Background notes for Xenosaga: The Animation

[jalana]

My sincerest apologies... I meant to have this post up long before this, but life and other such "inconsequential" stuff have kept me busy.  

Xenosaga: The Animation, as many of you already know, is based on the Playstation 2 game of the same name by NAMCO.  There are many terms and references that may come up in the series that viewers may not be familiar with, especially if you've never played the game before.  Unfortunately, there is no way we'd be able to discuss these terms in depth during the episodes themselves without resorting to screen after screen of long, detailed notes.

Therefore, this thread was created in order to introduce background information for the many terms and/or concepts that have been and will be introduced in the series.  The series is also full of acronyms and random letters flying around.  Most of the time, we'll try to have a small note to explain what the acronyms stand for, but in the interest of not cluttering up the screen with information that you don't really need to enjoy the series, I'll give more information regarding those terms here on the forum when it's deemed necessary.  Much of the information on the terms can be found within the game itself.  Thanks to FScell (FScell@hotmail.com) who took the time to copy all the terms in the game database and posted the Database Transcript on GameFaqs.  It saved me a lot of time, since I didn't have to go back and reload my game to look at the database.  

Keep in mind that by its very nature, this thread will contain possible spoilers from not only the anime, but also the video game.  I will try to keep these notes confined to stuff mentioned within the episodes we've already released to minimize such spoilers.  Also, I will not be explaining plot points that should be explained as the series progresses--sometimes the journey toward enlightenment can be more fulfilling than the knowledge itself.  


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Episode 1 Notes

Acronyms:

A.G.W.S. - A name uses to describe all weapons systems designed to fight the Gnosis, not all of which come in humanoid forms. The A.G.W.S. were substantially downscaled in size to better respond to the Gnosis sudden attacks, and are roughly equivalent in weight to a large automobile. The acronym stands for "Anti-Gnosis weapon system."

D.S.S.S. - A device developed by Vector Industries, used to detect Gnosis in the imaginary realm.  The concept behind this device is similar to that of the double-slit light interference experiment often used in quantum physics.  The acronym stands for for "Double slot sensory system" (read as "D-triple-S")

KOS-MOS - One of the main characters in this series, KOS-MOS is an armored android developed by Vector Industries.  The name KOS-MOS is a general acronym to denote an anti-gnosis tactic system. It stands for "Kosmos Obey Strategic Multiple Operation Systems."

U.M.N. - This is short for "Unus Mundus Network," which is an informational network that spans the entire universe. It plays a large role in space warps and FTL (faster than light) communications.  The concept is based on a theory by psychiatrist Carl Jung, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud's.  He used the term "unus mundus" (one world) to describe a state beyond this world where every contradiction in physics can be explained.


Terms introduced:

In the beginning of episode one, Shion is testing KOS-MOS' battle capabilities within the Encephalon dive.  In the game, this is a simulated virtual environment inside KOS-MOS's main network that the player can access for training purposes.  The term "encephalon" means "brain" in the Greek language.

The phrases "gate jump" and "gate out" were mentioned a few times.  They refer to the act of entering and exiting hyperspace, respectively.  The process involved transitioning from normal space to warp space, and back.

The term "Column space," also mentioned several times in the episode, refers to relay points located at certain intervals in hyperspace.  These columns connect every transport gate in the galaxy to one another. It is similar to the connections within a neural network. Since each column has a limited area of influence, a gate jump cannot be performed from outside that area.

The enemies threatening mankind are called the Gnosis.  It's unknown what their goal is... the only thing certain is their hostility toward humans.  Gnosis exist in a different dimension, separate and distinct from the physical plane.  As a result, it is normally impossible to make physical contact with these creatures.  An interesting thing to note: Gnosis (Greek for "knowledge") is a term for any one of the many varying sects of Gnosticism, a pre-Christian religion that had its twilight around the fifth century A.D.  Gnosticism regards the material world as fundamentally evil and false, and teaches that knowledge of its nature (as opposed to faith, the keystone of most other religions) is essential to transcending it and returning to the spiritual realm after death.

When Commander Margulis spoke to Commander Andrew (Cherenkov), he warned Andrew that their EPR radar had picked up anomalous readings on the U.M.N.  This radar utilizes the EPR paradox to overcome limits imposed by the speed of light.  Its effective range is thousands of light years.  The EPR paradox itself is an actual thought experiment in quantum mechanics which demonstrates that the result of a measurement performed on one part of a quantum system can have an instantaneous effect on the result of a measurement performed on another part, regardless of the distance separating the two parts.  This runs counter to the intuition of special relativity, which states that information cannot be transmitted faster than the speed of light.  It was presented in 1935 by Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen (EPR) in support of their argument that quantum mechanics is an unfinished theory that still falls short in its explanation of reality.

We are first introduced to the Realians on the bridge, and then later on in the maintenance bay.  The Realians are artificial humans.  A wonder of molecular bioengineering, their biological composition comes in various forms based on need, from carbon based duplicates of real humans to those based on silicon or liquid metal. Many of the Realians onboard the Woglinde were made by Vector, and they are hybrid models with a carbon/silicon base.  Their basic rights equal those of humans and are recognized by law. However, due to the fact that their minds are initialized with a slight bias, all Realians tend to display similar personality traits. This bias is applied not only for the purpose of preventing criminal behavior by Realians, but also in consideration of humans who may feel threatened by their "superiority" (albeit only in certain specialized skills). Several companies manufacture Realians, but Vector makes the basic program (in other words the central nervous system) of all Realians.  This program is not public knowledge, and any modification beyond regular maintenance and adjustments can only be performed by Vector.

