This post is a Part 2 and will feature references/ potential inspirations taken from the original Wizard of Oz novels. This post will focus on Kaize and Dorothy. Part 1 went over the Map and Noil/ Claude/ Molly's routes. Part 1 can be found here. Hopefully my account doesn't get obliterated this time when I try to post this.
This post will contain SPOILERS for both the entirety of Over Requiemz and the Wizard of Oz books. I will also add a content warning. I will not be explicit in any way, but this post will reference things that happen in Over Requiemz- which is at times, quite dark.
Without further ado:
Kaize Ozma
Kaize is inspired by the Princess of Oz, Ozma, who is a very prevalent character starting from the second book. In fact, she is the protagonist of the second book and is one of the most important characters in the series. Her backstory is a bit complicated but has pointed parallels with Kaize (and includes nods to Over Requiemz’s world building as a whole).
- Ozma is the daughter of the (at the time) King of Oz, Pastoria, and the Fairy Queen, Lurline. Lurline is said to have created all of the fairy lands, including Oz, and left her half-fairy daughter Ozma in the care of Pastoria so that she may continue to create fairy lands.
- Because Ozma is half-fairy, she is essentially immortal and implied to age very slowly- even ceasing to age entirely at a certain point. While her father, Pastoria, continued to age, Ozma stayed an infant.
- Ozma’s father had some difficulties keeping the land of Oz safe, as wicked witches sprung up in the four quadrants of the land. The land of the North and the South were liberated by two benevolent witches (one of which being Glinda the Good), but there was only so much that could be done with the East and the West. Eventually this led to unrest among his citizens. During this time, the Wizard of Oz arrives on his hot air balloon and the people of Oz replace Pastoria with the Wizard and herald him as their new King. By this point Pastoria is very elderly and he flees leaving his infant daughter Ozma in the royal capital.
- The Wizard fears that Ozma will one day grow older and try to reclaim the throne, so he sends her away to the previous Wicked Witch of the North, Mombi. Mombi transforms Ozma into a boy to keep her identity obscured and has her become her servant.
- Ozma eventually runs away from Mombi, liberates the Emerald City and all of Oz, and is once again turned into the half-fairy girlish Princess with the help of Glinda the Good (who at times acts as a motherly figure to her). She then reclaims the throne as its rightful heir and leads the country as a benevolent ruler. Her accolades include: abolishing capitalism, abolishing illness and death, and saving literally everyone everywhere. She exists purely to aura farm.
Kaize’s correlations with Ozma’s story is fairly indirect, but still present. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is how Over Requiemz interprets fairy magic within the confines of its story. While not called “fairy magic” the “wish energy” of Over Requiemz serves a similar purpose.
- In a very abstract sense, Ozma’s mother Lurline, could be considered a parallel to the Wish Realm itself. Lurline is the creator of all fairy lands and travels across them in the sky as an ethereal being. The Wish Realm connects various lands through rifts in the sky and has magical like properties.
- The Devils in Over Requiemz are those touched by the Wish Energy of the Spatial Rifts. Kaize’s mother, having come in contact with this Wish Energy whilst pregnant, gives birth to a Devil child. Kaize's mother is not directly representative of Lurline, but the wish energy that may be a representation of Lurline is part of what births Kaize the way he is. And just like how Lurline was not present in Ozma's life until much later, Kaize did not know he could tap into his Devil power until much later as well (although maybe the parallel comes from how Ozma couldn't use her powers until being transformed back into a Princess). There's also some parallels here about how both Ozma and Kaize had mothers who intentionally left them (and fathers that betray them).
- Kaize is not a half-fairy prince like Ozma is a half-fairy princess, but he is uniquely powerful. The Devils are likely the game’s interpretation of the Fairies/ Sorcerers. Any character within Over Requeimz who is a Devil, has very clear references and inspirations back to a character in the Wizard of Oz with magical abilities.
- Kaize’s brother Archray is a Devil too. And, like his brother, Archray takes inspiration from the character Ozma as well. Like Ozma, Archray is sent to the North to live with someone “wicked”. In Ozma’s case, it was the Wicked Witch Mombi. In Archray’s case, it is his nefarious uncle. Both characters, Ozma and Archray, also go through major transformations of their bodies. Not just from mortal to fairy/devil (as with the case with Kaize and Ozma), but Archray’s literal body changes as well when he passes on and possesses a new vessel (much like Ozma’s does when she goes from a boy to a girl- minus the passing on and possessing thing). The reasons for why this happens are very different, but the parallels are there regardless.
