Red, your wish is my command! So here goes. You have been warned!
Yes, I've heard Yoko was supposedly 14 years of age when she encountered Kamina and Simon. This is not an unusually-young age for combatants in most areas of the world and over the course of millennia. There were plenty of 14-year-old and younger Viet Minh combatants, female and male alike, when I was in Indochina. But here in the West 14 seems quite young for such activity. It isn't.
My understanding is that Yoko was orphaned as a child when an ill-placed ammunition dump blew up, killing her family and many others. I was exposed to an ammunition-dump explosion years ago, so I know just how devastating that is. If it's a sizable ammunition dump and you're less than a mile away, you may as well kiss your ass good-bye. My further understanding is that Yoko was asked, whilst still in childhood, to accompany combat patrols (and she did) which were defending her village. This request during such a dire time was undoubtedly due to Yoko's expert marksmanship amongst other qualities, such as athleticism and cool-headedness, which well suited her for strenuous and stressful assignments.
As far as I'm concerned, Yoko was the most interesting and savvy character in the whole scenario. She was very pragmatic and gave sound advice. She stood by her friends and didn't take crap from anybody. To me, Yoko had intelligence fairly radiating from her. I was also impressed with her personality and was unencumbered by stereotypical views of how attractive young women are supposed to be perceived according to trends of popular culture.
Also, it was evident from Yoko's filial love for Simon that she had an above-average supply of compassion. Well, she hadn't a family of her own anymore and was understandably protective of Simon. They were the same age physically, but Yoko impressed me as being years ahead of him in both intelligence and maturity. In the event, Yoko's continued perception of Simon as her "little brother" -- something I completely understand -- was strenuously objected to by other characters whose compassion was suspect at best.
Yoko started right off in the series by saving the lives of Kamina and Simon, via her disabling that vehicle which was about to crush them; and she did it by means of a solo assault which involved impressive athletics as well as marksmanship. Then she secured the area, whilst trying to convince Kamina and Simon to vacate the premises and seek cover.
In my view Yoko was the finest soldier in that brigade -- taking into account her years of combat experience prior to her meeting Kamina and Simon, who were new to the combat zone. Unfortunately for her, the brigade's commander didn't believe in women holding positions of responsibility; so Yoko was relegated to rear-guard action. After years of gong on solo combat and reconnaissance patrols before meeting Kamina and Simon, that brand of sexism must have been a source of great disappointment for her.
Yoko took combat seriously, rather than as a venue for shouting slogans; and she approached warfare as a smart combat veteran would, with circumspection and skill. She also dispensed good counsel, though a certain character chose to ignore Yoko's judgment once too often and went straight into an ambush -- which is what usually happens in actual combat when one's blind spots and willful prejudices supersede well-informed advice from a savvy veteran warrior
Had corporate Japanese formulae not doomed her to the dustbin, simply because her boyfriend got himself killed, I think Yoko would have considerably enhanced the balance of that series in a continuing role as lead-female character. This could be a generational thing, as I've noticed the anti-Yoko people tend to be somewhat younger than those of us who appreciate the layers of her character.
Was Yoko smart enough to be a teacher? Surely -- and then some. She founded a school for children born during the war and taught a full primary-education curriculum singlehanded. Everybody loved and respected her. I'm glad Gainax found an atom of decency in its otherwise black corporate heart and gave Yoko honorable continuity beyond the series itself.
By the way, when I left "civilization" for the combat zone, my girlfriend kissed me. Behold, I did not die! How such a beautiful expression of affection could be construed as something sinister is quite beyond my comprehension. In war, you will either survive or you will not. Those who fail to survive are unlucky, not cursed.
Surely by now,
Red is preparing to remind me I'm too wordy! So shoot me! I can't help it!
=^..^=
