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"Please... just for a while... stay with me. I wish time would just stand still."
―Nozomi to Ryo[src]

Nozomi Harasaki (Kanji: 原崎 望, Rōmaji: Harasaki Nozomi) is a young woman who, during the first Shenmue, is living in Yokosuka, Japan.

She is the first love interest of Ryo Hazuki and his close friend and classmate. She has a crush on him, although Ryo has more mixed feelings.

Appearance[]

Nozomi is Japanese and is 164 cm (5'3.5") tall. She has medium lengthed dark brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a tan sweater, a black and red checkered skirt, high lengthed dark brown socks, and light brown shoes. In Shenmue the Animation, her hair is a lighter shade of brown, and she is often seen wearing a light brown winter jacket and can sometimes be seen wearing a traditional Japanese school uniform.

Personality[]

"Get away from me! Don't you DARE lay a finger on me!"
―Nozomi to two bullies

Nozomi is very mature and wise beyond her years. However, she apparently believes in the power of good luck charms; one could interpret this as her being a bit naive, more on the "emotional" over "logical" side, or merely superstitious at the least. In the anime, she mentions she wants to believe in the "gods" to watch over Ryo.

While generally shy in nature, Nozomi is shown to have great internal strength and courage, as evidenced by her defending a child being hassled by two thugs and warning them they will regret it if they lay a single finger on her.

Noz313

Nozomi caring for the kitten.

She is very much a peacemaker who values love over hate. Nozomi is very empathetic, caring for other people. She has her own opinions, but is considerate to others and how they may feel, and gives Ryo and Ine Hayata some flowers after the death of Ryo's father.[1] She also cares for animals such as the orphaned kitten and helps join the search when the kitten goes missing. Nozomi's desire to become an English-Japanese translator also implies an interest in language and a desire to help people communicate; it could be interpreted as her way of breaking down the divisions which can separate people from understanding each other.

Like many young adults, Nozomi is also somewhat confused and uncertain of the future. She is also uncertain with her relationship with Ryo.

Biography[]

NozomiStanding

Nozomi working at Aida Florist.

Nozomi was born in Japan. She moved to Vancouver, Canada with her parents when she was young due to them having work over there and attended elementary school there. When she was a junior high school student, she moved to Yokosuka where her grandmother Toki Aida lives to help operate her flower shop, Aida Florist. She attended school with Ryo.

Initially, her Japanese classmates bullied her, discriminating against her because of the different way she did things due to the culture clash, and people acted like she was not "really Japanese". At that time, Ryo would often stand up for her until the bullying stopped. Since then, her love for him has grown over the years. She has decided that she is going to confess her love to him.

Nozomi is fluent in both English and Japanese and hopes to become a Japanese/English interpreter or translator in the future.

On the day of the incident, Nozomi became extremely angry when she got splashed with mud by a speeding black car which got away, and she never received an apology.

If the player talks to Nozomi, it's revealed she has a tense relationship with her mother and they argue a lot.

Shenmue[]

Ryo talking to Nozomi after beating Enoki2

Ryo speaking with Nozomi.

Following Iwao Hazuki's murder, Nozomi's parents insist she move back to Canada, thus forming the emotional subplot between her and Ryo. While wanting to respect her parents wishes she struggles to come to terms with leaving Ryo and continues to worry about him, especially since Ryo is facing dangerous groups and gangs.

Nozomi is loyal and worries greatly about Ryo in his constant quest for vengeance. She is also anxious about Ryo leaving for China; Shenmue is set in the 1980s, before mainstream social media and the widespread usage of phones, so their lack of communication caused by their inevitable parting and farewell is quite significant.

Some missable cutscene involving Nozomi include:

  • Nozomi defends a child being hassled by two thugs Akio Enoki and Tetsuya Nagashima in Sakuragaoka Park.[2]
  • Nozomi leaves flowers for Iwao. Although Nozomi does not appear, it is possible for this to occur.[3]
  • Nozomi overhears Ryo when he pets the kitten, and is saddened he does not talk to her much.[4]
  • Nozomi helps find the missing kitten.[5]
  • If the kitten is healed, Nozomi gets the cat medicine but realizes it's pointless now that it is not sick anymore.[6]

Nozomi will always visit Ryo after he does his business in the tattoo parlor. She tells him she was looking for him to talk to him about future college plans.[7]

TwoPhotosOfNozomi

Photo of Ryo and Nozomi.

On one of Ryo's lunch breaks at the harbor, Eri Tajima will take two photos of Ryo and Nozomi, one where they're side-by-side and another where they're more separated. The player must choose which photo Ryo keeps and which photo Nozomi keeps. Nozomi does not react differently depending on the photo chosen, as the scene exists to make the player self-reflect on how they view Nozomi. After the photo dilemma, Nozomi reveals she is moving to Canada, but that she will return to Japan on vacation, and tells him not do anything stupid in the meantime.[8]

Ryo's fierce protectiveness of Nozomi is shown when he confronts the entire Mad Angels gang when she is kidnapped. After rescuing her, perhaps one of the game's most memorable scenes is when Ryo takes Nozomi for a motorcycle ride around the city, while "Wish" (sung by Yumiko Yamamoto) plays.[9]

In an optional cutscene when is only obtained if the player takes their time and does not complete the game before December 26, she confesses her love for Ryo at Sakura Park, however Ryo, preoccupied with avenging his father's death, is unsure of his feelings towards her (although it is strongly hinted through phone conversations and certain events that Ryo feels the same way).[10]

Another optional cutscene, which happens if the player misses the prior scene with her at the park, involves a sad Nozomi crying because of her family situation.[11]

In their final meeting, just before Ryo leaves for Hong Kong, she gives him a good luck amulet. She tells Ryo that she wishes they had more time together.[12]

Shenmue II[]

Nozomi's circumstances are unknown following the events of Ryo's departure. She is only briefly mentioned while Ryo is in Guilin, where Shenhua Ling questions him about his past.

