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Hong Meiling: Difference between revisions
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===Design=== | ===Design=== | ||
Meiling has aqua-colored eyes and long, scarlet hair that symbolizes both her name and the place that she's guarding. Her green beret and dress resemble traditional Chinese clothing. Her beret has a gold star on the front with the Traditional Chinese character "{{lang|ja|龍}}" that is read as " | Meiling has aqua-colored eyes and long, scarlet hair that symbolizes both her name and the place that she's guarding. Her green beret and dress resemble traditional Chinese clothing. Her beret has a gold star on the front with the Traditional Chinese character "{{lang|ja|龍}}" that is read and pronounced as "lóng" in standard Chinese and means dragon. Wears white pants in her fighting game sprites. | ||
==Story== | ==Story== |
Revision as of 15:52, 17 March 2013
xʊ̜ŋ˧˥ meɪ̯˨˩˨liŋ˧˥ (♫) Hong Meiling Hong Meirin, Hoan Meirin More Alternative Spellings | |
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Hong Meiling in Touhou Hisoutensoku Chinese GirlMore Character Titles | |
Species | |
Abilities |
Usage of Qi |
Occupation |
Gatekeeper and Gardener of the Scarlet Devil Mansion |
Location | |
Music Themes | |
| |
Appearances | |
Official Games | |
| |
Print Works | |
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Hong Meiling (紅 美鈴 Hon Meirin) is a youkai, though it isn't currently known which specific category she actually belongs to. She's the gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She is known for her mastery of the martial arts, part of which can be seen from her movement which is performed with Shin-Kyaku (a move in Chinese martial arts).
General Information
Occupation
Meiling works as a gate guard at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She is skilled in martial arts, and while she isn't very powerful among youkai, she has no weak points. She will chat with humans while on the job (unless they try to trespass, of course). She also performs Tai Chi Chuan daily, and has a nap at noon.
Character Basis
Name
The character for Hong literally means "Scarlet" in Japanese and "Red" in Chinese. Meiling means "Beautiful Bell". The latter part of her name, Meiling, is at least a common Chinese name. These characters can be read in Japanese as "Kurenai Misuzu", and you'll sometimes see her name mispronounced or miswritten that way. Using English name order, her name would be Meiling Hong, which is used normally by Chinese diaspora or immigrants into Western countries.
Hong (紅) is "kou" in the on reading, Hóng in standard Chinese, and Hhong in Shanghaiese.
Hong could possibly refer to the Red Guards (紅衛兵), a youth movement of the cultural revolution of the People's Republic of China. This is reinforced by her clothing. The word "guard" also has the meaning of "gatekeeper" as well. Thus, it could indicate a pun, where "guard of the family name Hong = Red Guard."
The character for Hong, 紅, also appeared in the game's title (東方紅魔郷). However, it the name of the game in its developmental stages was 東方紅茶館, thus indicating that it has a strong relation to the 紅 of black tea (紅茶).
Additionally, her first name could also stand for 虹, a type of dragon, since it has the same on reading as 紅 as well as the same pronunciation in standard Chinese and Shanghaiese.
Her name was spelled by ZUN as in Immaterial and Missing Power and the corrected version of Sangetsusei as Hong Meirin. Her name became Hoan Meirin in Perfect Memento in Strict Sense. Though in pinyin, it would be "Meiling," there is not a single source within Touhou Project itself that states that it is spelled in this manner.
Design
Meiling has aqua-colored eyes and long, scarlet hair that symbolizes both her name and the place that she's guarding. Her green beret and dress resemble traditional Chinese clothing. Her beret has a gold star on the front with the Traditional Chinese character "龍" that is read and pronounced as "lóng" in standard Chinese and means dragon. Wears white pants in her fighting game sprites.
Story
- Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
During the events of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, she bravely fought against the intruding heroines but ultimately failed to complete her job.
