Keys of Jurai - Tenchiforum

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- December 21, 2014 at 12:54 AM
- Quote
evilpii
Participant
After watching the most recent episodes of Ai Tenchi, I would like to start a thread concerning the keys of Jurai. This thread is for conversations and speculations into what powers and uses the keys of Jurai possess. As always, please keep discussion civil and constructive. Tenchismile

This thread will likely intersect with the “Trees of Jurai” thread, considering the relationship between the two. gendo1

Since the first OVA, the keys of Jurai have been present in some fashion or another. Here is a short list of the keys present in the different series.

Sword Tenchi, Tenchiken (OVA series 1 and 2, Pretty Sammy OVA, Universe, Ai Tenchi)

Ayeka’s tiara (every incarnation)

Sasami’s “pistol” (OVA series 1)

Azaka and Kamidake’s staves (Universe)

“Jurai” Kagato’s sword (Universe)

Tetta and Tessei’s staves (Universe)

The guard’s sword (Manatsu no Eve)

Momo’s sword (Ai Tenchi)

These artifacts all seem to have similar structure: a decoratively carved wooden body, an embedded guard or talisman of some color. Except for Ayeka’s tiara, the keys all seem to be designed as weapons, particularly swords and staves. However, even Ayeka’s tiara was seemingly used as a weapon when she manifested her power in Universe episode 25. What other keys are present in the franchise? Are there more non-weapon variants than Ayeka’s? qt1

Moreover, each of these artifacts has demonstrated some sort of special ability throughout the mythos of Tenchi. The most recent series seems to have added to the abilities keys can have. Here is a list of a few powers the keys have demonstrated.

Energy weapon (every incarnation, except Pretty Sammy blush1 )

Since these examples are so numerous, I will omit screenshots. mmhmm1

Communication/Control with a Juraian tree (OVA series 1, Ai Tenchi)

Levitation (OVA series 1)

Self-defense (OVA series 1)

Telepathy (NNFT manga)

Transformation (TMiL1)

Projected presence (TMiL2)

Dimensional stabilization (Ai Tenchi)

Interestingly, most of these powers are demonstrated primarily by Tenchiken, which begs a question. In the OVA, Tenchiken is referred to as the “master key”, a name earned when Tenchi is able to override Ayeka’s control of Ryu-Oh in OVA series 1 episode 2. However, that term is never used after OVA series 1, and the “master” name might not be applicable outside the first OVA. Are all these powers accessible by any key, or are certain keys tailor-made for particular uses and abilities? Moreover, what other powers can the keys possess than have been listed here?

Lastly, Ai Tenchi has not yet concluded but has resurrected some of the concepts from OVA series 1. In particular, Momo’s sword has almost exclusively been used to control Toshika. However, this image from Episode 55 gives me some pause.

Tenchi was guiding Momo through some ceremony with their swords, and each blade manifested an orb inside its tip. That orb was not present in Tenchi’s sword previously in this series, or any others, so one wonders what they were doing. Notably, the orb is in the same place as it would be in the Light Hawk Sword, as shown below.

~~While some have made fan speculations at a connection between Tenchiken and the Light Hawk Sword, could this be an official connection?~~

~~What are your thoughts? Tenchismile~~

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- - December 21, 2014 at 1:02 AM
  - Quote
  SnowQueen
  Member
  
  Very interesting thread pii. ^^ and reading all this made me think which “key” was created first?
- - December 21, 2014 at 3:21 AM
  - Quote
  jgzinv
  Member
  
  There’s also heavy implication that the “bonding plate” from Dual was similar in practice to a key.
  
  It seems, thinking back to GXP and the idol, that tree’s which remain as seeds, do not yet have bark
  
  from which to grow a key, so the owners are keyless.
  
  Kirito I believe had a ring that was her key.
  
  Azusa had a fake eye and an energy sword for keys.
- - December 21, 2014 at 4:02 AM
  - Quote
  evilpii
  Participant
  
  ~~JGZinv wrote:~~
  
  Kirito I believe had a ring that was her key.
  
  Digging through GXP, I found Kiriko’s ring highlighted in episode 21.
  
