku, which portrays that he cares deeply for her.
In Rozen Maiden träumend, Jun's personality has changed, thanks to the Rozen Maidens who have taken up residence in the Sakurada home. No longer afraid of his classmates or of going out in public, he goes to the library frequently to catch up with his school studies and is more sociable and kind. He even becomes friends with Tomoe, Hinaichigo's former medium, as she helps him catch up with his studies. Jun also helps Suiseiseki try to convince the other Rozen Maidens that the Alice Game was a futile endeavor. He strongly believes that because Shinku and the other Rozen Maidens are sisters, they should not fight or keep secrets from one other.
Shinku states that when Jun sews, it is like watching magic. Jun is the only or one of the few people in the world who can bring a doll's 'soul' back, doing so in the first volume with an old doll. It is implied that Jun is extremely similar to Rozen in his abilities, possibly able to become the next Rozen. Jun is able to be the master of three dolls at once and have them take his energy in battle with little problem. This is unusual because most people have a hard time with just one doll taking their energy. The reason why he is able to do this is unknown and might have something to do with the fact he is similar to Rozen.
Nori Sakurada
Voiced by: Noriko Rikimaru (Japanese), Minx Lee (English), Aya Hisakawa (early drama CD)
Nori Sakurada (桜田 のり Sakurada Nori?) is Jun's older sister. An avid lacrosse player, who had to give up many of her other hobbies when she assumed parental care of Jun while their parents are out of the country on business. While initially resistant to the responsibility, Nori became kind and gentle towards Jun. Nori is quick to find, get and resort to books for cures, treatments and copings with Jun's hikikomori-ism. Early in manga volume 1, when she hears Jun and Shinku arguing in his bedroom she leaps to the conclusion that he has developed schizophrenia (multiple personality disorder) and gets a book on that. She unfortunately takes the brunt of Jun's abuse and criticism. Shinku constantly provides Nori with advice on everything from the proper way to brew tea to taking care of Jun. Nori is very fond of the dolls who live and play in her house.

Tomoe Kashiwaba

Voiced by: Masayo Kurata (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English), Ayako Kawasumi (early drama CD)
Tomoe Kashiwaba (柏葉 巴 Kashiwaba Tomoe?) is an honor student at Jun's school. She is quiet, and kind-hearted, although her speech and style tend to be very dry, and she often hides her true feelings. Tomoe was originally Hinaichigo's medium, but the bond between them was broken when Hinaichigo relied too much on Tomoe's energy and was defeated by Shinku. Currently, Tomoe helps Jun in his dealings with the Rozen Maidens and also assists him with his make-up work for school. Before it was severed, Tomoe's bond with Hinaichigo was about as close as siblings. In Rozen Maiden träumend, before Hinaichigo loses her Rosa Mystica, Tomoe reflects on all of the good times and memories she they shared and thanks Hinaichigo for being there. She is mistaken by Shirosaki as Jun's girlfriend.
Tomoe learned kendo from her father from an early age and is a member of the kendo club at school. She is often seen carrying her shinai when class is over. She is also a member of the school committee, seemingly reluctantly.

Mitsu "Micchan" Kusabue

Voiced by: Akiko Kawase
Mitsu "Micchan" Kusabue (草笛 みつ (みっちゃん) Kusabue Mitsu (Micchan)?) (Mit-chan in the Tokyopop translated manga) is Kanaria's medium. She loves dolls to the point of obsession, which shows in both her room's decor and her frequent doting on Kanaria; she has shelves upon shelves crammed full of dolls, and makes frequent trips to the doll shop to purchase gifts for Kanaria. Although her work attire is that of an office lady, she is introduced as a professional photographer by Kanaria to the other dolls. In the manga, Micchan reveals that she has quit her old, comfortable job and becomes a pattern make for doll's dresses, selling her products on her personal website called "Angels Cage", despite the increased workload and the minor success. Micchan is generally regarded as being just as harmless and eccentric as Kanaria. She only appears in Rozen Maiden Träumend and the manga. In the manga, she has freckles, whereas her anime counterpart lacks this trait.
She never actually meets Jun in the anime, but in the manga, Kanaria brings her to the Sakurada residence, where Micchan shortly after nicknames Jun as "Junjun." She recognizes Jun's natural talent in designing and making dresses and offered a form of partnership, though Jun refuses.

