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| “ | The number one rule in my family: Honor your parents. They're the supreme beings who gave you life, who sweated and sacrificed so much to put a roof over your head and food on your plate, an epic amount of food. The least you can do in return is every single thing they ask. Of course, some people are like, "Be careful." Honoring your parents sounds great, but if you take it too far, well, you might forget to honor yourself. Luckily, I don't have that problem. I'm Meilin Lee. And ever since I turned 13, I've been doin' my own thing, makin' my own moves; 24/7/365. I wear what I want, say what I want, and I will not hesitate to do a spontaneous cartwheel if I feel so moved! | „ |
| ~ Mei Lee's introduction in the opening scene. |
| “ | I'm NOT your little Mei-Mei anymore! I LIED, Mom! (Ming: What?) It was my idea to hustle the Panda! MY idea to go to Tyler's party! It was all ME! I like boys! I like loud music! I like GYRATING! I'M 13! DEAL WITH IT! | „ |
| ~ Mei standing up to her mother, Ming. |
Meilin Lee or better known as Mei Lee or shortly known as Mei, is the main protagonist of Pixar's 25th full-length animated feature film Turning Red. She is a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl, who, due to a family curse, turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets into a state of strong emotion.
She is the daughter of Jin and Ming Lee, the granddaughter of Wu, the niece of Chen and Ping, the cousin of Lily and the second cousin of Helen and Vivian.
She is voiced by Rosalie Chiang.
Appearance
In her human form, Mei is Asian with short hair and reddish eyes. She originally had black hair, but after she began changing into a red panda, it became red. She also wears glasses and a green hair clip.
In her red panda form, Mei is 8-foot-tall with red and brown fur and a striped tail. She retains her reddish eyes.
Biography
In Toronto in 2002, Mei lives with her parents Jin and Ming and is a student prodigy at her school Lester B. Pearson Middle School. Mei and her friends Miriam, Priya and Abby are fans of a boyband called 4*Town. However, Ming disapproves of Mei's interests and her crush on a convenience store clerk named Devon and expects perfection from Mei. One day after having a nightmare about the red panda statues in her family's Chinese temple coming to life, Mei wakes up and finds that she has transformed into a giant red panda but goes back to normal after calming down.
At first, she hides her transformation from her parents, but Ming finds out after Mei transforms at school after getting embarrassed after watching Ming getting into a fight with a security guard in front of the rest of her math class after trying to deliver pads to Mei after believing that Mei was experiencing her first period.
When Mei flees the school and returns home, her parents tell her that every female member of their family has been granted with the transformation on account of an ancestor named Sun Yee and it can only be sealed by a ritual on the night of the Red Moon, where the Red Panda spirit will be placed in a talisman. Ming wishes to keep Mei at home until that day, but changes her mind after Mei tells her that she can control her transformation when she concentrates on her friends (who accept her transformations), but Ming keeps a close eye on her.
Mei later learns that 4*Town are doing a concert in Toronto, but Ming refuses to let her go to it. Mei begins using her transformations to raise money to buy tickets for her and her friends to go to the concert and ends up becoming the most popular student at school. However, Mei discovers that the concert takes place at the same time as her ritual and takes her anger out on the school bully Tyler when he insults her, causing the other students to fear Mei. Ming, having discovered Mei's recent activities, confronts Mei's friends over supposedly taking advantage of her. Mei is unable to defend her friends due to being desperate to retain her mother's approval and is afraid to stand up to her.
Mei goes with Ming to the family temple where her grandmother Wu, aunts Chen and Ping, cousin Lily and second cousin Helen prepare to perform the ritual. However, Mei decides that she does not want to go ahead with the ritual and leaves to go to the Skydome to attend the concert, with Ming's talisman shattering in the process. However, whilst at the concert, Mei transforms again, causing the audience to flee. Ming arrives and confronts Mei over rejecting the ritual. Soon after, Wu, Chen, Ping, Helen and Lily arrive in their red panda forms.
Due to singing from Mei's friends and 4*Town, the second part of the ritual is complete and Mei and the other women are sent to the celestial plane where all but Mei's red panda form are sealed in their talismans. Mei reconciles with Ming and states the she wishes to keep her red panda form as she likes herself for who she is. Mei also helps Ming reconcile with Wu (who Ming accidentally scarred after lashing out at her red panda form as a teenager after Wu disapproved of her relationship with Jin).
Afterwards, Mei regains her popularity and balances her family's temple duties with spending time with her friends (now consisting of a reformed Tyler).
Personality
| “ | I'm changing, Mom. I'm finally figuring out who I am. But I'm scared it'll take me away from you. | „ |
| ~ Mei Lee to Ming. |
Mei is a fiery, optimistic teenage girl who loves her family and her friends dearly. However, she is at odds with her mother, since she is torn between being her mother's daughter and taking charge of her own life. Mei also has a vicious temper when she's in her panda form, like when she charges at the picture of Sun Yee when she realizes she has to live with her panda power and attacks Tyler when he insults her family and her culture. Throughout the film, Mei is afraid to stand up to her mother due to her responsibilities, but grows stronger as the story progresses.
Trivia
- Due to her being 13 in Turning Red, which takes place in 2002, this would mean that Mei was born in 1989. By the time of the film's release, which is 2022, she would be 33 years old, if it took place the same year, she would be the same as 2002.
- She like the film, is based on director Domee Shi's life when she was 13. She, too, had an overprotective mother, and were at odds with each other.
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