TV-Series
Description
Lin Xiaming, also written as Xianming Lin, is a nineteen-year-old trained assassin from Taiwan who moves to Hakata, Fukuoka, to search for his missing sister. He was born on November 24 and stands 165 centimeters tall, with long light-brown hair that reaches his lower back and neat, androgynous facial features. His most common outfit consists of a brown vest over a white chiffon blouse with a red ribbon, a red skirt, and long black socks.
Lin’s background is marked by extreme poverty and trauma. He spent his early childhood with his mother and younger sister in the slums of China. His father was an alcoholic and gambler who eventually abandoned the family, leaving behind significant debt. Lin often had to scavenge for food scraps on the streets. Human traffickers frequently approached his mother to buy her children, but she refused each time. Witnessing his sick mother struggling to support him and his sister, Lin made the decision to sell himself to the traffickers at the age of nine. He was taken to a facility where he was trained as an assassin, filling a spot left by a trainee who had recently died. There he met his roommate and training partner, Feilang, who became his first friend. Over four years, they supported each other through lessons and training and vowed to work together after leaving the facility. On the day of their final exam, however, they were locked in a room with weapons and ordered to fight to the death. Lin initially tried to find another way out, but Feilang attacked him and revealed that he had killed his previous roommate. In self-defense, Lin struck Feilang with the nearest object, cutting his face deeply. Believing Feilang dead, Lin was allowed to leave and began his career as a hitman. About a year after graduation, he was sent to Japan to work under Zhang, an executive of the Kakyuu Association.
Lin’s personality is shaped by his harsh upbringing and the betrayal he experienced. He is self-reliant, has great difficulty opening up to others, and struggles to trust people. He tends to speak in a curt manner and can come across as harsh or insensitive, but this stems from his belief in facing hard truths directly rather than sugar-coating reality. He is rather impartial to social norms and gender stereotypes, once stating that he never understood why men wearing skirts is considered wrong when women can wear pants. He enjoys wearing makeup and dressing in female attire, partly because it makes him feel closer to his sister, from whom he was separated for nine years, and partly because it makes him feel more comfortable compared to the poverty and uncleanliness of his childhood. He has a strong interest in fashion and romance stories. Because of his impoverished upbringing, he is very conscious of money and follows a strict principle of never wasting food, even if he does not like it. He initially appears very frugal in order to pay off the debt he owed to Zhang, but after that debt is resolved, he begins to spend more freely on shopping, often using retail therapy to relieve stress.
Lin’s primary motivation throughout the story is his search for his missing sister and his desire to break free from the control of the criminal organization that owns his contract. He becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of pay and assignments from his employers. After his target commits suicide before he can complete a job, his organization refuses to pay him even half the agreed amount. When he requests another mission, he is ordered to kill the private detective Zenji Banba. Instead of carrying out the hit, Lin offers Banba an alternative: to form a team. Banba pays off Lin’s debt, effectively freeing him from his contract with the Kakyuu Association. After the events of the Mayor Harada Scandal arc, Lin becomes a freelance assassin and moves in with Banba, essentially freeloading at his apartment. He also becomes a member of the Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens baseball team.
Lin’s role in the story is that of a main protagonist and a skilled operative within the criminal underworld of Hakata. He is proficient with bladed weapons and operates under the guise of a food stall owner. His key relationship is with Zenji Banba, the private investigator who becomes his partner and closest ally. Banba’s willingness to help Lin without ulterior motives gradually allows Lin to open up and trust others. Other important relationships include his complicated history with Feilang, who later reappears, and his connections with other members of the Hakata underworld, including the informant Enokida and various assassins and fixers. Lin’s development throughout the series revolves around learning to rely on others, moving from a solitary and guarded existence to becoming part of a found family. He gains a sense of belonging and purpose beyond mere survival, though he retains his pragmatic and blunt nature. His notable abilities include expert-level combat skills with knives and other bladed weapons, honed through years of brutal training and professional experience as a hitman.
Lin’s background is marked by extreme poverty and trauma. He spent his early childhood with his mother and younger sister in the slums of China. His father was an alcoholic and gambler who eventually abandoned the family, leaving behind significant debt. Lin often had to scavenge for food scraps on the streets. Human traffickers frequently approached his mother to buy her children, but she refused each time. Witnessing his sick mother struggling to support him and his sister, Lin made the decision to sell himself to the traffickers at the age of nine. He was taken to a facility where he was trained as an assassin, filling a spot left by a trainee who had recently died. There he met his roommate and training partner, Feilang, who became his first friend. Over four years, they supported each other through lessons and training and vowed to work together after leaving the facility. On the day of their final exam, however, they were locked in a room with weapons and ordered to fight to the death. Lin initially tried to find another way out, but Feilang attacked him and revealed that he had killed his previous roommate. In self-defense, Lin struck Feilang with the nearest object, cutting his face deeply. Believing Feilang dead, Lin was allowed to leave and began his career as a hitman. About a year after graduation, he was sent to Japan to work under Zhang, an executive of the Kakyuu Association.
Lin’s personality is shaped by his harsh upbringing and the betrayal he experienced. He is self-reliant, has great difficulty opening up to others, and struggles to trust people. He tends to speak in a curt manner and can come across as harsh or insensitive, but this stems from his belief in facing hard truths directly rather than sugar-coating reality. He is rather impartial to social norms and gender stereotypes, once stating that he never understood why men wearing skirts is considered wrong when women can wear pants. He enjoys wearing makeup and dressing in female attire, partly because it makes him feel closer to his sister, from whom he was separated for nine years, and partly because it makes him feel more comfortable compared to the poverty and uncleanliness of his childhood. He has a strong interest in fashion and romance stories. Because of his impoverished upbringing, he is very conscious of money and follows a strict principle of never wasting food, even if he does not like it. He initially appears very frugal in order to pay off the debt he owed to Zhang, but after that debt is resolved, he begins to spend more freely on shopping, often using retail therapy to relieve stress.
Lin’s primary motivation throughout the story is his search for his missing sister and his desire to break free from the control of the criminal organization that owns his contract. He becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of pay and assignments from his employers. After his target commits suicide before he can complete a job, his organization refuses to pay him even half the agreed amount. When he requests another mission, he is ordered to kill the private detective Zenji Banba. Instead of carrying out the hit, Lin offers Banba an alternative: to form a team. Banba pays off Lin’s debt, effectively freeing him from his contract with the Kakyuu Association. After the events of the Mayor Harada Scandal arc, Lin becomes a freelance assassin and moves in with Banba, essentially freeloading at his apartment. He also becomes a member of the Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens baseball team.
Lin’s role in the story is that of a main protagonist and a skilled operative within the criminal underworld of Hakata. He is proficient with bladed weapons and operates under the guise of a food stall owner. His key relationship is with Zenji Banba, the private investigator who becomes his partner and closest ally. Banba’s willingness to help Lin without ulterior motives gradually allows Lin to open up and trust others. Other important relationships include his complicated history with Feilang, who later reappears, and his connections with other members of the Hakata underworld, including the informant Enokida and various assassins and fixers. Lin’s development throughout the series revolves around learning to rely on others, moving from a solitary and guarded existence to becoming part of a found family. He gains a sense of belonging and purpose beyond mere survival, though he retains his pragmatic and blunt nature. His notable abilities include expert-level combat skills with knives and other bladed weapons, honed through years of brutal training and professional experience as a hitman.