Midori Sugiura

Midori Sugiura (杉浦碧) is a character in the My-HiME and My-Otome anime and manga series. In My-Otome, she is simply known as Midori. She is voiced by Yukari Tamura in Japanese and Mariette Sluyter in English.

My-HiME anime
Midori first appears as one of Mai's co-workers at the Linden Baum diner. She claims to be 17 years of age, even though she is really 24, and no one believes her. She is friends with school nurse Yohko Sagisawa from their college days, and she eventually becomes a teacher at Fuka Academy. A DVD special reveals that Yohko met Midori on the first day of college when Midori sat down and started chatting amiably. Yohko suggests that Midori has a "thing" for older men.

Midori is revealed fairly early in the plot to be one of the HiMEs after trying to find documents related to the HiME festival at Shiho Munakata's shrine. She is a well-known history buff and is in ecstasy after being accidentally locked in the shrine storeroom and discovering it to be full of historical material. When Mai Tokiha finds her in the storeroom they accidentally remove a seal that unleashes an Orphan, which Midori defeats with ease by herself after seeing how reluctant Natsuki, Mai and Mikoto were with working together. She then establishes herself as the new history/homeroom teacher in Mai's class.

When SEARRS invades the academy, she helps to unite the HiMEs and proves helpful in destroying the army forces surrounding the school by the bay. After the defeat of Alyssa Searrs and Miyu Greer, she bands all the known HiMEs together to form a collective group whose goal is to work together to stop Orphans (while slyly indicating that they will be doing most of the work while she works on her research). She dubs them the HiME Sentai (Task Force), much to the displeasure of Natsuki Kuga and Nao Yuuki. After convincing all the HiMEs to partake in the new group, she takes them all to celebrate by having all go through a wild night of karaoke and partying.

Though she appears to be goofy and more of a gung-ho justice fighter than a serious leader, she is actually the most experienced HiME, being the eldest of the group, and reveals herself to be a more than capable leader and far more intelligent than she lets on. She can act maturely when she wants to and actually takes it upon herself to protect the other HiMEs, whom she considers entrusted to her and therefore under her guidance. When the competition between the HiME is announced, she actively tries to discourage the other HiMEs from fighting. She also appears to have known the course the battles would take, possibly through her research. She is shown to have major background info on the legendary HiME cycles, and gathers more and more information as time passes.

She eventually finds out that the school chairman, Mashiro Kazahana, is an imposter, and that the true Mashiro died years ago. After initially confronting Mashiro and Fumi, she learns from them the truth behind the Festival of the HiMEs, and is given the means to stop the Festival from going on ever again. After tying up loose ends and leaving her thesis and research to Yohko, she sets off to Mashiro's empty mansion to execute her plans.

At this point, the other HiMEs have all but turned on each other, and Midori is shown to be the one person who seeks to stop the Festival at all costs. Going into a secret room underneath the mansion, she enters a sealed room using the special key Mashiro gave her, and is confronted by Mikoto Minagi, who has been given orders by the Obsidian Lord (who is possessing Reito Kanzaki) to stop Midori. Midori manages to initiate the start-up for the android held in stasis, apparently the only person capable of stopping the festival and the Obsidian Lord; this costs her Child by Mikoto's hand as she uses Gakutenou to stop a hit meant for the android from Mikoto's Child. Her efforts prove successful, as the android, revealed to be Miyu Greer, manages to escape fully functional, and with all her prior memories intact. Midori did not reboot Miyu's memories, hoping that the dedication that Miyu had for Alyssa would prove to be helpful. She is injured severely after her fight with Mikoto, and is taken by Mai to Yohko, where she remains in critical care for some time.

Her most important person was her Professor, an older man who was a colleague of hers while in college. Yohko is usually put off by the fact that Midori is attracted to a man so much older than her, since the Professor is shown to be in his mid fifties at least. At the end of the series she is shown traveling the world with her professor rescuing ancient artifacts, Indiana Jones style; however, as shown in the extended ending of the final episode the series, Midori somehow finds herself working once again at the restaurant, much to Akane and Mai's surprise.

