Street Fighter II V Episodes 28-29: The Finale That Was Somewhat Rushed, But Better Than The American Cartoon

Street Fighter II V has that rushed but still meaningful ending. After all, we had that character development and plot development that went along the way. As I look into the plot, the serialized storytelling actually helped it from developing a hapzard finale like in the American Street Fighter cartoon.

Ryu is freed from mind control by Ken. Ken manages to get his fair share of protagonist deal. I still view Ryu and Ken as co-protagonists. Basically, it was fun to see Ryu (my favorite) and Ken (my second favorite) rotated. 

Guile's role in the finale

 
One of the best scenes is Guile's rage. Yes, a scene that I know Guile isn't going to win but I can't help but cheer for him. This scene almost made me think that the only reason why Guile in the Street Fighter movie only defeated Bison was this. The convenient adaptation change was that Bison in the movie only wore a power suit -- NOT having Psycho Power. However, this version of Bison is what if Movie Bison had Psycho Power. Guile tries to fight Bison, only to actually lose. 

But honestly? I felt that Charlie's death could've been better if Bison managed to capture Charlie. Guile has no idea what happened to Charlie. Guile turns Charlie into Blanka and forces them to fight. Charlie as Blanka later gains his humanity, causing Bison to kill Charlie as a FAILED EXPERIMENT. 

Bison's plan was to move to Cambodia (the very place where Charlie died in the games, until that was retconned in Street Fighter V, UGH) just in case. Bison tells his henchman Zoltar to move away while he takes care of business. Bison has an eagle head statue. Vega means descending eagle, which makes sense within the Japanese dub. However, as said, the name Vega fits Claw better because, as said, Vega's movements are like a soaring eagle. I guess Group TAC wanted to stick as close to the Japanese names as possible! Although, Nash was still called NASH in the English dub. Charlie's full name is Charlie NASH in the video games. 

I found the whole ordeal where Guile has to deal with a mind-controlled Chun Li cowardly. Guile's chivalry is put to the test. Guile only fought Ryu and Ken early on because he got provoked too many times. Now, Guile has grown as a character. Guile tries to stop Chun Li. Thankfully, the events related the final battle frees Chun Li.

Guile's role here totally makes him my third favorite character in the franchise!

The final battle with Bison is just too chilling

What truly gets creepy is when the crystalline eagle head rejects Guile and chooses Ryu and Ken. So yeah, Guile has to deal with a mind-controlled Chun Li. Guile's still that professional staller whose main existence is to PREVENT civilian casualties. That's why I tend to still like Guile no matter what. Guile's that important older figure with flaws and all. Guile was rejected because he doesn't have the power to match Psycho Power.

What makes Street Fighter II V Bison different is that he's practically what-if Movie Bison had Psycho Powers. The Psycho Powers resonate with Hadou and send them into a negative space. Even worse, the phenomenon may have prematurely triggered the explosives that Guile and Charlie planted at Shadaloo HQ. This is also what if the American Street Fighter movie considered the game material AND made Ryu and Ken fight the Movie Bison. This is the scenario that has Bison speak of his "Pax Bisonica" in the most chilling, chewing-the-scenery way. Honestly, it's frightening but Bison's monologuing is pretty much Bond Villain Stupidity.

Bison tries to convince Ryu and Ken to join him in his Pax Bisonica, firing lightning bolts like the MOVIE, and even offering them promises of power. Is that scene of Bison promising Ryu and Ken meant to reference Bison saying, "And I beheld Satan fell down like lightning!" to Guile in the movie? Maybe yes, maybe no. What I can't deny is that Bison doesn't even use a spinning torpedo but uses Superman-style flying attacks as his Psycho Crusher -- JUST LIKE THE MOVIE!

It gets amazing how Ken and Ryu use their Hadou powers. Ken manages to give Ryu a fighting chance. Ken does the Hadou Shoryuken at a relentlessly ramming Bison. Ken's doing the Hadou Shoryuken frees Chun Li from mind control. Ryu then instinctively does a somersault kick (mimicking Guile, but never happens in-game), then does a Hurricane Kick, a Rising Dragon Punch, and followed by the Hadouken. Yes, the Hadouken here isn't treated as a standard projectile but as some kind of FINISHING MOVE. Bison gets hurled into the vortex, which, IMHO, was better than Bison pathetically asking for help after being swallowed by the computer devices in the final episode of the American cartoon. 