- Main article: Reimu Arc
<Insert summary>
- Main article: Marisa Arc
<Insert summary>
- Immaterial and Missing Power
- Main article: Immaterial and Missing Power Meiling's Script
She was playable in Immaterial and Missing Power but didn't have a scenario.
- Touhou Hisoutensoku
- Main article: Touhou Hisoutensoku Meiling's Scenario
In Touhou Hisoutensoku, she saw a roaming giant that she was certain was an incarnation of a God of Calamity, "Taisui Xingjun". However, those she warned didn't realize the seriousness of the dangerous situation they were facing. Thus it was up to Meiling alone to defend the Scarlet Devil Mansion and all of Gensokyo from this destructive deity.
- Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red
One day, a mysterious crop circle appears in the gardens of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, causing widespread speculation, rumors and gossip around the Mansion. Meiling, who was responsible for taking care of the garden, claims not to be the culprit, but admits that she's been tasked by Remilia to restore the garden to its original state now that her mistress has become bored with the crop circle pattern. During her interview with Aya, she notes she is quite worried, as she has no idea how to change the flowers back. Questioned about the crop circle's origins, Meiling vehemently denies falling asleep, so Aya goes on to talk about aliens...
The culprit revealed at the end is Patchouli Knowledge.
- Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth
As gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Meiling was also in charge of vetting invitations for Remilia's part to celebrate the completion of her Moon rocket. She gave a speech about how she would not let anyone through without the proper invites, but the residents of Eientei simply walked past her while she was giving it. Meiling managed to get them to show her their invites, but got bombarded by so many invites from so many rabbits that a whole slew of people (the Eientei group included) got by. Inside the mansion, the group ran into Sakuya Izayoi, causing Reisen Udongein Inaba to remember how powerful Sakuya was and think about how her job of managing the entire Scarlet Devil Mansion put her on a whole new level compared to that gate guard.
- Silent Sinner in Blue
During the party to celebrate the completion of Remilia's Moon rocket, Meiling was briefly shown guarding the gate as invitees walked by (expanded on in Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth above).
About two months later, in an unrelated incident, Eirin Yagokoro infiltrated the Scarlet Devil Mansion and met Patchouli Knowledge in the library. Patchouli wondered what happened to the gate guard, to which Eirin commented that she played tough, but all it took to get past her was a "light greeting".
Relationships
Meiling's win quote against Sakuya in Touhou Hisoutensoku does not imply that Sakuya abuses her, but rather builds a formal, friendly setting between the two. Meiling telling Sakuya that she always goes easy on her could hint that the two sometimes have friendly battles. If it were a formal match, she would (and could) very easily take the Chief Maid down. As Sakuya greatly cares for Meiling in canon (as well as advises her on the importance of not slacking off), this can be taken to some credibility.
Meiling and Remilia's win quotes against each other in Touhou Hisoutensoku regarding manga suggests that their relationship is very friendly, and that they are just fighting for the fun of it.
She is the friend of her mistress, Remilia.
She is the younger sister of her mistress,Remilia
It is unknown if Meiling has any authority over the fairy maids. Certainly, some fairies come to help her out in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, but Perfect Memento in Strict Sense seems to imply they just join in Meiling's battles on a whim, and most instead usually point and laugh.
He is her sworn enemy.
He is the avatar of Taisui Xingjun.
