In the Real World: Yumi is a great character that stands out even in a series full of great characters. She’s intelligent and strong, open with her opinions and feelings, and fair to everyone she meets. She makes good grades, but she seems to be more about common sense than “book smarts” (a contrast to Jeremie, perhaps?). She’s very practical, quick to figure things out and find a solution to problems. She also has physical strength on her side. I remember the first episode I caught of Code Lyoko. It was the first episode of the two-part season one finale. I had seen bits and pieces of other episodes, but never took much interest. But in this episode, there is a scene (taking place in the real world) in which Ulrich is running from some monsters, and Yumi shows up out of nowhere and starts kicking ass. I remember thinking “Wow, that chick is awesome!” I was impressed, because it wasn’t done in a cheesy way. In a lot of shows, cartoons in particular, the strength of the female characters comes off as cheesy or unrealistic. They quip dumb one-liners or stop to make sure they didn’t break a nail. But Yumi’s strength came across as natural.

Yumi is kind to nearly everyone, including Sissi. Sure, she has thrown a few insults at Sissy in the past, but it’s always been provoked and deserved. In general, she treats Sissi fairly. Yumi gets along well with all the other characters. What’s interesting, however, is that the only time she really seems to argue a lot with someone is when she and Odd switch bodies for a day. She’s horrified and furious, and she and Odd argue throughout the episode (actually, it’s more like her continuously jumping down poor Odd’s throat). This says a lot about her, and the importance she places on her privacy. Think about it, she doesn’t live in a dorm, but at home. She never invites the boys to her house, and doesn’t seem to have many friends outside the main group (despite the fact that they are a grade under her). She seems like a private person, doesn’t she? And someone else being inside your body, sleeping in your bed, having access to everything you own, is like the ultimate violation of privacy. Even though the situation wasn’t Odd’s fault, Yumi was terribly upset by it. Being a very private person myself, I can understand this quality in her.

Yumi is obviously not perfect, and she has a lot of her own problems. Her family seems to contribute quite a bit to this. They are nice people, good people. They seem to really care a lot about her, but they also worry about her. She stays out late, disappears in the middle of the night, and has a lot of secrets. Of course they worry! But she can’t explain to them that she’s going into a virtual world to fight monsters all the time, can she? Being an honest person who loves her parents, it’s extremely hard for Yumi to continue lying and sneaking around.

In Lyoko: Yumi is dressed as some strange hybrid between a Geisha and a female ninja while in Lyoko. It’s very attractive (I’d love to see a Yumi cosplayer) and well-designed. Obviously, she is staying true to her Japanese roots. This reflects the fact that Yumi is very proud of her heritage. But the duality of the design (the traditional, feminine Geisha and the strong Ninja) reflects Yumi’s personality as well. She is practical, kind, and feminine, and yet, she is also very strong and bold.

Yumi’s attacks all come from her weapons of choice: two metal fans. She can throw them at enemies with great aim and force, and they almost always return to her. She can use them to deflect attacks as well, and serve as excellent shields. Yumi also uses a lot of gymnastics while in Lyoko, to avoid attacks and to get closer to the enemy. On occasion, Yumi uses telekinesis. This seems to be a very limited ability, but very effective. She can lift objects, move objects, etc. Once, she even used this ability to carry Aelita across a ravine. Yumi is powerful in Lyoko, and seems to take out more monsters than Ulrich (though not as many as Odd).