Shiho Hahnenfuss is a Coordinator and a Redcoat who makes her appearence in the last episodes of Gundam SEED. She's shown to be in Yzak Joule's team. Then again, we can see her in SEED Destiny, still standing behind Yzak ( ). Unfortunately she doesn't speak and she's barely taken into consideration, but it is said that Tamaki Nami, the singer who made some OPs/EDs for the series, was chosen to be her seiyuu; however, it looks like she turned the role down fearing that Shiho would have died just like Miguel Ayman and Heine Westenfluss, both dubbed by Takanori from T.M. Revolution.
Shiho is really mysterious, nobody ever told something about her, yet she's a Redcoat, one of the few female soldiers in ZAFT and happens to be the only elite soldier in Yzak's team in SEED Destiny.
However, Shiho got a short manga all to herself It's called Senjō ni Saku Housenka (the Housenka who blooms in the battlefield) and it shows us a little of her life, and behaviour. She is a proud Coordinator and she's fighting to take Naturals down. She doesn't like them obviously, but she speaks really softly and there is a very little hate in her voice.
She works hard on her Mobile Suit, the DEEP Arms, that has some troubles she can't get over. Luckily she loses the datadisc she was writing on and it is found by her Captain, Yzak Joule, who offers her to help her with the DEEP Arms. He's calm and quiet, surprisingly, and, as he finished explaining her how to solve the MS' problems, they start talking about the war. They share a brief moment speaking their minds and, in the end, Yzak suggests her a nickname, Housenka, because of the way she shoots her beams (they remind him of the flower of the balsam)
She is then shown fighting at Jachin Due, fierce and proud on her DEEP Arms with the Housenka sign on its shoulder.
I think Shiho is such a lovely character! She's sweet and kind, and she's all shy and respectful towards her Captain It is a pity she's so anonymous, especially when other useless and terrible characters get more screenplay than her! I wish Sunrise told us something more juicy and interesting, yet I'm not losing my hope yet. She's gotten quite a fanclub in these years, so maybe the authors will re-consider her in the future~
The title, Blume des Krieges, means Flower of War and I think it suits her well! I chose it to be in German because of her surname, who's clearly German and it is itself a flower, the ranunculus or buttercup |
