Taiwan

Taiwan (台灣, Taiwan) is a minor character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers. She is also referred to as The Republic Of China.

Appearance
Taiwan is a teenage girl who wears a peach (or bright pink)-colored qipao with gold trim and long, flowing sleeves, and a long white skirt.

Her hair is long and brown, with a wild curly strand sticking out on the right side of her head. She wears pink flowers in her hair, and a chibi sketch of her by Himaruya revealed that she has a flower-shaped birthmark (or tattoo) on her left thigh.

Before having the current appearance, Taiwan used to have many changes in clothes and hairstyles. In an earlier sketch, her qipao was drawn a little differently, she tied her hair into a side ponytail with some flowers pinned up in her hair. Another original design showing a different style of qipao and her flowers.

Personality and Interests
Taiwan is described as a vivacious, strong-willed and fashion-loving young woman, but she is also said to have become the nervous type lately.

Though she had yet to make an appearance in the actual manga, she was depicted in various sketches and appeared in the profile section of Hetalia: Axis Powers volume 2.

Her role in the drama track for the eighth Hetalia character CD predates any manga or anime appearance (as with Hong Kong, who appeared in Hetalia Fantasia). There, she is described as a rather intelligent, active girl with a slightly quick temper and very cheerful.

China
She called him a "teacher" in the drama CD, but called him a "bastard" in the previous sketch. An early illustration shows that she dislikes China and is more interested in Japan, she thinks that China leave him alone. In the drama CD, she treats him in a slightly more friendly way, but still has very low patience for China's quirks.

Japan
Instead of China, she prefers Japan, much to China's dismay. This could stem from the real life fact of China's repeated dismissal of Taiwan's sovereignty, and the general well-being and mutual respect between the real life islands. It is also possible that this is a reference to Japan's colonial rule over Taiwan before WWII.

Recently, in Chapter 42 of Hetalia: World Stars, she gave chocolates to Japan on Valentine's Day.

Vietnam
Taiwan and Vietnam seem to get along well with each other, although their personalities have big differences in character. Taiwan took Vietnam out to take pictures together, to her initial disappointment. Taiwan lent Vietnam a costume for Halloween.

Hong Kong
Taiwan once had a bet with Hong Kong and Macau on what will China wear, on which she lost. She also once asked Hong Kong's help to clean her room. In the Taiwan's Lantern Festival strip, she confronted Hong Kong to not wish for money this year and wish for something else instead. Hong Kong had a surprised face as he asked out in disbelief that other people wished for other things beside money. Taiwan persuaded him to wish for something else and Hong Kong decided to wish that China won't see through.

Name
In a 2010 blog post, Himaruya listed possible names for Taiwan to be Lin Yi-Ling (林乙玲) or Hsiao-Mei / Xiao-Mei (曉梅)*.


 * 曉梅 (Hsiao-Mei or Xiao-Mei) is a given name suggested by Himaruya, he did not suggest a family name to go with this name.
 * Although author Himaruya has announced the official name for Taiwan, some fans still call her Meimei (meaning "sister" in Chinese, or shortening Taiwan to "Wan" or "Wanwan").

Character Songs
Poi Poi Poi♪

Gallery
Taiwan Image Gallery

Trivia

 * Before he settled on her present look, Hidekaz Himaruya drafted various designs for the character, as he revealed in an illustration on his blog. Rejected concepts included: A more "mature" design for a female version, Taiwan as a young boy and as a young girl, a short-haired variation of the female design, and Taiwan as both a younger and an older man.


 * Her birthday corresponds with the date of October 25, 1945, when the Japanese military surrendered control of Taiwan back to China, but this country's national day is October 10. However, in the Chinese printing of the second volume of Hetalia, her birthday was left out and the phrase "A part of China" was controversially added to her profile.


 * Differently to her rare appearance in the manga and the webcomic, she seems to have a role in both Gakuen Hetalia, appearing in concept art for it. But as the game is incomplete, it remains to be seen what the extent of her role is.


 * Like Hong Kong, she makes her speaking debut in a drama track ("Asian and Western Festivals" in China's character CD). She is voiced by Yuki Kaida, who also voices China.


 * In a recent blog post, her name was revealed to possibly be Lin Yi Ling or Xiao Mei.


 * It is hinted that Taiwan might very well be homosexual and the fact that she also may as well begun to sweat when she mentioned about westerner girls' breasts being "disturbing" to her. In addition, she also appears to be flirtatious towards Belarus in the 2009 Halloween Special. Taiwan is the first country in Asia to have legalized same-sex marriage. However, she is also very open around Japan and is most likely a friendly character in general.