Mirei Park (朴 美麗, Paku Mirei) is a supporting character featured in Yakuza 5. She is the president of the Dyna Chair talent agency.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Park is a tall woman with fair skin and short black hair with bangs parted to the side.
Attire[]
Park wears a white belted coat over a black shirt, as well as a black skirt that comes to her calves. She wears a silver necklace and earrings, as well as the cracked brooch after Haruka gives it to her.
Personality[]
— Mirei ParkTrue abilities don't lie.
Park is an outwardly cold, selfish, underhanded, and extremely harsh individual with a serious, no-nonsense demeanor. She is very strict with her employees, and is often seen reprimanding or even hitting them, though it is done with the best intentions, with Park knowing firsthand how harsh the idol industry can be if not properly prepared. Additionally, Park expects those who aspire to be idols to make hefty sacrifices, something she herself had done.
Despite her coldness, she is also shown to be caring and thoughtful and quickly bonds with Haruka, acting as a mother-figure and spoiling her while they are out shopping together.
Background[]
Park grew up as an orphan who never knew her biological parents, and was abused by those that took care of her. She was left-handed, but was made to write with her right. During her early years, she came to admire idols and the way that they were loved and respected, and decided that her goal would be to earn the love that she never had growing up.
She debuted at age 18, and was already married to Goro Majima, who had gifted her with an expensive fountain pen that she kept as a good luck charm, hiding it behind her mic during her debut. She kept her marriage secret to the public, as well as her agency, just as she had done with her Korean ancestry, fearing that it would cause problems.
During the short year that the two were married, Park learned that she was pregnant with Majima's child, and aborted before telling him about it, believing it was necessary for her career. Majima, feeling betrayed by his wife, hit her. With their marriage destroyed and Majima believing he was doing Park more harm than good by staying, the two divorced, and he left for Kamurocho. Park soon after learned that she had become infertile.
In time, Park's agency discovered their secret marriage and gradually rescinded their support, cancelling her dream concert at the Tokyo Dome. Park struggled to find work as an idol, and eventually was forced to retire.
Park founded Dyna Chair in the hopes of living out her failed dream through the girls she managed. She worked on this goal with help from longtime friend Naoki Katsuya, and the public were led to believe they were fierce rivals. Among many others, Park guided the careers of Mai Sanada and Azusa Osawa, however, the pair took issue with the way Park treated them, and left Dyna Chair, instead signing with Katsuya's agency Osaka Talent. This development was part of Park and Katsuya's plan.
Involvement[]
Yakuza 5: 2011-2012[]
In early 2011, Park encounters Haruka in a bookstore and concludes that she is a "Diamond in the rough". She feels Haruka was the perfect person to live out her failed dream and decides to take her in, no matter what. However, she performs a full background check on Haruka and the Morning Glory Orphanage and by proxy learns of Kazuma Kiryu and of his previous occupation.
Park eventually visits the Orphanage to converse with Kiryu regarding Haruka, requesting that Kiryu leave the orphanage and hide his yakuza background for Haruka's idol career. Kiryu initially refuses as he considered taking care of the children both his duty and his path in life. Park, however, points out that Kiryu has made the children too happy, and willing to sacrifice their dreams to stay together. She also assures him that the orphanage would be financially supported in his absence.
Although Kiryu is at first skeptical, the harsh reality of Park's words hits him hard when he learns that some of the kids are willing to forsake school in order to look for jobs in order to support the orphanage financially, a sacrifice too big in Kiryu's eyes and thus decides to comply with Park's demands. Haruka, who previously refused Park's offer of stardom, is convinced by Kiryu to change her mind and go with Park.
During this time, Park, completely confident in Haruka's ability, decides to prepare ahead for her career and looks for a loan to secure Haruka's debut in the Japan Dome. The search takes her to Sky Finance for a ¥300 million loan from Shun Akiyama. As per Akiyama's rules, Park undergoes certain tests, including becoming a hostess, doing physical work on a construction site, and taking loans back from Yakuza. Park passes them, and for her final test, Akiyama gives her the condition to quit the production business after finalizing her current project. Park, knowing that she could bet it all on Haruka, agrees on the terms, thus earning the ¥300 million.
Park hires several dance instructors for Haruka, but fires every one of them until she signs a secretly-modified contract with Kan Ogita, by when she has fired every other Kansai-based dance instructor. Although Haruka has a hard time, she tries further and succeeds to impress her instructor. Park has a talk with Haruka about how she plans to have her debut in the Japan Dome. While Haruka is overwhelmed by the major events that are to come next questioning whether she can win the Princess League, Park coldly remarks that Haruka will have to win since otherwise she will shut down the orphanage.
