Sasami referring to herself in the 3rd person

[Maysiiu]

So, this has been bugging me a while. Why does Sasami (in the Japanese versions only) refer to herself in the third person in conversation with others?

What is the deal with this? She's self-aware of who she is (and how powerful), she's proved time and time again in canon and spin off she's more mature than the other girls.

Could this be purely down to her physical age and the way Japanese society focus heavily on 'cuteness' by dumbing her down a bit?

It's a shame really, she obviously has so much potential as a stronger character... but portrayed not so..?

Thoughts?



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[EcchiOujisama]

It's a cutesy thing for younger characters to refer to themselves in the third person. In Japanese there are several different words for "I" which all have different connotations, and using one's given name as a personal pronoun is one of those options. It also conveys that she is mentally more of a child than an adult, despite being centuries old physically. Using one's given name for a personal pronoun generally stops by the time puberty kicks in.

[Eff Efferson]

It's a cutesy thing for younger characters to refer to themselves in the third person. In Japanese there are several different words for "I" which all have different connotations, and using one's given name as a personal pronoun is one of those options. It also conveys that she is mentally more of a child than an adult, despite being centuries old physically. Using one's given name for a personal pronoun generally stops by the time puberty kicks in.

So, this has been bugging me a while. Why does Sasami (in the Japanese versions only) refer to herself in the third person in conversation with others?

What is the deal with this? She's self-aware of who she is (and how powerful), she's proved time and time again in canon and spin off she's more mature than the other girls.

Could this be purely down to her physical age and the way Japanese society focus heavily on 'cuteness' by dumbing her down a bit?

It's a shame really, she obviously has so much potential as a stronger character... but portrayed not so..?

Thoughts?

She's like 9 bruh. we all do dumb shit when where 9. don't question it fam. sasami gonna be like 900 someday and she's going to look back at when she used to go around referring to herself in third person and cringe like all of us do.

also sasami doesn't go to school, she's a runaway royal living in a country bumpkin area of japan... and she's like 9 so i'd be surprised if she can even read or knows anything other than carrots are orange. 

she technically created the universe, and has enough power to erase anyone out of existence if she feels like it.
so if she says something grammatically incorrect isn't it technically correct.. I mean she made the rules right?

actually now that i think of it grammar rules sound like washu's doing.......

[EcchiOujisama]

Dude, Sasami was alive was Ryoko attacked Jurai 700, 900, however many hundred years ago it was. You can argue that she was in the deep freeze while Aeka's logs were looking for Ryoko, but time is still passing either way.

Being a Juraian princess she is no doubt highly educated and knows far more than carrots are orange. She easily beats Tenchi when sparring and had no trouble taking care of Mashisu, so we can safely say Sasami is a highly accomplished martial artist in addition to gourmet chef. She's not some simple girl, by our standards she's a supergenius that can do anything and just happens to be taking a vacation on Earth. 

[AstroNerdBoy]

It's a cutesy thing for younger characters to refer to themselves in the third person. In Japanese there are several different words for "I" which all have different connotations, and using one's given name as a personal pronoun is one of those options. It also conveys that she is mentally more of a child than an adult, despite being centuries old physically. Using one's given name for a personal pronoun generally stops by the time puberty kicks in.

I remember that back in the day, Sasami going so over the top in referring to herself in the 3rd person was seen as foreshadowing for what we'd learn in OVA 2 regarding her and Tsunami. Whether that was the intent or not, I do not know.

[Y_Anthony_Who]

Ya'll are right! Sasami is a royally-educated 9-year old who speaks in a manner considered kawaii. Lots of anime characters talk like that.

Combat training is a cultural touchstone of Juraian nobility, going back to their pirate days I assume. Her mom is THE Juraian martial arts champ. Sasami was also taught how to cook by Seto, who also taught Airi. So in addition to a royal education, she's also got specialized skillz. Still, though, she's just a kid. Time doesn't pass for one who is in cryo-stasis. That's the point of cryo-stasis.

[BlackAeronaut]

Guys, let me educate ya'll.

First off, I get the sneaking suspicion that young Jyuraians age at a normal pace, and that aging slows once they hit their 20's.

Reason being?  A good part of those years after Ryoko attacked Jyurai was spent in suspended animation.  Aeka is the vain sort, and she wanted to be as Yosho remembered her.  And since Sasami hitched a ride, well...

Next, Sasami is more like 13.

Why?

It's so damn subtle that it's downright sneaky.

