Old topic, I know, but I don't think something like this should have an expiration date.
Since I have a hard time conveying my opinion about Yukiho without going full-blown heart-on-sleeve mode, I'll try to contain myself.
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Mostly, my attraction to her comes from this feeling I get from her that she's the most promising or definitive, that something will happen with her, that she's going to make herself the way she wants to be. She may need a push every once in a while, but the momentum she gains from it vastly exceeds the effort.
She may not seem that special when one looks at her, but I don't think a flashy appearance is always needed to set a person apart. Anyway, her personality more than makes up for her relatively plain looks.
Quite a few people probably don't like her or even get annoyed with her because she whines a lot, and I can understand that, but if one were to go through her route in 2, they'd be able see that she whines when she talks about things that she cares about. It's just how she expresses her concern and that's okay, because real or not, nobody's perfect.
Besides that, I love how she hides a really caring side and only shows it at specific points which makes it that much more of a reward. To me, she's just the most endearing character, with a metric tonne of potential and she feels like someone you really can count on, whether she would come through sooner or later.
And as a knowledgeable individual, for which I respect greatly, told me and led me to understand, "her route in 2 exists as an excellent counter-point: it never belittles her, never falls for the easy route, and it may dwell a bit on her bad attitude and acting before she gets better only because it shows how much she changes after. One moment that really stood out to me was her talking about having everyone's expectations on her shoulders. Keep in mind, no one was forcing her directly to do things; SHE shouldered the heavy burdens because SHE put them on herself. She was so insecure that she always felt like every mistake was fatal, but she pushed on anyway. And in the end, she did it because she valued others over herself, because she didn't appreciate herself, so her ultimate realization was that she had to learn to appreciate that side of her to really blossom." That, alone, should say it all.
With all that in mind, she honestly seems like a 'paragon' of selflessness and resolve, though it might sound a little misguided. But that's who she is, and nothing could ever take that from her. She may stumble and fall, or even get lost once in a while, but I know she'll always find her way back.
