Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke’s character profile: Part 1 (Joker Game Universe)
Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke’s character profile: Part 1 (Joker Game Universe)
(Very tentative version as no translation for ‘Miscalculation’ novel version had been released)
Spy Surname: Hatano - 波多野（はたの） Spy Name: Unknown Real name: Unknown Rank: Army Second Lieutenant (陸軍少尉 - Rikugun-Shōi) (According to the novel) Role at D Agency: Spy (スパイ) Direct superior officer: Lieutenant Colonel Yūki (結城中佐 Yūki-Chūsa) Affiliation: D Agency (Ｄ機関 D Kikan) Height: Unknown (162 cm according to the Anime) Age: Unknown Impersonates: Military Police Superior Private (憲兵上等兵- Kenpei-Jōtōhei) (Anime only), Shimano Ryōsuke (島野 亮祐) Appearances: Novel: Vol. 1 Chapter 1 “Joker Game” (ジョーカー・ゲーム Joker Game), Vol. 3 Chapter 1 “Miscalculation” (誤算 Gosan) D no Maō manga: Vol 1 chap 1-5 “Joker Game” (ジョーカー・ゲーム Joker Game)? Anime: Ep 1-2 “Joker Game” (ジョーカー・ゲーム Joker Game) , EP 3 “Miscalculation” (誤算 Gosan), EP 9 “Double Joker” (ダブル・ジョーカー Double Joker) [Mentioned only], EP 10 “Pursuit” (追跡 Tsuiseki), EP 12 “XX Double Cross” (XX ダブル・クロス XX Double Cross), OAV “Adventure of Black Cat Yoru” (黒猫ヨルの冒険 Kuroneko Yoru no Bōken) Joker Game The Animation Manga: Chap 1, 2, 3 “Joker Game” (ジョーカー・ゲーム Joker Game), 5 “Miscalculation” (誤算 Gosan), 10 “Asia Express” (アジア・エクスプレス Asia Express) Drama cd: “Joker Game” Drama CD Cigarette Code (「ジョーカー・ゲーム」ドラマCD シガレット・コード “Joker Game” Drama CD Cigarette Code), “Joker Game” Drama CD Metropolitan Police Department D Section Investigation Files (「ジョーカー・ゲーム」ドラマCD 警視庁D課捜査ファイル “Joker Game” Drama CD Keishichō D-ka sōsa files), “Joker Game” Drama CD Go For It! Year 2 Class D Sakuma Sensei (「ジョーカー・ゲーム」ドラマCD それいけ！2年D組佐久間先生 “Joker Game” Drama CD Sore ike! 2-Nen D-gumi Sakuma sensei ), “Joker Game” Drama CD Return! Year 2 Class D Sakuma Sensei (「ジョーカー・ゲーム」ドラマCD 帰ってきた！ 二年Ｄ組佐久間先生 “Joker Game” Drama CD Kaettekita! 2-Nen D-gumi Sakuma sensei), “Joker Game” Drama CD Parody Box Full of What Ifs (「ジョーカー・ゲーム」ドラマCD 〝もしも″だらけのパロディＢＯＸ “Joker Game” Drama CD “Moshimo″ darake no parody box) Voice Actor: Kaji Yūki - 梶 裕貴（かじ ゆうき） Stage project actor: Matsumoto Gaku - 松本 岳（まつもと がく）
Brief introduction
In the novel Hatano is mentioned merely as one of the twelve (twelve, not eight as in the anime) D Agency students belonging to the first batch of trainees, and he is one of those who took part to the search in Gordon’s house. The D no Maō manga doesn’t mention him at all.
The anime though (and, as a consequence of this, the ‘Joker Game The Animation’ Manga) decided that Hatano is also Shimano Ryōsuke, the spy who appears in the novel chapter ‘Miscalculation’ giving him his backstory. ‘Miscalculation’ isn’t transposed in the D no Maō manga therefore Shimano Ryōsuke doesn’t show up in it. As for the novel… nowhere it’s said if the two are the same person. Might be, might be not.
As ‘Miscalculation’ isn’t translated yet, I’ve no idea if it added relevant info about Shimano Ryōsuke’s backstory and therefore I will go with the anime version of it.
Hatano is one of the students scouted by Yūki, who passed the selection and enters in his spy school. His real name isn’t Hatano, Hatano is just the surname given to him when he became a student in D Agency.
Later he graduates from D Agency and he’s sent to France under the guise of a student with the identity of Shimano Ryōsuke. He reaches Marseille on June 15, 1939 with the official purpose to study French literature at the university of Marseille.
We know though he doesn’t remain in Marseille as the drama cd describes him as spending time in Paris contacting couriers and informants after Germany invaded France (June 14, 1940) and even being investigated by the French secret police.
