Base Claim:
Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi
Full Name
Tada, Ryoko (良子) [meaning 'good child']
(Family name, Given name)
Alias:
Her brother often called her Chō (蝶) meaning 'butterfly'. He believed that she would one day shed the cocoon that her parents wrapped around her, and become the woman she was born to be, surpassing their parents expectations.
When she was younger her parents would often refer to her as Ōjo (王女) within the safety of their walls, meaning 'Princess'.
Following the popular trend of choosing a Westernised name, Ryoko often goes by the name 'Raven'. An alias that seems to match not only her physique (her black hair) but also her personality.
Others simply call her Ma'am or Madame.
Personal Creed:
Tada, Ryoko (良子) [meaning 'good child']
(Family name, Given name)
Alias:
Her brother often called her Chō (蝶) meaning 'butterfly'. He believed that she would one day shed the cocoon that her parents wrapped around her, and become the woman she was born to be, surpassing their parents expectations.
When she was younger her parents would often refer to her as Ōjo (王女) within the safety of their walls, meaning 'Princess'.
Following the popular trend of choosing a Westernised name, Ryoko often goes by the name 'Raven'. An alias that seems to match not only her physique (her black hair) but also her personality.
Others simply call her Ma'am or Madame.
Personal Creed:
"You cannot read Loss, only feel it"
"She paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret."
"To a man, geisha can only be half a wife. We are the wives of nightfall. "
"Real flowers bloom in the wilderness."
Gender:
Female
Age:
Ryoko is 28 years of age, however the perfect use of make up can make her look either as a young twenty year old, or when needed mask her into a frail old woman.
Orientation:
Heterosexual with bi-curious tendencies.
Relationship Status:
Single.
Family Status:
Father: Masayo Tada - deceased
Mother: Amaya Tada - deceased
Oldest brother: Hiraku Tada - deceased
Middle brother: Masaru Tada - alive and living in Japan
Younger sister: Yuki - Alive and living in England, studying.
Is the Character in a Gang/Law Enforcement Agency/ Citizen:
Despite the structure of the organisation, Ryoko is the Kumichō of the second largest Yakuza family, the Sumiyoshi-kai.
"She paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret."
"To a man, geisha can only be half a wife. We are the wives of nightfall. "
"Real flowers bloom in the wilderness."
Gender:
Female
Age:
Ryoko is 28 years of age, however the perfect use of make up can make her look either as a young twenty year old, or when needed mask her into a frail old woman.
Orientation:
Heterosexual with bi-curious tendencies.
Relationship Status:
Single.
Family Status:
Father: Masayo Tada - deceased
Mother: Amaya Tada - deceased
Oldest brother: Hiraku Tada - deceased
Middle brother: Masaru Tada - alive and living in Japan
Younger sister: Yuki - Alive and living in England, studying.
Is the Character in a Gang/Law Enforcement Agency/ Citizen:
Despite the structure of the organisation, Ryoko is the Kumichō of the second largest Yakuza family, the Sumiyoshi-kai.
State your Industry and Occupation:
Ryoko Tada has lead a very interesting life.
In her early years, the first born daughter was trained as a hangyoku, set on her way to become a Geisha. Although in the traditional life, as a minarai she would have been sold to the Okiya, the woman remained within her house hold. After few years she passed to the maiko stage, and at the age of 20 she passed the erikae ceremony and was considered a full fled Geisha.
As such, the woman is an active and trained traditional Japanese entertainer.
This life style was chosen to teach the woman how to be a lady within a house hold due to her behaviour with her brother and martial art training. However, despite her traditional training, Ryoko was home schooled in academia. After her 'graduation' from her Geisha training, the young woman began her studies in the University of Tokyo, major-ing in Business Management. She entered the field in the hopes of being an assistant to her brother when he took over the company from their father, however things did not go as planned. She excelled with ease and continued on to do a post graduate research study in the field of business management, all in hopes of bettering the family business.
At the age of 24, after having completed her post graduate studies with the University of Tokyo, Ryoko began working as her father's personal assistant. After her father's unfortunate passing the board of directors voted her the President and CEO of the famous Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Company Limited.
