What Team Urameshi Likes About The Holidays

What team Urameshi likes about the holidays ☃️

Yusuke:

He’s not a big holiday guy tbh

Like he doesn’t hate it necessarily but it does get annoying when he feels he HAS to put in a bit more effort on things like gift

Honestly doesn’t decorate or anything, but he’ll wear holiday clothes if asked nicely

9/10 he’s getting people money or gift cards anyway

He’s also not a big fan of the malls and such being more crowded than normal around this time, he likes having elbow room

Don’t even get him started on holiday music, he’s losing his mind by minute 2 of walking in the mall 😣

Ok so…what does he like then?

Food

Both making and eating it

Christmas in Japan is different from Christmas in America(obviously), but the one consistent thing is the importance of food

It’s also one of his love languages

He probably didn’t have many instances of eating together like a “family”. The few times he did was when Keiko’s family invited him and his mom to eat with them so being to eat with as many friends and family members as possible makes him really happy

Not that he’ll ever admit it outright

Making food makes it even better, especially if everyone enjoys it

Also, who doesn’t just love stuffing their face hole with good food? Couldn’t be Yusuke

Expect at least ONE food competition with at least one of the guys…

Expect one of said challenges to be a spice challenge...against Hiei...the fire demon...

🤦🏻

He’s an idiot but he’s a really chill person so be around the holidays, especially if you’re not a huge fan of that time of year

Kuwabara:

Oh this dude is an absolute joy to have around the holidays

He LOVES this time of year because for him, it’s a time where he gets to pull out the stops and show all his friends and family how much they mean to him!

He might be a blockhead but he’s a smart gift giver ok?

He’s making mental notes throughout the year

Oh, Yusuke wants a new jacket? Already bought

Yukina’s kimono looking a little warn out? He’s already asking his sister to give him a list of top tier kimono stores and styles

Eikichi tore through another toy? Time to buy 20 more

He also sometimes makes gifts by hand!

I know we never see his mom in cannon but you can pry my headcanon of her teaching her kids how to sew, knit and crochet from my cold dead hands!

One year, his sister accidentally tore her favorite shirt.

This precious chad not only fixed it up, but he bought extra fabric to make it into a brand new dress!

He’s even made HIEI of all people a gift!

His first gift to him was a hand knitted scarf

He understands he’s a fire demon and that the cold probably doesn’t affect him at all, but he’ll be damned if he lets the little shrimp walk around in the snow with no winter clothes

It was the closest he ever saw to happiness in the swordsman’s eyes

He also goes out of his way to make sure every single one of his friends and loved ones is doing ok

financially, mentally, physically, emotionally, ect

He knows there’s only so much he can do, but he’s never gonna just leave a friend or family member to suffer in silence if has any word on the matter 😤

Keiko’s schoolwork been stressing her out? He’s bringing her snacks and a movie!

Shizuru been feeling down? Shopping trip! NOW!

Hiei and Yusuke being moodier than usual? Sparing time now, food after 🍜

He’s like the physical embodiment of a hug around the holidays!

Why wouldn’t he spread joy to his friends and family? Thats the whole point of the season to him!

Kurama:

Kurama both likes and dislikes the holidays

He likes it because he likes getting his friends and family gifts

They’re always practical gifts btw

Like clothes or home appliances that you’re in desperate need of

His mom is the one getting the extravagant gifts though

Don’t get him wrong, he’ll occasionally splurge on his friends…

But his mom 100% is getting like a Gucci bag or something for Christmas

His stepfather and stepbrother will also get nice gifts…but his mom’s getting the best gifts. Period. 💅

He also likes helping his mom decorate the house!

He’s tall so he puts up all the lights and the ornaments that go at the top of the tree

He’s very paranoid that she’ll fall of a ladder so she’s just straight up not allowed to help him hang the lights when he’s around

He’ll also help bake!

It’s been their cute little tradition to make snickerdoodles since he was a wee lad 🥰

Now for why he doesn’t like the holidays…

I feel like his human father died around the holidays…

So naturally, it was a very hard time of the year for him and his mother

Especially for his mother…

He’d often catch her crying alone in the living room or in her bedroom when she thought her son was asleep or busy

But he heard her…he always heard her…

Some of his memories from around that time in his childhood are mostly of him consoling his morning mother in any way he could

He’d sometimes take her out for walks in the snow and ask her to build a snowman or make snow angels with him

Sometimes he’d make hot chocolate and watch TV with her

And sometimes he’d even throw away his pride and sing cute holiday songs and do little dances for her!

