Hasegawa Taizou (長谷川 泰三, Hasegawa Taizou) was a government official, but later lost his job and become a MADAO, short for marude damena ossan (まるでダメなオッさん) , which roughly translates into "totally hopeless old guy".[1] MADAO does however, have other meanings throughout the course of Gintama.
Background
Hasegawa was born into a family of lowly samurais. He claims that he met his wife while he was urinating in the ocean, they fell in love after this. Despite the objections because of difference in social status, he married Hatsu, and so married into her family, and also adopted her family name, "Hasegawa", in the process.
He was given a job by the Hasegawa family, Hatsu brought Hasegawa a suit but he never wore it. He felt that he was unworthy of the job so he wore his dirty looking kimono to work and was complained to by his superior.
Hasegawa wore the suit to apologise to his superior and saw Hatsu wearing a dirty kimono kneeling to beg for forgiveness on her husband's behalf at his superior's house, even though the superior was of lower social rank than her own family.
Hasegawa saw this and cut his suit, after that they apologised to each other while kneeling outside Hasegawa's superior's house. Soon after this, Hasegawa worked his way up and became the head of Immigration Bureau.
Appearance
He wears a ragged, old brown suit and a pair of sunglasses. His eyes are rarely shown, and he is often seen smoking. He has dark brown messy hair.
Like Shinpachi, many of Hasegawa's friends stated that Hasegawa's sunglasses are more Hasegawa than Hasegawa himself. Throughout the series he is seen wearing various disguises and has been shown in different styles for gags.
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Personality
He is a kind and good-hearted man but he always ends up alone, sad and miserable. Hasegawa is a man defined by his sunglasses. He treasures them as the only thing he could hold on to after losing his job and his wife left him.
He would later at multiple occasions pick himself up and get another job, even changing his clothes and losing the sunglasses, but misfortunate events would eventually lead him to become his old madao self again. Interestingly enough, most of his misfortunes could be led back to his involvement with the Yorozuya, even though they are his friends. However, whenever he gets into a real pinch, the Yorozuya steps in and helps him out, as seen in the Hasegawa Trial chapter and when Sakata Gintoki introduced him to the real estate agent Fudou Sanzou.[2]
Hasegawa has been shown to have a masochistic streak for example when the people of Hingromaxon threw fruits at him and he was enjoying it; and when Tae punched him until she make him cry and he loved it. He has also confessed himself that he is "a bit of an M (masochist)."
Due to his lifestyle as a MADAO, he has shown many time depressed and deep in the void. Hasegawa is frequently smoking. In the opening songs, he is almost always shown holding a cigarette. He also drinks and gambles despite his financial status. Hasegawa has tried commit suicide multiple times but he always fails.
Despite his multiple shortcomings and misfortunes, he has shown to be a genuinely kind individual who will sacrifice his own chance to escape from being a MADAO if it means to help others, as shown in the case with bringing back Daigoro's family back together despite the implication that Hasegawa and Daigoro's mother were developing feelings for each other. Also he paid off a debt worth millions plus the hospital bill for an ill little girl he befriended, by winning a gameshow that was rigged for him to lose.
Strength & Abilities
In his first appearance, he used a gun as a weapon. In the Sakata Kintoki arc, he used a broom as a weapon.
According to the "Spouzer" Kamenashi had, when Hasegawa puts on Kamenashi's sunglasses, his fighting powers are over 600K. (K is for konbu, meaning kelp), but once the glasses are removed, his powers dropped to 1K in Episode 117.
Relationships
Family
- Hasegawa Hatsu: He's currently estranged from his wife Hatsu because of his jobless lifestyle, however they still keep in touch. But it is shown that they still love each other very deeply, and he wishes to get back together with her, after he proves that he is no longer a Madao. Unfortunately, his plans always somehow fails.
Friends & Allies
- Sakata Gintoki: He oftens joins Gintoki in gambling games like pachinko and horse-betting. They often times drink together.[3] They seem to be good friends doing everything they can to get money together. Gintoki has also helped Hasegawa out on several occasions. In the Scandal arc, it's also implied that Gintoki and Hasegawa slept together.