大日本住友製薬株式会社 Dainippon Sumitomo Seiyaku Kabushiki-Gaisha.
"It is a pharmaceutical company based in Japan, Chuo-ku in Osaka.
The original Dainippon Pharmaceuticals (Dainippon Seiyaku) was established in 1885 by Nagayo Sensai. It was set up as a wholly private company invested by a number of people in Tokyo and Osaka, with the land and buildings let by the government. Technical expertise for the enterprise was provided by Shibata Shokei and Nagai Nagayoshi, who were also among the first students trained abroad at government expense. The company started its operation in 1885 with equipment imported from Germany. The main products were tincture and other similar drugs listed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. Among them was ephedrine, an anti-asthma drug invented by Nagai. In 1893, however, Nagai left the company and the business started to make a loss. in 1898 it was acquired by Osaka Seiyaku. Another origin of the company is Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals, incorporated in 1984 as a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical (holding 77.83% of the share as of 2006). Dainippon and Sumitomo merged on October 1, 2005 to create Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma. As a result, Sumitomo Chemical has 50.20% ownership in Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma as of March 31, 2014."
However, in late 2014 the ownership of the company was passed solely to Masayo Tada, and with his passing in mid 2015 the ownership was passed onto his successor, his oldest daughter who had shown to surpass her elder brother.
Personality:
Many could say that Ryoko is like water. Water is powerful. It can wash away earth, put out fire and even destroy iron. It can carve its way through stone, and when trapped make force a new path. Water never waits. It changes shape and flows around things, and finds the secret paths no one else has thought about. But like the slowly rising tide, many easily pass by the slowly rising water forgetting that it will eventually drown out the world and wash away what was built before it.
Ryoko has grown up following the old traditions, where a woman must learn her place within the household. To keep her lips buried tight and understand that her place is by her husband, not before him. However, with the change of pace in modern society that didn’t particularly last very long. Ryoko at first may come across as the silent wallflower against the wall, watching in silence and never daring to put her two cents into the situation. But do not let that fool you. Deep, dark chocolate eyes will always draw in every aspect of the situation before her. She does not keep her tongue behind her teeth out of respect, but rather to gather her thoughts, to learn all she can about the situation at hand before adding to it. She has a very calculative mind, never losing track of the little things. She believes that the greatest changes in life are born from the smallest of gestures, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings. It is the subtle gestures, the unspoken words, the exchanged glances and simple hand gestures during the staged show that truly depict the situation. The outcome. She often remains in silence while the empty words of hot-headed players are spoken, waiting until their words finally run dry. That is when she strikes. Like a viper with cold, calculative and emotionless words that bring even the biggest dreamer back to reality. It is often said that Ryoko lacks empathy, her cold words often failing to consider what effect they might have upon other’s and their emotions, yet with the woman’s up-bringing she was taught that personal feelings only get in the way of the bigger picture.
And like the water, Ryoko often appears calm and almost gentle upon the unstarted surface where the shimmering lights cast a foolish mirage of what is happening below. Ever moving currents race beneath the surface like the thoughts and actions of this seemingly gentle and stoic soul. Having been raised in the artistic lifestyle of a traditional Geisha, Ryoko knows how to entertain the crowd around her, fooling them with a delicate smile or a light-hearted comment. She knows the times where the wallflower must wilt to allow the blooming rose to shine and capture the attention of those around her, those she needs to mould to her own desire. Only those that show some purpose in her grand scheme.
But all in all, this dangerous young woman is a very strong and calculative individual. She strives to achieve that which others have so often failed, fuelled by an odd needed to prove herself not to the world but to the image she sees in the mirror. Being a woman, even in the 21st century, always comes with disadvantages that her brother would never have needed to face. But what others would consider as weaknesses, obstacles, Ryoko only thought of them as challenges she would undoubtedly triumph over. She is a very stubborn woman, with very little room for leniency. She lives a very strict life and expects others to follow the rules to the dot. Second chances come rarely to the cold woman, and forgiveness isn't in her nature. Ryoko is a woman of her word and often she finds that 'forgive and forget' way of thinking is only a way to escape the fate she had promised. An iron fist leaves little room for things to go wrong.
