Red String of Fate: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''My red hair became my red string of fate.''|'''Kushina''', ''[[Naruto]]''}}

A common concept, especially in series dealing with romances, is the Red String of Fate (''akai ito'' or ''unmei no akai ito''). The concept is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string bound from a male's thumb to a female's pinky finger (generally, though not always, at the first knuckle from the fingernail; also, nowadays it's become more common to show ''both'' parties attached at the pinky).

 

 

''[[Akai Ito]]'' (written with the kanji ''kanojo no chi'', or "Her Blood", given the reading of ''akai ito'' in furigana) is also the title of a 2004 [[Dating Sim]] by Success. The actual red string concept figures into some of the art as well as the story.

 

Warning: [[Strangled by the Red String|Choking Hazard]]. May be related to the [[Pinky Swear]]. Usually involved in [[Reincarnation Romance]]. See also [[Fate Drives Us Together]] and [[Forgotten First Meeting]].

{{examples}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Played straight too many times to mention, the concept is used for comedic effect in the ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'' series ''[[Tenchi in Tokyo]]'', where Tenchi is connected by red strings to just about every major character. For the unlearned, that's [[Harem Series|around 7 strings total]]. There's a reason there's a [[Tenchi Solution|trope]] named after him...

** A possible variation occurs in a late manga story revolving around the [[Tanabata]], where Ranma and Akane will supposedly be destined to marry if two leaves with their names on them remain intact and bound together, but they will never be if either one is destroyed. Cue Ranma having to go through hell, including [[Lord Error-Prone|Tatewaki Kuno]] suddenly coming out of nowhere with a steel-bladed katana, to ensure that the leaves aren't destroyed or tied to the leaves of other people.

** In the song "November Rain" from one of the albums (which is basically an angsty subversion of the [[Together Umbrella|Umbrella of Togetherness]] trope), the lyrics strongly imply that Ranma and Akane are bound together by the Red String of Fate, even though it is currently, as Ranma puts it, "loose."

* Toward the end of the ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'' movie "Remember My Love", notorious lech Ataru is shown to have multiple red strings attached to every one of his fingers. It's implied that he might ''like'' to be faithful to Lum, but...

* In episode 5 of ''[[Excel Saga (anime)|Excel Saga]]'', "The Interesting Giant Tower", Watanabe is surprised (and annoyed) to find his roommates applying for jobs at the same office building he's gone to, and Iwata quips "We must be joined together by the invisible red string of destiny!" Watanabe flips and hits him, declaring, "The red string is for boys and girls only!"

** [[Spiritual Successor]] OVA ''[[Puni Puni Poemi]]'' parodies this with Poemi, who's attached to her friend Futaba. At that moment, Futaba and her sisters are being taken hostage by [[Mars Needs Women|incredibly horny aliens]], and as they get dragged away in a net, Poemi is forcibly dragged to them herself.

* Appears in a flashback of Juri's recollections of her time spent with Shiori and an unnamed male character in ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]''.

* Poemi follows the red string tied to her finger to find her friend Futaba after she is captured in ''[[Puni Puni Poemi]]''.

* Used as an unseen force in ''[[Ai Yori Aoshi]]'' that binds Aoi and Kaoru together. It was part of the premise that their relationship is so unshakable that neither Kaoru's [[Harem]] nor Aoi's old fashioned and powerful family can pull them apart. It was featured in the opening sequence and referred to as Enishi (The bonds that tie) in a conversation between Aoi and Kaoru in the second season.

* ''[[Detective Conan]]: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper'' concludes with Ran selecting [[Wire Dilemma|which color wire on a bomb to cut]]; the bomber had designed the bomb to go off if the red wire were cut, having overheard that red was her favorite color, but Ran couldn't bring herself to cut it, seeing it as the red string of fate between her and Shinichi.

* Reversed in ''[[Noir]]'', as Mireille (a Corsican) muses on the connection between herself and Kirika.

* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'': Kuwabara claimed that the way he found his love interest, Yukina, was simply by following the red string tied to their fingers. The anime provides a visual; in reality, he probably just sensed her spirit energy.

* In an episode of the "alien arc" of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' (R) Usagi states to her love rival En/An/Ann (urgh, [[Spell My Name with an "S"|transliteration problems]]) alias Natsumi Ginga that she is connected to Mamoru by the red string of destiny. Which appears on screen, only to have Natsumi cut it.