Megu Kakizaki

Voiced by: Shiho Kawaragi (Japanese), Erika Weinstein (English)
Megu Kakizaki (柿崎 めぐ Kakizaki Megu?) is a sickly girl (she has congenital heart disease in the anime, but the disease is not specified in the manga) who is Suigintou's medium. She lives in a hospital room, under constant care from nurses. Megu has a very bleak outlook on life and often prays for an "Angel of Death" to take her away. She sees herself as a burden upon her parents, who she claims are "guilty" of having her. She initially believes that Suigintou is the "Angel of Death" she has hoped for and requests that Suigintou kill her by draining away her energy. Despite her apathy (and, at times, contempt) towards life in general, she is quite needy, and increasingly desires Suigintou's company, even throwing tantrums when Suigintou is away. Megu's blatant disrespect towards her father is shocking to Suigintou, who would never consider such an attitude toward her own "Father." In addition to her manga appearances, Megu appears in Rozen Maiden träumend and briefly in Rozen Maiden öuverture. She has a more stronger bond with Suigintou in the manga, and is the only human Suigintou has strong feelings for, other than Father. In the anime, Megu was the last person Suigintou thought about before collapsing in Shinku's arms. In the manga, it was after Suigintou's witness of Megu driving her father away in a fit of rage that evoked sympathy from the doll, thereby agreeing to take Megu as her medium. However, she was unable to do so as Kirakishou took Megu away into the N-field.

