That One Time I...

... Fell In Love All Over Again

Kurumi is no ordinary waifu. She's the name I've given to the 2016 Nissan GT-R I've raced in the Group 2 category in GT Sport/Gran Turismo 7 since 2018. Here's the story on how she got that name.

Back in June 2020, the comics industry was at a standstill. While we (still) fought over masks, other parts of the world that had worn them without question had already moved on with their lives. With few entertainment choices on TV, I surrendered myself to a 14-day Crunchyroll trial and Date A Live was one of the first older shows I streamed. As I enjoyed watching that first season, I was taken in by Kurumi Tokisaki, Japan's answer to Harley Quinn: a femme fatale/antiheroine whose popularity could rival Wonder Woman.

The GT Sport version of that venerable GT-R was perfect for Kurumi's "Crimson Nightmare" nickname. Its motor produced an ungodly but fitting 666 horsepower, good enough to exceed 190 miles an hour at the end of Fuji Speedway's runway like front straight. She also had an intimidating presence with all of that extra body work on her sides and that huge wing on her rear, necessary to keep her rooted on the track at high speeds.

There's a beautiful figure of Kurumi in a traditional kimono that I wouldn't mind seeing on my writing desk, but I do mind spending over $200 for it. I was thrilled that someone had recently uploaded a multilayered image of that figure as a decal. That image now graces Kurumi's hood, and I love how she has an ema tied to her pistol that displays her love of cats.

There's a 100% chance I'll have a huge smile on my face this afternoon. Something about getting  behind the wheel of Kurumi and trying to best yesterday's lap times around the fictional Yamagiwa Circuit at Kyoto Driving Park.