Seed... male or female?

Hunt the source of evil as the millennium comes to an end.

Seed's gender

Male
4
57%
Female
2
29%
Don't know
1
14%
 
Total votes : 7

Seed... male or female?

Postby newsblade » Wed Apr 2, '08, 3:54 pm



SEED: So, you will go? Please take Rika with you.
ALYS: Who is this girl anyway? She seems curiously knowledgeable about these matters...
SEED: She is...my child.


Like Myau compendium doesn’t give us a genre for seed so we can’t be sure it is a mistranslation or not. In Overseas version of Phantasy Star IV Rika mention Seed as a male.

Phantasy Star IV wrote:RIKA: Yes, unfortunately so. ...If you want to know more, talk to
'Seed'. He's over there.
ALYS: 'Seed'?
(The group proceeds in to speak with Seed.)
ALYS: So, where's this person called Seed?
RIKA: He's right in front of you.
ALYS: What's going on?
SEED: I am 'Seed', the control computer for this Bio-plant.


…however that indication of male genre is many times used for the only purpose of making us surprised when meet that unknown person or thing:
Indiana Jones III wrote:Donovan: (Overlapping) Don't worry. Doctor Schneider will be there to meet you.
Brody: (Overlapping) Schneider?
Donovan: (Overlapping) I maintain an apartment in Venice, at your disposal.
Brody: Oh, well. That's good. Thank you.
Indy: Ah, Venice...
Brody: Yes. Uh, how will we recognize this Doctor Schneider when we see him?
Indy: I don't know. Maybe he'll know us.
Suddenly a woman comes up to him. Attractive features. Blonde hair. Eyes that are bright and intelligent.
Elsa: Doctor Jones?
Indy: Yes?
Elsa: I knew it was you-


All “AI” or “Artificial Life Form” in PSIV are not only subordinated to Wren but also females (namely Gene, Demi and Rika and newmans in general). In Phantasy Star Universe, although an ALF, Seed is also represented with female characteristics. It also seems that Japanese nouns have no grammatical number, gender or article aspect.

So, what’s your opinion about this? Do you think Seed was meant to be a male or female character?
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Postby Thoul » Wed Apr 2, '08, 11:18 pm

To me, Seed is male and viewed by Rika as a father figure, because Rika calls him "he" and the lack of a gender specific name (as in Mother Brain or Daughter). I can see how it could just as easily go in the other direction, but that's my take on it.

All “AI” or “Artificial Life Form” in PSIV are not only subordinated to Wren but also females (namely Gene, Demi and Rika and newmans in general).


Do you mean that Rika and the numans are subordinate to Wren? I don't really agree with that. While it is true to some degree - Rika was learning from Wren and Seed - I don't think Rika would consider Wren to be her boss as Demi would.
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Postby newsblade » Thu Apr 3, '08, 12:32 am


Do you mean that Rika and the numans are subordinate to Wren? I don't really agree with that. While it is true to some degree - Rika was learning from Wren and Seed.


(Wren, Demi, Kyra, and Raja wave good-bye, and then head towards the Landale.)
WREN: Rika, we are leaving.
RIKA: Yes.
(Rika takes one look back, and then the Landale takes off. Chaz, Rune, Gryz, and Hahn watch it go.)
(Aboard the Landale...)
RIKA: Wren, I...
WREN: Rika, the road you choose will probably be painful and difficult. You are our hope. You must be strong and live with pride.
RIKA: Yes! Wren... Thank you!

I had the impression Rika was begging for Wren’s authorization to leave (not because he was the driver but because he was her tutor and responsible for her). So it seems he can authorize or not her actions, like give “bless” to a daughter that wants to leave home to marry someone (we can see the little mermaid’s last scene and some others fairy tales).

Gene: Killed? Is there something wrong with that? To manipulate bio-monsters and to cause the extinction of the human species; that is your mission. I have already made the appropriate preparations. I have successfully hacked into the main system's arsenal of weapons. Now then, under your command, go and wipe out the humans. Go out and create history as a new species, my daughter.
Nei: No, I won't.
Gene: What is the matter? You are not supposed to be able to refuse my orders.
Nei: I could care less! I... I was better off not having any memories. Of course there were lots of horrible things about it, like not knowing why I looked different from everybody, but... I... to be born just for the purpose of killing humans.. I just can't do that. I can't kill Rudy or any human.
Gene: Are you saying you will not obey my orders, no matter what?
Nei: No, I won't!
Gene: Somehow, it appears that you are defective. You will be erased.
[sounds of a capsule moving close up and then opening]
Nei: That.. looks just like me!
Gene: The neitype research has already advanced to the next level. The NM-2000 series surpasses the NM-1000 series in terms of both power and speed. 2011, it has become apparent that 1153 has gone insane. Quickly dispense of her.
NM-2011: I understand, Mother.