Spell Cards
Name | Translated | Comments | Games | Stage | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total: 24 | ||||||
華符「芳華絢爛」 | Flower Sign "Gorgeous Sweet Flower" | Related: Flower Sign "Selaginella 9" | EoSD GoM |
St. 3: E/N — | ||
華符「セラギネラ9」 | Flower Sign "Selaginella 9" | EoSD | St. 3: H/L | |||
虹符「彩虹の風鈴」 | Rainbow Sign "Colorful Rainbow Wind Chime" | Related: Colorful Sign "Colorful Light Wind Chime" | EoSD | St. 3: E/N/H/L | ||
幻符「華想夢葛」 | Illusion Sign "Imaginary Flower Yumekazura" | EoSD | St. 3: H/L | |||
彩符「彩雨」 | Colorful Sign "Colorful Rain" | Related: Colorful Sign "Vivid Chaotic Dance" | EoSD | St. 3: E/N | ||
彩符「彩光乱舞」 | Colorful Sign "Vivid Chaotic Dance" | Related: Extreme Color "Vivid Chaotic Dance" | EoSD | St. 3: H/L | ||
彩符「極彩颱風」 | Colorful Sign "Dazzling Color Typhoon" | EoSD GoM |
St. 3: N/H/L — | |||
彩符「彩光風鈴」 | Colorful Sign "Colorful Light Wind Chime" | IaMP Soku |
Use Use | |||
極彩「彩光乱舞」 | Extreme Color "Vivid Chaotic Dance" | IaMP Soku |
Use Use | |||
光符「華光玉」 | Light Sign "Blossoming Light Orb" | IaMP | Use | |||
極光「華厳明星」 | Polar Light "Flower-Adorned Morning Star" | IaMP | Use | |||
華符「破山砲」 | Flower Sign "Mountain-Breaking Cannon" | IaMP | Use | |||
三華「崩山彩極砲」 | Three Blossoms "Colorful Ultimate Mountain-Breaking Cannon" | (三華(sange) maybe has a double meaning, three flowery and powerful attacks and dying gracefully (散華 sange)) | IaMP | Use | ||
華符「彩光蓮華掌」 | Flower Sign "Colorful Light Lotus Flower Palm" | StB Soku GoM |
St. 5 Use — | |||
彩翔「飛花落葉」 | Colorful Flip "Fluttering Petals and Falling Leaves" | StB Soku |
St. 5 Story | |||
彩華「虹色太極拳」 | Colorful Chinese Flower "Rainbow Taijiquan" | Taijiquan: a kind of traditional Chinese shadow boxing. | StB Soku |
St. 5 Use | ||
虹符「烈虹真拳」 | Rainbow Sign "Intense Rainbow Fist" | Soku | Use | |||
気符「星脈弾」 | Chi Sign "Star-Pulse Shot" | Soku | Use | |||
撃符「大鵬拳」 | Strike Sign "Dapeng Fist" | Soku | Use | |||
気符「地龍天龍脚」 | Chi Sign "Earth Dragon Sky Dragon Kick" | Soku | Use | |||
気符「猛虎内剄」 | Chi Sign "Fierce Tiger Energy Release" | Soku | Use | |||
星気「星脈地転弾」 | Star Chi "Earth-Moving Star Pulse Shot" | Soku | Use | |||
熾撃「大鵬墜撃拳」 | Blazing Strike "Dapeng-Felling Fist" | Soku | Use | |||
彩符「極彩沛雨」 | Colorful Sign "Vivid Color Downpour" | Soku | Story |
Additional Information
- Sadly, despite reaching some level of recognition by becoming a playable character in Immaterial and Missing Power (albeit through a downloaded patch), Meiling was the only character not to have a storyline. She is almost universally considered a bottom tier character in the game as well, despite the fact that she has some of the most impressive combos in the game, as shown here. Whether this was by accident or if Twilight Frontier was making fun of her is unknown.
- Many of her lines in Touhou Hisoutensoku indicate that Meiling has boastful pride in China. "You're all not there yet! You're all children compared to 4000 years of history!" The script also reveals that she reads manga created by the tengu, compares Yuyuko to a Jiang Shi, and notes that Tenshi and the Celestial read Chinese works. (Many of Tenshi's win quotes in SWR come from Chinese classics.) This is how Chinese characters in Japanese manga and anime are almost always depicted: a pervasive stereotype of the alleged common traits and pride of Chinese people.
