Shima Yumieru

Shima Yumieru is an original character from the Pretty Cure based fan-series, Sakura of the Heavens. She transforms into Heavenly Desire, the Heavenly Sakura of perseverance.

## Appearance

Shima has dark brown colored, chest length hair with bangs pushed back with either a hairclip or a headband and deep brown colored eyes. Shima's fashion style is casually a simple, gradient dress that reaches to her knees.

Heavenly Desire has rich brown hair the color of a penny that gracefully flows all the way to her feet and baby blue eyes with a sakura constantly reflected in them.

## Personality

When she was young, Shima was extremely shy, as she would even refuse to speak a single word near anyone but her close family. As a result, Shima was constantly mocked by her peers and left out of their friend groups. However, after she befriended Orihime, she started to attempt to become more open. In the setting of Sakura of the Heavens, Shima is introverted and quiet, as well as self-conscious, but a lot less shy than she used to be as a child. She is also very cautious, emotional, lacking in self-confidence, as an effect of her childhood, and resolute in her desires. Additionally, Shima is a fan of anime and manga, as well as very studious, as she is very perseverant at her academics, always higher than average on the test score boards.

As Heavenly Desire, she is very perseverant in her desires, as well as debating against whoever would dare belittle her seemingly impossible dreams.

## Powers

Similar to her fellow Heavenly Sakuras, Desire controls the powers of light and water, contrasting to their enemies' powers of darkness and fire, allowing the Sakuras the abilities to shoot beams of light and water at their enemies.

Desire specializes in the power of manifestation. Although she can manifest a wide range of items, Desire most commonly manifests a slingshot, a sword, or a bow and an arrow.

## Backstory

Born in an unknown Asian country to two loving parents, Shima and her parents immigrated to Japan less than a year after she was born. In Japan, Shima's parents were loving towards her and spoiled her often, even though they were having all kinds of dilemmas adjusting to life as the first generation in a new country. However, as Shima first attended school, she learned for the first time that not everyone would see her as the most important person in the world. Due to this, Shima became very withdrawn, developing an interest in anime and manga, as well as novels. Shima deemed friends as pointless and friendship to not exist until she met Orihime in elementary school, quickly becoming best friends with her. This event caused Shima to see the beauty of friendship. In middle school, Shima eventually befriends Auroa as well, taking an interest in her pendant. One night, after shopping for anime merchandise, Shima notices something fall out of her bag as she exits the anime store and sees it to be an angel wing pendant, identical to Auroa's. Thinking that Auroa accidentally dropped her pendant, Shima makes contact with the pendant to bring it to her, but it depresses her afterwards. Therefore, for the next few days, Shima is met with extreme depression. This depression is not cured until Shima's first visit of the heavens, in the form of a cloud. A holy being forms another pendant using heavenly light. While wearing the pendant, Shima experiences immeasurable perseverance.

## Relationships

Shima's parents: Shima's parents are very loving towards Shima and even spoil her often, allowing her to assume that she is a very significant person, and that suffering doesn't exist. Shima's parents work very hard for the sake of their daughter, even though they have gone through a difficult adjustment after immigrating.

Orihime Kimeruyu: Orihime is Shima's first friend, as well as the friend she is closest with. Overall, Shima appears to admire Orihime, as she who she ideally aspires to become like. However, she doesn't raise Orihime up onto a pedestal and use her for her own gain. Instead, Shima is grateful enough that Orihime accepts her for who she is, even though Orihime happened to lose a bit of her popularity after being by Shima's side. As Shima is self-conscious, she admits anything troubling her to Orihime, as she often manages to comfort her well. Shima was also influenced to study more because of Orihime, as she admires her intelligence and aspires to be intelligent herself as well.

Auroa Shiranoro: Auroa was first encountered by Shima outside Orihime's mansion, as Orihime had invited Auroa over for a tea party in order to get to know her. Shima was just leaving the mansion, possibly from a get-together with Orihime. Over time, Shima and Auroa became on good terms with each other, as they can relate to their self-confidence issues through each other. Shima also studies with Auroa often, as she enjoys being of use to someone else.

## Etymology

Shima means island, which might represent Shima's dream of being more independent, as an island is independent in the middle of the ocean.

Yumieru has no direct meaning, although it sometimes translates to 'be transfixed' or 'have a bow-shape'. 'Be transfixed might be a reference to Shima being a fangirl of anime and manga, while 'have a bow-shape' might be a reference to Heavenly Desire's powers of manifestation. Yumieru might also be a slightly scrambled version of the word 'yume iru', as it means dreaming, a reference to Cure Desire and Shima's resolute dreams.

## Trivia

* Shima's favorite animes are revealed to be Love Live, Pretty Cure, K-ON, Pokemon, Asobi Asobase, Tsuki ga Kirei, Kaguya-sama, Madoka Magica, and Sailor Moon, based on how she fangirls the most over them.
* Shima's favorite mangas are revealed to be Strawberry Seafoam, Makeup Remover, Cursed Princess Club, Seasons of Blossom, and Your Smile is a Trap, based on how she fangirls the most over them.
* Shima's personality is inspired quite a lot by her creator's, Snowflake Archer's.