Differences between male and female Guyvers

[durendal]

The part about feeding energy to the baby gives me shudders at the outcome of the baby. If that happens, then you would be having a mutant baby that can cry particle beams. Obviously this is a joke and has nothing to do with the discussion.

But really, we can't predict what the unit can do unless we are the author of it. Also, knowing what the Guyver unit is, would the mother really risk bio-boosting while pregnant? But before all this technical data about the Guyver, I used to believe that it's just a piece of armor that covers the flesh, and not some bio weapon that changes your insides. But before we dwelve further in to the details of this, would a recent injury be removed if the host bio-boosts then de-boosts? Once we have this established I think we will be able to determine as to what will happen to the baby.

[*zeo]

Sho's impalement by Aptom probably counts to that consideration. . .

now teh growing baby iside teh mother has it's own mind developing inside there. gathering experiences ( no matter how small) etc.

it's own body, it's own ecosystem. far more complex than the hosts own body and how small the body may have changed between bio boosting.

I feel that if the Guyver were to regress any part of that baby, it would need to have the CM connected to that brain in order to fully analyse it.

and that would take a full length of the initial bonding to gather that much data and adapt to it.

I don't think this is feasible.

I understand the reasoning, but I think you're assuming the unit needs to directly link to the fetus's brain... it takes 8 weeks of development before an embryo even becomes a fetus and all the basic organs are in place (like the brain). So your concerns don't even come into effect until the pregnancy is well along its way. For example, our stomach's has its own primitive brain, but you don't see the CM linking to that!?

So this possible problem wouldn't even turn up until after 2 months into the pregnancy. But even then, the baby won't be controlling the unit so why would the CM need to directly link to the fetus's brain? Why should the unit even care?

We care because we are human but the Unit is not human, it goes with cold logic of what is needed to survive.

Really, consider the priority of the unit is for survival of itself and the host. The direct brain restoration is primarily to deal with damage but regressed the fetus would basically be in stasus and is restored when the unit is deactivated. Unlike the host brain it doesn't need to continue to operate while the unit is active. So is in no real danger and despite the fact it will eventually become it's own being a fetus is not more complex than the mother's fully developed body. It's just a small miniature and underdeveloped version of a person with fewer cells in its tiny body, which means there would be a lot less to remember about it than the much larger host body and this would offset its complexity versus the complexity of the internal organs of the host.

The unit already deals with cloths, though they may not be alive they are complex in their own ways. Between their inorganic makeup to their physical structure, all of which the unit has to deal with each and every time the unit is used but without the benefit of DNA and bio-signatures. A fetus on the other hand does have DNA (which is natures way of archiving data in a super efficient and compact manner) and bio-signatures, and experience is also part of our DNA expression (to a limited extent we do have genetic memory of sorts). So the primitive experiences a fetus may acquire could be restored without the need of a direct CM interface but even if it isn't the fetus doesn't need those experiences to survive and the unit really only has to remember the physical state the fetus was in and restore that.

But I believe it is possible the unit can deal with a pregnancy and update itself on all the information needed to keep the fetus alive till birth. Really, I doubt we can really define the limit of the Unit to store and deal with information. But of course this all hinges on the unit even accepting the pregnancy and not view it as some parasite infection.

Of course this is all academic as Enzyme-eternal rightly stated, we can only conjecture how the unit would respond to a pregnancy. But perhaps that is one of the reasons the Creators kept unit removers around. . .

[Enzyme-eternal]

That’s something to consider, Guyvers (though they wouldn’t be Guyvers in this context) would be standard kit for the Creators so the fact they have a device for removing them may indicate the need too do so for some reason like reproduction. However, since we know nothing about the Creator’s biology or culture there is any number of social and biological possibilities.

I personally like to think that the Creators were scientists from several different races that belonged to a federation-type alliance that formed a separatist ground, that interbred creating a super intelligent but physically weak, imperialistic race. But that’s neither here nor there.

Anyway, something else that may support the regression theory is stem cells, which are programmable. Since a fetus is composed of these malleable cells it seems more likely that an advanced system like the Control Metal could alter and re-assemble them without difficulty. Possibly giving the fetus a jellyfish structure during combat to protect it from harm and squish it out of the way without degenerating it at all. Of course that does raze the point about the Guyver’s perception of the baby again.

