Tama (たま, Tama) is a maidroid working at Otose's Snack House. She is often tasked to collect rent from Gintoki by Otose when she isn't working. [1]
Background[]
Tama was originally known as No. 0, a robot created by Professor Hayashi as a companion for his sickly daughter. She possesses the element known as the 'Seed' due to a failed experiment whereby the professor attempted to implant Fuyou's personality data into her, killing his daughter in the process. This however, allows her to retain some of the daughter's personality and making her capable of human emotions.[2]
The name Tama was given by Kagura due to her obsession with tamago gohan at that time.
Appearance[]
Tama has green hair and dark red eyes. Her hair is usually pulled back and tied in a braid using a large screw to secure the bun on top. Her usual outfit is a blue yukata with a white apron, white thigh high socks and a pair of wooden sandals. This gives her the apperance of a French Maid. Tama carries a broom as both a cleaning tool for work and as a weapon.
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Personality[]
Even though Tama is an android, she is capable of human emotions. Her interactions with living human beings, however, often seem to be severely limited by her lack of knowledge of the outside world. This is due to a memory loss she already suffered before her initial introduction. As the series progresses, however, it seems that Tama learns more and more just from being around the Yorozuya Gin-Chan. She also seems to have some rather strange main functions, such as imitating the Dragon Quest RPG. She is a kind person whose greatest desire is to be of use to humankind because she feels that as a machine her sole purpose in life is to be useful though she does grow to be more independent. She is very sweet and tries to cheer others up and be of use. In addition, she enjoys listening to others problems and giving them advice and dislikes the idea of charging them in exchange for listening to their problems. She believes everyone, whether machine or man, is an important and irreplaceable part of the world and no one is more or less important than another. She is also extremely loyal, as demonstrated in the Kintoki arc when she helps Gintoki recover everyone’s memories of him and refuses to let Kintoki have his way.
Strength & Abilities[]
Tama's weapon of choice is a broom that has been customised by Gengai with a flame thrower attached. It was commissioned by Otose as a way to collect rent from Gintoki. She is also capable of communicating with electronic gadgets and devices, often giving them prep talk when they malfunction.
In lesson 385, it is revealed that Tama is able to cook by taking ingredients into her body and cooking them internally. The dish is then vomited out by Tama, usually in a form of mosaic. Some of her known recipes include monjayaki and anpan.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Professor Hayashi: Tama's creator, who she thought of as her father.
Friends & Allies[]
- Leukocyte King: Tama created the Leukocyte King based on Gintoki, being the strongest person she knows.
- Otose: She helps out at Otose's snack bar and becomes a poster girl. Otose considers Tama to be one of her "daughters" and cares deeply for Tama, even forcing her to take days off from work even when Tama feels no need for rest.
- Hiraga Gengai: Gengai rebuilt Tama after the Yorozuya found spare parts for her. Gengai also customized her broom with a flamethrower.
- Kagura: She named Tama in Episode 69.
- Shimura Shinpachi:
- Sakata Gintoki: It is shown multiple times throughout Gintama that Tama holds great respect and adoration for Gintoki. Tama is thankful for Gintoki and the Odd Jobs for helping her during the events of the Fuyo Arc. When Gintoki wanted Tama to have fun, she found interest in screws for sale at a vendor, she was very thankful that Gintoki bought them for her, saying that every little screw counts, no matter how insignificant. It is revealed that Leukocyte King was based off of Gintoki or as she said, the strongest person she knows. In the Kintoki Arc, Tama helped Gintoki back onto his feet and was willing to fight and be destroyed to help Gintoki and his friends.
Love Interest[]
- Yamazaki Sagaru: Tama spoke kind words to Yamazaki (actually a grocery scanner) and prepared food for him, Sougo and Kondo at a dinner with the Odd Jobs. Tama approached Yamazaki afterwards, with him being noticeably distraught, and held an umbrella over him and spoke to him about how even if nobody noticed, his work as an inspector was valued. Which made Yamazaki very happy. Tama then prepared Anpan for him. (Before he vomited on her and she attacked him)
Enemies[]
- Archfiend Tapir: After using the internet, she was attacked by a virus that created the Archfiend Tapir. Archfiend Tapir managed to control Tama whole body but thanks to Yorozuya and Leukocyte King, they managed to save Tama.
Former Enemies[]
- Sakata Kintoki: Tama wanted to defeat Kintoki because of his actions of trying to replace Sakata Gintoki as the main character and promised to help Gintoki "kick out the Gold and bring back the silver." He noticed this and decided to eliminate her but wasn't successful as Gintoki interfered and beat him. However, Kintoki reforms and he and Tama work together in Silver Soul Arc to power a machine that would cut off electricity and depower all electronics in the area to give everyone in Kabuki Cho an advantage to strike against the invading Amanto, at the expense of both their lives.
Story[]
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Fuyo Arc[]
Tama was initially only a disembodied head when she was found in the trash by Sakata Gintoki. She had lost her memories prior to becoming only a head, and was at the time framed for the murder of professor Hayashi Ryuuzan. The android version of Ryuuzan, No.502, soon began a robot uprising, even hijacking the Terminal, in order to retrieve Tama and data she carried within her known as The Seed. The Seed is a powerful element that allowed Tama to retain some of the memories and personality of Hayashi Fuyou. The professor, wanting to correct his past mistakes by reviving his daughter, then went on a cat-and-mouse chase around Edo after Tama. But Tama would eventually sacrifice herself, as No.305, to save everyone. After the showdown at the Terminal, it was revealed that despite reconstructing her, Tama had already lost most of her memories, remembering only that samurai are her friends. This had been her earlier conclusion after having been saved by Shimura Shinpachi while being chased by killer maid androids sent by Ryuuzan. As her body was rebuilt, she became a complete android maid again, and as such she began working at Otose's snack house.
Tama Quest Arc[]
Later on, Tama would get infected by a virus. Acknowledging Gintoki's strength, she had created in her body a type of antivirus, and the strongest antivirus was also the leader of them, the Leukocyte King (白血球王) and was identical to Gintoki.[3] Her antivirus was not enough to combat the virus, so the Yorozuya had to physically enter Tama so they could save her.
Kintama Arc[]
She along with Sadaharu were the only persons who were immune to Kintoki's hypnosis wave. She and Sadaharu helped Gintoki to regain his identity as a leader of Yorozuya. They formed temporary Yorozuya where Sadaharu played the role of Shinpachi, going by the name of Hachiharu. Tama played the role of Kagura, named as Tamagura.
Confessional Arc[]
Soul Switch Arc[]
Silver Soul Arc[]
After the Terminal is destroyed by the Altana Liberation Army, she informs Otose and Catherine about the Liberation Army's invasion of Edo and them terrorizing the locals. She resists the Liberation Army when they attack Otose's bar and destroy the Yorozuya building.
When Enshou orders the resumation of the invasion of Edo, Gengai unveils the Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon; Tama and Kintoki along with all the machines in Edo sacrifice their energy to power the cannon, which renders the Liberation Army's technology useless, disabling their soldiers' weapons, their tanks, and their battleships.
Two years after the war with the Liberation Army, Shinpachi encounters a child who initially seems to be his daughter, as she refers to him as her father. The 'child', Tamako, turns out to be an android. Kintoki reveals that a copy of Tama's data was placed in Tamako, but she does not posess any of Tama's memories.
At the end of the final chapter Tamako reactivates Tama after the final battle in future-edo also known as "Tokyo" as she begins to learn from the memories received from her mini-successor about the aftermath of the final battle,She does however encounter the yorozuya in the end.
Trivia[]
- Her name comes from tamago wariki (meaning "egg cracker").
- Tama is similar to Alisa Bosconovitch from Tekken 6.
- Both are robots.
- Both remove their heads.
Quotes[]
- (To Gintoki) "They're alive, even though the probability of them surviving are less than 1%, they're alive...I hope they're alive."
- (To Katsura) "Samurai...I know what a samurai is. They're one of the four heavenly demon kings that rank just above heroes and a demon lord, they're my dearest friends."
- (To Yorozuya) "Please don't forget me my friends, then my soul will live on inside you."
- "Father, I made some friends... not a robot, but real friends."
- (To Gintoki) "Gintoki- sama, I know now, no matter what happens to you, you will always be yourself. Did you think if you told me you were running away, I would be angry? I would not be angry. I would only ask for you to take me with you."
- (To Kintoki) "If your mission is to erase Gintoki- sama and live in this place, then my mission is to continue and live together with Gintoki- sama and the others until this body breaks down."
- "There's no need for goodbyes. If there's anything to say... What I used to do was fulfill my duties as a machine without any hesitation. As I was just a single elaborate screw. But now I've been filled with all this useless data. I've become such an oil-smeared screw. So to everyone, I would say... Thank you for being my friends!"
Movie[]
- ( To Gintoki) " I promised, didn't I? That I would convey your feelings - your soul to everyone."
- (To everyone) " No matter what the future holds in store for us, we'll be alright as long as we're together. That is also an important piece of information I have gathered."