Personalitywise, Shion has been described by GameSpot as being "pretty straightforward as a heroine, though maybe a little ditzy for someone who's supposedly one of the best scientists in the galaxy". On the other hand, IGN felt that the character was "more complicated than she first lets on". In a review of the Xenosaga anime, another reviewer from IGN noted that Shion's idealism and naivety were out of place considering her tragic past, and that it was annoying "since it seems to happen a lot with anime heroines". GameSpy echoed this concern, stating that Shion was "often naïve to the point of unbelievability". On voice acting, GameSpy felt Shion in Episode I was "excellent" despite the game not having " Hollywood -quality" acting. The site called the character a "calm center" around which the rest of the game is built.