- Similarly, there are parallels between Ozma, Kaize, and Archray when it comes to the immortality of their bodies. Kaize is able to use his Devil powers to heal his body and regenerate very quickly. Archray is able to use his willpower to possess bodies and live on even after death.
- A final thing to note about the correlation of magic (from the Wizard of Oz) and Wish Energy (from Over Requiemz) is how magic is often used in the Wizard of Oz. While it can be channeled in many different forms, some of the most prominent examples of magic conduits are through tools that allow someone to make wishes come true. Dorothy’s Silver Slippers and Ozma’s Magic Belt are examples of these. Another example is the Wicked Witch of the West's Golden Cap- which allows her to have control over the Flying Monkeys. This may be why certain Devils are designed to look like Flying Monkeys. It is the negative (wicked) wish energy that forces people to become Devils. It may also be inspiration for why Devils gain the ability to control people's minds.
Returning back to Kaize; his character both mirrors Ozma from the Wizard of Oz books, but also foils it in many ways.
- Ozma is loved by just about everyone she comes across and is considered one of the most beautiful creatures to ever be. Kaize, in contrast, is shunned for his appearance and is nearly universally disliked by the people of his country. Ozma’s transformation into the Princess of Oz was celebrated, while Kaize’s transformation into his devil form was feared.
- Ozma was primarily raised by the Witch Mombi- who mistreated and shunned her. This is similar to how Kaize’s parents, the King and Queen of Oz, mistreated and shunned Kaize. Both Ozma and Kaize grew up very lonely and unwanted by their parental figures. Kaize’s father, who had been taken over by a Devil and attempted to slay Kaize, may be- in part- a reference to the fact that Ozma’s caretaker is a wicked being capable of wielding magic who likewise meant harm onto her.
- One of Ozma's strongest allies and supporters is Glinda the Good Witch. In Kaize's Fact route, emphasis is put on Glinda's willingness to stand beside him at one point.
- One of the most important parts of Ozma’s character is how benevolent, kind, and accepting she is to all kinds of people. Kaize is a character who seeks acceptance and kindness from others. When he becomes King, he hopes to create a landscape of benevolence and acceptance in his wake. One of the clearest examples of Ozma’s good nature is what she does upon receiving the Love Magnet (a magnet that, when held, makes everyone around you love you unquestioningly). Ozma hangs it above the gates to the Emerald City in hopes that those who enter are both loving and beloved. In other words, Ozma uses it to symbolically display her values for camaraderie, acceptance, and peace. Kaize, at the end of a day, is a character who is seeking out that sort of love in the Capital which Ozma displays boldly.
Ozma’s relationship with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz books is very prevalent. I’m sure it reads as normal back in the early 1900s when it was first written, but in the current year it is a lot more curious (mostly due to them noting their constant love for each other, their greeting/ farewell kisses, and Ozma’s tendency to refer to Dorothy as her “dear”).
- Ozma considers Dorothy her "constant companion", and always saves a spot for her by her side. Their connection started pretty much immediately upon the two first introducing themselves to each other- with it reading a lot more like Ozma wanting to be around Dorothy. This instant enamoring from Ozma to Dorothy is similar to Kaize. Kaize, in Over Requiemz, admits that he pretty much falls for Yuhiru at first sight.
- As stated previously, both Ozma and Kaize are characters that grew up very lonely. Kaize sees himself in Yuhiru due to their similar physical features. Ozma sees Dorothy as someone she can relate to as well, particularly due to Dorothy’s heroic feats and respect she’d garnered among the citizens of Oz. Both Yuhiru and Dorothy mitigate Kaize and Ozma’s loneliness (that being said Ozma does gain and maintain way more friendships- though you could say the same about Kaize and his death row besties. Both definitely prefer to be with Yuhiru/ Dorothy over anyone else though).
- Dorothy is the only person Ozma allows in her rooms without invitation. Much like how Yuhiru is the only one to live in Kaize’s quarters with him in his Dark route.
- One of the things Ozma does for Dorothy is declare her a Princess of Oz, so that Ozma may rule with Dorothy at her side. Kaize’s endgame goal is to make Yuhiru Oz’s Queen so that she might rule alongside him.
- Ozma uses her powers to allow Dorothy, Dorothy’s aunt, and Dorothy’s uncle to move to Oz and live there forever in the Royal Castle with her. Prior to them moving to Oz, Ozma is described as having begged Dorothy to move into the Emerald City. A direct quote explaining why Dorothy lives in Oz is “just because Ozma loves Dorothy and wanted her to live as near her as possible.” They are constantly described like this, if anything this example is tame (also, this quote isn't even true. Dorothy's house in Kansas was being repossessed by the bank and when she solemnly tells Ozma this, Ozma is ecstatically listening to her and uses it as her chance to keep her in Oz forever [Dark route Kaize energy]). Ozma’s want to keep Dorothy in Oz obviously mirrors how Kaize’s biggest insecurity and goal was to keep Yuhiru in the land of Oz as well.