- Kondo Isao: The two are always shown to share the same wavelength and are always in good terms. They agreed with each other during the character poll discussion, their work as a Patriot, and they were both naked while in the soccer team.
- Kagura: Kagura is the first person from Yorozuya to encounter Hasegawa in his jobless state. She was also the first to give him the nickname MADAO. She has expressed disgust of Hasegawa in several occasions like in the Hasegawa Prosecution Arc. However, it never came to an extreme point. As with Hasegawa's close relation to Yoruzuya, Kagura had become accustomed to him. He is often invited to parties and year-end celebrations of the group.
- Katsura Kotarou: Hasegawa calls him by the affectionate nickname "Zuracchi". Although Hasegawa is often perplexed by him, they are on good terms and are in each other's company often, both of them being close to the Yorozuya.
- Kitaooji Daigorou: In Episode 188 Daigorou recounts the story of how MADAO [Hasegawa] bloomed and helped his father find a job while forsaking himself. Daigorou has great respect for Hasegawa while Hasegawa wishes him happiness in the future.
- Sakuraji ma Chiharu: She saved Hazegawa from dying twice and began to live with him. Later he helped Chiharu to Pay his father's debts by entering the Madaodog Millionaire Show. Chiharu firstly calls him Mr. Pig. But, later she refers to Hasegawa as her father.
Enemies
- Haga: Haga tried to get rid of Hasegawa so he could officially get together with his wife.
- Prince Hata: Prince Hata caused Hasegawa to lose his job
Story
After the incident with MADAO close to divorce, but he never thinks of signing the divorce papers. He works as a freelancer. During the most part of the series, he is a homeless vagabond.
The odd jobs he has undertaken so far are:
- Stall holder at a shooting gallery at the carnival in Episode 17
- Janitor at the Hashida Corporation in Episode 51
- Sushi-shop employee in Episode 120
- Konbini employee in Episode
- Taxi-driver in Episode 16, during which Okita Sougo got in and asked him to knock down Hijikata Toushirou.
- Life guard in Greater Edo Swimming Pool in Episode 217
Gengai Arc
Infant Strife Arc
Hasegawa works as a janitor for the hashida company
Hasegawa Prosecution Arc
Hasegawa was accused because of sexual harassment after saving a lady who fell into the train rails.
Ryugujo Arc
A turtle saved Hasegawa when he was about to jump of a cliffand wanted to take him to Ryugu Palace to make him love his life. Suddenly, Katsura appeared, riding a flying soft-shelled turtle, and was going to Tianzhu. These two turtles started to fight and everyone got lost in the sea as their boats got destroyed.
He woke up on an island and stripped naked. He started to run and thought that he isn’t alone as he is a part of the world. He really wasn’t alone. Shinpachi was doing the same thing as him. They put on their clothes and started to speak like nothing happened. They found Gintoki practicing Kamehameha and when he saw them, he got embarrassed. He pretended like he saw nothing. Then, they saw Otae singing B’z’s Taiyo no Komachi Angel, and she got emberassed when she saw them. He told her that everyone likes B’z and found Kyubei on their way. She drew an ice cream, but the waves erased half of it and made it look like poop, and she used her body as a wall to protect it from the waves. After she saw them, she got emberassed. They found Kagura, stating that Laputa must definitely be on that huge cloud. She also felt very bad when she saw them. At last, they saw Katsura. He was drawing an SOS with his piss and was singing Taiyo no Komachi Angel. He saw a giant cloud and stated that Takizawa Crystal must be there and ran out of piss. He also protected the SOS from the waves with his body. They talked about their situation and made three groups. Hasegawa and Otae were in charge of cooking. Hasegawa caught lots of fishes Otae burned his sunglasses to start a fire, making him almost cry.
Hasegawa and Otae came to where Shinpachi and Kyubei is and they entered into a cave. The skeleton was Kamenashi’s wife. Through tv, they saw the people in Edo getting old and Kamenashi explained that this is the work of Otohima and stated that they are the only ones that can stop her. Turtles appeared on the shore and attacked them. They tried to hold on until Gintoki and Katsura comes back, however, they returned as old mans and the turtles caught them.
