TV-Series
Description
Ming-Li Huang, known as Min, runs the Hanamaru ramen shop, serving as the base for the NEET Detective Team. Of Chinese descent but holding Japanese nationality, she is Zainichi. Tall with black hair usually in a ponytail and bangs framing the left side of her face, she favors practical clothing: jeans, a sarashi, a black tank top, and her shop's apron, prioritizing comfort despite her figure.
Min displays a brash, tomboyish demeanor, often speaking with a masculine tone that contrasts her appearance. Underneath, she shows deep care and unwavering support for the NEET Detective Team, providing them meals and a gathering place regardless of their ability to repay her. She treats the ramen shop's operations and culinary standards with intense seriousness.
Her past involved significant struggle. She abandoned pursuing a confectionery degree and her dream of an ice cream shop after her father, Masaru Hanada, vanished unexpectedly. Left to run Hanamaru without learning his original recipes, she developed her own soup formulations, a source of pride and frustration, especially when a mysterious customer (later revealed as her father) critiqued her ramen by sipping once and leaving. During this time, she secretly trafficked illegal drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, and heroin, to generate extra income for the shop, hiding this venture from the NEET team.
Min's relationships highlight her protective and nurturing side. She shelters fourteen-year-old Thai-Japanese girl Meo Kusakabe from yakuza threats, seeing parallels to her own father's abandonment. She acts as a caretaker for Alice, ensuring she eats vegetables and maintains hygiene, often using ice cream as leverage. Her dynamic with Narumi Fujishima involves assigning him shop tasks and confiding in him during personal crises, like a stalker incident involving a lingerie designer. Her father eventually reconnects by leaving a new ramen recipe, subtly acknowledging her efforts.
Across the series, Min evolves from a reluctant ramen shop manager to a resilient figure balancing her hardened exterior with steadfast loyalty to those she protects. Her background in drug dealing and the resolution of her father's absence contribute to her layered development, emphasizing her adaptability.
Min displays a brash, tomboyish demeanor, often speaking with a masculine tone that contrasts her appearance. Underneath, she shows deep care and unwavering support for the NEET Detective Team, providing them meals and a gathering place regardless of their ability to repay her. She treats the ramen shop's operations and culinary standards with intense seriousness.
Her past involved significant struggle. She abandoned pursuing a confectionery degree and her dream of an ice cream shop after her father, Masaru Hanada, vanished unexpectedly. Left to run Hanamaru without learning his original recipes, she developed her own soup formulations, a source of pride and frustration, especially when a mysterious customer (later revealed as her father) critiqued her ramen by sipping once and leaving. During this time, she secretly trafficked illegal drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, and heroin, to generate extra income for the shop, hiding this venture from the NEET team.
Min's relationships highlight her protective and nurturing side. She shelters fourteen-year-old Thai-Japanese girl Meo Kusakabe from yakuza threats, seeing parallels to her own father's abandonment. She acts as a caretaker for Alice, ensuring she eats vegetables and maintains hygiene, often using ice cream as leverage. Her dynamic with Narumi Fujishima involves assigning him shop tasks and confiding in him during personal crises, like a stalker incident involving a lingerie designer. Her father eventually reconnects by leaving a new ramen recipe, subtly acknowledging her efforts.
Across the series, Min evolves from a reluctant ramen shop manager to a resilient figure balancing her hardened exterior with steadfast loyalty to those she protects. Her background in drug dealing and the resolution of her father's absence contribute to her layered development, emphasizing her adaptability.