Dolls

Suigintou


Suigintou, the first Rozen Maiden doll.
Suigintou (水銀燈 Suigintō?, Mercury Lampe, Quecksilber, Mercury Lamp)
Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Mia Bradly (English), Mamiko Noto (early drama CD)
Suigintou is the first of the Rozen Maiden collection. Her desire to win the Alice Game is the strongest of all the dolls, and is primarily driven by her wish to gain the attention of their "Father", the fantastic dollmaker Rozen. Sadistic, spiteful, and arrogant (all due to her spectacular superiority complex), Suigintou has no inhibitions when it comes to the Alice Game. She will use any method available to her, regardless of how brutal it may be, to reach victory. Although she avoids socializing with all of her sister dolls, she has a particularly bitter hatred for Shinku. However, upon meeting Megu, her medium, Suigintou's attitude and motivations begin to shift; she begins to feel a strong affection for someone other than "Father", and a will to fight for something other than the honor of becoming "Alice", the perfect girl. Suigintou's desire to protect Megu begins to even overpower her wish to meet "Father," and she hopes to use the collected Rosae Mysticae, not to become Alice, but to heal Megu's heart ailment instead. However, Suigintou fails in this endeavor, discovering to her horror that she has used up Megu's energy. She also hates being called "junk".
Initially, Suigintou's will to exist was so strong that she was able to move without actually possessing a Rosa Mystica. Suigintou did not consciously make a contract with Megu, rather, Megu came upon Suigintou as she was reawakening. Suigintou's strong sense of independence, as well as disdain towards humanity, had her avoiding the perceived weakness of having a medium. She is also the only Rozen Maiden to have been defeated and revived three times.
Suigintou has a number of unique traits and flaws amongst the seven Rozen Maiden. In the anime, she is missing her torso; Shinku explains at one point that before Suigintou was completed, her design was erased, but gives no further explanation as to why or how. In ouvertüre, it is shown that Rozen abandoned her half-completed form in two parts on his worktable. She was never assembled—although her clothing was completed—and as such, not initially given the life force that is a Rosa Mystica. It was her love for Rozen that brought her to life, and she crawled off of the table to seek him out. Rozen does later provide her with a Rosa Mystica, only after she is sliced in half by Souseiseki and presumably fated to fade out of existence. Curiously, after Suigintou is destroyed in battle by Shinku at the end of the anime's first season, she is restored midway through Rozen Maiden träumend. The identity of the person responsible for her restoration is never revealed, however it is strongly implied to be Rozen. In the träumend finale, she tells Shinku that "Father" had told her that even with her flawed body, she is also entitled to a part in the Alice Game. Later, Rozen is seen lovingly fixing Suigintou's neck ribbon as she sleeps, and even grips her gently around the waist afterwards, implying that he has mended her incomplete body.
In the manga, her body is flawed by wings—notably, she is the only Rozen Maiden with them—that have ravaged her back with cracks. Despite these flaws, her love for "Father" and willpower is so strong that she can use her powers independently of a medium.
Along with her artificial spirit, Meimei, Suigintou's weapons are her ragged black wings. With their arrow-like feathers, she can conjure up a shield, a large sword, or even twin black dragons. Suigintou can also create destructive blue flames as a last resort in battle. Suigintou's varied abilities, particularly when combined with her savagely cunning nature, make her a strong player in the Alice Game.
In Rozen Maiden ouvertüre, Suigintou and Shinku are shown to actually be friends, but the friendship sours significantly after Suigintou discovers that Shinku only pretended to be her friend out of pity. It is also revealed that Rozen abandoned her without a Rosa Mystica (which she later acquires) and started moving towards her affection for him. When Megu shows Suigintou a bouquet of bright red roses, Suigintou destroys the bouquet, indicating that she either hates roses as a whole, or that she particularly dislikes bright red roses, since Shinku uses bright red rose petals.
In the manga Megu and Suigintou seem to have a stronger "bond" than in the anime. Megu was also the reason Suigintou traveled to the alternate dimension and subsequently declaring a truce with Shinku so that the two may work together to bring down Kirakishou.
Her artificial spirit, "Meimei," is named for the Japanese word "Mei", meaning darkness.
  • Medium: Megu
  • Artificial Spirit: Meimei (メイメイ Meimei?)

Kanaria


Kanaria, the second Rozen Maiden doll.
Kanaria (金糸雀 Kanaria?, Kanarienvogel, Canary Bird) (spelled Canaria in the Tokyopop translated manga)
Voiced by: Yumi Shimura (Japanese), Cristina Valenzuela (English)
The second Rozen Maiden doll, who is as adorable as she is eccentric. Not only does she constantly refer to herself in third person, but she also talks about taking her sisters' Rosen Mysticas, though she repeatedly fails in her attempts to do so. She fancies herself as quite the stealthy prowler, and makes a hobby of watching the exploits of her sisters, usually through binoculars. Kanaria's bright, somewhat arrogant disposition makes her the ideal subject for many of the comedic episodes. Despite this, she is a competent opponent and attacks with a violin that can emit particularly destructive sound waves. Her personality mostly complements that of Hinaichigo, who eventually becomes her good friend and rival; they often debate on whose medium is "better," i.e. prettier. In the manga, she visits the Sakurada home more often than in the anime, and even invites Mitsu, her medium, after Hinaichigo is taken by Kirakishou, in order to fulfill the void left by Hinaichigo.
In Rozen Maiden: ouvertüre, the other dolls apparently forgot Kanaria's name most of the time, though in the manga, Hinaichigo admits to Kanaria that she was only kidding.
Kanaria has the unusual habit of ending her sentences with "kashira" ("I wonder?" or "maybe?"), which is likened to Hinaichigo's penchant for ending sentences with "na no" (meaning "Because"). Kanaria's favorite food is tamagoyaki, or Japanese thick omelet, which, more often than not, is snatched away from her by hungry birds before she can enjoy it. She is introduced in the second season and makes a brief appearance in Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre, making yet another humorously over-the-top attempt to infiltrate Jun's home to steal her sisters' Rosae Mysticae.
Her artificial spirit, Pizzicato, is named after the technique of playing orchestral instruments by plucking the strings, which she uses as a counterattack.
  • Medium: Mitsu
  • Artificial Spirit: Pizzicato (ピチカート Pichikāto?)

