Yukiko Asai

* Manga
* Anime

**Yukiko Asai** (浅井 幸子, *Asai Yukiko*?), nicknamed **Yukirin** (ゆきりん?), is one of the four female deuteragonists in the Nijiiro Days series. She is the girlfriend of Tsuyoshi Naoe who is an otaku like her boyfriend and loves to cosplay a lot, but she does well in her studies and goes to a different school than the other characters.

## Appearance

Yukirin is a very pretty light-skinned teenage girl with straight and slightly messy chest-length orange hair that is often tied into a fishtail braid where it is usually laid on her right shoulder with several strands sticking out while she has her bangs parted in the middle, fuchsia-colored eyes and she is often seen smiling (Tsuyoshi Naoe comments on how "Yukirin's smile is the cutest thing on this planet." in Chapter 41.5). Much like Natsuki Hashiba, Yukirin originally had black hair before she decided dyed it due to her love for cosplaying.

Unlike the three female deuteragonists (Anna Kobayakawa, Mari Tsutsui and Nozomi Matsunaga), Yukirin wears a cream cardigan with dark blue collars and a red neckerchief, black thigh high socks and brown school shoes.

## Personality

Yukirin is a very kind, caring, cheerful, friendly, outgoing (**friendly and socially confident**) and happy-go-lucky (**cheerfully unconcerned about the future**) girl who has a straightforward personality and she is almost always seen with a smile on her lips where she serves as a foil to Tsuyoshi Naoe. She is very charming and often, along with Tsuyoshi, observes her friends' relationships through the eyes of an otaku.

She is also quick to become familiar with people as she often gives nicknames to people like "Natsuking" to Natsuki Hashiba and "Marippe" to Mari Tsutsui. She is also very lively, peppy and innocent who is very curious and can sometimes get a little carried away when it comes to cosplay and games.

## Background

Not much is known about Yukirin except that she and Tsuyoshi Naoe began dating one year before the start of the series.

## Relationships

### Tsuyoshi Naoe

Tsuyoshi is Yukirin's boyfriend whom she deeply loves and treasures that she is the one in their relationship who is the most straightforward since she is the one who cuddles and hugs him very often. She was the one who confessed to him and she affectionately calls him "Tsuyoponnu". They have very different personalities; Tsuyoshi is a quiet person who usually wears a normal expression while Yukirin always wears a smile and is very upbeat. However, their interest are very similar, allowing them to sympathize with each other. Yukirin occasionally brings Tsuyoshi manga volumes he was looking for and they also watch anime together, which to Tsuyoshi comments Yukirin being a "Goddess". They also care for each other deeply.

Even though Tsuyoshi can be a little embarrassed when it comes to love, Yukirin still trust and believes him and has confidence that deep in his heart he is head over heels for her, which is true. He doesn't like to kiss in public and saves it when they are alone, but they have done it once in public. However, this doesn't mean that Tsuyoshi doesn't like her since he has commented that her smile is the prettiest in the world in Chapter 41.5 and that ever since he met Yukirin, he has lived a more fulfilling life. He often kisses her when she is asleep and he also brings her to dates to show how much he appreciates and treasures her.

Later in the manga, it is revealed how they met as they met at a manga store out of pure chance, which Yukirin commented was like a "scene from a manga". After that, they coincidentally met a second and third time that they became closer and exchanged numbers. Since they have the same interest, they became very quick friends, but they couldn't meet very often because they didn't go to the same school. However, they still met, but very rarely. Tsuyoshi admitted that Yukirin is the only girl he has called by name and that he felt like she was really special unlike any girl and that he felt very comfortable around her. So, they both knew that they felt something special for each other. Later at Christmas, when Yukirin decided to visit Tsuyoshi when he was sick, they relationship blossomed as they both realized their love for each other was mutual and they became a couple. Yukirin still remembers how they first met fondly and she commented at the moment she first met him, she already knew that Tsuyoshi was going to be her soulmate. They have been together for almost two years now.

In Episode 13, she comments on how "A while back, I went to Shiretoko with Tsuyopon. The open-air baths there were amazing, too! The scenery was breathtaking!" When Nozomi Matsunaga asks, "Do you go on a lot of vacations", Yukirin replies by saying, "Once in a while. We went to Tokyo during summer break!"

When Tsuyoshi later attended a university in Tokyo, he continues his long distance relationship with Yukirin.

In **Vol. 16 Ch. 57.4**, although it was not fully shown, they had their first intimate relationship.

