Hiroki Awano (阿波野 大樹, Awano Hiroki) is a secondary antagonist in Yakuza 0. He is one of the three lieutenants of the Tojo Clan's Dojima Family, and the patriarch of the Taihei Association, a Dojima Family subsidiary.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Awano is modeled after his voice actor, Riki TakeuchiWP. He is a tall, middle-aged man with black hair styled in a pompadour. His face is slightly chubby, but despite his gluttonous lifestyle, he retains an extremely muscular body.
Awano's Momotaro tattoo.
Tattoo[]
Awano's tattoo depicts Momotaro, the main character from a popular Japanese folk tale where Momotaro travels to an island of demons that are threatening his village and slays them. This is likely a reference to how he would eventually clash with Majima, who has a demon motif and a Hannya tattoo.
Some versions of the story see Momotaro become lazy and embrace an easy life of leisure rather than carrying out his duties to others. This is reflected in Awano's story - at one point, he was among the strongest in the Dojima Family, but allowed his strength to wither over time, as he became attracted to the idea of decadent living.
Attire[]
Awano's attire is a purple paisley pattern designer double breasted peak lapel jacket with a black turtleneck sweater underneath and a small gold chain. He wears basic black suit pants and a pair of black patent leather shoes.
Personality[]
— Hiroki Awano to Kazuma Kiryu, Yakuza 0I couldn't give two damp shits about livin' like a proper yakuza. I wanna eat good food, wear nice clothes and blast down the highway in a sweet-ass car...And if I got a hot girl during that, so much the better. Being a yakuza's a career for me. A job. My means to enjoy the sweet life.
Awano is a man of leisure who often finds himself going with the flow rather than fighting against the rising tide. Unlike Kuze or Shibusawa, who both take the yakuza seriously, Awano views yakuza membership as a way to revel in living the high life of the 1980s (golfing, women, fine liquor, etc.). He expresses boredom at formal meetings, such as Kiryu's summon to the Dojima Family HQ to discuss his alleged murder of a man in the Empty Lot. That does not make him any less committed to winning the seat of Dojima Family captain, as he describes Kazama and Kuze as being "men that have been standing in my way for a long time now."
However, beneath his laconic exterior is a cunning man, skilled in gathering information and making good on the Dojima Family's threats. Being an extortion specialist, this is expected of him. In comparison to Kuze's brutishness, Awano tends to appeal to Kiryu's reason; when interrogating him over the Empty Lot murder, he attempts to convince him that going to prison wouldn't be so bad. When Kiryu is being pursued by the Dojima Family, Awano tells him about the benefits of joining his side - all the material pleasures money can buy. After being refused, then he becomes hostile and threatening, pointing out that he went as far as visiting Kiryu's orphanage simply to use its manager as leverage. His mood, thus, appears capable of changing rapidly, which he uses to increase his fear factor. Awano is also extremely sadistic, as shown by how he casually killed a random woman in front of Kiryu to intimidate him, despite joyfully dancing with that woman moments before, and how he joined the yakuza in the first place because he liked the feeling of beating a guy's face. Thus, there is far more than meets the eye with Awano, as his unserious exterior reveals a man capable of extreme cruelty if it serves his purposes.
There is a tragic component to Awano's story, as he reveals his reason for becoming a hedonist - his inferiority complex towards Kazama. He tells Majima that "with guys like Kazama around, guys like me won't get a sniff at the top." This suggests that at one point, he was a strong contender for a leadership role in the Dojima Family, but gave up when the going got tough, content with worldly comforts instead of striving for the top. Majima remarks that this is a shame, as Awano had the potential to be so much more. Awano is self-aware about this, and him laying down his life to save Majima from Lao Gui is a belated acceptance of that fact.
In the Dojima Family, Awano appears to be close to Kuze especially, often golfing with him when out-of-hours and sending a few mocking comments his way.
Background[]
Awano originally joined the yakuza because he enjoyed hitting people and that fighting is much more fun than living the easy life. As time passed, however, he became more hedonistic and averse to taking direct action, losing his ambition due to having tough competition.
Involvement[]
Yakuza 0: 1988[]
Lieutenants of the Dojima Family.
Awano is first seen in Dojima HQ, when Kiryu speaks to the three lieutenants about his alleged murder of Taichi Kurihara at the Empty Lot. Awano complains about Kiryu's incompetence and the situation. Awano and Shibusawa leave when Kuze wants to speak to Kiryu in private.
After Kiryu defeats Kuze in Dojima HQ, Awano appears with Shibusawa and Dojima himself. Awano criticizes Kuze for lying to Sohei about deciding to expel Kiryu on his own and hands him a board and knife to perform yubitsume for his disobedience. Awano and Shibusawa are present when Dojima expels Kiryu from the family. Just afterwards, Awano goes golfing at the Koshu Country Club and visits the Sunflower Orphanage, Kiryu's childhood home owned by Kazama.
Awano and his underlings severely beat Jun Oda as retaliation for Kiryu joining Tachibana Real Estate, an organization which threatens the Tojo Clan, and for Oda and Kiryu ruining one of their extortion deals, which caused one of Awano's subordinates to commit yubitsume. before meeting Kiryu and Nishikiyama at Serena. Awano lets his men fight Kiryu outside while he has a drink with Nishikiyama and Reina.
Later, Awano comes outside and sees that Kiryu defeated his men. Awano compliments Kiryu's strength before casually blocking the latter's attack. Awano questions Kiryu over his motives for joining Tachibana Real Estate, suspecting Kazama of using Kiryu and Tachibana to make a move on the Empty Lot, and though Kiryu does not answer, Awano figures out Tachibana has not yet found the Lot's owner. Before leaving, Awano gives Kiryu an ultimatum that he must answer by the following morning: Hand over Tachibana's whereabouts or he and his friends will hunted down by the Dojima Family and killed.