  ~~JGZinv wrote:~~
  
  Azusa had a fake eye and an energy sword for keys.
  
  Do you have a reference for that? I recall Azusa having a beam sword in the manga, but I don’t recall him having a fake eye, let alone one that was a key.
  
  ~~JGZinv wrote:~~
  
  There’s also heavy implication that the “bonding plate” from Dual was similar in practice to a key.
  
  It seems, thinking back to GXP and the idol, that tree’s which remain as seeds, do not yet have bark
  
  from which to grow a key, so the owners are keyless.
  
  I just rewatched the conversation about the idol in GXP episode 25, and it did say Seina bonded with the seed. However, it did not state that a key was grown from the bark of the tree.
  
  ~~As to Dual, I forget the use of the bonding plate since I haven’t seen the series in some time. Do you have a reference to when Sanada explained this, as he so often did?~~
- - December 21, 2014 at 4:04 AM
  - Quote
  evilpii
  Participant
  
  ~~SnowQueen wrote:~~
  
  Very interesting thread pii. ^^ and reading all this made me think which “key” was created first?
  
  I don’t think any one of the series states which key was created first, though one can speculate that in the creation of OVA series 1, Tenchiken and Ayeka’s tiara were likely designed by the artists first. mmhmm1
- - December 22, 2014 at 7:18 PM
  - Quote
  mitsuki lover
  Member
  
  Is that the same as asking which one is the Masterkey to all the others?
- - December 23, 2014 at 2:51 AM
  - Quote
  jgzinv
  Member
  
  @ pii
  
  The bonding plate isn’t covered other than a few seconds in the first episode when Kazuki’s father finds it at the construction site. It is however touched on more in the BESM fan guide, the data file, and more clearly in the DVD line art commentary. It is literally listed as the “bonding plate.” I dug through a lot of the stuff I have, the two guides and even whipped out the translator… didn’t find much to back up the bonding plate. It’s called “the bronze plate” on the line art on DVD 1. I still think I saw somewhere that explained what it was for though. If not, I have to chalk it up to old memories, maybe it was covered in one of the fanfics. I know I’ve been calling it that since around 05 at least.
  
  It’s been more of a long running theory that Masaki Yotsuga brought it home and it “bonded” with Kazuki either in the womb or thereafter (potentially much closer to when his visions started). The rabble in the series itself about Kazuki being a parallel copy of Jinbu is baloney easily determined from examination of Tenchi and Dual facts. As I’ve often said, the characters in Dual are simply stating what they see from their viewpoint without knowing the great galactic role they tie into, as such they are commonly in error.
  
  As far as Asuza’s eye…
  
  That’s evidently an error on the wiki. There’s another citation of the story differently on the FAQ that’s repeated.
  
  ~~Quote:~~
  
  As such, Azusa was allowed to proceed to the floor where the 1st-generation trees resided. Only Mitsuki followed him here. She told him everything, then told him to take her as yet unnamed tree. He protested saying he it was hers and that he couldn’t hear the tree’s voice. She told him he was hearing the trees voice even now and revealed that her right eye was in fact made from the sap of the tree and thus the key to the tree.
  
  So that’d be Mitsuki’s eye…
- - December 23, 2014 at 6:12 AM
  - Quote
  evilpii
  Participant
  
  ~~JGZinv wrote:~~
  
  The bonding plate isn’t covered other than a few seconds in the first episode when Kazuki’s father finds it at the construction site.
  
  Wasn’t the plate brought up about midway through the series too? I seem to remember it being shown twice.
  
  I will freely admit that my recollection of Dual is lackluster, but I have an issue here. Where in Dual does it state the Kazuki bonded via the plate, particularly if it is never mentioned again in the series? My understanding that Kazuki’s father found the plate and had a choice: keep it or toss it. In one universe, he tossed it, and the ancient technology was forgotten. In the other, he kept it, and the ancient technology was studied, yielding the core robots among other finds. How exactly does the plate connect to Zinv, and where is this fact stated?
  
  Once I return from vacation, I will see to rewatching Dual to search for these answers myself. Any references you can give would be a great help.
  