The 100-Series Observational Realians are anti-Gnosis Realians that are capable of unleashing the Hilbert Effect (to be explained in the next episode's notes).  A brand new technology only recently developed, the 100-Series system combines the D.S.S.S. and the Hilbert Effect to combat the Gnosis.  The entire system weights over 10 tons, making it virtually impossible to scale it down to human size. Thus, the 100-Series system that was issued to the military consisted of two parts; the main system (a 15m x 15m block resembling a supercomputer) and a mass produced 100-Series Realian as a terminal device.


Interesting stuff:

The first thing worth mentioning is the Zohar.  This is the mysterious, cross-shaped, golden object that was introduced in the very beginning of both game and anime.  The object remains a focal point in the game (as well as in the subsequent sequels), and I expect it to be the same in the anime series, so I won't go into too much detail about it.  However, I thought it was interesting (and important) to note that the name "Zohar" is Hebrew in origin.  The Zohar (which means "splendor" or "radiance") is widely considered the most important work of the Kabbalah (the Kabbalah is an aspect of Jewish mysticism and consists of a large body of speculation on the nature of divinity, the creation, the origin and fate of the soul, and the role of human beings).  The Zohar, which is a collection of books, is a mystical commentary on the Torah (a tricky word which can refer to 1) the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy; 2) the entire Jewish bible; or in its broadest sense, 3) to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings), written in medieval Aramaic and medieval Hebrew. It contains a mystical discussion of the nature of God; the origin and structure of the universe; the nature of souls, sin, redemption, good and evil; and other related topics.

The red symbols you see on the Zohar in the title screen for each episode are, in fact, Hebrew letters.  Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. The first ten letters have the values one to ten.  The next nine letters are valued from 20 to 100, in increments of ten.  The remaining letters are valued at 200, 300, and 400.  So in episode one, the letter "Alef" is on the Zohar, which corresponds to the number one.  The letter "Bet," or number two, is featured in the second episode, and so forth.

The series start out on board the battlecruiser Woglinde.  Opera fans/lovers should recognize this name as that belonging to one of the Rhinemaidens from Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung, AKA the Ring Cycle), which is an opera cycle/series consisting of four "music-dramas" (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung), composed by Richard Wagner.  An interesting thing to note: While Wagner's Ring cycle of operas were based, in part, on Germanic and Scandanavian mythologies, they have long been criticized by many scholars as being anti-Semitic, which is ironic, considering Wagner considered himself to be Jewish.  Indeed, he became known for his anti-Semantic views later in his life.


Other background stuff from the game:

A large portion of the universe in which Xenosaga takes place is governed by the Galaxy Federation Government, or GFG.  It is an interplanetary republic comprised of approximately half a million planets.  Each planetary system maintains autonomous rule within the framework of Federation law.

The company Shion works for is Vector Industries, the largest business conglomerate in the Federation, and an integral part of modern civilization.  It is involved in the production and distribution of almost every product, from food and medicine, software and hardware, to communication and weapons. It has a multitude of divisions, of which the core components are the First, Second, and Third R&D Divisions.

Shion is the Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS project in the General Operation System Research Center within the Vector Industries First R&D Division.  The First Division's origins date back to a joint venture by the government and private sector to manage the U.M.N.  Although it now functions as a department within a corporation, it has retained its original title of "Division."  After relegating the management of the U.M.N. to the government, the Divisions primary function has been the development of various computer chips and supporting software for industrial supercomputer A.I's.

Shion mentioned that she was thinking about requesting a transfer to the Third R&D Division after the KOS-MOS project was completed.  The sole purpose of the Third Division is to oversee the development, production, training, and distribution of Realians.

[Wirebrain]

Nice crash course you have up there,

excuse me if I may add a few things:

On the different R&D divisions-
1st R&D Division works on the wild high tech gear, top secret projects and new technical discoveries. They are the "Imagineers" for Vector.
2nd R&D is the weapon works. They create all sorts of fun toys for the military and private orginisations, like the A.G.W.S (pronouced "EGGS") which is more like power armor that can be used inside ships (8-10ft) to fight against the Gnosis threat unlike it's larger A.M.W.S. cousins (about 30ft tall), which have full cockpits and normally house a pilot and a navigator. They also supply the weapons KOS-MOS can directly access via pocket space, and sell generic A.G.W.S. to the public, like the one chaos (yes, his name is all lower capped) uses on the Elsa. (Albedo's mech is NOT a A.M.W.S. but something different all together.)
3rd R&D is mostly concerned with Realians as stated above, and Realian related issues, such as the skin disease Lt. Virgil has, which he got during the Militian Conflict 14 years before the story starts from eating the flesh and brain tissue of Realians (yum).

Miltian Charter:
The Mitian Charter was written up after the Miltian Conflict, where 14 years ago, many Realians began to violently revolt in the Miltian Star System. This conflict did so much damage that Miltia was then evacuated and abandoned as two black holes formed near the planet. The Miltian Parliment found a new planet in a nearby system, dubbing it 2nd Miltia and the 2nd Miltian System and set up shop there. The charter was one of the first things recognized by the Galaxy Federation by the 2nd Miltian Parlament.

