Melissa Mao
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
from the light novel
, manga
, and anime
series Full Metal Panic!
Her voice was provided by Michiko Neya
in the original anime and by Allison Keith
in the English
dub
.
, but by the novel Dancing Very Merry Christmas she has been promoted to Second Lieutenant
, making her a commissioned officer. She is 25 years old.
Melissa is very proficient in use of an Arm Slave
, however she lacks exact control. She tends to use fast and furious methods in her firearm use. Later in the series she usually does not pilot an Arm Slave, but she can still pilot excellently, although her capabilities are nowhere near those of Sousuke Sagara
and Kurz Weber
. Aside from English, she can also speak fluent Cantonese due to her time spent in Hong Kong, particularly in Kowloon.
Melissa is a ruthless insulter and an extremely heavy drinker, somewhat reminiscent of Misato Katsuragi
from Neon Genesis Evangelion
who is also voiced by Alison Keith. She is shown once having many cigarettes and a minimum of 20 beer cans sprawled out on Tessa's coffee table. She is extremely rude, preferring to use heavy language when talking to someone angering her or someone she can not stand. During the Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! episode Warcry of Excessiveness, she provides Sousuke with a training manual left over from her Marine Corps
drill instructor days, which advocates the use of extremely heavy language inspired and quoted from R. Lee Ermey's
lines in Full Metal Jacket
. She also enjoys a practical joke or two. In the two-part Fumoffu episode A Goddess Comes to Japan, she teases Sousuke by giving him permission to do advances on Tessa while she's staying at their safehouse, obviously aware of her feelings for him. She would later handcuff herself to Tessa after she catches her trying to sneak into Sousuke's room.
. Kurz and Mao's relationship was flirtatious and unrequited, until they finally enter into a relationship later in the novel series. Her relationships with Sousuke Sagara
, Teletha Tessa Testarossa
, and Kaname Chidori
are largely that of a "big sister" or den mother.
parents in New York City
, New York
. She was brought up under strict Chinese traditions that included her supposed arranged marriage. However, on her wedding day, Melissa escaped the church and went to the nearest United States Marine Corps
recruitment office while still in her wedding gown. She signed her recruitment papers on the same day. She was eventually given a dishonorable discharge several years later, but Melissa is still bitter at her father, who served in the Air Force
. After leaving the Marines, Melissa went to Hong Kong
, then under British control, and stayed with some of her maternal relatives. While in Hong Kong, Mithril agents sought her out and recruited her.
Given her service in the Corps, Melissa was given the command of her own team until two of her comrades were permanently injured while on active duty. She went head to MITHRIL's secret training camp in the forests of Berutarube to scout for new replacements. An Israeli, a Peruvian, and an Italian soldier emerged as her most probable candidates after days of studying the recruits.
Kurz Weber also had his eyes on her, but his womanizing attempts and poor marksmanship turns her off. Sousuke Sagara also had low test scores and seemingly overall mediocrity, but gets Melissa's attention after an AS battle drill. In the drill, her Israeli candidate, who piloted an M6, was badly defeated by an old RK-92 Savage AS. She discovers that Sousuke was its pilot.
After the Berugan president had called MITHRIL personnel in Berutarube to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Maria, and eliminate a communist
rebel cell, she was left with Sousuke, Kurz, and Jimmer after a first strike attempt had netted the capture of most of the MITHRIL instructors and recruits.
Realizing that Sousuke and Kurz were hiding their skills from her, she forced them to come clean and ordered them to battle with the guerrillas, overpowering their ASs and forcing the rebels to surrender. She eventually decided to let Sousuke and Kurz enter her squad as the new members. Afterwards, she was sent into Tokyo
with the rest of her squad to guard Kaname Chidori
. Nearing the end of the first series, she was wounded by Gauron during AS combat at a U.S. chemical weapons disarmament facility on Berildaobu Island, Republic of Perio. Although she was mostly incapacitated, she managed to assist Kurz in killing Guen Bien Bo by tossing surgical scalpels into him, a skill that she did not show until near the end of the anime.
Melissa is a friend to Tessa and as such, has access to her office.
Early on in her MITHRIL career, Mao was good friends with Gail McAllen and Belfangan Clouseau, both soldiers who later became commanding officers of Tuatha De Danaan's SRT unit. This friendship has helped her maintain a good working relationship with both men, although Clouseau asked her to hide his friendship with him and McAllen from the SRT troops.
With the heavy losses suffered by the Special Response Team in the defense of Merida Island, Mao has become the second in command of the SRT.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Full Metal Panic!
Full Metal Panic!
is an ongoing series of light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.Individual...
Her voice was provided by Michiko Neya
Michiko Neya
is a female Japanese voice actress born in Echizen, Fukui . Neya is a freelancer, although she worked at Arts Vision.-Anime:*Aka-chan to Boku *Cardcaptor Sakura *Chrono Crusade...
in the original anime and by Allison Keith
Allison Keith
Allison Keith is an American actor and voice actor who is best known for her English-dubbing work with ADV Films on such anime movies and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which she voiced the character Misato Katsuragi...
in the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
.
Overview
Serving as the SRT's second-in-command next to Gail McAllen, she serves in Mithril under the call sign Uruz-2. Her expertise in electronic warfare is valued by the Pacific Battle Group Tuatha de Danaan. Her rank was Sergeant MajorSergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
, but by the novel Dancing Very Merry Christmas she has been promoted to Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
, making her a commissioned officer. She is 25 years old.
Melissa is very proficient in use of an Arm Slave
Arm Slave
Arm Slaves are fictional mecha from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. These huge and tall robots are used primarily by military forces in the Full Metal Panic! universe, most especially by MITHRIL and Amalgam.-Overview:...