Park later shortens Ogita's deadline from one year to six months, and swiftly shuts down his protesting by reminding his failure will result in a breach of contract. She leaves Haruka in the charge of Hiroshi Horie for the upcoming first round of the Princess League finals, but after an accident with a producer, reprimands Horie for his mistake, having warned him to have Haruka afar from danger. Park does not want Haruka to face the darkness of showbusiness out of concern that she will start seeing entertainment as a job rather than a dream.
After Haruka's performance in the first round of the Princess League, Park is confronted by Ogita, who has had enough of her mistreatment, prompting Park to fire him. She also reveals that she modified his contract's reimbursing clause to where be could no longer be paid. Ogita, infuriated at Park, grabs her by the collar, and she provokes him into hitting her, but Ogita merely tosses her into the floor and leaves the office angered, though this injures her right wrist. Park then tasks Haruka and Horie with finding Christina, a famous dance instructor who has arrived in Sotenbori and is their last hope.
They eventually succeed in recruiting Christina and bring him to the agency's office. Park, pleased, leaves Haruka in Christina's care. Later, Park reads the letter sent to her by Majima where he hopes to see her. Park and Katsuya had leaked the letter's existence to draw out Katsuya's enemies. Having discussed this with him beforehand, Park realizes her death is near now that she is a target. Park asks Haruka if her makeup is self-taught and she confirms such, so Park decides to fix Haruka's makeup herself, encouraging the girl to become prettier and to work harder on her image. She later promises to go have a shopping trip with Haruka, which overjoys her.
While on a walk, she is witness to Haruka being harassed by Mai and Azusa into begging on her knees. Park challenges the duo into continuing, since the bystanders present would severely tarnish their reputation as the perpetrators of the harassment. The two, realizing that Park is right, decide to retreat, but before they can leave Park offers them the advice that they will meet their end if they attempt to win by attacking their rival instead of honing their own abilities. Park thanks Haruka for standing up for her and for the brooch, which she had bought for Park as a gift.
Back at her office, Park reveals she is going to Tokyo the next day and is thus writing a memo for Horie with instructions, and reveals that she was originally left-handed. Park then takes Haruka around town to boost her morale. During their walk, the two notice a happy daughter asking her mother what there will be for dinner. Noticing that Haruka observes the two, she holds her hand and the two keep walking. Afterwards, they take a taxi.
During the taxi ride, Park gifts Haruka her personal fountain pen that is the key to the safe containing Majima's letter, secretly making Haruka a target as well. Park explains the history behind the pen, her ex-husband, her idol career, and her abortion. She believes that she wants to make a successful idol as a way to make amends for her past mistakes or to take back what has been lost to her, and this is all she has left and apologizes to Haruka for dragging her into her ambitions. Park also gives the pretext that the pen is meant to serve as a bridge to her ex when they reunite in Tokyo.
That night, Park stumbles upon Ogita searching her office for the letter after being made to do so by Kamon Kanai, an enemy the letter was meant to draw out, since Ogita cannot pay off his debts due to Park's foul play with his contract. Park is interrogated by him and does not answer his questions, causing Ogita to repeatedly batter Park's head on the floor out of anger he still held towards her. Park is accidentally killed by Ogita in the process, and her death is framed to look like a suicide afterwards. Her body is taken by police officers in the morning, and she is eventually buried.
Gallery[]
Yakuza 5[]
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Online[]
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Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, “Part 3 Chapter 2: Hope Lives On”, Yakuza 5 Remastered (2012; Tokyo: SEGAWP, 2020), PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Windows.— Park about her past, Yakuza 5 Remastered
Well, when I debuted at eighteen... I was already married.
- ↑ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, “Finale Chapter 2: A Hidden Past”, Yakuza 5 (2012; Tokyo: SEGAWP, 2015), PlayStation 3.— MAO president, Yakuza 5
Naoki and Park looked out for each other for over twenty years, after all. He'd be the last one to betray her! [...] I used to be Naoki's manager. I've known them both since they were struggling to make their way in show business here. They both left the stage and ended up working behind the scenes. They've been close friends ever since then. [...] The only photo I have of them from twenty years ago. That guy behind them was the one Park was with at the time. I think his name was Majima.