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Kiriko Masaki (正木 霧恋), later known known as Kiriko Masaki Jurai, is a main character in Tenchi Muyo! GXP. One of Seina Yamada's few friends growing up, Kiriko secretly lived a double life as a Galaxy Police officer with distant Juraian heritage. Though initially resisting his entry into the GP Academy, she eventually accepts his decision and becomes one of his personal instructors and later one of his crew members aboard the Kamidake. Having known and cared for him since he was a young boy, Kiriko harbors a deep love for Seina, eventually marrying him.

Background

Kiriko is a childhood friend of the main protagonist Seina Yamada, and would often be tending to the many injuries that Seina would suffer from his bad luck. She cares for Seina deeply and would fight to protect him from further harm. This responsibility also falls to Seina's first friend, Kiriko's younger brother, Kai Masaki, their mother, Tsukiko Masaki, and the entire Masaki Village, but Kiriko usually ended up being his primary defender and caretaker.

Seina and Kiriko chibis

Old photograph of Kiriko with Seina.

A secret from the wider world is that Kiriko, like all members of the Masaki family, is a distant member of Juraian Royalty, a descendant of First Prince Yosho, known on Earth as Katsuhito Masaki (Tenchi Masaki's Grandfather), and his wife Kasumi. Masaki children are not normally told of their alien heritage until they come of age but in the second GXP novel it is explained that Kiriko learned about her Juraian heritage earlier than usual by accident as a child. She overheard a visiting Minaho discussing a biological weapon released on Earth by space pirates, a symbiote that attaches itself to a host and passes onto new hosts, killing the previous one. Convinced that Seina's bad luck would attract such a monster, she rushes to his house to protect him. In an attempt to save him, she struggles with the symbiote and it attaches itself to her, infecting and painfully mutating her arm, taunting her from inside her head. Minaho arrives and completely severs Kiriko's arm, apparently killing it. But, as an adult, she still ponders how she can occasionally still hear her regrown arm speak to her. This may partially explain her later bouts of uncontrollable rage.

After graduating from school, Kiriko went into the GP Academy, becoming an officer. She would only return to visit her family once every few months. From comments made, Kiriko had a very distinguished career. It was once said, by a GXP captain and former mentor of hers, that if she wanted to, she could be the captain of a ship herself. She would merely need to make the request.

It is mentioned in the novels that Kiriko stayed in an area of accelerated time for ten years during her training.

For a time, because of her familial status, Kiriko was one of the ladies-in-waiting of Seto Kamiki Jurai, the infamous "Devil Princess of Jurai." That connection helped Kiriko gain a position with the Galaxy Police's immigration department, where she worked when she wasn’t on Earth.

Relationship with Seina Yamada

Kiriko is deeply in love with Seina, although she wouldn't admit it early in the series. Having grown up with Seina, she tried to convince everyone (including herself) that she loved him like a brother, though this was not true.

She met Seina through her brother Kai, who befriended Seina when the two first went to school. Kai's Juraian ancestry was suggested as helping them deal with Seina's bad luck. Because Seina's bad luck would create accidents and possibly disasters at his home and at the family business, Seina spent a great amount of time at the Tsukiko Masaki household. Being older, Kiriko would look after her brother and Seina. Even taking baths with them (a common practice in Japan, to make sure the younger children wouldn't hurt themselves in the bath.) A major turning point in their relationship seemed to be when, at some point, Seina's parents met Kiriko and Kai's, and his mother broke down about the fact that she was so happy that Seina actually had friends whom his bad luck had not driven away. It then became Kiriko's mission to help and protect Seina. The light novels establish this as happening shortly after they first meet, when Seina's parents bring him to visit Kai's home for the first time.

Alluded-to in the Anime, and elaborated-upon in the light novels, it is revealed that, while Kiriko does deeply care for Seina, she eventually left Earth in part to escape his bad luck, something which she felt very ashamed about.

Kiriko full

In Royal Dress.

It was while Kiriko was working in the G.P.'s immigration department that she found out that Seina had enrolled in the Galaxy Police. Immediately, she pleaded to the boy to return to Earth, without success. Soon afterward, she was assigned to the G.P. Academy, along with 2nd class Detective Amane Kaunaq, who is responsible for bringing Seina into space. During Seina's training, she had moved into Amane's house at the Academy along with Erma, although it was more to keep an eye on Amane and keep her from making a move on Seina.

It was later on in the series that Kiriko began to feel inadequate compared to the other women in Seina's life – The supermodel Amane, noble space pirate Ryoko Balta, and more recently, high priestess Neju Na Melmas. It was after an experiment using Seto's ship Mikagami that her life would be changed. In a ceremony witnessed by Seto's husband Utsutsumi and Juraian Emperor Azusa, Kiriko was bonded to a second-generation Royal Tree, thus giving her the name Kiriko Masaki Jurai. The tree's name is Mizuki, and now aids the cabbit Fuku in powering the Kamidake II, the ship she commands with Seina and Amane.

