Meiling Li is an original character from the anime Cardcaptor Sakura. She is Shaoran Li’s cousin and classmate of Sakura Kinomoto. Meiling came from Hong Kong to stay by Shaoran's side and attended Tomoeda Elementary. Although she does not have magical powers like some other characters, she is skilled in Chinese martial arts. Meiling is known for her strong will and kind heart, as well as her bright red outfits and her signature hair buns. While she once saw Sakura as a rival for Shaoran’s affection, she later became close friends with her and supported the relationship between Sakura and Shaoran. Meiling is also famous for her cooking skills, but she is not very good at baking sweets. She appears in both the original anime and the Clear Card arc, where she continues to be a supportive friend.
Meiling Li has long hair tied into two buns, with the ends left down.
She loves to wear red, which is also her favorite color.
Her usual outfits emphasize the color red, especially when she wears her ceremonial battle costume.
Her birthday is March 25, and her blood type is B.
Meiling's favorite flower is the lotus.
Meiling is confident and strong-willed.
She sometimes acts tough or teases others, but she is truly kind and caring inside.
She tends to be a little clumsy and gets flustered easily.
She is not shy about showing her feelings, especially about Shaoran.
She is also straightforward and a little impatient, which shows in her baking attempts.
Meiling is Shaoran Li’s cousin from Hong Kong.
She transferred to Tomoeda Elementary School in Japan to stay with Shaoran.
She is from the Li family, which is related to Clow Reed.
Although her family has magical roots, Meiling has no magical powers at all.
Meiling is an expert in Chinese martial arts and is very athletic.
Unlike Shaoran, she has no magical skills or powers.
She often helps during battles using her fighting skills.
She is a great cook, and she often prepares lunch for herself and for Shaoran.
However, she struggles with making sweets and likes to speed up the process by using higher heat or mixing too much.
She claims she can sing as well as Tomoyo Daidouji, but she has never sung a Japanese song.
Meiling has strong feelings for Shaoran and was even engaged to him when they were younger.
She originally saw Sakura as a rival, but after realizing Shaoran liked Sakura, she broke off the engagement and became one of Sakura's best friends.
Meiling also gets along well with Tomoyo Daidouji and calls her “Daidouji-san.”
She refers to Sakura as “Kinomoto-san” at first but later calls her by her first name in the Clear Card arc.
With Shaoran, she goes from being a hopeful fiancée to a supportive friend who gives him advice in love.
Keroberos calls Meiling “little girl,” while Meiling jokingly calls him “stuffed toy” or “bath sponge.”
Arrival in Tomoeda
Meiling first comes to Japan from Hong Kong to stay with Shaoran, who is her cousin and fiancé.
Rivalry with Sakura
At first, Meiling is jealous and sees Sakura as her competitor for Shaoran's love.
She acts cold or even a bit rude to Sakura.
Becoming Friends
Meiling soon learns that Shaoran has feelings for Sakura.
She gives up her engagement, cries on Tomoyo’s lap, and becomes one of Sakura’s good friends.
After that, Meiling cheers for Sakura and Shaoran’s romance and often gives Shaoran advice because he is shy with Sakura.
Helping with Card Capturing
Even though Meiling has no magic, she helps capture Clow Cards with her martial arts skills.
She once grabbed a Clow Card, thinking it was the newest trendy card, and accidentally activated it, letting Sakura capture it.
Clear Card Arc
In the Clear Card arc, Meiling appears several times.
She visits Japan again, stays at Sakura’s house, and keeps being a helpful and supportive friend.
She also continues to give Shaoran and Sakura relationship advice, sending messages or talking on the phone.
Meiling is an anime-only character created by CLAMP for the Cardcaptor Sakura anime.
Even though she is very popular, she does not appear in the original manga.
Her character design and role in the story were made by the creators of Cardcaptor Sakura.
Her name in English is spelled “Li Meiling.”
Many fans are surprised to find she does not appear in the manga, especially when reading it after watching the anime.
She is confident about her singing skills, but she has never tried singing in Japanese.
- “I am Shaoran’s fiancée!” (at the beginning of her appearance)
- “I want the person I like to be happy, even if it’s not with me.” (when she gives up on Shaoran and wishes him and Sakura the best)
Meiling is often seen as a comic relief character but also shows great emotional depth.
Her loyalty, courage, and kindness make her a fan favorite in the anime.
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