Some Outlaw Star questions

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Just got the complete series of this and I have a few questions that I was hoping the folks here could answer.

Firstly, is it possible to create Caster shells in the present day, or has that magitek been lost?

Secondly, just what are Casters anyway? They seem to be magical spells sealed up inside special bullets, which thusly require a special enchanted gun to use them.

Thirdly, in episode 5, Aisha brags about being "immortal". Is this just her usual boasting, or is it based in fact? In the latter, does it actually mean that the Ctarl-Ctarl have a longer lifespan than humans, or is it a reference to their superhuman durability & resilience?

Fourthly, what are the 'mystic lores' in the Outlaw Star universe, and what are they based on? I know of Tao, a sort of ki/magic used by the pirates who attack before the Outlaw Star leaves Sentinel 3 (can't remember its name), and the unnamed 'force' that powers Suzuka's fighting style.

Fifth, is Lady Iraga of the Anten 7 a Ctarl-Ctarl, a member of some unknown race, or wielder of a personal 'mystic power'?

Sixth, does Aisha have a tail all the time, or only when she's tapping into "Beast Strength"?

Seventh, how did Fred Luo, who doesn't exactly seem to be shy about his sexuality, end up engaged to Reiko Ando anyway?

Finally, what's the precise relationship between the presence and phase of a lunar body and a Ctarl-Ctarl's ability to tap "Beast Strength" (presuming that the 'transform into a cat-monster' thing is the ultimate expression of this ability)? Is a Ctarl unable to tranform unless there's a lunar body, being restricted to merely drawing on greater strength and resilience, or do they absorb "lunar ether" (for lack of a better name for the phlebonitium) merely to help 'pay off' the energy requisite of this ability, which means that they don't need to eat so much afterwards and can go for longer if there are more moon(s) exposed?

[Comartemis]

Firstly, is it possible to create Caster shells in the present day, or has that magitek been lost?

I'm pretty darn sure it's possible, though I think the technique to make them is pretty much all but forgotten since Casters themselves are pretty ancient weapons.

Secondly, just what are Casters anyway? They seem to be magical spells sealed up inside special bullets, which thusly require a special enchanted gun to use them.

I think of them like a primitive form of the devices used in Nanoha. You have a pre-selected magic spell bound into a caster shell (or if not a spell then just a blast of raw unfocused magic) which is focused and released through the gun and can be used even by those who are unfamiliar with magic.

Thirdly, in episode 5, Aisha brags about being "immortal". Is this just her usual boasting, or is it based in fact? In the latter, does it actually mean that the Ctarl-Ctarl have a longer lifespan than humans, or is it a reference to their superhuman durability & resilience?

Aisha is immensely proud of her lineage, so I wouldn't be surprised if the "immortal" part is just boasting on behalf of her race.

Dunno anything about 4-8.

[CRBWildcat]

Fifth, is Lady Iraga of the Anten 7 a Ctarl-Ctarl, a member of some unknown race, or wielder of a personal 'mystic power'?

I just checked into this...she's a werewolf, apparently.

Sixth, does Aisha have a tail all the time, or only when she's tapping into "Beast Strength"?

The second one. Never seen her with a tail otherwise.

Man, it feels like ages since I've last seen this series.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Two questions about Hanmyo, of the Anten 7. Firstly, does Jim ever find out that she was one of the Kei Pirates' elite assassins and, specifically, she was the one piloting the ship they destroyed? Secondly, just what the hell is up with her cats? I get that they're at least as smart as humans, but how did they get that way? Are they a genetic experiment? Or an alien race that merely looks like a household pet?

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Secondly, just what the hell is up with her cats? I get that they're at least as smart as humans, but how did they get that way? Are they a genetic experiment? Or an alien race that merely looks like a household pet?

I smell a crossover: they're Mau?

[CRBWildcat]

Firstly, does Jim ever find out that she was one of the Kei Pirates' elite assassins and, specifically, she was the one piloting the ship they destroyed?

Nope. Shame---I found that episode rather depressing.

Secondly, just what the hell is up with her cats? I get that they're at least as smart as humans, but how did they get that way? Are they a genetic experiment? Or an alien race that merely looks like a household pet?

No, to both questions. Hanmyo shared a mental link with her cats.

