- About
- Latest Posts
Cody Perez
Cody is a writer who was shaped by manga and anime at a young age. From discovering series like Dragon Ball and Gundam, he fell in love with this medium. Though he walked away for a time in his teenage years, he came back in his adulthood to fall back in love with manga and anime. Nowadays, he can be found reading the latest manga series and catching up on all of the new seasonal anime. And, of course, writing about them at the same time.
Latest posts by Cody Perez (see all)
- Choso Jujutsu Kaisen Guide: The Death Paintings Member Explained - May 1, 2023
- Historia Reiss Guide: Attack on Titan’s Krista Lenz Explained - March 31, 2023
- Daki Demon Slayer Guide: The Upper Rank Six Demon Explained - March 31, 2023
The My Hero Academia cast is vast, with many different superheroes, villains, and supporting characters. That last group is who the star of this Mei Hatsume guide falls into. Mei is an inventor and absolute genius high school student who is less interested in being a Pro Hero than supporting them. She might not be as flashy or present as some of the other characters in the series, but she still has her fair share of fans.
This Mei Hatsume guide will show you why that is the case. I will delve deep into the history of this character in the manga and anime series, plus some details about her quirk, personality, and more. If you’re looking for some fun facts about her character that you might not have known previously, you are also in the right place. Let’s get started.
Bottom Line Up Front
Mei Hatsume is one of the supporting characters in the insanely large cast in My Hero Academia. She has a quirk of her own in Zoom, which allows her to zoom in on something and see it close up, be it far away or right in front of her.
Though that is her quirk, her central ability comes from the inventive genius abilities that she naturally has, allowing her to create gadgets, armor, and devices that help out Pro Heroes. She is a member of Class 1-H and part of the support department at UA High School.
She does not intend to be a Pro Hero but a supporter who provides equipment for the heroes to do their job the best. While she is not a super important character, she is integral in helping Deku find his identity as a hero.
Who Is Mei Hatsume?
Mei Hatsume is a student at U.A. High School, the most prestigious school in all of Japan for aspiring professional superheroes in the world of My Hero Academia. That said, Hatsume is someone who has no interest in becoming a Pro Hero herself as she much prefers inventing items and equipment.
Because of this, Mei Hatsume is part of the support department at the school and a member of Class 1-H. There, she studies and researches how to make new items to help out heroes on the battlefield. There are a variety of inventions that she has made in the past, ranging from gear to devices that enhance one’s quirk.
She also has her own quirk, which is Zoom, allowing her to zoom in on objects. Since Mei Hatsume prefers playing a support role in life, she does not have too big of a position within the My Hero Academia manga and anime series, only showing up every so often to assist the main characters.
That said, she makes an impression on young Deku, the main character of the series. She is instrumental in coming up with some crucial inventions to shape his identity and gear set as an aspiring Pro Hero. With her goofy personality and memorable appearance, her more minor role in the series has still made quite the impression on the My Hero Academia community as a whole.
Appearance
The appearance of Mei Hatsume comes down to two main areas. Most of the time, she prefers being in her workshop, where she comes up with new inventions and tests out items. During this time, she wears her work outfit. The other appearance is when she is on the battlefield, such as during the Sports Festival Arc, where she actually wears her own battle gear for combat purposes.
Work Outfit
When Mei is in the workshop, she wears comfortable but protective gear that allows her to do her job properly. On the bottom, she wears very baggy black pants that are loose and relaxing. On the bottom, she has black socks and plain white shoes.
On the top, she wears a black vertically-striped tank top that allows her to work well within the hot workshop environment and still be decently comfortable. On her hands are large gloves that are there for protective purposes as she handles welding and other risky equipment in the shop.
On her head, she is wearing some complex and massive goggles that are useful for taking advantage of her Zoom quirk and also allowing her to protect her eyes when doing certain tasks. She has pink flowing hair that goes down to her shoulders. Her hair strands are huge, almost appearing like tentacles.
She has yellowish-green eyes and a small nose. She typically has a pretty goofy facial expression that shows her laidback and funny nature to her character.
Battle Gear
During the Sports Festival Arc and during the rare moments where she fights, she has the battle gear of her own that she wears. For starters, she switches out her workshop outfit for that the school exercise uniform for UA. This includes the classic blue, white, and red outfit that looks stylish and sleek.
She customizes the uniform by adding her own items and accessories. On her feet, she wears massive white mechanical boots that go up almost to her knees. These allow her to maneuver around with ease in battle, letting her make up for her lack of physical capabilities.
She has some thrusters around her torso area and fingerless gloves on her hands instead of the bulky workshop ones. She has a pack on her back that lets her use specific abilities in battle. Her hair and expression remain the same, and she is also wearing the same work goggles in this outfit.