One possibility we haven’t considered yet is that the Guyver will recognize the pregnancy as a means by which it’s host reproduces (which it is of course). Why the host is growing an entity inside herself is probably the question the Guyver would ask if it understood what was happening was part of it’s host’s biological functions. Ultimately the answer it concludes would probably have a large effect on the actions its would take. For example, if the Guyver concluded that the host was growing an external drone creature (like Waferdonis’ Subjecty) then it may attempt to “fix” it after noting the host would have no mental link to it. Or it may conclude the host is attempting to clone herself and the Guyver will purge the “errors” in its design (the father’s DNA).

Or maybe it will just leave it alone and work round it then the host bio-boosts.

[Moonraker One]

Here's a thought. The control medal would have to be a living computer. To know how to store information about the host and what form to store it in, and to know exactly what form the weapons are in, and how to use them, and especially hyper-defense mode, it would have to be a living computer programmed how to do what it does. This fact must be true, because how else would it know how to do what it does? It has to have some kind of programming. Knowing this, certainly the Creators would program the units to properly deal with the issue of a bioboosted pregnant woman. If you think about it, it really isn't a complicated issue to think about.

[Guest Takara Korteis]

Here's a thought. The control medal would have to be a living computer. To know how to store information about the host and what form to store it in, and to know exactly what form the weapons are in, and how to use them, and especially hyper-defense mode, it would have to be a living computer programmed how to do what it does. This fact must be true, because how else would it know how to do what it does? It has to have some kind of programming. Knowing this, certainly the Creators would program the units to properly deal with the issue of a bioboosted pregnant woman. If you think about it, it really isn't a complicated issue to think about.

It wouldn't HAVE to be a living computer. I'm of the mind that it's a crystalline computer matrix. Kryptonian technology is based on the manipulation of crystals and the storing of knowledge within them. Mayhaps the Advents use similar technology, using a crystalline device specifically designed to harbor an incredibly advanced Artificial Intelligence. Maybe a pregnant boost armor host couldn't summon the armor but could activate the Blast Field as a means of defense.

[Enzyme-eternal]

That would make sense if you think about the Zoacrystals, which could be a weaponized version of the Control Metal’s crystal component. It should also be remembered that the Guyver wasn’t originally a weapon but a spacesuit-esc device for the Creators that was never intended for use on a human. Really Guyvers (as we know them) didn’t exist until some Creator thought, I know lets equip one of these humans with a G-unite…what’s the worst that could happen?

It isn’t entirely impossible to assume that the G-unite was the equivalent of a hazard suit that only Creators in such hazardous situations and were removed onboard their ships and possibly not used at all on their domestic planets (remember Earth would be the Creator equivalent of a munitions factory). So in social settings, if the issue applies to the Creators, the G-unites wouldn’t be present to hinder pregnancy or whatever.

[Moonraker One]

Both of you bring up a very good point. It doesn't necessarily have to be a living computer, because it could be a crystalline computer matrix like you said, but the point is, it is still a computer. It would have to be some kind of computer in order to process and store data. So it would have to have some form of programming to know how to do what it does. And, per the other statement, you're right, it isn't entirely impossible that the Creators only wore it in such situations as they were in space or on a hazardous alien planet. However, since accidents happen, what if one of the creators' female beings injured, for instance, her leg while pregnant. It isn't an injury that would affect the baby, but since she's used to bioboosting to immediately remove the injury (which is what Sho did when Aptom impaled him in the cave, he bioboosted to immediately remove the injury), she bioboosts. Then what? I'm convinced the Creators had SOME kind of system in place that would allow a female to bioboost and not cause detrimental harm to the baby. It would just make sense that a species that advanced would do something like that. Because if you have females of your species who cannot bioboost for several months while a fetus is developing, that is a period in which many bad things could happen. And I refuse to believe that a species THAT advanced as to create life on Earth, would not find SOME way of dealing with that particular issue.

[*zeo]

Uh, aren't we assuming they even got pregnant? Were the Creators mammals?

Even if they were, such an advance race could easily just create artificial wombs. In fact the Bio-Tubes are pretty much artificial wombs, they even are filled with the same type of fluids.

Just look at our own culture, as science becomes more and more a part of pregnancies and eventually will lead to genetic engineering as each parent wants a healthy baby. Eventually we won't even bother with traditional pregnancies, as already there is much research going into developing artificial wombs.

Archanphel being a prime example since he was born from a Bio-Tube and never had a mother. . .

[durendal]

Knowing this, certainly the Creators would program the units to properly deal with the issue of a bioboosted pregnant woman. If you think about it, it really isn't a complicated issue to think about.

I think there is something we all should remember about this. The Creators tested the Guyver unit on a human out of curiosity and the results were not what they expected. I would like to believe that they would not be able to factor in the pregnancy of a Human female. For one thing, does the Creators even have primitive methods of mating? Yes the Control Metal serves as a computer of the human body, imprinting the biological data of the host upon initial bonding. Thus returning the hosts biological status at that point upon every de-boosting. So any changes made in the physiology of the host would be returned to it's original state. This is what I wanted to point out about the scars after de-boosting. However, this option can only be viable if the condition that Sho and Agito hasn't aged a day since their first bio-boost. Would anybody like to defend that case?

[Moonraker One]

Yes the Control Metal serves as a computer of the human body, imprinting the biological data of the host upon initial bonding. Thus returning the hosts biological status at that point upon every de-boosting. So any changes made in the physiology of the host would be returned to it's original state. This is what I wanted to point out about the scars after de-boosting. However, this option can only be viable if the condition that Sho and Agito hasn't aged a day since their first bio-boost. Would anybody like to defend that case?

I would like to believe that if the Guyver truly is a "instant human remodeling system" as the VDF points out, that it would stop the compounding effects that lead to aging (because aging is caused by things building on top of other things, a compounding effect). It wouldn't be hard for a Guyver to do so, because in a situation of a compounding effect, all you have to do is stop one of the processes and the entire process as a whole comes to a stop.

However, it's only been at most three years since the start of the manga; I'm even willing to go as far as four, although I don't really think it's longer than three. That isn't what's important. What is important is that, since it's only been three years at most, we're not going to notice a significant change in how Sho or Agito look if they were aging naturally without a Guyver unit. So all we have is conjecture.

I would like to believe that the Guyver stops the processes of aging in your human form, but for all we know, you could still be aging in your human form and simply be brought back to the way you were. That would lend credence to the theory that bioboosting would be harmful to a pregnant woman, since the "data" that was her baby would be eliminated. But, if it doesn't do it that way, and it truly eliminates aging in your human form, that would mean it doesn't "save state" you completely, and that would mean the possibility exists that it wouldn't do anything bad to the baby.

As per a question, even if the Creators do not "mate" like we do, they would have to reproduce some way, even if it is asexual reproduction. Think about it; if you are not organic in some way, the Guyver cannot bond with you. So, they'd have to be organic. Organic beings reproduce two ways: Asexually, and Sexually. Asexual reproduction is one parent producing offspring, as opposed to sexual reproduction where two parents are required to produce an offspring. Even if they create offspring inside their bodies that are exact clones of the original creator, they would still have to deal somehow with the unit and how would it affect the offspring. However, if you think about it, Asexual reproduction (the only alternative to sexual reproduction) would require them to put contingency programming into the unit more so than sexual reproduction, because asexual reproduction means the Creators would have no gender, and each being would be capable of reproducing. In that instance, they would not have "males" or "females," because you only have genders if your species undergoes sexual reproduction."

So if they don't mate, which means they don't have sexual reproduction, they would all be one gender (because bacteria that reproduce asexually don't have gender), and that would mean they would DEFINITELY have to put programming in to deal with it. But if they do mate-which would create a situation in which one gender would not need such programming-then the organisms would probably think to make it possible for a pregnant female to bioboost without harming the baby.

I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong, because until we get info from Takaya, there is no "right" answer. I'm just trying to convince people that it is POSSIBLE.

[Enzyme-eternal]

Something we haven’t considered it that the Guyver alters its physical structure so it can bond with a host so it is reasonable to assume that during the bonding process the Control Metal would become aware of its host’s biological functions and make adjustments accordingly. I realize that doesn’t really address the issue of weather the host is reset after each bio-boost but it is a point worth considering. Personally I think the Guyver eliminates the preset limit our cell have to replace themselves (which is what aging is on a cellular level) by regenerating them thus creating the allusion of an ageless state.

[*Jess♥]

I would like to believe that the Guyver stops the processes of aging in your human form, but for all we know, you could still be aging in your human form and simply be brought back to the way you were.

I'd like to point out memories and clothing here.

the Guyver obviously allows for changes each time the host bio-boosts. it must therefore allow for aging if it allows for these other changes.

humans are designed to expire so the Guyver would allow for this. the Creators made us this way for a reason. the CM is a computer, a computer by it's nature does not argue.