Suiseiseki

Suiseiseki (翠星石 Suiseiseki?, Jade Stern, Jade Star)

Suiseiseki, the third Rozen Maiden doll.
Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani (Japanese), Rebecca Forstadt (English), Nana Mizuki (early drama CD)
The third Rozen Maiden doll, and Souseiseki's older twin. She and Souseiseki are both referred to as "gardeners" for their ability to communicate and tend not only to regular plants, but also to the "soul trees" of humans.
Despite her attitude towards Jun, Suiseiseki does care a great deal for him, and her attempts to cover that up usually manifest in the form of more insults. In fact, she cares deeply for everyone in her life, even if she does not show it outwardly. In Rozen Maiden träumend, Suiseiseki stands out among the dolls in that she values her sisters' love more than the goal of becoming Alice. She is one of the few dolls who opposes the Alice Game, and has no intentions of becoming Alice if it means taking her fellow sisters' Rosa Mystica. Suiseiseki and Jun attempt, without much success, to convince the other Rozen Maidens that the Alice Game is a meaningless endeavor. In her brief appearance in the OVA, she makes the same appeal to her twin several times.
In the anime, Suiseiseki's first impression is different than that of the manga. She appears very shy and nervous, and is very distrustful of humans because one had kidnapped Souseiseki. Shinku once described Suiseiseki as being the most shy and timid of the Rozen Maidens.
Suiseiseki tries to avoid participating in the Alice Game as much as possible, but she can use her watering can to make plants emerge from the ground and manipulate them. Her artificial spirit is named after the popular Anna Sui perfume. Suiseiseki was also the winner of the Anime Saimoe Tournament in 2006.
In the Rozen Maiden träumend, after Jun become her medium. She is jealous of Shinku that Jun always stay with her alone. That means she also loves Jun.
In the next-to-last episode of Rozen Maiden träumend, Suiseiseki attempts to protect Kanaria from Barasuishou's crystal stakes, and is crystallized for her trouble and her Rosa Mystica seized. Suiseiseki was revived by Rozen in the träumend finale and is last seen watching "Detective Kun Kun" along with Nori and the lifeless forms of Souseiseki and Hinaichigo.
In the latest chapter of the manga, Suiseiseki makes a return to the story as she travels to the alternate dimension where Shinku and Suigintou currently reside. Knowing that Kirakishou now has Souseiseki's body, Suiseiseki intends to protect Kirakishou from being destroyed, much to Shinku's and Suigintou's dismays. She has also actively (and somewhat forcibly) make Jun form a contract with her. However, she was actually making him form a contract using Souseiseki's ring, so that Souseiseki may be revived.
Suiseiseki is a very prominent and popular character in the series.
  • Medium: Jun
  • Artificial Spirit: Sui Dream (スィドリーム Sui Dorīmu?) (Also called "Jade Dream" before she takes a medium and "Sui Dream" after in the anime, and "Sweet Dream" in the Tokyopop translated manga)

Souseiseki

Souseiseki (蒼星石 Sōseiseki?, Lapis Lazuli Stern, Lapis Lazuli Star)