Short later he was given instructions as to infiltrate in the French resistance so he could investigate on it.
In order to do so he persuades as old French woman to insult some German soldiers. The soldiers try to execute her in retaliation and he gets in between, with the purpose to look like ‘a hero who saved an old French woman’ in the eyes of the Resistance. In the resulting riot his actions caused though, he ended up being hit on his head. He falls unconscious and he’s rescued by three French students who’re also members of the Resistance.
When he wakes up though, he has lost his memory. The Germans chase them and, despite his amnesia, he manages to successfully escape with the other three.
However, among the three, a collaborator is hidden (Jean in the novel, Marie in the anime). Hatano/ Shimano Ryōsuke unveils the collaborator’s identity and recover his memory.
Afterward he goes to report to Yuuki, who tells him to return in Japan as his mission is finished since Japan is going to ally with Germany. Hatano/ Shimano Ryōsuke does so.
Later we’ll see Hatano as one of the D Agency members posing as a Military Policemen when Aaron Price is arrested and, afterward, we’ll learn he also had a fight with the Wind Agency members when they went to rally Shirahata’s house.
Personality
He’s an impudent and cynic guy who isn’t afraid to banter Yuuki himself. Still he seemed touched by Alan Lernier’s actions.
Miwa Shiro and the drama cd imply he gets really angry when people make fun of his height.
It seems Hatano has the habit to cross his arms behind his head.
Physical appearance
In the anime Hatano is the shorter among the D Agency members. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
Miwa Shiro said he felt that Hatano often has his eyes lowered and makes faces that often appear challenging, like he’s testing the other person.
When in D Agency Hatano wears a suit a brown two piece suit with braces instead than a belt. In his mission in France he switches to pants and white shirt with rolled sleeves, complete with braces and a hat. He also wears fake glasses and put cotton in his mouth to give his face a slightly different shape. In addition to all this his hair are pulled back.
Relationships
Mutō
The two never interacted but we know that Mutō finds D Agency a thorn to his side and sent Sakuma there in the hope one of Yūki’s students would make a mistake that would allow him to close the place.
Yūki
In the novel it’s unclear if Hatano is also Shimano Ryōsuke. He might be, he might be not. While Hatano trained under Yūki, we never see the two of them interact in the novel… while we’ll see that Yūki will go retrieve Shimano Ryōsuke from France at the end of Miscalculation and Hatano’s movements were compared to Yūki’s when he went to face Jean (in the novel it’s Jean who’s the collaborator).
In the anime Hatano, seeing Yoru near Yūki, joked claiming that black cats should be familiar of witches, not demons (Yūki is nicknamed demon king). We also know that when Yūki went to retrieve Hatano in France he gave him the choice to decide if to remain in France.
Sakuma
Sakuma’s interaction with Hatano is extremely small.
In Novel we’re only told Sakuma knows Hatano is one of the students of D Agency who’s also taking part to the investigation in Gordon’s house.
Hatano is not mentioned in D no Maō.
In the original script for the Anime Hatano is the one who reports that the principal who touched the imperial portrait committed suicide… but that’s his only contribution to the discussion.
Hatano is present during the poker game with the role of giving others signals but, again, didn’t speak or interact with Sakuma beyond this.
In the original script Hatano was supposed to be one of the players, and the one who told Sakuma they were actually playing the Joker Game, not poker, explaining him how the game worked.
In Joker Game The Animation Hatano, discovering that it was Miyoshi’s idea to involve Sakuma in the Gordon’s investigation comments Miyoshi is having fun and that he has a vulgar taste… but adds that the situation Miyoshi created will be entertaining, showing he too has no problems having fun at Sakuma’s expenses. In a flashback we’ll also see that Sakuma was impressed by Hatano’s ability at self defense and praised him… Hatano though doesn’t seem to think too much of his own ability, though he’ll comment that, given an opportunity, he might send Sakuma too to the ground (which he does in one of Miwa Shirō’s strips).
In one of the cards released for the Joker Game Anime, Hatano complained Sakuma isn’t sociable because he always reject their invitations.
Miyoshi
Miyoshi’s interaction with Hatano is extremely small.
In the novel they’re merely two D Agency students who trained at the same time and took part to the mission at Gordon’s house.
In the anime Hatano teased Miyoshi when Miyoshi forbid Fukumoto from feeding Yoru, claiming Miyoshi was feeling adversion for his own kind, to which Miyoshi answered glaring at him.
In the manga, when Miyoshi explained he asked Sakuma to play the role of the Military Police captain, Hatano commented on how Miyoshi was having fun and a vulgar taste but that the whole thing would be entertaining.
In another scene we see him and Miyoshi in the D Agency library talking about the nutcracker tale and about mice in folk tales.
In a manga cover we see Miyoshi and Hatano playing Shoji together, both of them smoking.