100-Series Realians: Quick correction- 100-Series Realians can produce the Hilbert Effect, but only in short ranges. The big computer is what is needed as a booster for the signal to do any real good outside of a ship. Since we discover that the 100-series is in fact a Kirshwasser (a prototype model, a first draft if you will) which is not rigged with any Hilbert Effect equipment, that is why the Woglinde was in hot water with KOS-MOS still asleep.

UMN- Collumn gate jumping is the way to travel in Xenosaga because it's the only way to reach FTL speeds safely (as far as the public knows). Think of collumn gates as toll freeways. Also, It's not safe for a normal human to travel via a UMN collumn without being completely inside a starship as it has a 98% chance of death.

Enjoy watching Xenosaga as much as I had working on the game!

[jalana]

Episode 2 Notes

Acronyms:

None introduced in this episode.

Terms introduced:

Because the Gnosis exist in a separate dimension, conventional weapons are unable to hit them.  This makes fighting these enemies rather difficult.  Enter the Hilbert Effect.  This is a device that generates a finitely bound realm (a "sensory" realm, to be exact) to enable an intersection with the imaginary realm.  In other words, it forces the Gnosis to cross dimensions and manifest in the physical plane of this dimension.  The Hilbert Effect is based on the concept of a Hilbert Space, which is an actual mathematical physics theory put forth by a German 19th century mathematician, David Hilbert.  In somewhat simplistic terms, a Hilbert Space is a metric space that is linear, complete, and usually infinite-dimensional.

The ships in Xenosaga are powered by Logic Drives, which are logic propulsion devices.  The Logic Drive is a new type of propulsion system that replaced traditional reactionary propulsion systems.  It works by reconfiguring the spatial phase around its direction of travel.

Interesting stuff:

Another Wagner tidbit for everyone.  The freighter at the end of the episode is a Lohengrin class ship called the Elsa.  Lohengrin is the name of another opera by Richard Wagner.  In this opera, the heroine, Elsa, is falsely accused of murder, but a knight in shining armor comes to her rescue.  He offers to marry her on the condition that she does not ask his name or past.  She agrees, but ever curious, she questions him before their marriage.  He answers her questions, but then leaves to return to his homeland, leaving Elsa to die of sorrow at his departure.

Other background stuff from the game:

The official name for the U-TIC Organization is the Unknown Territory Intervention and Creation Agency.  It is an agency closely connected with the Miltian Conflict.  It was buried in obscurity for decades, but reappeared in T.C. 4767, which is when the story begins.  An independent organization not associated with the Galaxy Federation, it nevertheless boasts a level of technology and military force that far surpass those of the federation government or military.  Its origins can be traced back to the Mizrahi Neuroscience institute, which means that Joachim Mizrahi is the agency's founder. However, the connection between him and Margulis is yet unknown.

References are made throughout the game (and presumably the series) to a war known as the Miltian Conflict. The name originated from Miltia (no, this isn't a typo of "Militia"), the planet where the most vicious battles were fought.  The outbreak of hostilities began 14 years ago and ultimately dragged the entire Federation into it.  After the Conflict was over, the Federaction enacted a body of laws known as the Miltian Charter.  Because the war caused such utter destruction to Miltia, the current Miltian autonomous state of government was moved to Second Miltia.

[jalana]

Episode 3 Notes

Acronyms:

A.M.W.S. - We erroneously identified this acronym as "A.M.E.S." in episode one, partly because that's what it sounds like, and partly because these units aren't introduced until the second Xenosaga game (which I haven't played yet since it won't be released for another two weeks).  The letters stand for "Assault Maneuver Weapon System."

IFF - Although this acronym was never in the actual Xenosaga game, the procedures this refers to are the primary positive means of aircraft identification in Air Defense operations.  The letters stand for "Identification, Friend or Foe." More information on the workings of IFF from the good people of Wikipedia.
Added some interesting tidbits on IFF - Xeller

MOMO - Another main character in this series, MOMO is the prototype for the 100-Series Realians.  She was designed to observe and contact the Gnosis.  The acronym is short for "Multiple Observative Mimetic Organicus."  There's more background about MOMO, but to reveal that now would be a big spoiler, so just be patient.  


Terms introduced:

KOS-MOS mentioned her energy reserves were nearly depleted because she had a test condenser installed.  The condenser is a device used to store the energy she requires to function.

Albedo calls the Observational Realian a Kirschwasser after exchanging insults with Margulis.  Kirschwasser, which means "cherry brandy" in German, refers to an Observational Realian unit created by Joachim Mizrahi for the purpose of collecting data for the prototype MOMO.


Interesting stuff:

Possible spoiler alert: Albedo also used a French word, pêche, which can mean "peach," as an endearment for... someone.  Interestingly enough, the word "momo" also means "peach" in Japanese.  Things that make you go hmm...

Related to that, the word péché means "sin" in French.  What a difference a few accents make.  In the game, Albedo uses this term as a nickname for... someone else.