Personality
Mei Hatsume has one of those exceptional personalities that is just unique. Without a doubt, she is a genius inventor, but that intelligence comes with the classic trade-off that she is quite the eccentric person. When the audience first meets her, she makes quite the first impression by being very forward and not holding back in letting Deku know what she wants.
That said, Mei is a kind person who wants to help everyone out. She just so happens to be quite goofy of a person and someone who is highly dedicated to what she is working on. This can make her come off a little bit harsh and off-putting at times, but she ultimately means well.
Key Relationships
Given that Mei Hatsume is one of the minor characters that appear in the My Hero Academia series, there are almost no relationships that we get to see her have with the other characters in the cast. There is only one person that we see her genuinely connect with, and that is the main character, Izuku Midoriya.
Deku is the protagonist of My Hero Academia, and it is from his perspective that we meet Mei Hatsume early in the story. Their relationship is initially one of curiosity and intrigue, as Mei is interested in using him as a guinea pig for testing her inventions. At the same time, he is, in turn, looking for her assistance.
It is a win-win relationship, for sure, since both parties get something out of the bond. Mei can create more inventions and find inspiration for new creations, while Deku is able to receive items that can help him hone his complicated quirk that he is still not quite ready to handle at this time.
It can be argued, though, that their relationship goes a little deeper than being that of customer and inventor. Or, at least, that seems to be the case on Mei’s part. She does not seem to have much interest in other people, except in the case of Deku. Her forward nature with him and passion when around him seems to indicate that she could have feelings for the aspiring number one hero.
Voice Actor
In the anime adaptation of My Hero Academia, the Japanese voice actor for Mei Hatsume is Azu Sakura. Sakura seems to be a newer upcoming voice actor since she has only a few roles at this time. Hatsume is her own most recognizable role at this time, but she has also appeared in a recurring part in Pokemon Sun and Moon, the anime.
On the other hand, the English voice actor for Mei Hatsume in the dub is Alexis Tipton, who has been around in the dubbing business for quite some time. She has some tremendous English dubbing roles in the past, such as Inori in Guilty Crown, Honey in Space Dandy, Kaguya Shinomiya in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, and Trunks’ kid version in Dragon Ball Super.
Abilities
Like most everyone else in the world of My Hero Academia, Mei Hatsume has a quirk. In addition to that, though, she has a natural talent that, when coupled with her quirk, allows her to be an actual genius of craftsmanship and an inventor unlike any other.
Zoom Quirk
The quirk that Mei has is one that is not really dealt with too much within the My Hero Academia series. It is mainly brushed over, but her quirk ability is known as Zoom. This ability does what it sounds like: allowing her to naturally “zoom” in and see her surroundings more clearly, both close up and far away.
The limit of her Zoom quirk is up to five kilometers, which is quite impressive. She is able to note little details in the environment. This is useful at times with her inventions since she is able to quickly note every little aspect of an item she is making and ensure that it is everything it is supposed to be.
Inventor
The primary notable ability for Mei, though, is her inventor qualities. She is an absolute genius when it comes to creating new items from scratch that match a person’s capabilities. Because of this, she is a supporter who helps in crafting new gear and devices that are meant to assist Pro Heroes.
She is not only unbelievably talented when it comes to creating new items from start to finish, but she is able to do so in record time, too. The gear that she makes is tailored, specifically, to each person that she is working for, and she is unmatched when it comes to perfectly crafting items that enhance a person’s natural talents.
History
Mei Hatsume may not be one of the most commonly featured characters in the My Hero Academia series, but she does play a significant supporting role in a couple of the story arcs. Given her connection to Deku, she plays a simple but vital role in shaping him into the hero that he becomes.
Joining the Support Class
Mei Hatsume joins Class 1-H at U.A. High School at the start of the My Hero Academia series. She is in the same year as the main character, Izuku Midoriya, but is not in the same department or class as him. Instead, Mei is part of the support department, which is geared toward teaching students how to be supporters of Pro Heroes.
As part of the support department, Mei Hatsume is a prodigy in her class, known for her crazy antics and genius inventions. She takes command of a workshop at the school and is there most of the time. At her workshop, she constantly brainstorms new ideas and tests out new items for possible use in the future.
Using Deku as a Test Subject
The introduction of Mei Hatsume’s character in the My Hero Academia series comes when she runs into Deku. The protagonist finds that he is in need of a hero suit like the Pro Heroes have, and he tasks Hatsume with creating a suit that fits his quirk and identity as a hero.
Through the process, Mei and Deku begin a friendship, one that is based around making Deku into a guinea pig of sorts. She experiments on him with various gadgets, trying to find the best items that she can come up with to help his character.