Souseiseki, the fourth Rozen Maiden doll.
Voiced by: Rika Morinaga (Japanese), Julie Ann Taylor (English)
The fourth doll of the Rozen Maiden collection and Suiseiseki's twin, Souseiseki possesses a sharpness in her speech that is similar to Shinku's, attacks ruthlessly in combat, and does not tolerate sub-par actions. She is also quite stubborn and very devoted to her masters. Her appearance is not only the most masculine of the dolls, but her speech is also noted to be of the masculine form, using the first person pronoun "boku" instead of gender neutral pronouns like "jibun" or "watashi." Souseiseki's presence is much more significant in the anime than in the manga.
In the manga, Souseiseki's master wanted to use her power to enter other people's dreams and exact revenge on his brother's lover, who he felt had stolen his brother from him. Since Souseiseki alone could not achieve this goal, she fights Suiseiseki to gather the two gardeners' tools, the shears (which is her primary weapon) and the watering can, which together can affect an individual's soul tree. She eventually realizes that it is her master's heart that needs to be freed and sacrifices herself to do so. The dolls present are shocked by Souseiseki's actions and Suigintou uses the confusion to snatch Souseiseki's Rosa Mystica, enraging both Shinku and Suiseseki. In the latest chapter, it is revealed that Souseiseki's body is currently manifested by Kirakishou.
In the anime, Souseiseki is devoted to a lonesome old man, who uses her as a substitute for his deceased son, Kadzuki. Souseiseki apparently does not have a medium, because Motoharu Shibasaki was never shown to have a rose ring. She is shown to be slightly more eager, probably from a sense of duty, to participate in the Alice Game than her sisters. In the OVA, she is introduced in the flashback in mid-fight with Shinku and later does not hold back in attacking a then-harmless Suigintou. Throughout Rozen Maiden Träumend, she questions her idyllic lifestyle, and, much to Suiseiseki's disappointment, takes part in the Alice Game out of devotion to Rozen after being accosted by Barasuishou, who was believed to be the seventh Rozen Maiden doll, in order to fulfill his wish of finding Alice and relieve his perceived grief. She battles Suigintou, but is defeated and loses her Rosa Mystica.
Even though the two versions progress differently, Souseiseki is still the first doll to lose her Rosa Mystica, and her Rosa Mystica transfers to Suigintou on both occasions. However, at the end of Rozen Maiden träumend, Laplace is seen dancing with two Rosae Mysticae, one of which is believed to be Souseiseki's. To add to the confusion, after Shinku is resurrected by "Father," she tells Jun that Souseiseki's and Hinaichigo's losing their Rosa Mysticae is her burden to bear. The most likely reason for this is that essentially they were under the care of her medium, which makes sense for Hinaichigo, but not so much for Souseiseki.
In the manga, Souseiseki has gone missing from her case, after Suiseiseki tells Souseiseki's master that she found her sister's hat in the N-field. Later, in the last volume of the manga, she is reunited with Suiseiseki. Souseiseki tells Suiseiseki that she didn't want to play the Alice Game anymore, because she didn't "want to go against the Suiseiseki that I love". Soon afterwards she dies once again, growing rose vines and a white rose out of her right eye. Though she is the first doll to lose her Rosa Mystica, Souseiseki is actually the second doll to lose in the Alice Game. In the latest chapter of Rozen Maiden Tale, it is revealed that while Suigintou has her Rosa Mystica, Kirakishou has her body. And, because Jun from the alternate dimension has inadvertently kissed the ring, it may grant Souseiseki the revival Suiseiseki wished for. Her artificial spirit is named for a fragrance by Lolita Lempicka. Souseiseki was also the first runner-up for Saimoe 2005.
  • Medium: Motoharu Shibasaki (Anime) / Kazuha Yuibishi (Manga)
  • Artificial Spirit: Lempicka (レンピカ Renpika?)

