Aki Myojin

"Starting at 2 PM today you will be my responsibility. You must absolutely obey what I say until you find your freedom, do you understand? Answer."

- Myojin upon meeting Hina.

Myojin Aki (in Japanese: 明神亜貴) is a main character of the Sweet Punishment manga and anime. He is the primary antagonist of the first anime series appearing in every episode. He is the Chief Security Guard of the maximum security Black Wing prison and the captor of protagonist Hina Saotome.

Appearance
"A beautiful white and delicate skin. But the scar ruins the beauty of his body."

- Hina thoughts of Myojin.

Myojin is attractive in appearance with sharp features. He is tall and lean yet muscular. He has a pale complexion contrasting with his dark purple hair and eyes. Hidden under his clothes he has a large scar.

He is almost always seen wearing his black guard uniform and hat which include several silver adornments signifying his high status as Chief Prison Guard. When working he wears white gloves and usually carries a black whip. When away from work he is seen wearing a simple black suit and tie.

His expression tends to correlate with who he is around. With fellow officers and even many prisoners he has a warm and friendly appearance however, with Hina he generally retains a stoic and domineering expression.

In a memory sequence of when he was assumedly a teenager and/or young adult, he has dyed blonde hair.

Personality
"I know that, it's obvious. However, this foolish anger keeps growing within me."

- Myojin reflecting on himself.

Myojin Aki has a complex personality which deviates depending on who he is around. He is very confident is his position as Chief Prison Officer and carries himself with an air of authority.

He is firm yet kind and supportive towards fellow guards and the inmates in the prison. The exception being Hina, who he believes has wronged him, he has a cold personality towards her in public and a sadistic personality towards her in private. He openly enjoys tormenting and humiliating her primarily through sexual means via his "punishments". Whilst he openly enjoys what he is doing Hina's also notes that she occasionally sees pity.

It is strongly implied that behind his vengeful anger he is in fact a good person who is merely tormented by his past and the emotional trauma he is undergoing due to his mother is dying. He cares deeply about his family and describes the anger he feels as "foolish".

At the beginning of the series he doesn't seem to be particular about who harms Hina and as a punishment deliberately locks her in a tower with three "problem prisoners" who would have raped her had Higa not intervened. Soon after however, he begins growing extremely possessive over her and becomes enraged when he discovers Hina and Higa have had relations.

History
Several flashbacks have been shown of Myojin Aki's history. He is seen as a moody young man with dyed blonde hair who seems to have an uncomfortable relationship with his mother. President Yuzuru Akatsuki is seen in his history and appears to be courting Myojin's mother much to his evident displeasure.

When distraught a clip of his past is shown when he still had dyed hair and stated "all you have to do is die" in a rather malicious tone. It is as yet unknown who he said this too.

He is seen enjoying drinks with fellow prison guards when a TV clip comes on stating Yuzuru Akatsuki has been involved in shady business and has received death threats to which he runs out the room. He then finds his mother and a man – as yet unidentified – hanging from the ceiling. He rushes his mother to the hospital where she remains in critical state.

He is seen again looking at the TV with officers as it is announced that Hina was found guilty of embezzlement and would be spending a year in his prison. At this news he has a dark smile.

Biography
"Kneel before Myojin Aki!"

- A manga tagline about Myojin Aki.

He introduces himself to Hina upon her arrival where he tells her that he is Chief Prison Guard Myoujin Gakita and that she is entering a maximum-security prison wherein she is the only woman. She will be referred to as 3077 and his orders are absolute. He then takes her for a "mandatory body check" of his own design while taunting her reactions and stifling her moans so as to not be heard by others outside.

When Hina's lover Yakuma comes to visit her he accompanies Hina as her guard however, unbeknownst to Yakuma crudely interrupts their reunion. As Hina does not want Yakuma to see her such she pretends with some difficulty that nothing is wrong. Myojin locks her in a tower with three unchained prisoners who have shown an interest in her. She would have been raped at this point if not for Higa's intervention.

He chastises her work in the kitchen's when he is interrupted by another man – assumedly a prisoner – who greets him familiarly. Myojin warmly acknowledges the man's accomplishment of passing the cooking test and offers to help with the publicity of his business in the future showing a warmer side to his personality. Hina notes that all the prisoners appear to trust him.

