To orphan or not to orphan.

[Orionis Rigel]

A staggering amount of fiction -including my own- often portrays Rei as an orphan or abandoned at a young age.
I was thinking yesterday; why? I do it too, but I'm not the kind of person who reads something in someones fiction and takes it for gospel, so...why?

Like I said, I was thinking about it and I came to this conclusion;

1. The most basic reason is simple: Rei's parents never once enter the series. Not just in physical form, but in mention.
Isn't that strange?
It could be argued that it is the same for Kai, but- much as I can't stand the manga in many regards- both of Kai's parents enter the series and are shown to not only be alive and well, but mostly normal.
Both of Max's parents frequent the series, and Takao's father has been confirmed to be travelling around the globe being an archeaologist.
But what about Rei? Not once were his parents mentioned. When the Bai Fu Zu first met back up with him in Hong Kong don't you think it strange that none of them said "Your parents are worried about you!" or "How could you do that to your parents." Afterall, in Eastern Oriental culture, much stress is placed on honouring your parents. One of the first things the team would have said, in order to make Rei feel guilty would be to drag his parents into it.
It worked against Max, didn't it?
The point is that Rei's parents are never mentioned once. He never says "My mom said... this once" or Takao never says something about Rei's mom (probably something like: Can your mother cook, Rei?) <--- of course he would.

2. Now, I'm all for understanding him leaving the village quietly to avoid being tied up, gagged and locked away in a dark hut for three days any fuss, but not even a note to his parents?
If mommy and daddy had been there, surely they would have a) Noticed Rei leaving with their neko-jin hearing, b) Known full well that he was going to do something like that (because parents have a habit of that >_<) and c) received a note from him saying that he was all right.
And yet, when the Bai Fu Zu rolled up it was revealed that they had no idea what had happened to him, so obviously there was no one there to reassure them.

3. Rei- like Kai- is extremely dedicated to being the best. But while Kai is obsessive over being perfect, unless he's shown otherwise, Kai will think himself best anyway. Rei however doesn't. Rei shows that he too, in a subtler way, has an obsessive need to get better.
He frequently says or shows in actions that he wants to improve in any way that he can. He also shows that he has a helluva lot of self doubt pent up inside him. If he looses a match, he really, really beats himself up about it.
Sometimes, he looses his head in battle which is often the result of him becomming desperate to do well, rather than playing it cool and taking it in his stride.
This leads me to believe that Rei is missing something. Why be so desperate to prove yourself? I believe it is because he has no one to prove himself too and at the same time, I think he has alot of pent up self- loathing within him. He pushes himself hard -almost punishing himself- to prove something to someone.
I think that he is trying to prove to himself and his parents that he isn't worthless. He may well carry a feeling of blame for his parents not being around.
You can see it in Max when Judy's around with his 'look at me!' blading. I think that Rei wants to make his parents proud, at the end of the day, and this intensity is increased by the fact that they are dead.

4. No matter how many arguements there are over Rei's sexuality, no one can deny that Rei is a bit of a mother hen. Perhaps he feels that by mothering people, he can give to them what he himself doesn't have.

5. In the one episode when Rei is shown before leaving the villiage (The Rei-arc) he is shown to live in a small clay (is it?) hut; on his own.

6. Rei is extremely mature for his age, and with him working in Hong Kong and living on his own in a big city, it is proved that he can take care of himself. But I know from my own Chinese friend that Chinese parents baby their children, especially their boys. (I think he once said that by Chinese standards he was something like ten sweatdrop ). Rei obviously has not been babied, because he is showed as someone who can look after himself at a young age. Therefore, I think that Rei has been looking after himself for years.

Meh, I think I had more but I'm tired. I also have no real point except for... what do you think?  

[Starkhaven]

Point number 3 reminds me of when Shinneth said something like "Rei's always trying to prove himself to... himself."

Everyone always portrays as Kai being "OMG MY LIFE SUX SUH BAAAD" when uh... he lived a pretty good life until his father decided to go after his dream. Sheesh XD!

But! Rei DOES have a mother! She just... abandoned him... to become an EBIL scientist by the name of Dr Kon. His dad... must have died. Or something. He's not nearly as important as Rei's gorgeous, sexy, beautiful, stunningly brilliant mother *_*

*ahem*

Our papa sure is a wonderful person, isn't he Rigel? ^o^

[Aghhh Rei is such a babying parent, and manga 14 definitely shows that XD!!! Mao is all like "COME HERE, RIN!!!" and Rei is all like "That's my girl! =n.n="]  

[Orionis Rigel]

[Mourir]

Point number 3 reminds me of when Shinneth said something like "Rei's always trying to prove himself to... himself."