Other background stuff from the game:

Ziggy, the cyborg who attacks KOS-MOS while they are waiting for the hangar deck to repressurize, mentions a group called the Federation Subcommittee on Close Encounters.  This is a panel of researchers convened by the Federation government in T.C. 4754 to counter the Gnosis phenomena.  The "sub" committee has over 2000 members representing different government agencies, corporations, and various scientific fields.  At its operational core are seven members, each of whom holds high positions in the Federation.

Allen mentions that the Second R&D Division is located at Second Miltia.  This division is responsible for hardware development at Vector Industries, including the development and production of Federation fleet vessels and A.G.W.S. units.

The name Joachim Mizrahi was mentioned several times throughout the episode.  An advocate for the 100-Series Observational Realians and a scientist renowned for his genius, Mizrahi died in T.C 4753, the year the Miltian Conflict began. The Federation benefited greatly from his contributions, as his numerous research findings played a large party in the Federations growth.  Also, as was hinted at the end of the episode, Joachim Mizrahi was also the founder of the mysterious U-TIC Organization.

The Hyams Industries was also mentioned in this episode.  They are another giant business conglomerate that rivals Vector Industries.  This group was not mentioned very much in the first game, but will apparently feature more prominently in the second game.

[jalana]

Episode 4 Notes

Acronyms:

None introduced in this episode.

Terms introduced:

In the beginning of the episode, Ziggy introduces himself as Ziggurat 8.  This is actually the cyborg model number.  The full name is Ziggurat Industries Cyborg version 8.0.  Ziggurat Industries specializes in cybernetic technology and biotechnology.  The version 8.0 cyborg was the last in the Ziggurat series, since the cybernetics department was eliminated following the Species Preservation Act.  Interestingly enough, the word "ziggurat" refers to pyramidal temples built in ancient Mesopotamian cultures. There are a few theories regarding the purpose of ziggurats, including the theory that rather than public places of worship, ziggurats were houses of God, and the theory that the ziggurats were built as bridges between heaven and earth.  The Tower of Babel was theorized to have been a ziggurat.

The hyperspace battle between the Elsa and the unknown U-TIC ship was extremely dangerous, which was why Allen started to panic when Tony powered up the Logic Drive.  As Captain Matthews had alluded, if an object (in this case, the Elsa) comes into contact with the inner boundary of hyperspace (the column wall), it will disintegrate into subatomic particles.

The Transfer Gates refer to the hyperspace network used in Xenosaga.

A cryptic conversation between (as yet) unknown personages mention something called Y Data.  This refers to a series of research data left by the late Joachim Mizrahi.  The data, which is sought by both the U-TIC organization and the Federation Subcommittee on Close Encounters, is thought to reside in MOMO's subconscious memory.  Conversations surrounding the Y Data suggests that the data is vital to the Zohar Project.  The exact nature of this project is unknown--it should be explained in the game sequel(s).

The maneuver Tony performed when the U-TIC vessel forced them up against the boundary was called a wave ride.  It is a piloting technique where a vessel's force field is intersected with the inner walls of hyperspace in order to obtain high velocity.  This technique pushes the vessel the very edge of hyperspace, thus it requires extraordinary piloting skills.

When the Elsa's radar systems go offline, it was said to be caused by the radiator melting.  The radiator in this instance is neither a heating device you'll find in older buildings, nor is it the cooling device in engines.  It is a transmitting antenna. (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=radiator)

When the Durandal emits the large-scale Hilbert Effect, not only are they using the 100-Series Realians, but also a large number of amplifiers.  These are devices used by warships to amplify the Hilbert Effect generated by the 100-Series Observational units.  The amplifier has a secondary function as an omni-directional broadcaster as well. However, due to broadcast limitations (coverage is limited to a 100KM radius), it is nessesary for several battleships to use their systems cooperatively during battles. This device runs anywhere between ten to several hundred tons, so only large vessels or cities have them. The Woglinde also had an amplifier onboard, but because the Observational unit was not on the bridge at the time, they were unable to utilize it.


Interesting stuff:

The battlecruiser Durandal was introduced in this episode.  In French folklore, Durandal was the sword of Roland, Frankish commander of Charlemagne's army in the 8th century. It was said to have once belonged to Hector of Troy, mightiest warrior on the side of Troy during the Trojan War.  According to legend, Roland won the sword and his great ivory horn, Olifant, from the giant Jutmundus. Durandal had in its hilt a thread from the cloak of the Virgin Mary, a tooth of St. Peter, a hair of St. Denys, and a drop of St. Basil's blood. A deep cleft in the Pyrenees, some 300 feet wide, is called Brèche de Roland.  Legend has it that Roland, mortally wounded at Roncesvalles, strove to break Durandal on the rocks to prevent it falling in the hands of the Saracens, thus creating the cleft.  The sword, however, was unbreakable so he hurled it into a poisoned stream, where it remains for ever.  

Other background stuff from the game:

The U.M.N. Control Center is another name for the U.M.N. Transport Gate Management Facility, located on Second Miltia.  This and all facilities associated with the U.M.N. come under the jurisdiction of the U.M.N. Management Agency, which virtually controls all information within the Galaxy Federation.  This makes the Management Agency a very influential group within the central government.  The Agency relies on Vector to provide 98% of its facilities and resources.

[jalana]

Sorry about the delay.  I was busy with work for the last couple of weeks.  Hopefully, I'll also be able to get the next set of notes out soon.