* ''[[Mononoke]]'' contains a variation involving a red cloth between an unborn child and their parents. A much more traditional example appears in the OP, with a red string tied to the pinky finger.

* The first ending to ''[[Oddly-Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo|Zoku]] [[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei]]'' contains lyrics mentioning this, in their usual depressing way:

* In the manga ''[[Wish]]'', when the main character Shuichiro confesses to his adoptive mother that he loves her, she tells him that she is not the one meant for him and that he needs to find the person on the other end of the string on his finger.

* Essentially the basis of ''Bound Beauty'', only that the characters can see the ''other'' strings of fate (White, Blue, Yellow, and Black, in addition to Red). Leads to some very surreal battle scenes.

** The final shot in the first ED sequence for ''[[Inuyasha]]: The Final Act'' shows a literal red string tied to Inuyasha and Kagome's fingers.

* While not actually shown in the anime, one of the DVD covers for ''[[Happy Lesson]]'' has each one of the male lead's fingers tied with a red string and all the strings being connected to all his mothers' pinkies. He is not amused.

* The end theme of ''Tsuyokiss'' shows each of the girls naked (it's a [[Fan Service]] show) with a red string tied to one finger.

* Parodied in ''[[Yuria 100 Shiki]]''. The titular [[Sex Bot]] fantasizes about one of these on her finger . . . connecting to Shunsuke's crotch. (The narration remarks that all of her fantasies end up there eventually.)

* The opening of ''[[Sasameki Koto]]'' shows some white strands blowing in the wind, and at one point there's a red one among them.

* In ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', it happened to Red and Yellow twice. Of course, said string (a Caterpie's String Shot and Yellow's fishing line) wasn't actually ''red''...but yes, pinkies and shipping symbolism were still there.

* In ''[[Nabari no Ou]]'', Miharu is shown with a red string on his finger after {{spoiler|erasing Yoite}}.

* In ''[[Naruto]]'', we have a literal example. The titular character meets the spirit of his mother, who tells him that the reason she fell in love with his father was because, during an incident when she was kidnapped, he was the only rescuer who noticed that she had been leaving a trail of red hair. She commented that her red hair was her "personal red thread of fate", leading her to her soulmate.

* At the end of ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'''s first season, Graham Akre claims that he and protagonist Setsuna F. Seiei are connected by this -- [[Foe Yay|the fate to face each other in battle.]] Though he's a Westerner, Graham is a massive Japanese culture [[Otaku]] and would likely understand the reference.

* A [[Dirty Pair]] TV episode opens with a young man being led to the altar by his (arranged) brides-to-be in chains. Naturally, the chains are all red.

* In ''[[Brigadoon Marin and Melan]]'', Marin ties one of her red hair ribbons onto Melan's sword as a symbol of their promise to return to each other. {{spoiler|It shows up again in with increased symbolic importance at the end.}}

* In ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]],'' Madoka giving her red hair ribbons to {{spoiler|Homura}} before {{spoiler|being [[Ret-Gone|Ret Gonned]]}} can be considered a reference to this trope. After {{spoiler|Madoka's disappearance,}} her hair ribbons are {{spoiler|[[Tragic Keepsake|the only thing Homura has left of her]] and the only trace that she ever existed.}}

 

* In the ''[[Naruto]]'' Fanfic "One Small Step", Naruto can't find a partner to play Cat's Cradle, a game that could help Naruto with handsigns, and after searching for someone to play this game with him, he finds Hinata and asks her to play with him, now, if you're wondering, Cat's Cradle is a game that involves playing with a type of string, Naruto and Hinata were playing this game, but ended up tying each other's hands together, the result has them become childhood friends, and their feelings start to develop, the string was even colored red. By the way, this fanfic is fairly good, [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4139575/1/One_Small_Step go read it!]

* Quite a few ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' fanarts of [[Moe Anthropomorphism|America and Canada]] show a red string attached around their hands. Could be to represent their relationship which in real life is one of the closest and most productive international relationships in the world. Or it's to play up the [[Ho Yay]].

** The red string of fate has also been referenced in quite a few fanworks that pair Japan with someone. It's most common in Japan/China fanworks, probably because of the concept's origins in China and the tendency for the pairing to be portrayed as a [[Star-Crossed Lovers|tragic one]], but appears in some Japan/Taiwan and Japan/Greece fanworks too.

** [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6551793/1/Color This cute little oneshot.] [[Everything's Better with Rainbows|But it has more colors representing more types of relationships.]]

