The pop culture reference is REALLY at the works huh? This is also the arc where Chun Li (reduced to 15 but looks like actress Ming Na Wen) and Fei Long are introduced. This becomes the arc where non-canon characters like the Ashura Syndicate (no to surprise, are working for Shadaloo), Chun Li's father is introduced as a living character, and the concept of Hadouken is starting to move.
After Ryu's and Ken's humbling at Guile's hands, they move to Hong Kong. Honestly, Ken has MONEY as a superpower. I guess the father's sending Ken over to Japan to teach him discipline wasn't flawless. However, we are operating using ANIME LOGIC, so suspension of disbelief is required despite the lack of projectile spamming. So yeah, don't expect Fei Long to do his flaming kick while let Ken's money and power save the day for everyone!
Hong Kong is the home of Asia's incredible martial arts cinema. We get some possible Shaw Brothers references here and there. Okay, Fei Long is FROM Hong Kong. However, so is the Chinese-American actor Byron Mann Fung -- the actor who played Ryu. Was this an intentional nod? Maybe. maybe not. The American movie had Fei Long replaced by Captain Sawada for some reason. I could say that I do have some disappointment (sort of) with Guile's shorter role -- given Guile is an IMPORTANT background character.
I Googled several locations here and there. So yeah, the Kowloon Palace was based on a real situation of lawlessness in Hong Kong in 1993-1994. The Kowloon Walled City was a vice city. However, the Anime went as far as to actually create a betting center. Canon immigrants like Lean (the mob boss and supposed ruler of Kowloon Palace), Mr. Damned, a hockey team, etc., were meant to be for the Anime only. It's interesting that Mr. Lean has two guards named Sodom and Gomorrah (from the Book of Genesis) when Final Fight had Sodom. Hmmm...
I thought Fei Long's introduction here was a huge liberty. Fei Long was supposed to be a Bruce Lee clone of sorts. However, Fei Long here has Anime hair. Fei Long is also a movie star, and he's compared to the late actor. Fei Long and Ken have some wild scenes because Fei Long wanted heavy action. Fei Long would play an important role, as he's Dorai's godson and Chun Li's godbrother.
The Hadou power is slowly introduced. An old man named You Senkai talks of the Indian monk Bodhidharma. Just in case you forget, Buddhism is a religion from INDIA. Bodhidharma was an Indian monk who established the Shaolin Order. I always found the exposition interesting to link a real-life monk with the fictional ability of Hadou. Hmmm, does one have to learn Indian mysticism to perform a Hadoken in the show lore then?
It gets interesting that the Anime-only faction, Ashura, is revealed. A Shadaloo sign is revealed at the truck. It also got interesting that assassins were disgused as CLOWNS. Was it a reference to any henchmen the Batman villain, the Joker, may have had or to Pennywise the Clown? The clowns seemd to give balloons but were actually Ashura goons -- all working for Shadaloo!
This was also the time when Akuma was still a RUNNING JOKE. Street Fighter II V was produced during the time Akuma was just a gimmick. It wasn't like the American cartoon that somehow had the opportunity to see Akuma's backstory.
This makes me wonder why Street Fighter II V decided to shrink down some ages? Hmmmm. In fact, I must admit that Street Fighter II V could've kept the ages, like Chun Li as a reporter like in the games than a tour guide. But again, creative liberties!
The next one takes place in Thailand!
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