Due to the nature of her life style, Ryoko is a very cunning individual. She can be sly and very manipulative to get what she want. She can be very unpredictable and it's wise to fear what she is capable of. Although despite the many walls she puts around herself, there are a few souls that have managed to pass through and linger in her heart. To those she cares for and is comfortable around, Ryoko lets herself relax. She can be very fun and outgoing, almost like the Geisha within her. She can be very generous, and is loyal to a fault. Despite preferring to remain in solitude, Ryoko's relaxed self craves another soul to keep her entertained. But to see this side, is a privilege more rare than the flowers which bloom in winter.
Character Image(s):
Ryoko Tada has lead a very interesting life.
In her early years, the first born daughter was trained as a hangyoku, set on her way to become a Geisha. Although in the traditional life, as a minarai she would have been sold to the Okiya, the woman remained within her house hold. After few years she passed to the maiko stage, and at the age of 20 she passed the erikae ceremony and was considered a full fled Geisha.
As such, the woman is an active and trained traditional Japanese entertainer.
This life style was chosen to teach the woman how to be a lady within a house hold due to her behaviour with her brother and martial art training. However, despite her traditional training, Ryoko was home schooled in academia. After her 'graduation' from her Geisha training, the young woman began her studies in the University of Tokyo, major-ing in Business Management. She entered the field in the hopes of being an assistant to her brother when he took over the company from their father, however things did not go as planned. She excelled with ease and continued on to do a post graduate research study in the field of business management, all in hopes of bettering the family business.
At the age of 24, after having completed her post graduate studies with the University of Tokyo, Ryoko began working as her father's personal assistant. After her father's unfortunate passing the board of directors voted her the President and CEO of the famous Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Company Limited.
大日本住友製薬株式会社 Dainippon Sumitomo Seiyaku Kabushiki-Gaisha.
"It is a pharmaceutical company based in Japan, Chuo-ku in Osaka.
The original Dainippon Pharmaceuticals (Dainippon Seiyaku) was established in 1885 by Nagayo Sensai. It was set up as a wholly private company invested by a number of people in Tokyo and Osaka, with the land and buildings let by the government. Technical expertise for the enterprise was provided by Shibata Shokei and Nagai Nagayoshi, who were also among the first students trained abroad at government expense. The company started its operation in 1885 with equipment imported from Germany. The main products were tincture and other similar drugs listed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. Among them was ephedrine, an anti-asthma drug invented by Nagai. In 1893, however, Nagai left the company and the business started to make a loss. in 1898 it was acquired by Osaka Seiyaku. Another origin of the company is Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals, incorporated in 1984 as a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical (holding 77.83% of the share as of 2006). Dainippon and Sumitomo merged on October 1, 2005 to create Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma. As a result, Sumitomo Chemical has 50.20% ownership in Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma as of March 31, 2014."
However, in late 2014 the ownership of the company was passed solely to Masayo Tada, and with his passing in mid 2015 the ownership was passed onto his successor, his oldest daughter who had shown to surpass her elder brother.
Personality:
Many could say that Ryoko is like water. Water is powerful. It can wash away earth, put out fire and even destroy iron. It can carve its way through stone, and when trapped make force a new path. Water never waits. It changes shape and flows around things, and finds the secret paths no one else has thought about. But like the slowly rising tide, many easily pass by the slowly rising water forgetting that it will eventually drown out the world and wash away what was built before it.
Ryoko has grown up following the old traditions, where a woman must learn her place within the household. To keep her lips buried tight and understand that her place is by her husband, not before him. However, with the change of pace in modern society that didn’t particularly last very long. Ryoko at first may come across as the silent wallflower against the wall, watching in silence and never daring to put her two cents into the situation. But do not let that fool you. Deep, dark chocolate eyes will always draw in every aspect of the situation before her. She does not keep her tongue behind her teeth out of respect, but rather to gather her thoughts, to learn all she can about the situation at hand before adding to it. She has a very calculative mind, never losing track of the little things. She believes that the greatest changes in life are born from the smallest of gestures, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings. It is the subtle gestures, the unspoken words, the exchanged glances and simple hand gestures during the staged show that truly depict the situation. The outcome. She often remains in silence while the empty words of hot-headed players are spoken, waiting until their words finally run dry. That is when she strikes. Like a viper with cold, calculative and emotionless words that bring even the biggest dreamer back to reality. It is often said that Ryoko lacks empathy, her cold words often failing to consider what effect they might have upon other’s and their emotions, yet with the woman’s up-bringing she was taught that personal feelings only get in the way of the bigger picture.