So if they don't mate, which means they don't have sexual reproduction, they would all be one gender (because bacteria that reproduce asexually don't have gender), and that would mean they would DEFINITELY have to put programming in to deal with it. But if they do mate-which would create a situation in which one gender would not need such programming-then the organisms would probably think to make it possible for a pregnant female to bioboost without harming the baby.

I think the focus need be shifted. I think that comparing asexual and sexual beings is irrelevant. it's the method of gestation that is relevant.

internal or external.

species that lay eggs for example, have external gestation. a chicken lays an egg, the egg gets fertilised outside the body and develops outside the body.

in terms of thinking about if the Guyver would preent aging.. aging in it's basic form is down to cell division. each time a cell copies itself it loses information. if teh Guyver wanted to preserve the host, it sould restore teh missing dna to the cells. I doubt it would do that though. it's a natural process.

[*zeo]

Edit: Ryuki, you beat me to the response...

I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong, because until we get info from Takaya, there is no "right" answer. I'm just trying to convince people that it is POSSIBLE.

I don't think anyone is arguing that it isn't possible, just whether it is likely or not. With the Creator's level of technology virtually anything would be possible but being aliens with biology and a culture different from our it becomes a question as to whether our concerns would overlap with theirs.

Your argument for example did not consider the possibility that the Creators don't need to worry about pregnancies. Species other than mammals can reproduce externally!

Like fish laying eggs and fertilizing them, they still have sexes but they don't have to worry about pregnancy like mammals do. In fact we can view pregnancy as a evolutionary reaction to an aggressive ecosystem. Being a survival method that avoids the dangers of nesting and keeping your young in one place too long.

Taken in the view that the Creators created us as bio-weapons could indicate such aggressive ecosystems may not be the norm for life elsewhere in the universe.

There is also the possibility that the Creators genetically engineered themselves just like we are almost reaching the point of doing so. So their method of reproduction could be totally different to anything we have ever seen before in nature.

I would also like to separate what we may reason is likely from what we want to be true. I think most of us will agree that it would be cool if the unit could adapt to even a pregnancy and still provide a level of ageless immortality, though I personally don't think it stops growing as much as just growing old but that's just my own personal desire of what I want the unit to be capable of.

The cold logic of it though is that this may be something only a human host may ever have to deal with, the Creators could always reprogram a unit if the need arises but a human host doesn't have that level of control over their unit. Though this may change now that Agito appears to have access to the knowledge of the Creators, but prior to that not even the Gigantic really ever changed the unit as the host unit remained the same as before without the Gigantic. So there are some limits to the Guyver's range of self induced adaptability. But without further evidence we can't really say definitely whether it is possible or not, it's just that most of the possibilities lean towards it not being possible but like Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park, "No, I'm simply saying that life, uh... finds a way."

[Enzyme-eternal]

Yes but the Guyver is somewhat adaptable and does have a limited AI so it isn’t a set program, also the host mind plays a part otherwise Sho and Agito’s Guyvers would work exactly alike. While they are identical as far as weapons (minus some cosmetic differences) and combat are concerned Sho’s Guyver seems more inclined to its more passive functions like flying the Relic. As far as I can tell Sho’s mentality is the only variable that would account for this difference.

As for the aging thing well we don’t really know what effect, if any, the Guyver has on it’s host’s natural state as Sho and Agito are both healthy young men. Weather the Guyver does or doesn’t stop the aging process I don’t believe it would allow it’s host to die under any circumstances as it is fairly obvious that one of its core tenets is its host survival. I doubt death being a natural part of its host’s life will matter much to the Guyver.

[*Jess♥]

analternative way of looking at cell replication and los of information...

whilst aging is natural, it could be viewed as either intentional, or a side effect of teh cell regeneration process.

I'm wondering if the Creators would have wanted their weapons to expire... I am not so sure about that actually..

perhaps if we look at data loss as an unfortunate side effect, then hte Guyver would prevent that data loss?

and therefore prevent aging...

[*V Guyver]

Well, I suppose you can view the Control Medal as a DNA reboot system, the equivalent to the System Restore feature we have on computers. It reboots human DNA to when it initially found it's host, but still keeps the updated brain data (like friends, change in goals, knowledge.) So if a host is killed or injured, it just reboots the human cell structure to a pre-aged/damaged state. Sort of like a computers System Recovery in how it reboots a PC back to when it was in prime condition, but with the additional option of retaining all your personal files.

