#namiku

Now, nioi does have a secondary possible meaning of “aura” or “sense,” which sure, I think is implied here. But Riku putting his hand on his nose as he says the dialogue forces the translation more towards a “scent” or “smell” interpretation, which is why I think the English translators translated it like that.

However, this version of nioi CAN be used more metaphorically to invoke the sensory feelings associated with something or someone, and I get the sense this dialogue was meant to imply that Riku feels safe and secure around Naminé and knows he can trust her, much like he feels the same way with Kairi, and the Japanese writers used a more culturally-specific means of communicating that that sounds...awkward when translated directly into English lol.

If I were going for a more poetic translation, I'd probably say something like, “You and Kairi remind me of each other, (I feel safe with you/I feel like I’m home),” but then it would lose some accuracy and spell things out more than I would like instead of allowing for some ambiguity, and the gesture with Riku touching his nose is still there regardless lol so…I get why the English translators did what they did.

(I do find it really fascinating that this word for smell is associated with emotions and sensations in Japanese, given the research about how scent and memory are linked because of their close positions in the brain. I love it when these gut instinct observations about human nature are later proven right by scientific research, it's utterly fascinating).

(And hey, at least Riku used 匂い and didn’t use 臭い for Naminé lol, that would have made it even worse, because the latter is usually used for bad smells you want to keep away and has a negative connotation, whereas the former is associated with pleasant scents and favorable impressions. At least we can gather that he thinks Naminé smells good and likes being around her. Oh Riku, never change).