|
(Moved from Misc Section as it gets easily filled with lulzy trolls, thus straying from the original purpose.)
Well, last time I did say I would try my analysis on Litchi and her chance to stay as antagonism. Now I will take on every aspect of it. Starting from the official sources, then going to perspective analysis. Okay, here we go.
==========================
OFFICIAL STORY
==========================
Litchi's first chronological appearance is when she entered Kokonoe's tutelage. There's no info on how she did her life as a child so we always presume that 'her childhood is normal, happy'. She befriended Lotte Carmine and grew to be fast friends and she felt some kinship bond to Lotte's studious side. But then she caught him arguing with Kokonoe about something. Litchi tried calming down both parties, but then Lotte boasted that she was only seeing his good side, now she's seeing his dark, forceful side. Afterwards, their relationship soured. However, Lotte would still go far enough to force Litchi to spill out the informations about Seithr manipulation, which he uses for his research about the Boundary.
Lotte later kept skipping attendance to Kokonoe's lab and later Litchi found out that he's gone, he already turned to Arakune and vanished. Feeling responsible of just leaving him be and not forcefully stopping him, Litchi resolved to fix him at all cost, even if Kokonoe has given up on him and has been telling her not to bother anymore. As she didn't know how to fix him normally, she went against Kokonoe's warning and tapped power into the Boundary, acquiring Lao Jiu along the way. She tried to understand how the Boundary corruption works and hoped she'd develop a cure from it. However, results have been unsatisfactory thus far.
When she heard Arakune was spotted around Kagutsuchi, she left Sector Seven and opened a clinic in Orient Town. Due to her kind disposition, she became popular in a quick time. She also took a lone girl named Linhua as her apprentice/assistant for her clinic and they grew into a pair. As Arakune was often spotted in the Kaka village and ate the Kaka kittens there, Litchi often found herself visiting the Kaka village to stop Arakune from eating and causing harm to the cats there, and it was there she also provides teaching and some foods for the clan along with protection. The ninja Bang Shishigami just saw her walking and fell in love at the first sight.
These were the ones we know at the beginning.
Calamity Trigger
She went on her goal with the fact that she must stop and destroy Arakune before he causes further harm. But an encounter with Ragna made her realize that if she has the Azure, she can attract him and make it easier for her to hunt Arakune down. Too bad for her, Ragna is elusive and evaded her grasp. Jubei warned her about tapping the power to the Boundary, but she dismissed it, her mission takes priority. On meeting Arakune, she can kill him, and be done with her mission, only for her to see an image of her encountering Nu-13, and ends up being swallowed with the time continuum reset caused by Takamagahara.
Alternatively, she will realize that she was only looking for an excuse of the closure of her mission with his death, she realized that her closure would be discovering the cure for him. So she told him to wait there and she wrote a letter for Kokonoe, declaring that she needed help.
In other of her paths, she requests Ragna that she takes care of Arakune (this also happens in Ragna's story). She can also meet Noel and tried tricking her to stop pursuing Ragna to avoid chaos in the town. Alternatively, her attempt may fail, but the town has been enamored with her so much that the sight of Noel trying to arrest her riled the whole town to drive Noel away. Regardless, if she succeeds, she visits the Kaka village once more and when asked "If she finds what she's looking for, will she return to Sector Seven?" The answer is, "No. Orient Town is her home, and people needed her."
Another path includes her encountering Bang stalking her and a fight broke out. She chastised him and ended up in Ronin-Gai where several children spoke about their 'boss'. Litchi assured them that the boss must've been a good man and comforted them... unaware that this 'boss' is Bang, the stalker she just drove off.
In other character stories, she also appeared in Arakune's path when Hakumen slays him just because. She witnessed the ordeal and wept on his remains. However, in Bang's story, Bang also interrupted and ended up taking on Hakumen to the fight near the Cauldron. Bang stayed behind so Litchi and Arakune could escape. And they did.
Most importantly, she played an important part in Carl's story where she cared for the boy despite his refusal. And when Carl was nearly killed by Nu, Litchi came to protect him, dying in process. Her last words were "Is there any reason why we shouldn't help people?" This doesn't really happen in the end.
Continuum Shift
When Litchi returned from work, she was getting a bit tired and was surprised about some news about a terrorist attack which wasn't in her memories. Linhua asked her to go to a festival with her and she happily accompanied her. In the middle of the festival, however, she felt dizzy and decided to return to the clinic... only to find Hazama waiting for her. Hazama told her that he knew her from an unpublished work about Seithr control, which shocked Litchi. She demanded him to return it, fought him and presumably beaten. Hazama invited her to join NOL, but she refused. However, she had second thoughts when he said 'NOL has the cure for Arakune'.
