Shizuru Fujino (ふじの しずる; 藤乃静留 Fujino Shizuru?) is a fictional character in the Japanese animated series My-HiME and My-Otome. In My-Otome, her name has been changed to Shizuru Viola. Though her role in both series was that of a secondary character, she has a wide range of admirers among the show's fans. In fact, she has even won a character popularity poll at SUNRISE Studio's official website twice in a row, besting even the actual leads.
Shizuru is voiced by Naomi Shindou and Melanie Risdon in both series.
Shizuru in My-HiME
The always-calm president of the Fuka Academy Student Council, Shizuru at first appears in episodes involving important school events, or in scenes featuring the Student Council's homeroom, often calmly sipping tea. Making an entrance as a playful, charming and slightly sarcastic individual, she takes care of significant school affairs single-handedly, even patching up for the academy director when required.
She wears a differently colored uniform to denote her status as Student Council President, something fellow Student Council leaders Reito Kanzaki and Haruka Suzushiro also do. Her beauty and distinctive Kyoto-accent have earned her quite a few fans within the academy - and all mostly female. She occasionally lendsNatsuki Kuga use of the Student Council's computer in order to look up information relating to the HiME.
In the novel entitled, "Natsuki's Prelude", some background was provided on the reasons influencing Shizuru's decision to run for the Student Council President position. She was originally just a class representative in her second year of highschool. Natsuki, a middle-schooler at the time, had heard a rumor that class representatives had a higher access level within the school's intranet than normal students. Shizuru teased Natsuki and assumed she was inquiring for the sake of altering her attendance record. Natsuki informed her that she wanted to gain access to the school's state of its administration, the director's name and personal record, and a register of the staff members and pupils plus their personal records. Shizuru regretted to inform Natsuki that her access to the intranet was not much higher than that of a typical student. Witnessing Natsuki looking somewhat disappointed, Shizuru mentally came to a decision and entered herself as a presidential candidate.
The novel continues with the fact that elections were held rather late in the year compared to most schools but Shizuru managed to crush her opponent, Suzushiro Haruka, in a landslide victory. She had become the new President, which enabled her high-level access on the school's intranet. Natsuki of course utilized this to her advantage, but never found out Shizuru's true motivation for running.
In the second half of the series, Shizuru's role becomes more significant, as it is revealed that she's one of the twelve HiMEs. Unlike the other HiMEs, she acts solo, without facing either the Orphans nor the agents of the Searrs Foundation. Instead she focuses on covertly protecting her best friend, Natsuki Kuga, who is also a HiME. It is implied that Shizuru's "HiME mark" is located on her left side, as she is seen placing her hand there on several occasions relating to the HiME, including the interrogation of Yukariko Sanada, before actually being revealed as one. Shizuru's shadow with her element is first seen in episode 20 when she intervenes and has her child, Kiyohime, block Mikoto's attack towards Natsuki.
Over time it becomes apparent that Shizuru has a romantic interest in Natsuki, and the suppression of these feelings begin to unbalance her psychologically. After Natsuki is injured by Nao Yuuki and held for ransom Shizuru rescues her and brings her to a friend's house to allow her to heal.
As the series progresses Shizuru loses her mental balance and becomes yet another puppet playing to the plan of the Obsidian Lord, killing the Childs and, by extension, the most important people of Nao (her mother) and Yukino (Haruka) as well as the entirety of the First District, for the sake of her beloved.
In a final confrontation Shizuru fights Natsuki, who having accepted her love for Shizuru now has a new most important person and has hence regained her powers, along with Duran increasing drastically in size. Shizuru misunderstands Natsuki's explanation for Duran's increased size, and believes the "omoi" (literally emotion) Natsuki feels for her is hate. An emotional Shizuru believes that Natsuki has rejected her feelings and entraps her under a bell before drawing her into an embrace. However, Shizuru is taken aback when Natsuki kisses her. She tells Shizuru that she loves her despite not sharing the same feeling Shizuru has for her. Natsuki then orders Duran to destroy Kiyohime, which results in an explosive backlash that destroys them both. After their resurrection by Mashiro the two seem to have maintained their close friendship.
