Maggie Mui

Biography
Maggie Mui (マギー・ムイ Magī Mui, a.k.a. Ma-nee) is the tall, boyish, quiet middle sister of the Paper Sisters Detective Company. Her surname (which can also be spelt as Mei or Moy, depending on the system used) means "plum" or "prune" and is a common one in Hong Kong and the neighboring Chinese province of Kwangtung. (Until her recent death, Anita Mui was a leading Hong Kong actress and recording star.) A Bibliophile, she faints in Jinbocho due to the sheer amount of books present.

Appearance and Personality
Maggie is the tallest of the three sisters, standing at 185 cm (6' 1"). Her black, unruly hair is cut short. She usually dresses in slacks and long, loose shirts. On other occasions, she wears mens' suits. Like her sisters, Maggie also has an elaborate white fighting costume with a black combat leotard underneath. Though often careless of her appearance, Maggie is actually quite attractive and there is some speculation that the female persona in the opening sequence is supposedly Maggie, though the only evidence (height/body length, body shape when in leotard, hair style, and face shape) is circumstantial.

Maggie is the quietest and the most modest of the 3 Paper Sisters. She is the typical middle sister, balancing Anita King's fiery temper and Michelle Cheung's bossiness with her own realism and straightforwardness. Maggie says little, but when she does speak she cuts straight to the heart of the matter and her suggestions show calm good judgment. She looks up to her older sister Michelle and feels she's nothing compared to her, but occasionally she will restrain Michelle's wilder flights of fancy. Maggie is extremely protective of Anita, and can calm her little sister down when Michelle cannot.

Maggie's quietness and placid exterior mask a complex and conflicted personality. Maggie is brave and decisive in battle and times of physical danger, but many ordinary situations leave her baffled and uncertain. She blushes frequently and is easily embarassed. She never complains, but she sometimes feels overwhelmed by her role in the family and the many tasks that her sisters thrust upon her.

Despite her great abilities, Maggie suffers from a lack of confidence. This is especially true in social situations. Maggie is almost pathologically shy; Michelle bluntly calls Maggie "antisocial," and Anita thoughtlessly reminds her that she has no friends. Maggie is very reclusive, and spends much of her time "nesting:" reading and relaxing in tight cozy spots. She even sleeps in a closet. Most of the time she seems perfectly happy being by herself, but sometimes her lack of friends depresses her.

Maggie certainly has few human contacts outside her family. She seems to be somewhat closer to Nenene Sumiregawa than her other sisters are; she often gives Nenene back massages.

Maggie's sexuality--like that of several other ROD characters--is uncertain. Her fondness for men's clothing may be indicative. Michelle refers to her as "unfeminine," a description Maggie accepts without complaint. Yet when a sleeping Nenene snuggles up against her, Maggie reacts with something like panic. Fans have speculated that Maggie and Nenene may have crushes on one another. In the Japanese script of the TV series, Nenene uses the suffix "chan"--a term of endearment--when addressing Maggie. Maggie also has a close friendship with a younger girl, and this friendship seems to have some romantic or sexual overtones (see below).

In the Read or Dream manga, Maggie is sometimes mistaken for a boy. Her closest personal relationship outside her family is with Fay, a young blind girl who is seriously ill. Fay initially believes that Maggie is a boy; even after she learns that Maggie is female, Fay still asks her for a kiss. Maggie finds the proposal both tempting and anxiety-provoking. Maggie finally persuades Fay to go overseas for a medical procedure, and Fay later writes to Maggie. When Michelle Cheung asks her if the letter is from "a boyfriend," Maggie denies it and refuses to let her sister see the letter.

Maggie's tastes in literature reflect both the stoical and emotional sides of her personality. Like a true bibliophile, Maggie can be fascinated by any book, but her favorite author is Ernest Hemingway. She also likes Nenene Sumiregawa's works too. In the Read or Dream manga Maggie enjoys the action/adventure books of the author Yunfat, yet she also loves the romantic dime novels of Wupin.

Like Anita and Michelle, Maggie is ignorant of her own past. She finally learns the truth about herself and her sisters after Wendy Earheart leaves a notebook describing her and Michelle as creations of Dokusensha. She finds out later that Anita was also a creation, but she was made by the British Library.

