“ | I would not have expected my presence here to be misconstrued in such a manner.
|
” |
Dr. Juli Mizrahi (ユリ・ミズラヒ, Yuri Mizurahi, née Niwashiro にわしろ) heads investigations into the appearances of the Gnosis. She formed the Subcommittee on Close Encounters, also known as the S.O.C.E., in T.C. 4754 following increased Gnosis activity after the Miltian Conflict.
Based in Galaxy Federation planetary capital Fifth Jerusalem, Juli bears some scrutiny as the ex-wife and widow of scientist Joachim Mizrahi. She is also responsible for MOMO Mizrahi, having co-created her with Joachim.
Personality[]
“ | "Perhaps I, too, should have done the same when my daughter died. But instead of grief, my heart was filled with anger towards my husband." | ” |
Juli is a scientist and politician who redefined herself after the deaths of her ex-husband, Joachim, and daughter, Sakura Mizrahi. She is famous due to her connections to Joachim Mizrahi, though she believes "infamous" is more appropriate than "famous".
Juli has difficulty accepting MOMO, a Realian who was created in the image of her late daughter Sakura. Juli's discomfort extends to the 100-Series Realians as well. Juli sees them as reflections of her husband's obsessions, as well as his lack of attention over Sakura and her health when she was alive.
When Joachim died and became a scapegoat for the Miltian Conflict and the Gnosis, some of the blame was also passed onto Juli. While the death of her daughter made her feel powerless, her anger over her husband did the opposite. She resolved to be the opposite of her late husband: rational, ethical, and honest. This also contributed to her being a workaholic.
Even though her husband was well-known for his contributions to science, she has made a name for herself in her own right as a prominent politician, working diligently as the forefront of the movement to investigate and combat the Gnosis.
Biography[]
Prior to the Miltian Conflict, Juli Niwashiro was a member of the U-TIC Organization's research staff. Early in her career with U-TIC, she entered into a marriage with the organization's founder, Joachim Mizrahi, and they had a child together. Their daughter, Sakura, was born with a disorder affecting her central nervous system, a condition described by Juli as "hypersensitivity to the synchronicity of the U.M.N.". Although Sakura was able to perceive, observe, and move through the outside world, she could not communicate with others.
By the time Sakura was twelve years old, Juli and Joachim had separated. The reasons for their separation are not expressly stated, although the Episode III database suggests that they disagreed over how best to care for Sakura. While Joachim continued his own research into Realian technology, Juli sought treatment for Sakura's condition at the Yuriev Institute on Zavarov. Juli worked with Dmitri Yuriev in the hope that the U.R.T.V.s' anti-U-DO waveforms would have a therapeutic effect on Sakura. Yuriev, meanwhile, was primarily concerned with furthering his own research, using the Encephalon dives into Sakura's mind as training exercises for the U.R.T.V.s.
The three variant U.R.T.V.s--Jr., Gaignun, and Albedo--were the first to establish contact with Sakura in her subconscious domain. Sakura and Jr. became close friends, and Jr. conveyed messages from Sakura to Juli, who was overwhelmed with gratitude at finally being able to hear her daughter's words. Juli's relief was short-lived, however, as an incident during a later dive led to Sakura's death.
Joachim's research objective changed from treating Sakura to reviving her consciousness from the Collective Unconscious, which led to MOMO's creation as a vessel for Sakura. Juli, however, saw Joachim's work as an attempt to replace Sakura with an imitation. Juli's grief fueled her anger and resentment toward Joachim, and she withheld affection from MOMO as a result. With the mass production of 100-Series Observational Realians modeled after MOMO's appearance, Juli was inescapably haunted by the likeness of her lost daughter.
Joachim Mizrahi was blamed for the Miltian Conflict after his death, and his infamy overshadowed Juli's career. She left U-TIC and the Yuriev Institute and founded the S.O.C.E., becoming one of its seven leading members.
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht[]
Juli Mizrahi is introduced in Episode I during the briefing of Ziggurat 8 (later Ziggy) in the Orbital Tower on Fifth Jerusalem. During the briefing, various members of the S.O.C.E. explain that MOMO has been captured by the U-TIC Organization in an attempt to steal the Y-Data hidden in her subconscious. Ziggy is to rescue MOMO from U-TIC's base, Pleroma, and bring her to Second Miltia for analysis. Juli remains virtually silent during the briefing, although another S.O.C.E. member mentions her by name. After Ziggy receives his assignment and has left the meeting room, Juli reflects on Ziggy's past suicide and on his wish to have his remaining organic parts replaced with synthetics in order to erase his consciousness. "Only then," she says, "will he be legally dead."
After the briefing, Juli meets privately with Ziggy to discuss the mission in further detail. She reveals her marriage to the late Joachim Mizrahi and indicates that she does not want to see MOMO, even though MOMO is registered as her daughter. Juli expresses resentment toward Joachim, whom she describes as "[a] madman who lost his humanity by immersing himself in science" and more bluntly as "a murderer," but she does not otherwise elaborate on her reasons for avoiding MOMO.
Near the end of the game, Juli implores the party to destroy Proto Merkabah, calling it an "abominable machine."
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse[]
MOMO is escorted to Juli for analysis of the Y-Data at the U.M.N. Control Center. At first, Juli acts very cold to MOMO.
When Albedo Piazzolla hacks into the Y-Data, Juli is forced to make a difficult choice: kill MOMO before Albedo can obtain the Y-Data, or let MOMO live and risk U-TIC obtaining the key to Miltia and the Zohar. Juli ultimately refrains and instead allows Shion Uzuki and her allies to enter MOMO's subconscious domain.
