Rozen Maiden 0 is set in Tokyo during Japan's Taisho Era (1912–26). It follows a clumsy girl named Okiku who moves from the countryside to work in a large western-style mansion in the imperial capital. One day, she discovers a mysterious doll in the mansion's attic.
Telling when a sister was wound was easy for the first doll, after all she knew what it felt like not to feel the presence of her sister’s Rosa Mystica. So all she had to do was follow the sensation of her sister’s Rosa Mystica to find them. Since this ability was not two way, as the dolls younger than her had always felt her presence and thus could not easily discern it as she could, it was great for reconnaissance. She could take peaks into her siblings lives and figure out who their mediums were without being caught herself.
Armed with the knowledge she was able to gleam, she decided to make her appearance. However she was only going to appear in front of the medium to give him a proper scare and understanding of what exactly he got himself into when making a contract. She waited for him to leave his home late into the night and for him to get a significant enough distance away that the fourth wouldn’t be able to know that her master was in danger nor could he just run back easily. Then, she made her move; a sharp feather shooting out and piercing the cement in front of the boy to grab his attention. The winged maiden perched herself atop a lamppost as she looked down upon him.
Long theory under the cut. Don’t read if you do not want to be spoiled for RM2. You have been warned.
So I have been sitting on this theory for a little over a year now, but in case I am right I thought I should share it.
There is one rather unanswered question presented in RM2. It is is the purpose of this theory and something even brought up in the manga during the Wonderland/Kaito arc:
What is the purpose of the Mediums?
No, I am not asking what role they perform. To provide energy to the dolls, I am asking for the purpose of them. We know Rozen could have easily made the dolls to not need them to function and fight, like Suigintou for example, but he didn’t? Why is this? Well, after thinking about it for a long time, I have come to the hypothosis that the purpose of the mediums is:
For the medium of the winner to become the vessel of Rozen/ possesed by him.
Unfortunately since we do not see much of other mediums perspective, it is only a theory so there could be other answers to this. Most of this thought is brought about at the end of the final arc, when Jun’s contract ring is turned int a thimble.
At this point in time, Megu’s against Kirakishou is going flawlessly meaning Suigintou is not even in the running to win. Kanaria’s is almost unwound and her key is in the hands of the enemy. The winner is no doubt going to be one that is contracted to Jun. The Alice Game is pretty much decided at this point. After his ring changed, Jun started having knowledge he did not have before, knowledge that only Rozen should have.
At this point I believe Rozen is slowly starting to take over Jun. Prepping him for when his doll wins. Jun was even capable of locating Rozen’s heart through the knowledge that was slowly being implanted in him. After meeting with the heart and merging with it, Jum becomes somewhat different. He becomes more distant, however he gains Rozen’s powers at this point. Although he was begging Rozen to stop the Alice Game, he now is encouraging it, even speaking with Rozen’s voice.
(Context of last image is Jum telling Shinku to take Kirakishou’s Rosa Mystica)
Jun becomes even stranger after Alice is achieved, not even an ounce of sadness over losing all those dolls. At this point Jun is now completely Rozen, even saying that he will grant Shinku’s wish to Rozen after winning. Thankfully, since Shinku’s wish destroyed Alice, there was no longer any reason to continue possessing Jun, so he seemed to just vanished; leaving our Jun with all his powers and some of his knowledge.
Why would he possess the medium of the winner? Well most likely because the existence he had become after creating all the dolls was one that could not properly give them the love they fought for. With a physical vassal he is capable of doing a whole lot more with them, while also make them feel less sad over leaving their medium since he is now their medium.
This is just a theory, end of the day Rozen is still a huge asshole whether this is true or not.
just a soft psa: its okay if your muse hates my muse(s)???? like don’t feel obligated that your muse has to get along / be allies with my muses. people don’t get along — it happens. i am 1000% not going to think that its your ( the mun ) feelings directed towards me if our muses interact with disdain or hate!
“The principle of the Alice Game is mutual destruction.
The strong surpassing the weak through natural selection
so that the last one standing is the fittest.
That is what I always believed, and I still don’t think I’m wrong.”
“Well, Kana’s pretty sure that it would be a while before we would have to wear completely white again kashira.”
Micchan’s doll outfits came in multiple arrays of color after all, including white but rarely was an outfit completely white.
But, Suigintou was the big sister. Big sisters were supposed to give in to the younger ones, weren’t they? But then again, this was Suigintou. Kanaria was a ridiculously persistent doll who somehow manages to catch her elder sister off guard at unexpected times.
“Kana knows that kashira. Kana means that Suigntou is embarrassed of wearing completely white kashira. Besides, in Asia, white is their black kashira.”
“So it won’t be just once, you are a terrible liar.”
Knowing Kanaria’s rather... eccentric master, Suigintou is fully aware if she relents even a tiny bit then it would just open the dam for more annoying thing. Micchan was the type of person she hated the most. Avoiding her and that device that flashes annoyingly bright lights would be ideal. She may have been a big sister, but she was not a good enough one to deal with that. Call it survival instinct.
“That sounds like something dumb enough for you to believe. I have no reason to be embarrassed of such a thing, just like I have no reason to go along with your little game of dress up. Why don’t you just bug the other sisters, they love such farces.”
Hardgore Alice was on her usual nightly stroll. Or ‘patrol’ as Snow White called them, but she wasn’t good at being attentive. Anything less than a major accident, she’d ignore completely. It gave her a reputation as a wandering, eerie spirit rather than a magical girl of justice.
It was the same lack of focus that led to her being scoped out by a doll-like figure, peering down on her from a lamppost. Alice looked up with all the enthusiasm of a corpse.
“…No.” Her reply was like a wall.
That... was definitely an unexpected response. Usually there was at least some sort of reaction from people when she appeared before them. Perhaps the girl was just so frozen in fear that they couldn’t produce any other sort of response? Suigintou’s curiosity prompted her to prod further to see if she can get a bit more of a reaction.
“Araaa~ But you really should be, since you never know what dangerous creatures might be lurking around.”