Dazzle

[yongshun]

Everyone has to love Rahzel backpack bear and what it does to Alzeid every time Razhel uses it. lol

[Niu]

I'll have my two cents on Rahzel theory

Spoiler:

My guess that she IS Natsume. Natsume's past technically. I expect Rahzel travels to the past and become the person we know as Natsume. And I assume this is what Kiara is trying to do. Drugging Rahzel with that angel drug is no more than to change her body to the likes of Alzeid. So Rahzel can become immortal and capable of space hopping, which would be a preparation to make rahzel ready for time travel. Eventually Kiara would plot to send her to the past and rest would occur as told in the flashbacks.

[Shinji103]

So, being capable of reading Japanese (and not being able to find the english volumes at the local Barnes & Noble anyway), I ordered all the available Japanese volumes, 1-10, and marathoned them today. (not entirely throughly, but I got the gist of it)

Spoiler for Volume 10:

I found the end of this volume quite shocking (not in a "THIS MANGA SUCKS" way) when Kiara snaps and starts torturing Rahzel. I was going like "HOLY CRAP!" the whole time there. (I mean seriously, how often do you see the main character, especially a female main character, get tortured like that in anything, be it anime or manga?)

I look forward to the next volume to see a) how the heck they fix Rahzel up, b) how the heck she'll stay her cheery self after this, and c) Alzeid's full-blown reaction to this. As much as I take Rahzel's quote to Soresta way back in volume 2 (about her relationship with Alzeid) seriously, I'm still hoping for a romantic relationship between those two. (after all, just because she said that way back then doesn't mean her feelings about him can't change, and she didn't necessarily say that the two of them couldn't have that kind of relationship anyway) Probably has to do with the fact that I'm a sucker for romance, and that EVERY SINGLE JAPANESE MANGA COVER IS PURE RAHZELxALZEID EYE CANDY.

Volume 11 won't be out for maybe another 4 or so months. *sob* T.T

[Ookla The Mok]

Shinji, you're going to give LKK severe pains with your volume 10 spoilers. Also, remember that there was a 20-month gap between the publications of volume 8 and volume 9. It's anyone's guess when volume 11 will come out.

Niu, I've been waiting for months to see if anyone would come up with that theory.

Spoiler for more on that theory:

And remember, Alzeid is the second clone.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

Shinji, you're going to give LKK severe pains with your volume 10 spoilers.

No, Shinji's not going to give me severe pains about v10 spoilers because I'm not going to read them. *clenches fist* I will be strong!

@ Shinji: Thank you for labeling your spoilers post so I knew in advance to avoid it. I hope you'll continue to label any more spoilers you write.

@ Niu: I'm going to have to think some more about your Rahzel theory. My first impulse is to disagree with you. But I want to do some research in the books and elsewhere before I make an informed response.

Spoiler for v08 reference & Niu's theory:

I need to read up on the theorist Rahzel mentioned in v08. I have a link for more information about him and his theories, but I haven't had the time to work my way through the article. If his field of expertise is relativity theory, then you may indeed be on to something. But as of now, I'm sticking with my Rahzel is a clone of Natsume theory.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

Shinji, you're going to give LKK severe pains with your volume 10 spoilers. Also, remember that there was a 20-month gap between the publications of volume 8 and volume 9. It's anyone's guess when volume 11 will come out.

What do you think the spoiler tag is for? And I'm basing my guesstimate for the volume 11 release on the length of time between volumes 9 and 10. (iirc this manga had to change publishers sometime ago, after which the current publisher also re-released all the previous volumes under their name, which may explain the gap between volumes 8 and 9)

[Ookla The Mok]

Nope, the publisher change was after volume 3. Volume 9 was originally scheduled to come out in February 2006, and then it got delayed to March 2006 (or something like that...I can't find the exact dates right now), and then it was delayed indefinitely until it finally came out in April 2007.

And the pain you're causing LKK is the urge to look.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

Nope, the publisher change was after volume 3. Volume 9 was originally scheduled to come out in February 2006, and then it got delayed to March 2006 (or something like that...I can't find the exact dates right now), and then it was delayed indefinitely until it finally came out in April 2007.

And the pain you're causing LKK is the urge to look.

It was only a guess. Either way, it's very unlikely that whatever happened to volume 9 will happen again, so we're still looking at a ~4-5 month wait on 11.

From what LKK said, he doesn't seem to be in any pain over it, lol.