  ~~JGZinv wrote:~~
  
  I dug through a lot of the stuff I have, the two guides and even whipped out the translator… didn’t find much to back up the bonding plate. It’s called “the bronze plate” on the line art on DVD 1. I still think I saw somewhere that explained what it was for though. If not, I have to chalk it up to old memories, maybe it was covered in one of the fanfics. I know I’ve been calling it that since around 05 at least.
  
  Taking the assumption that the plate and Zinv are connected through more than mere origin, I can see your point that the plate could be regarded as a key. However, that still leaves problems. The plate has, by your own admission, had very little screentime and, as such, not demonstrated abilities attributed to the keys. Thus, without the properties generally associated with a key, can it be called a “key” as per our understanding of a “key”?
  
  Moreover, Seina was able to activate, bond with, and control the Zinv-like idol in GXP episode 24 without such a device. This renders the plate’s relevance rather moot. Indeed, Seina’s bonding to the tree seed also seems to render the key’s relevance moot as well. To say I have a problem with episodes 24 and 25 of GXP is an understatement. wtfisthis1
  
  Perhaps we should make a hard definition of what a “key” is, even if it has to be different for each continuity.
  
  ~~JGZinv wrote:~~
  
  As far as Asuza’s eye…
  
  That’s evidently an error on the wiki. There’s another citation of the story differently on the FAQ that’s repeated.
  
  ~~Quote:~~
  
  As such, Azusa was allowed to proceed to the floor where the 1st-generation trees resided. Only Mitsuki followed him here. She told him everything, then told him to take her as yet unnamed tree. He protested saying he it was hers and that he couldn’t hear the tree’s voice. She told him he was hearing the trees voice even now and revealed that her right eye was in fact made from the sap of the tree and thus the key to the tree.
  
  So that’d be Mitsuki’s eye…
  
  Considering the wiki and FAQ have been known to have erroneous information, I would rather go back to the source. What does the novel Jurai actually say? Do we have a full, legitimate translation of the passage you are referencing?
- - December 25, 2014 at 10:12 PM
  - Quote
  jgzinv
  Member
  
  I’ve already stated Pii what I found on the plate. No need to dig a trench.
  
  Now as to the eye –
  
  tenchiforum.com/v3.0/noveljurai.html
  
  About 80% down the page.
  
  ~~Quote:~~
  
  “Darling Azusa-chan. Will you please take this tree?” she asked him.
  
  “What are you saying? This tree is your life, isn’t it? And I told you, I can’t hear this tree’s voice.”
  
  “You are. You really are hearing…”
  
  Laying her hands on Azusa’s cheeks, she slowly let him turn to her.
  
  “I was always watching you, Azusa-chan, for a long, long time. Ever since you came to Jurai.”
  
  “Mitsuki! Your eye!” exclaimed Azusa “It’s the Royal tree’s.” Azusa found that Mitsuki’s right eye was made from a gem of the sap of the Royal tree.
  
  “Yes, for a long time, I was – watching you.”
- - January 9, 2015 at 10:02 AM
  - Quote
  evilpii
  Participant
  
  With the Joint Meetings this weekend, I will not be watching Dual again quite yet. Until then, I would like to relate some information on the keys I scrounged up while working on the Powers Thread. Tenchismile
  
  Universe
  
  The only real stated explanation given is by Katsuhito after his defeat in episode 23, and the opening of episode 24. He states that the sword changes Jurai’s power into a blade.
  
  Notably, the other keys used in Universe act much the same way. Interestingly, Kagato mentions that Ayeka “finally evoked Jurai’s power” in episode 25 when she stopped him from killing Tenchi.
  
  ~~Notice that in that scene where she attacks him, her tiara is brilliantly shining.~~
  
  From his comment, one does wonder if all her barriers and mini-guardians before were not her manifesting Jurai’s power, or perhaps just a low-level utilization of it. However, she is undeniably channelling Jurai’s might with purpose, likely using her tiara in doing so.
  
  What are your thoughts? Tenchismile
  
  Ai Tenchi
  
  Since Ai Tenchi is now concluded, we can inventory what has been shown, particularly in the last week of episodes. Tenchi gets to wield his sword rather masterfully against Goriki-kun in episode 13, demonstrating he has certainly matured since becoming aware of his abilities.
  