~ **Fun Fact**: If they ever were to get married, she would be known as **Yukiko Naoe** (直江 幸子, *Naoe Yukiko*) and they would have one or two children together with combined names and they would look like one/or both of their parents while they would also have the same personality as one/or both of their parents:

* A son named **Yoshiyuki Naoe** (a combined name of Tsu**yoshi** and **Yuki**ko) - (直江 義之, *Naoe Yoshiyuki*)
	+ **Appearance**: Yoshiyuki inherited his parent's traits such as:
		- Yukirin's black hair (it is said that Yukirin's natural hair color is black before she decided to dye it orange) and hairstyle (bangs parted in the middle)
		- Tsuyoshi's blue eyes
	+ **Personality**: Like his mother Yukirin, Yoshiyuki is a very kind and cheerful boy who always has a smile on his face.
* A daughter named **Tsukiko Naoe** (a combined name of **Tsu**yoshi and Yu**kiko**) - (直江 月子, *Naoe Tsukiko*) or **Yoshiko Naoe** - (a combined name of Tsu**yoshi** and Yuki**ko**) - (直江 芳子, *Naoe Yoshiko*)
	+ **Appearance**: Tsukiko/Yoshiko inherited her parent's traits such as:
		- Tsuyoshi's dark-blue hair color/hairstyle (bangs covering the left side of her face) except she has longer hair and neutral face expression
		- Yukirin's fuchsia-colored eyes
	+ **Personality**: Like her father Tsuyoshi, Tsukiko/Yoshiko is a stoic girl who always has a neutral expression on her face.

### Nozomi Matsunaga, Anna Kobayakawa & Mari Tsutsui

Yukirin affectionately calls Nozomi "Nonnon" and it has been shown that the two have a friendly relationship as they can freely talk about various topics with each other while she also calls Mari "Marippe" (Chapter 5.1) and Anna "Lady Kobayakawa" (Chapter 5.1)/"Miss Kobayakawa" (as said in Episode 23).

Although Yukirin don't interact much with Mari and Anna due to being in different schools, there were a few episodes where they have like:

* In Episode 13, the four girls chat with each other in the hot springs where Yukirin talks about how "A while back, I went to Shiretoko with Tsuyopon. The open-air baths there were amazing, too! The scenery was breathtaking!" When Nozomi asks, "Do you go on a lot of vacations", Yukirin replies by saying, "Once in a while. We went to Tokyo during summer break!" Mari is shocked when she learns that Tsuyoshi Naoe is Yukirin's boyfriend.
* In Episode 23, Yukirin makes plans with the girls to meet up in a cafe as Tsuyoshi tells Natsuki Hashiba that "Well, Yukirin did mention about giving souvenirs from Tokyo." At the cafe, she gives them their souvenirs that she got during "an event" (as she mentioned) where Nozomi receives a mug. When Yukirin insists on "How about we all cosplay sometime?", Mari declines her offer and Yukirin comments on how Mari would be "made such a cute waitress at the festival."

### Keiichi Katakura, Natsuki Hashiba & Tomoya Matsunaga

Although Yukirin doesn't interact much with Keiichi, Natsuki and Mattsun due to being in different schools, there were a few episodes where they have like:

* In Episode 3, when she first meets the three at Tsuyoshi Naoe's house for tutor sessions, she talks about how "I hear about you guys all the time, so I'm glad to meet you!" before she suggests that "If we have time to spare, want to cosplay a bit? I think you'd look great!", much to Tsuyoshi's annoyance when he tells her to "Don't bother them like that." During study sessions, Yukirin becomes excited when she holds Keiichi's whip for the first time. When he asks if she is "Interested?", she comments on how "I may want to find out more for future reference." As Keiichi tells her if she plans to use the whip on Tsuyoshi, she replies by saying "No, you silly! I just want the knowledge! That's all!"
* In Episode 11, while Natsuki is at a "committee" (according to Tsuyoshi), Yukirin was seen hanging out with the three boys at the river where she brought "Dosanko Cranky" snacks for them and invites them to the "amusement park" and "a hot springs resort?" when she won some tickets.

## Etymology

* The name **Yukiko** means "happiness, good luck" (幸) (**yuki**) and "child" (子) (**ko**), which fits her personality.
	+ **Yukiko** (幸子) can also be written/read as **Sachiko** (幸子).
* Yukiko's surname **Asai** means "shallow" (浅) (**asa**) and "well, mine shaft, pit" (井) (**i**).