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In ''[[The Secret of NIMH]]'', in what may or may not be an intentional usage: when Mrs. Brisby first meets Jeremy, he is tangled in red string which he is retrieving to build a "love nest" for his future Ms. Right

** The end of the film has Jeremy and his love interest flying and holding the two ends of the string

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* In Paulo Coelho's ''Brida'', the titular girl is informed that Witches can recognize who their destined soulmate is because they can see a special twinkle in the eyes, while Mages do so by seeing a star over the shoulder of their destined. Brida, who becomes an aspiring Witch, recognizes the twinkle in her actual boyfriend's eyes and is pleased; but the Mage she initially consulted has seen the star over Brida's shoulder, and is conflicted. {{spoiler|This is carried to a long scene where the Mage finally decides to confess his visions and feelings and use the star to try to find Brida in a crowd... and then he finds Brida's boyfriend, who also has the damn star over ''his'' shoulder. This being a [[No Bisexuals]] setting, the Mage [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy|steps out]] and lets the happy couple be.}}

* In ''[[Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures]]'', the 'Silver Thread' is something that wolpertings can actually perceive through smell, and it leads to their soulmate. Unfortunately for the protagonist, he's also hopelessly uninformed about relationships, and didn't even know that girls ''existed'' until he came to Wolperting, meaning it isn't all that much use.

* Continuing with L.J. Smith, in Secret Circle Cassie and Adam are bound together by a red string.

* In ''[[Jane Eyre]]'', Mr. Rochester has this to say: "...it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous Channel, and two hundred miles or so of land, come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapped; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly."

 

 

 

 

* The flash PV of [[IOSYS]]'s [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viPZZYYTSIY Make Us Your Brides] plays with the imagery by tying [[Les Yay|Marisa and Reimu to Suika]].

* In the song "Adolescence" by the Vocaloids Kagamine Rin and Len, a mention is made about how it seems Rin and Len's hands are tied together with a thread.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIdebsjD6nk This video], using "Makka Na Ito" by Plastic Tree, which is about a couple joined by a red string {{spoiler|who aren't together anymore, possibly implying that one of them is dead.}}

* [http://youtu.be/BOpCm5FN8FM Thievery Corporation's video] for "That Time We Lost Our Way" has [[Lou Lou]] Ooldouz Ghelichkhani singing while following one, with Rob & Eric playing bongos & a squeezebox nearby.

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* ''[[Changeling: The Lost]]'' uses red bands in a person's aura as a signifier of a [[Magically-Binding Contract|pledge.]] When people who've made a pledge are near each other, the bands are connected with red threads.

** The Crimson Weaver is the personification of the tale, except it's more of a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] who will use the red string to bring together [[Love Is a Crapshoot|whomever they consider to be soul mates]], which may have [[Strangled by the Red String|no basis in reality]] and can [[Ax Crazy|end badly]].

* In ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]'', the long-dead Apis shifters served as Gaia's matchmakers. One power of theirs let them see the red threads that bound people with a common destiny - though they couldn't tell whether it would be good or bad.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* Hakuoro in [[Utawarerumono]] does something like this with [[Ill Girl|Yuzuha]], though he doesn't recognize the significance. Eruruw does a facepalm, [[Oblivious to Love|of course]].

* The [[Infinity+1 Sword]] of Gepetto in ''[[Shadow Hearts]]: Covenant'' is the Crimson Thread. At the end of his [[Sidequest]], it appears between him and his puppet, Cordelia. {{spoiler|The puppet in question was modeled and named after his late daughter, and her soul appears to be inhabiting it, thus their connection.}}

 

* In [[Girls Love]] [[Visual Novel]] ''[[Akai Ito]]'', this is the literal translation of the title. In-game, when someone take Kei's [[Supernaturally Delicious and Nutritious|blood]] ([[Does This Remind You of Anything?|with her consent]]), there is a short FMV showing two blood-red sinusoidal wave synchronizing with each others into a straight line, showing adjoining of destiny. [[Bloody Hilarious|This even become a running gag in Yumei route]]!

** More gruesome literal example: {{spoiler|When Uzuki accidentally slash Kei with her sword, the golden-scabbard katana Ito.}}

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

 

* ''[[Ilivais X]]'' has a somewhat literal example, with the string being a [[Blood Oath]] signified by shared scars on Mille and Iriana's opposite pinkies. This results in their [[Intertwined Fingers]] moments always accented by their pinkies pressed together instead of intertwined.

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Romance Arc]]

[[Category:Useful Notes/Japan]]