TV-Series
Description
Hajime Kudo is a central character in the story, serving as a real estate agent at the Wang Lai Real Estate agency within the recreated Kowloon Walled City. He is a man in his mid-thirties with a robust, lean build, short black hair, and black eyes. His typical work attire of a shirt and tie is often worn in a careless, untucked manner, reflecting a laid-back approach to his appearance that contrasts with his more put-together colleagues.
On the surface, Kudo presents a headstrong, brash, and sometimes aggressive personality. He is often described as careless, hot-headed, and ignorant in his dealings with others, which can lead to bickering, particularly with his coworker Reiko Kujirai. He is a creature of habit who dislikes change, preferring to eat at the same restaurants and buy the same snacks rather than try anything new. This preference for the familiar extends to his view of the city itself; he is a firm believer that Kowloon should never change because it embodies a cherished, nostalgic past. Despite his rough exterior, he harbors a fundamentally kind and considerate nature, hiding a sympathetic core beneath his scruffy and often indifferent facade.
Kudo’s entire present existence is shaped by a profound past trauma. He was engaged to his senior and mentor, the original Reiko Kujirai, often referred to as Kujirai B. Her death by a sleeping pill overdose devastated him, leaving him to grapple with immense grief and guilt. His love for the nostalgic atmosphere of Kowloon is directly tied to this loss; he was responsible for meticulously creating the second Kowloon from his memories of the original city and his time with Kujirai B, making the city a monument to his longing for the past.
This unresolved grief defines his tumultuous relationship with the current Reiko Kujirai, Reiko A, a woman who is a double of his late fiancée physically but possesses a different personality and no shared memories. The dynamic between them is a constant push and pull, driven by Kudo’s inability to fully separate the two women. At times, he is cold and dismissive, interpreting Reiko A’s actions as mere mimicry of the original. He explicitly rejects her romantic confession, telling her that her feelings are not real. He also shows moments of care, even sharing an embrace with her and reciprocating her feelings after she is prevented from leaving Kowloon, leading them to spend the night together. However, these moments of connection are often followed by emotional retreats when she inadvertently reminds him of Kujirai B through simple actions or habits. He is haunted by the ghost of his lost love, even seeing her presence in the apartment that Reiko A now inhabits. This internal conflict is central to his character, as he struggles to honor the memory of Kujirai B while accepting Reiko A as her own person.
Kudo is not without other significant relationships. His best friend is Gwen Tao, a bartender who is one of the few people who knows the truth about Kujirai B’s death and the artificial nature of the new Kowloon. He shares a close, sibling-like rapport with a girl named Xiaohei but harbors a strong dislike for Lin Yaomay due to her consistently aggressive attitude towards him. He also feels animosity and distrust towards a character named Miyuki Hebinuma, especially after witnessing him kiss Reiko A.
His character development centers on his gradual and painful journey to separate the past from the present. He initially sees the current Reiko as a replacement, but over time, he begins to notice and appreciate her individuality. He oscillates between wanting to keep her as a substitute for his lost love and loathing her for being different. His struggle is reflected in the city itself, a perfect replica that cannot restore what was lost, and his subconscious attachment to the past is so powerful it can even cause earthquakes within Kowloon during his nightmares. While he still clings to the habits and philosophies of Kujirai B, such as touching the number eight for luck, the story sees him slowly allowing himself to try new things, like the lemon chicken that Reiko A enjoys, as a small but significant step towards embracing a new future rather than being imprisoned by nostalgia.
On the surface, Kudo presents a headstrong, brash, and sometimes aggressive personality. He is often described as careless, hot-headed, and ignorant in his dealings with others, which can lead to bickering, particularly with his coworker Reiko Kujirai. He is a creature of habit who dislikes change, preferring to eat at the same restaurants and buy the same snacks rather than try anything new. This preference for the familiar extends to his view of the city itself; he is a firm believer that Kowloon should never change because it embodies a cherished, nostalgic past. Despite his rough exterior, he harbors a fundamentally kind and considerate nature, hiding a sympathetic core beneath his scruffy and often indifferent facade.
Kudo’s entire present existence is shaped by a profound past trauma. He was engaged to his senior and mentor, the original Reiko Kujirai, often referred to as Kujirai B. Her death by a sleeping pill overdose devastated him, leaving him to grapple with immense grief and guilt. His love for the nostalgic atmosphere of Kowloon is directly tied to this loss; he was responsible for meticulously creating the second Kowloon from his memories of the original city and his time with Kujirai B, making the city a monument to his longing for the past.
This unresolved grief defines his tumultuous relationship with the current Reiko Kujirai, Reiko A, a woman who is a double of his late fiancée physically but possesses a different personality and no shared memories. The dynamic between them is a constant push and pull, driven by Kudo’s inability to fully separate the two women. At times, he is cold and dismissive, interpreting Reiko A’s actions as mere mimicry of the original. He explicitly rejects her romantic confession, telling her that her feelings are not real. He also shows moments of care, even sharing an embrace with her and reciprocating her feelings after she is prevented from leaving Kowloon, leading them to spend the night together. However, these moments of connection are often followed by emotional retreats when she inadvertently reminds him of Kujirai B through simple actions or habits. He is haunted by the ghost of his lost love, even seeing her presence in the apartment that Reiko A now inhabits. This internal conflict is central to his character, as he struggles to honor the memory of Kujirai B while accepting Reiko A as her own person.
Kudo is not without other significant relationships. His best friend is Gwen Tao, a bartender who is one of the few people who knows the truth about Kujirai B’s death and the artificial nature of the new Kowloon. He shares a close, sibling-like rapport with a girl named Xiaohei but harbors a strong dislike for Lin Yaomay due to her consistently aggressive attitude towards him. He also feels animosity and distrust towards a character named Miyuki Hebinuma, especially after witnessing him kiss Reiko A.
His character development centers on his gradual and painful journey to separate the past from the present. He initially sees the current Reiko as a replacement, but over time, he begins to notice and appreciate her individuality. He oscillates between wanting to keep her as a substitute for his lost love and loathing her for being different. His struggle is reflected in the city itself, a perfect replica that cannot restore what was lost, and his subconscious attachment to the past is so powerful it can even cause earthquakes within Kowloon during his nightmares. While he still clings to the habits and philosophies of Kujirai B, such as touching the number eight for luck, the story sees him slowly allowing himself to try new things, like the lemon chicken that Reiko A enjoys, as a small but significant step towards embracing a new future rather than being imprisoned by nostalgia.