  Tenchi also started to teach Momo how to use her key as well, leading her in a ceremony from episode 55. Presumably, since they are over Toshika’s resting place, they were trying to contact the tree.
  
  ~~Lastly, he tried valiantly to stay with Momo as he was blipping through Momo’s timeline in episodes 56-59.~~
  
  On the other hand, as mentioned before, Momo used her key primarily to command Toshika. Child Momo seemed to have some knowledge of the key, as illustrated in episode 33 when she was planning to send a distress signal.
  
  However, after being disseminated through time and space, she did not seem to have knowledge of her origin, let alone the key or the tree. Hence, Tenchi had to show teach her and guide her. Nevertheless, after Washu hacked the d.o. bullet and Beni activated Toshika, Momo was able to use the key to control her blipping through her timeline to meet with Tenchi in episode 59.
  
  ~~What are your thoughts? Tenchismile~~
- - May 9, 2015 at 7:04 PM
  - Quote
  Yukinojo
  Participant
  
  ~~evilpii wrote:~~
  
  However, after being disseminated through time and space, she did not seem to have knowledge of her origin, let alone the key or the tree. Hence, Tenchi had to show teach her and guide her. Nevertheless, after Washu hacked the d.o. bullet and Beni activated Toshika, Momo was able to use the key to control her blipping through her timeline to meet with Tenchi in episode 59.
  
  This is my hypothesis, the place that Momo and Tenchi were in was a storm, unfixed point or distorted point in time and space. The reason why Tenchi was thrown everywhere because of the unstable distortion, the only constant was Momo and her timeline. The DOB and Toshika acted as a constant that was strong enough to create a place for Tenchi and Momo to meet and get back.
  
  The Keys channel energy and possibly make temporary time and space distortion stable for a time. Momo was probably not strong enough like Tenchi and need the DOB and Toshika to give her something to lock on to. Tenchi came to her in a point where he first met in her timeline, the oldest version of her in the beginning of the blipping and last time they met, before the youngest version in the last episode.
  
  ~~evilpii wrote:~~
  
  From his comment, one does wonder if all her barriers and mini-guardians before were not her manifesting Jurai’s power, or perhaps just a low-level utilization of it. However, she is undeniably channelling Jurai’s might with purpose, likely using her tiara in doing so.
  
  Powers Thread explains a bit. I think the Keys are tools to help access and control powers. But they might have programs or functions imbedded in them to help them focus better. It’s easier to use power when there is a preset function of a mini guardian or shield that can focus energy.
- - May 11, 2015 at 6:34 PM
  - Quote
  ChaudSept
  Member
  
  A key we see in the anime and it isn’t mentioned here !
  
  Misaki ()’s key !
  
  In OVA2, on her ponytail
  
  ~~And Okuda’s manga~~
  
  This obviously concern more Kajishima’s storyline than anything else, but we know it’s a key not only because of the colour of her accessory ! To find proof I went diggin’ into the 101 secrets novel.
  
  A phrase in the page about Ayeka’s Tiarra :
  
  阿重霞の額に付けるタイプの他にも、阿重霞の実母である美砂樹の『キー』は、ポニーテールにしている髪止めの形をしている。砂沙美の物はトリガー状になっていたり、天地剣のように武器になる物もある。
  
  “Besides Ayeka’s type (of key) who can be put on her forehead, the key of her (real) mother Misaki as a shape that permit to old her hair on her ponytail. Sasami’s key is like a trigger, and can appear as a weapon like the Tenchi sword.”
  
  Now I wonder what is Funaho’s key.. We’ll never know..
  
  On the second page, Kajishima explain that the keys are “only” a way to easily communicate with the trees. If the minds of both the Juraian and the Tree are connected, communication is possible.. but harder !
  
  The key are a “physical opportunity”.
  