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Episode 5 Notes

Acronyms:

E.S. - This is the type of mech that the U-TIC Organization provided our resident crazy man, Albedo.  They play a much larger role in the second Xenosaga game than in the first. Although the meaning behind initials are never explained in the games, it is the generally believed to stand for "Emulator Slave."  The E.S. units use Anima relics for power, similar  to the Omnigears from the Xenogears game.


Terms introduced:

In the beginning of the episode, one of the Realians onboard the Durandal mentions a device called the Attract Inhibitor.  This device is used to block Zohar Emulator functions.  

The Durandal's main computer system is known as the Pieta motherframe, made up of numerous processors.  (Yes, I know.  "Motherframe" sounds lame.  Blame the game.)  All of the processors except the main one are referred to as variants.  According to the game database, this supercomputer is owned by the Yuriev Institute, a research facility built by another giant business conglomerate, the Hyams Group.  Not much is known about either the Yuriev Institute or the Hyams Group from the first game; however, more information about the Institute is revealed in the second game.  The name "Pieta" means "pity" in Italian, and represents the image of the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ in her arms.  One of the most famous depictions of Pieta is the marble sculpture by Michelangelo.

The Durandal is the battleship of the Kukai Foundation.  The Foundation is a special organization that was established by the Second Miltian government soon after the end of the Miltian Conflict.  Its sole purpose was to subjugate the U-TIC Organization.  After U-TIC seemingly disappeared and went underground, most of the Foundation's military forces were decommissioned. Its other divisions branched off into independent civilian corporations, forming the basis of the Foundation's present structure.  Its headquarters are located on a free orbiting space colony.  Vector Industries is one of their primary investors, which explains why the majority of equipment onboard the Durandal is made by Vector.

Jr. cryptically mentions a system called the Song of Nephilim, hinting that it was the cause of many people's deaths.  The system is one of several giant machines created by the late Joachim Mizrahi.  It emits a song-like frequency that is only audible to certain individuals, but the actual purpose of this device is still unknown.  


Interesting stuff:

The names KOS-MOS and chaos play against each other, both figuratively and visually.  In the games, chaos is consistently left uncapitalized, whereas KOS-MOS is the opposite.  Similarly, it was mentioned in the first episode's notes that kosmos is the Greek word for order, which is the opposite of chaos.  The concept of chaos is seen in many creation myths as the original state of the universe before a deity brought things into order.  Since chaos' background remains unknown, we can only speculate on the not-so-hidden symbolism behind the name choices of these two characters.

The two women on the bridge of the Durandal are the sisters, Mary & Shelley.  In the game, Mary is the chief of the Kukai Foundation Strategy Division while her older sister Shelley is the aide to the chairman of the Foundation.  Although the two are sisters, Mary speaks with an accent in the game.  In the anime (and I would assume in the Japanese version of the game as well), she speaks Kansai-ben, a dialect spoken in the Kansai region of Japan, and most notably in the city of Osaka.  Another thing of interest lies in their names.  Taken together, the name "Mary Shelley" brings to mind the author of the novel, Frankenstein.

The thirteen Zohar Emulators all had biblical names: Peter, Andrew, Boanerges, Thomas, John, Philip, Matthew, Bartholomew, James, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas were the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Boanerges, which means "sons of thunder," was the surname given to brothers James and John, sons of Zebedee, on account of their impetuous tempers.  Because there was another James in the group (James, son of Alphaeus), James (brother of John) was known by his surname. The last Emulator was named Marienkind, which means "Child of Mary" in German.


Other background stuff from the game:

Shion mentions someone by the name of "Kevin" when she speculates on KOS-MOS' new abilities.  She's referring to Kevin Winnicot, the former chief engineer on the KOS-MOS project.  He was in charge of not only KOS-MOS' software components, but also the design and development of the hardware.  Second Division developed the hardware for the current KOS-MOS at a later time.  Kevin was Shion's immediate superior and also her boyfriend (some sources say he was her fiancé).  He was killed two years ago when KOS-MOS went out of control, an incident that was mentioned by the other Vector employees onboard the Woglinde in episode one.

The name Gaignun Kukai was brought up for the first time in this episode.  We'll see more of him in later episodes, but I thought it might be best to at least introduce the guy to you here.  He is the chairman of the Kukai Foundation (see above), and is listed as the first son and heir to the industrialist, Soze Kukai.  

The name Juli Mizrahi comes up for the first time in this episode as well.  She is one of the top members of the Galaxy Federation's Subcommittee on Close Encounters (S.O.C.E.), and the widow of the late Joachim Mizrahi.  She formed the Subcommittee a few years after the Miltian Conflict, after being prompted by the increase in Gnosis phenomena.  She is the current legal guardian of MOMO.

Old Miltia is the area of space where the original Miltia was located.  Much of the fighting during the Miltian Conflict 14 years ago occurred there.  The area was closed off after the appearance of a double black hole in the region.

[jalana]

Episode 6 Notes

Acronyms:

PM - Short for "pistolet Makarova," the PM is the gun Gaignun gave to Jr.  An automatic pistol made in the former U.S.S.R., it was issued to the Soviet Army in 1951, replacing the Tokarev TT1933.  The PM used 9x18mm rounds, which is slower and therefore packed less penetrating power than the older Tokarevs.

