Mahiru Shiina (椎名真昼 Shiina Mahiru) is the female protagonist of The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten. She is the next-door neighbor of Amane Fujimiya and attends the same high school.
Appearance[]
Mahiru's appearance is consistently described as beautiful. Her straight, well-groomed, flaxen blond hair is silky smooth and lustrous. Her large caramel-colored eyes are framed by long lashes on both the top and bottom. Additionally, she has pale, milky-white skin that is soft and flawless, and a shapely nose.[2]
Her clothing choices are trendy yet high-quality and practical. They are modest and not too revealing, reflecting her humble and unassuming personality.
Personality[]
Due to her parents' abandonment, both physically and emotionally, Mahiru was raised by Koyuki-san, a housekeeper. This has made her very withdrawn, like a lone flower in an unreachable place.[3] She hides her thoughts and feelings behind a figurative mask, appearing angelic but distant. Mahiru excels in cooking, impressing Amane, his friends, and his parents. She is also very organized, practical, and frugal, easily managing household tasks. For gifts, she prefers practical items; for example, when Amane asked her what she wanted, she requested a whetstone to sharpen her knives.[4] She cuts coupons and seeks sales to buy high-quality items at the lowest possible prices. However, she deeply values the stuffed bear Amane gave her, though it’s unclear if this affection is because she secretly desires more traditionally feminine things or simply because it was a gift from him.
Mahiru excels both academically and athletically, often ranking at the top of her class with perfect scores.[5] She is a tireless worker who strives to make her achievements seem effortless.[6] Over time, she becomes more comfortable with those around her. She shows her true self to her friends, acting genuine and outgoing. She also develops meaningful relationships with Amane’s parents and friends.
Growing up in an emotionally neglectful environment has significantly shaped her personality, making her independent yet emotionally guarded.[7] Despite her reserved nature, she has a strong sense of responsibility and self-sufficiency, preferring to handle things independently rather than relying on others. However, as she gradually opens up, she shows a more affectionate and caring side to those she trusts.
Private[]
Mahiru is innocent, cute, kind, and loving, with a strong moral compass and profound generosity. She goes out of her way to help others when she feels safe doing so. While she maintains a guarded demeanor, especially regarding her parents, she avoids lying and tends to become reserved or cold when discussing past trauma. Her private honesty emerges more clearly when she is alone, though she never expresses it harshly.
Mahiru has some social awkwardness, particularly in close relationships, often making gestures that might be misinterpreted. For instance, feeding Amane a bite of cake early in their relationship led to Amane pointing out that it could be seen as a very intimate act.[8] She also struggles with self-confidence and is often surprised by and relieved by genuine compliments from Amane.[9] Despite having feelings for Amane first, she does not push him about their relationship but becomes mischievous and frustrated when she is certain of her feelings and feels he is not yet fully aware of his own.
School[]
As the most popular girl at school, Mahiru primarily interacts with other female students due to the frequent and unwanted attention from boys who are infatuated with her. She dislikes this attention and is cautious about trusting strangers. To keep people at a distance and protect her privacy, she readily lies or obfuscates the details of her life. Despite these efforts, she maintains an impeccable image, always appearing polite and humble about her achievements, which further reinforces her perfect reputation among her peers.
Quotes[]
- (To Amane Fujimiya) "... Amane-kun is number 1." [10]
- (When annoyed, mostly to Amane) "Geez." [11]
Name Etymology[]
- The name Mahiru means "Midday" (真昼).
- Hiru (ひる) means time from morning to evening, and Ma (ま) means something that is exact. Therefore, Mahiru (まひる) means "Midday."
- Mahiru's surname Shiina means "oak, mallet" (椎) (shii) and "name, noted, distinguished, reputation" (名) (na).
Trivia[]
- Every light novel volume released so far exclusively features Mahiru on the cover, with the exception of Volume 8.5 Special Edition, which features Mahiru, Amane, Itsuki and Chitose.
- Mahiru is ticklish [12] and is often tickled by Amane as a sweet punishment. She also enjoys being patted on the head and having her hair stroked.
- In the anime[13], Mahiru's apartment number "502" is often correlated as the angel number for change and transition. This is a nod to her being referred to as an angel by others.
Gallery[]
References
- ↑ WN 500k words milestone celebration Q&A
- ↑ LN Vol. 1 Ch. 1
- ↑ Ch12, Amane's internal monologue
- ↑ Vol 1, Ch9 - Mahiru to Amane
- ↑ Vol 1, Ch9 - Amane's internal dialogue; Vol 1, Ch11 - Mahiru: "I get top rank every time"
- ↑ Vol 1, Ch11 - Amane's internal dialogue: "she worked tirelessly in secret to make her success look like it came naturally"
- ↑ LN Volume 5.5, Chapter 6 - "Childhood Anxieties, and Reassurance in the Present
- ↑ Vol 1, Ch 11 - Amane: "That's exactly the sort of thing that might give people the wrong idea, you know."
- ↑ Vol 1, Ch 11 - Amane's internal dialogue: "Simply put, Mahiru was not good at accepting kindness from others."
- ↑ Ch 115, Mahiru to Amane
- ↑ Many times, Mahiru
- ↑ Ch 137, Amane to Mahiru
- ↑ Ep1 "Meet the Angel", 5:39