Man, if I had something like that, I could figure out what my own cats were thinking...

[Zwzn]

Firstly, is it possible to create Caster shells in the present day, or has that magitek been lost?

Gene has some made during the series. It is unknown if anyone but the three magicians we see know how to make caster shell.

Secondly, just what are Casters anyway? They seem to be magical spells sealed up inside special bullets, which thusly require a special enchanted gun to use them.

A caster shell contains a pre-cast spell, and a spell caster(the full name for a caster) is a device that lets you cast the spell in the shell. There is a cost for each shell, but only 4 have noticeable effects on the user. They literally suck 1 fourth of your life out of you.

Thirdly, in episode 5, Aisha brags about being "immortal". Is this just her usual boasting, or is it based in fact? In the latter, does it actually mean that the Ctarl-Ctarl have a longer lifespan than humans, or is it a reference to their superhuman durability & resilience?

We really don't know much about Ctarl-Ctarl. One thing we know for certain is they are extremely strong and stupidly tuff. We see Ctarl-Ctarl childern, and the they seem to have limited numbers. I would assume they can be killed somehow, but we are never show what that might be.

Fourthly, what are the 'mystic lores' in the Outlaw Star universe, and what are they based on? I know of Tao, a sort of ki/magic used by the pirates who attack before the Outlaw Star leaves Sentinel 3 (can't remember its name), and the unnamed 'force' that powers Suzuka's fighting style.

At least the way I see it, they are all just using different names for the same thing.

Fifth, is Lady Iraga of the Anten 7 a Ctarl-Ctarl, a member of some unknown race, or wielder of a personal 'mystic power'?

She is a were-wolf, and is killed by Aisha.

Seventh, how did Fred Luo, who doesn't exactly seem to be shy about his sexuality, end up engaged to Reiko Ando anyway?

I believe Fred Luo was engaged to Reiko Ando through similar means as Akane and Ukyo got engaged to Ranma.

They end up falling in love

Finally, what's the precise relationship between the presence and phase of a lunar body and a Ctarl-Ctarl's ability to tap "Beast Strength" (presuming that the 'transform into a cat-monster' thing is the ultimate expression of this ability)? Is a Ctarl unable to tranform unless there's a lunar body, being restricted to merely drawing on greater strength and resilience, or do they absorb "lunar ether" (for lack of a better name for the phlebonitium) merely to help 'pay off' the energy requisite of this ability, which means that they don't need to eat so much afterwards and can go for longer if there are more moon(s) exposed?

Ctarl-Ctarl can transform without a moon, but they need to be well fed. Aisha tries to transform at one point, but was hungery.

[CRBWildcat]

I believe Fred Luo was engaged to Reiko Ando through similar means as Akane and Ukyo got engaged to Ranma.

They end up falling in love

Reiko ended up falling in love, you mean.

Ctarl-Ctarl can transform without a moon, but they need to be well fed. Aisha tries to transform at one point, but was hungery.

Actually, from what I remember, Ctarl-Ctarl can't transform without the moon, period. I could be wrong, though...

As with all Ctarl-Ctarl, Aisha has access to an ability referred to in the dub as "Beast Strength", where she taps into the primeval powers of her racial ancestors. This allows her to increase her strength and possibly her speed and durability, but is extremely energy-draining; Aisha burns a lot of calories by using this ability and is always depicted as eating massive quantities of food afterwards. This ability is somehow tied to lunar bodies, both their presence and their phase, though it is unclear if these make it easier for her to access the ability or if they reduce the amount of energy it drains.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Aisha transforms (albeit not into full tiger-beast form) in episode 5, it's just that it's so energy-sapping without a moon that, in her present state, she collapses from hunger the moment she changes.

[CRBWildcat]

Right, I neglected to mention the partial transformation. Sorry about that.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Define "moon" for a spacefaring race! Titan, for example, is a honking big moon. It'd make a decent planet, if only it weren't hooked up with Saturn. Conversely, Mercury would make a decent moon in Titan's place.

There has to be some kind of symbolic magic involved. Like the modern Green Lantern: define "yellow". Or the original Green Lantern: define "wood". (Does kelp count? It's a large plant, but not that woodish.)

Now a creature that lives on a planet (or a moon) could be excused for only transforming when that strange light was in the sky ...