, however she lacks exact control. She tends to use fast and furious methods in her firearm use. Later in the series she usually does not pilot an Arm Slave, but she can still pilot excellently, although her capabilities are nowhere near those of Sousuke Sagara
Sousuke Sagara
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was portrayed by Tomokazu Seki in the original anime and by Chris Patton in the English dub.-Overview:...
and Kurz Weber
Kurz Weber
is a character from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the original and by Vic Mignogna in the English dub.-Overview:...
. Aside from English, she can also speak fluent Cantonese due to her time spent in Hong Kong, particularly in Kowloon.
Melissa is a ruthless insulter and an extremely heavy drinker, somewhat reminiscent of Misato Katsuragi
Misato Katsuragi
is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise created by Hideaki Anno. She is the operations director at Nerv, initially with the rank of captain; she is later promoted to major. In Rebuild of Evangelion Misato's rank is lieutenant colonel...
from Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise
The franchise is an umbrella of Japanese media properties generally owned by the anime studio Gainax. It has grossed over 150 billion yen since 1995. The central works of the franchise feature an apocalyptic mecha action story which revolves around the efforts by the paramilitary organization...
who is also voiced by Alison Keith. She is shown once having many cigarettes and a minimum of 20 beer cans sprawled out on Tessa's coffee table. She is extremely rude, preferring to use heavy language when talking to someone angering her or someone she can not stand. During the Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! episode Warcry of Excessiveness, she provides Sousuke with a training manual left over from her Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
drill instructor days, which advocates the use of extremely heavy language inspired and quoted from R. Lee Ermey's
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
lines in Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
. She also enjoys a practical joke or two. In the two-part Fumoffu episode A Goddess Comes to Japan, she teases Sousuke by giving him permission to do advances on Tessa while she's staying at their safehouse, obviously aware of her feelings for him. She would later handcuff herself to Tessa after she catches her trying to sneak into Sousuke's room.
Relationships
Mao's strongest relationship in the series is with her fellow SRT member Kurz WeberKurz Weber
is a character from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the original and by Vic Mignogna in the English dub.-Overview:...
. Kurz and Mao's relationship was flirtatious and unrequited, until they finally enter into a relationship later in the novel series. Her relationships with Sousuke Sagara
Sousuke Sagara
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was portrayed by Tomokazu Seki in the original anime and by Chris Patton in the English dub.-Overview:...
, Teletha Tessa Testarossa
Teletha Tessa Testarossa
is a fictional character and the tritagonist in the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. She is portrayed by Yukana Nogami in the original anime, and by Hilary Haag in the English dub by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment...
, and Kaname Chidori
Kaname Chidori
is a fictional character and the female protagonist of the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. She was voiced by Satsuki Yukino in the original Japanese anime and by Luci Christian in the English dubs by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment.-Overview:At first glance, Kaname...
are largely that of a "big sister" or den mother.
Fictional Character History
Melissa Mao is born on May 11, 1976, to Chinese-AmericanChinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
parents in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. She was brought up under strict Chinese traditions that included her supposed arranged marriage. However, on her wedding day, Melissa escaped the church and went to the nearest United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
recruitment office while still in her wedding gown. She signed her recruitment papers on the same day. She was eventually given a dishonorable discharge several years later, but Melissa is still bitter at her father, who served in the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. After leaving the Marines, Melissa went to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, then under British control, and stayed with some of her maternal relatives. While in Hong Kong, Mithril agents sought her out and recruited her.
Given her service in the Corps, Melissa was given the command of her own team until two of her comrades were permanently injured while on active duty. She went head to MITHRIL's secret training camp in the forests of Berutarube to scout for new replacements. An Israeli, a Peruvian, and an Italian soldier emerged as her most probable candidates after days of studying the recruits.
Kurz Weber also had his eyes on her, but his womanizing attempts and poor marksmanship turns her off. Sousuke Sagara also had low test scores and seemingly overall mediocrity, but gets Melissa's attention after an AS battle drill. In the drill, her Israeli candidate, who piloted an M6, was badly defeated by an old RK-92 Savage AS. She discovers that Sousuke was its pilot.
After the Berugan president had called MITHRIL personnel in Berutarube to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Maria, and eliminate a communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
rebel cell, she was left with Sousuke, Kurz, and Jimmer after a first strike attempt had netted the capture of most of the MITHRIL instructors and recruits.
Realizing that Sousuke and Kurz were hiding their skills from her, she forced them to come clean and ordered them to battle with the guerrillas, overpowering their ASs and forcing the rebels to surrender. She eventually decided to let Sousuke and Kurz enter her squad as the new members. Afterwards, she was sent into Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
with the rest of her squad to guard Kaname Chidori
Kaname Chidori
is a fictional character and the female protagonist of the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. She was voiced by Satsuki Yukino in the original Japanese anime and by Luci Christian in the English dubs by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment.-Overview:At first glance, Kaname...
. Nearing the end of the first series, she was wounded by Gauron during AS combat at a U.S. chemical weapons disarmament facility on Berildaobu Island, Republic of Perio. Although she was mostly incapacitated, she managed to assist Kurz in killing Guen Bien Bo by tossing surgical scalpels into him, a skill that she did not show until near the end of the anime.
Melissa is a friend to Tessa and as such, has access to her office.
Early on in her MITHRIL career, Mao was good friends with Gail McAllen and Belfangan Clouseau, both soldiers who later became commanding officers of Tuatha De Danaan
With the heavy losses suffered by the Special Response Team in the defense of Merida Island, Mao has become the second in command of the SRT.