Kaminaga
Kaminaga’s interaction with Hatano is extremely small.
In the novel they’re merely two D Agency students who trained at the same time and took part to the mission at Gordon’s house.
In D no Maō Hatano isn’t mentioned as one of the spies. It might be he’s one, it might be he’s not.
In the anime also there’s little interaction between them two, making them two D Agency students who trained at the same time and took part to the mission at Gordon’s house.
The manga adds that Hatano was surprised when he saw the effects of the truth serum on Kaminaga and shows Kaminaga watching while Miyoshi and Hatano play shogi together.
Later on in the anime Kaminaga and Hatano will work together to stop the Wind Agency men.
Amari
Hatano’s interaction with Amari is extremely small.
In the novel they’re merely two D Agency students who trained at the same time. It’s unknown if Amari also took part to the mission at Gordon’s house as Hatano did.
In D no Maō neither of the two is mentioned as one of the spies. They might be among them, they might be not.
In the anime also there’s little interaction between them two, making them two D Agency students who trained at the same time and took part to the Joker Game and to the mission at Gordon’s house.
In the Preview to Ep 7 Amari and Hatano talk of how a writer compared life to an ocean voyage.
There’s vaguely more in the manga, where we’ve a scene in which Amari tells to Sakuma the heigt difference between Hatano and Fukumoto and how that’s not a problem for Hatano as he’s a martial art master… though that’s not really interaction, just Amari knowing of Hatano’s ability.
Also, in one of the manga covers, Amari is shown watching Miyoshi and Hatano playing shoji.
Jitsui
In the Preview to Ep 10 Hatano tells Jitsui an English expedition has gone to Egypt to which Jitsui replies one should be prepared for consequences if one goes tomb-raiding as sometimes the mummy hunter might end up becoming the mummy.
In a manga cover we see Hatano and Jitsui talk as they are likely planning to drink together. In another Hatano is carrying many books, possibly moving them to where Jitsui is saying.
In a card we see Hatano and Jitsui talking about how Hatano finds Sakuma is unsociable as he doesn’t want to get out with them to which Jitsui replies Sakuma is an “Ishibekinkichi Tetsu Kabuto” (右部金吉鉃兜 “man of incorruptible character with an iron helmet”), so serious that they’re stubborn, have no interests and are boring, though Hatano doesn’t get the reference.
Tazaki
Tazaki and Hatano’s interaction is extremely small.
There’s no character named Tazaki in the novel. Although there’s a character named Seto Reiji there’s no known interaction between him and Hatano.
Characters named Tazaki or Seto Reiji don’t appear in the D no Maō manga.
In the anime, fundamentally, although they appear in scenes together (when the boys go out to drink, when they play the Joker Game, when they inspect Gordon’s house, when they both will pose as Military Police during Aaron Price’s interrogation) they’re never heard exchanging a word.
In the manga they appear together when Tazaki talks about “The demon king” song before Miyoshi will join them to tell them they’ll inspect Gordon’s house but don’t talk among them. However, always in the manga, they added a scene in which, after taking Aaron Price’s ring, they exchanged a short dialogue in which they remembered the other time in which they dressed up as Military Police.
Interesting enough though, Itazu Yoshimi, the author of the end cards, said that when instructed to draw the end cards he was told to “Draw the spies in their daily lives that aren’t seen in the main animation” and that Director Nomura gave him information on the character’s personality and whom they get along with and Tazaki and Hatano were drawn together often enough, which might imply they get along well.
Fukumoto
Although Itazu Yoshimi, the author of the end cards, said that when instructed to draw the end cards he was told to “Draw the spies in their daily lives that aren’t seen in the main animation” and that Director Nomura gave him information on the character’s personality and whom they get along with draw Hatano with Fukumoto twice, in the anime and in the manga they’re never shown interacting.
The only interaction we’ve with them is in a card in which Fukumoto claims he wants to do the maintenance of the pots and knives and Hatano asks him if it shouldn’t be Odagiri’s turn to do it. Fukumoto explains him since those are the knives he uses he want to do it himself and, as Hatano comments this sounds tough, Fukumoto explains that Odagiri cleans the rooms in his place.
Odagiri
There’s no known interaction between Hatano and Odagiri in the novel beyond that they’re both D Agency students.
Characters named Odagiri or Hatano or Shimano Ryosuke don’t appear in the D no Maō manga.
In the preview for Ep 3 Hatano and Odagiri talk together. Hatano asks Odagiri if he can remember that incident, to which Odagiri answers he can’t. At this Hatano says memories aren’t important and he took the right choice. We don’t know which was the incident they’re talking about though.
