OVA
Description
Emu Hino is a central character in the story, introduced as a talented and solitary Japanese painter. She comes from a once-wealthy family, as her father was a successful man whose fortune largely vanished upon his death, leaving her with little more than the old family mansion. Living alone, she is portrayed as a reserved and lonesome individual, deeply affected by her isolation and a life devoid of romantic connection or a clear purpose. At the age of twenty-nine, her quiet existence is shattered when she becomes an eyewitness to an assassination carried out by Yō Hinomura, the assassin known as Crying Freeman. Rather than succumbing entirely to terror, she is profoundly intrigued by the sight of the killer shedding tears after his act of violence. This paradoxical image of a ruthless yet sorrowful man, who gives his name only as Yō before disappearing, becomes an obsession for her.
Emu’s motivations are initially rooted in a deep-seated resignation and a desperate wish to escape her profound loneliness. After witnessing a second killing by Freeman, she becomes a target for elimination by the 108 Dragons, the Chinese crime syndicate he serves. The police and yakuza also begin to harass her for information. Returning to her home knowing that Yō will eventually come for her, she makes a fateful decision. Instead of fleeing, she paints his portrait and awaits him. When he appears, fully intending to execute her, she makes a remarkable request: she asks him to take her virginity so that she will not die without ever having experienced love. This act is not born of manipulation but from a place of genuine despair and a newfound wish to give her life meaning through a single intimate connection. This moment of unexpected vulnerability and acceptance moves Freeman in a way he did not anticipate, and he finds himself unable to complete his mission.
This pivotal encounter marks the beginning of a profound partnership. Her role in the story evolves rapidly from a doomed witness to Freeman’s lover, and eventually to his wife and an equal partner in the criminal underworld. After a Yakuza member, searching for Freeman, critically injures her, Freeman takes her to the 108 Dragons’ headquarters. There, she demonstrates a strong will and unwavering resolve that earns her the respect of the syndicate’s leadership, particularly Mother Tiger, who initially viewed her as weak. She willingly undergoes the ritual to become part of Freeman’s world, receiving a large tiger tattoo on her back, with two cubs tattooed on her abdomen to symbolize the children she and Freeman can never have due to the clan's rules. She is given the Chinese name Hǔ Qīng-Lán, which translates to Tiger Pure Orchid, and marries Freeman, who is renamed Lóng Tài-Yáng.
Her character undergoes a significant transformation, blossoming from a timid and resigned woman into a formidable and resourceful leader. She is not merely a passive love interest but becomes a source of immense strength for Freeman. The trust between them is demonstrated in a moment when he, while swimming in shark-infested waters, calls for her to jump in, and she does so without hesitation, despite not knowing how to swim. As the story progresses, she becomes a master strategist, often proving to be more resourceful and clever than her assassin husband. Her development continues as she comes into possession of the legendary cursed katana, Muramasa. She travels to the lawless Kowloon Walled City to master swordsmanship under a skilled teacher, and the sentient cursed blade recognizes her as its first true owner, making her a highly dangerous sword master in her own right. Alongside Freeman, she eventually rises to become a co-leader of the 108 Dragons, controlling vast aspects of organized crime. Her journey is one of seizing control over her own fate, transforming her initial wish for death into the strength to protect the man she loves and command a powerful criminal empire.
Emu’s motivations are initially rooted in a deep-seated resignation and a desperate wish to escape her profound loneliness. After witnessing a second killing by Freeman, she becomes a target for elimination by the 108 Dragons, the Chinese crime syndicate he serves. The police and yakuza also begin to harass her for information. Returning to her home knowing that Yō will eventually come for her, she makes a fateful decision. Instead of fleeing, she paints his portrait and awaits him. When he appears, fully intending to execute her, she makes a remarkable request: she asks him to take her virginity so that she will not die without ever having experienced love. This act is not born of manipulation but from a place of genuine despair and a newfound wish to give her life meaning through a single intimate connection. This moment of unexpected vulnerability and acceptance moves Freeman in a way he did not anticipate, and he finds himself unable to complete his mission.
This pivotal encounter marks the beginning of a profound partnership. Her role in the story evolves rapidly from a doomed witness to Freeman’s lover, and eventually to his wife and an equal partner in the criminal underworld. After a Yakuza member, searching for Freeman, critically injures her, Freeman takes her to the 108 Dragons’ headquarters. There, she demonstrates a strong will and unwavering resolve that earns her the respect of the syndicate’s leadership, particularly Mother Tiger, who initially viewed her as weak. She willingly undergoes the ritual to become part of Freeman’s world, receiving a large tiger tattoo on her back, with two cubs tattooed on her abdomen to symbolize the children she and Freeman can never have due to the clan's rules. She is given the Chinese name Hǔ Qīng-Lán, which translates to Tiger Pure Orchid, and marries Freeman, who is renamed Lóng Tài-Yáng.
Her character undergoes a significant transformation, blossoming from a timid and resigned woman into a formidable and resourceful leader. She is not merely a passive love interest but becomes a source of immense strength for Freeman. The trust between them is demonstrated in a moment when he, while swimming in shark-infested waters, calls for her to jump in, and she does so without hesitation, despite not knowing how to swim. As the story progresses, she becomes a master strategist, often proving to be more resourceful and clever than her assassin husband. Her development continues as she comes into possession of the legendary cursed katana, Muramasa. She travels to the lawless Kowloon Walled City to master swordsmanship under a skilled teacher, and the sentient cursed blade recognizes her as its first true owner, making her a highly dangerous sword master in her own right. Alongside Freeman, she eventually rises to become a co-leader of the 108 Dragons, controlling vast aspects of organized crime. Her journey is one of seizing control over her own fate, transforming her initial wish for death into the strength to protect the man she loves and command a powerful criminal empire.