  I find this way harder to translate than other things
  
  I’m eager to see what Hasegawa has to say about the keys …
  
  阿重霞の『キー』が額に付けるタイプなのはどぅしてなのか？
  
  梶島「これは、本人の趣味にもょるものです。ですけど、基本的にはできた枝の形で決まつてしまいますね」
  
  44ぺージの皇家の樹の説明でも記述した通り、『キー』は樹液の宝石がついた枝から削り出されて作られる。阿重霞は、その枝の形から額に付けるタイプの『キー』を選んだといぅわけ。
  阿重霞の額に付けるタイプの他にも、阿重霞の実母である美砂樹の『キー』は、ポニーテールにしている髪止めの形をしている。砂沙美の物はトリガー
  
  {Image} 阿重霞の『キー』は額に付ける夕イプ。これなら無くしてし
  
  まう心酉己もないし、奪われるよ
  
  うなこともない。安心だ。{/Image}
  
  (End the phrase from the first page) 状になっていたり、天地剣のように武器になる物もある。
  持つ人間によって、『キー』はその特性を発揮すると言っていいだろう。『キー』自体の補足説明をすると、皇家の樹の力を引き出すのに、必ず『キ丨』が必要とされるわけではない。樹とパートナーとなる人間の精神が同調すれば、力を使うことは可能なのだ。しかし、物理的なきっかけがあったほうがいい。つまり『キー』を持つという行為によって、意識せずとも精神同調がしやすくなる、というわけ。
  その他にも、樹雷皇家の儀礼的な要素があり、皇家の人間のほとんどが常備している。(天地のお爺さんだけは、結構、いい加減に扱っていたような気がする。天地にあげちやうし……)
- - May 11, 2015 at 9:47 PM
  - Quote
  Nobuyuki
  Participant
  
  ~~Quote:~~
  
  Now I wonder what is Funaho’s key.. We’ll never know..
  
  It’s also a hair comb, part of a pair that was given to her by Azusa when they met on Earth. (TTN “Jurai”)
  
  Funaho gave her little sister the other comb before she left Earth with Azusa.
- - May 11, 2015 at 10:45 PM
  - Quote
  ChaudSept
  Member
  
  ~~Nobuyuki wrote:~~
  
  It’s also a hair comb, part of a pair that was given to her by Azusa when they met on Earth. (TTN “Jurai”)
  
  Interesting, but I’m surprised.
  
  From what I can tell, each Juraians as a Key along with their own Tree, the fact is each key comes from a specific Tree. Ayeka’s is from a branch a Ryu-Oh and so on. So knowing that Funaho and Misaki got their trees at the same time on Jurai, at almost the end of the novel, it seems impossible that Azusa had a key who could control Funaho’s ship, since she didn’t have one yet.
- - May 12, 2015 at 12:12 AM
  - Quote
  Nobuyuki
  Participant
  
  ~~Quote:~~
  
  it seems impossible that Azusa had a key who could control Funaho’s ship, since she didn’t have one yet.
  
  You may be right, as Azusa has (had?) a master key as well as the key replacing his right eye, which he inherited from Mitsuki when he obtained Kirito. But the combs came from Kirito, which, as a first-gen, would control any lower-gen (2nd, 3rd, etc.) ship.
  
  Back on topic, in that case Mizuho‘s key has indeed not been revealed.
- - May 12, 2015 at 2:02 AM
  - Quote
  Yukinojo
  Participant
  
  ~~Nobuyuki wrote:~~
  
  ~~Quote:~~
  
  Now I wonder what is Funaho’s key.. We’ll never know..
  
  It’s also a hair comb, part of a pair that was given to her by Azusa when they met on Earth. (TTN “Jurai”)
  
  Can you please quote the text that says that it is a hair comb, because I can’t find it in the summary of Jurai
  
  If it’s in another translation of the Novel, can you post a link or did you translate the passage?
- - May 12, 2015 at 7:30 AM
  - Quote
  Nobuyuki
  Participant
- - May 12, 2015 at 1:28 PM
  - Quote
  Yukinojo
  Participant
  
  That picture just shows him giving her a comb, it does not immediately mean that it’s a key. Most of things made from Jurai look like they were made out of a tree.
  
  ~~Nobuyuki wrote:~~
  
  It’s also a hair comb, part of a pair that was given to her by Azusa when they met on Earth. (TTN “Jurai”)
  
  and where did you get the pair of combs from, please cite actual text.

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