The next day, the three Dojima lieutenants and several other Family members wait at the Kazama Family Office. Once the deadline is reached with no answer, Awano calls Dojima and begins the hunt for Kiryu. Awano dances with a woman in a club, waiting for Kiryu past Kuze's ambush.
Once Kiryu arrives, Awano talks leisurely until Kiryu moves to leave, prompting him to cut off the music and begin talking seriously. He explains that his role in the Dojima Family is extortion and he only became a yakuza to live a hedonistic lifestyle. He gives Kiryu a choice to give Tachibana up or die a painful death. When Kiryu refuses, Awano shoots the woman and aims the gun at Kiryu, bluffing that a hundred Dojima men are waiting outside in order to make him accept his offer, but the bluff fails, and he notes that threats do not work on idiots after Kiryu leaves.
After tracking Kiryu to Serena with a small army of Dojima Family members, Awano lets Kuze fight him, but Kiryu is saved be the arrival of Tachibana in his sports car. Awano quickly orders the Dojima Family members not to let them through and shoots at the sports car, but they drive off safely.
Later, Awano is seen with his fellow lieutenants and Lao Gui at the top of a building to meet with Makoto Makimura, who intends sell the Empty Lot. Makoto demands the heads of the lieutenants as payment, but she is shot, after which the lieutenants, Dojima, and Lao Gui exit by helicopter. Awano returns to the Dojima Family Office with the others, displeased with Shibusawa's promotion for securing the Empty Lot. Shibusawa tells the four men that they must initiate a purge of the Kazama Family and its supporters and allies, so that no one else can stand in the Dojima Family's way.
Awano meets Goro Majima at the top floor of Dojima Family HQ, during the latter's quest for vengeance on Makoto's behalf. He asks Majima why he would risk so much instead living carefully, but Majima says a yakuza who tries to live safe and comfy is a fool. This clash of ideologies instigates a battle between them where Majima emerges victorious. Awano wishes he could be as fierce as Majima, reflects how he admired the people he met who lived their own way, impressing Awano. Suddenly, Lao Gui appears and Awano shields Majima from the assassin, but he is finally killed when Lao Gui impales him with six throwing needles.
Fighting Style[]
Awano's luxurious lifestyle has made him a sluggish, rusty fighter, but he is still strong enough to knock Majima off his feet. He recylces several attacks from Masaru Watase's moveset, while also possessing a fair few original moves, mainly involving kicks. Awano's stance is also different to that of Watase, standing upright as opposed to crouched down. His moveset consists of the following:
- Watase's Rush Combo and its Finishing Blows, his left jab-right cross combo and its Finishing Blow, his right haymaker and its left-haymaker-command grab finisher, his uppercut guard reversal, and his downed attack; as well as
- a combo made up of a right roundhouse kick, a left haymaker, and a left side kick;
- Watase's right push kick without the running animation,
- a left rolling thunder kick,
- two right gut punches and a right haymaker for his grab attack,
- quickstep attacks, including:
- a right push kick after forward-stepping (unused), and
- a right inward crescent kick after sidestepping right/left; and
- a taunt where he brushes back the hair on the sides of his head.
He proves to possess far more physical strength than he initially displays — a fact he demonstrates during his QTE, where he punches a marble wall so hard that he causes it to crack, without even injuring his own hand.
Awano is not a difficult boss for the first half of the fight, with most of his attacks being easily telegraphed and his guard easily broken. This changes with the passing of the aforementioned QTE, where he regains his old fighting prowess and enters Heat Mode. He begins striking much faster and can potentially half Majima's health bar on higher difficulties. He can also easily shake off a strike to get in close for one of his combos.
He emits a yellow aura, and his attack trails are yellow with orange accents.
Awano's moveset is reused by Satoshi Shioya in Judgment.
Trivia[]
- Awano's tattoo may possibly be a nod to Takeuchi's role as Seiji in the movie KikokuWP since he has a similar Momotaro tattoo.
- Awano's signature purple suit jacket was originally meant to be yellow, but was later changed to purple based on Riki TakeuchiWP's suggestion since he believed that yellow did not properly mirror the atmosphere of the bubble era.[1]
- Awano's tattoo being Momotaro battling demons could be foreshadowing his eventual fight with Majima, as Majima has a hannya tattoo and motif.
Gallery[]
Yakuza 0[]
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Online[]
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References[]
- ↑ “'Ryū ga Gotoku' Saishin Saku Happyō! Takeuchi Riki, Ozawa Hitoshi-ra 'kowamote' Sutaa ga Kesshū” 「龍が如く」最新作発表！竹内力、小沢仁志ら“コワモテ”スターが結集 [The latest 'Like a Dragon' work was announced! Riki Takeuchi, Hitoshi Ozawa and other 'kowamote' stars gather.] January 16, 2015, https://eiga.com/news/20150116/6/.
泰平一家組長・阿波野大樹を演じた竹内は、「（阿波野の衣装が）最初、ジャケットが黄色だった。ディスコのシーンで黄色だったら印象が薄い。当時の匂いを出すとなると、紫色のジャケットに代えてほしいと言った」と作品への強いこだわりを告白。
— The latest 'Like a Dragon' work was announced! Riki Takeuchi, Hitoshi Ozawa and other 'kowamote' stars gather.Takeuchi, who portrayed Taihei Association Patriarch Hiroki Awano, said '(Awano's costume) originally had a yellow jacket. If it was yellow in the disco scene, it would leave a weak impression. I asked for a purple jacket instead to better fit the feel of the era' and emphasized his commitment to the work.