And like the water, Ryoko often appears calm and almost gentle upon the unstarted surface where the shimmering lights cast a foolish mirage of what is happening below. Ever moving currents race beneath the surface like the thoughts and actions of this seemingly gentle and stoic soul. Having been raised in the artistic lifestyle of a traditional Geisha, Ryoko knows how to entertain the crowd around her, fooling them with a delicate smile or a light-hearted comment. She knows the times where the wallflower must wilt to allow the blooming rose to shine and capture the attention of those around her, those she needs to mould to her own desire. Only those that show some purpose in her grand scheme.
But all in all, this dangerous young woman is a very strong and calculative individual. She strives to achieve that which others have so often failed, fuelled by an odd needed to prove herself not to the world but to the image she sees in the mirror. Being a woman, even in the 21st century, always comes with disadvantages that her brother would never have needed to face. But what others would consider as weaknesses, obstacles, Ryoko only thought of them as challenges she would undoubtedly triumph over. She is a very stubborn woman, with very little room for leniency. She lives a very strict life and expects others to follow the rules to the dot. Second chances come rarely to the cold woman, and forgiveness isn't in her nature. Ryoko is a woman of her word and often she finds that 'forgive and forget' way of thinking is only a way to escape the fate she had promised. An iron fist leaves little room for things to go wrong.
Due to the nature of her life style, Ryoko is a very cunning individual. She can be sly and very manipulative to get what she want. She can be very unpredictable and it's wise to fear what she is capable of. Although despite the many walls she puts around herself, there are a few souls that have managed to pass through and linger in her heart. To those she cares for and is comfortable around, Ryoko lets herself relax. She can be very fun and outgoing, almost like the Geisha within her. She can be very generous, and is loyal to a fault. Despite preferring to remain in solitude, Ryoko's relaxed self craves another soul to keep her entertained. But to see this side, is a privilege more rare than the flowers which bloom in winter.
Character Image(s):
Physical Description:
Despite her family having a very long Japanese linage, Ryoko appears to be more Chinese. Her eyes have the typical epicanthic fold of the skin, where her upper eyelid is covering the inner angle of her eye. She has a lower-rooted nose bridge and double eyelids which give her eyes a more Western look in contrast to other Asian features. Ryoku has subtle cheekbones and a slender, slightly longer face, with a very predominant 'point' to her chin, where her jaw-line sits at a larger angle. These are the features which make her appear more Chinese.
All in all, Ryoko stands at 165cm in height which is equivalent to 5 foot 5. She has a very slender and well toned body and fair skin. Her petite frame give her body a very fragile appearance with slender arms and legs and a very flat, well toned stomach that unfortunately shows off her rib cage. However, due to her genetics and fast metabolism, it is impossible for the woman to gain more weight. Ryoko has subtle feminine curves, and lacks any inked additions to her frame.
Possessing the appearance of a true Geisha, Ryoko has dark chocolate eyes and raven coloured black locks which go down to the middle of her back. She has single piercings in her lower ear lobes, however the biggest distinguishing feature upon her body is the silver scar tissue on her inner hip. The silver line draws from the middle of her left inner thigh to the top of her pelvis.
Unique Skills and Abilities:
From her training as a Geisha, Ryoko has perfected many of the performing arts such as classical Japanese music and dance. She is fluent in many Japanese instruments including:
- Hyōshigi
- Kokiriko
- San-no-tsuzumi
- Junanagen
- Shamisen
- Taishogoto
- Nohkan
Seeing as there were very few years difference between her and her older brother, Ryoko was his training partner in martial arts. As such she has learnt along side him and supressed him in a few techniques. A few of these include:
-Aikido, the use of turning movements to redirect momentum to one's advantage.
