VGA Manga and Anime Resources

THE OLD MAN

The old man in the story is Manager of Video Shop Gokuraku, Japan Branch. His real name is unknown. Despite the term 'Manager', he belongs to the lower echelon of the Gokuraku and basically manages the 'rental system' in the video shop. He has some specialized knowledge in the field of Video Girl Engineering and helps him employer, Rolex, in development and maintenance of equipment. In the series, he is the only 'normal human' employee working for Gokuraku.

In the Anime, the old man is the only person in Gokuraku who is sympathetic to the plight of Amano Ai and Youta Moteuchi. Unfortunately, he is servant to the unfeeling Rolex and his hands are tied. However, the kindly old man was much disturbed by Rolex's high-handed recall of Ai Amano in Anime OVA 5. After a great deal of pleading from Ai, he finally consented in allowing her to manifest in the real world for the last time so that she could bid Youta farewell. In doing that, he inevitably allowed Youta to enter the Video World. (Anime OVA 6)

In the Manga, the old man played a far greater role in helping Youta and Ai. Though reluctant at first to cross the powerful Rolex, he was much moved by the strength of the love between Ai and Youta. He defied his employer's authority when he helped Youta to enter the Video World in Manga vol. 3. After Youta rescued Ai from Rolex's reformatting machine, the old man went on to help reanimate Ai. Rolex found out what he was trying to do and moved to recapture Ai. The old man, in a final bid to save the Video Girl, pulled the plug of the mainframe computer in Gokuraku, ejecting himself and Ai from the Video World.

Thus exiled from Gokuraku, he lived for a time in Tokyo together with Ai. The Video Girl had lost her memory from her violent ejection from the Video World. Determined to let her have the chance to live life as a normal human girl, the old man fabricated her past and posing as her grandfather, enrolled her into Kannai High School, where Youta studies. The old man hoped that by letting her be together with Youta, they could at least be happy for the length of Ai's running time, after which Ai would vanish forever.

This state of affairs lasted until Rolex finally made his move. He sent the Video Girl Mai to destroy Ai. (Manga vol. 6) In the ensuing battle which resulted in a double KO, Ai was recaptured. Rolex, out of curiosity, released her once more into the real world as an experiment. The old man was reinstated into his former job and put to work on a new invention. He was warned that further acts of rebellion would result in his death. But the old man had already committed himself to Ai's cause and would not abandon her, not even at the cost of his life. Wary of the implications of the mysterious device he was making for Rolex, he decided to to the matter to the Owner of Gokuraku himself. (Manga vol. 12)

The meeting did not go well. the old man was reprimanded for his scruples and the Owner gave Rolex complete autonomy in the matter of the faulty Video Girl. Disillusioned with the Gokuraku, the old man decided to take matters into his own hands. Using his knowledge in Video Girl Engineering, he created a device that, once his research is completed, could be used to turn Ai into human. Entrusting the artifact to Youta, he continued his research, all the while pretending to be working on the project Rolex gave him. On the night that Ai's running time is due to expire, he finally completed his research. (Manga vol. 13) Before he could start the process that would turn Ai human, Rolex once again intervened. Believing that the old man had outlived his usefulness, Rolex put him in some kind of a disintegrator. Transfixed by the field, the old man vanished... slowly and agonizingly.

Ironically, Rolex did not outlast the old man for long. The old man sabotaged the device which he made for Rolex. The object banished Rolex from the real world, though it was not made clear whether he is truly destroyed. At this point it is thought that the old man had sold his life dearly, destroying Rolex and making it possible for Ai to become human. It was thus out of his great respect for the true love between Ai and Youta, which he regarded to be increasingly rare and precious in the world, that he made this sacrifice.

However, it is later revealed that the old man had not, in fact, died. Besides being alive and well, he had set up the Video Shop Neo Gokuraku. Standing opposed to the original Gokuraku in management as well as principles, the new video shop is home to a new generation of Video Girls that are modeled after Ai Amano. One of the first Video Girls to be created is Video Girl Len, star of Manga vol. 14.

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