TV-Series
Description
Hong Lihua, also known as Reika, is a fifteen-year-old girl of Chinese descent who serves as an Element and a pilot for the organization DEAVA. She has a boyish appearance with dark, navy-colored hair and gray eyes, and is often initially mistaken for a boy. Her standard uniform consists of a white blouse with a purple tie, a purple skirt, and purple pants.
Reika is defined by her deeply pessimistic and self-deprecating personality, referring to herself as a woman who brings misfortune. She genuinely believes that she carries a strange ability that causes bad luck to herself and anyone who gets close to her. This belief forces her to keep others at a distance, as she blames herself for the accidents and negative events that befall those around her. Despite this overwhelming negativity, she is known to be caring and popular among her peers, including younger students who look up to her as a reliable senpai.
Her primary motivation throughout the story is to overcome her perceived curse and find a place where she belongs. She deeply desires to fight alongside her comrades without being a liability. This drive pushes her to learn how to control her unique powers and transform what she sees as a disadvantage into a strength in combat.
In the story, Reika is initially one of DEAVA's top Element candidates, ranked highly in both academic and combat ability alongside Sirius de Alisia and Glen Anderson. However, her performance in real combat situations is often hampered by her debilitating misfortune. Her role evolves as she struggles with her self-doubt and learns to harness her abilities effectively during battles against the Shadow Angels. She also acts as a mentor and friend to younger Element Tsugumi Rosenmeier, teaching her how to pilot.
Reika has several key relationships that shape her journey. She harbors romantic feelings for Sirius de Alisia, though this affection is complicated by Sirius's sister Silvia, who distrusts Reika due to her perceived bad luck. She shares a close friendship with Glen Anderson, who gave her a charm to ward off bad luck; she treasures this charm dearly and blames her own misfortune for an accident that left him in a coma. Despite her gloomy disposition, she forms a friendship with the protagonist Apollo, who is unconcerned by her supposed curse. She also has a friendly rapport with fellow pilot Pierre Vieira.
Throughout the series, Reika undergoes significant development. Initially paralyzed by her belief that she is a curse to others, she eventually learns to accept herself and discovers that her strange powers can be weaponized. She learns to use her misfortune offensively while piloting the Aquarion, turning her greatest weakness into a unique asset for her team. Her backstory reveals that she once begged to be allowed to fight, stating that it did not matter if she was cursed or unhappy as long as she could participate.
In the OVA continuity, Reika's role and background are expanded. She is initially believed to be the reincarnation of Celiane, the ancestor of the Alisia dynasty who loved Apollonius. However, it is later revealed that she is the reincarnation of Prince Scorpius, the one who betrayed humanity by stabbing Apollonius from behind. Her lingering memories and past-life connections cause her to develop jealous feelings toward Apollo and Silvia, leading to a temporary turn toward antagonism where she combines into Aquarion Saurus to attack her former allies. She eventually recognizes her mistakes, repents, and seeks forgiveness from everyone.
Reika possesses several notable abilities. As an Element, she has psychic powers close to psychometry and a high level of spiritual sensitivity, though these abilities often act as a hindrance rather than a help due to her misfortune. In combat, she can see the weaknesses of the Harvest Beasts and sense how many people are being held captive. She also demonstrates telekinetic abilities. Outside of her psychic powers, she is a skilled practitioner of Chinese martial arts, which allows her to perform acrobatic maneuvers while piloting her Vector.
Reika is defined by her deeply pessimistic and self-deprecating personality, referring to herself as a woman who brings misfortune. She genuinely believes that she carries a strange ability that causes bad luck to herself and anyone who gets close to her. This belief forces her to keep others at a distance, as she blames herself for the accidents and negative events that befall those around her. Despite this overwhelming negativity, she is known to be caring and popular among her peers, including younger students who look up to her as a reliable senpai.
Her primary motivation throughout the story is to overcome her perceived curse and find a place where she belongs. She deeply desires to fight alongside her comrades without being a liability. This drive pushes her to learn how to control her unique powers and transform what she sees as a disadvantage into a strength in combat.
In the story, Reika is initially one of DEAVA's top Element candidates, ranked highly in both academic and combat ability alongside Sirius de Alisia and Glen Anderson. However, her performance in real combat situations is often hampered by her debilitating misfortune. Her role evolves as she struggles with her self-doubt and learns to harness her abilities effectively during battles against the Shadow Angels. She also acts as a mentor and friend to younger Element Tsugumi Rosenmeier, teaching her how to pilot.
Reika has several key relationships that shape her journey. She harbors romantic feelings for Sirius de Alisia, though this affection is complicated by Sirius's sister Silvia, who distrusts Reika due to her perceived bad luck. She shares a close friendship with Glen Anderson, who gave her a charm to ward off bad luck; she treasures this charm dearly and blames her own misfortune for an accident that left him in a coma. Despite her gloomy disposition, she forms a friendship with the protagonist Apollo, who is unconcerned by her supposed curse. She also has a friendly rapport with fellow pilot Pierre Vieira.
Throughout the series, Reika undergoes significant development. Initially paralyzed by her belief that she is a curse to others, she eventually learns to accept herself and discovers that her strange powers can be weaponized. She learns to use her misfortune offensively while piloting the Aquarion, turning her greatest weakness into a unique asset for her team. Her backstory reveals that she once begged to be allowed to fight, stating that it did not matter if she was cursed or unhappy as long as she could participate.
In the OVA continuity, Reika's role and background are expanded. She is initially believed to be the reincarnation of Celiane, the ancestor of the Alisia dynasty who loved Apollonius. However, it is later revealed that she is the reincarnation of Prince Scorpius, the one who betrayed humanity by stabbing Apollonius from behind. Her lingering memories and past-life connections cause her to develop jealous feelings toward Apollo and Silvia, leading to a temporary turn toward antagonism where she combines into Aquarion Saurus to attack her former allies. She eventually recognizes her mistakes, repents, and seeks forgiveness from everyone.
Reika possesses several notable abilities. As an Element, she has psychic powers close to psychometry and a high level of spiritual sensitivity, though these abilities often act as a hindrance rather than a help due to her misfortune. In combat, she can see the weaknesses of the Harvest Beasts and sense how many people are being held captive. She also demonstrates telekinetic abilities. Outside of her psychic powers, she is a skilled practitioner of Chinese martial arts, which allows her to perform acrobatic maneuvers while piloting her Vector.