-Bōjutsu, the martial art of using a staff weapon called bō.
-Enshin Kaikan, the art of knockdown or full-contact karate.
-Gōjū-ryū, the traditional 'hard-soft' style of -Okinawan style of karate.
-Jujutsu, the method of close combat defence.
-Karate
-Kendo, the act of sword fighting.
-Kyudo, the art of archery.
Having grown up in Japan, Ryoko is fluent in many languages including Japanese, Hachijo Japanese, Eastern Japanese, Chinese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean, English, German and French.
Furthermore, Ryoko possesses eidetic, or photographic, memory. It has been one of the main reasons for her success in life.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths
- Independent
- Calculative
- Manipulative
- Cunning
- Determined
- Honest
- Trustworthy
- Loyal
- Dangerous
Weaknesses
- Distant
- Lonely
- Lacks empathy
- Female (not to be sexist, but the way her family works)
- Stubborn
- Vengeful
- Under constant pressure to succeed
- Not fully familiar with American, and especially Hawaiian, customs
Weapons:
Ryoko is familiar with the use of many different weapons including staff, archery, swords and guns.
She also holds many black belts in different martial art styles.
Background History:
The Tada family was always a proud and well known name. Even before Masayo took over the pharmacy and expended his earnings. They were a proud family, and proud parents. Especially of Hiraku, the eldest son. He was to be the head of the family after Masayo's death. And 7 years later, Masaru was brought into the family. He tried very hard to do as his older brother, but the young child always seemed to fail. Never quite reaching the great lengths that his brother had set for him. But another 4 years later, the couple had a third child. Ryoko. Their first daughter. Amaya and Masayo focused mostly on moving Hiraku ahead in life, while trying to give their daughter the best they could. Masaru often fell in between the cracks, suffering the typical middle child syndrome.
As Ryoko grew older, her parents decided that it would be in their daughter's best interest to be raised in the old ways of the Geisha to teach her valuable lessons in life that might have slipped through her fingers if she were to live the luxurious life they would otherwise had given her. However, instead of being to an okiya, a geisha was brought to their house hold upon Ryoko's ninth birthday. As an ordinary minarai, watching how things were meant to be done and taking note without doing anything herself. She practised these ancient ways in the mornings and afternoons, before turning her Geisha teachings aside.
After lunch, Ryoko studied with private tutors modern education, often pushing her beyond what was considered 'normal' for her age group. Afterwards she helped out in the kitchen, before joining Hiraku in his martial arts training in the evenings before bed. This routine continued for a few months. Her family was going to take their time with their children, yet the unthinkable happened when Hiraku was 20 years old. Now what many people didn't realise, was that beneath the very successful business that the Tada family was developing, they were also heavily involved in the inner workings of the Yakuza. One of the most dangerous and well known Japanese gangs. And Hiraku was making his ways through the ranks of the gang with ease, but some of the rivals didn't like how far the young man was climbing. And eliminated him. A war sparked out amongst the Yakuza members, the three faces of the gang. But more then that, the Tada family had lost their heir. Masaru suddenly became the eldest sibling and all of the responsibility fell upon his shoulders. And with the child's sudden shift within the household, Ryoko's trained moved onto the title of a maiko. She began helping around the house, following the onee-san to learn the ways. During this time she learnt the arts, entertainment and finally social skills. But things were not as conventional teachings would have. For normally the maiko would work all day, every day, before the erikae. But for this young woman, she became a fully-fleged Geisha at the age of twenty after only having done half the expected duties, as the real life and modern world called for her attention.
Despite learning the ways of the traditional Japanese entertainers during the earlier hours of the morning, her evenings were spent training with her brother. He was getting good, but where his skills rose, so did hers. She was faster than him and often her smaller size gave her the upper hand, managing to use momentum to her advantage. Around the age of 18, their father decided that Ryoko was to spar with a different partner, and the two were separated. Each trained to fit the skills they possessed. By the ripe age of 20, she had managed to obtain the black belts in almost all of her practised martial arts. But more so, at the age of twenty the young woman finally had the erikae. The ceremony that turned her into a full-fledged Geisha. Although there was no Danna waiting for her at the end of her work. Not exactly. But her parents did have a plan for their child.