When observing the prisoners eating he appears displeased at Higa telling Hina the food she made is delicious and afterwards tells Hina he is punishing her from having problems in the kitchens. She obeys his orders not wanting to arouse his suspicions of her impending escape plan however, afterwards declares him "crazy" to which he responds "Who's fault is that?".

On his day off prison duty – which Hina states is once every two weeks – he goes to visit the hospital where his mother is in a coma and is told by a doctor that her chances are slim at best. After this he returns to the prison where he discovers Hina is in the process of escaping through the vents.

He pursues and captures her bringing her back to the shower room where he rapes her as punishment. Hina notes that he looks sad whilst doing so. When he carries her out of the shower-room unconscious he meets Higa who states that he trusted him because he always protected the prisoners but has changed in his obsession with Hina and wants to know what he plans to do to her. At this Myojin merely replies that a prisoner must not question his superiors.

He visits Hina in her room informing her she will now be working in the launderette, is to be in that room at 5pm every day, may no longer take an additional shower and that her prison sentence has been extended by one year. She asks if he hates her to which he gets angry and indicates he blames her for something.

He then ties her hands above her with his whip and rapes her through the prison bars mocking her arousal and denouncing her a slut.

When he becomes suspicious Hina has revealed the truth of her situation to Higa he instigates a meeting between them which he interrupts declaring it a ‘romantic encounter between prisoners' that must be punished. He locks Higa behind bars and molests Hina in front of him mocking Higa's powerlessness at the situation.

When Myojin catches Higa breaking into his office in an attempt to find information on Hina's case after knocking out a guard he lashes Higa with a whip as punishment. Despite this he holds back and seems upset at having to take such an action. He brings Hina to the infirmary where an injured Higa is and tells her his condition is her fault. There a fellow guard privately informs him of his mother and he immediately goes to the hospital where a doctor tells him she has taken a turn for the worse. Afterwards he sits alone despairingly thinking that it is only a matter of time before "the bomb goes off" and he will be alone.

Three days later he returns to the prison and visits Hina kissing her on sight. She thinks that he does so as if kissing his girlfriend and that his eyes look in need of comfort. However, he then spots the love bite made by Higa just below her neck and demands to know what it is. He appears enraged that she has let another man lay hands on her and angrily takes her to his room where he states he will punish her till dawn.

In the following days observes Higa turn down Hina's enquiry as to how he is doing and mocks her stating that he is all she has, demanding she apologise and swear never to look away from him again. Despite Higa pushing Hina away Myojin warns Higa that if he catches the two of them together again he will send them to the specialized section of the prison.

When Hina asks after Higa's condition Myojin apprehends them both and goes with them in a van destined for the specialized psychiatric section. The two are tied up with blindfolds and he tells Hina that it will be a while before they meet again and rapes her calling it a farewell gift enraging the adjacent Higa. The truck is then hit by Igarashi and upon impact Myojin dives to protect Hina. When freed Higa acknowledges the unconscious Myojin's actions before carrying him off.

Aki dreams of his past and his mother's relationship to President Yuzuru. When he awakens he is hog-tied to a chair and (despite his position) seems neither afraid or intimidated simply declaring their actions "stupidity". Higa demands to know his reasons for harassing Hina and tells Myojin he knows he has a connection to Yuzuru Akatsuki the man in charge of the company Hina was accused of embezzling and states he thinks Myojin knows Hina is innocent. When it is clear Myojin is not going to talk Higa leaves angrily promising to return. Upon Higa's departure Myojin has a confident expression.

Hina later comes down to his cell feeling unwelcome in the mafia's conversation. When he opens his eyes he uses her prison name to trigger her into submission. He proceeds to give her instructions to which she complies despite knowing she shouldn't. Upon doing so she realises she was never just an inmate of the prison but rather Myojin Aki's prisoner. He tells her she is still in detention, that all have become her enemies and orders her to release him.

Powers and Abilities
Myojin Aki is a skilled prison guard with a good knowledge of its layout and occupants. It is he who deduces that Hina is trying to escape through the vents and quickly recaptures her.

He is very skilled with his whip which he usually carries with him, he uses it to control prisoners when necessary and was able to "hold back" the damage he inflicted on Higa as punishment.