- If Meiling loses to Youmu in Touhou Hisoutensoku, the latter will ask if Meiling shouldn't just use a weapon, namely a green dragon blade. This can be a source of confusion, since many would imagine the legendary Green Dragon Crescent Blade wielded by the famous Chinese general Guan Yu, but women seldom use pole arms in Chinese martial arts. In Japan, the term has become a common misnomer for the liuyedao and other Chinese sabers. As Youmu admits she has only heard about them in stories, the use of her local, incorrect term is likely intentional.
- One of her Skill Cards in Hisoutensoku resembles Krizalid's Typhoon/Tuhon Rage from KOF '99, 2000, and 2002: Unlimited Match.
- Meiling is sometimes compared to Chun-Li from Street Fighter on notable traits.
- Meiling looks very similar to Orange.
- Despite her sometimes joke status in fanon, Meiling is often considered a difficult boss fight in EoSD on Lunatic if not Hard as well.
Fandom
- Meiling has a tendency to be portrayed as a joke character that chronically naps, often earning herself as knife in the head from Sakuya (if not out of breast envy) as well as additional poor treatment from the rest of the SDM.
- This persists even after 12.3 debunked this dynamic between Meiling and Sakuya as she merely remarks on getting back to work
- 12.3 has also debunked the dynamic of Remilia treating Meiling coldly as it shows them being friendly with one another.
- Seki/Red Shine has started a trend of Meiling assuming the form for a fluffy panda, which is shown to be very friendly to most people. This form is not helpless as it has been seen jumping out of a pitfall of Tewi's to considerable heights. A few other artists have copied the trend.
- She is more widely known as "China" (中国, pronounced Chuugoku), the one whose real name is never remembered.
- In fanworks, she doesn't take that well which leads her being shunned or defensive of her name. Many Meiling fans don't take it that well either.
- It is known that in 2ch, there was a debate on how to read Meiling's name. One side said Hong Meiling, and the other said Kurenai Misuzu. The debate ended (sort of) when a user said "Why don't we just call her 'China', as her clothing seems to identify her the most." As a result, even after ZUN said "Hong Meiling" is the correct pronunciation in the Meiji University talkshow "Dawn of Touhou," people kept on calling Meiling "China". However, due to the emergence of other memes, this one has become less frequent - many traces of it still remain, though.
- Meiling's nickname is further ingrained into the minds of fans by her clothing, and also by the name of her stage BGM, "Shanghai Teahouse ~ Chinese Tea". Her stage theme tends to be more frequently remixed by fans than her boss theme, "Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17", to the point where "Chinese Tea" became her theme in Touhou Hisoutensoku.
- A popular Flash animation called "My Name is Hong Meiling" spawned the meme "Sakuya-san, Sakuya-san, cleaning stop! Room cleaning stop!" (after which she gets stabbed in the forehead with a knife).
- She is commonly referred to as the "lazy guardian" of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, though whether this stems from her actual personality or from the nickname "China" is unknown. Many Japanese people complain about the reliability and quality of products manufactured in China. There are many fanfics that depict an enraged Sakuya behind a sleeping Meiling in front of the gates to the Mansion. The implication is that she has the "Chinese" quality of "Shinrai no Chuugoku" (信頼の中国, which translates to Reliable China), with much intended sarcasm.
- Her relationship with Sakuya seems to be a popular topic for fan work, including comics, music and games. One running gag involves her being stabbed in the head by Sakuya's knives. This is usually due to her inability to keep unwanted visitors, mostly Marisa, out of the mansion. In canon, Meiling doesn't appear to be chastised for failing to keep Marisa out (canonically, she is known to be rather versatile at her job and the witch is the only known person whom she can't stop from intruding).
- It is also common for fan works to depict Meiling caring for Sakuya when the latter was a child. This scenario is somewhat plausible due to Meiling being a youkai and Sakuya being human, making it likely that Meiling is several decades older than Sakuya.
- Additionally, they both have the distinction of being the only characters in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil to have braided sideburns with ribbons. This fact supports that setting.