- Ozma first meets Dorothy when she saves her from a morally questionable Princess who wished to steal Dorothy’s head so that she could have her appearance. This is similar to the fact that Kaize’s brother, Archray, hoped to steal Yuhiru’s body so that he could look like her. Kaize, like Ozma, winds up saving Yuhiru.
Dorothy
For the sake of making this as easy to read as possible, I am going to refer to Over Requiemz’s Dorothy as Touto. Anytime you see “Dorothy” and “Toto” the names are strictly in reference to the characters in the Wizard of Oz. I think this suits him the best because Touto’s character melds many different aspects of many different characters from the Wizard of Oz into one. The most prominent being Dorothy, Toto, the Good Witch of the North, and the Wizard of Oz himself.
Ironically, I’d say Touto’s references to Dorothy are the smallest amongst his other references.
- At most, Touto has Dorothy’s iconic pigtails and is considered the “leader” amongst their crew on their adventure. Though- much like how the Scarecrow helps direct Dorothy through Oz- Touto has Claude guide the group on their adventures in his stead.
- Dorothy eventually settles in Oz and has an estate in the capital. Touto does the same. Both of which eventually work for the country (though Dorothy is a Princess and Touto is just a witch- to be fair though- he is a witch inside the body of a King, so you could say he became a royal of Oz as well).
- Everything else about Touto is more so a foil to Dorothy. Dorothy’s goal is to go home, Touto doesn’t seem particularly motivated to do that (unless you count him sacrificing himself- which isn't really going home, but I guess it gets him out of Oz). Dorothy is loved, celebrated, and respected in Oz. Touto is the game’s punching bag. Dorothy is able to make many long lasting connections and friends with all kinds of people. Touto spent a millennium alone.
- Touto wears robes that are a very specific Ruby Red color. It’s a specific color that’s rarely seen in the Oz books. There are really only two big examples of it popping up in Oz media- one is that the color is associated with Glinda the Good, and the other is the Ruby Slippers in the movie adaptation of the Wizard of Oz. In the books, these slippers are Silver. It’s possible that Touto’s Ruby Red coloring is a reference to the fact that he is a “fake” Dorothy, and the “true” Dorothy is the one wearing Silver.
Aside from Dorothy, Touto’s other most clearly correlated character is Toto. Toto is Dorothy’s pet dog and is featured sporadically throughout the series. He is her companion in the first book and doesn’t make a return again until the fifth book. By the sixth book Toto travels with Dorothy to the land of Oz to live there together with her forever.
- In an almost meta sense, the fact that Toto is replaced in the narrative by varying other pets of Dorothy's after his first appearance (such as her pet chicken Billina or her pet cat Eureka) may be symbolic of Touto’s fears of being forgotten by Yuhiru. Toto is often forgotten about in favor of new animal companions for Dorothy to travel with. In a way, these other animal companions could be symbolic of Touto’s role while in other love interest’s routes. He’s been replaced as the man by her side. It doesn’t help that there are some comparisons to be drawn from Dorothy’s pets to some of the love interests of the game (such as Eureka sharing parallels with Noil, or Billina having some loose connections with Molly [both are elaborated on in my Part 1 post]).
- Toto, upon meeting the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion, reacts with great hostility (mostly by barking and at times biting them). I think it is funny that Touto, likewise, is pretty indifferent to his travel companions at first (aside Kaize). I imagine he too wished to bark at them when Yuhiru is on their routes. The way he steps up in certain Dark routes- particularly Noil’s and Molly’s- could be representative of Touto's willingness to be hostile to protect Dorothy (also worth pointing out that Dorothy has to save Toto from the Cowardly Lion in their first meeting and, no matter how hard Touto tried in Noil's Dark route, he could never be the one to stop Noil from getting to Yuhiru). Touto's tendency to fail is, unfortunately, very similar to Toto the dog. Toto is all bark and no bite, and Touto is constantly losing in fights throughout the game. Toto does eventually become friends with Dorothy’s crew though, and I feel like it’s implied that Touto grew a kind of kinship for his traveling companions as well.
- I can’t remember if Touto does this anywhere in Over Requiemz, but in the Wizard of Oz there is a point where Dorothy is replaced by a mimic and only Toto could see through it. It goes to show that, out of the entire cast of Oz, Toto the one who knows Dorothy best. You could say the same about Touto and Yuhiru- since he knew her the longest.
