Mei Mei is Jujutsu Kaisen's most useless character, but she's also one of its most integral

For obvious reasons, Mei Mei has emerged as one of, if not Jujutsu Kaisen's most hated character - and honestly, it's quite impressive.

After all, incurring the collective wrath of the entire fandom to the point where you become even more despised than the literal King of Curses or a body-hijacking sociopath requires talent, or in Mei Mei's case, a uniquely infuriating kind of apathy.

Mei Mei represents everything that's wrong with the jujutsu society. She's openly selfish and greedy and shares a relationship with her brother, Ui Ui, which is deeply disturbing on multiple levels. She's also the kind of person who probably wouldn't even get out of bed for free money, it seems to be the only thing she actually cares for in her life.

Despite all this, it's hard to deny her importance in the grand scheme of things - not because of how powerful she is, but because of what her character represents.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Explaining the true importance of Mei Mei's character in Jujutsu Kaisen

Anyone who's remotely familiar with Mei Mei's character can probably agree - she's the poster child for greed and selfishness in Jujutsu Kaisen. What's worse is that she doesn't even bother to hide it. She says it herself - the only thing she trusts or values in life is money.

On the one hand, you have sorcerers like Satoru Gojo and Kento Nanami - one fights to reform the jujutsu world and ensure a better tomorrow for the younger generation of sorcerers, while the other does it simply to help people.

And on the other side of the spectrum, you have Mei Mei, who fights just for the sake of money. To her, sorcery is basically like a business, and she doesn't pretend otherwise - showcasing just how twisted and transactional the world of sorcerers can sometimes be.

Mei Mei is certainly not as integral to the narrative as other characters like Nanami, Todo, or even Mechamaru. If you take her out of the story, not much would change - except for that one controversial scene in the Shibuya Incident arc, which would arguably be for the better.

Mei Mei and Ui Ui in Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

However, here's the thing - that one scene showcased just how cruel and unrewarding the world of jujutsu sorcery can be. Through her character, we got to see a different side of the jujutsu world - one that functions like a business, where the need to make money precedes morality or even basic human decency.

After doing the bare minimum in Shibuya, surviving mostly by letting her little brother take a metaphorical knife to the gut for her and fleeing from any threat remotely stronger than herself, Mei Mei uses her brother once again to fly off to Malaysia.

And that part left a bad taste in everyone's mouths since Malaysia was the one place Nanami dreamt about retiring to - where he could live a peaceful, mundane life by a beach. However, his need to protect his allies came first, which ultimately led to him dying a horrible death at Mahito's hands.

Mei Mei fleeing to Malaysia wasn't a coincidence. It was Akutami's intentional narrative choice. Mei Mei got what Nanami couldn't, not because she was stronger or more deserving, but because she didn't care or even believe in fighting for others. While Nanami died for having and abiding by his values and morals, Mei Mei thrived by not having any.

This way, Akutami showed us that in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, only the selfish survive, and the selfless mostly don't. It also showed us that jujutsu sorcerers are not protectors of humanity by default - some are just in it for the money.

Mei Mei's decision to run away didn't necessarily make her a villain. She may be a terrible person with zero redeeming qualities, but that part of her character makes her a painfully realistic part of a system that constantly punishes those who choose to care.

Mei Mei was never meant to be a fan favorite. Nor was she meant to be of much use to others. Instead, she was created by Akutami to be the personification of a morally corrupt system that rewards those who are just as morally compromised.

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Final Thoughts

The intent behind creating a character as awful as Mei Mei is clear to all. Her presence reminds us that not every sorcerer is fighting to protect others - some are doing it just to get paid.

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