When Ryoko was 14, her mother fell pregnant once again. With another daughter. Seeing as their faith in their son's success was uneasy after losing their first born, they decided to seal their fate by marrying off their eldest daughter to another wealthy family. It wasn't until Ryoko turned 20 that she finally met the man she was meant to have tied her life to. Eiichi. He was a very wealthy man, clever, intelligent, charming. He knew how to woo everyone in the room to make him come out on top, and somehow he managed to break through Ryoko's barriers. She put aside her walls for her family's sake, knowing that this was what was expected of her.
Ryoko and Eiichi attended university together. Knowing the complexity of their family business, and expecting her brother to need a guiding hand, Ryoko decided to major in Business Management. Eiichi on the other hand was studying Physics. His family dipped their fingers into a lot of research and he wanted to be part of that world, to improve the world's energy crisis. The two of them were nearing their graduation and thus their marriage vowes, when Eiichi went to Fukushima Daiichi. When the Fukushima nuclear disaster happened, Eiichi didn't make it. With her fiancée gone, Ryoko decided to extend her studies, graduating with a Master's from University of Tokyo in Business Management.
After the incident, Ryoko started to work in her father's firm. At first she worked at the reception, however with every passing lunch break and new surprisingly clever conversations, Tada realised that the best move for his firm was to make his daughter the personal assistant. She helped the company blood, her organised manner, clever points of view and loyalty meant that everything seemed to move like clockwork. It wasn't until after her 25th birthday did Tada introduce her to the dark side of the company. The Yakuza. It was a difficult transition and many of the gang members looked down upon the woman who dared to speak. Often for the first few months her retorts costed her physical abuse as reminder of her place, but she didn't let them walk over her. She stood her ground, remained quiet until they were ready to hear what she said, and despite wanting to argue - they knew her words of wisdom could not be ignored. While her father was the head of the gang, and her brother the shoulders that were sure to take over, it was Ryoko who played the neck that connected the two, and guided the head in the right direction.
One of the things that the Yakuza knew all too well, was that they could not allow their personal views get in the way. And that, became the downfall of Masayo Tada. Upon a particular bad night, one of the rivalry gangs had managed to get their hands on Amaya. They tortured her, and threatened to kill her unless Tada would show his face. Everyone, including Ryoko tried to talk him out of it, knowing fully well that Amaya was already gone, but Masayo didn't listen. Things turned ugly and the Yakuza took a large hit, distracted by their leaders action. Punishment for this betrayal was death. Seeing that it was the head of the Yakuza, the role fell upon Hiraku, as the next in line, to take out his father. But despite trying his best to bring himself to do the deed, he simply could not kill his father. Embarrassed by his disgrace, Ryoko took the gun, exchanged her goodbyes with Masayo and killed him. If not for the Yakuza, then to allow his spirit to rest with her mother. The role of the leader had meant to go to Hiraku, but after his evident weakness, the other gang members decided that Ryoko should take his place instead. She did so not out of will to lead, but rather to avoid her brother getting killed in the process. She established the company in Japan, kept it running smoothly. Yet when Takeshi Saito approached her in Tokyo, explaining that he needed to sort things out in Japan, she took his place in Hawaii as the leader of the Yakuza gang.
Despite her family having a very long Japanese linage, Ryoko appears to be more Chinese. Her eyes have the typical epicanthic fold of the skin, where her upper eyelid is covering the inner angle of her eye. She has a lower-rooted nose bridge and double eyelids which give her eyes a more Western look in contrast to other Asian features. Ryoku has subtle cheekbones and a slender, slightly longer face, with a very predominant 'point' to her chin, where her jaw-line sits at a larger angle. These are the features which make her appear more Chinese.
All in all, Ryoko stands at 165cm in height which is equivalent to 5 foot 5. She has a very slender and well toned body and fair skin. Her petite frame give her body a very fragile appearance with slender arms and legs and a very flat, well toned stomach that unfortunately shows off her rib cage. However, due to her genetics and fast metabolism, it is impossible for the woman to gain more weight. Ryoko has subtle feminine curves, and lacks any inked additions to her frame.