[Phae]

I couldn't resist and marathoned the entire 10 volumes in Japanese a couple of weeks back. And now of course I'm at the edge of my seat waiting for the 11th Vol.

Spoiler for Spoiler for Vol 10:

I couldn't believe they ended it on such a cliff hanger! While I know Alzeid must get to her ontime before they do too much damage (or all the laws of being a main character in manga would be violated), I definitely need to find out NOW what happened.

So of course the first thing I did upon finishing Vol 10 was check the published date and then tried to do math and calculate when the next vol would be out. Anyone reading the actual magazine the chapters are published in?

[Ookla The Mok]

I skim every chapter as Zero-Sum comes out, but my Japanese is quite bad. Also, sometimes there's only half a chapter in the magazine (seriously, it can be as few as six pages, and then the next part is labeled with the same chapter number with a ".5").

There was a great 4-page omake the other month though where Endoh talked about meeting the anime's voice actors and thinking "I want to touch him! (CRIME)" Hopefully that will make it into volume 11.

Did anyone get the Hatenkouyugi Anthology book yet? Also, the artbook comes out tomorrow.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot that in the most recent issue of Zero-Sum there was a Hatenkouyugi drama CD teaser that had about 12 minutes of a drama CD story with Rahzel, Alzeid, and Baroqueheat, and then about 12 minutes of the voice actors just joking around and laughing a lot.

My Japanese listening comprehension is much worse than my reading is, so I can't guess what it was about beyond the three telling each other stories...maybe ghost stories? Anyway it was pretty clear it wasn't from the manga, but it was definitely in character.

(Anyone know what a doorbell sound means in a drama CD though? The first time I heard it I thought it was...well...a doorbell, but then it became clear it must be some kind of standard drama CD shorthand, like a sweatdrop in manga.)

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

And the pain you're causing LKK is the urge to look.

Originally Posted by Shinji103

From what LKK said, he doesn't seem to be in any pain over it, lol.

I'm flattered at all the concern expressed about my mental health with regards to spoilers. Ookla likes to tease me with his advanced knowledge of Dazzle spoilers. So he knows that after a while, I will give into temptation after a long hard fight. But I shall continue to resist as best I can.

PS to Shinji: I'm a woman although my user name often leads people to think otherwise. Or maybe I somehow sound male when I write?

[Deathkillz]

Man you guys are so far ahead, and I've been lagging behind in catching up

I suppose I'll have to close one of my eyes now to avoid spoilers *cough*

I still dam myself that I can't read Japanese *sniffs*

[Niu]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

Niu, I've been waiting for months to see if anyone would come up with that theory.

Spoiler for more on that theory:

And remember, Alzeid is the second clone.

Spoiler:

So you mean to say Alzeid travels back to time with her too and he is actually Second? If this is true, Sera's hate toward Alzeid is sooo ironic.

Originally Posted by LKK

@ Niu: I'm going to have to think some more about your Rahzel theory. My first impulse is to disagree with you. But I want to do some research in the books and elsewhere before I make an informed response.

Spoiler for v08 reference & Niu's theory:

I need to read up on the theorist Rahzel mentioned in v08. I have a link for more information about him and his theories, but I haven't had the time to work my way through the article. If his field of expertise is relativity theory, then you may indeed be on to something. But as of now, I'm sticking with my Rahzel is a clone of Natsume theory.

Spoiler:

BTW, in Rahzel is clone theory, you believe Rhazel's biological parents really aren't her biological parents right? Or you have other assumptions that works around that?

----

Also, speaking of the recent volumes, who think Alzeid is really falling apart? I must say wow, WOW. He is such a dumbass after his "cool" mask got completly pulled down. And how he got treated like a man-servant in recent volume is just sad. And geeish, and I was thinking he might finally grow up after the whole incident with Rayborn. Instead, he is even more of a kid now.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Niu

Spoiler:

BTW, in Rahzel is clone theory, you believe Rhazel's biological parents really aren't her biological parents right? Or you have other assumptions that works around that?

Spoiler for my Rahzel theory:

You're first understanding is the correct one. In my Rahzel is Natsume's Clone Theory, the man and woman (I've forgotten their names, Fabien & Ilyria??) who raised little Rahzel are not her genetic parents. Ilyria may have been a surrogate mother implanted with the clone that would grow to become Rahzel. But I'm more inclined to believe that the couple received the infant Rahzel similar to how Jean Foupe, the innkeeper, was "given" the infant Larawell. (I think that's part of what the Larawell incident is intended to foreshadow.) I think Kiara was the one who put Larawell in the sky burial graveyard. And I think Kiara is the one who brought the infant Razhel to the people she believes are her biological parents.

