'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABP/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAg8pFC//EAB8QAAEEAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwUSABEEBgchUf/aAAgBAQABPwDxH3QoeQ48WLTtXjbANHsBJbbWuTJG/Mc546WcfcNfX0lz/8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAxH/2gAIAQIBAT8AunUU/8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMAARFh/9oACAEDAQE/AEBQvPOT/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jujutsu Kaisen is a series where good and evil are not clearly demarcated. A lot of characters who seem to be helping people are also quite flawed in their own way. A good example of this is the Zen'in clan, which has committed a lot of heinous acts throughout the series. There is also the case of one of the most controversial characters in the entire story, Mei Mei.
When first introduced in Jujutsu Kaisen, there was an air of mystery around Mei Mei, and fans were drawn to her character design and her motivation being money. However, once it was revealed that she abandoned the other sorcerers during the events of the Shibuya Incident arc, and was also abusing her own underage brother, Ui Ui, opinions shifted a lot. What fans have failed to understand is that Mei Mei being an awful person is the point of her characterization.
Disclaimer: This article purely reflects the writer's opinion and contains spoilers for the series. Reader's discretion is advised.
Explaining why Mei Mei's theme as a character in Jujutsu Kaisen is that of an awful individual
A lot of fans of the series have struggled with the fact that Mei Mei, despite committing multiple selfish acts in the story, has managed to survive, as of this writing. It comes as a further blow because people like Nanami Kento and Satoru Gojo have died in the line of duty as sorcerers.
While is true that Nanami walked away from Jujutsu sorcery for a while, and Gojo had a habit of prioritizing himself at times, they both died trying to protect the world from Curses and other threats like Ryomen Sukuna.
Meanwhile, Mei Mei ran away from Shibuya when things got difficult for her side, and was seen abusing his underage brother, Ui Ui, thus becoming one of the most hated characters in the series. However, that is the point of Mei Mei's character. She is a bad person, much like the vast majority of the Jujutsu world.
She is a representation of how the world of sorcerers in the series is rotten and needs to be changed. This is why Gojo wanted to make a change through education and one of the many reasons Nanami walked away in the first place.
There is fair criticism regarding Mei Mei's character, in that the author, Gege Akutami, hasn't done a lot with her since the Shibuya Incident arc. While initially part of the team to fight Ryomen Sukuna, her brother Ui Ui has had a much more relevant role trying to save the wounded sorcerers and take them to Shoko Ieiri for healing.
The controversies of Mei Mei
The scene of Mei Mei and Ui Ui in bed is probably the most controversial scene in Jujutsu Kaisen, stemming from the fact that it was incest and child abuse. A lot of people wonder what the point of that scene was, especially considering that it didn't go anywhere in the series, at least as of this writing.
While this scene shows Mei Mei as the awful person that she is, it could be argued that her running away from Shibuya was enough to show that. This scene caused a greater shock, changing people's perception of Mei Mei to the point of no return.
Final thoughts
Mei Mei is meant to represent some of the worst vices of the world of sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen, which is something that a lot of fans haven't picked up on. She is a bad person and is meant to be portrayed as such, with perhaps the more fitting criticism being that the story didn't do much with her character.
Related articles
Jujutsu Kaisen: Does Mei Mei return to Japan after the Shibuya Arc? explained
Why Jujutsu Kaisen season 2's latest Mei Mei and Ui Ui scene is so problematic, explained