He is a very skilled manipulator and by the end of the first series he has completely brainwashed Hina and can control her even when he is imprisoned himself.

Hina
"I'll keep disciplining you until there's nothing left of you."

- Myojin to Hina.

Myojin Aki has an obsession with Hina. Unlike the rest of the prisoners he refuses to call her by name and instead refers to her as only as 3077. Upon her entry to prison he immediately takes advantage of her and proceeds to relentlessly dominate her through sexual assault and humiliation. He generally refers to these as ‘punishments'.

He looks down on her but does admit "she's got guts" when she attempts to escape the prison. He becomes very possessive of Hina declaring her ‘his'. He becomes angry when she starts to get close to fellow inmate Higa and does his best to force them apart.

Despite this he does show her some compassion and often looks vulnerable or sad. When the vehicle they are traveling in is hit by a car he dives to protect her. When Myojin is captured Higa suggests that Myojin is already aware that Hina is innocent of her accused crime hence his attempt to save her.

He appears to blame her for his current misfortune describing her as "a woman who turned her back on the law" and "stole his everything" much to her confusion. It is implied his mother's hanging was in connection to her relationship with President Akatsuki who was in charge of the company Hina was wrongly accused of embezzling.

By the end of the first series he has succeeded in making Hina his mental prisoner and despite being tied up by Higa and her finally being free he is able to use her prison name to manipulate her into having sex with him and freeing him from his restraints.

Higa
"What are these eyes? Are you going to cry? You don't have any power!"

- Myojin taunting a distraught Higa.

Higa is an inmate at Black Wing prison. He and Myojin Aki originally had a positive relationship with one another and upon Higa's entry to the prison prior the beginning of the series he offered to help reinstitutionalize Higa back into society upon his release. However, Higa soon realises something is wrong between him and Hina. After Hina's attempted escape Higa sees Myojin carrying an unconscious Hina and calls him out on his obsession with her only to be told not to question his superiors.

When Myojin finds out Hina has told Higa about their relationship he lures them into a conversation then reveals himself stating they must both be appropriately punished. He locks Higa behind bars and proceeds to molest Hina in front of him giving a detailed commentary of Hina's responses and mocking his powerlessness to which Higa declares him "just crazy human without that uniform".

He discovers Higa trying to find information on Hina and lashes him although Higa notes that Myojin went easy on him, doing minimal damage to his yakuza tattoo to protect his pride. He also seems upset at having to hurt Higa and tells him to never make him do it again.

He becomes jealous and angry when he discovers Hina and Higa have becomes closer he threatens to send them both to the specialized psychiatric section of the prison as punishment should they have any further contact. When this punishment comes around he accompanies them in the van and deliberately rapes Hina within Higa's earshot.

Their positions are reversed when Igarashi saves Hina and Higa. However, even when tied up Myojin refuses to accept Higa's dominance or explain his reasons behind his abusive behavior.

Mother
"If she dies I'll be all alone. Even though I couldn't do anything"

- Myojin after her condition worsens.

Myojin's early memories indicate he had a strained relationship with his mother and did not approve of her interest in President Yuzuru Akatsuki.

Upon seeing the news that Yuzuru has recieved death threats he runs and finds his mother hanging from the ceiling with alongside a man. He then rushes her to hospital where they were able to stableize her.

In the present he seems to care deeply for her bringing her flowers in hospital where she remains in a coma. He is devastated at her condition which steadily worsens and thinks that if she dies he'll be alone.

Yuzuru Akatsuki
"You certainly have a connection with this Yuzuru Akatsuki."

- Higa interrogating a captured Myojin.

He and Yuzuru are connected. Judging on his memories this seems to be through his relationship with Myojin Aki's mother. He was president of the company Hina was falsely accused of embezzling. It is implied his "shady business" and consequent "death threats" are the reason Myojin mother was hung and ended up in a coma.

Higa disovers Yuzuru is "missing" and finds private information on him in Myojin's office when he goes hunting through his office seeking information on Hina. Higa believes Yuzuru is responsible for setting Hina up.

Whenever Yuzuru is brought up Myojin becomes angry. He furiously orders Hina not to say his name and refuses to discuss the topic with Higa when under interrogation.