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Name: Bee
Contact: PM
Timezone: EST
Over 18?: Y
Other Characters: N/A

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Character Name/Alias: Daigo Dojima
Character age: 42
Canon: Yakuza / Ryu Ga Gotoku
Canon point: Post Yakuza 7

History: Wiki | About
Appearance: Link
Personality:

Daigo didn't have a great upbringing. When he was young, he was the spoiled son of a powerful yakuza. The power and attention was something he took pride in at the time, but as he grew older he learned more and more about what a horrible person his father was. This really brought into question what his own notoriety as his son even meant, and raised questions about how he would ever make his own mark on the world under the shadow of such a powerful and awful person. This lead Daigo to be pretty impulsive and directionless as a teenager and young adult.

Two things lead to Daigo really spiraling out. First, the murder of his father which lead to Kiryu's jail sentence, and Nishikiyama's subsequent vicious attacks on the Tojo Clan leadership. Daigo looked up to these young yakuza, they were regularly around to play with and babysit him when he was younger. Second, when his (perceived) rival Ryuji Goda tricked him into a fight that landed Daigo in prison on assault charges. Coming back out of prison, Daigo ditched the yakuza life entirely. Feeling stupid and worthless, he took to an aimless life of drinking and partying.

Daigo wasn't groomed to be the chairman, he didn't ever think he would be the chairman. When he let Kiryu push him into the role, it was very straight forward. There was a war on and Sohei Dojima's son was a motivating figurehead. But that war wouldn't last forever, and on the far side of things there were a lot of questions about his suitability as the chairman. He is targeted and doubted by his own organization, and by rival organizations. He also continues to doubt himself, but he is determined to live up to Kiryu's expectations. Meanwhile, Kiryu pretty much leaves him to manage on his own and never provides the fatherly approval Daigo is searching for.

Daigo knows that he's not the only one searching for fatherly approval. He is aware he runs an organization that has many directionless and fatherless young men exactly like himself, yet he somehow has to act like a father to them all. He also has to act as a leader to more veteran men who are many years his senior. He does his best. He pushes down a great deal of his personality and his uncertainties to put on the facade of a calm and assured leader. He gives up every aspect of his life to the Tojo Clan. He was only 30 when he took the role. There's a lot of his life that he's going to miss out on because of the restrictions of his position. There are always threats, there are always responsibilities to attend to. There are no days off, no holidays.

Daigo's approach to leadership is not entirely one of coldness. When he's able to, and especially around aspiring yakuza closer to his own age, he can actually be quite friendly and tender. This is the side of himself that won over Mine Yoshitaka. Mine, expecting a cold and callous yakuza life, was surprised that Daigo was kind to him and had faith in him as a new patriarch. Unfortunately, the Tojo Clan is 30,000 men strong (depending on the year) and Daigo can't extend this friendship to all of his men. Still, it exists where he has the bandwidth to provide it. He wishes he had more people close to him to show it to, but everyone who gets too close to him becomes a target in the twisted underworld the yakuza resides in. He has gotten used to being withdrawn.

To sum up what all of this means for his disposition: Daigo has been holding the weight of the world on his shoulders since before he had even really figured himself out. The restrictions of his responsibilities have now forced him to shunt much of his personal feelings and desires to the side in favor of playing the role of Sixth Chairman. He holds himself to some impossibly high ideals so as not to become a monster like his father and to earn Kiryu's approval. But he really feels as though he is always treading water. He is melancholy and extremely lonely, but if you can catch him in a quiet 1:1 moment he has a genuine kindness and care that he is just dying to let out and show someone.

Daigo assuredly still has a little bit of a hooligan buried deep down inside. He would like to go drinking with friends, play baseball, and get into fights like he used to!!! At the end of Y7 the Tojo Clan is dissolved, so there is no better time to try.

What did they do to end up here?: He's a yakuza boss. Assault, weapon's possessions, intimidation, organized crime, loan sharking, property destruction, gambling. He's the leader of the Tojo Clan which, depending on the laws, can make him culpable for anything his subordinates do. So that adds in things Daigo even may not have done himself: murders, blackmails, drug sales, trafficking. He's been to jail before, he's a criminal.

Powers / Abilities: Daigo is pretty strong and good fighter, but he does get his ass kicked by the player character every time he's in a game. He's not presented as among the strongest even by his own universe's rules. The other skills he has going for him are his leadership skills. He took on chairmanship of the second largest syndicate at the age of 30 with no prior experience in the matter. He is capable of leading when physical strength is called for, and when economic prowess and legal savvy are required. It's been a trial by fire for sure, but he's better at the job than he's given credit for.
Inventory: Cigarettes and lighter are probably the only things not confiscated.
Samples:
https://bakerstreet.dreamwidth.org/6852308.html?thread=3020974548#cmt3020974548
https://glimglams.dreamwidth.org/2192.html?thread=4840336#cmt4840336
https://glimglams.dreamwidth.org/2192.html?thread=5243536#cmt5243536
https://glimglams.dreamwidth.org/2192.html?thread=5240464#cmt5240464