That's one aspect of the control medal in how we relate it to what we already have.

[*zeo]

That's one way to look at it but we don't really know at what level the unit interacts with the host DNA, the big question is whether it really changes anything or just maintains the status quo. . .

Yes but the Guyver is somewhat adaptable and does have a limited AI so it isn’t a set program, also the host mind plays a part otherwise Sho and Agito’s Guyvers would work exactly alike. While they are identical as far as weapons (minus some cosmetic differences) and combat are concerned Sho’s Guyver seems more inclined to its more passive functions like flying the Relic. As far as I can tell Sho’s mentality is the only variable that would account for this difference.

True but this has nothing to do with biological adaptability, the unit does accesses the host brain to make decisions such as who is friend or foe during a battle and this is only compromised if the host brain is damaged such as when G1 killed Enzyme II after a chunk of his brain had been ripped out versus the time the unit vaporized the bullet that would have blow Tetsuro's brains out if it had been allowed to hit him, as shown in the new Anime series.

But the unit adapts to the host biology even before it has access to the host brain during the initial bonding process and not even after the Creation of the Gigantic have we seen any changes to G1's original design or range of abilities when not using the Gigantic, apparently not giving the host unit any of the enhancements present in the Gigantic. Though this doesn't rule out adaptability, it doesn't exactly support the idea either.

analternative way of looking at cell replication and los of information...

whilst aging is natural, it could be viewed as either intentional, or a side effect of teh cell regeneration process.

I'm wondering if the Creators would have wanted their weapons to expire... I am not so sure about that actually..

perhaps if we look at data loss as an unfortunate side effect, then hte Guyver would prevent that data loss?

and therefore prevent aging...

I believe this point of view has the most merit to consider, aging and dying as we know it is in large part how life as we know it has adapted to surviving and evolving but was not how life originally developed. Basically dealing with things like oxidation, free radicals, and other biological eroding processes that life hit upon the life cycle on how long any form of life can function before passing its genes to the next generation.

Some species for example live only to mate and pass on their genes and immediately die upon completing that one goal. While others like ourselves, which also pass on knowledge, live past our reproductive cycle and well into old age. Invariably this is primarily linked to metabolism and how quickly it runs, which is why species with faster metabolisms tend to live shorter lives while species with slower metabolisms live longer.

However, there are some rare exemptions to this rule, showing it is possible to extend life and the rule is really a condition that was set to optimize the passing of DNA to the next generation. But as stated the Guyver eliminates the worry of genetic degradation and that opens up possibilities. . .

In terms of how this apply to the Guyver it could be as a simple part of just keeping the host healthy could eliminate the process of growing old and death. So for all intents and purpose a Guyver host could literally live forever, short of some unnatural death.

But unfortunately this doesn't really tell us one way or the other on the main topic of whether the unit would allow a pregnancy. It could indeed be possible but pregnancy is such a radical change to a body that it may also just eliminate it as a perceived threat that in some respects it is to the life of the host.

Since we've yet to see a host even catch a cold since bonding to a unit, we can't really say one way or the other with anything but our personal opinion, but it would be nice if it could.

[*V Guyver]

The whole pregnancy thing will have no answer until more data comes out. However, the Unit seems to be designed to work around the human body and not directly alter it. It may of created two organisms on the back, which is the only hint of any DNA alterations, but it's also possible to say it's just a symbiotic organism living on sho's back and not really part of the body. Kinda like the bacteria in your body that helps it digest food or produce vital chemicals.

Considering Sho and Agito can still eat food and function with other symbiotic organisms (bacteria) that help the human body function... It would not surprise me if the Unit allowed these organisms to remain because it recognised the benefits to having them. This coupled with the fact the Unit doesn't hinder body functions and instead only enhances them from an external bond (instead of internal) to better the host would suggest that it would allow a fetus and other natural reproductive abilities like sperm. A shame if it turned out Guyver males were sterile. XD

Of course, it's all a matter of opinion, and your take on the guyver. But for all our theories, we'll have to learn more about the unit before any final conclusions come about it.

A good question would be though... does processing a female into a Zoanoid make her unable to have children? It shouldn't be the case, but it's another theory as to why Chronos may not be producing female zoanoids. Though of course it could just be that Takaya doesn't want his female characters turn to hairy monsters... it's a major turn off for male viewers.

