Ryuuji Munakata

* Anime
* Manga

**Ryuuji Munakata** (宗方隆司, *Munakata Ryuuji*) is a hitman working for Mayor Harada.

## Characteristics

### Appearance

Munakata has short grey hair and wrinkles around the corners of his eyes and mouth. He wears a high-quality pinstripe suit and a branded wrist watch, as well as an eye-patch on his right eye due to a past wound inflicted upon him by the Niwaka Samurai.

### Personality

He has the analytical mind and sternness suited for his occupation as a hitman and is loyal to his employer to a fault. He assumes command as the main leader of his group of friends and is close to and feels responsible for each of them.

## Background

Eight years prior to the main story, Munakata worked as a hitman for a gang, and during that time, he was ordered to take out a killer from another organization. He tracked down his target and was preparing to shoot him down, only to witness the Niwaka Samurai beheading the crazed man. Intimidated at the man's prowess, Munakata set his scope on the Niwaka Samurai, but to his shock he had been noticed by the other. The Niwaka Samurai threw a short sword at his rifle's scope, causing the shrapnel to pierce his right eye. While Munakata was able to escape the scene with his life, he permanently lost his right eye. At some point he left the group he was with and was hired by Mayor Harada.

## Synopsis

### Mayor Harada Scandal Arc

At dinner, Munakata speaks with Shinohara, Ivanov, and Reiko about the upcoming election and expresses the need for at least one of them to be with their boss at all times to protect him from hostile enemies. Munakata, keen to protect their boss' position, orders his colleagues to take out a detective named Takeda, who has been looking into the connections between a crime syndicate and the mayor.

It is not long before Munakata receives a call from Ivanov to let him know that Detective Takeda has been taken care of. Soon after Reiko meets up with him, he receives another phone call from the mayor's son, Yusuke Harada, who requires their assistance in getting rid of the body of his latest victim. Munakata sends a reluctant Reiko to take care of it. In the meantime, he sets out to carry out another assignment.

Later, Munakata, along with Shinohara, reports to Mayor Harada both the death of Detective Takeda as well as Yusuke's newest victim. The mayor trusts that Munakata and his team will do whatever it takes to prevent the public from finding out about his son's crimes. Afterward, they meet up with Reiko, who informs him about friends of Yusuke's who were recorded on video beating up foreigners. Together with Shinohara and Ivanov, Munakata kidnaps them from their university campus. On the drive, Shinohara questions Munakata about his right eye, which leads him to remember his encounter with the Niwaka Samurai. However, he does not finish the story aloud and denies the Niwaka Samurai's existence.

Munakata and his companions agree with Reiko's idea of procuring trafficked women from the Kakyuu Association to satisfy Yusuke's future urges, so Munakata makes contact with them. He meets with Zhang, who agrees to provide him with a woman on the condition that he kills Xianming Lin.

Later that night, Munakata receives a call from Yusuke. The girl they had procured has already been raped and killed, so he makes arrangements to get rid of the body, and with Reiko's help, frames Takuya Itou for Qiaomei Lin's murder. Making good on their deal, Ivanov is sent to kill Xianming Lin, but when Ivanov does not answer his phone, Munakata becomes worried and rushes to the Kakyuu Association's offices. Upon his arrival, Munakata comes to the sad realization that Ivanov is dead and makes it a priority to find his killer. He assures Zhang that they will still carry out the job. This time, however, Zhang wants Lin and Zenji Banba delivered to him alive.

After transporting Ivanov's body to their car, Munakata and Reiko realize that Banba and Lin had taken Ivanov's cell phone. They immediately plan to use the GPS function to locate them, and while this does not fully work out as they expected it would, Shinohara had manages to track the last emitted signal, coming from an internet cafe in the Gate's Building. They retrieve the security footage and recognize Lin, watching him hand the phone to and talk with Enokida. With this, they easily track down Enokida, who readily gives them information on Lin and Banba's plans in exchange for cash. Afterward, Munakata reports back to Zhang, who orders they play along in order to trap them. He heads to the Mitsukoshi Lion Statues with Shinohara, where they collect Lin and deliver him to Zhang.

With the arrival of the Niwaka Samurai, whom Zhang had hired, everything seems to be going to plan. However, Munakata is dumbstruck when the Niwaka Samurai beheads Zhang instead of Lin. Munakata tries to warn Shinohara not to fight, but Shinohara throws a grenade at the killer. The grenade is returned to Shinohara and explodes on impact. Despite an attempt to fight back, Munakata is unable to hold off the killer with his two guns and is sliced across the throat.

## Trivia

* In the anime, Munakata and Reiko's relationship is hinted at being sexual or romantic.
* Chiaki Kisaki confirmed in a series of tweets that the stories of the Niwaka Samurai that Munakata had initially heard about were of the first predecessor. The Niwaka Samurai he encountered was Zenji Banba, the second to carry the Niwaka Samurai's legacy.