Li, Meiling
Summary
Meiling Li is an original character exclusive to the anime adaptation of Cardcilor Sakura, making her debut in episode 19 as the cousin and self-proclaimed fiancée of Syaoran Li. Raised together in Hong Kong, they trained in martial arts under Wang Wei. A defining moment occurred when Syaoran, usually withdrawn, retrieved Meiling’s escaped pet bird from the rain, prompting her to declare her love and their engagement, with the stipulation that she would step aside if he ever loved someone else. Upon arriving in Tokyo, Meiling initially aimed to assist Syaoran with the Clow Cards while harboring a strong dislike for Sakura. Over time, however, her resentment softened into genuine friendship. Although she suspected Syaoran’s feelings for Sakura during her first visit, she only fully accepted the reality when she noticed him addressing Sakura by her first name—a privilege reserved for his sisters and herself. Breaking her promise to step aside, she interrupted Syaoran to announce the engagement was off, leaving him to process the news while she vented her sorrow at Tomoyo Daidōji’s house. She departed for Hong Kong afterward, appearing only in the second movie alongside Syaoran and Tomoyo to help Sakura confess her feelings. Physically gifted but lacking any magical powers, Meiling relies on martial arts and pride, often hindering Syaoran in battles due to her inexperience with magical threats. She suffered a near-fatal injury during a confrontation with The Fight card in episode 20, which led to an emotional outburst, but later proved useful by coordinating with Syaoran to defeat The Twin card using their synchronized fighting style. In the Japanese version, she is voiced by Yukana Nogami. The English adaptation, Cardcaptors, renamed her Meilin Rae, changed her relationship to Syaoran from cousin to childhood friend, and cast Nicole Oliver as her voice actor, with Julie Maddalena providing her voice in the English dub of the second film.
