Akiho Shinomoto

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Akiho Shinomoto 詩之本秋穂
Manga Anime
Series	Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc
Profile
Also Known As	Akiho-chan
Birthday	September 18th (Virgo)
Age	13-14
Relatives	Unnamed Mother (deceased) Unnamed Father (deceased)
Residence	Tomoeda, Japan
Likes	Onions, books, reading
Dislikes	Konnyaku
Powers/Abilities	Reading the book Alice in Clockland
Characteristics
Gender	Female
Hair	Platinum Blonde (Manga) Ash-Blonde (Clear Card Anime)
Eyes	Blue
Blood Type	O
Appearances
First Appearance (Manga) Chapter 7	Last Appearance (Manga)
First Appearance (Anime) "Sakura and the Lovely Transfer Student"	Last Appearance (Anime)
Voices
Seiyuu Minori Suzuki	English Amanda Lee

Akiho Shinomoto (詩之本 秋穂, Shinomoto Akiho) is a new character who debuted in the Clear Card Arc. She lives with her caretaker Yuna D. Kaito, in Eriol Hiiragizawa's old house.

Appearance

Akiho is a petite fair-skinned girl with shoulder-length light-blonde hair that is parted into two large curls with front bangs that a small part over the right eye where there is a small ahoge sprouting from the top of her head and blue eyes.

Personality

Akiho is considered a shy girl, but after Sakura Kinomoto befriended her, she became more outgoing.

Like Sakura, Akiho is shown to be very cheerful and friendly as well.

In addition, she can also be quite gullible, as she believed Takashi Yamazaki's lies, much to Chiharu Mihara's irritation.

Background

Akiho was born into the oldest magician clan in Europe, and is the only descendant who was born with no magical abilities. Due to this fact, Akiho was neglected by the clan.

Akiho suffered loneliness throughout her childhood since her parents died shortly after her birth. She then turned to books which kept her company and cheer her up.

After her clan contacted a magical British association, they confirmed Akiho has no magic on herself like a "blank book". Both parties gained the idea that they can "write on her".

The clan and the association would use a magical-technique that turns Akiho into that of a living book; in which they would record the magic of countless magicians. This technique would come with the risk of Akiho losing her will and soul, if she is not able to withstand the magic.

In order for the magical books entered Akiho, both the clan and the association decided that it was best to let her travel the world and read them for herself. A wizard of the association named Yuna D. Kaito was appointed as her guardian and who would accompany her on her travels.

At some point, Yuna D. Kaito went against the wishes of the association where he took Akiho from her clan and fled with her to Tomoeda.

Abilities

Although she does not posses any inherent magic, being a descendant of magicians has allowed her to wield powerful relics such as the book Alice in Clockland which was given to her as a gift by Kaito. By reading its contents it can affect the dreams of her friend Sakura subconsciously. Due to her upbringing outside of her clan, she has no knowledge of its origins and is mostly unaware of its effects towards her friend.

History

Clear Card Arc

After Sakura's cards have been "made blank", she continues to have dreams about the mysterious figure who appears to be behind it all; the only thing she can discern about them, is that they are the same height.

The next day, Akiho is introduced as a new student at Sakura's high school and the two automatically bond.

Akiho reveals that she has lived in multiple countries/regions (including Hong Kong and England - the same as Syaoran and Eriol, respectively) and has moved a lot due to her parents jobs; but is generally kept in the care of Yuna D. Kaito, of whom it is obvious she harbors romantic feelings for.

When the group is out viewing cherry blossoms in the spring, Akiho and Tomoyo perform a duet for everybody and at the encouragement of the group, Akiho decided to join Tomoyo in the school choir.

Akiho is very similar to Sakura, personality-wise, and their similar appearance was even noted by Sakura herself. The two mesh well together and Akiho went to Sakura to learn how to cook so that she could surprise Yuna with a meal she made especially for him.

