Bishoujo of the Week: Rin Tohsaka

Ah...Rin. If you've read my post on Unlimited Blade Works then I think it's obvious I'd put her here. There, I said that she was one of the crucial ingredients that made Fate/ Stay Night(and the UBW route) great for me. Now I'm here to tell you why:

Rin is the daughter of Tokiomi and Aoi Tohsaka. Now I haven't seen Fate/ Zero(the prequel for Fate/Stay Night) myself but based on what I've seen so far on the wikis. Her father Tokiomi was a bit of an asshole; though he was also said to be quite a powerful magi. Her mother, Aoi, on the other hand, is a good example of a yamato nadeshiko. Now the reason why I mentioned her parents was because well...I like yamato nadeshiko....a lot. And to know Rin's mom was one definitely gave her a few plus points for me. (I know it's personal, but hey, that's part of my criteria ^_^) I really couldn't care less about that father of hers...he could be bagboy for all I care.

Now to continue. After Tokiomi was killed during the 4th Holy Grail War; Rin succeeded him and has trained to be a formidable magi in her own right and easily one of the most formidable Masters in the Holy Grail War. Rin is also a model student and considered an idol at her school. (please note: I also have a thing for idol characters) Rin is quite intelligent and is also highly competitive. At first, she appears to be a little intimidating and even unscrupulous when it comes to attaining her goal of winning the Holy Grail. But later it turns out that isn't the whole case, that she is actually quite a caring person, and she starts to show a, dare I say, adorable side to her being. I think she's somewhat unique for a tsundere character: for one thing, being that her tsun side never got on my nerves and felt understandable and never over-the-top. Her dere side was just moe. Pure. MOE! So moe, I find myself squirming and grinning every time I see it. Also her name...Rin. Tohsaka Rin. I have a soft-spot for characters named Rin, and putting Tohsaka there just made it better. There's a certain musical ring to it...don't you agree? But then again with any bishoujo this cute her name will always be music to my ears.

Also, what I love about Rin is one of the traits that I find so hard, so rare, in shows these days: an action girl who has no problem being a girl. She knows how to take the initiative and has this strong competitive drive to win with whatever it takes; but Rin is very feminine, from her sense of fashion to her habits and speech patterns-she's a girl. No mistake. Feminine girls with masculine streaks are attractive. Period. When action is required she can hold her own, and when she does I usually find what she comes up with quite clever and well reasoned out. She's also very knowledgeable about her chosen field of magecraft and is basically Shirou's magic teacher.
lucky bastard...

Now that I mentioned Shirou, and since they say they can judge the type of person you are based on the company you carry with you; let's talk about her relationship with the the two guys she's usually seen with in FSN, namely: the aforementioned Shirou Emiya and her servant, Archer.


Shirou is an uber-idealistic and mediocre magi who in the beginning seems to have no worthwhile talents in the craft and charges directly into danger with no regard for his safety like a dumbass. To the guy's defense, later we find out his actions and his way of thinking are actually quite justified, and despite his flaws, he and Rin have great chemistry with one another; their interactions are funny, cute, and more importantly: natural. It shows even when she is not his romantic interest, and when she is then they become cute beyond words. So in the end, he grew on me and I ended up liking him quite a bit. And to his credit, he is actually a really nice guy, and does some pretty badass stunts.(especially in the game) Rin first appears as his enemy, but later they become allies and she ends up mentoring him on all things related to the Grail War and sorcery; later they become good friends, and maybe even something more. Rin was also the one who discovered Shirou's real talent in sorcery that is just so faceclawingly awesome that if you have no idea what it is you just have to find out for yourselves.
Oh, and he can cook


As for Archer...need I say more?

The Red Duo of Fate/Stay Night (Panty shot for the win!)

Archer is Rin's servant, which again for those of you unfamiliar with FSN, is what you call a powerful entity who has been summoned to fight for a "Master"(such as Rin) in the Holy Grail War. Bitter and cynical, Archer is Shirou's polar opposite and looks down on Shirou's ideals. He is not the most powerful servant and in fact, has the lowest luck stat possible(which makes sense once you know his backstory) He doesn't even have a proper Noble Phantasm like the other Servants. But he makes up for it with refined skill, and also with a powerful sorcery that allows his to replicate any weapon in his memory simply by imagining it. Now, how cool is THAT!

Not cool enough, apparently. Archer can usually be seen fighting in close-combat but he's called "Archer" for a reason. Those weapons he replicates? He can fire them as arrows. That's right: swords, spears, halberds, the replicas of some of the most famous weapons in history; everything can be fired as disposable projectiles in Archer's bow. There. NOW it's awesome! Archer does some of the most overwhelmingly manly shit possible in anime and eroge history that it led to many young men questioning their own masculinity as a result, and left them with mancrushes. That's how badass Archer is, and Rin's his master.

He can cook too

Rin initially wanted to summon a Servant of the Saber class but instead got Archer as a fluke, which I like think says something about her. I mean, when you get someone this badass as a result of a "fluke", then what if she actually got it "right"? I like to think it shows just how high Rin's caliber is as a magi, and though Archer and Shirou can't be more different, like with Shirou, Archer and Rin have a great dynamic to them: in their battles, in their interactions, their personalities, and in their highly complimentary clothing style. Rin and Archer are one of the best duos I've seen in anime, and I think many of you can agree. And this in turn just makes Rin's own awesomeness rise twofold.


So let's sum things up. Rin, a talented and beautiful bishoujo who can stand her own ground, dedicated to being the best in whatever she sets her mind too, and has two great(and badass) guys around to magnify her own brilliance.



Oh, and did I mention she's BI?! Touche!