Shiho Munakata

Age: 13
DOB: October 16
Height: 152 cm
Weight: 41 kg (90 lb)
Blood type: O
B/W/H: 78/53/80

Shiho Munakata is a childhood friend of Yuuichi Tate, whom she affectionately calls her brother (onii-chan) despite the fact that they are not related. She is in the Fuka Middle school, and quickly makes friends with Mai Tokiha and Mikoto Minagi. She is a miko at her grandfather's shrine. She is very possessive of Yuuichi and is in love with him, and even expresses to Mai that she wishes to marry him. The fact that her hairstyle makes her look like an octopus is something of a running gag in the early episodes of the series, as well as her sporadic movement of her hair and its reaction to her moods.

In the latter half of the season Shiho becomes mentally unbalanced when she realizes that Mai and Tate are developing feelings for each other, despite Mai's earlier vow to cheer for Shiho in her pursuit of Tate. Feeling betrayed and injured when an Orphan attacks her, and because of his extreme guilt Tate stays by her side while she is in the hospital. While Mai is watching Shiho even asks Tate to kiss her in order to hurt the other girl.

At the same time a mysterious figure in a wedding kimono with a flute repeatedly tries to kill Mai, and this eventually comes to a head when Tate is late for his "date" with Shiho in the park due to his helping Mai escape from Yukariko Sanada's illusion, a fact Nagi Homura uses to his advantage to awaken Shiho's dormant HiME powers and summon her Element, a flute that can distort sound waves, and crow-like Child named Yatagarasu. The tension comes to a head when Shiho attacks Mai - a precarious situation since Tate's life force is linked to both Mai and Shiho's Childs, and he will die if either Child is killed. Tate, realizing this, asks Mai to kill Yatagarasu to end the situation, but while Mai is unwilling Mikoto's pendant takes over her body and she takes out the Child, stripping Shiho of her powers and killing Tate.

In the final episode Shiho's powers are restored and Tate is resurrected, and in the final episode Shiho is still claiming ownership over Tate and appears to have returned to normal.



Element and Child

Her Element, a flute, can manipulate sound waves. She also appears to be able to astrally project part of her soul as a means of attacking Mai in the anime. Her Child in the anime, called Yatagarasu, is a large crow-like creature able to fire its feathers in projectile attacks, while in the manga her child resembles an octopus whose spores can control whomever it comes into contact with.