Harada Katsumi

**Harada Katsumi** (原田 克美 *Harada Katsumi*) is the main antagonist of the Ten series and makes appearances in HERO - Akagi no Ishi wo Tsugu Otoko. He is the mahjong rep player and leader of the West yakuza gang from Kansai.

## Personality

As a Yakuza gang leader, Harada is naturally charismatic and ruthless. He is shown to be prideful, over-confident and snarky during his mahjong games against the protagonists - at the start of the East-West Battle he even exhales cigarette smoke into Akagi's face and calls East's players 'kids and old washed-up men'. Harada is described as coldblooded and willing to kill his way through situations - as seen in Chapter 40, where he stabs Ken through his right hand to stop him from cheating during a mahjong game.

During Akagi's funeral, Harada shows a rare side of himself that is down to earth, self-reflective and emotional.

## Plot

#### Ten - Tenhoudouri no Kaidanji

Harada is introduced as the West leader and mahjong rep of Kansai's largest yakuza gang who organises the entire East-West tournament. His first opponent is Ken, who is also a member of West but changed sides to East for a better chance at winning the tournament. During this battle Ken had been scheming to cheat, however, Harada sees through this immediately and pulls out a concealed tanto knife and aims to stab Ken in the chest. This forces Ken to defend himself and sacrifice his right hand to be stabbed instead, dropping the tile is was about to cheat with.

Harada successfully wins up to the last round of the East-West tournament where he is up against Ten and is ultimately defeated.

9 years after the East-West tournament, he is one of the attendees at Akagi's funeral and later waits in the room with the rest of the East-West tournament participants who are waiting to have a shot at persuading Akagi to not go through with his suicide. Harada is the third person to meet with Akagi, but before he does, he calls backup yakuza men to enter with him into the room and threatens to abduct Akagi to not allow him to go through with his suicide. Akagi counters by explaining that he could bite his tongue off if Harada did that, but adds that it would be a terrible way to die. Harada dismisses his men and gives up on the plan. Harada starts to argue over Akagi's decision but Akagi tells Harada that he, too, is 'dead' as he is too busy and caught up with life's social cues and success to actually be 'alive'. Harada ends up failing to persuade Akagi and is rather broken up after hearing Akagi's final message for him. Later, he discusses Akagi's message for him with Hiroyuki in the funeral parlour's garden. He takes his shoes off and walks on to the lawn with socks, surprising Hiro in the process. He then explains that Akagi would not have even hesitated to be barefooted on the grass - a metaphor for Akagi's detachment from social structure and free lifestyle choices, a concept that Harada could never achieve no matter how much he succeeded in life. Harada is last seen in the second last chapter crying with everyone as they watch Akagi's life fade away before their very eyes.

#### HERO - Akagi no Ishi wo Tsugu Otoko

3 years after Akagi's death, Hiro participates in the 2nd East-West tournament. Harada appears in multiple flashbacks to the events of Ten and still holds the position of leader of the West. He sends in his undercover son, Nishikata Kyousuke, to participate.

## Gallery

First appearanceGetting ready to stab KenHarada attempting to abduct Akagi to stop him from committing suicideLive action series, played by Koji Matoba
## Trivia

* Fukumoto stated in an interview that he 'likes Harada quite a lot'.
* '原田' means *'plains field'*; '克美' means *'overcome, beauty'*