The next day, Litchi is approached by Taokaka who wanted her to care for someone who fell from the sky... this is actualy Ragna. She tried healing her, but suddenly blacked out again and started developing some desire to get the Azure. She snapped out in time and Torakaka warned her not to get addicted with the Azure. Confused with what happened to her, she saw a vision of her old friend Tager and approached him, hoping to contact Kokonoe and ask about her condition. She did, and Kokonoe instead pitted Tager to fight her. Litchi suddenly felt enormous power in her and beat Tager really hard. Kokonoe told her that this was the result of the power of the Boundary and she should stop dabbling in it. Frightened, she ran off.
She started to get confused on what that was about, but then met up Hazama again, who still insisted on her joining NOL. She still refused, but then Hazama revealed where Arakune currently is, and that the NOL has really vast information bank. Without a choice, she just pursued Arakune and met him. She bested him in combat, and suddenly, Arakune started speaking normally. He told her she should just kill him and be done with it rather than crossing one thin red line like he did.
If she agreed, she killed Arakune and in exchange, he devoured her memories about him, making her forget about Arakune. Time passed, she ended up bedridden as her body was still corrupted. However, Kokonoe had a change of heart and swore to save her, even if her time limit was just about 6 months. The end result was unknown.
If she refused, she ended up discovering that the Boundary affects each of its victim in a different way, and different time period as well. If she was like Arakune, she should've been in worse condition at that time. Regardless, she realized that there may still be a chance and left Arakune again. After remembering some people dear to her (such as Linhua, Taokaka and even Bang), she remained firm that at the moment she needed to save Arakune, thus as much as Hazama still made her uneasy, she agreed to join NOL and presumably work under him as he's the head of Intelligence Department.
While the timeframe was not very known when did this happen, after joining NOL she was tasked to stop Rachel Alucard, being Hazama's nemesis, from advancing. Litchi used the lie that the area further was dangerous, but Rachel did not fall for it and admonishes her decision to join NOL, which riled her up and insisted that she's come too far, nobody wants to help her and even if the chance was just little, she would bet on it. Rachel instead handily beat her and told her to think about what she's doing. Litchi was left in confusion... but on the other hand, Rachel ended up trapped on Phantom's mechanism which lied beyond Litchi.
Timeframe still unknown, it seemed that after Litchi joined NOL, she met up with a distraught Carl. She tried comforting him, but he lashed out on her on the basis that she's an adult and adults were evil. Carl eventually calmed down and broke down crying as she comforted him and told him that adults aren't all that bad. Suddenly, Litchi was pushed aside by Relius Clover, Carl's father. He freely admitted all of his atrocity, including turning Ada into Nirvana, and seemed to know Litchi's status as Kokonoe's student. She could only call him "evil". Relius didn't pull any punches and attempted to kill Carl, and also Litchi with his automaton, Ignis, but they all escaped when Nirvana teleported them all away. Litchi then learned that Ignis was Carl's mother.
And regardless, Relius was a high ranking Colonel of NOL, therefore her ally.
She's later summoned to stand on the side of the Imperator as she attempted to stop Hazama from wreaking further havoc and declare her intention. Litchi wasted no words as she, along with Tsubaki, blocked the attacking Jin and Hakumen, or when the declaration was about 'Creating a World of Death'. She didn't say anything about her colleagues and wasn't seen any further.
==========================
SPECULATION/ANALYSIS
==========================
And there we go... It's time I lambast the hell outta all my declaration.
Basically, we are shown that during her time as Kokonoe's apprentince, she's just the normal 'good girl'. However, we can see one thing that shows her obsession: Lotte already lambasted her out, but she still sided with him. Perhaps her definition of 'love' has been so twisted that she only sees from the good, not the bad... thus she only loved a 'shadow', which was the Lotte of her mind, the quiet, studious Lotte, never wanting to admit that even Lotte has a dark side.
She resolved to save him... but was it because she just has a big responsibility complex, or because she was in love and obsessed with him? We may never know. It could be read as both. Also, what was she obsessed about? Finishing her duty? Or love?
We never know if her kind side has been there since the beginning before she met Lotte, or if she only became kind because she felt guilty on Lotte's condition. Thus her true nature might not be that clear cut. We never know if she'd open up a clinic in Orient Town if the incident with Lotte never happened, nor if she would lower herself to visit the Kaka clan regularly if those never happened. But we do know that she's protecting them for free, although the fact that she still let Arakune live, and subsequently eat innocent Kakas could be a weapon for her haters, even if she tried minimizing the casualties.
She saw Hakumen kill Arakune in one of the CT's path. Since 'nearly everything in CT' is canon, she would recognize Hakumen as one who would endanger Arakune's presence. Thus, if she hated Hakumen, she has a legitimate reason.
