The story of Ryu Tendo and Rie Aoi is indeed a tragic one. What if your loved one forgets who she is and turns evil? Can you accept it? Ryu was chosen to be the first Jetman soldier and at that same time, Rie was going to be to. Now about to be bathed in the bio energy to become a Jetman, things get really messy when the Vyram, an evil organization with no formal leader of its own, has Radiguet to sabotage the whole operation and Rie fell into the darkness of space.
She did not die. Instead, she was turned into...Maria or Jetman's possible answer to Gel Sadora of Gatchaman. Ryu doesn't know that she is Rie that is until during the short term Ashu invasion. There she temporarily became Rie again but Radiguet turned her into Maria again. She was indeed his priced possession.
Just for some creepy reason, Radiguet lusts after Maria. I just wonder did he fall for her while she drifted to him or was she just an experiment that he fell for? Either way, Radiguet seems to have a taste for beautiful women. Whatever, he did get attached to her. I wonder if Ryu was ever aware of that?! Whatever, Radiguet hates Ryu probably because of his feelings for Maria. When Maria returned to normal, what was really despicable was that Radiguet turned her back just so he can well, I'll leave it to your imagination. It causes Ryu Tendo to fall into a series of delusions which inevitably causes him to become ineffective for a time. He ends up trying to speak to her mind and telling her that he truly loves her no matter what which causes conflict in the person of Maria. One time also, he tried to save her but G2 a child android created by Tranza "rescued" her because of Gure's longing.
Yep... poor Ryu. He could never let go of her. In the near finale, he celebrates her birthday and imagines she is there. Wow... I could remember doing that before. But I've moved on. In that birthday of Rie, he remembers her and can't forget her. I felt pity for him in that whole scene. Pity Ryu... I just couldn't help but cry at the fact he can't move on.
Ryu meets the horrible transformation of Rie as a vampire being. This was the beginning of the end of them. Also sideline, Ryu Tendo turns into a vampire which craves for blood and nearly kills Kaori Rokumen and Aya Odagiri. In that scene, Kaori's relationship with Ryu somehow started to blossom after she and Gai couldn't get along. I just thought it was pretty good character development.
Ryu can't help but reveal his true feelings yet again for Rie. This broke the spell binding her. However she knew she was already a murderer and can't be undone. I just felt like Rie took the blame too much on herself even if she knew she was under the influence of Vyram. I felt that scene was powerful especially when he kissed her risking being sucked and all. That was really unconditional love because no matter how ugly she became, he liked her for who she was. Kinda in contrast to Radiguet, maybe Radiguet would restore her beauty but only for his lust.
In anger, she decided to stab Radiguet to atone for her mistakes but bad move. She got killed and this caused Ryu to go insane more than ever. This of course was really because she was angry with how Radiguet messed her up big time.What really pissed me off more than ever was not only how Rie said she was already a murderer but how she refused Ryu's love in that episode. Come on, after all the fighting for this? Okay, I just thought that it was really time for Ryu to move on. In that episode, Gure wanted to grant Maria a peaceful death. He took her away, at her request. I just thought that requesting Ryu to erase her from his memories and all, was just too hard. Rie what were you thinking? Now I really cried HARD in that episode!
At the last moments of her death, she saw the light, her unconquered former goodness before she died. The love story ended here as Rie Aoi finally passed away. This caused the end of her life and the end of this tragic story. As for what happens next, it goes to the last two episodes. Eventually three years after the fall of Vyram, her spirit appeared to bless Ryu and Kaori in their married life.
Out of all the story lines I have seen for Super Sentai so far, Ryu and Rie/Maria's story is one of my favorites. It is a sad ending, but I thought it made Ryu more human than what the other Jetman members initially thought of him.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a sad ending and I cried while watching her die. She said she was no longer worthy of Ryu's love because she killed a lot of people while she was Maria, while it wasn't her fault because she had brainwashed by Radiguet.
DeleteI do remember Maria was also lusted after by Radiguet which I find awfully evil. I did think of it that her relationship with Gure was pretty awkward yet interesting, since Gure refused to compete with her out of love for her piano playing.
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