Everyone always portrays as Kai being "OMG MY LIFE SUX SUH BAAAD" when uh... he lived a pretty good life until his father decided to go after his dream. Sheesh XD!

But! Rei DOES have a mother! She just... abandoned him... to become an EBIL scientist by the name of Dr Kon. His dad... must have died. Or something. He's not nearly as important as Rei's gorgeous, sexy, beautiful, stunningly brilliant mother *_*

*ahem*

Our papa sure is a wonderful person, isn't he Rigel? ^o^

[Aghhh Rei is such a babying parent, and manga 14 definitely shows that XD!!! Mao is all like "COME HERE, RIN!!!" and Rei is all like "That's my girl! =n.n="]

Like I've said before... Kai's a brat.

Rigel says: I love papa! He's so purdy ;o;!  

[Daiku Maryu]

*steals the Doctor Kon idea and plots how to use it in her RPGs*

That's brilliant!  

[Soppon]

Another point, when Rei returns to the vilage in G-Rev he returns to an empty hut.

I always saw it that the vilage was Rei's family.

Ahh, the lovely mommy Dr. K idea. ^^  

[Starkhaven]

It is quite the unexpected idea, though XD;;; Nobody expects the mother!Dr K!!!

[/poor play-off of Monty Python]

Kai is a brat XD A cute, lovable brat, nonetheless. Bahaha...camel... Dad sure is a silly person...  

[Nikomikiri]

Prixy

Another point, when Rei returns to the vilage in G-Rev he returns to an empty hut.

I always saw it that the vilage was Rei's family.

Ahh, the lovely mommy Dr. K idea. ^^

I t6hought that was pretty clever, i've had thoughts of a terrible fire and his parent's dying in it. (Along with his twin sister who it turns out didn't die but was taken away by the person who started the fire, heheh, I had to work my character into that scene somehow when I made it up)  

[Daiku Maryu]

Nikomikiri

Prixy

Another point, when Rei returns to the vilage in G-Rev he returns to an empty hut.

I always saw it that the vilage was Rei's family.

Ahh, the lovely mommy Dr. K idea. ^^

I t6hought that was pretty clever, i've had thoughts of a terrible fire and his parent's dying in it. (Along with his twin sister who it turns out didn't die but was taken away by the person who started the fire, heheh, I had to work my character into that scene somehow when I made it up)

Mary-Sue sense is tingling! (Hey, all OCs which were supposed to die in some horrible accident and turned out to have not, also turned out to be Sues or Stus.)  

[Soppon]

Daiku Maryu

Mary-Sue sense is tingling! (Hey, all OCs which were supposed to die in some horrible accident and turned out to have not, also turned out to be Sues or Stus.)

I have half a mind to write an OC now with a tragic past just to challenge the stereotype. mad But it's really an empty thought. Or an empty mind. Whichever you prefer...  

[Crystalline Rose]

Wow that was an incredibly long, long list of points which are all very good. Now I'm going to be thinking about for an extremly long time, it'll give me something to ponder about as i fall asleep tonight, at least it'll be better then counting sheep jumping over a fence.

I'd would like to contribute something to this conversation but my mind is all mushy and stuff ...........e.e;

 

[Starkhaven]

Nikomikiri

Prixy

Another point, when Rei returns to the vilage in G-Rev he returns to an empty hut.

I always saw it that the vilage was Rei's family.

Ahh, the lovely mommy Dr. K idea. ^^

I t6hought that was pretty clever, i've had thoughts of a terrible fire and his parent's dying in it. (Along with his twin sister who it turns out didn't die but was taken away by the person who started the fire, heheh, I had to work my character into that scene somehow when I made it up)

o.o

Well, that's certainly tragic x.x Poor Rei! Imagine him coming home to find his parents dead and his house burnt to the ground ;o;

Yay... for his twin sister? xD  

[Dazzler]

Prixy

Daiku Maryu

Mary-Sue sense is tingling! (Hey, all OCs which were supposed to die in some horrible accident and turned out to have not, also turned out to be Sues or Stus.)

I have half a mind to write an OC now with a tragic past just to challenge the stereotype. mad

Do it do it so it do it do it do it!!!!!!! Hell i tried and ended up liking my OC so much I took her out of the fic and wrote her into my own story. ^^

But back on topic, I love all the points. I've heard the Dr.K thing somewhere else....maybe here...or TK..i don't know.

Personally I've alway seen him as an orphan. I don't really know why. He sortr of gives off that sort of feeling or arua...  

[Tweaksy]

O.O It all makes sense now! I think...  

[Soppon]

Daz, you just want me to write anything. XD;

I suspect that's what happens to most good OCs, they make their ways out of fics and into their own original fiction.

[/offtopicness]