This is a short piece originally written for clover's Yuriko birthday project!

In this post, I would like to talk a bit about one of my favorite characters, Yuriko Nanao. This is the probably the fourth Yuriko birthday I celebrated since I became her producer. It's been quite a long time, isn't it?

What is your favourite memory of Yuriko?

I have not read the entirety of Yuriko's stories and drama tracks as of now (that is the long term plan, I also need to study Japanese quite a bit), but there are two things that I would say is my favorite memory of Yuriko.

First, I put a lot of emphasis into idol scout commus nowadays especially since I went into Shiny Colors in the meantime, and Yuriko is no exception (in this case, this would be her first Memorial Commu). Yuriko was scouted by the Producer in a school festival, whilst performing rōdoku geki (朗読劇). What makes the producer interested in scouting Yuriko is because of her expressiveness in storytelling, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the story Yuriko was telling, as if they are in the story. While Yuriko herself had a bit of doubt at the beginning, after some convincing, she accepted.

By looking into the early beginnings, I believe it can lay foundation to what the future will be, but also cherish the first moment when the producer meets the idol, thinking of what might have happened otherwise. I'm glad I met Yuriko, I can't imagine what I will be now had I noot met Yuriko.

The second one took a bit of thinking, but I remember being quite impressed by the Chapter 6 Main Commu of Theater Days. This is when Yuriko was selected as the center for an idol performance. I really like the analogy of Yuriko being the center of a performance to being the protagonist of a fantasy story, the struggles that they entail, the perseverance that characterizes them, even the power of friendship.

Why did you choose to be a producer of Yuriko?

The initial reason, four years ago, why I became a producer of Yuriko is pretty simple: she likes to read books. Yeah, that's it. I was a simple person back then. However, four years is quite a long time, and in this four years, I have changed a lot, the situations I'm in has changed a lot, I learned more things about Yuriko, and I think my reasons today to keep producing Yuriko are quite different from my reason four years ago.

The first reason today, is that I share aims with Yuriko as a content creator. I'm a five-branch producer now, with a lot more activities and interests than before. However, one thing I will never want to forget is Yuriko. Her aim as an idol is to move and inspire people, even beyond time, even if the author has long since deceased. This is the maxim that I live by as a content creator, I want to make content that inspires people for time immemorial, just as Yuriko inspires me.

The second reason, is that I shared traits with Yuriko. 15-year-old me was surprisingly imaginative. I won't reveal details here (it's probably too embarrasing lol), but I read and write a lot of stories then. While my favorite genre is different (I'm a Science Fiction person), the fact that there is a character that I can relate to is pretty huge. I also share her lack of confidence in things, and I am inspired by her perseverance in the face of challenges just like the protagonist of a story.

The third reason, is that Yuriko's adventures are just so interesting. Her ability to imagine herself in various situations is just impressive. Her ability to talk and write so many when it comes to things she likes is also admirable. Case in point, the Chrono-Lexica event commu. Yuriko, how.

The final reason is that Yuriko is just so adorable. She is just so cute when she is flustered. Especially those inflicted out of her own mind, thanks to her power of imagination. So cute.

What concept would you hope to see Yuriko in, in the future?

Right now, I would probably want to see Yuriko in more fantastic scenarios! If I allow my personal preferences though, I would probably like to see Yuriko in a Science Fiction situation lol.

Sources:

• The 770 Library is of great help for my reviewing of the contents of this post.