Shinku

Shinku (真紅 Shinku?, Reiner Rubin, Pure Ruby)

Shinku, the fifth Rozen Maiden doll.
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Mela Lee (English), Yui Horie (early drama CD)
Shinku is the fifth Rozen Maiden doll and the first to appear in the series. Her name, in addition to its Japanese meaning, could be also a play on the Japanese pronunciation of the word "cinq" (French for "five"). She embodies the traditional Victorian aristocrat. She is extremely demanding and can seem unappreciative of others. Her favorite words are "tea", "servant" and "What?" She seems to enjoy lecturing, slapping, and generally abusing Jun, her medium, at every opportunity. She is perceived as rather angry, but it is a facade that she puts up to show that she feels that she is most deserving of becoming Alice. Shinku is also perceived as being cold, but she is actually very protective of, and cares deeply for, her sisters and for Jun. Shinku's presence at the Sakurada home has led to other Rozen Maidens appearing there. She hates cats because one almost swallowed her wind-up key in the past.
Initially, Shinku is determined to become "Alice", even if it means fighting her sisters. However, after causing Suigintou's first death and some careful questioning by Jun, she begins to shift views on her purpose and begins to engage in simpler and quieter activities, such as reading cookbooks in order to bake better cookies.
Shinku does not use honorific suffixes such as "-chan," "-san," or "-kun," except when she refers to "Father" and Mitsu. In the anime, Shinku does have a cute side, which is evident in her intense, almost obsessive, admiration for the puppet detective Kun Kun, believing them to be connected by an invisible thread. In the anime, Shinku wins a human contest and receives a Kun Kun cosplay costume as her prize. Jun was once able to win her over during an argument by playing her with a Kun Kun doll.
In Rozen Maiden ouvertüre, Shinku initially befriended the then broken and weak Suigintou out of pity and taught her many basic life skills, such as walking and brewing tea. However, Suigintou later destroys Shinku's brooch, her prized possession from "Father", which opens wide the intense enmity between the two.
In combat, Shinku fights with rose petal-based attacks. The rose petals are extremely versatile; Shinku can direct them to spread out for wide-ranging attacks, or group them together to use as a shield. Her other weapon is a cane, which she skillfully wields like a sword. Shinku has other special powers, such as restoring broken objects, typically Jun's bedroom windows after Suiseiseki and Souseiseki show up, with a form of time-reversing magic. Shinku was the second runner-up for both Saimoe 2006 and 2007.
  • Medium: Jun (anime/manga) / Sara (Ouvertüre OVA)
  • Artificial Spirit: Hollie (ホーリエ Hōrie?) (Also called Hollier (Tokyopop translation))

Hinaichigo

Hinaichigo (雛苺 Hinaichigo?, Kleine Beere, Strawberry Doll)

Hinaichigo, the sixth Rozen Maiden doll.
Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa (Japanese), Sherry Lynn (English), Tomoko Kaneda (early drama CD)
The sixth doll, and the very embodiment of childishness. Although she can be ridiculously naïve and selfish, she has nothing but the best intentions for those that she cares about. Her disposition is also a mismatch for her power, which is a series of attacks based on strawberry vines, which she mostly uses to restrain opponents. She loses to Shinku in the Alice Game, becoming the first doll to lose the right to become Alice. Shinku does not beat Hinaichigo outright; the younger doll simply exhausted the energy of her medium, Tomoe. Shinku then warned Hinaichigo that continuing the fight would kill Tomoe, whereupon Hinaichigo renounced the tie that made Tomoe her medium. Despite being the victor, Shinku does not take Hinaichigo's Rosa Mystica. Instead, Shinku lets herself be an inter-medium so that Hinaichigo can tap into Jun's energy. In the latter half of Rozen Maiden träumend, with the Alice Game apparently having begun in earnest, "Father" cuts off this link, so when Hinaichigo uses up what little energy she has, she loses her Rosa Mystica to Shinku. She is the second doll to lose her Rosa Mystica.
In the manga, Hinaichigo is taken from Jun after Odille Fosset, granddaughter of a previous owner of Hinaichigo, arrives at the Sakurada home and displays a ring, thought to be from Hinaichigo, on her finger. Though Jun tells Hinaichigo that she may choose who she wishes to stay with, Hinaichigo apparently does not consciously decide to go with Odille; after awakening from sleep, Hinaichigo is confused to find herself in Odille's room, which she recognizes as that of Odille's grandmother, Corinne. Shortly afterwards, Hinaichigo is ruthlessly destroyed by Kirakishou; after being shown a montage of her loved ones saying goodbye to her and made to feel unloved and alone, Hinaichigo is consumed from the inside out by Kirakishou's rose vines as the seventh doll watches in gleeful anticipation of taking control of her sister's body. Hinaichigo sends her Rosa Mystica to Shinku through Berrybell, her artificial spirit, asking Shinku to use the Rosa Mystica to end the Alice Game. Shinku commends Hinaichigo for her courage to face Kirakishou despite her disadvantage, considering Hinaichigo as a true Rozen Maiden.
Hinaichigo's favorite foods are strawberry daifuku, and Nori's "Hanamaru Hamburger," which is a hamburger patty topped with a fried egg in the shape of a flower. She adores the puppet detective Kun Kun, though her fandom is not as avid as Shinku's. She also loves to draw, as shown often in both seasons of the anime and the OVA. She usually ends her sentences in "na no" (meaning "that's why" or "because" in Japanese), complimentary to Kanaria's "kashira" (meaning "I wonder" or "maybe?"). She also says "uunyuu" out of curiosity.
In the anime, Hinaichigo's singing, as well as most of her quarreling with Suiseiseki, are actually ad-libbed by her seiyū, Sakura Nogawa (with Natsuko Kuwatani in the quarreling scenes).[citation needed]
  • Medium: Corrine / Tomoe / Jun (Indirectly)
  • Artificial Spirit: Berrybell (ベリーベル Berīberu?)

