Mashiro Kazahana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mashiro Kazahana (風花真白, Kazahana Mashiro^?) is a character in the My-HiME and My-Otome anime and manga series. Her name is Mashiro Blan de Windbloom (マシロ・ブラン・ド・ヴィントブルーム, Mashiro Buran Do Vintoburūmu^?) in the My-Otome series. She is voiced by Yukana in Japanese and Katie Rowan in English.

Contents 1 Common Characteristics 2 My-HiME anime 2.1 Characteristics 2.2 Actions 2.3 Powers 3 My-Otome anime 3.1 Contracts 4 My-Otome manga 4.1 Characteristics 4.2 Actions 4.3 Powers 4.4 References to My-HiME 5 Name origins and mythology references 6 References

[edit] Common Characteristics

Mashiro is depicted as a small girl with lavender hair. She normally has a leadership role; in My-HiME she is the chairwoman of Fuka Academy, and in My-Otome she is the princess (and later queen) of Windbloom. She also usually has a dedicated maid.

[edit] My-HiME anime

[edit] Characteristics

In the My-HiME anime series, Mashiro Kazahana appears to be a young girl but shows knowledge far beyond that of her 11 years. She is the chairwoman of Fuka Academy. Mashiro is always in a wheelchair, escorted by her maid Fumi Himeno. Mashiro seems to be the one responsible for assembling the HiMEs at Fuka Academy.

[edit] Actions

Mashiro first appears unnamed during episode 2 in the flower garden with Fumi when Mai Tokiha passes by and asks them as to where Mikoto Minagi scampered off to. Mashiro and Mai formally neet in episode 3, when Mashiro tells Mai that she is gathering the HiMEs to defeat Orphans. Mashiro tells her to decide what she wants to do on her own, which later becomes a recurring theme in Mai's story.

Beginning in episode 8, it becomes apparent that Mashiro is hiding facts from the HiMEs, and that she feels bad for putting the HiMEs in the position they are in. In episode 12, she pointedly refuses to tell Mai who is behind the vampire attacks at the Academy, although she later calls Yukino Kikukawa and asks her to help find the vampire.

In episode 15, Mashiro confronts Alyssa Searrs, who calls her the "Queen of Hell." After their talk Mashiro's body opens to reveal an Orphan, which is defeated by Miyu Greer and the body is shown to be a doll used as a decoy.

Mashiro meets with the heads of the First District in episode 17, then returns to Fuka Academy in the following episode and is confronted by Midori Sugiura, who reveals that the real Mashiro died in an excavation accident. Midori threatens Mashiro but is defeated by Fumi, who is revealed to be a HiME herself.

In episode 21, Mashiro gives Midori the key to the room where Miyu is recovering. Mashiro and her maid then go to face the Obsidian Lord, Reito Kanzaki, who calls her the Crystal Princess. Mashiro reveals that 300 years ago she was the younger sister to the Obsidian Lord, similar to Mikoto Minagi now. Mashiro transforms into Fumi's Child, Suishou; their attack ends in defeat, Mashiro's doll body hung above the Obsidian Lord's throne.

Mashiro's true body is revealed in episode 25, encased in a crystal star. In the final episode, Miyu's anti-materializer frees Mashiro, and she floats up to the Crystal Shrine. She revives the fallen HiME, resurrecting them and their loved ones, and restoring their HiME powers. In the ending credits, Nagi and Mashiro enter the large doors at the far end of the library.

[edit] Powers

In episode 21, Mashiro displays two abilities: the ability to create a barrier preventing eavesdropping, and the ability to transform into a Child. As Fumi's Child, Suishou, she radically changes appearance and wields a double-sided blade, and bears Kagutsuchi's crest of three tomoe on her robe. In her true body in episode 26, she is able to appear in spirit form to multiple people, revive the dead, and restore the powers of fallen HiME.

[edit] My-Otome anime

There are doubts on whether she is the true ruler - doubts which prove correct when the true ruler of Windbloom is discovered by Sergay Wáng. Mikoto is her pet. Her bratty personality is largely a result of growing up spoiled and then starting to have doubts that she is really the princess. Has a love-hate relationship with Nagi, leaning more towards the 'hate' end of the spectrum. Her personality makes a 180 degree turn compared to the My-HiME incarnation.

She first met Nina and Arika when she was evading her palace guards by attempting to jump to the next building's roof. Fortunately for her as she failed and fell, the two rushed to her aid and believing the guards to be bad men, help her escape. Immediately Arika, who was raised in the country, was completely clueless to Mashiro's bad tempers and arrogance, even when she showed them that she was the princess in which Nina apologized for their ignorance.