- In the MUGEN community, Meiling is known for her "Chuugoku Satsu" attack, an obvious parody of both her nickname "Chuugoku" (China), and the signature attack "Shun Goku Satsu" (Instant Hell Murder) of Akuma from Street Fighter.
- Due to her comedic scenario in Touhou Hisoutensoku and the nature of one of her battles (with a rather simplified background image), fans have made numerous jokes regarding drug experimentation on Meiling's part.
- In fanworks, Meiling seems to be some sort of big sister or playmate to Flandre (rather than Remilia). In comedy works, it can be to throw Meiling in the way of more danger. In serious ones, her laid back approach to her job and uncontrollably friendly nature make her a natural choice for reaching out to an otherwise isolated Flandre. Many fan works depict the two going out of their way to help each other on numerous occasions.
- She is also seen as a big sister figure for other younger characters such as Cirno.
- Her race remains unconfirmed, but she's commonly associated with dragons due to her many shared motifs with them, such as her use of rainbows, hat, and name, and possible inspiration by the Chinese Hong. This is most prevalent during depictions of her theoretical EX mode in which she often adopts dragon characteristics.
- Though some use the term "Ex-Meiling" to refer to Meiling getting serious, often showing considerable amounts of power/durability and hiding it for various reasons.
- In some fan works, Meiling is known to say "JAOOOO" (じゃおおおお), a war-cry attributed to her. This cry originated from the 2nd Touhou M-1 Grand Prix (Comiket 73).
Official Profiles
○華人小娘
紅 美鈴(ホン・メイリン) 能力:気を使う程度の能力
カラフルで民族っぽい衣装です。彼女は紅魔館の門番で、 |
Chinese Girl Hong Meiling Ability: Usage of Qi
Her clothing is colorful and somewhat traditional. She is the gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and prevents intruders from beyond the lake from reaching the mansion. She is by no means a special character, but she is the first character that has something to do with the main story. Even if that something happens to be merely mentioning the Mistress. |
○ 華人小娘
紅 美鈴 いつも騒がしい紅魔館。その日も例外なく騒がしかった。 彼女は漠然とした不安を感じていた。 アレは一体何だったのか。 アレは凶事の顕形「太歳星君(たいさいせいくん)」の影である。
勿論それは聞き入れられなかった。 彼女は思っていた。 |
Chinese Girl Hong Meiling The always noisy Scarlet Devil Mansion. That day, it was as noisy as ever. Its gate guard had reported something to the mansion's master, Remilia Scarlet, but the master had loftily ignored her. The girl felt a vague sense of uneasiness. That morning, she had seen a giant figure. Then, it dissolved into a lazy mist and disappeared. Just what was that? A big shadow like a roc, and a sinister mist being produced. She was certain. It was the shadow of the Buddha of Misfortune, "Taisui Xingjun".
Naturally, nobody listened to her. The girl thought. In order to break up the everyday boredom with a little fun, she had intentionally exaggerated a bit. |
Official Sources
- 2002/08/11 Embodiment of Scarlet Devil - Stage 3 dialogue; おまけ.txt
- 2004/12/30 Immaterial and Missing Power (v.1.11 patch)
- 2005/08/11 Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red - Article and Interview: Meiling
- 2005/12/30 Shoot the Bullet - Stage 5 Spell Card comments
- 2006/12/27 Perfect Memento in Strict Sense - Chinese Girl: Hong Meiling
- 2007/03/25 ~ 2007/04/26 Strange and Bright Nature Deity - Chapters 7-8
- 2008/02/09 Silent Sinner in Blue - Chapter 9
- 2008/02/22 Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth - Chapter 9
- 2009/07/28 The Grimoire of Marisa - Hong Meiling's Spell Cards
- 2009/08/15 Touhou Hisoutensoku - Meiling's Scenario; 登場人物 [1] (Official profile)
- 2011/08/26 Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 15
References
This page is part of Project Characters, a Touhou Wiki project that aims to write proper descriptions for all official characters of Touhou Project. Please keep the character page guidelines in mind when contributing. |