Washu Kozuka (小塚鷲羽 Kozuka Washū? is the secret adviser, and teacher of the Magical Girls' Club, under the guise of being the titular teacher of the "cooking club" at Sasami's school, and she was also hired as a health teacher[1], and as a nurse[2] . Although she was hired by the school, she is actually an agent from the world of the witches known as a ”storyteller”.
Washu is usually seen together with Daimon, a fellow storyller. Both are in charge of educating the girls, in secret.
Biography
Despite her origin, she is just a regular human with no magic powers of her own. Just like Sasami's father, Ginji, she is a storyteller. However unlike most storytellers, she was actually born in the human world. Despite not being a genius or magical, she somehow managed to find the witches and their dimension known as “the world of witches”. Washu’s had decided to abandon the human world as, for unknown reasons, she had lost hope in humanity[3]. Given she as seen using her trademark white coat in that flashback, and considering her undercover story, her day job was likely as a nurse on the human world[2] prior to joining the storytellers.
Despite her rebellious attitude, even punching Itoki soon after meeting her, the witches welcomed as they too were disillusioned with mankind.Although Ginji acquired magic later on thanks to his proximity to the dark cauldron[4], Washu remains powerless thought out the series. Ironically, despite being the cooking teacher, she herself cannot cook.[5]
She also has a pet named Ryo-Ohki, but because of the abuse Washu put her through, tends to gravitate towards Sasami.
Given Washu is secretly a “story teller”, a title given to regular humans that work under the witches orders. Washu, along Daimon, initially followed the orders of the witches with the goal teach the magic girls under her care to suppress their powers so they may better integrate into the human world. [6]However. later on the changing politics in the world of witches, and a conspiracy by the chief sorceresses forced her to train the girls to better use their powers instead, and eventually rebel against the witches themselves.
Personality
This version of Washu is rebellious, assertive and quick to anger with very few comedic or eccentric elements. She is usually seen hanging out with Daimon, and she has a great disdain towards Itoki, The two often bicker, and Washu once punched her in her cheek out of anger.[3] Part of Itoki's distate on Washu might be jealousy due to the fact that Itoki is in love Daimon but, due to his duties, he spends more time with Washu. While both Daimon and Washu seem close friends, and both are perfectly willing to work together off-grid. defy the witches to protect the girls, they never showed signs of being romantically atracted to each other.
This version of Washu is described as “tyranical,” “lazy,” and “extreme”[2] which is shown in how she takes little effort to maintain her cover as a “coocking teacher”, but is also respected and feared by the girls of the club despite being a powerless woman with no magic or superhuman abilities. This version of Washu is a "no-nonsense woman" that is assertive enough to defy people she sees are evil or in the wrong, even if she is severely outclassed. This is is why she openly defied the witches as soon as she learned of their evil plans.
Washu does have have a softer side, given that beneath her toughness she does care deeply for the girls of the club. She mentors them, and was willing to risk her life for her students in several occasions.
Differences between her Meta series counterpart
Fans of the Tenchi franchise may recognize her likeness as the Washu they know, but she still has some importance differences. Physically she has red eyes instead of green, but she still retains her trademark“crab-like” hairstyle
While Washu Kozuka retains her assertive, and boisterous personally, she most notably lacks the genius level intellect of her meta series counterpart. Also, despite often being seeing wearing a white lab coat, she doesn’t seem to interested in science whatsoever let alone have any of the incredible inventions Washu is known for. Kozuka also lacks some of the quirks of her meta series counterpart such as her arrogance for being a genius, or her trademark puppets. Kozuka, however, might have a medical or biology related degree considering she was hired as a health teacher at Sasami’s school, so she might have some scientific knowledge in those fields.
This version of Washu instead, relies purely on her bravery and assertiveness instead of science to help the girls. Also, unlike her Pretty Sammy counterparts, who helped Pretty Sammy with their inventions, most notably their “NT system”, but remained in the sidelines otherwise, this version of Washu actively teaches, trains, and mentors the girls directly even becoming a close friend to them.[5]
Trivia
- Despite wearing a labcoat, this version of Washu is not a scientist, nor a genius, or even particularly interested in science whatsoever . This oddity is somewhat explained in her official bio because she was hired at Sasami's school as a "health teacher", and another source claims she was hired as the school’s nurse [1] [2]. However the ninth episode implied she only function at that school as the cooking club's teacher, given that she took the possibility of losing her club duties as being fired, so it’s possible that too might be part of her undercover story.[5] Assuming it’s true, she is most likely a nurse, instead of being and Omni-disciplinary scientist like her meta series counterpart.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Washu Kozuka’s official bio,
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Washu Kozuka Second official bio
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sasami: Magical Girls club episode 18: "Repeated Thoughts"
- ↑ Sasami: Magical Girls Club; Episode 16: “My first love.”
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 “Sasami: Magical Girls Club” episode 9: "Good-bye, Miss Washu"
- ↑ Sasami: Magical Girls Club Episode 2:"Wishing on a Star"