U-DO - An entity that is depicted as a massive shockwave emanating from Old Miltia.  Some believe U-DO is a living consciousness, but the truth is as yet unknown.  

U.R.T.V. - The letters stand for "U-DO Retro Virus," otherwise known as the "U-Retrovirus."  U.R.T.V.s are biological weapons created by the late Dr. Dmitri Yuriev whose life energy wavelengths cancel out that of U-DO.


Terms introduced:

Representative Helmer calls Gaignun by the name "Nigredo" in this episode.  In Latin, nigredo means "blackening" and is the first step in the alchemical process that is often also used as a symbol for psychological individuation.  The name also refers to Gaignun's hair color.  Similarly, the name Albedo means "whitening," and is the second phase of alchemical psychology, following nigredo. On a side note, the official spelling of Albedo's name in the game is Albedo Piasora.  However, in the anime, it is Albedo Piazzolla.
(http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/xenosaga/charactor/chara/albedo.html)

The term Life Recycling Variant came up as Pellegri and Margulis were discussing Albedo.  This term encompasses individuals or their descendants who have had their DNA or other biological components heavily modified.  Some may display extraordinary physical abilities or superhuman powers, depending on the level of modification.  Unfortunately, these individuals also run the risk of suffering from adverse mental effects.

Ziggy brings up a bill called the Life Recycling Act.  Passed into lay in the year, T.C. 4591, this law was intended for "effective utilization" of dwindling human resources during an age when cyborg technology was at its peak.  In time, however, the law was expanded to condone human cloning, genetic and neural engineering, and other procedures formerly banned.  The Life Recycling Act remained in effect for 160 years, until it was revoked in T.C. 4754.


Interesting stuff:

The name Kukai has an interesting origin.  Kukai, or Kobo-Daishi, was a well known Japanese monk who established the Shingon, or "True Word," sect of Buddhism.  He was also a famous calligrapher and is said to have invented hiragana. (Thanks to Dogbert for pointing this out.)

Some more interesting facts about Gnosticism, taken from The Student Bible, the Updated New American Standard Bible: As Christianity spread across the Mediterranean, it came into contact with other religions.  Greeks and Romans tried to absorb the faith into their own philosophies, just as some Jews had initially.  Intellectual centers of the Mediterranean raised questions about Jesus: Who was he?  If he was God, how could he be here?  And a popular new cult called Gnosticism (from the Greek word for knowledge, 'gnosis') gained ground in an attempt to explain things.  The cult thrived, especially among the intellectual elite.  Gnostics balked at the Christian concept of God's becoming human.  Because they believed a physical body was intrinsically evil, they denied that a pure God could take on a body.  Some dealt with the problem by claiming that Jesus was never a real human being, but a phantom, a temporary appearance of God who only looked human.  Others proposed that God had 'descended' on Jesus at his baptism, but left him before his death.  To Gnostics, all matter was evil.  Only the spirit was pure, and Gnostics sought to rise to a higher more spiritual plane.  This teaching often produced a side effect: people who strove to rise above matter didn't care about personal ethics.  Their pure spirits could not be tainted by 'earthly' sin.  Thus, they could act any way they wanted.  (Thanks to min_a_mon for copying this from her Bible.)


Other background stuff from the game:

Jr. gives MOMO a giant stuffed bunny inside the Federation.  This isn't the first time this particular bunny has made an appearance in the series.  Although it isn't explained in the anime, Bunnie is your A.I. assistant in the U.M.N., responsible for helping you with your emails and other details within the network.

Those of you who've played the Xenosaga game should recognize Scott, hapless assistant to the kooky Professor at the Robot Academy inside the Foundation.  In the game, you meet the Professor on a side quest to obtain Shion's ultimate ether skill, the Erde Kaiser.  This also happens to be the name of the invincible robot the Professor dreams of building.

[jalana]

Episode 7 Notes

Acronyms:

LSD - Another term that wasn't in the original game, but rather has real life connotations.  An LSD is an United States Navy hull classification for a dock landing ship.  The letters stand for "Landing Ship, Dock."


Terms introduced:

We are introduced to two characters in this episode: Representative Helmer and the mysterious Wilhelm.  Helmer, whose name was mentioned in previous episodes, is the representative of Second Miltia in the Executive Committee in the Galaxy Federation Government.  This committee is the central governing body of the Galaxy Federation, and is comprised of Representatives from all member systems.  In a sense, his responsibilities are similar to those of an U.N. ambassador for his country.   Not much is known about Wilhelm, the man who founded and still is the head of Vector Industries, other than the fact that he once served as the Executive Committee Director for the Galaxy Federation Government.  

The Triple A-class encryption is a designation given to areas or systems requiring the highest levels of restricted access.  Since KOS-MOS is one of the highest classified components of the Zohar Project, her database was encrypted at this level.

As Shion starts the Encephalon Dive, Allen opens an interconnection.  The term refers to the act of establishing a non-local connection using a VR-2000, which is a conduit that connects the perspective of two individuals (in this case, Shion and KOS-MOS).  This method frees data transference from the limitation of physics and allows instantaneous exchange of data across millions of light years.


Interesting stuff:

The names of the E.S. units introduced so far have been Simeon and Issachar.  It becomes a bit more apparent in the 2nd Xenosaga game, with the appearance of the E.S. units Asher, Dinah, and Zebulun, that these units bear biblical names as well.  Specifically, the E.S. units are named after the children of Jacob, who (with the exception of Dinah, Jacob's only daughter) ruled the twelve tribes of Israel.


