Has any mention been made of Nai's model number? I was thinking he might be an M2 since he's living longer than most male robots.
I was also imagining that one of the three M2 prototypes is probably a male. If he's not the prototype then perhaps there's another male robot... an as-yet unknown robot somewhere alive or dead like the other males, or maybe even owner.
-k
- Kempis Curious
Wednesday, September 8, 2004
An interesting idea, you have a point there. The forum discussion (male dominated:-?) seems to center a bit to much around our kawaii heroines.<_<
Hm... Kokone recognizes Alpha as an A7M2 in http://ykk.misago.org/Volume2/8 - there are probably some subtle optical or behavioral differences Ashinano-sensei's drawing style doesn't show.
Nai deducts from Alpha's name that she's an alpha model http://ykk.misago.org/Volume8/47 - but doesn't specify himself beyond the (already astounding) point he outlived the other male robot persons.
Maruko (who should know Alpha's an A7M2, and a prototyp to boot, at least from Kokone frantically babbling about Alpha) mentions (or thinks) about Nai several times. She will probably speak more about him in ch 119 (sigh:-) - but IMHO didn't mention Nai is a more special type, either. Doesn't she know - or doesn't she want to make Nai any more attractive for Alpha, in the "birds of a feather" sense? She *is* kinda jealous since finding out Alpha met Nai http://ykk.misago.org/Volume8/131
Nothing seems to speak against Nai being an A7M2 - but IIRC there is nothing that backs up your theory, either. I don't think, though, that he's the third prototype, and (how lame;-) simply for sake of story development: He is already flashy enough as the single male robot person (so far), why waste a special character like the third prototype on this already outstanding "NPC";-?
Seeing how Alpha-san and Directo Alpha are somehow linked (thru their dreams, the "below and above" chapters and Koumiishi-sensei), I put my money on some kind of link between the third prototype and either or both Alphas, too - if he/she is still alive.
- Rainer
Friday, September 10, 2004
There may not be any recognizable differences, maybe Kokone is told to deliver to "A7M2 Alpha Hatsuseno". In that case she would know the model numbers of the robots she delivers her special messages to.
Also, when Alpha discovers Kokone is a robot, Alpha says "If you don't say anything, how can I know?" and Kokone replies "You know! The manner, the green or purple hair...". Of course that doesn't mean there aren't more subtle details.
- Brad
Friday, September 10, 2004
I don't think we've met all the robots of this world, so it could fit together in a way we have not yet imagined. I'm wondering if Nai might predate the A7's altogether.
- Dave Thespork
Friday, September 10, 2004
@ Brad
I don't have any proof for differences, it was just an idea. But IMHO Alpha's prototype status (not a lot of "siblings" during her creation) und solitary upbringing is the main reason she's clueless about other robots being out there - Alpha is quite a hillbilly;-)
If she was mostly oblivious to this fact, how should she recognize (theoretical) differences between M2 and M3 modells?
P.S. One of them might be her appearance (IMHO this has been discussed before): While Kokone and Maruka are more on the "kawaii girl" side, Alpha-oneesan looks quite grown-up and feminine in comparison, at least after the first two or three volumes.
- Rainer
Saturday, September 11, 2004
My explanation is just an idea too! :)
I've always thought that Director Alpha looks like an older version of Alpha.
- Brad
Sunday, September 12, 2004
That's an interesting idea that the male robots might be outside the A7M2 or M1 or M3 model lines.
Also thinking about Alpha and Kokone's first meeting compared to Alpha and Nai's. Alpha was able to figure out that Nai was robot even though Nai has brown hair. Apparently she was able to figure out the "manner" of robots... I wonder what that is? What word was used there, and does it have more shades of meaning?
I also wonder if Kokone knows that robots don't necessarily have green or pink hair. ^_^
-k
- Kempis Curious
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
In the story, Nai's owner told Alpha that Nai was a robot before he landed. She did not have to guess. Nai figured out that Alpha was a robot immediately.
I wonder why Nai is so quite. The M3 robots act very naturally. Alpha's personality is pleasant but certainly unusual. Since both Alpha and Nai behave unconventionally, I suspect Nai is one of the other M2 prototypes. Notice that he said that the other boy robots died young for some reason he did not understand. Has he lived in isolation as Alpha appears to have done? Or were both of them rebooted?
- Loran
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Wow, never considered that Nai might not be an A7 at all.
I think all we know about the earlier models is that it's probably not a happy story. Having nearly all of them die is not happy. Yet another possibility!
I found it interesting what Sensei said when talking to Kokone about the earlier robots. She said something like "there should be records somewhere". Maybe we'll find out one day.
I'd love to hear more about Director Alpha's past. I wonder if Director Alpha and Alpha ever had any direct contact. Oops, I'm trying to hijack the thread.
- Brad
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
From my notes, it seems that "S3" refers to a body type. But why "3"? Seems like there would only be two: male and female?
M = mass production
S3 = Self-sufficient body type 3
- Kerry
Thursday, September 16, 2004
>>In the story, Nai's owner told Alpha that Nai was a robot before he landed. She did not have to guess. Nai figured out that Alpha was a robot immediately.
D'oh!
I forgot that! -_- How embarrassing.
Nai's personality is a bit TOO quiet for my tastes. Apparently his emotions were moved by Alpha, but he sure doesn't show.it. The campfire chapter could have been even funnier if he would have embarrassed or amused by Alpha's sidelong glances at his... uh... area. ^_^
Maybe the "weakness" in the male robots is in their personalities, and they died from an overdose of "Being Boring".
-k
- Kempis Curious
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Howdy,
I'm curious where you found the "S" designation.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Thursday, September 16, 2004
@Kempis Curious:
He could be emotionally withdrawn after a traumatic experience.. maybe. That would fit with the pre-A7 theory. Or maybe he's just tired of people looking at him and thinking "Holy crap a male robot, with a penis!!" :)
I don't think Nai is an M2. He doesn't seem to have any of the abilities that Alpha has. But he is different, so who knows.
- Brad
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Yeah, I felt that he was long past being bothered by people and/or robots being curious about his naughty bits. However, he's a fool for not using Alpha's curiousity to make a pass at her. I can think of a lot of responses ranging from the level of "smooth talking" to "Wooo! That's dirty!" ^_^ Maybe he's gay, and met Maruko through a "Gay and Lesbian Robots of What's Left of Japan" association.
I also agree that Nai's reaction to Alpha's interfacing with the airplane casts doubt on his M2-ness. He seemed to recognize what was happening, but he didn't seem familiar with the feelings that Alpha was experiencing. This is assuming that M1s and M2s can interface with airplanes while others cannot. So far only "Alpha"s have connected with airplanes, right?
-k
- Kempis Curious
Friday, September 17, 2004
DDave;
"I'm curious where you found the "S" designation. "
-------------
Sorry, I jotted that down over a year ago, maybe from a no-longer-extant website. I looked thru most of the back issues and couldn't find the reference.
Anyway, Alpha would be a "A7M2S3" model.
- Kerry
Friday, September 17, 2004
DDave;
I found the reference to the "self-sufficient" body type!
It was in the MangaProject translation of YKK.
In vol 4, ch28, page 4.
But it may have been a mistranslation - I don't know any Japanese, but Neil's translations seem more consistent with the pictures. However, the MangaProject scans are a little better.
- Kerry
Friday, September 17, 2004
I don`t think that Nai is A7M2. (IMHO A7M3)
There was a male robot in Vol4 p.66-71 (Misago-ship). I think he was an A7M2. (Sensei`s age -> time before mass-production)
Sorry, bad english...
- Vida Laszlo
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Hello,
I don't see any male robots in Vol 4. Ch28 "Connections"
I think that flashback predates the A7 series, if not all robots. That's Sensei at the controls of the Misago.
- Brad
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Sorry
I am blind.
(Sensei has not a typical feminine face.)
But how can a human being use that cable in mouth?
- Vida L
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Yes, that is a very interesting question!
It was discussed a bit in this thread:
http://ykk.misago.org/Forum?cmd=show&id=371
I believe it's used only to record Sensei's experience in some way. That's consistant with their aim to record the feeling of surpassing one's limits.
That also means Owner could have used a mouth cord to record the message that Kokone delivered to Alpha.. assuming Owner really exists, but that's a whole other discussion!
If Sensei was capable of getting information from the cord in her mouth, I think we would see Kokone delivering messages to humans and robots.
I could go on forever here!
- Brad
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Maybe Owner used a dictaphone with mouth cord. If a camera exist, other equipment is possible...
- Vida L
Sunday, September 19, 2004
http://ykk.misago.org/Volume2/13
Notice that "Owners message felt something like that".. The message was more than a voice recording.
- Brad
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Yes, the "message felt like it" line would have made me heavily favor my notion that Owner is also robot if not for scene of Sensei with that cord in her mouth. I guess the idea is that there are a lot of nerve endings on the tongue, accessing the nervous system that way.
What do y'all think of Alpha's comment on Nai's name?
http://ykk.misago.org/Volume8/49
Was it too rude to imply his name was "Nai" because he's so lacking in personality? I think it was. : /
- Kempis Curious
Monday, September 20, 2004
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