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“ | Don't be afraid. I believe in you, Rubedo.
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Sakura Mizrahi (サクラ・ミズラヒ, Sakura Mizurahi) is the daughter of Juli and Joachim Mizrahi.
Sakura is also the model for MOMO Mizrahi, who was initially created to act as a link between Sakura's mind and the world so that theoretically, Sakura could communicate with others outside of her subconscious domain. Other Realians, like the 99-Series Kirschwassers and the Durandal's 100-Series were partially modeled off her as well.
Biography[]
“ | The neural pathways that recognize the outside world and allow her to express herself were completely severed. Her electric potential pulse control was determined to be unstable, but neither medicine nor nanomachine-based Glilial supplements had any effect.
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At a very young age, Sakura developed a condition that shut down her central nervous system. It was determined to be the result of a congenital brain defect, and was described as "hypersensitivity to the synchronicity of the U.M.N.". Though she was able to perceive, observe, and move through the outside world, Sakura could not communicate with it, even after treatment.
Juli brought Sakura to the Yuriev Institute on planet Zavarov to undergo special tests and treatment, hoping to cure her illness. During these tests, Dmitri Yuriev's U.R.T.V units dived into Sakura's subconscious domain in order to clear the U.M.N. and U-DO pulses that seemed to resonate within her mind, in an attempt to repair her sensory impairment. Yuriev claimed that contact with the anti-U-DO waveforms within the U.R.T.V.s would be beneficial for her. However, as Yuriev created the U.R.T.V.s to obtain information about U-DO, it is unknown whether he ever intended to "cure" Sakura, or if she simply presented an opportunity to access U-DO's waves for the U.R.T.V.s to train against.
The boys made a mistake with their coordinates and ended up materializing in her closet. After breaking down the closet door because Albedo became frightened of the dark, the three stumbled into her bedroom and woke Sakura, a projection of inner self that could respond to them and talk. When Jr. tried to push his brothers back into the closet so they could leave and reenter her consciousness correctly, she spoke, surprising the trio and herself as they could hear her voice, and began to cry of joy. She and the boys talked for a short while, and she told Jr. to tell her mother, who could not dive into her daughter's consciousness, that she loved her, and the boys left. Jr. described Sakura as a "carefree tomboy" to Juli.
It was during these tests that Sakura fell in love with Jr., becoming one of his deepest personal connections. Jr. promised Sakura that he would take care of Juli and MOMO for her. Unfortunately, Albedo began to hate Sakura because he felt that she was stealing his brother away from him.
Death[]
According to Xenosaga I & II, during the Miltian Conflict, Sakura died by sacrificing herself to save Albedo, from what is yet unclear. The incident happened when no one else was around.[citation needed]
This slightly contradicts a database entry in Episode III, which claims "An experiment at the Yuriev Institute resulted in the death of Joachim Mizrahi's daughter."[citation needed]
Albedo told Jr. that he killed Sakura himself in the hope that he would become emotionally unstable enough to use the Red Dragon Mode and in turn kill him, but it is unknown if Albedo was telling the truth.
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse[]
Flashbacks and memories of Sakura occur repeatedly in Episode II.
Prior to Jr. confronting Albedo, Albedo creates a flashback which features Sakura being abused by a young Albedo. The following surge of anger triggers Jr.'s Red Dragon Mode and initiates a personal battle between them. Just before Jr. almost unleashes Red Dragon mode, "Sakura" appears and comforts him, preventing his power from being unleashed.
After Jr. kills Albedo, he becomes confused and upset and weeps. A vision of Sakura appears and asks Jr. what's wrong and he replies he can't feel Albedo's heartbeat and he's no longer himself. Jr. tells "Sakura" to go away, and Sakura asks him if he's really that weak and that he's not the Rubedo she remembers. She implores him to stand up and that there are people waiting for him, and he can't let them down now and asks if he can remember the promise he made to her.
Sakura's image is briefly replaced with MOMO, and MOMO's voice begs Jr. to please come back. Jr. realizes Sakura is right and he promised to protect Sakura's younger sister, and that despite he couldn't protect his younger brother, there are people he cares about who he can still protect. Sakura says that he is the Rubedo who she loves and Jr. thanks her. He falls into Sakura's arms, and Sakura's image is replaced by chaos.
It is possible that this incarnation of Sakura was an illusion created by chaos to assist Jr., but whether or not this is truly Sakura speaking is left ambiguous.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra[]
Although she does not appear in the game, Sakura is mentioned a few times during Episode III.
When MOMO meets Joachim in Labyrinthos, he tells her that he lost his daughter to illness, and he's studying the U.M.N. in hopes that he can find a way to retrieve her consciousness and return her to life. Sakura's consciousness has disappeared, however, and the new consciousness that is growing in the Realian he's building (i.e. MOMO herself) is a separate person entirely. He says this child will be the hope of all Realians, and that hope may spread to stop the threat of the expansion of the universe. He considers MOMO his second daughter, and he's sure Sakura would have wanted that. Joachim tells MOMO that he and Juli named Sakura together, and that she was a cute child, just like MOMO is, and the world must continue to exist for MOMO and others.
When Jr. and the others arrive to check if she's okay, MOMO tells Jr., "I talked with Daddy. He called me his second daughter. He said he's going to protect the world for us." MOMO is overwhelmed with emotion from meeting her father, and looks to Jr. for support. They hug each other, and Jr. says he's happy for her.
Etymology[]
Sakura is a reference to a flower called the "cherry blossom", which is called "sakura" in Japanese.
Furthermore, the series of Realians that were originally based on Sakura's form and used to create MOMO are known as "Kirschwassers". Kirschwasser is a German word for cherry brandy (literally, "cherry water"). It is also known as Kirsch, which is the name given to a specific Kirschwasser who has an expanded role in Xenosaga: The Animation.
Her last name is an allusion to the Mizrahi Jews.
In Xenosaga Episode I, MOMO seems to have been designed as an homage to the magical girl genre. Since Episode I and Episode II were originally intended to be one game, Sakura's name may be a reference to Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura.
Theme[]
- Sakura's Theme (Piano Version)
- Sakura's Theme (Simple Vocal Version)
- Inside ~ Sakura #3
- Sakura's Theme #4 (Gentle Strings Version)
Quotes[]
- "Ah, you guys... Wait! You guys... You can hear why I'm saying? I'm... I'm so happy you came."
- "I hear my dad is researching treatment for me, too. He's making a Realian that's a lot like a human, and he's gonna make it so my senses are always linked up with it. That way, I won't have to make my mom sad anymore."
- "Don't say that. You're not a weapon. You're a wonderful boy."
- "Hey, Rubedo. I have a favor to ask of you. My little sister is gonna be born soon. She's kind of different from a normal sister, I mean, my mom won't be giving birth to her, but... My mother and sister... I want you to look after them for me, okay?"
- "Were you really that weak, Rubedo? That's not the Rubedo I know. Get up, Rubedo. There are people waiting for you. Don't let them down now. Remember... remember the promise that you made me?"
- "That's right, Rubedo. That's the Rubedo that... that I love."
Trivia[]
- It is possible Sakura's disability was the result of Joachim being one of the People of the Zohar.[citation needed]
- An unofficial translation of Episode I ODM Guide states that Sakura died by suicide in both MOMO's and Juli Mizrahi's sections of the book. It is unknown if something was changed between Episodes, or if this was due to a translation error.[citation needed]
- Many of the traits Sakura exhibit have been noted by fans to resemble some traits in the Autism spectrum.[citation needed]