Powers and Skills
Maggie's preferred paper manipulation is puppetry, the creation of familiars or animated paper objects, though she also excels at other forms of papermastery. Of the three sisters, her role in battle is defence. Maggie may well be the most powerful papermaster of the three. When the sisters seek to rescue Nenene Sumiregawa from the headquarters of Dokusensha they are confronted by Dokusensha's own extremely powerful papermaster, the sinister Sonny Wong. Maggie elects to stand off Sonny on her own, thus allowing her sisters to proceed unhindered.

Maggie has other abilities as well, though she is extremely modest about them. She may be the most intelligent of the Paper Sisters, and she learns information very quickly. Maggie is a very good cook, and seems to wind up doing the many household chores that her sisters are too lazy or distracted to perform. She is an expert driver and can handle other forms of transportation as well. Like her sister Michelle, Maggie is a proficient translator. However, she tends to become too fascinated reading the material she is given, thus missing deadlines.

Sister
The paper sisters are the protagonists of Read or Dream and R.O.D The T.V. Not truly sisters, the 3 roomates are related by a psionic control over paper. It is revealed late in the series that they were actually genetically engineered by Dokusensha (and, for Anita, the Special Operations Division). The trio are occasionally hired by Dokunsensha to carry out missions.

The Paper Sisters' names are derived from names of 3 real Hong Kong action stars: Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Michelle Yeoh (who has also been credited as Michelle Khan). These three actresses starred together in the 1993 movie The Heroic Trio as the titular heroines.

Maggie Mui (マギー・ムイ Magī Mui), a.k.a. Ma-nee: A tall, boyish, quiet wallflower, her power tends to be manifest as animal-like paper projections. She’s known for being easily embarrassed, blushing frequently, and enjoying tight cozy spots to relax in (which is why she sleeps in the closet). Her favorite author is Ernest Hemingway, but she likes Nenene's works too. She looks up to her older sister, Michelle, and feels she's nothing compared to her. She cares for her sisters and always tries to protect them.

Anita King
Maggie is very protective of Anita ever since she and Michelle found her and became her "sisters" and would not hesitate to risk her life to protect Anita. They generally get along, but Anita's thoughtless comments to Maggie can be especially hurtful; Maggie regards herself as someone who is not terribly useful compared to Michelle or Anita and to be called "useless" by Anita can render Maggie unable to fight at times. However, when they feel Michelle is being too frivolous, the two will work together to ensure she gets down to earth.

Michelle Cheung
Maggie admires and respects her older sister Michelle. Despite her own abilites, Maggie feels that she can never measure up to her "big sis." Despite their extreme differences in personality, Maggie and Michelle get along very well. Their love for books unites them, and they refuse to allow Anita to throw away any of the reading material they have accumulated over the years. They rarely disagree, and when they do it is usually usually over matters like how to sort all the books in their apartment. Both Maggie and Michelle care deeply about Anita. They are both pleased when Anita brings home a friend (Hisami Hishiishii), and they both try to protect the youngest Paper Sister in battle.

Nenene Sumiregawa
Of the three Paper Sisters, Nenene appears to trust Maggie the most. She allows Maggie to massage her back, considers her honest, and regards her as the most competent Paper Sister in practical matters, like cooking (though not cleaning). Maggie respects (and fears) Nenene, just as she does her big sister Michelle. When they meet for the first time, Maggie imediately tells Nenene that she likes her books. Later on, Wendy Earheart threatens to harm Anita in order to force Maggie to betray Nenene. Maggie is devastated by her eventual decision to do what Wendy asks, but Nenene immediately realizes that Maggie's betrayal is actually because either Michelle or Anita is in danger, and she forgives Maggie. After Nenene surrenders to Wendy, Maggie insists on staying with Nenene to protect her. Some fans believe Maggie and Nenene may have romantic feelings for one another.

Sources and Links
This article is based on viewings of the ROD TV series, as well as the Read or Dream manga series. An excellent analysis of Maggie's skills and character can be found at http://www.deathquaker.org/rod/maggie.html Additional information and discussions can be found at:
 * http://www.readordie.org
 * http://www.dreamsoftwilight.co.uk
 * http://cupped-expressions.net/rod
 * http://www.shoujoai.com
 * http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.O.D_READ_OR_DIE_YOMIKO_READMAN_%22THE_PAPER%22