Barasuishou


Barasuishou, the fraud of the seventh Rozen Maiden doll.
Barasuishou (薔薇水晶 Barasuishō?, Rozenkristall, Rose Crystal)
Voiced by: Saori Goto (Japanese), Tara Platt (English)
Barasuishou is a doll created by Enju, Rozen's apprentice. She introduces herself as the seventh Rozen Maiden doll, though this is a lie; she simply intends to dupe the other six Rozen Maidens into entering the Alice Game so that she may obtain their Rosae Mysticae and become the strongest doll. She is clad entirely in lavender and wears an eyepatch over her left eye, though she is revealed to not be missing an eye at all. In the first and last episodes of Rozen Maiden träumend, she taunts Shinku by repeating whatever Shinku says to her. Barasuishou is unnaturally calm most of the time, showing little, if any, emotion. She is also hinted to be mad; when Shinku has her pinned to the floor towards the end of their battle, Barasuishou simply giggles and smiles disarmingly. She has the ability to manipulate all sorts of crystalline elements and uses it in many of her attacks which include blasting her opponents with a barrage of sharp crystal rocks and creating a purple crystalline sword.
Although Barasuishou is not the true seventh Rozen Maiden, Shinku is unaware of this fact and, believing that all seven dolls are now awake, concludes that Barasuishou's appearance marks the "true" start of the Alice Game. Barasuishou false-starts the Alice Game when she and Souseiseki come across an image of "Father" in a state of misery. Barasuishou tells Souseiseki that "Father" is grieving because he "cannot find Alice", so they must conclude the fight once and for all in order to fulfill his wish of seeing Alice. Barasuishou's "Father" is Enju, who was initially believed to be Rozen himself, but is revealed to merely be Rozen's jealous apprentice. Barasuishou's true origin is revealed in the final episode of Rozen Maiden träumend. Enju was obsessed with surpassing Rozen as the greatest dollmaker; to achieve that end, he created Barasuishou to oppose the Rozen Maidens, take their Rosae Mysticae, and finish as the last doll standing. The elements of Barasuishou's attire and overall appearance suggest that Enju had seen Rozen's design for Kirakishou and created Barasuishou from his recollection of it. Barasuishou is presumed dead after being overwhelmed by the six Rosae Mysticae she absorbed; despite Enju's plea for her to release the Rosae Mysticae once he discovers that Barasuishou cannot contain their energy, she continued to cry out to "Father" and crumbled to pieces in Enju's hands.
Barasuishou appears only in Rozen Maiden träumend and in one scene of the OVA; she does not appear in the manga.
  • Medium: None
  • Artificial Spirit: None (Barasuishou is made by Enju not Rozen, So she has no artificial spirit)

