Shion and KOS-MOS: Characters that Decided my College Major

At the age of 16, I was walking around Circuit City (yes, it’s been that long ago) in search of a new game to play when an artistic cover caught my eye. I was immediately drawn to the anime art style, as well as the colorful display of characters on the back of the box. Back in 2007, just before the time that the world had the Internet at its fingertips, it was the cover artwork and summaries alone that persuaded me to walk out the store with my new copy of Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht.

Do me a favor. Leave me a comment and let me know if you’ve ever heard of this game. Everyone I’ve asked, apart from a guy I befriended in high school, never knew of its existence until I brought it up. It’s quite a shame, because this game, and the hundreds of hours that I’ve put into replaying it and its sequels, has severely influenced my being to the point that it has impacted my career choices.

Xenosaga Episode I is a PlayStation 2 game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco. It released in 2002 for Japan, and 2003 for North America. Looking back at it now, I still believe that the graphics were before its time. Xenosaga is a SciFi Fantasy genre set 4000 years in the future where space travel and human / AI interactions are commonplace. The set up really isn’t different than several other games that are still coming out today. It is Xenosaga’s intricate storytelling—which to this day still manages to confuse me—that really makes it stand out (at least to me-the rest of you haven’t heard of it!).

When I first popped the disk into my PS2, bouncing with excited anticipation as to what I would find, I was a bit skeptical with the first few minutes of cutscenes as they seemed to be an information overload without the necessary attention-grabbing details. Thirty minutes in, and I was sure I would hate the game when I realized it was a turn-based RPG. I had already tried that with Final Fantasy, and for the life of me couldn’t get into the play-style.

But then I met them: Shion and KOS-MOS.

Shion, the protagonist of the game, is a 22-year-old engineer and head Chief of the KOS-MOS project. She is friendly but assertive. Intelligent and bossy. Approachable, and sometimes kind of a know-it-all, entitled b*tch. Immediately I was drawn to her. I thought she was so cool and so smart, and I loved how Xenosaga portrayed her with her own developed personality instead of making her feel like a cliché, nerdy, coding girl.

KOS-MOS, on the other hand, is an android AI, built with weapons and super powers used to fight the monster alien race of the game: the gnosis. Shion – and another character who died 3 years earlier, but oh wait, he’s not dead, but oh wait, yes he is – is the primary engineer credited for the creation of KOS-MOS, and Xenosaga at its core, in the midst of the several other complex stories and characters, explores the growing relationship between the two.

One thing I love about KOS-MOS is how unapologetically robotic she is. I appreciate when SciFi robots act like actual robots. There’s something so intriguing to me about human / AI interactions, and I look forward to viewing different interpretations of these interactions, but when their personalities become virtually indistinguishable from humans themselves, I can’t help but feel a huge opportunity was missed just for another chance to exploit narcissistic human glorification. I’m looking at you, Nier: Automata and Detroit: Become Human. And I liked EDI from Mass Effect before she had a body. Legion is pure awesomeness though.

Anyway, let’s get back on track. KOS-MOS is always processing, calculating, and saying things that only a robot would say. It makes her come across as unintentionally sassy, and makes for some hilarious deadpan humor.

I wanted to be just like Shion. She was young and smart and she created this sassy robot best friend. What’s not to love? I played this game when I was 16 going on 17 and in my senior year of high school where they were priming us for college and adult life. As I was thinking of a college major, Shion came to mind, and if she could be a female engineer at age 22, then why couldn’t I? It helped that I already liked math – Algebra II was my current favorite subject – but the way Shion typed on her futuristic laptop and yelled out assertive commands, she made coding look so cool.

My college journey is another story, but when I eventually declared the Computer Science major, in the back of my mind, I had Shion to thank for her positive influence.

While Xenosaga may not have reached a wide audience, it managed to reach me, and it reached deep. I’m glad to call myself one of the few who was privileged enough to experience and appreciate this game.

Extras!

Check out the quotes below which really exemplify KOS-MOS’ robotic nature:

Shion: You’ll have to go back to sleep once everything’s checked out.

KOS-MOS: I see.

Shion: Do you feel…sad or anything?

KOS-MOS: A predetermined set of emotions have been hard coded into my emotion module to better facilitate interactions with humans. In order to better facilitate a relationship with you – Chief Engineer Shion Uzuki of the KOS-MOS Project, Vector Industries First R & D Division – I will emit an expression such as sadness only when that response is deemed necessary. However, the emotion module of my program has determined that this is not necessary at this time.

—–

Shion: But you know, KOS-MOS, I’ve got…mixed feelings about all this. Of course I’m happy that you’re awake, but the fact that you’ll go back to sleep makes me a bit…sad. On the other hand, the next time you wake up…it may be a time of much bloodshed. So deep down inside, I hope that day never comes.

KOS-MOS: …

Shion: Understand?

KOS-MOS: The algorithms I have been programmed with do not support the comprehension of illogical human thought.

—–

Shion: That reminds me. Hey KOS-MOS! And just what do you think you’re doing?! You left us and then tried to go to Second Miltia by yourself! Maybe your OS is malfunctioning or something?!

KOS-MOS: Yes, that is possible.

Shion: By the way…what were the orders from HQ?

KOS-MOS: (ignores Shion) Captain Matthews. May I use the maintenance lab next to the hangar?

Shion: Just a second KOS-MOS…?

Captain Matthews: Yeah sure. What for?

Shion: KOS-MOS!

KOS-MOS: Due to the limitations of the test-use condenser, my energy reserves are almost depleted. I wish to receive a co-generator bypass to replenish them.

Shion: Hey! What is wrong with you? Answer me, KOS-MOS!!

Captain Matthews: So, you’ll cover the bill, right?

KOS-MOS: Yes.

Shion: KOS-MO…

KOS-MOS: Shion.

Shion: …uh,Yes?

KOS-MOS: My sensors appear to be malfunctioning. Please adjust them before we disembark at our destination.

Shion: (pouting) Wha…Why should I?

KOS-MOS: Please Shion. This is part of your job, is it not?

More extras!

This is my attempt at playing one of the songs from Xenosaga: The Song of Nephilim. I’m not very good at piano, and I make several mistakes, but I had fun anyway!