Though it takes some time to finish, Mei eventually finishes an outfit for Deku to use in the Sports Festival at UA. In this competition between the entire school and its various classes, Mei enters alongside her class. The purpose of the tournament is to shed some light on the most talented first-year students at the school.
There is the obstacle race where she can pass and make it to the next round in the process. In this next round, Mei and her classmates have to battle against other students in the cavalry battle. She comes up with an insane contraption to keep her team in the game and succeed in moving to the next round.
From here, Mei Hatsume has her big moment as the students move into the tournament format where one on one fights happen. Though she is not a fighter herself, she has a battle suit for this purpose and takes on Class 1-A’s Tenya Iida.
Despite the speed that Iida naturally has, he struggles against Mei’s ingenuity. In the end, Hatsume forfeits the match and allows Iida to continue in the tournament instead of her since she gained the information that she needed and does not need to keep fighting. That said, she arguably could have won the battle.
In the end, Hatsume places in the top 16 in the school for the Sports Festival, and she has only a few minor appearances from her on out, sometimes modifying and helping out Deku with his gear. Her next prominent appearance is in the School Festival Arc, where she has an exhibit dedicated to showing off her latest creations.
Mei Hatsume in Other Media
Mei Hatsume may not be in the top 10 or even 15 of the most popular and famous characters in My Hero Academia, but this does not stop her from having enough of an impact on the community. She is important enough that she has appeared outside of the prominent manga and anime adaptations.
Beyond the main manga series, there is the spin-off series known as My Heroine Academia. In this series, the females in the cast get a lot of love. It is a goofier and more lighthearted series from the super-serious main series. She gets a chapter in that short manga spin-off series that focuses entirely on her. If you want to see more of her character in action, that is the place to do it until she returns to the main series in a significant role.
For instance, Mei Hatsume is a playable character in My Hero Academia One’s Justice 2 through a DLC expansion. The video game is a fighting arena title that features only some of the My Hero cast. She is one of those characters, and her gadgets allow her to have a more unique fighting style in that game.
While Mei may not be the most popular character in the series, she is unique enough that she has garnered plenty of fan art, cosplays, and merch in the real world. Some fans even ship her with Deku, given her possible feelings.
Fun Facts About Mei Hatsume
Here are some fun facts about Mei Hatsume that you may not have known about before:
- Interestingly enough, Mei Hatsume was originally going to be a male character. This was changed prior to the start of the My Hero Academia serialization.
- The name for Mei Hatsume is quite interesting in Japanese, using the kanji for “invention,” which is “hatsumei,” and the kanji for eyes or “me” but rearranged some. This makes sense since inventions and her eyes, which allow her to zoom in with her quirk, are the very core of her character’s identity.
- Her favorite food is known to be chocolate.
- There are some hints that Mei Hatsume is into steampunk aesthetic. Furthermore, it seems that she could even be a hint or a fan of Iron Man with the suit that she herself wears in battle. Given that My Hero Academia has officially crossed over promotionally with The Avengers and Spider-Man was seen in the manga, this is quite interesting.
FAQs
Question: What is Mei Hatsume’s quirk?
Answer: Mei Hatsume’s quirk is not clearly noted within the manga and anime series since it does not help all that much with her inventions. That said, the quirk that she has is known as Zoom, and it allows her to “zoom” in and see from up to five kilometers away with no problem. She can make out tiny details, which is helpful at times when handling delicate craftsmanship.
Question: Who is Mei Hatsume in love with?
Answer: This is an interesting question that has no official answer at this time. Many ship Mei with Deku, and for a good reason. Her interest in him seems to go a little bit deeper than that of everyone else and I, personally, think that she has a crush on him.
Question: Is Mei Hatsume a villain?
Answer: Mei is not at all a villain. In fact, she is not even a hero since she focuses on being a support person for Pro Heroes out there. She is not a villain in the slightest in the current state of the anime and manga alike.
Conclusion
Despite her support role, Mei Hatsume is a fan favorite in the My Hero Academia manga and anime series. She embodies the very meaning of being a supporting character since her entire storyline is based on being just that. In this way, she is one of the unique characters at UA High School.
In the end, though, Mei Hatsume is just one of many characters that play a role in the My Hero Academia series. Keeping up with everyone at the high school can be seriously overwhelming, let alone all of the Pro Heroes, villains, and other figures that appear in the series. Thankfully, we have just the guide for helping you out with the characters you need to know about from My Hero Academia.
Recommended Reads:
- Uraraka MHA Guide: Class 1-A’s Uravity Explained
- Shigaraki MHA Guide: Everything You Need to Know about “The One That Wasn’t Saved”
- Kirishima MHA Guide
- Shinso MHA Guide
- Eri MHA Guide