My-HiME manga
The leader of the Anti Orphan Squad, a team of elite HiME's that protect Fuuka Academy from Orphans and outside forces, she is a firm believer in justice and fighting for what is right. Though the leader, she is the last member of the team to be revealed, and helps to unite the opposing Orphan fighting teams. She is as outgoing and vibrant in the manga as she is in the anime, though with a harder edge to her. Also, she is taken far more seriously, as all the characters seem to understand her advanced battle sense and maturity, as her team members all address her as Leader, and most others hold respect for her. Her leadership capabilities are more clearly showcased, and she is usually shown as the one in charge or giving orders though she is initially shown as having horrendous coordination, causing more collateral damage than all the other HiME.

She first appears in a dramatic flair, saving all of the other HiMEs from a tentacle Orphan, and leading a counter attack against Nagi. Though she is defeated by the Obsidian Lord's servant, Marie Antoinette, one of the three QUEENs, she later recovers and teams with Haruka and Yukino to defeat her, combining all their power in a single attack, wiping out Marie Antoinette and her Child, as well as nearly killing themselves too.

Element and Child
The My-HiME version of Midori has a labrys as her Element, which she has a habit of using for show more often, parading it around as a symbol rather than fighting with it. However, she demonstrates it is not merely for decoration as she shows herself to be very proficient in handling it. It has shown to have boomerang properties. Her Child is named Gakutenou (愕天王), a strange armadillo/lion creature, whose back legs transform into wheels, allowing the rider to move at high speeds on land and in the air. It has an extendable blade on its head that can cut through solid rock, and by rotating its wheel at high power, it can launch a tornado that can trap an enemy within. Its shape allows it to become a living projectile; the rocket thrusters on its back give it an incredible amount of thrust, which it uses in its Spiral Dash attack: gathering speed, it rushes forward, covering itself in energy and then physically blasting through whatever is in its path. It can go through a wall of solid stone and even the metal hull of a ship. For this ability Gakutenou can be associated with a rhinoceros.

In the My-HiME manga, Gakutenou does not retain any of its anime abilities; instead, it morphs into a giant mecha, using its sheer strength and energy weapons to fight with.

My-Otome anime
Midori in is the leader of the Aswad, who are a fighting group with membership drawn from the last survivors of the 'Black Valley'. She seeks to recover the ancient technology to cure the disease plaguing the Black Valley. Her personality has made a drastic turn, just like with Mashiro's, as she is now rather cold-hearted, and a rather firm believer in revenge and honor. She was childhood friends with Garderobe scientist Yohko Helene and still insists that she is 17, but it is on a more serious note as her youth is preserved by a device she uses. She first appears as a masked figure who enters into an alliance with Cardair, though tentatively, in order to take back lost technology that will benefit her people.

Midori reveals herself when trying to eliminate Arika Yumemiya and Sergay Wáng, who stumbled upon Aswad's plans. Showing off her imitation GEM, she battles Shizuru and Haruka, and escapes when John Smith of Schwarz takes the technology that Aswad had acquired. When Garderobe is invaded by Artai, she sees it as an opportunity to steal the technology housed in the school, and attempts to infiltrate the building, only to be stopped by Natsuki and Shizuru. Not wanting to risk damaging the technology housed in the school, they escape.

After Arika Yumemiya's near fatal battle with Nina during Garderobe's invasion, Aswad surprisingly takes her in after finding her in the desert in a coma like state. They also agree to take in Mashiro, who they also find in the desert. Through the protagonist's eyes, we see another side of Midori; though stern and ruthless, she is a good leader, who values honor and protecting the weak. She is just and fair, and is much loved and respected by the people of the Black Valley. When refugee's from Windbloom arrive, Mashiro enters into an honor bound agreement with Midori: by allowing her subjects food and shelter within the Black Valley (and refraining from killing them on the spot), she will allow Aswad the technology they need. With this agreement, they become Mashiro's allies, coming to her aid when she and Arika take back Windbloom. Mashiro looks up to Midori as a strong and just leader, and sees her as a role model who she aspires to become more like.

In the seventh DVD special, Midori fights a Materialised Kitty Mikoto after finding Arika in the desert and is later seen sleeping with the cat on her chest. Her comrades comment on how she loves cats despite her usual cold attitude.

She is also seen briefly in the third episode of My-Otome Zwei with the other Aswad cyborgs as they search for the Black Valley, which has mysteriously disappeared and taken Mashiro, Mai and Mikoto with it to an unknown part of the world.

