Bookmark This Page; Women in fighting games

I love to write about fighting games, and fighting game characters. If you want a collection of articles about women in fighting games then Bookmark This Page.

The return of Rainbow Mika, did Capcom cross the line in Street Fighter V?

Laura, the new leading lady of Street Fighter V or more fanservice?

Odd Girl Out, a look at alternate female fighting game characters...

The legend of Blue Mary, or girls in fighting games, part 1…

The legend of Blue Mary, or girls in fighting games, part 2…

The legend of Blue Mary, or girls in fighting games, part 3…

Why is Street Fighter playing with Dolls?

Meet Street Fighter V's Menat, an old soul in a young body?

The rise of Falke, or how military design works in fighting games...

The Chun-Li template, don't follow it too closely! A 1UP classic...

A look at Marisa, the Street Fighter 6 gladiator...

A look at Lili, the new native Mexican fighter in Street Fighter 6

Juri in Street Fighter 6, how her design got better with time

Manon in Street Fighter 6, representing a style over 200 years in the making

Cammy gets an entirely new look for Street Fighter 6, let's see how

Let's talk about A.K.I., the Dragon Lady of Street Fighter 6

Meet Kimberly, is she the Urban ninja of Street Fighter 6?

Chun-Li's new look in Street Fighter 6. Is it a step backwards?

Style Wars, looking at Kimberly in Street Fighter 6, and Isla from King of Fighters XIV.

The Street Fighter 6 pre-order trailer, a look at Manon, the graceful judo practitioner

The Street Fighter 6 pre-order trailer, a look at Marisa, the modern gladiator

Lili gets a makeover, just in time for Street Fighter 6!

Do you have a favorite female character in a fighting game. Tell me about it in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

A Street Fighter 6 detail that was bugging me until now...

Believe it or not I finally have closure on a Street Fighter 6 detail that's been bugging me for years. It goes back to 2022 when I did a writeup on Manon (then called Mimi). Her design had been leaked for the Street Fighter 6 roster, and I talked about it as a chance to redo the character of Abel. I mentioned that her hair was very stylish, as she was presented as a fashion model, and fighter. One of my blog visitors named sparrowhawk made a comment about her hair being based on a Skinbird. The type of hair that girl skinheads sometimes wear. They shave all of their hair except for their bangs.  

Sparrowhawk also made another great observation. He said that Manon was similar to the character Sawada Keizaburo from the manga, and anime series Kengan Ashura. The series written by Yabako Sandrovich, and illustrated by Daromeon was published from 2012-2018. The story was in the vein of Baki the Grappler in that the characters represented the pinnacle of their particular fighting styles. Also that they were hyper muscular, and violent combatants. Aside from the muscular frame, and long bangs there was little that I could see of Manon in the look of Sawada. 

That did not mean that the design didn't rub off on Yusuke Hashimoto the designer for Street Fighter 6. The hair alone would be ported over to A.K.I.  Mr. Hashimoto was known for his fashion-forward designs. He produced Bayonetta, and directed Bayonetta 2. As I stated previously; his sense of color, and costuming worked well for the SF cast, and could appeal to international audiences. There was one thing that I simply could not figure out with the design of Manon. That would be her bangs. When I looked at Marisa it was obvious that her haircut was designed to look like a Roman helmet. I could tell that the cropped hair of Manon was feathered to look like a bird. But the bangs were too thin, and too long to be wings.

If Manon were a principal artist then she would always be ready to perform. I would argue that she carried the character of Odette, the Swan Princess off of the stage, and into the arena. The part that bugged me was why would her bangs would be like this, then I realized that they weren't bird wings, but styled after her arms. The length, and cut of her bangs represented the bras bas in ballet, this was how the dancers held their arms before the first position. I think this was the best reason why Mr. Hashimoto went with that haircut. I know it was a dumb theory but it made sense to me. I wish I could ask him if I guessed correctly. Were there any details in Street Fighter or any fighting game that bugged you, but you couldn't guess why? I'd like to read about it in the comments section. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Let's talk about A.K.I., the Dragon Lady of Street Fighter 6

