TV-Series
Description
Kenshirō Yozakura serves as the supervisor of Building 4 at Nanba Prison, where he holds the rank of the facility's second strongest guard. He is a slim man of above-average height, standing at 183 centimeters, with a dark complexion and a single protruding buck tooth. His striking appearance features white hair with pink tips that is tied back into a curling ponytail, framing deep pink eyes and long white eyelashes. He wears a black eyepatch over his right eye, giving him a mysterious air that is further complemented by his pastel pink haori decorated with darker pink cherry blossom patterns, which he wears over his modified standard-issue guard uniform.
Kenshirō is generally a calm, reserved, and cool-headed individual who rarely exhibits strong emotion, a trait that has made him notably popular with women. Despite this composed exterior, he is described as a poor liar and is surprisingly easy for his coworkers and even inmates to read. This quiet demeanor can sometimes be mistaken for arrogance and pomposity, contributing to a tense relationship with fellow supervisors, though he often attempts to be the levelheaded one who breaks up their arguments. His calmness can break, however, revealing a heated anger that is directed not at his colleagues but at criminals who manage to evade justice, a resentment that stems from his personal history.
Before becoming a guard, Kenshirō was a police officer who specialized in training police dogs. During his time on the force, he began hearing reports of inmates being used for illegal human experimentation. He filed numerous reports to his superiors in hopes of launching an official investigation, but his concerns were dismissed as mere rumors. Feeling that his coworkers were deliberately hiding the truth from him, Kenshirō resigned from the police force with the specific intention of investigating the matter himself from within the prison system as a guard.
This strong sense of justice and dedication to his duty often guides his actions, yet a powerful romantic affection for the warden, Momoko Hyakushiki, serves as a significant personal motivation. He hopes to gain her acknowledgment and demonstrates a jealous streak, resenting anyone who receives her affection, particularly Hajime Sugoroku, whom he views as a rival. This rivalry is not merely personal but professional, as Kenshirō is highly confident in his abilities and sees defeating Hajime, the prison's strongest guard, as a means of proving himself. While he typically maintains a serious and impersonal professionalism, he is not above bending minor rules, as shown when he allowed dogs into a staff room, reflecting his genuine fondness for animals.
Within the story, Kenshirō plays a key role in maintaining order, particularly during the New Year's Tournament where he advances to the final round before being interrupted by a disturbance caused by the inmate Musashi. Following this event, he is ordered to temporarily take over as supervisor of Building 13 and is tasked with interrogating Musashi. During this interrogation, Kenshirō reveals his own past as a police officer and his fruitless investigation into human experimentation, forming an unlikely connection with the inmate. He asserts his determination to find and punish the criminals responsible and promises to do so, showing a shift from simple enforcement to a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the inmates under his watch.
In the Building Five arc, Kenshirō demonstrates his loyalty and protective instincts when he confronts the escaped prisoner Enki Gokuu, who threatens to kill Musashi. Though overpowered, he continues to fight alongside his colleagues until the crisis is resolved. His development culminates in a quiet vow to protect the warden, Momoko, from experiencing further feelings of helplessness after she is blamed for an incident beyond her control. His abilities are formidable, wielding a powerful and elastic whip with enough force to toss grown men and even create cutting gusts of wind. He maintains key relationships with his rival Hajime, his love interest Momoko, and Musashi, the inmate he supervises who mockingly calls him Doggie.
Kenshirō is generally a calm, reserved, and cool-headed individual who rarely exhibits strong emotion, a trait that has made him notably popular with women. Despite this composed exterior, he is described as a poor liar and is surprisingly easy for his coworkers and even inmates to read. This quiet demeanor can sometimes be mistaken for arrogance and pomposity, contributing to a tense relationship with fellow supervisors, though he often attempts to be the levelheaded one who breaks up their arguments. His calmness can break, however, revealing a heated anger that is directed not at his colleagues but at criminals who manage to evade justice, a resentment that stems from his personal history.
Before becoming a guard, Kenshirō was a police officer who specialized in training police dogs. During his time on the force, he began hearing reports of inmates being used for illegal human experimentation. He filed numerous reports to his superiors in hopes of launching an official investigation, but his concerns were dismissed as mere rumors. Feeling that his coworkers were deliberately hiding the truth from him, Kenshirō resigned from the police force with the specific intention of investigating the matter himself from within the prison system as a guard.
This strong sense of justice and dedication to his duty often guides his actions, yet a powerful romantic affection for the warden, Momoko Hyakushiki, serves as a significant personal motivation. He hopes to gain her acknowledgment and demonstrates a jealous streak, resenting anyone who receives her affection, particularly Hajime Sugoroku, whom he views as a rival. This rivalry is not merely personal but professional, as Kenshirō is highly confident in his abilities and sees defeating Hajime, the prison's strongest guard, as a means of proving himself. While he typically maintains a serious and impersonal professionalism, he is not above bending minor rules, as shown when he allowed dogs into a staff room, reflecting his genuine fondness for animals.
Within the story, Kenshirō plays a key role in maintaining order, particularly during the New Year's Tournament where he advances to the final round before being interrupted by a disturbance caused by the inmate Musashi. Following this event, he is ordered to temporarily take over as supervisor of Building 13 and is tasked with interrogating Musashi. During this interrogation, Kenshirō reveals his own past as a police officer and his fruitless investigation into human experimentation, forming an unlikely connection with the inmate. He asserts his determination to find and punish the criminals responsible and promises to do so, showing a shift from simple enforcement to a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the inmates under his watch.
In the Building Five arc, Kenshirō demonstrates his loyalty and protective instincts when he confronts the escaped prisoner Enki Gokuu, who threatens to kill Musashi. Though overpowered, he continues to fight alongside his colleagues until the crisis is resolved. His development culminates in a quiet vow to protect the warden, Momoko, from experiencing further feelings of helplessness after she is blamed for an incident beyond her control. His abilities are formidable, wielding a powerful and elastic whip with enough force to toss grown men and even create cutting gusts of wind. He maintains key relationships with his rival Hajime, his love interest Momoko, and Musashi, the inmate he supervises who mockingly calls him Doggie.