[Ookla The Mok]

Originally Posted by Niu

Spoiler:

So you mean to say Alzeid travels back to time with her too and he is actually Second? If this is true, Sera's hate toward Alzeid is sooo ironic.

Spoiler for Niu's theory, volume 8:

I don't know. But it seems possible. However, there's so much I don't understand. Why did Natsume and Second fake their own deaths, if they were Rahzel and Alzeid gone back in time and knew how it would destroy their family? And most importantly, where are Natsume and Second now??

I was assuming that after Second faked his death and young Alzeid left, Second and Natsume time-traveled together again to get away from everyone, but after volume 10 I'm not sure.

In volume 8 (and 5) Alzeid's brother says that Rahzel smells like "Big Sister." Kiara tells him she is "Big Sister." This can be interpreted a few ways:

Spoiler for only read if you know what's meant by "big sister":

1. Rahzel is a clone like LKK thinks, and he's just keeping things simple when he explains things to Alzeid's brother.
2. Kiara sees in Rahzel the potential to become a "replacement" Natsume, and wants Alzeid's brother to treat her as Natsume.
3. Or Rahzel actually is Natsume and Kiara knows this and is making sure she becomes Natsume...
4. And maybe Kiara is doing everything at Natsume's wish (possibly without knowing it).

There are so many possibilities, but it's hard to account for all of Kiara's cryptic statements.

[LKK]

*sigh* I should not have opened the spoiler boxes in Ookla's post. My accidental bad. I wasn't being careful.

[Ookla The Mok]

I didn't spoil anything beyond volume 8. (I think.) Anything else was (and is) speculation.

Spoiler for volume 8:

It's in volume 8, when Kiara and longhaired-Alzeid find Rahzel in the circle, that Kiara tells Alzeid she is "big sister."

Spoiler for unless I'm wrong...:

Err... Did I screw up? Uh, now that I think about it, maybe we didn't know in volume 8 that longhaired Alzeid calls Natsume "big sister"? It's so hard to remember what's revealed where...

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

I didn't spoil anything beyond volume 8. (I think.) Anything else was (and is) speculation.

Spoiler for volume 8:

It's in volume 8, when Kiara and longhaired-Alzeid find Rahzel in the circle, that Kiara tells Alzeid she is "big sister."

Spoiler for unless I'm wrong...:

Err... Did I screw up? Uh, now that I think about it, maybe we didn't know in volume 8 that longhaired Alzeid calls Natsume "big sister"? It's so hard to remember what's revealed where...

My apologies then. I didn't think you were speculating. I thought you were speaking from what you know about v9 and beyond. Your speculations sounded like fact to me. However, what you said in this post's second spoiler box is true. That information has not been revealed as of v08.

[Phae]

Originally Posted by Ookla The Mok

Oh, I forgot that in the most recent issue of Zero-Sum there was a Hatenkouyugi drama CD teaser that had about 12 minutes of a drama CD story with Rahzel, Alzeid, and Baroqueheat, and then about 12 minutes of the voice actors just joking around and laughing a lot.

My Japanese listening comprehension is much worse than my reading is, so I can't guess what it was about beyond the three telling each other stories...maybe ghost stories? Anyway it was pretty clear it wasn't from the manga, but it was definitely in character.

(Anyone know what a doorbell sound means in a drama CD though? The first time I heard it I thought it was...well...a doorbell, but then it became clear it must be some kind of standard drama CD shorthand, like a sweatdrop in manga.)

I want that drama cd!!! My Japanese listening is as good as my reading I think so I'd prob. have about 90% comprehension. At least I was able to understand Marimite and Ghost Hunt drama cds.. so I would be able to understand them. *sigh* why don't I live in Japan??

Spoiler for re Niu's theory:

Hmm... At some point didn't Rahzel's supposed birth father said that her birth mother had magic too? I kind of made the assumption that Rahzel's magic was inherited through her birth mother.

[Ookla The Mok]

Originally Posted by Phae

Spoiler for re Niu's theory:

Hmm... At some point didn't Rahzel's supposed birth father said that her birth mother had magic too? I kind of made the assumption that Rahzel's magic was inherited through her birth mother.

Spoiler for Volume 8:

Yes, Ilyria also has magic, though it comes in the form of being able to predict the future. I also assumed Rahzel got her magic from her mother Ilyria, though it took a different form.