### Nickname

* Yukiko's nickname **Yukirin** is written in hiragana (ゆきりん), which has no special meaning. However, when part of the names **Yuki** (ゆき) and **Rin** (りん) are written in kanji (幸, 雪, 由貴, 由紀, *Yuki*) - (凛, *Rin*), it could possibly mean:
	+ **Yuki** (幸, 雪, 由貴, 由紀)
		- 幸 - "happiness, good luck".
		- 雪 - "snow".
		- 由貴 - "reason, case, cause" (由) (**yu**) and "valuable" (貴) (**ki**).
		- 由紀 - "reason, case, cause" (由) (**yu**) and "chronicle" (紀) (**ki**).
	+ **Rin** (凛)
		- 凛 - "dignified, severe, cold", which is ironic considering her sweet and bubbly (**a person full of cheerful high spirits**) personality.

## Trivia

* Yukirin goes to a different school than all the main characters.
* Yukirin prefers to make her own cosplay clothes than to buy them.
	+ She also prefers her real hair over wigs, which is why she dyed her hair.
* Yukirin doesn't get much sleep when working on cosplay costumes.
* In the fifth ending theme of the anime, it is shown that Yukirin has pink hair.
* Yukirin prefers to be called by her nickname (**Yukirin**) rather than her real name (**Yukiko**).
* Yukirin likes to give people nicknames, which are sometimes quite hard to pronounce and the known nicknames that she calls people who are close to her are:
	+ Female
		- Anna Kobayakawa - Lady Kobayakawa (Chapter 5.1)/Miss Kobayakawa (Episode 23)
		- Mari Tsutsui - **Mari**ppe (Chapter 5.1)
		- Nozomi Matsunaga - **No**nnon (Episode 23)
	+ Male
		- Natsuki Hashiba - **Natsuki**ng (Episode 11)
		- Tomoya Matsunaga - **Mattsu**ntsukutsun (Episode 11)
		- Tsuyoshi Naoe - **Tsuyo**ponnu (Episode 3)
			* Although Yukirin usually calls Tsuyoshi "Tsuyoponnu", she calls him "Tsuyopon" in Episode 13.
* Yukirin's hair was originally black, but due to being extremely passionate about a future cosplay, she dyed her hair orange because she thought it looked better.
	+ Tsuyoshi once nearly broke up with her just because she dyed her hair.

### Miscellaneous

* Shizuka Ishigami (Yukirin's voice actress) has voiced many from each of the same anime series along with Koki Uchiyama (Tsuyoshi Naoe's voice actor), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Keiichi Katakura's voice actor), Takuya Eguchi (Tomoya Matsunaga's voice actor), Ai Kayano (Nozomi Matsunaga's voice actress) and Minami Tsuda (Anna Kobayakawa's voice actress):
	+ **Male Voice Actors**
		- Shizuka and Koki voices two characters from each of the same anime series:
			* Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
				+ Shizuka voices Makio.
				+ Koki voices Rui.
			* Type-Moon's Fate
				+ Shizuka voices Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia from Fate/Apocrypha.
				+ Koki voices Shirou Tokisada Amakusa from Fate/Apocrypha and Tristan from Fate/Grand Order.
		- Shizuka, Nobunaga and Takuya:
			* Fruits Basket (2019 TV series)
				+ Shizuka voices Minami Kinoshita.
				+ Nobunaga voices Yuki Sohma.
				+ Takuya voices Kakeru Manabe.
			* Shizuka and Takuya voices two characters from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
				+ Shizuka voices Ryōta Sekiguchi.
				+ Takuya voices Souei.
			* Shizuka and Takuya voices two characters from World's End Harem
				+ Shizuka voices Neneko Isurugi.
				+ Takuya voices Kyoji Hino.
	+ **Female Voice Actresses**
		- Shizuka and Ai voices two characters from each of the same anime series:
			* Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
				+ Shizuka voices Makio.
				+ Ai voices Kanae Kocho.
			* The Promised Neverland
				+ Shizuka voices Nat.
				+ Ai voices Anna.
		- Shizuka and Minami voices two characters from each of the same anime series:
			* Redo of Healer
				+ Shizuka voices Setsuna.
				+ Minami voices Norn Clatalissa Jioral.
			* Fruits Basket (2019 TV series)
				+ Shizuka voices Minami Kinoshita.
				+ Minami voices Kana Sohma.
			* World's End Harem
				+ Shizuka voices Neneko Isurugi.
				+ Minami voices Hakuro Hayashi.

## Gallery

* Manga
* Anime

Yukirin and Tsuyoshi NaoeYukirin on a manga volume cover.

Yukirin's debut in the anime.Yukirin holding Keiichi Katakura's whip.