Miho-chan is probably one of the most likable female-love-interest-of-main-character personages I have ever encountered.  Most female love interests are much more well-endowed, more annoying and airheaded, and definitely less spunky.  They are sometimes very self-consumed and often rather stupid.  Miho is quite the opposite. 

 

Miho grew up in the same orphanage as Seiya, in a small, church-run facility in Tokyo.  When Miho was about six or seven, she, of her own initiative, rode inside a trash can on a garbage truck into Kiddo manor to find Seiya before he left for Greece.  When she grew older, she decided to stay and teach at the orphanage, where she takes care of a large herd of small children.  Before you scoff at her plainness and simplicity, YOU try to take care of a large herd of small children on a daily basis.  Seriously.  It's not an easy thing.  Anyway, when Seiya returns, Miho watches him fight through a tournament, and then takes care of him when he gets hurt later on.  In fact, to prevent him from running off, she ties him up with rope. 

 

Miho's quiet strength is a source of both amazement and amusement for me.  Some of the actions given to her require so much strength of will and imagination.  Miho never complains, never whines.  She is very much in love with Seiya, but she never forces her feelings on him, and never tries to make people pity her.  She is incredibly mature for a girl of thirteen, and astonishingly optimistic for an orphan whose crush is in constant danger of death. 

 

Although I have heard complaints about Miho's voice, I think those comments were made in reference to the dubs.  Miho's Japanese voice is perfectly fine, and a typical girl's voice.  I have also heard people say that Miho is too weak and helpless.  On the one hand, she is not a Saint.  For an everyday girl, she has some awesome inner strength.  And even Shaina, being a Silver Saint, is rather weak physically compared to most of the Bronze Saints.  Miho is not completely helpless either...recall the tying of Seiya. 

 

I have heard some rather convincing arguments in favor of Shaina or Saori being Seiya's ultimate choice of love interest.  However, I am still cheering for Miho.  Because Miho is a girl like me or you, a girl who wants more than anything for the man she loves to be happy, regardless of what that may cost.  Because Miho is a sweet, optimistic girl, who would make a good friend for anyone, and who would try her best for Seiya.  Because Miho seems to understand Seiya better than any of the other two.  Shaina does have it for Seiya, but half the time she is trying to kill Seiya, and something about her carriage makes me think that she is not quite as compatible with Seiya as Miho is.  The main reason everyone pairs Saori and Seiya is due to the cliff scene, and the incessant mental concerns of Saori about Seiya.  The cliff scene, I will admit, is rather indicative that Saori seems to like Seiya a little too much.  But I get the impression that Saori is merely momentarily attracted.  That's only my opinion, however.  With the name-calling, however, I think Saori merely thinks of Seiya first every time because he's the main character, and sometimes he's the only one still alive.  In fact, there is a scene in which Saori tells Seiya to stay behind at the orphanage and eat dinner there.  It seems as if she is helping Hyoga push Seiya into spending some extra time with Miho. 

 

Beyond all of that, however, I mostly think that Miho fits Seiya better.  Miho is a girl with a lot of strength and patience, and Seiya sometimes needs a cool-headed person to smack him (or tie him up, as the case may be) when he's acting stupid.  He needs someone who can make him remember what is beautiful about the world, to make him remember what life is like beyond fighting. 

 

Miho is a girl-next-door who can love a Saint and not despair.  How can one not admire her?