[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

No I don't think you have understood what I mean. I'm not talking about the coincidence of Ikuko and Tohya being compatible or anything but the coincidence of Tohya having all these qualities (some of which unusual) that Battler is assumed to have.

The same qualities involving the age~name connection you're making and the mystery novel connection you're making apply to the link between Ikuko and Yasu as much as the link between Battler and Touya.

I don't see random=Touya's coincidental traits as any less plausible than Battler=Touya being found by a random, wealthy, hermit mystery writer with a vague past who likes to write anonymously, has an inclination to take random amnesiacs she picks off the street into her family (without contacting any authorities), and happens to have a name to match the age of Yasu.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

But you still haven't said what would be the reason for Ikuko to brainwash Tohya to begin with. If it's something that it is merely postulated, you can't really say that "Y is wrong because she has no reason to do X". One can always postulate a reason X as you have postulated yours.

I've implied it already, rather clearly in my opinion. It's the same reason Kinzo wanted Beatrice II to be Beatrice I. Yasu refuses to accept that Battler is dead and is trying to "resurrect" him.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

You'll need to admit it either way. You are imagining that Ikuko has completely brainwashed a brain damaged random person she found on a street. You are imagining that she has basically complete control on him.
Would have been so difficult to just tell that Ange refused to meet it? Especially considering that for several decades Ange has been completely elusive?

I never said it would be difficult for Ikuko to avoid Touya meeting with Ange. I said it's a matter of her permitting it.

You're making an assumption here that Ikuko would automatically see Touya meeting Ange entirely as a threat to her "work" done on Touya and nothing else. It's important to remember that evil-version-Ikuko has thus far failed to make Touya into Battler. After all these decades she's only managed a half-success, so at this point she's probably either given up, gotten sick of the rut, or is in some other way dissatisfied with the status quo. Maybe she just doesn't care enough any more to keep trying to keep a tight lid on Touya, or maybe Touya meeting Yukari could even be seen as an opportunity.

Is Ikuko even taking that big a gamble in meeting Yukari? Consider that even if Yukari says Touya isn't Battler, or Touya's memories don't quite meet with Yukari's (whose own memories of her brother are from when she was 6 and younger), would it even change anything between Touya and Ikuko? Probably not. And what if Ikuko "wins" the gamble and Touya and Yukari hit it off as long lost siblings? Wouldn't that make Touya more "Battler" than before?

Or what if maybe she does see Ange as a threat, but doesn't care because she's been conflicted about the whole affair for a long time and has finally decided to "let fate decide".

Or what if she actually wants to support Touya meeting Yukari simply because she genuinely wants to support "Battler"? Remember, it's all predicated on her own "magic" delusion of Touya actually being Battler as well.

Originally Posted by Patchwork Chimera

~~~

Very interesting stuff. I may comment later, when I have more time.