As time passed, Mashiro still kept her bratty personality and pushed the people around her harder and harder. Especially with her birthday coming up in which she increased the taxes to get more money to help rebuild her castle and with the festivals and as Sergay Wáng noted, the city was suffering from increasing unemployment. However, bits and pieces of her past was revealed and when Mashiro was young, she was completely spoiled as a child and her behavior was made worse when rumors spread that she was not the true princess. From time to time however, Mashiro would run all the way to Garderobe just to laugh at Arika's attempt to become an Otome whenever she messes something up.

During an emergency, she formed a contract with Arika and the two are now locked into it. While the two still hold some hatred for each other, the contract between the two brought them closer as their lives have been bound to one another. This is where Mashiro's personality starts to change a bit as she becomes calmer and more mature. When the prince of Zipang came to visit, she escaped and bumped into Takumi, who was disguised as Akira. Takumi showed Mashiro the realities of the city and she was appalled by the poverty that plagued her city and this snapped her as she found herself to be a useless queen. The fact that the rumors didn't help out either. On Chie's advice, Aoi brought Arika to talk with her and eventually the two poured out their feelings. Nevertheless, the two agreed to become the best queen and Otome anyone has ever seen. As Mashiro has said, she herself has been reborn.

This however came a little too late as Schwarz had taken control of the castle and built a cannon on top which attacked the city. It was later revealed that Mashiro was blamed for this act even though she was clueless.

After the fight between Nina and Arika, Mashiro ended up walking towards Aries with the homeless people seen earlier in the series, including Mimi. After the people find Aoi and demand to know where Mashiro is, Aoi spots her but refuses to tell. Her death acts as an agent to mature Mashiro further, who runs away into the desert alone. She found herself in the Aswald village. In episode 21 she took up the responsibility of becoming WindBloom's queen again after Mimi died. When she was brought to the Black Valley, upon Natsuki's advice Mashiro asked Mai Tokiha, Takumi's older sister, to help her train her to be a better queen of royalty so she could be a better master for Arika. To Mashiro's chagrin, Miyu, who seems to know everything about everyone, doesn't know where Mashiro came from or what her true past is, but hints that Mashiro might be a descendant of Fumi, the original Otome and current Shinso. During the final battle, her leg is broken and put in a wheel chair until her Coronation. In the end, she finally becomes Queen of Windbloom and keeps her promise to both Midori and the poor people of Windbloom.

[edit] Contracts

At the moment, Mashiro has made two contracts. One with Nina and the second, which would be her last, with Arika.

1. During episode 1, a SLAVE attacked Mashiro and on Nina's advice, she acted as an interim master to allow Nina to fight in her Coral robe.
2. In episode 7, another SLAVE comes after Mashiro in which the Sapphire Gem protects the two by blasting the SLAVE. With the SLAVE temporarily out of action, the GEM released its two gems so both Mashiro and Arika can make a contract. With the Sapphire robe, Arika easily defeats the SLAVE but in the fight when she is injured, she sees Mashiro injured as well and remembers Natsuki's words; once a contract is made, an Otome will be sharing her life with her master. If she falls, so does her master and vice versa.

The GEMs are removed later on to avoid suspicion, but when Schwarz attacks and puts Shinso Fumi, the master Otome, out of commission, the GEMs are returned and Arika fights again as the Blue Sky Sapphire.

[edit] My-Otome manga

[edit] Characteristics

In the My-Otome manga, Mashiro is initially a weak-willed adolescent boy, typically running away from problems and giving up. The manga's central plot is his development from a fake princess into a strong ruler. When he thinks to himself, he often pretends he is talking to his mother. A running gag throughout the series is Mashiro's status as a male surrounded by females, unable to reveal himself.

The real Mashiro has a bitter attitude, desiring only to further her own magical powers. She shows little emotion towards others, and refuses to acknowledge the fake Mashiro even when the truth is revealed.

[edit] Actions

The real Mashiro Blan de Windbloom is shown dead on the first page of chapter 1. The Mashiro for the rest of the story is a boy, who impersonates the real Mashiro under Sergay August Taiki's orders. Mashiro first appears on the second page of chapter 1, recently arrived in Wind City. He disguises himself as the princess and meets his assigned escorts Arika Yumemiya and Nina Wáng. They encounter a member of Schwarz who attempts to assassinate Mashiro, causing Mashiro to make a contract with Arika with the Sky Blue Sapphire.