Due to the blurriness of her past, there hasn't been any reason why Litchi refused to join NOL at first. It certainly can't be because "Hazama is a creepy suspicious guy!" only. A police force is still a police force even if it has one creepy member. Litchi herself has acted neutrally like any other citizen about NOL, she could surrender Ragna to it if he ever endangered Orient Town. But there has to be something that had her dislike NOL that rather than going to NOL in the first place, she instead joined Sector Seven and Kokonoe.
She may think Hazama is creepy, shady and suspicious guy... but since she's desperate and obsessed, she ended up joining and working under him... Now many people think that it's a smart thing to do. But... isn't it COMMON SENSE to STAY AWAY FROM SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE? It was a stupid move, plain and simple. As in Tager's story, he did state that Litchi has the ability to live happily, she just doesn't want to do it. It may also mean that she simply lacks a sense of justice, and I'm not talking about the overblown one Bang had, just one that would be her cornerstone not to join evil. We all know that she wouldn't immediately peg NOL as evil at bat, but... when you see someone as shady as Hazama... you should know you're in deep shit, even if you don't know the shit he did to Ragna and Noel.
Worse, if she wants information, the one she works under would be Hazama, not Relius. And we know how much evil-loving, despair-loving, screwy bastard Hazama is. He'd do more than screw Litchi's hope. Being a manipulative one as well, he'd probably manipulate Litchi further until her goodness are washed away.
And by sticking with NOL, she pretty much ignores Rachel's warning and destroys Carl's trust on him. By appearing in front of her with the Imperator by her side and not saying anything, that seems like telling this to Rachel: "I'm not gonna listen to anything you said. You dissed my goal. So **** you!" As of Carl, Litchi knew just how bad Relius is, she witnessed it with her own eyes. Yet she still worked for him even if Carl hates him, has trusted her. Imagine just how crushed poor Carl will be when he learns that one of his most trusted adults works with his most hated adult. Yet Litchi doesn't seem to show any signs of care, all she wanted was to save Arakune, no matter the cost... perhaps even if the cost is 'World Destruction'. She said nothing about something as ominous as 'World of Death', meaning that she may not care really much, so long as she fulfilled her obsession.
There are many who said that her time was running short, thus her desperation, but her discovery was ambiguous. The only thing there is was 'each person's affected totally in different time'. She could've been lucky that she actually had more time than Arakune, and she even claimed that right now, she should've been reduced into Arakune's level of corruption. But perhaps, it could be implied that she assumed the worst and think her time was really short.
Right now, she's an antagonist, that's for sure. However, many claims that she will not be with NOL for so long. True enough, with just about her multitude kind acts, she could draw some line and say enough is enough due to her conscience. However, we can also look or be aware at these facts:
1. She's obsessed and joining NOL means she was able to put away conscience/morality for her goal.
2. She has some sort of doormat personality, obeying anything that could help her reach her goal. If Hazama was not the dealer, but the frigging Devil himself, Litchi would agree.
3. Her relationship with her current oppositions were not exactly good:
-Ragna: Wanted Criminal. Killed innocent NOL officers without mercy.
-Jin: Traitorous Major. Attacked the Imperator.
-Noel: Traitor.
-Rachel: Dissed her goal about saving Arakune.
-Hakumen: Attacked the Imperator. Attempted to kill Arakune in the past.
-Kokonoe: Refused her in the most crucial moment.
Therefore, she will not hesitate next time she's ordered to attack them.
4. Most importantly, she will say 'She's come too far in this'. And everyone will agree rather than tell her 'You're not far enough!'
5. She has nobody to turn into for help. Aside of Kokonoe already refusing her, Taokaka now hangs out with Ragna. Bang is too preoccupied with the defense of Ikaruga. Carl concentrates on the hunt for Relius (and Ragna). And Linhua? Tidbits about her and Tager are revealed, thus she will be left behind even by her assistant as Linhua would be more involved with Tager.
6. According to her personal bio, she is stated to be stubborn at times. And the one thing she hates is indecisiveness. If she backs down from it, she will be called 'indecisive'.
Unless there are other stuffs that could rebuke those five, we all should be aware that there's always a not-so-small chance that Litchi stays as an antagonist. And I haven't even gotten into how the fandom swings, but that's not what'll be covered here.
Okay that's enough talk from me. I think I missed out some things, so I may update this from time to time. Regardless, let's see how you agree with/rebuke my analysis and write up, or even still think of her being bland (or no longer thinks so thanks to my writeup). Thanks.
_________________ Don't wanna sound like a hypocrite. Sig will be as gloomy as me. Though... http://tiny.cc/uw386
|