My-Otome manga
There are not one but two Midoris in the My-Otome manga.

The first Midori is the manga's leader of Schwarz, the cult taking the place of the manga-nonexistent Aswad and protecting the Black Valley. Like her My-HiME counterparts (and unlike her My-Otome anime version), she claims to fight for Justice.

She was initially imprisoned in Garderobe and known as "Prisoner No. 17". Her prisoner transfer was conducted with Shizuru Viola and the Cardair Otome Rila Mariposa. Her Schwarz underlings attack the convoy and conduct her successful jailbreak. She proceeds to do battle with both Otome and kills Rila, escaping afterward.

When Manshiro and his retinue go to the Black Valley in search of Arika Yumemiya's mother, she plans to have Arika join Schwarz, but this never comes to fruition. When Cardair forces attack to avenge their late Emperor John, who died because of his connection with Rila, Midori fights with Akira and is outwitted, leading to her defeat.

Eventually Manshiro and Arika manage to fend off the Cardair forces and Garderobe personnel arrive. On Manshiro's request, the people of the Black Valley are moved to Windbloom. Midori leaves Manshiro a cryptic warning regarding Sergay and disappears along with the rest of her team.

Midori reappears when it is time for Manshiro's coronation. In disguise, she, Gal and Dyne enter Windbloom and manage to outsmart Haruka Armitage despite the latter's attempts at finding Schwarz members. When Sergay reveals his villainy and sets Mai Tokiha on Manshiro's entourage, Midori saves Manshiro and his group. Midori comments on the danger Manshiro has put himself into by having two Otome contracted to himself, but per his request, she leads the people of Windbloom out of the country, including Arika who suffered mental trauma. When the girl expresses her desire to return to fight for Manshiro, Midori gives her the REM despite the protests of her lackeys, saying that she wanted to "gamble with herself" and "believe that these children can win".

The second Midori is Midori Sugiura revived from the dead, as previously seen in the My-HiME manga. She ambushes an off-guard Shizuru Viola (who is complacently wondering where her own second is) shortly before Midori arrives to assist her former enemy; the leader of Schwarz using Gal's power in place of her REM. Stating that she would not allow the Predecessor statue of Rena Sayers to be destroyed because she was the woman Rad sacrificed his life for, the two women do battle.

Eventually, Midori Sugiura is killed by Manshiro's Trinity Lover Strike. Exactly what happens to Midori the leader of Schwarz is unstated, but given the appearance of her smiling visage as shown in the events after the return to peace, it would seem to be a happy ending for her.

Powers and Abilities
The My-Otome anime version of Midori fights with twin kodachis. In addition, she uses the Reinforcing Enigmatic Matrix (REM), a modified version of Garderobe's GEM technology that enhances her body without Materializing a Robe. Initially its effects last only 300 seconds, but Yohko eventually upgrades it to have unlimited duration. She can also summon Slaves; in this case, her personal Slave resembles Gakutenou.

In the My-Otome manga, Midori retains the labrys of her HiME version. However, she may be the most skillful fighter of her time. In Chapter 18, she combats two Materialised Otome, one of them being Shizuru, without even activating her REM. She takes Rila's Beautiful Power attack with nary a scratch and in retaliation kills Rila in one attack. Her sheer power as demonstrated in this case has led to much speculation on exactly how Garderobe managed to capture her in the first place. However, she is easily beaten by a single, well-placed strike from Arika when Cardair attacks Schwarz.

Her REM works differently from her anime version's, as it enables her to draw on the power of the other members of Aswad. It is first shown to allow her to "combine" with Gakutenou to form a Robe of her own, though it more resembles armour than the "skinsuits" of the Otomes' Robes. Eventually she also draws on Gal's power to combat the revived Midori Sugiura.

The manga's revived HiME version of Midori Sugiura appears to retain powers identical to her HiME manga counterpart. However, they appear to have become stronger in their own right as she managed to ambush Shizuru Viola and was about to continue before Midori, the leader of Schwarz, intervened.

Trivia

 * The number 17 plays a large role in Midori's character, being her stated age in all four interpretations. In both the My-HiME and My-Otome manga, she makes her first appearance in chapter 17. In both of those appearances, she is singing the song "Seventeen", by Minami Saori.