Yumiko Takagi (高木 由美子 Takagi Yumiko?), also known as Yumie (由美江 Yumie?), was a nun working for Section XIII. She usually partners on missions with Heinkel Wolfe.
Personality
Yumie is mentioned to have a split personality like that of her "Crossfire" counterpart.[1] Yumie is impulsive and violent, showing no fear of anything and preferring to negotiate using the sharp end of her katana. She seems to genuinely enjoy killing people and monsters. Her raw strength, fearlessness and fearsome katana skills make her the ideal partner to Heinkel, who is imperturable, cool-headed and analytical despite the snarky and trigger-happy side of her personality.
Yumie is devout to her church to the point of fanaticism and is glad to slice down anyone she sees as a "heathen". She is loyal to her fellow Iscariots but doesn't hesitate to argue or chide them for actions she disagrees with.
Appearance
Yumiko unsheathing her katana.
Yumie always dresses in a standard Catholic nun's uniform, which consists of black habit, a nun's hooded cowl, a white scarf, and white gloves and white stockings held with a garter belt and black boots.
She has long black hair which becomes visible when she removes the cowl to fight. Her eyes are colored dark brown or red at different points during the OVA. Yumie also carries a katana, holding the sheath in one hand and the blade in the other when in use. She wields the sword in either hand. Yumie Takagi is noted to be the only Hellsing character stated to be of Japanese ethnicity.
Plot Summary
Yumiko Takagi and Heinkel Wolfe.
Yumie was raised with Heinkel Wolfe and Enrico Maxwell in Alexander Anderson's orphanage and first appears in Volume 6 of the manga and Episode 5 of the OVA. She is formally introduced alongside Heinkel after Anderson rescues Integra Hellsing from Millennium troops.
The two reprimand Anderson for his actions but join him in battle against the vampires. Afterward, they repeatedly worry and argue about violating orders given by Maxwell to either not interfere or take Integra into custody. Yumie starts to draw her sword on Integra and must be directed by Heinkel to stand down.
Anderson decides to walk Integra home and Yumie becomes a reluctant part of the escort until Maxwell reaches London with the rest of the papal forces and Alucard arrives soon after. Yumie and the rest of Iscariot's advanced guard are deserted by Anderson after he helps Alucard's familiars kill Maxwell and states his intent to fight Alucard. She and Heinkel are distressed and protest his plan after being told to leave.
Yumie is next seen during the battle between Anderson and Alucard when she and Heinkel lead a charge of Iscariots to assist him. She and the others are once again told to go home but they insist it is their duty to remain and join the combat. Anderson eventually reaches Alucard with their help and Yumie is shocked when he pulls out the Nail of Helena and turns himself into a Monster of God.
She mourns his death after his defeat until Walter arrives and desecrates Anderson's remains while speaking contemptuously on the man. Yumie is completely enraged and immediately attacks Walter. Although moving extremely swiftly, she is outmatched and cut into pieces by Walter's wires. Heinkel is hysterical and aims her guns at Walter, only to be shot and wounded by The Captain.
Abilities
Yumie is extremely fast to the point of moving as a blur at times and leaps from a multistory building without blinking. She's strong enough to cut through crowds of vampires and familiars without tiring and knows various sword drawing techniques and is adept enough to kill even from outside the room where her victim is, but is quite capable of smashing men's heads into walls with her bare hands as well. In attacking Walter, she used something called the Shimabara Style quick-draw attack, where she seemed to turn into some sort of blue-white light and rushes at her opponent. As it Walter countered it and killed Yumie, further details are not seen.
Trivia
- The character of Yumie originally appeared in "Crossfire" as the violent other identity of Yumiko Takagi, a bespectacled and pacifist nun. Crossfire was declared to have a different setting and be a "connected, yet somehow unconnected world" in an interview with Hirano.
- The Yumiko personality never appears or is mentioned in either the main Hellsing manga or the OVA and may not exist in this continuity.
- Yumie's prototypes were in Hirano's old works Hi-and-Low along with Integra and Angeldust with Anderson.
- Despite being confirmed for being of Japanese descent, the English Dub of the OVA gives her a Welsh accent, though this may be because of an upbringing in a European country.
- The Japanese characters for "Yumiko" (由美子) and "Yumie" (由美江) differ only on the last syllable. Many people tend to make the mistake of Yumie "Yumee", pronounced with two syllables, instead of the correct name, "Yum-ee-eh" (three syllables). Yumi (由美), Yumiko (由美子) and Yumie (由美江) are all different names. Yumi, however, forms base name for both Yumiko and Yumie. Yumi, as written, is composed of the kanji for "Significance/Reason" and "Beauty". The name 'Yumiko' adds the character for "Child" to the end (子 ko) — which seems to be metaphorically symbolic of Yumiko, who is more innocent and childlike than violent Yumie. The name Yumie adds the character for "Inlet" (江 e).
Gallery
References
- ↑ Hellsing Guidebook Interview