Possessing the appearance of a true Geisha, Ryoko has dark chocolate eyes and raven coloured black locks which go down to the middle of her back. She has single piercings in her lower ear lobes, however the biggest distinguishing feature upon her body is the silver scar tissue on her inner hip. The silver line draws from the middle of her left inner thigh to the top of her pelvis.
Unique Skills and Abilities:
From her training as a Geisha, Ryoko has perfected many of the performing arts such as classical Japanese music and dance. She is fluent in many Japanese instruments including:
- Hyōshigi
- Kokiriko
- San-no-tsuzumi
- Junanagen
- Shamisen
- Taishogoto
- Nohkan
Seeing as there were very few years difference between her and her older brother, Ryoko was his training partner in martial arts. As such she has learnt along side him and supressed him in a few techniques. A few of these include:
-Aikido, the use of turning movements to redirect momentum to one's advantage.
-Bōjutsu, the martial art of using a staff weapon called bō.
-Enshin Kaikan, the art of knockdown or full-contact karate.
-Gōjū-ryū, the traditional 'hard-soft' style of -Okinawan style of karate.
-Jujutsu, the method of close combat defence.
-Karate
-Kendo, the act of sword fighting.
-Kyudo, the art of archery.
Having grown up in Japan, Ryoko is fluent in many languages including Japanese, Hachijo Japanese, Eastern Japanese, Chinese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean, English, German and French.
Furthermore, Ryoko possesses eidetic, or photographic, memory. It has been one of the main reasons for her success in life.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths
- Independent
- Calculative
- Manipulative
- Cunning
- Determined
- Honest
- Trustworthy
- Loyal
- Dangerous
Weaknesses
- Distant
- Lonely
- Lacks empathy
- Female (not to be sexist, but the way her family works)
- Stubborn
- Vengeful
- Under constant pressure to succeed
- Not fully familiar with American, and especially Hawaiian, customs
Weapons:
Ryoko is familiar with the use of many different weapons including staff, archery, swords and guns.
She also holds many black belts in different martial art styles.
Background History:
The Tada family was always a proud and well known name. Even before Masayo took over the pharmacy and expended his earnings. They were a proud family, and proud parents. Especially of Hiraku, the eldest son. He was to be the head of the family after Masayo's death. And 7 years later, Masaru was brought into the family. He tried very hard to do as his older brother, but the young child always seemed to fail. Never quite reaching the great lengths that his brother had set for him. But another 4 years later, the couple had a third child. Ryoko. Their first daughter. Amaya and Masayo focused mostly on moving Hiraku ahead in life, while trying to give their daughter the best they could. Masaru often fell in between the cracks, suffering the typical middle child syndrome.
As Ryoko grew older, her parents decided that it would be in their daughter's best interest to be raised in the old ways of the Geisha to teach her valuable lessons in life that might have slipped through her fingers if she were to live the luxurious life they would otherwise had given her. However, instead of being to an okiya, a geisha was brought to their house hold upon Ryoko's ninth birthday. As an ordinary minarai, watching how things were meant to be done and taking note without doing anything herself. She practised these ancient ways in the mornings and afternoons, before turning her Geisha teachings aside.
After lunch, Ryoko studied with private tutors modern education, often pushing her beyond what was considered 'normal' for her age group. Afterwards she helped out in the kitchen, before joining Hiraku in his martial arts training in the evenings before bed. This routine continued for a few months. Her family was going to take their time with their children, yet the unthinkable happened when Hiraku was 20 years old. Now what many people didn't realise, was that beneath the very successful business that the Tada family was developing, they were also heavily involved in the inner workings of the Yakuza. One of the most dangerous and well known Japanese gangs. And Hiraku was making his ways through the ranks of the gang with ease, but some of the rivals didn't like how far the young man was climbing. And eliminated him. A war sparked out amongst the Yakuza members, the three faces of the gang. But more then that, the Tada family had lost their heir. Masaru suddenly became the eldest sibling and all of the responsibility fell upon his shoulders. And with the child's sudden shift within the household, Ryoko's trained moved onto the title of a maiko. She began helping around the house, following the onee-san to learn the ways. During this time she learnt the arts, entertainment and finally social skills. But things were not as conventional teachings would have. For normally the maiko would work all day, every day, before the erikae. But for this young woman, she became a fully-fleged Geisha at the age of twenty after only having done half the expected duties, as the real life and modern world called for her attention.