Other background stuff from the game:

As I mentioned in the last set of notes, the Erde Kaiser was Shion's ultimate ether (aka magic) attack in the first Xenosaga game.  When the characters are being attacked inside the Encephalon, they are able to fight them off with some special moves that game fans should recognize.  Jr.'s attacks were Storm Waltz (a coin shot attack that hits all enemies), Mystic Nocturne (a spirit gun attack from above), and Last Symphony (concentrated heavy fire on one enemy).  Ziggy joins in the fun with his attacks: Meteor Shot (a fire attack from above, directed against all enemies) and Lightning Fist (a lightning attack from the ground).  MOMO's attack (yes, it was very Sailormoon-esque), was two-fold.  The first part was her Starlight transformation, which in and of itself fulfilled the corniness quota for this series.  Her attack following the transformation *should* be MOMO's Kiss, but since I rarely used MOMO when I played this game years ago, I may be wrong.  The last attack was by Shion, who used her Queen's Kiss ether attack, which caused an occasional "Instant KO" for the enemy in the game.

[jalana]

Episode 8 Notes

Acronyms:

None in this episode


Terms introduced:

With the appearance of Jin Uzuki, we go deeper into the Xenosaga II game.  Jin is Shion's older brother who runs a secondhand bookstore on Second Miltia.  The second game reveals a bit more about Jin's past, including his military background and the fact that he and chaos knew each other fourteen years ago, during the Miltian Conflict.  There are still many unanswered questions about Jin, though, which will hopefully be answered in the subsequent sequels.

We also learn that Jr.'s name used to be Rubedo.  Like Nigredo and Albedo, Rubedo is a Latin term used in alchemical processes.  Meaning "reddening," rubedo is the final step in these processes, following albedo.  If you haven't noticed by now, all three names refer to their individual hair colors.  As we come to find out in the second game, the three of them personally chose these names when they were children.


Interesting stuff:

The word Nephilim in Hebrew means those who have fallen.  (The root of the word is nephel which means "untimely birth, abortion, miscarriage.")   In Christian mythology, the Nephilim were a race of giants that were produced by the sexual union of the sons of God (presumably fallen angels) and the daughters of men.  They were renowned for their strength, prowess, and a great capacity for sinfulness.  (Genesis 6:1-5)  The Nephilim were gigantic in stature. Their strength was prodigious and their appetites immense. Upon devouring all of humankind's resources, they began to consume humans themselves.  The Nephilim attacked and oppressed humans and were the cause of massive destruction on the earth.  Genesis 6:5 alludes to the corruption that the Nephilim had caused amongst humans and themselves: And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Holy Bible, King James Version)  The evilness of men was resolved in a great flood.  (story of Noah's Ark, Genesis 6:8-8:22)  As for the Nephilim, God instructed the angel Gabriel to ignite a civil war among the Nephilim. He also chose Enoch, a righteous man, to inform the fallen angels of the judgment pronounced on them and their children.  God did not allow the fallen angels any peace, for they could not lift their eyes to heaven and were later to be chained.  The end of the Nephilim came about in the war incited by Gabriel, in which the giants eventually annihilated each other.


Other background stuff from the game:

The attack move performed by Jin and chaos inside the Encephalon was called the Ice Brand.  This move is one of the double tech skills introduced in the second Xenosaga game.  Double Techs are techniques performed by two characters at the same time for greater damage and/or other effects.  Ice Brand causes physical, slashing and ice damage against one enemy.

The password Shion used to access KOS-MOS' database is "Ye shall be as gods."  Fans of the Xenogears game might recognize this phrase as the one that appeared on all of the Eldridge's screens as Deus was taking over the ship in the opening movie of the game.

[jalana]

Episode 9 Notes

Acronyms:

None in this episode.

Terms introduced:

The U.M.N. geodesic structure was actually first mentioned back in the very first episodes of the series.  This name is used to describe the visual representation of a basic U.M.N. structure, since it represents the shape of a geodesic dome.  Geodesic domes were invented by the engineer/mathematician, Richard Buckminster Fuller.  Chemists out there should recognize this name... think "buckminsterfullerene," aka "Bucky balls," aka carbon 60.  Fuller patented these domes in 1951 as a means to provide efficient housing structures using few resources.  For more information about Fuller and pictures of these domes, visit http://www.bfi.org/domes.

Interesting stuff:

Can't think of any!

Other background stuff from the game:

Nope, nothing here either!

[jalana]

Episode 10 Notes

Acronyms:

None in this episode.


Terms introduced:

Togashi sends Shion and company something called a PT Cartridge.  This stands for "phase transfer" cartridge, and is an energy cartridge for the phase transfer cannon.  It also doubles as the system's activation key.  The phase transfer cannon is a weapon that utilizes the principle of phase transfer within a vacuum.  The main cannon is compacted to Planck scale and extends into full space once it receives the system activation key from the cartridge.  The part that looks like a handgun is actually part of the phase transfer cannon, and once the cannon is activated, it doubles as the laser locking device and trigger component.  When Shion and KOS-MOS talk about limiting the phase transfer mass, they are referring to the mass in the vacuum and the amount of fluctuation in its place.