In Phantasy Star Drama we learn that newmans are hierarchal subordinate of Gene (the bio-dome’s computer) which are hierarchal subordinate of Wren. Having this in mine, if we are working on an Organization we do tasks our leader team ask us to do. But if the Main Director of the organization (who is hierarchical superior to our leader team) tells us to do some other thing we must obey him first…. And I think Wren fits as the Main Director.


I don't think Rika would consider Wren to be her boss as Demi would

Well, I agree with that. Even after writing this I still feel it like a hierarchical power in a family. Our parents (Gene) can give us orders, and our grandparents (Wren) can give, in the same way, orders to our parents. But, when it comes to their grandchildren they are more tolerant in orders and don't give us orders at all... only sweets and stuff like that.



Anyway, with all those statues spread all over Zema it seams the citizens think it's actually a woman (a goddess) that is giving birth to those "divine" creatures. At least they represented that seed * sense) in a feminine statue (I think... I'm always speculating about this "Aphrodite" statue).

It's a curse! It's because we've violated the sacred area that something like this is happening!!

In this way, “birth valley”, a profound cavern, is also considered a uterus were life comes out. Violating it (by getting inside) would certainly be a motif for “divine punishment”.

Inside birth valley we acknowledge that the “person” who is giving birth to its children (monstrous creatures) is not a real Greek goddess but a high tech computer. It is also not the first time an AI is in charge of giving birth to life forms, like a woman. I really don’t imagine a man giving birth children (Igglanova, Rika, etc.). It could make scene Seed being a woman instead, like Gene (both main functions were bio-monsters breed after all). I think people of Zema will also be disappointed when they find out («ok… remove those statues; let’s change it to a (male) god representation instead!»)
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Postby SparkyIII » Fri Apr 4, '08, 12:09 am

My reasoning is far less elaborate than all this. I think Seed's a male computer just because of how she talks to it. Not really the He part but more just how she doesn't talk like she had anything much to discuss besides history and training and whatnot.
Everything has a pattern. Something set. Even random things. They aren't random at all, its complex mathematics. The trick is to find the pattern. Then you can exploit it.

People think things have a certain end. Taxes. Work. Due dates don't really exist. Trust me. When you put a band of world scholars in the same room, and set them on talking about anything, the most interesting topics come up. The existence of negative time. The probability of "random occurrence". The government's involvement in the media. And falsified due dates. They aren't real, trust me....
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Postby Atlinsmere » Fri Apr 4, '08, 4:15 pm

I would have to say Male because Of, well , basically what Sparky said.

In other news I just had a ad, bad thought and will exclude it for the time being. >_<
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Postby Celeith » Sat Apr 19, '08, 8:46 am

I believe SEED is Male, consider it like this. I probably shouldn't explain it like this but you might get the image. Image SEED as the seed, you know. Rika is the product of the seed. So thats about my opinion on the whole SEED is male or female debate >.>
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Postby SparkyIII » Mon Apr 21, '08, 8:41 am

XDDDDDDDDDDDD I like that one! :rofl:
Everything has a pattern. Something set. Even random things. They aren't random at all, its complex mathematics. The trick is to find the pattern. Then you can exploit it.

People think things have a certain end. Taxes. Work. Due dates don't really exist. Trust me. When you put a band of world scholars in the same room, and set them on talking about anything, the most interesting topics come up. The existence of negative time. The probability of "random occurrence". The government's involvement in the media. And falsified due dates. They aren't real, trust me....
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Re: Seed... male or female?

Postby Qara » Wed May 14, '08, 12:06 am

newsblade wrote:


…however that indication of male genre is many times used for the only purpose of making us surprised when meet that unknown person or thing:



My first thought was MALE because of the first quote batch above. I have since changed my mind due to the statement above. I now say FEMALE, as that sounds more intriguing, and that's my final word! :)
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Postby Qara » Wed May 14, '08, 12:08 am

Trenzer wrote:
In other news I just had a ad, bad thought and will exclude it for the time being. >_<


I'd love to hear it - I think! :wink:
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Postby newsblade » Wed May 14, '08, 1:08 pm

I must confess that Gene (AI from another biodome) also seamed a male to me. The way he talked, the (male) name he had (remember Gene Starwind?) and the same characteristics he shared with the AI in other biodome (Seed) made me, at a first glance, believe he was male.

Only when a newman called her "mother" I strangely and quickly had to change my vision towards Gene. It was a little difficult but when we listen the audioCD (voice Kinomiya Ryouko) it became easier to accept she is female.

So, I also started to wonder if Seed was male or not, but unfortunately it seems that Japanese nouns have no grammatical gender or article aspect so it still impossible to find out with a retranslation (I think).
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