Like Amane, Ryoko, and Neju, Kiriko was overjoyed to be engaged to wed Seina in a political marriage. However, before the ceremony could begin, Hakuren, Gyokuren, Karen, and Suiren, Seto's ladies-in-waiting (also Seina's maids and crew members in the novels) reveal themselves to be royalty of the Renza Federation seeking to use Seina's abilities to rid their home from marauding pirates, kidnap Seina into their small ship and bring him to the Racepshi, where they warp to Renza territory. Kiriko and the rest barely manage to also board the giant ship before it leaves.

In Renza, Kiriko becomes involved mainly in the political intrigue of the area. Despite Kiriko being a Juraian princess, the nobility of the ruling classes try to intimidate and ridicule Kiriko and when they insult Seina (who had disappeared after a fight with HIMC) she snapped and challenged anyone who dared to try to face her in a duel. Using her new mecha, Yomotsuookami (gifted to her by Washu) she quickly and easily defeated four Renza princes in heavily fortified Renza Knights and an entire garrison of lesser knights in a space duel. In one moment being proven one of the deadliest "knights" in Renza's history (although she didn't kill anyone- mearely destroying or damaging the mechas and leaving the pilots helpless inside). Despite her growing reputation as a fearsome person to oppose, the nobility continue to antagonize her.

OVA5-6 Kiriko kid

Kiriko, Seina, child and friends.

In OVA 5, it is mentioned that Kiriko joined an adventurer's guild in the Renza Federation, although the novels have yet to cover this time period, so details are missing. In the published novels, Seina is trapped on a magical planet and is training to be a member of an adventurer's guild. Presumably, Kiriko joins him at some point. Also, when asked by Seto, Kiriko and the girls indicate that they have a normal sex life with Seina by this time. By the 6th episode, Kiriko and Seina have had a child together.

Also touched on in OVA 5 and explained further in Tenchi Muyo! GXP Paradise Starting, after the unexplained events in Renza, Kiriko, Amane, Ryoko Balta, Neju, Hakuren, Gyokuren, Karen, and Suiren have to stay in the area longer than Seina does in order to handle the political ramifications of the aftermath. BY this time, Seina is formally married to her and the seven others. Apparently Jovia Jovis and (presumably) Airen have also married Seina as well (though it hasn't yet been explained why and how this happened).

GP Training

As a G.P. officer, Kiriko has access to much of the G.P.'s standard complement of weapons and training in their use, as well as her Jurai strength. In one episode, she demonstrated the use of one of these – a bodysuit that featured cloaking technology, which enabled her to attack with complete surprise. Also in the heat of battle, Kiriko tends to concentrate solely on the battle and not on the environment around her – which was why when she approached Tarant Shank – covered in the blood of her previous opponents - she became surprised and worried to find that Seina had seen her in this state.

Etymology

  • The name Kiriko means "fog, mist, haze" (霧) (kiri) and "love" (恋) (ko).
  • Kiriko's surname Masaki means "right, proper" (正) (masa) and "tree, wood" (木) (ki).

Trivia

  • The official GXP novels reveal that Kai and Kiriko are half-siblings with different fathers:
    • Kiriko's father was Ken Raraiba Steinbeck, a member of the Galaxy Police who was declared deceased after a mysterious incident. Ken and Tsukiko had been married, but, as evidenced by the great number of married women in the Masaki family, men that marry a woman in the Masaki family, and their children, take the Masaki surname instead of the groom's surname. It's never been said that Ken himself took the Masaki name before his death, but it is natural that Kiriko uses the Masaki name instead of "Steinbeck."
    • Kai's father, Dai, is suggested to be a member of the Tennan family, making Kai a relative of Seiryo.
  • Kiriko and her mother were at the funeral for Tenchi's mother, Kiyone, although only half of Tsukiko's face was shown.
  • A doujinshi, possibly a "what if" scenario, reveals that Kiriko and Seina will have a son who eventually marries Ayeka and Ryoko's daughters with Tenchi.
    • Though not specifically named as such, Kiriko and Seina are shown with their infant son in the final episode of OVA 5.[1]
  • Kiriko has repaired nanites of equivalent advancement to Seiryo's.
  • In the GXP novels, when Amane returned to modeling, Kiriko, Erma and Ryoko, as well as the Seto Scouts, joined as amateurs
  • Kiriko was once called a Demon Instructor. No real specifics have been given, either in the anime or the GXP novels, regarding how she gained this nickname.
    • However, it has been suggested that she spent time at the Academy as an instructor before, or was often put in charge of new graduates to whip them into shape.
    • It is also possible that the nickname comes from her bloody rampage through the Shank pirates when their ship attacked the one Kiriko and Seina were on.
  • Kiriko was behind the attacks from the security drones when Seina, Kenneth, and Raja tried to leave their first night.
    • The drones were designed by Doctor Clay, and left his personal mark on the victims.
  • Kiriko is one of those who help train Kenshi for his trip to Geminar.[1]
    • She uses a three-section staff.
  • In "Paradise Begins" it is mentioned Kiriko and her mother share a fondness for fantasy novels.
  • Pictures suggest that Kiriko will give birth around the same time as Ryo-Ohki, and reveal that she's pregnant as well.
    • This appears confirmed as Seina is carrying a baby when the group shows up at the party to celebrate Ryo-Ohki's pregnancy.[1]

Gallery

References

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