Brother or Brother? Confusing

KashimArbalestAS · Post by **KashimArbalestAS** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:54 pm

Ah, I didn't think of that. And what's with the 24th? If it was supposed to be in connection to Christmas, why the eve?

PookaKitten · Post by **PookaKitten** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:58 am

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Christmas Eve a bigger deal in Japan? For the record, Christmas is a secular import to Japan from the West. Santa Claus vs. the Three Wise Men, if you will.

Samantha

Eisenmann · Post by **Eisenmann** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:57 pm

I always thought christmas in japan is more a day for couples and lovers.not like something for the whole family like it is in the western world.
but I'm not really sure about that...

Wild Goose · Post by **Wild Goose** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:47 pm

When Tessa mentions that Leonard finishes those equations at 4, and she only did it at 6, she's not saying that he is older then her, merely that he was 2 years faster.

Personally, that tends to increase his... um..... whachamacalitams, being able to complese some fancy equation 2 years before his sister, when they are both born on the same time.

Leo being taller than Tessa has nothing to do with age. Guys are generally taller than girls. Barring obvious genetic differences; Asian guys (like me) are fairly short compared to American/European girls. Which would indicate that Japan's J-Pop idols are midgets. -_-;;

benlisquare · Post by **benlisquare** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:15 am

I agree, Wild Goose. I'm from Canberra (in Australia) but I have Beijing Chinese background, so I'm shorter than everyone ;P

Anyway, didn't Tessa say in the FMP anime series in the episode before the behemoth wrecking havoc, that she felt inferior "to her older brother"?!?!?!?!?!?

KiLlEr · Post by **KiLlEr** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:26 am

"Older" (like I said at the begining of the post) can also mean that he popped out first. I had a coworker who had a fraternal twin (both girls). The one I worked with was born first and considers herself the older sister, even though it was a mere 10 mins seperating the two. So, just because she says "older" does not prove that they are not twins, and the age references in the behemoth arc of the anime also is inconclsive.

It can be that the stories are constucted that way in order to purposely hid somethings. (Can you say, Wispered = genetic experiment? quite plausable, and it was been used a few times in the past).

Can't wait to see what Gatou-san is cooking up next.

SOULS_LEADER · Post by **SOULS_LEADER** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:45 am

A redneck cousin twice removed...

Moonshadow · Post by **Moonshadow** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:45 am

Remember the twins in TSR and End of Day by Day refur to themselves as older and younger sister/brother, too. It seems like a common thing for Japanese twins at least.

Wild Goose · Post by **Wild Goose** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:21 pm

It probably has to do with the sense of hierachy and propreity that's in Chinese and Japanese cultures; for example, my mom, who's Chinese, is referred to by her sisters as "Eldest Sister", and her title for her nephews is "Eldest Aunt". Or something like that.

She also has an aunt who's barely 10 years older than her, whom she calls "Little Aunt" because her aunt is her fathers youngest sister. Confused yet? I know I was, the first time I heard the terminology. -_-;;

I'd say it's part of their culture. You almost NEVER see siblings adress each other by name alone... Also, with regards to TSR's twins... "Onee-chan" can also be taken to refer to which twin is the dominant twin in the relationship. Look at them. And look at the Testarossa twins.

The "older" twin is the more dominant; I think this is Gatou's way of subtly pointing to who actually calls the shots.

sj4iy · Post by **sj4iy** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:50 pm

Well, I guess the best way to summarize it is that they are definitely referred to as "futago" (twins) in japanese. Also, when Tessa speaks about him, she says "Oniisan" (older brother). In Japanese, it is customary to speak about older brothers and sisters by titles instead of names (niisan for brother, neesan for sister). These can also be used as slang terminology, but that is not the case here. All the twins I know refer to the first one born as the elder one, so I can't see a reason not to take it literally- the anime may have been made before the later books were released, so they may not have known the backstory of the two, and thus there is a discrepancy.

KashimArbalestAS · Post by **KashimArbalestAS** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:27 pm

Yeah, I'm just saying that Leonard gives me the subtle impression that he's older.

Weltall Elite · Post by **Weltall Elite** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:15 am

I would assume that Tessa would refer to him as the "older brother" in the sense that he took care of her when they were little. So he may not even be literally older, but just more mature.

Wild Goose · Post by **Wild Goose** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:38 am

Yeah, Leonard's a lot more mature than her, in a lot of aspects....

Let's not get into specifics. <_< He's definately killed personally, though, I think.