Seeing her smile for even a moment was worth all the embarrassing home videos she’d take of him

Now that she’s now remarried with a new family, he’s not as worried about her since he knows she’s not lonely anymore

It’s still a difficult time for her, but she has people who love her to distract her

Hiei:

“What the hell is Christmas…that a human thing?”

Yeeeeah….

He doesn’t get the appeal

You surprised?

He’s not exactly social, so he won’t attend holiday events/gatherings unless he’s forced to

He absolutely sucks at gift giving…

In fact, sometimes it’s better that he doesn’t get people gifts…

For example…

One year, he was forced to participate in secret Santa…he got Yukina…

Now the only reason he participated at all was because he got his sister as the one he was meant to give a gift to

But he doesn’t know jack shit about what to get her…

So he got her a sword…he gave his noncombatant sister…a weapon…

Listen…

He panicked ok?

And he’d rather eat rocks and walk into the sea than ask for help

Weapons are useful right??? Who couldn’t use an extra weapon in the house

He just wanted to get something he felt would help his sister in a time of crisis

He’s lucky that Yukina liked it…she even hung it by her bed in her room

If he does put effort into getting his friends any sort of gift…it’s either something he stole or weird demon world stuff

Like…you know how dogs and cats bring random shit to their owners sometimes?

Yeah, it’s that vibe

Like he straight up gifted a small demon corpse to Eikichi once

He claims he felt she needed more substance in her diet

To his credit…she did eat it…

One of the best ways to get him to go to an event/ gathering willingly is to tell him that there’s gonna be a lot of free food

He grew up with bandits, he didn’t always have consistent access to food…it’s part of why he’s so short…that and genetics

So hearing that he has free access to food for the evening that he doesn’t have to fight for will have him being social and polite for at least an hour

He would rather saw his legs off with a rusty saw than admit this but he does secretly enjoy these human holiday gatherings

Everyone he knows and loves is in one spot where he can easily keep tabs on them

He kinda doesn’t mind the music and chatter

And the inside of the building they’re all in is always toast warm

He’s a fire demon so being out in the snow doesn’t bother him

But…it’s kinda nice to just be inside where it’s warm with all his friends and his sister looking so happy and at peace…

But you didn’t hear it from me 🤫

He definitely isn’t the guy you’re gonna go to for holiday cheer or anything

But he’s kinda starting to warm up to these human customs so he can occasionally be a somewhat jolly guy…in his own Hiei ways

a secret spirit gift for @mobstuffy! 🐸

thanks for running this event, @mp100secretspirit!

I knew I wasn't the only one who had noticed it 💕

The thing about Kurama and Hiei's relationship in Yu Yu Hakusho live action is that it's subtle, and while their interactions are short, the nuance is there.

In the first scene in which they actually talk with each other in episode 3, Hiei grabbed his sword when he noticed someone coming, but released it again when he realized it's Kurama, who proceeded to ask him about Yukina, which implies that Hiei told him at some point.

This interaction alone is full of meaning. They've known each other for quite some time. They are close enough to the point that the always wary and tight-lipped Hiei let his guard down around Kurama and presumably told him about his sister. And Kurama actually helps him in finding and rescuing Yukina without being asked.

You can tell that they have history together. There is a mutual respect, trust, and understanding there.

Hiei is (understandably) uncomfortable in teaming up with Yusuke and Kuwabara at the beginning that he split up with them as soon as they arrived on the island. But if it's only him and Kurama, I don't think he would choose to split up.

Kurama asked Hiei to give back the blade he stole and chose to wait for him to give it back willingly instead of taking it by force. And Hiei did at the end, after the final fight in episode 5. And it's a little funny that he's actually supposed to give it to Yusuke, who was literally right there, but chose to give it to Kurama instead. Maybe he's too shy around new people and felt more comfortable with Kurama as a go-between.

After a hard fight like that, you usually seek the company of someone close to you, and it's a little interesting how Kurama walked up to Hiei as if to check up on him. And there's some kind of softness and understanding, and maybe a little bit of pride on his face after Hiei gave him back the blade.

Maybe I'm overanalyzing here but I always love the subtleties in Kurama and Hiei's relationship in the anime, and I love it in the live action too.

kurahi quickie to close out the year