After speaking with Jr. and Ziggy, Juli's view of MOMO began to change. Ziggy suggested she treat MOMO like a second daughter, instead a replacement for Sakura. Instead of one daughter, she has two - one that is deceased and one that is still alive.
Juli began to open up more to MOMO and came to realize that MOMO was indeed her own unique person, not just a copy of Sakura.
When the path to Old Miltia opens, Juli allows MOMO to go due to her skills, and hopes for her safe return. Juli also admits that part of her doesn't want to let MOMO go, and she has come to understand that MOMO and Sakura are different. When MOMO returns, Juli wants to know MOMO better.
Juli, also having come to understand Ziggy more in her talks with him, convinces him to live longer, for MOMO's sake.
After the events in Xenosaga Episode II, she decided to live with MOMO "for a while" and accepted her role as her mother, with Ziggy on standby should a crisis arise.
Xenosaga: A Missing Year[]
Juli commissioned the Kukai Foundation to investigate Gnosis Terrorism. The mission would be undertaken by Jr., Jin Uzuki and their group. Jin found Almadel and turned her over to the custody of the Subcomittee.
Gnosis under Grimoire Verum's control attacked the Contact Subcommittee lab where the girl was being protected. Juli and Almadel were trapped in the occupied lab. Juli sent a message to Shion requesting rescue. Shion accepted Juli's request and, together with KOS-MOS, stormed the lab. Shion's group succeeded in suppressing the Gnosis rescuing Juli, but Almadel was captured.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra[]
Juli transfers to the military's research facility and becomes an important figure in the Zohar Project. When Shion visits the CAT Testing Grounds at Fifth Jerusalem, Juli helps her witness the Federation's weapons against the Gnosis, T-elos and Omega Res Novae.
Juli also introduces Shion to Abel, a boy who pilots Omega Res Novae, which she had worked on.
Shion and her allies are asked to investigate the mysterious floating landmass Rennes-le-Château at the behest of Juli.
Juli is present on the Durandal during its occupation by Dmitri Yuriev and his army and survives the assault.
In the ending, Juli works with Scientia to construct a new non-U.M.N. network.
Etymology[]
In German, "Juli" means "July." The Japanese transliteration of the name, Yuri, means "Lily", which includes Juli in the group of female characters named after flowers.[1] Juli's maiden name, Niwashiro, is written as the Japanese word for 'garden' in katakana.
Soraya Saga tweeted that two women associated with Ziggy have names that follow a verse from Song of Solomon 2:1: "I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys." Juli's maiden name is Niwashiro, which, combined with the Japanese transliteration of the name, Yuri, becomes niwashiro-yuri, which alludes to 'madonna lily'. Sharon is named after the Rose of Sharon.[2]
Juli's last name is an allusion to the Mizrahi Jews.
Quotes[]
- "Do you want to know what it was like being married to a murderer?"
- "I ask on behalf of the Federation government, and as a member of the human race, to destroy that abominable machine. Once and for all..."
- "Could you love something that looked like your own daughter, but wasn't?"
- "Merely creating something to look like my daughter won't bring back her soul."
- "Allow me to thank you on behalf of the entire Subcommittee. We're very grateful for your help during the Proto Merkabah incident." (to Gaignun and Jr.)
- "That Realian was created by Joachim. And that frightens me." (to Jr., when he questions her treatment of MOMO)
- "It's alright... I won't let her die! This time... I will save her! I swear it!" (trying to save MOMO in Episode II)
- "Rubedo. Please keep telling me the things she says, all right?" (to Jr., after he delivers Sakura's message that she loves her mother)
- "Dmitri, will they be all right? I don't want to hurt these children, even for Sakura's sake." (regarding the U.R.T.V.s diving into Sakura's subconscious domain)
- "You can call me Juli. I'm tired of the whole "Doctor" thing." (to Ziggy)
- "Would you consider living just a little while longer? For MOMO's sake? Besides, there are a few things I'd like to learn from you. From the way you live..." (to Ziggy)
- "I'm more worried about how MOMO would feel if she learned about this. I can't bear to see her sad."
- Helmer: "You're a good mother."
Juli: "Well, I'm trying." - "I envy you. I think anyone would. You've been true to your beliefs after you resigned from Vector after the Gnosis terrorism. And here I am, still doing the same thing I always have done. Not asking or thinking whether what I am doing is right or wrong." (to Shion)
- "Shion, KOS-MOS isn't a weapon. It's probably strange for a scientist to say this, but I have a feeling that KOS-MOS possesses something very important. Unlike the human-based Realians, KOS-MOS is composed entirely of machines. How much real difference do you think there is between the bundles of protein that make us, and the machines that compose her? We're both a wave that make up this universe. The only difference is the number of ripples. I think if we have hearts and minds, then it's evident that she would have them as well."
Trivia[]
- According to the Enneagram personality classification, Juli is classified as a type 1 with Febronia (rational / critical / decisive / self-righteous). [3]
- Both Juli's and Joachim's names begin with Y-sounds, and are pronounced "Yuli" and "Yoachim".
Gallery[]
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht[]
Xenosaga: The Animation[]
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse[]
Xenosaga: A Missing Year[]
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/sorayasaga/status/939627012846583808
- ↑ https://twitter.com/sorayasaga/status/939627012846583808
- ↑ Xenosaga: Episode 1 Official Design Materials, p. 50