The Rhine Maiden mentioned in this episode is actually Vector's latest development in weapons technology.  The three ships which have this weapon onboard are the Woglinde II, Wellgunde, and Floßhilde.  The vessels themselves are massive battleships over 8000m in length, and are equipped with this specialized anti-Gnosis weapon.


Interesting stuff:

We have more Wagner references!  The ships Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Floßhilde, as well as the Rhine Maiden weapon were named after Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) opera cycle.  In the first opera of the series, Das Rheingold, the Rhinemaidens were three naiads (mermaids) who guarded the magic Rhinegold lying at the bottom of the river.  The three maidens were named Woglinde, Wellgunde and Floßhilde.  The name of the Vector flagship, the Dämmerung, makes a reference to the fourth opera in the series, Die Götterdämmerung, or "The Twilight of the Gods."  (See notes from episode 1)  

Incidentally, Nietzsche wrote a book called Die Götzendämmerung (Twilight of the Idols), meant as a parody of Wagner's work, in which he criticizes romanticism, German culture, Socrates' acceptance of death as a "healing" of the disease of life, Christianity, and a good many other things.  Why is this pertinent?  Because the names of the Xenosaga games are taken from Nietzsche's works: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (The Will to Power), and Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (Beyond Good and Evil).  The third game is rumored to be named Also Spracht Zarathustra {Thus Spoke Zarathustra), another of Nietzsche's writings.


Other background stuff from the game:

Sakura Mizrahi played a big role in shaping events in the Xenosaga world.  The deceased daugher of Juli and Joachim Mizrahi, she was the model Joachim used when creating the 100-Series Observational Realians.
***Spoilers for the second Xenosaga game***
It is revealed in the second game that Sakura suffered from a neurological disorder that prevented her from interacting with the outside world.  She was effectively a prisoner of her own mind.  Dmitri Yuriev and Juli Mizrahi worked together and found a way for three U.R.T.V.s, numbers 666, 667 and 669, to enter Sakura's subconscious mind and attempt communication.  The U.R.T.V.s had given each other nicknames: Rubedo (666), Albedo (667) and Nigredo (669).  Rubedo and Sakura formed a close connection, and it was during one of these meetings that Sakura asked Rubedo to take care of her mother and her little sisters, the Observational Realians her father made in her image.

Albedo's regenerative abilities are related to Jr.'s power to stop his physical growth.  He has the ability to regenerate any part of his body that is destroyed, including his head, thus making him immortal.

[jalana]

Episode 11 Notes

Acronyms:

None in this episode.


Terms introduced:

Proto Merkabah makes its appearance in this episode.  It is an enormous industrial plant built by Joachim Mizrahi.  Although its purpose is unknown, it has the power to absorb Gnosis and convert them into a power source.  Not addressed in the anime was the fact that Proto Merkabah is also the place where MOMO was "born."  The actual term the characters use in the anime  to refer to the facility is Wheel of Heaven.  We made a decision to change it to the term game fans would recognize.  And yes, Wheel of Heaven does indeed refer to Proto Merkabah--an obscure line in the official Xenosaga strategy guide tells the player to "fly to the wheel of heaven" in the beginning of the Proto Merkabah dungeon walkthrough.
 

Interesting stuff:

The word merkabah also has religious origins (like so many of the other terms in this show).  Merkabah, the contemplation of the Divine Chariot seen by Ezekiel in his vision of God (Ez 1:4), is possibly the oldest-known and most-powerful form of Jewish mysticism.   It refers to a mystical inner journey undertaken by Kabbalists through which they believed they could see the fullness of the glory of God.  The Merkabah was visualized as a divine chariot on which one rode through the palaces of the heavens.


Other background stuff from the game:

Xenogears fans will recognize yet another reference to the original game: the Vessel of Anima.  In Xenogears, Anima Relics were structures that resembled the Zohars.  The relics transformed Gears into Omnigears (similar to the A.M.W.S. to E.S. transition in the second Xenosaga game, but much more dramatic in appearance) without manual installation.  The Vessel of Anima in the Xenosaga games play a similar role.  It was discovered at the same time as the Zohar and contains enormous power.  Smaller in size, the vessel is implanted directly into mechs to transform them into E.S. units.
 
An interesting coincidence (or not):  the names of the Anima Relics in the Xenogears game were also biblical.  They had the names of the children of Jacob, similar to those of the E.S. units in the second Xenosaga game.

[jalana]

Episode 12 Notes

Acronyms:

None in this episode.


Terms introduced:

At the end of the episode, Wilhelm mentions Abel's ark.  Yet another biblical reference for everyone: Abel was the son of Adam and Eve, and was slain by his jealous brother Cain in the field.  Unfortunately, we don't find out what this ark is in the first game, nor in the second.  Hopefully, things will be revealed in game three.  


Interesting stuff:

Nope!


Other background stuff from the game:

Nadda!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

And thus, we've come to the end of the series.  I would like to congratulate all of the staff members who've contributed to the subs, and offer my thanks to all the viewers out there.  I must confess, this show has been somewhat of a slight disappointment to me... Having played the game, I had expected the anime to be of the same caliber.  Unfortunately, this did not prove to be so.  However, I'm still glad we had a chance to sub this series.  It's truly been an interesting experience for me, and I hope it has been for you too.  Thank you!