Tenkuro is a name referenced several times, I think mainly in 1933 and 1934 (maybe in 2001 too? I can't recall) hmm mostly in 1934 it seems, in the context of being Denkuro's brother who was also aboard the Advenna Avis. No such character has ever materialized. My thinking is whatever role was planned for him was transferred to Zank instead. At least, I haven't seen any reference to Tenkuro that occurs after Zank's appearance.
- 1934-1 color page about Victor, Nile speaking: “I say this: he may be a supremely awkward man, but among us alchemists, he’s one of the most human. On par with Tenkuro. The rest of them, Elmer and Huey and Lebreau and Maiza and Szilard and all the others, their humanity is broken in some way. Victor may be an idiot, but in a way, he cares about others.”
- 1934-2 color page about Chris, mystery person speaking OH WAIT NO IT’S FERMET BECAUSE EVERYONE’S FERMET...: “How, how, how did Huey manage to create such a wonderful, adorable, abnormal creature? Did he use Elmer as a model? Or maybe those brothers, Denkuro and Tenkuro?”
- The afterword of 1934-3, in which Narita offers some broad strokes about upcoming arcs: “1710, which illuminates the pasts of Denkuro and Tenkuro, Nile and Victor, and the Avaro siblings...”
...Also of note is that this sounds more like 1711 than 1710, so clearly nothing was nailed down at this point. But, it also offers the strongest evidence that Tenkuro morphed into Zank, as Tenkuro was clearly supposed to make an appearance in the 1700s but didn’t.
The line in reference to Fermet (Lebreau if we're getting technical) in 1934 is quite vague, but it's a weird thing to call out. The use of the name Lebreau already means it's designed to startle people on a post-2002 readthrough, since we don't know that's his name until the very end of 2002. So the second-time reader is meant to go "NO HE'S NOT VERY HUMAN IS HE." And in 2002, in the conversation in which we learn that Nile doesn't know how awful Fermet is, his only impression of him is that he's a timid good person, why would you call him a villain??
It is still vague, but... It's weird. It feels contradictory even if it can be resolved. The way Elmer mentally states his opinion of Fermet in 2001 vs the end of 2002 strikes me the same way. If you squint, the two thoughts can be made to line up, but it's my opinion that they reflect changes in what Narita was planning instead.
I’d like to do a post tracking pre-2002 (and during-2002) references to Fermet and speculating (pointlessly) about what it means about what Narita had planned when, but please wait on that until I’ve finished rereading 2002! m(_ _)m
