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Shao May,[1] also spelt Xiao-Mei[2] or Xiaomei,[3] is May Chang's pet panda and travelling companion. The two are always together and generally inseperable, with May thinking of her like a sister. Shao May frequently mimics May's actions, whether it by copying her expression or taking whatever pose her master takes and moving in unison with her.
Personality[]
Though cute, Shao May is rather vicious and fiercely protective of May Chang, biting anyone that comes too close to her master's presence, including Yoki and Edward. She seems to accept Scar though, as she does not attack him. Inversely, she outright fears Alphonse due to his massive metal body. She is often mistaken for a cat by the people of Amestris, much to her and May's chagrin.
Abilities[]
Shao May's main form of attack is using her jaw to bite and cling onto her enemy, which is shown to cause considerable pain to anyone on the receiving end.
In addition to Shao May displaying the ability to mimic May's movements and martial art techniques, she is also shown to have human-level intelligence and reasoning compared to the other animal characters featured in the show, typically used to comedic effect.
History[]
Born in the land of Xing but abandoned as a sickly cub due to her abnormally small size, Shao May was cared for by May, the 17th royal princess of Xing, as if she were family and therefore has a particularly strong bond with the little girl. When May travelled to the country of Amestris in search of the means for immortality to save her clan, Shao May travelled with her. The two eventually become acquainted with the Ishvalan Scar (who seemed stunned and fascinated by Shao May) and begin travelling with them.
During the "Capture a Homunculus" mission devised by the Elrics, Ling Yao and Colonel Roy Mustang, May Chang and Shao May come to rescue Scar from being captured, but Shao May is separated from the others when May and Scar make their escape. Alphonse Elric, mistaking the panda for a cat, picks Shao May up and attempts to care for her. Shao May tries to bite in order to establish herself as a predator, but Al's armor body is impervious to her teeth, leading the panda to respect and fear the younger Elric brother. She tags along with Alphonse, remaining on his shoulder as she did with May, during the battle against Gluttony and the journey into Father's lair.
Shao May with May eating one of their first meals together.
Meanwhile, May (worried for her little friend's safety) solicits Scar's help in locating her. They discover that she has been "panda-napped" by Alphonse and follow the two into the underground hiding place of the Homunculi.
After Shao May and May Chang are reunited in Father's lair and whisked to Dr. Knox's home for safety and medical treatment, the two set off to rejoin Scar and head north. Not knowing how else to spread the word that they are searching for May, Edward and Alphonse include Shao May as a clue to the little girl's identity, following the path of the noticeable "black-and-white cat". Because of Shao May's conspicuous presence, May is identified heading north by Lt. General Grumman, chased to the Briggs Mountains by the Elric Brothers and tracked down (by the Elrics' request) by the Briggs Mountain Patrol.
Later, on the Promised Day, she displays the ability to use alkahestry by healing May, who had been injured by Father. She is seen at the bottom of the Elric family picture many years later.
Trivia[]
- In the dub of episode 23, Edward refers to Shao May as a Panda when criticizing Al's decision to shelter her, which was not in the original Japanese version. This was an error in Funimation's localization, as Ed and every other character refer to Shao May as a cat in subsequent episodes.
- Some characters in the dub mispronounce her name as "Show May", when in Japanese it's "Shao May". This is rather ironic as situations are reversed for Shou Tucker, whose Japanese name sounds like "Show" but is consistently pronounced as "Shao" in the dub.
- In Mandarin, the phonetics "xiao mei" means little (specifically the youngest) sister, reflecting very well Shao May's relationship with May Chang.
- The second character in Shao May's name in the official Chinese translation is the same as that of May's own name, and the first character, Shao, meaning little, also making her "Little May."
- Rie Kugimiya, who voices Shao May, also plays Alphonse Elric.
- Shao May was voted twentieth most popular character in the series in the recent fan poll; two spots ahead of May Chang.
- The last volume of the manga jokingly features a "rejected picture" that shows Shao May had a growth spurt and is now the size of a normal panda.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Episode 15 eyecatcher
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 8 (English 2014 edition) "I'm Mei-Chan. And this is Xiao-Mei." ISBN-13: 9780316374101 ISBN-10: 0316374105
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chuang Yi English version.