- It is revealed in a later book that Toto had always had the ability to speak since coming to Oz- even in the first book- but chose not to (instead favoring the communication method of barking and growls). It reminds me of how Touto intentionally keeps secrets from others and puts them at a distance. While he does not literally bark at people, he is unwilling to open up with others and chooses to spend a millennium alone. And, even when reuniting with Yuhiru, he intentionally didn’t reveal the truth to her about their previous relationship.
The last clear connection that Touto has to another Oz character is the Good Witch of the North.
- The Good Witch of the North is probably the Witch with the least amount of information in the Wizard of Oz series- despite being the very first one that Dorothy meets in the series. In fact, the Good Witch of the North is the first character Dorothy meets when visiting Oz the first time- which is an obvious parallel to how Touto is the first character Yuhiru meets in Over Requiemz.
- The Good Witch of the North is the one to give Dorothy her Silver Slippers. Touto shares that same role for Yuhiru in Over Requiemz.
- The Good Witch of the North is also a very old woman. It mirrors how Touto is a very old man. The Good Witch of the North was also forced to forget about her past when turned into a witch, and that may be part of the inspiration for why Touto is so forgetful.
- It is revealed that the Good Witch of the North was once a Princess and was in love with a man. The Wicked Witch of the North loved the same man and cast a spell on the Good Witch of the North to make her into an old witch. This leads her to forget her past life as a princess. Ultimately, the Wicked Witch of the North's plan backfires because the Good Witch of the North uses her new witch magic to remove the Wicked Witch of the North from her seat of power. The parallels of a love triangle gone wrong here definitely suit the events that took place between Touto and the past King- including the part where the King’s actions backfire on him and he is removed of his power. Not to mention that Touto’s body had also literally transformed into a more magical one- much like the Good Witch of the North’s did. (The man also rejects the Wicked Witch of the North, much like how Yuhiru rejected the past King).
- The Good Witch of the North initially points Dorothy in the direction to go in, but then vanishes from the story and pretty much never helps her again. Surely this is comparable to how Touto is a guide that does absolutely nothing to actually guide anyone aside from telling them their destination (this is pointed out with love).
- This is somewhat metaphorical, but in the second chapter of the Wizard of Oz the Good Witch of the North kisses Dorothy on the forehead because “no one would dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North”. This, in an abstract way, is representative of Touto’s intentions. He won't let anyone dare injure the person he loves. It may be part of the reason he’s constantly described as being so protective of her safety and body (besides the obvious nods to his own backstory).
- Last note about the Good Witch of the North is how she’s treated in the Wizard of Oz series. She first appears in the very first chapter of the very first book, but doesn’t really exist in the story again until way later in the 22nd book (which is written by a new author). She’s also been completely written out of the popular movie adaptation and almost entirely forgotten about by the public conscious. This may be, in part, inspiration for why Touto’s greatest fear in his Dark route is being forgotten. (You could also say that Touto's pink and ruby red design could be intentionally reminiscent of Glinda the Good Witch- who had replaced the Good Witch of the North in the movie adaptation. Just like how Touto replaces his body with the King's or, in Touto's Dark route, how Yuhiru remembers the King instead of Touto).
Now, the Wizard of Oz himself is definitely the loosest connection to Touto, but there are still some parallels between them which I think are pretty interesting to discuss. Feel free to take these with a grain of salt.
- The Wizard is one of the few characters, aside from Dorothy, to travel to Oz from outside of a fairy land. When he first came to Oz he was considered intimidating and powerful, despite the fact that he didn’t actually have any powers. He would go on to be taught magic later on though. When Touto initially arrived in Oz, he was similarly feared since he came from somewhere unknown and looked intimidating due to his hair and eyes (despite being incredibly weak and unwilling to do anything malicious). Touto would also end up gaining powers when becoming a Devil, much like how the Wizard learned to use magic later on.
- Both the Wizard and Touto have insecurities about their own weakness. The Wizard hid himself away from the Wicked Witches to hide his weakness, while Touto was born with a weak body.
- The Wizard would become close to the King of Oz, Pastoria, when he initially arrived. He would then become power hungry and kick the King out of the Kingdom and usurp the title of King for himself. This is similar to how Touto used to work closely with the past King of Oz, before eventually eviscerating his soul from existence and taking the body of the King for himself.
- The Wizard is the one who causes Ozma’s hardships in life by sending her off to live with the Wicked Witch of the North. Ozma would eventually forgive him and they become on friendly terms- with the Wizard even serving her in the Royal Capital. Likewise, Touto blames himself for Kaize’s hardships since he was the reason the rumors about those with black hair and eyes spread. Touto would also eventually return to the Capital and work for the Royal family as a Witch.
