Zenless Zone Zero Tsukishiro Yanagi: Gentle, Emotional and Sensible

With the Zenless Zone Zero version update, we have the story with H.S.O.S.6. And both in the plot and in the official PV release, Tsukishiro Yanagi is a sight for proxies to behold. Yanagi's tenderness, bravery, and determination in her family story with Soukaku, and her cuteness as a elder sister in H.S.O.S.6., where she takes on a lot of responsibility, are often quite contrasting. So today, let's admire "Tsukishiro Yanagi" together.

1. Meaning of the name "Tsukishiro Yanagi"

Tsukishiro is not a common surname in Japanese, but it is common in anime. Characters with this last name usually have some distinctive traits, such as being gentle and reliable. In the case of Tsukishiro Yanagi, this is also true.

In the Chinese translation of "Tsukishiro Yanagi", "Tsukishiro" represents the moon and the castle, while "Yanagi" is translated as "willow tree". Since ancient times, the Chinese have used the willow tree as a metaphor for women's tenderness and beauty. So the name already brings to mind the image of a gentle, reliable and graceful woman.

2. Tsukishiro Yanagi's Form Design

Pink hair, pink eyes, pink eyebrows, and pink lips after make-up highlights the fact that Tsukishiro Yanagi's whole body is pink and very cute. But the half-rimmed glasses, blouse, hip skirt, waist tag, high heels, and proud figure with glasses in hand all show that she is a mature and professional office lady while still being cute, which contributes to Tsukishiro Yanagi's unique atmosphere of being cute and mature at the same time.

And, the voluptuous body is wrapped in a fitted professional outfit. This design reduces intuitive visual stimulation, but amplifies inner curiosity.

It is worth mentioning that in order to avoid the image of going to work taking up too much weight in the image design. The designer also paired Tsukishiro Yanagi's shirt with a bowtie, which is often used in JK uniforms. The plain black bow tie adds a touch of formality to the playfulness.

Yanagi's shoulders have a strap-like design, which is supposedly inspired by the dojo accessories used for practicing the naginata. The production team combined the strap with an underarm holster by changing the material and shape. In the early days, the holster was used as an accessory for law enforcement and security personnel. Later on, due to the popularity of James Bond, it became a signature item for elite people. The design is really clever as it follows the tradition of the naginata costume and includes the elite feel of the modern police officer.

Lastly, one interesting detail is Yanagi's hair accessory, a circle hanging down with a floating ribbon with ornaments on either side making the whole thing resemble a tin staff in Buddhism. Moreover, the hairpiece changes color according to Yanagi's different stances. So that players in high-speed combat state can also distinguish the agent's stances. Both gorgeous and practical.

And as a member of H.S.O.S.6., which is centered on Japanese culture, Yanagi is also filled with very obvious Japanese elements. First of all, elements of the Japanese Great Armor exist in her. For example, she has a waist protector that is adapted from the breastplate element of the Japanese Great Armor, and very obvious shoulder pads. The shoulder guards have sharp horns that symbolize the Oni, corresponding to the relationship between Yanagi and the Oni in the PV.

A closer look reveals that the shoulder armor also has a one-eye-like design, and the one-eye and pointed horn are reminiscent of Hoshimi Miyabi's Ghostfire companion. However, this is just a speculation, and we'll have to wait for Miyabi's online appearance to see if there's a relationship.

Notably, Yanagi has an hourglass motif on the back of her shoulder armor, her earrings, and her hand jewelry. Hourglasses are often associated with time, and a closer look reveals that Yanagi has a lot of time-related elements. In addition to the hourglass motif, there are dials on the naginata, a watch on the W-Engine, drawings on the handbook, and a giant clock in the EP video. Even the time pause skill in demo video. On the one hand, it's possible that Yanagi really loves watches, but on the other hand, this design could be used to reinforce Yanagi's elitist persona of being punctual and efficient. And lastly Yanagi's half-human, half-ghost status might actually be related to time.

3. Tsukishiro Yanagi's Weapon Designs- "Ethereal Naginata"

Lastly, let's talk about weapons: Yanagi's naginata is called "Ethereal Naginata", and it's a weapon that can be varied in length. I wonder if this Ethereal Naginata is related to the naginata that Yanagi brought out to fight in the PV.

The historical evolution of the naginata, one of Japan's more iconic cold weapons, is also very interesting. It was widely used in the Genpei War, and was gradually replaced by lances during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It was then phased out of the history of Japan during the Warring States period. During the Edo period, the naginata became the weapon of choice for monks, women, and commoners. However, the practice of the naginata by women gradually became a traditional culture. This is the reason why many women in anime and video games use the naginata as their weapon of choice.

Yanagi's naginata has a very interesting design, with a dial set into the hilt and the hilt oriented as if it were at 12 o'clock. If you look closely, you can see that the dial on the hilt is synchronized with the real world.

In addition to the dial, there is a torli as a decoration. The window on the hilt reveals a fluorescent spring.

Finally, is this tall, cute, stable, hard-working, powerful and loving "waifu" perfect? Not really, as we learn through the episode that Yanagi' can actually sing out of tune. However, Yanagi is surprisingly good at pop rap.

That's all there is to know about Yanagi, if you like her or still like her after analyzing her. Make sure you don't miss out on her banner and pull for her. Also, stay tuned for Yanagi's future merchandises!