Axel, Lutz, and Loop Nishigori

**Axel, Lutz, and Loop Nishigori** (Japanese: 西郡 空挧流, 流譜, 流麗, *Nishigōri Akuseru, Ruttsu, Rūpu*) are the triplet daughters of Takeshi Nishigori and Yuuko Nishigori.

## Background

Axel, Lutz, and Loop were the ones who posted the viral video of Yuuri Katsuki's rendition of Victor Nikiforov's performance of Stay Close to Me, leading to Victor's becoming Yuuri's coach.

Although their parents work at the local skating rink, it is unknown if the triplets can figure skate themselves, but they are able to do spins  and can be seen wearing skates during their first appearance.

## Appearance

The girls all have brown eyes and brown hair tied back from their faces with hair scrunchies, along with a prominent blush on their cheeks. They have round, pudgy faces with small eyes and slanted eyebrows that resemble their father's. They almost always wear matching but differently-colored outfits, which usually consist of hooded vests, gloves, black long-sleeved shirts, black skirts, black pants and sneakers.

Though they look very similar, they each have distinguishing points: Axel has pigtails and her color scheme is purple, Lutz has a bun and her color scheme is light blue and Loop has a ponytail and her color scheme is pink.

## Personality

The triplets are very passionate about figure skating like their parents, earning themselves a reputation as the "Skate Otaku Sisters." They often stay up late to post on social media or watch competitions, much to the chagrin of their mother Yuuko Nishigori, who scolds them for doing so. They are helpful in offering to explain the Grand Prix circuit and assignments to Yuuri Katsuki's parents (also indirectly explaining to the audience)  due to their knowledge and interest in the sport.

Despite being only six years old, the triplets are often shown to be quite intelligent for their age; along with being very knowledgeable about figure skating. They are skilled at using the internet and various electronics, and were the ones who organized the "Hot Springs on Ice" event. They are also very mischievous, secretly recording Yuuri's (and later, Victor Nikiforov's) skating, as well as personal life.

## Relationships

### Takeshi Nishigori

Takeshi is the father of the triplets who resembles him in physique.

### Yuuko Nishigori

Yuuko is the mother of the triplets where they inherited her hair color and eye color.

Yuuko constantly has to scold her daughters for using her online account without permission or whenever they stay up late to watch figure skating, but her efforts to control the triplets' antics are rarely successful. Yuuko sometimes even joins in on the triplets' excitement over anything to do with figure skating and it is likely that she was the one who induced their love for the sport.

### Yuuri Katsuki

Yuuri has known the triplets since they were born, but is not shown to be very close to them. The triplets are very casual in addressing Yuuri although he is much older than them. The triplets are huge fans of Yuuri  and like to update their social media with things concerning him, be it his skating or his personal life.

### Minako Okukawa

The triplets and Minako are seen to have a decently close relationship, planning the "Hot Springs on Ice" together and celebrating in a dance when putting up posters. They sit with her in the stands during the event.

### Kenjirou Minami

In Episode 10, the triplets and Kenjirou form a cheer squad so they can cheer Yuuri Katsuki on as he competes in the Grand Prix Final. They watch the Final together at Yu-topia Katsuki, along with the triplets' parents and Yuuri's family.

## Quotes

* *"Yuuri, you really got fat!"*- Axel on Yuuri Katsuki's weight
* *"Are you really retiring?"*- Loop
* *"You never had a girlfriend?"*- Lutz
* “*But all the skater otaku will love it.*” - Lutz (about the video of Yuuri's rendition of Stay Close to Me)
* "*Will you let us organize the event? A face-off between Yuri of Russia and Yuuri of Japan! Let's throw...a huge party!"*- Axel (about the "Hot Springs on Ice" event)
* *"That flip had enough rotations, right?"* - Lutz (on Yuuri's GPF short program Quad Flip)

## Etymology

Each of the triplets are named after a type of figure skating jump (the **Axel** jump, the **Lutz** jump and the **Loop** jump). The **Axel** and **Lutz** were named after their creators and only the **Lutz** is a toe jump (the **Axel** and **Loop** being edge jumps).

* Despite being named after non-Japanese terms, their names are all written in kanji and each have different meanings:
	+ The name **Axel** is written as "empty stream" (空挧流).
	+ The name **Lutz** is written as "flow spectrum" (流譜).
	+ The name **Loop** is written as "flow, style, manner, method" (流) (**ryu**) and "beautiful, lovely" (麗) (**rei**).
* The triplets' surname **Nishigori** means "west" (西) (**nishi**) and "county/country, district" (郡) (**gori**).

## Trivia

* Their Instagram is sukeota3sisters. "Sukeota" is short for "skater otaku".
* Kristen McGuire (Loop's English voice actress) is engaged to Clifford Chapin (Takeshi Honda's English voice actor).
* Their phone case features Victor Nikiforov with the Russian flag as a backdrop. They made the phone case themselves.
* They each have an assigned task when posting to social media: one takes videos, one takes pictures, and one uploads.

## Reference

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Yuri!!! on Ice* Blu-ray Vol. 2 Booklet
2. ↑ *Yuri!!! on Ice* Episode 4
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 *Yuri!!! on Ice* Episode 1
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Yuri!!! on Ice* Episode 2
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Yuri!!! on Ice* Ending Song
6. ↑ Yuri!!! on Ice Episode 11
7. ↑ GO YURI GO!!! *Yuri!!! on Ice* Official Fanbook