In the prison, they started to talk about their strategies. Kagura thought Gintoki was eating something and attacked him. Katsura got disturbed by the noise and stated that kids must stop playing with the mega drive and go outside. They all got annoyed by Katsura and Gintoki’s behaviours and some turtles appeared. They took Otae and left. Then Kamenashi came and pushed the guard to the bars to make them take the keys, but Kagura kicked the bars down. The turtles attacked them but Kyubei and Kagura defeated them.
Before they went to take Otae back, Kamenashi used spouzer to divide their power equally, but the spouzer got destroyed as Gintoki and Katsura were too much of a burden. The soldiers found them and started to attack. Kagura and Kyubei fastly escaped as they didn’t want to be team up with Katsura or Gintoki. Kamenashi and Hasegawa tried to hold the turtles so Shinpachi and others can escape, however, they couldn’t even stop one soldier and fell down.
Hasegawa and Kamenashi later tried to stop Otohime and earned them some time. They won and everyone in Edo got back to their old selves. Otohime lost and got stuck under the parts of the cannon that was destroyed. Hasegawa and others saved her.
Monkey Hunter Arc
In this arc, there is a online game that spreads throughout the world, and there is one player that is the most legend of all.? Hasegawa is the legendary "M", the most powerful player in the videogame "Monkey Hunter". His character is a parody of Cloud.
Character Poll Arc
Santa Arc
Hasegawa joined Shimura Tae, Shimura Shinpachi and Kagura in a small christmas party.
Timeskip Arc
Two years after the break, Hasegawa grew his hair out and became a famous singer song-writer in edo as well as a the third top best seller on the sales chart with his third single "The God of Cardboard". he performed live on tv with his song "I Cut My Hair".
Kabukicho Four Devas Arc
Madao took part in protecting the Kabuki District from the Four Devas but without being too much of help.
Scandal Arc
Hasegawa and the others tricked Sakata Gintoki into promising to quit drinking.
Host Club Arc
Due to the Host leaving the club, Hasegawa was invited to be one of the host, wearing clothes made from cardboards with the pink wishing paper as a necktie that says I want to meet Jang Geun suk.
Kintama Arc
Frozen Time Arc
Madao unfortunately gets mixed up into The Yorozuyas time stop machine and together with Gengai gets killed in countless different ways no matter how much the Yorozuya tried to change the time over and over.
Confessional Arc
Soul Switch Arc
In Episode 289 Hasegawa in Sadaharu's body.
Feigned Illness Arc
Silver Soul Arc
Trivia
- Chapter 43 revealed that the first version of Kondou (which looks like Hasegawa) had him as the leader of the Shinsengumi. His appearance was a cross between Kondou and Hasegawa. Sorachi revealed that the initial Hasegawa was going to be portrayed as a useless man that's always trying to find a date.
- In the same chapter, Sorachi said that Hasegawa is one of his favorite characters.
- Until now, fans created fanart of his 'Shinsengumi' form along with Hijikata Toushirou, Shimura Shinpachi, and Okita Sougo .
- Hasegawa is based on the main character of the show Onihei Hankachō named Hasegawa Heizō, whose nickname was Onihei.
- His character is a parody of Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy franchise.
- Hasegawa's nickname in the Japanese manga is Madao. In the English translation made by VIZ, it is changed into DORK (Dumb Old Retarded Kook) [4]
- Hasegawa's looks is uncannily similar to Ikari Gendou of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame. They even share the same voice (Tachiki Fumihiko), leading to one questioning whether Hasegawa was a parody of Gendou in the first place.
- The link of characters being voiced by Tachiki is further referenced in the video game J-Stars Victory VS, in which Gintoki will tell the One Piece character Akainu that his body will break if he keeps up his tension, with Shinpachi noting that he's mistaken him for Hasegawa due to their identical voices. Kagura if paired on a team with Akainu will throw out a nod to this as well, even using her prefered nickname "Madao" for Hasegawa to refer to Akainu.
Quotes
- "I don't need beer or work... I have already received enough..."
- (To Kagura) "when things heated up, i let my body do the thinking"
- ''Wait for me everyone. I'll be right there!''
See Also
- Characters