Hal is extremely ambitious and a hard worker, dead set on his dream of becoming a doctor. He takes on more burdens than he can bear in order to achieve success and make his family proud. After plagiarizing an essay, he is blackmailed by Jake into doing his homework for him, and feels awful about compromising his integrity.
Though Hal comes across as calm and composed to his classmates, Hulk mentions that he is much more uptight than he seems. He suppresses his stress until he cannot take it anymore, at which point he explodes in a burst of anger.Â
Hal is concerned with fitting in America, and wants to immerse himself in the culture. He thoroughly believes that in America, you can get anywhere if you simply work hard enough. Bringing his family honor is a huge priority for him: he feels that he must succeed on their behalf, and is terrified of being sent back to Japan otherwise. Outside of this, Hal is quiet, kind, and polite. He keeps to himself, but always treats Nancy with respect and good manners.
“I’m studying really hard for exams now. My future as a doctor depends on the outcome of these tests.”
“Oh it’s you Nancy. I’m really embarrassed to see you again.”
“Hal Tanaka. Actually, my first name is much longer than that, but I wanted to fit in here in America, so I chose Hal as my nickname.”
“Jake Rogers was a dark soul. He created a lot of trouble.”
“I want to be part of the culture, and succeed in this country.”
“My family is counting on me to succeed here. I must make them proud of me.”
“In my family, it’s very important to succeed. I believe hard work will get me into a good university.”
“I have made some mistakes, but I try to be a decent person.”
“Yes, Nancy. I’m very ashamed. My family will be extremely unhappy about this terrible mistake I have made.”
“I was not happy about the situation, but I would never kill anyone! I value human life!”
“I admire the freedom here. If you work hard enough, you can achieve anything!”
“I regret what I have done. Please let me have this chance to become a doctor! I promise to make up for this mistake, even if it takes me the rest of my life.”
“He’s an exchange student who’s all study, no play. And he’s obsessed with getting a college scholarship. Poor guy.” - Daryl Gray
“Then again, Hal keeps to himself. No one really knows him well.” - Daryl Gray
“That dude is always studying! He’s a huge fan of mine. Real smart guy! But I never understood why a brain like Tanaka would hang out with slime like Jake.” -Hulk Sanchez
“He’s got a temper, a bad one. He lets the pressure build and build until he’s wound so tight the slightest thing sets him off. Like last week, I strike him out during gym. He goes ballistic and charges the mound! He’s got some serious issues.” -Hulk Sanchez
“He may seem pretty chill, but I’ve seen him crack a couple of times. He’s seriously uptight.” -Hulk Sanchez
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