Despite learning the ways of the traditional Japanese entertainers during the earlier hours of the morning, her evenings were spent training with her brother. He was getting good, but where his skills rose, so did hers. She was faster than him and often her smaller size gave her the upper hand, managing to use momentum to her advantage. Around the age of 18, their father decided that Ryoko was to spar with a different partner, and the two were separated. Each trained to fit the skills they possessed. By the ripe age of 20, she had managed to obtain the black belts in almost all of her practised martial arts. But more so, at the age of twenty the young woman finally had the erikae. The ceremony that turned her into a full-fledged Geisha. Although there was no Danna waiting for her at the end of her work. Not exactly. But her parents did have a plan for their child.
When Ryoko was 14, her mother fell pregnant once again. With another daughter. Seeing as their faith in their son's success was uneasy after losing their first born, they decided to seal their fate by marrying off their eldest daughter to another wealthy family. It wasn't until Ryoko turned 20 that she finally met the man she was meant to have tied her life to. Eiichi. He was a very wealthy man, clever, intelligent, charming. He knew how to woo everyone in the room to make him come out on top, and somehow he managed to break through Ryoko's barriers. She put aside her walls for her family's sake, knowing that this was what was expected of her.
Ryoko and Eiichi attended university together. Knowing the complexity of their family business, and expecting her brother to need a guiding hand, Ryoko decided to major in Business Management. Eiichi on the other hand was studying Physics. His family dipped their fingers into a lot of research and he wanted to be part of that world, to improve the world's energy crisis. The two of them were nearing their graduation and thus their marriage vowes, when Eiichi went to Fukushima Daiichi. When the Fukushima nuclear disaster happened, Eiichi didn't make it. With her fiancée gone, Ryoko decided to extend her studies, graduating with a Master's from University of Tokyo in Business Management.
After the incident, Ryoko started to work in her father's firm. At first she worked at the reception, however with every passing lunch break and new surprisingly clever conversations, Tada realised that the best move for his firm was to make his daughter the personal assistant. She helped the company blood, her organised manner, clever points of view and loyalty meant that everything seemed to move like clockwork. It wasn't until after her 25th birthday did Tada introduce her to the dark side of the company. The Yakuza. It was a difficult transition and many of the gang members looked down upon the woman who dared to speak. Often for the first few months her retorts costed her physical abuse as reminder of her place, but she didn't let them walk over her. She stood her ground, remained quiet until they were ready to hear what she said, and despite wanting to argue - they knew her words of wisdom could not be ignored. While her father was the head of the gang, and her brother the shoulders that were sure to take over, it was Ryoko who played the neck that connected the two, and guided the head in the right direction.
One of the things that the Yakuza knew all too well, was that they could not allow their personal views get in the way. And that, became the downfall of Masayo Tada. Upon a particular bad night, one of the rivalry gangs had managed to get their hands on Amaya. They tortured her, and threatened to kill her unless Tada would show his face. Everyone, including Ryoko tried to talk him out of it, knowing fully well that Amaya was already gone, but Masayo didn't listen. Things turned ugly and the Yakuza took a large hit, distracted by their leaders action. Punishment for this betrayal was death. Seeing that it was the head of the Yakuza, the role fell upon Hiraku, as the next in line, to take out his father. But despite trying his best to bring himself to do the deed, he simply could not kill his father. Embarrassed by his disgrace, Ryoko took the gun, exchanged her goodbyes with Masayo and killed him. If not for the Yakuza, then to allow his spirit to rest with her mother. The role of the leader had meant to go to Hiraku, but after his evident weakness, the other gang members decided that Ryoko should take his place instead. She did so not out of will to lead, but rather to avoid her brother getting killed in the process. She established the company in Japan, kept it running smoothly. Yet when Takeshi Saito approached her in Tokyo, explaining that he needed to sort things out in Japan, she took his place in Hawaii as the leader of the Yakuza gang.