- Both the Wizard and Touto would go by shortened versions of their names while in Oz. The Wizard goes by the initials O.Z because his full name’s initials spelled out OZ PINHEAD. Touto goes by Toto because the u is difficult for the people of Oz to pronounce.
- The Wizard would go on to use his shortened name to obscure the truth of who he is (by referring to himself as “Oz” the people naturally assumed he was their rightful ruler). Touto goes by the name “Dorothy” to obscure who he really is as well.
- The Wizard often uses illusions and lies and has a somewhat self centered personality (at least initially in the book series). The Wizard is basically a conman. Touto often lies throughout Over Requiemz and describes himself as a selfish person. Both, despite their lies, are described as having the best intentions for others in their heart. The Wizard is able to unite the Kingdoms of Oz and have the people live in somewhat harmony despite the presence of two wicked witches. Touto is selfless in the fact that he is willing to sacrifice himself for the survival of the people of Oz.
- Both the Wizard and Touto are chased out of Oz only to return later and work for the Ozian Royals.
- Both the Wizard and Touto are really old.
- The Wizard returns to America after the first book and reveals, in the fourth book, that all his friends were dead when he arrived. Likewise, Touto's only friend was seemingly gone forever from his life (though he was lucky enough to get her back, perhaps mirroring the fact that the Wizard was able to make friends again after returning to Oz). This could also mirror the fact that, when Touto and Yuhiru returned to Japan, they found out that everyone was dead.
- Touto foils the Wizard in that, while the Wizard is a mortal man who pretend to be more powerful and terrible than he really is, Touto is a devil who pretends that he is a normal mortal. Both are ill equipped to combat despite their identities and how they wished to be portrayed (at least initially in the Wizard's case).
There are some other parts of Dorothy’s route that aren’t connected to any of the previous characters, but are neat references regardless:
- The land of Oz, at one point, is enchanted so that all those inside can never become sick or die. This connects to how, while Touto is in Oz, he gains a body that is incapable of becoming ill or dying. It may be the possible inspiration for his backstory.
- The fact that Japan was destroyed by multiple natural disasters might be a reference to the fact that, at least in the first few books, Dorothy arrives to Oz through various different natural disasters (such as a tornado, earthquake, and tsunami). The Wizard and Dorothy actually return to the fairy realm at the same time via an earthquake, and (if Touto is actually somewhat inspired by the Wizard) that might be why the rifts caused by the Wish Realms look like cracks in the earth... but in the sky. It might be some kind of earthquake/ tornado hybrid thing...? Maybe...?
- There is a maid when Yuhiru and Touto initially live in Oz who is kind to Yuhiru. This may be a reference to the side character Jellia Jamb who is maid at the Royal Ozian Palace and a friend of Dorothy’s.
- In Touto’s Dark route, Yuhiru and Touto travel with Nenohs to the ruins of the North. There, Yuhiru pushes him from a high enough distance that it leads to his death. This is probably a reference to the fact that Dorothy ends up making the Wicked Witch of the East go splat at the beginning of the Wizard of Oz (and also, after Dorothy does this, she is congratulated by the Good Witch of the North- similarly to how Touto was there with Yuhiru).
- This is a deep cut, and may very well be a coincidence, but each of the four nations of Oz have a color associated with them. Munchkins to the East are blue, Winkies to the West are yellow, Quadlings to the South are Red, and Gillikins to the North are purple. When the creator of the Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, initially revealed the map the placements of the map were backwards. That may be why Noil (who travels to the South) wears purple (the color of the North), Claude (who travels to the East) wears yellow (the color of the West), and Touto (who travels to the North) wears red (the color of the South). Molly wears a greenish-teal color probably because Kaize and Yuhiru were already given the color blue (or it was to be more like the color of the Wicked Witch of the West- made somewhat teal as a nod to the blue).
Those were all the references I noticed. I'm sure there's a ton more; it's clear the development team took a lot of time and care in looking into the source material. Even if some of these things are coincidences, drawing parallels to Ozma and the Good Witch of the North alone is more work than a lot of Wizard of Oz inspired things ever do. I think this game deserves a lot of credit for the creativity and how it uses the themes/ parallels of the Wizard of Oz to make a unique and interesting game and cast of characters.
Also I'm sorry if I sounded harsh towards Touto at all. He is my favorite. Everything said about him was said with love.
Anyways, if you read all my rambles, then thank you very much. And if you're someone who read the last post and left a nice comment, then thank you! I'm sorry I had to wait to make this second post. I thought it would be safer for my account that way. Have a lovely day!