Kirakishou


Kirakishou, the seventh Rozen Maiden
Kirakishou (雪華綺晶 Kirakishō?, Schöner Schneeblüten Kristall, Sparkling Snowdrop Crystal) (spelled Kirakisho in the Tokyopop translated manga)

The true seventh Rozen Maiden doll. Both her hair and her ornately ruffled dress are white, as indicated by Shinku's description of her in volume 6 of the manga, and by the remodeled version of the original manga. However, she has been shown with a pale pink dress (anime), pale pink hair (Rozen Maiden AliBat, a fan-created fighting game), or both (the cover of volume 6 of the manga). Kirakishou's right eye is missing. In the anime, a layer of tissue covers the right eye socket and a single white rose grows from it, but in the manga, she simply has a rose growing out of the empty eye socket, as described by Shinku: "Her left eye can see everything, but reflects nothing, while her right eye is an empty hole, with a white rose growing out of it." In the anime, Kirakishou's shoulders are not ball jointed as the other dolls' are, presumably because she is an entity that only exists in the N-Field.
Kirakishou's first appearance in the manga is in volume 6, but is not properly introduced until volume 7. In the anime, however, she has not been formally introduced. Her only anime appearance was towards the end of the finale of Rozen Maiden Träumend; she is shown for only a few seconds.
In the manga, Kirakishou claims that the seventh doll lacked a physical body and could only exist in the N-Field. Because of this, she destroys and consumes Hinaichigo so that she can use the sixth doll's body to materialize outside of the N-Field. Even though Kirakishou could not initially exist in the real world, she could still affect real world events; she gives a rose ring to Odille Fosset, the granddaughter of Corinne Fosset, Hinaichigo's former mistress.
Kirakishou offers her Rosa Mystica to Suigintou in volume 7, in order to trick her "big sister" and take Megu. Suigintou, however, refuses to accept the Rosa Mystica, saying that she would take it later on her own terms. During her first encounter with Shinku, in volume 6, Kirakishou parrots whatever Shinku says, much like Barasuishou does in the anime.
Because Kirakishou's appearance in the anime was merely a headshot, her abilities remain unknown. In the manga, she controls white rose vines, which she can manipulate into a spiderweb-like construct on which she crawls like an actual spider would. She used her vines to destroy Hinaichigo and to restrain Shinku and Suigintou during each's first encounter with her. Kirakishou also has the ability to trap people's consciousness in crystals within the N-Field and Sea of Unconsciousness, as evidenced by Odille's status as shown in both the N-Field and the real world.
Later in the manga, Kirakishou has tricked the Jun in another world into helping her materialize herself by sending him parts of Souseiseki's body. And, using Jun's power, she shields herself from Shinku and Suigintou's attacks to allow herself time to make Souseiseki's body fully hers. She has made it clear that she is jealous of the other sisters enjoying material bodies while she herself is no more than a fleeting thought. She wishes to have Shinku's nobility, Hinaichigo's innocence, Kanaria's charm, Suiseiseki's passion, and Souseiseki's earnestness. Before sending out another set of rose vines, she uttered the words, "Hold me more."
In the latest chapter, when Jun is forced to choose the doll whom he'll form a contract, Kirakishou restrained him from choosing Shinku. She also promised him the power to change the past should he form a contract with her instead. However, as Jun has kissed Souseiseki's ring, it may seem that Kirakishou is once again losing her material body.
  • Medium: Odille Fosset (manga)
  • Artificial Spirit: Unknown. Kirakishou's artificial spirit has never been named or shown in any medium.

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