[Moonraker One]

A good question would be though... does processing a female into a Zoanoid make her unable to have children? It shouldn't be the case, but it's another theory as to why Chronos may not be producing female zoanoids. Though of course it could just be that Takaya doesn't want his female characters turn to hairy monsters... it's a major turn off for male viewers.

The female zoanoid thing is a bit off topic since there are other threads for that. But here's a thought: if the zoanoid optimization process made women sterile, why wouldn't it make males sterile? And we know male zoanoids aren't sterile, because after the Creators left, Murakami said that the zoanoid DNA became diluted over time due to zoanoids mating with ordinary, non-processed humans. That, and the fact that the Creators were looking for bioweapons. Why wouldn't they want reproducible bioweapons? I personally think it's just because all of the Zoalords (Guyot doesn't count since he's no longer with them) grew up before the modern era of "gender equality." So, if the optimization process really did sterilize females, it would be a huge detriment to the creators. Because I think they'd want to be able to have a male gregole and a female gregole have a few babies who are also gregoles, just as an example.

But back to the topic, I believe that the unit is smart enough to realize what works with your body and what doesn't, otherwise it'd kill all the helpful bacteria in your body and you'd have a problem. I believe if it is smart enough to know what "good bacteria" are, it knows to keep the fetus alive. And even if its natural reaction would be "it's feeding off her blood, kill it," her will power would overcome that, just as Sho's will power kept the unit from attaching to him after he killed his father.

[Enzyme-eternal]

So the question is how would a pregnant Guyver function? I mentioned this earlier but I don’t think that a pregnant Guyver would suffer the weight and imbalance issues the host would. We know that the Guyver almost completely degenerates its host’s digestive system while activated so even during the advanced stages of pregnancy the additional weight of the baby wont off-balance the Guyver because the weight will be redistributed into the torso (as there wont be any organs in the way). This makes more sense if the baby’s safety is a priority to the Guyver because of the host instincts, as it will be protected be additional lairs of muscle.

Of course the weight issue is mute in all other regards because the Guyver’s strength means the baby would have to weigh several tones.

[Guest maX Volnutt]

I don't have much to say on this, besides exactly what my girlfriend said when she saw Guyver 4.

"She has the biggest megasmashers of ALL. ^-^"

Female Guyver fans are the best.

[Moonraker One]

So the question is how would a pregnant Guyver function? I mentioned this earlier but I don’t think that a pregnant Guyver would suffer the weight and imbalance issues the host would. We know that the Guyver almost completely degenerates its host’s digestive system while activated so even during the advanced stages of pregnancy the additional weight of the baby wont off-balance the Guyver because the weight will be redistributed into the torso (as there wont be any organs in the way). This makes more sense if the baby’s safety is a priority to the Guyver because of the host instincts, as it will be protected be additional lairs of muscle.

Of course the weight issue is mute in all other regards because the Guyver’s strength means the baby would have to weigh several tones.

Well, probably not that much. I mean, the Guyver is incredibly dense, because Sho weighs upwards of 260 kg in his Guyver I form. I can't possibly imagine his human form weighing more than 55-60 kg (about 130 pounds).

Here's another thought; what if the Guyver developed the developing baby to the full term, so that when the control medal detected via her emotions and thoughts that she was safe, she would immediately have to deliver? I mean, the control medal obviously knows what a human's anatomy is supposed to be, and how it is supposed to function, otherwise Sho wouldn't have regenerated when Enzyme I happened. So perhaps it would eliminate the waiting period and make the infant developed as if the end of the 9 months had already come? I mean, that would certainly eliminate some problems.

[Guest IC Ominae]

Well the single canon female armor basically deletes any armor part that would have to bend or at least minimizes it. So the neck guard is unprecendently minimal, the belt is gone, the side armor is gone, and the part where the back armor meets on the person's back is redesigned to get in the way as little as possible when moving. Plus the wrist guards are much more open, thereby minimizing issue with the round plate on the back of the hand getting caught up in something.

That is a rather radical difference in design that's clearly optimized for freedom of movement over protection. Now whether that's just how our two females like to play it as opposed to our three males, as opposed to some kind of default is a valid question.

[BaelRathLian]

I just finished reading the posts.  The one about the normal parasites and Monocongre we have in our body is the most likely.  The armor enhances so the fetus would be safe too.  Back to the male version, I am curious what would have happened if Sho's fat friend had gotten the armor instead or maybe a sumo guy.  There's something to think about.