It turns out that Akiho and Sakura "share" dreams - with Akiho (in the anime) as the figure in the robe (in which she herself does not know it is herself) and Sakura as herself, both parties not knowing who each other are. As Sakura and Akiho continue to enter the same dream, Akiho later develops a knowledge of why she is present in those dreams: the mysterious person she is watching has something she wants. The two's resonance grows stronger within the dreams as they continue to meet.

In Chapter 21 of the Clear Card Arc, Akiho remembers that the robe in her dreams is the formal robe of her clan, meaning that: she too is part of the "D" magician clan.

However, near the very end of Chapter 24 of Clear Card Arc, and unlike the anime's ending, the one under the hood is seemingly "revealed" to be none other than Syaoran himself - though the reason for this event had yet to be explained.

Some events would also occur differently between the manga and anime versions; including the anime's ending (involving Akiho's role) being different from the manga's similar point of the story.

Chapter 25 of the Clear Card Arc continued from around the point where the anime left off. More of her backstory is revealed; with a younger Akiho appearing, as she reflects on her childhood with the clan. Though she grew up from birth in a clan of magicians, known as the "Most Ancient Sorcerers in Europe" whose bloodline endowed all of it's members with magic, Akiho herself did not contain any magic, and the clan soon became disappointed with her. The clan is implied to have a rivalry with the Li family, as Syaoran is specifically brought up in comparison to Akiho:

• Magician 1:  "The eldest daughters of the Li Clan in Hong Kong don’t have magical talents, but I’ve heard that the youngest son possesses tremendous ability."
• Magician 2:  "How is that?"
• Magician 3:  "What does it mean?"
• Magician 1:  "It seems the current head of the Li Clan intends to have that youngest son as their successor."
• Magician 4:  "Such is Clow Reed’s family lineage"
• Magician 5: "To fall behind to the Li Clan is…"
• Magician 5: "Unthinkable. Unforgivable."
• Magician 2:  "Our clan’s very pride is on the line."

After the "dream" of her memories is over, Akiho wakes up, crying having remembered her past. She comments, "... lonely", "It was a dream; Of the past." She picks up Momo, and says, "Now I have Momo with me, and Kaito."

After saying this, she then looked over to her book and smiled, continuing, "And… everyone I’ve met (since) coming here too". Momo, in turn, thinks, "That's right, Akiho. Don’t forget that there are people who will stay by your side now.  And at that time too..."

Relationships

Sakura Kinomoto

Sakura is Akiho's classmate and first friend made in Tomoeda where Sakura invites Akiho to have lunch with her and her friends (Chiharu Mihara, Naoko Yanagisawa, Rika Sasaki, Takashi Yamazaki, Tomoyo Daidouji and Syaoran Li) where she then befriends them all as well.

Throughout the day, the two become closer, with Tomoyo remarking on how watching the two gives a very warm feeling. Eriol Hiiragizawa even remarks similarly where he states that the two were destined to become friends.

Yuna D. Kaito

Yuna is considered Akiho's caretaker where it is often hinted at that she harbors romantic feelings for him.

Momo

Momo is Akiho's guardian, similar to Kero and Spinel Sun; although she is unaware that Momo is alive. Momo maintains a "stuffed animal" persona around Akiho, but she is able to converse with Yuna D. Kaito in secret.

Etymology

• The name Akiho means "autumn" (秋) (aki) and "grain" (穂) (ho).
• Akiho's surname Shinomoto means "poem" (詩) (shi), "this" (之) (no) and "base, root, origin" (本) (moto), which literally means "the origin of poetry".

Trivia

• During Chapter 25's backstory, a magician comments "(Akiho's) the only child (we have) who is the same age of the Li clan’s next leader.", implying her to be the same age as Syaoran Li and it also lines up with her given birthday.
• Akiho used to live in France, Germany, Italy, England and Hong Kong before coming to Japan.
• Minori Suzuki (Akiho's voice actress) is the voice behind Rewind, the second ending song of Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc.