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. Tama carries a broom as both a cleaning tool for work and as a weapon.
Tama carrying Cigarette Vending Machine in Episode 299
Mini Tama (2 years after the war)
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.
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.
She seems to have a genuine respect for Gintoki and believes him to be her protector since she had Leukocyte King based off of him.She also shows feelings that can be compared to love in the Kintama arc.
Yamazaki Sagaru: After a chance encounter at a grocery store in Episode 268, Yamazaki falls in love with Tama (almost to the point of obsession). At first, she views him as an enemy because he was responsible for breaking the store's scanner after purchasing an abundance of anpan but she still agrees to marry Yamazaki after Sougo's proposal. She seems to have changed her view of Yamazaki after the failed wedding interview. In the end, she shows concern for him and cheers him up by vomiting up an anpan. The future of their relationship is yet to be known
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
(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."
References
↑Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. VIZ media, Vol. 21, Lesson 183, p. 4.