While walking, Shenhua asks him who Nozomi is, and the player may choose between "old friend", "woman" and "florist".[13]

He shows her the photo of him and Nozomi together that was taken at the harbor. Shenhua comments that Nozomi is beautiful and asks Ryo if all Japanese women are beautiful like her.

Shenmue III[]

In Hotel Niaowu, Ryo can use the telephone to call Nozomi in Canada and she and Ryo will catch up. She comments he takes it to far when it comes to getting into danger, such as going to Hong Kong and fighting Enoki in the park. Ryo says Nozomi is an important friend to him, causing Nozomi to say, "Yeah... that's what I am... a friend..." Ryo then replies, "Yeah! You're my friend!", friendzoning Nozomi. Ryo wonders if the good luck amulet she gave him has special powers as he has survived so far. Ryo mentions he has another charm given to him, causing Nozomi to worry he has found someone else, although Ryo hides Xiuying Hong's gender, saying it was just a teacher. Ryo mentions he has Shenhua with him, causing Nozomi to ask, "Shen... what?" Nozomi wonders what Shenhua is like and hopes to meet her someday, although it appears Nozomi wonders if Ryo and Shenhua are together as more than just friends. Nozomi mentions she has made some friends in Canada and is having more fun at school in Canada as opposed to school in Japan.

Also in Shenhua's House in the first part at Bailu Village, Ryo can ask Shenhua if she has any friends and she will mention Ryo's friends that he told her about in Shenmue II and he will be surprised that she remembers all of them (although she doesn't mention Guizhang Chen). She will specifically talk about Nozomi and say how beautiful she is.

Shenmue the Animation[]

Nozomi anime artwork

Nozomi as she appears in the anime.

Nozomi appears as one of the main characters in Shenmue the Animation. The anime explores her and Ryo's relationship more.

In Episode 1, she takes Ryo to lunch.

In Episode 2, she helps Ryo with his investigation in finding more about his father's death by helping him find people that would be able to help. She also is eager to go to college and wonders if Ryo would still go due to him being obsessed with his quest.

In Episode 5, Nozomi says goodbye to Ryo during the daytime instead of nighttime like the game.

Themes[]

Etymology[]

  • The name Nozomi means "wish, desire, hope" (望).
  • Nozomi's surname Harasaki means "field, plain" (原) (hara) and "cape, peninsula" (崎) (saki).

Trivia[]

Nozomi fights Enoki secret

The secret scene where Nozomi helps Ryo fight Enoki and Nagashima.

NozomiFlip

Don't mess with Nozomi.

  • Nozomi's zodiac sign is Virgo and she has a AB blood type.
  • Her phone number is 0468-22-5508 (In the game's re-release Shenmue I & II, the last digit is removed.). If her grandmother doesn't answer, they can have some amusing conversations.[14][15][16]
  • There's a secret scene where Nozomi can help Ryo fight Akio Enoki and Tetsuya Nagashima at Sakuragaoka Park. For this to trigger, Ryo must increase the kitten's affinity score above 500, which can be done by feeding her 5 sliced fish. Then after triggering the scene at Sakuragaoka Park, rapidly press Y Y B X A A A (△ △ 〇 ▢ ✕ ✕ ✕ for PS4) in sequence. The timing for pressing this is during the first 8 or so seconds after the cutscene has started, showing Ryo walking along the road in Sakuragaoka towards the park, up until just before Nagashima appears. Nozomi uses Ryo's move-set, although her practicing Jujitsu is most likely non-canon due to her never actually fighting and it being a easter egg that was most likely meant to be taken as a joke.[17]
  • An early and rejected concept design for Nozomi had her with a completely different appearance. While the design was used for a guard in the What's Shenmue? Demo, the design was so well-liked by one of the developers that he pushed for it to be used in the sequel. The character became Izumi Takano.
  • Because save data can not be imported into Shenmue III, the game uses the decision where Ryo keeps the photo where they are together during clear sunny weather, meaning Nozomi has the one where they are apart. This photo is also in Ryo's inventory when starting a new Shenmue II save without importing a Shenmue I save, which suggests that this is decision is considered canon.

References[]

  1. Although Japanese dual nationality is difficult to acquire, due to the timeline of the series, it's still very possible Nozomi had it 1984 or before, especially considering Nozomi moved to Canada at a young age and has lived there for most of her life.

Gallery[]

PMirror Shenmue Wiki has a gallery for Nozomi Harasaki. DMirror
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