In the Joker Game The Animation version of Ep 4, when Miyoshi and Hatano are talking about rats playing the antagonist in western fairy tales, Odagiri surprised them by mentioning Japanese fairy tales involving rats (which apparently aren’t evil). When Miyoshi asks him if he’s implying Japanese rats are different Odagiri says he’s fine with them widening their insight from books but dinner time is up and they should hurry and come because if their meal will get cold Fukumoto will make a fuss.
In Ep 12 when Odagiri is supporting the idea that Schneider was killed, Hatano points out they should reject the idea considering the information Odagiri himself has given to them (the women screamed just after they entered inside the house and no one else got out from the door). He’s later tasked to double-check Schneider’s suicide note and reported the results of his investigation to Odagiri, informing him that no invisible ink was used and the paper was bought from a local store. Odagiri, who had no idea he would report to him, was surprised by this.
John Gordon
John Gordon is merely the target of D Agency’s investigation. The two don’t really interact, Odagiri was merely just one of the D Agency men who inspected his house (it’s unclear if he did the same in the novel and in D no Maō).
Alan Lernier
For Alan, Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke is, in the beginning, just a Japanese boy who rescued a French woman and that he rescued in return, discovering that he’s actually quite mysterious and odd. The two, along with Jean and Marie will have to escape from the Germans together. In the novel Shimano Ryōsuke will save Alan from Jean Victor, who had turned into a German collaborator by rendering Jean unconscious and then will disappear. In the anime Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke will save him from Marie, who had turned a German collaborator but he’ll be rendered unconscious by Jean. He’ll still leave Alan later on, but the two will leave each others as friends, the anime hinting Hatano has developed a fondness for Alan. In truth, in the beginning, in both versions, for Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke Alan was one of the targets of his investigation as he was meant to infiltrate in the French Resistance and spy it. After this incident though his mission will be revised and he likely will not meet Alan again.
Jean Victor
For Jean, Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke is, in the beginning, just a Japanese boy who rescued a French woman and that he rescued in return, discovering that he’s actually quite mysterious and odd. Jean seems to distrust him greatly but the two, along with Alan and Marie will have to escape from the Germans together. In the novel Shimano Ryōsuke will stop Jean Victor, who had turned into a German collaborator from betraying Alan and Marie by rendering Jean unconscious and then will disappear. In the anime Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke, after stopping Marie, who had turned a German collaborator, will be rendered unconscious by Jean who will then escape with Marie and leave Alan and Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke behind. Jean’s blow though will help him to regain his memory back.
Marie Torres
For Marie, Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke is, in the beginning, just a Japanese boy who rescued a French woman and that he rescued in return, discovering that he’s actually quite mysterious and odd. She’ll escape with him, Alan and Jean from the Germans. In the novel Shimano Ryōsuke will save Marie from Jean Victor, who had turned into a German collaborator by rendering Jean unconscious and then will disappear. In the anime Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke will stop her, who had turned into a German collaborator, from handing them all to the Germans, but he’ll be rendered unconscious by Jean. Marie will then decide to escape with Jean, leaving Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke and Alan behind.
Old French woman
Hatano/Shimano Ryōsuke used and manipulated her, persuading her to throw a rock to the Germans and insulting them. As she did what he said she evidently trusted him.
Abilities
From the new interview with the directors of JG Hatano knows Aikido (a type of martial arts) and the manga established he’s a master at it.
Trivia
In the anime Hatano is never shown smoking but we see him doing so in the manga and it’s also hinted he does so in the drama cd ‘Cigarette code’.
Hatano is the only Joker Game character who gets a drama cd for himself regarding his mission in Paris and not being an AU adventure.
There’s a certain contrast between how Hatano is portrayed during ‘Joker Game’ and how he’s portrayed in the AU drama cd, who imply he’s the sort of guy who’s prone to easily get angry and yell a lot.
While in France Hatano speaks French with the Parisian dialect but in his sleep he mumbles in Russian, which might hint to how he might have been used to speak such language for a long time.
Itazu Yoshimi, the author of the end cards, said that when instructed to draw the end cards he was told to “Draw the spies in their daily lives that aren’t seen in the main animation” and that Director Nomura gave him information on the character’s personality and whom they get along with. In his end cards we see Hatano walking in the Asakusa district with Fukumoto, Odagiri and Tazaki, at the Ryougoku Bridge alone and in front of Shibuya station with Tazaki, Odagiri and Jitsui. The last card he drew is a ‘group picture’ of some sort as all the spies, Yūki included, are in them. Hatano is drawn more frequently with Odagiri and Tazaki (3 times), second comes Fukumoto and Jitsui (2 times). It’s worth to note he’s drawn with Miyoshi, Amari and Kaminaga only in the last end card (the one with the group picture). Hatano is also drawn once alone. While this is no proof, we can speculate Hatano was meant to better get along with Tazaki and Odagiri and that he wasn’t really a group person.