Mai Sawano (沢野 麻衣 Sawano Mai) is the second daughter of Kinuyo Sawano, the owner of Hokuhoku Lunches. Her older sister is Hisaka Sawano.
Biography[]
Mai is 16 years old, and in her first year of high school. She started to rebel when she became a middle school student. After her father died, she felt lonely and neglected because her mother and sister were occupied with their lunchbox business.
These days, her boyfriend Goro Mihashi, cheered her up and comforted her. After she started dating him, she began to behave much better and she was often seen helping her sister deliver lunchboxes to the worker’s living quarters. However, her sole intention was to earn money and she often stole from the shop’s cash register. She and Ryo Hazuki have known each other since they were children.
Shenmue[]
Mai calls her sister Hisaka a "prude".
When Ryo is looking to enter the Old Warehouse District, and approaches Hokuhoku Lunches at the harbor, he will see Mai asking Hisaka to lend her some money. She refuses since she knows she would waste it, and Mai calls Hisaka a "prude" and storms off to hang with two sukeban girls Yumiko Minamino and Rena Isayama. Hisaka then reveals to Ryo that Mai has been hanging with a bad crowd and treating their family bad. She then asks Ryo to help her in talking to her, hoping he can straighten her out since she won't listen to her at all and he has known her since they were young. Ryo can accept or decline to help.
If he accepts, he will find Mai, Yumiko and Rena hanging out near the Mad Angels hideout. Ryo will then tell Mai that Hisaka's worried about her and tells her to go home. Rena and Yumiko then try to attack Ryo and a QTE battle with them triggers. If Ryo wins the fight, he will tell Mai that she shouldn't treat her sister poorly, especially since she's family. If Ryo loses the fight, he is on the ground knocked out and Yumiko and Rena leave. Mai seems concerned about Ryo when she sees him knocked out and doesn't leave with the girls. Fuku-san will then take Ryo home to rest. If he declines to help Hisaka, she will be understanding about it since she feels like there wasn't anything he could do anyway.
Mai and Goro together.
When Goro claims to have gotten Ryo a job at the harbor, it is revealed that Mai was actually the one who found it. Goro asked her to help him find Ryo a job, and she asked the foreman she knew from delivering lunches, Ryozo Yada about giving Ryo a job.
Later, at Ryo's lunch break on his last day of work, Mai and Goro reveal they are getting married.
Shenmue III[]
If Ryo calls Goro at Hotel Niaowu, he will reveal that Mai is doing very well and that Hisaka approves of their marriage and is all about it. Mai also appears in one of the flashbacks that are on the screen when Ryo calls Goro.
Shenmue the Animation[]
Mai as she appears in the anime.
Mai appears in Shenmue the Animation. In Episode 3, she is seen when Ryo comes across her talking to Nozomi Harasaki outside Aida Florist. Ryo asks them if they have any ideas on where someone would hide a mirror but they don't have any suggestions at all.
In Episode 4, Mai helps Ryo get a job as a forklift operator at the harbor when Goro asks her to help him find a job for him. In Episode 5, Mai along with Goro and Mark Kimberly using a forklift rescue Nozomi when she is held hostage by the Mad Angels.
Etymology[]
- The name Mai means "linen robe" (麻衣).
- Mai's surname Sawano means "marsh" (沢) (sawa) and "field, wilderness" (野) (no).
Trivia[]
The unused model of Mai.
- In Sega Japan's talk panel live stream discussing Shenmue I & II, an unused model of Mai was shown to the public for the first time. Yu Suzuki rejected the model since he says that it looked like someone who works at a hostess club. [1]
- Mai's zodiac sign is Gemini and she has a O blood type.
Gallery[]
Shenmue[]
Shenmue the Animation[]