Mashiro makes it to Garderobe safely; in chapters 2 and 3 he meets with the Garderobe staff, who already know of his true identity, and the Garderobe students. The next few chapters deal with his school life, his growth as a leader, and his relationship with Arika, Nina, and Erstin Ho. Nina discovers his real gender in chapter 10, causing her to think differently of him and his motives. Eventually, Mashiro's concern for Arika, who leaves in chapter 20 to find her parents, leads Mashiro (along with Nina and Erstin) to follow her to the Black Valley.

At the Black Valley, Mashiro shows his resolve as a leader while confronting Cardair and protecting the refugees. He returns to Garderobe in chapter 24 after Garderobe staff stop an invalid butou between Arika and Cardair's Otome.

After Erstin finds out about his gender in chapter 25, Mashiro is summoned to Garderobe castle and informed by Sergay that he will be crowned queen. Schwarz attack at the coronation, causing Sergay to send Mashiro and Arika through a secret passage. The two arrive at an underground chamber, where the real Mashiro awaits.

In chapter 30, Sergay reveals that the real Mashiro's death was a suicide intended to grant her stronger magical powers when she was resurrected. In the following battle, Nagi de Artai is fatally hit and gives his ring to Mashiro, making him the master of Nina.

The real Mashiro gets Fumi to revive the HiME Mai Tokiha in chapter 32. The subsequent summoning of Kagutsuchi causes flashbacks for the fake Mashiro. He and his retinue are rescued by Schwarz and Erstin and taken to the Windbloom slums to regroup. In the following chapters, Mashiro heads to Garderobe while Nina, Erstin, the city police, and the Garderobe Otome hold off enemy forces.

Mashiro is tormented by the fact that the others are sacrificing their lives for him, but is comforted by Nina before she becomes the last one to leave him in chapter 36. At this point Arika returns to protect him from Mai, but Arika's power runs out quickly.

Mai attacks Mashiro, but Rena arrives and is hit instead. Rena tells Mashiro how to unlock the true power of the Blue Sky Sapphire, which Mashiro and Arika use to send Mai and Mikoto retreating, and the location where the real Mashiro and Sergay are waiting - the Crystal Shrine. The Garderobe Otome hold off the other resurrected HiMEs to allow Mashiro, Arika, and Nina to reach the Crystal Shrine.

The real Mashiro uses her powers to trap the fake Mashiro in an illusion of his old life. However, Mashiro is able to escape in chapter 42 with the help of Yuuichi Tate's spirit, gaining the Pure White Diamond, which he uses to defeat Mai. Sergay reveals the truth that the two Mashiros are twins and both heirs to the throne. The real Mashiro is then killed by Fumi.

Arika, Nina, Erstin, and Mashiro are able to defeat Fumi and Sergay, but Sergay manages to wound Mashiro and steal the Pure White Diamond. In the final chapter, the purified spirits of the real Mashiro and Fumi appear to Mashiro and send him back to the land of the living. Gathering the power of the Otome, Mashiro materialises a Robe and defeats the monstrous Sergay.

[edit] Powers

The fake Mashiro initially has the Sky Blue Sapphire, which he uses in a bugged provisional contract with Arika^[1] which later becomes official^[2]. Mashiro also receives the ring of the Black Smoke Chrysoberyl^[3], making him the master of Nina. Erstin states she also has a contract with Mashiro in the final chapter.

With the Pure White Diamond, Mashiro is able to fight on a level with the HiMEs and Otomes. He is also able to materialize his own Robe.

The real Mashiro is capable of hurling balls of dark energy and creating temporal illusions. She is able to resurrect HiME, although she isn't able to control them until after her death at the beginning of the story^[4].

[edit] References to My-HiME

The fake Mashiro's story parallels Yuuichi Tate's story in the My-HiME manga; they both end up living with girls and are repeatedly asked what they want to do.

The real Mashiro's ability to manipulate time to show and distort the past, as well as the dark HiME symbol worn around her neck, seem to indicate she is the reincarnation of her My-HiME manga counterpart, at least partially. Her status as a doll created by Fumi's materialization ability is similar to her My-HiME anime counterpart's story.

[edit] Name origins and mythology references

Mashiro means "pure white" in Japanese, and blan is the French word for white. Windbloom is an English translation of Kazahana.

Mashiro's story in My-HiME draws from the legend of Izanami.

[edit] References

1. ^ My-Otome manga, chapter 2, page 10
2. ^ My-Otome manga, chapter 23, pages 4-10
3. ^ My-Otome manga, chapter 31, page 2
4. ^ My-Otome manga, chapter 32, page 5