Today we are going to look at a new character slated for Street Fighter 6. A.K.I. is listed from China, and I mentioned previously on the Symmetry blog that she seems to be a new rival to Chun-Li. Maybe she is a leader of a Triad organization, maybe she's an assassin, or maybe she's just a fashion model mixed up in a fighting tournament. In my previous post I summed up their look this way. Both A.K.I, and Chun-Li hail from China, but they seem to be set as polar opposites. Chun-Li represents a classical fighting tradition. Her kicks are legendary in the series, as is her sense of duty to the police. A.K.I. by contrast looks like a villain right out of a comic book, or possibly action movie. She might be being set up as the ultimate rival. Her porcelain-white skin is eerie, making her appear almost supernatural. She wears flats like Chun-Li, but the similarities end there. Her costume is black, a sinister shade, and form fitting. She has pant leggings, and tulle-sleeves over her pale arms. She lacks the muscle definition of Chun-Li, but has claw-like jewelry. She's signaling that she is not a kicker, but a slasher. Just like Han, the villain from Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. I almost wonder if her claws have poison, similar to the nails of another Street Fighter villain.

When I look at A.K.I. I get the same feeling that I have from other Street Fighter 6 characters. Namely that she is an attempt to improve on an idea that was used in Street Fighter V. I think the moves of Jamie, and rivalry to Luke were originally going to apply to King Cobra. I also think that JP, was an attempt to redo the character of G. A.K.I. appears to be designed to replace the Shadowlaw general F.A.N.G. I know that I am not the only person in the fighting game community that has these same thoughts. Other people think that Manon is an attempt to redo the character of Abel. I’ve said that no good idea really dies, but perhaps some tropes need to be retired. I’m not sure what the abbreviation A.K.I. stands for, but in Japanese the name Aki can mean bright, brilliant, radiance. Aki itself is not a Chinese name. There were a lot of design elements behind F.A.N.G., but the character seemed like a giant troll. He was silly, goofy, and just plain stupid in the lineup. I think he reflected Yoshinori Ono’s sense of humor perfectly. Along with Rufus, and Hakan, these were gag characters that really didn’t belong in the series. The other reason the character didn’t work was because part of his design was based on the evil Chinese mastermind trope. When I look at A.K.I. there are hints of stereotypical elements to her look as well.

In a nutshell A.K.I. seems to be cut out of the Dragon Lady trope. There were several heavy-handed ethnic stereotypes created in the earliest days of Hollywood. One of the oldest was the dangerous “exotic” femme fatale, better known as the Dragon Lady. Wong Liu Tsong aka Anna May Wong was a gorgeous silent film star that fought for better roles all her life. She was a villain in the 1924 film the Thief of Baghdad, but went on to push for less stereotypical portrayals. The trend continued for decades. When they weren’t presented as dangerous assassins, like Rush Hour 3’s Jasmine played by Youki Kudoh, they were literally written as snakes. This was the case in Fantastic Beasts 2 Nagini played by Claudia Kim. Her character name was based on the Naga, which was a divine race of snake-human hybrids from South Asian mythology. Claudia was a Korean actress, but representing creatures from a completely different culture. The lack of ethnic understanding was something that the Harry Potter author JK Rowling had been criticized for in the past. Remember that she named the only Asian character in the Harry Potter series “Cho Chang”? The other characters Parvati Patil, and Padma Patil were South Asian.

The Dragon Lady trope had multiple angles. These women could use their charm to spy, or seduce the heroes. They didn’t always have to be expert martial artists. In almost every regard an Asian female in a Hollywood movie was a fetish object. Anna May pushed for better roles, and many years later Nancy Kwan did the same for actresses in the ‘60s. Nancy’s break-out role was in the film The World of Suzie Wong, based on a novel of the same name. Instantly she became a sex object. Her dress in the film, a traditional cheongsam started being called the “Suzie Wong dress.” I’m almost certain that a bit of Chun-Li’s design, and international appeal comes from the seeds planted by Nancy Kwan. But as all things entertainment go, there was always a cycle. Decades after Nancy there was Lucy Liu, who was often cast as a cold-hearted Dragon Lady in film, and television. Lucy also pushed for better roles, and representation, but Hollywood was slow to change.

With A.K.I. I am reminded that the video game industry can also be slow to change. When she makes her debut in Street Fighter 6 it will be almost 100 years since Anna May Wong first appeared on screen. Maybe A.K.I. can rise above the Dragon Lady trope. She might actually be the surprise star of the game. Or she might be and ugly over-the-top character like F.A.N.G. Only time will tell. What do you think of this character? Are you eager to see a new rival to Chun-Li in the game? Someone that represents the Chinese underground? Or perhaps is a double agent in disguise? I want to find out more, that’s for certain. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!