Gijs Hanakawa

Gijs Hanakawa

Gijs Hanakawa

Overview · Gallery

Also Known As

Nicknames

Gen (Ryo, Akito)

Biographical Inforation

Age	28 years old
Date of Birth	August 22, 1991
Place of Birth	Amsterdam, ND
Blood Type	AB
Nationality	Dutch
Languages	Dutch, Japanese, English

Appearance

Hair Color	Blonde (dyed)
Eye Color	Hazel
Height	6'0"
Weight	175 lbs

Additional

Occupation	"Hotel" Manager Hitman
Star Sign	Leo
MBTI	ESTP
Enneagram	7w8

Not exactly a protagonist because he kind of sucks. Still a main character, if only because he wouldn't accept any other role.

Profile

Appearance

Physically, Gijs stands out. By Dutch standards, he is about average height, and, though slightly toned, his build is rather lithe. He is half-Dutch and half-Japanese. He has naturally dark hair, but hazel eyes (t07). He has his father’s cheekbones, but his mother’s jaw. He has his father’s nose, which is the key trait physical trait he shares with his half-brother, Akito. He bleaches his hair, but leaves his eyebrows their natural, dark color. The length of his hair varies, depending on his mental state and how carefully he's taking care of it. Generally left a little shaggy, it sometimes grows longer if he doesn't cut it for a while. When this happens, he generally throws it up in a ponytail. The most notable feature, though, is diagonal scar along his right cheek. Though, by the time of the story, the scar has healed and faded, it is still very visible, and generally the first thing the eye is drawn to.

Attire

Scar and hair aside, Gijs draws attention to himself with his questionable fashion choices. He is a gaudy dresser, and frequently dresses in large coats and loud patterns (examples). His lobes are pierced, and he regularly wears earrings — ranging from basic studs to clunky, dangly pieces. He was already spending his father’s money, but, once he starts making his own, his wardrobe explodes. As a result, he has a large collection of designer coats, shirts, shoes, and jewelry. 

Personality

At best, he is reckless and impulsive. At worst, he is dangerous and unpredictable. He is loud, boisterous, and lives for attention. He is also highly perceptive, and, while lacking in book smarts, is surprisingly clever and incredibly quick on his feet. He speaks the most languages out of any cast member, being fluent in Dutch, English and Japanese, as well as conversant in Russian and German. Despite his familiarity with violence, Gijs is quite sensitive and loyal to a fault. He highly values family, which is an initial strain on his relationship with Akito, who had spent most of his life telling people he was an only child. Gijs’ boisterous and confident demeanor belies the neurotic and manic-depressive reality of his personality. He is prone to addiction, and abuses uppers as a way to cope with his depressive episodes, anxiety, and trauma. He drinks, too, though tends to overdo it and not touch alcohol for a few weeks before overdoing it again.

Background

Gijs is the youngest and only legitimate son of Hanakawa Ryo and his wife, Elisabeth (née Boogaard). He was less of an accident and more of a complete surprise -- since she was young, doctors had told Elisabeth that it wasn't possible for her to get pregnant and carry a child to term. As a result, he lived a comfortable and lavish childhood, with Ryo too busy to stop Elisabeth from spoiling him.

Despite the comfort, however, Gijs couldn't avoid the undercurrent of violence that existed in the hotel. By age 12, he had a pretty good idea of what his father did for a living, and had witnessed for himself the violence that it entailed. Still, he attended private school, worked weekends at the hotel, and was popular and well-liked by his classmates.

When he was 16, though, the trajectory of his life changed dramatically. He winds up meeting Anatoly, a wandering and freelancing ex-mercenary, who is visiting the hotel in the hopes of gathering intel on Gijs' father. After overhearing his conversation with another man at his table, Gijs sees an opportunity: making a name for himself as a hitman. Anatoly, realizing how valuable it would be to have direct access to Ryo through his son, reluctantly agrees to share his contact with Gijs, and even mentor him.

Bending the truth with (aka, flat-out lying to) his parents, he spends a summer in southern Russia, where Anatoly shares his skills with him, and he is introduced to Jaakko. Though he works with both Anatoly and the agency for some years, there is an ultimate break between them. Shortly after this, Gijs realizes he has the resources to create his own, upgrading from hitman to crime lord.

This also means that, free of the contract of the agency, he begins the process of taking over the hotel, and learning its inner workings. By the time Gijs is in his 20s, he's managing the Amsterdam location, while Ryo remains in charge of the sister location in Monaco.

As the heir-apparent, Gijs is generally involved with important decisions made at the hotel, and treated with a degree of authority. This means that he is also widely regarded as a nuisance. His drug habits, his quick temper, and reckless behavior have caught the attention of many of his father’s associates -- many of which question his ability to run the casino.

Relationships

Akito

Akito is his older half-brother. While Akito harbors a lot of resentment towards Gijs, Gijs doesn't exactly understand why -- he has fond memories of his summer spent in Japan, and, while Akito was kind of cold with him, Gijs has never thought of him as anything less than his dorky older brother. He thinks of his brother as kind of a stick-in-the-mud, or, sometimes, as kind of an asshole, but never questions the fact that he's family. He actually has a great deal of respect for Akito, and arguably a kind of jealousy: even though Ryo hasn't seen Akito since he was born, Gijs knows he keeps tabs on him, and that he saves the articles written about him. Despite the fact that Ryo undeniably cares for Gijs, he struggles to fight the sense that he's the disappointment between the two sons. Still, he cares for Akito, and bothering him quickly becomes a favorite pastime. 

Jaakko

No one knows what the fuck these two have going on, least of all themselves. They meet off the coast of the Black Sea, where they're introduced by Anatoly. Though they initially clash, it doesn't take very long before Anatoly catches them up late talking, or finds them goofing off instead of training or doing chores. The two are almost unnerving close -- despite the fact they're constantly complaining about each other, they're basically inseparable. There is a great deal of trust between them, and Gijs consults Jaakko before making almost any decision. When Gijs decides to leave the agency, Jaakko follows, and he's always there to help Gijs clean up his messes -- though no one really knows why

Involvement

Gijs is so much involved as he is the involvement. In addition to running the hotel, he is ringleader behind a little group that has a hand in everything. Primarily, however, he considers himself a hitman, and continues to take assignments even after leaving his first agency.

Trivia

• Gijs is actually a good cook, though he doesn't particularly enjoy cooking.
• Thanks to his mother, Gijs is kind of a film buff, and has seen many Dutch, French, and Hollywood classics.
• During his youth, he worked as a croupier in the casino. Though he knows how to play many different card games, he doesn't gamble.
• As a child, Gijs loved football (like, soccer football), and wanted to play professionally. This was before he broke his foot and couldn't play.
• Though less severely than his brother, Gijs is lactose intolerant, generally substituting dairy for almond milk when he can.
• Gijs has a major sweet tooth.