Ryu and Ken surface after they defeat Bison for the finale. They talk about what they wanted to do after Bison was destroyed. That's it. It's kind of rushed, but still better than what "Cammy Tell Me True" had to offer. The character development, though not perfect, really was more satisfying than what the American cartoon had to offer. 

The ending can be somewhat hanging. For example, we never know what happened to Zangief or Vega. We don't know if the Shadaloo army was able to evacuate to Cambodia. My wild guess is that Guile was cleaning up the job BTS. After all, Guile is pretty much the ever-reliable sidekick you can depend ot keep civilian casualties in check. 

What made this finale BETTER than "Cammy Tell Me True"?

I guess I can't stop hitting on most American licensed adaptations of Japanese properties now, can I? Yes, that means my dislike for Power Rangers is one blip compared to that! I would like to focus on the American Street Fighter cartoon, which had its Season 1 later in 1995 and a scheduling Hell during Season 2. There was the abrupt finale, which I thought was rather problematic. It was a quick, cancelled ending on MAY 14, 199. There were even airing gaps that resulted in episodes not airing weekly as planned, such as gaps in 1997: JANUARY 4, FEBRUARY 18, APRIL 11, and APRIL 27 before the abrupt cancellation on MAY 14 in 1997. It was so much potential thrown out the window, like Akuma's actual involvement when Street Fighter Alpha gave him the lore or the use of Street Fighter and Final Fight characters.

"Cammy Tell Me True" was part of a fragmented storyline. It begins with "Cammy and the Bachelor" where Cammy supposedly betrayed the Street Fighters. Yes, it also introduced that WTF-inducing plot that Cammy was actually brainwashed to become Bison's lover. The American Street Fighter cartoon ran out of ideas. Bison goes from simply being Dr. Evil with superpowers into becoming a creepy sex predator who killed a girl's parents and turned her into his plaything? That's probably why Street Fighter Alpha 3 gave that unsettling WTF revelation that Cammy was meant to be one of Bison's several spare bodies. But honestly? I think Cammy as a clone of Bison just fails big time unless she was mixed with female DNA. But the American Street Fighter II Turbo ending had Bison lying to Cammy, "We were in love.", which was actually different from the original Japanese text.

The fragmented storyline had Cammy stealing the Kali statue. "Cammy Must Die " aired on November 23, 1996, and "Cammy and the Bachelor" aired on September 29, 1996. There was a gap of several months between February 3, 1996, and September 21, 1996, before entering the 1997 episodes. Bison said that Kali supposedly "told him to destroy the world". Bison's plan to activate the Doomsday Codes and nuke the planet with every SINGLE NUCLEAR MISSILE is no joke. However, it becomes a real joke when you realize that it's simply Bison throwing a Cosmic Temper Tantrum of, "I can't have the Earth, neither can you."

Yes, Bison was defeated, but the whole finale lacked the "it factor". Bison was swallowed up by the console, started yelling for help, and that's it? Sure, it was understandable Sagat betrayed Bison because Bison went mad. Bison, however, was simply being "upgraded to evil" at the last minute, especially with the badly delivered line. It sounded more like a playground brag and I still ask, "Did he really kill his own father?" The way it was delivered felt too comedic So Bad It's Worse. 

So yeah, after that Capcom may have knee-jerked over the Bison/Cammy affair that they decided to write her in as a female clone of Bison, without any real explanation for such a convoluted plot! 

My own wishful thinking of post-credits

I personally thought that Bison should've resurfaced, laughing evilly, but barely alive. Sure, Street Fighter II V never had a second season. However, it'd be fun to put a psychological side where Bison's fist shows up, Zoltar gets the message, and Zoltar says, "Welcome back, my lord." We would have Vega and Balrog in jail, somehow smirking that they could get their freedom back.

The Street Fighter II Anime movie or OVA featured Bison trying to kill Ryu with a speeding truck. Here? Ryu just seems ready to start life all over again. Group TAC probably wanted to give us the illusion Bison had died. My alternate theory is that Group TAC probably wanted to pay respect to Raul Julia by allowing Bison to die in battle without that emerging fist. 

But alas, I felt that perhaps Group TAC decided not to include the scene out of respect for Raul Julia, who died in late 1994.