Remember the OVA episode The Night Before the Carnival, Sasami is looking pretty dang shy when she and Aeka come back from visiting Tenchi's Aunt.  And Tenchi is a bit befuddled by the gift of Seki Han (Red Bean Rice) that was given to him.

See, Seki Han is given as a gift to congratulate a family when one of their little girls has their FIRST PERIOD.

That's right.  Sasami-chan is officially pubescent, and that sudden surge of hormones was why she was having trouble with Tsunami manifesting the way she was.

Fact check me if you like.  I'd appreciate it.

[Y_Anthony_Who]

Educate? That's all old hat, brother!

Washu also pointed out some yarrow to Sasami while cheekily asking, "I wonder what it's for?"

Yeah, it's a folk remedy for menstrual discomfort.

But 13's a little late, I'm pretty confident she was about 9 or 10.

Other than her exact age being disputable though you're 100% correct.

[Maysiiu]

It's a cutesy thing for younger characters to refer to themselves in the third person. In Japanese there are several different words for "I" which all have different connotations, and using one's given name as a personal pronoun is one of those options. It also conveys that she is mentally more of a child than an adult, despite being centuries old physically. Using one's given name for a personal pronoun generally stops by the time puberty kicks in.

I remember that back in the day, Sasami going so over the top in referring to herself in the 3rd person was seen as foreshadowing for what we'd learn in OVA 2 regarding her and Tsunami. Whether that was the intent or not, I do not know.

Some sort of identity crisis perhaps?

Educate? That's all old hat, brother!

Washu also pointed out some yarrow to Sasami while cheekily asking, "I wonder what it's for?"

Yeah, it's a folk remedy for menstrual discomfort.

But 13's a little late, I'm pretty confident she was about 9 or 10.

Other than her exact age being disputable though you're 100% correct.

Also could be different for Jurians (?)

[Eff Efferson]

Guys, let me educate ya'll.

First off, I get the sneaking suspicion that young Jyuraians age at a normal pace, and that aging slows once they hit their 20's.

Reason being?  A good part of those years after Ryoko attacked Jyurai was spent in suspended animation.  Aeka is the vain sort, and she wanted to be as Yosho remembered her.  And since Sasami hitched a ride, well...

Next, Sasami is more like 13.

Why?

It's so damn subtle that it's downright sneaky.

Remember the OVA episode The Night Before the Carnival, Sasami is looking pretty dang shy when she and Aeka come back from visiting Tenchi's Aunt.  And Tenchi is a bit befuddled by the gift of Seki Han (Red Bean Rice) that was given to him.

See, Seki Han is given as a gift to congratulate a family when one of their little girls has their FIRST PERIOD.

That's right.  Sasami-chan is officially pubescent, and that sudden surge of hormones was why she was having trouble with Tsunami manifesting the way she was.

Fact check me if you like.  I'd appreciate it.

she's 9 she was 8 when the story started. it's said so in the true tenchi novels.

**1289-sasami is born(according to jurai novel they are 11 years different)
1292- ryoko attacks jurai and gets sealed in the cave sasami merges with tsunami at age 3 ayeka is 11 years older so she is 14. stated to be about 500,000 years after naja died.
1297- sasami and ayeka leave jurai at age 8 and 19 +695 years   technicaly 703 and 716 at the begining of ova 1.

Checkmate aethists.

[shades of blue]

I recall OVA Sasami being "707" years old, making her only 7 years old. Add 2 years for time passed on earth and by the end of OVA3 she's only 9 years old. Both sisters were frozen in cryostasis, so neither one continued to develop mentally, but physically continued to mature at a reduced rate. This would explain why an 8-9 year old would have experienced her menstrual cycle beyond ingesting an unhealthy amount of beef pumped full of growth hormones.

[Y_Anthony_Who]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!! Thank you Fap!  I remembered her being 9 but I couldn't remember where I read it cuz it was like late nineties early 2000s we first found that out in one of this forum's direct ancestors! MY MEMORY IS GREATO!

Also 9 isn't that weird Shades. 10-11 is the average age for girls to experience that.

[Dr.Soviet]

experienced her menstrual cycle beyond ingesting an unhealthy amount of beef pumped full of growth hormones.

[EcchiOujisama]

experienced her menstrual cycle beyond ingesting an unhealthy amount of beef pumped full of growth hormones.

Yeah, Bill Hicks knows all about what happens when you eat too much beef that spent its life pumped full of some good stuff.

To make sure that doesn't happen to you, click here to buy my vastly overpriced colloidal silver, the only thing standing between you and becoming an entirely "different person."

[BlackAeronaut]

Well, I stand corrected.  Thanks, Fap!