Street Fighter II V Vol-2 (1996)
Released by: Manga Entertainment
Episodes: 8-14
By Keith "JC" Hayward

Introduction

Anyone reading the new Street Fighter comic book? I just picked up Street Fighter #6 and I have to say it was pretty rad. Great art, depicting the characters in a fashion you’d expect to see from the best of Capcom art and a straight forward story that, in my opinion, is a bit too straight forward and not loosely creative enough. I mean, with those characters and a Capcom license, once could have some seriously creative cross-overs and stories. But in launching the series, I can see why they might want to stick to the basics before launching forward into the lightening and madness of seeing them team up with saaaay, Strider or have Ryu and Ken join Captain Commando’s team of super heroes. In any case it inspired me to check out the next volume in the Street Fighter II V saga and pop it up here for review.

And yes, if you couldn’t tell already I’m quite the fan of Fighter’s Generation. Absolute greatest resource for all video game fighter needs, I highly recommend checking it out. Heh, since I’m pimping links, you might as well check this one out, it’s hilarious and definitely brings the video game fighter love. ^_^

Drop in your token, select your character, and get ready for Round 2 fighters. We’re going back in!

Story

“From the sinister back-alleys of Hong Kong to the muddy banks of the Ganges, from Thailand to Span and across lands unknown, Ken and Ryu track-down the very best fighters in the world seeking the secrets of their power. Take to the streets and watch as legendary warriors collide in this amazing martial arts action series!” –back of the box

Review

Welcome to Meta-Physics 101. Your instructor this evening will be the Yoga Master, Dhalsim and your classmates, the martial art world travelers, Ryu and Ken. Here in Volume 2, the true meat of the experienced is Ryu’s training in learning his signature technique of legend, the Hadou Ken. But before they do, they run afoul the remnants of the drug ring they took down in Hong Kong with Chun Li and her father. Slipping some opium on our unfortunate hero, Ryu, we get a prison story in the first third of this DVD. Ryu meets another warrior from core Street Fighter mythos, Sagat, Master of Muay Thai.

Sagat unfortunately doesn’t seem to be himself. He’s not that bad eye-patch wearing motherlover and unrepentant foe of Ryu and servant of M. Bison (or Vega, depending on whther you want to refer to the key Street Fighter bad guy general, before the coming of Akuma, by his Japanese or American moniker. To avoid copyright lawsuits, the names of several Street Fighter villains were shuffled around. I’ll refer to him as the name I’ve known him by since the game came out, M. Bison, but so we all know, I’m talking about this guy.) In this story Sagat’s a good man. An athlete wrongly accused of doing drugs and thrown into jail where he sits at a place of honor and strength surrounded by thieves and criminals. By the end of it, he ends up having a good natured fight with Ryu, which definitely isn’t something I think an SF fan looks for in a classic match up like Ryu vs. Sagat. Definitely doesn’t match up to The Movie.

After surviving that, clearing names and taking down the remains of the drug ring that framed him, Ryu and Ken continue on their quest for the secret of Hadou. Seeing the ancient scroll that Ryu caries with him, Sagat tells them to journey to India where they’ll find the Yoga Master, Dhalsim and it’s there that the series downshifts. You still get some fights, but it’s more test of mind over body that you see here, which isn’t a bad thing if you’re all in that meta-physical stuff like I am. You know, focus, concentrating on your intentions to make the world move and do as you will. It’s hippy and hokey I know, but once you master it, you can in fact make things happen. I don’t know about blasting energy, but that’s why Ryu learns in an excellently directed scene.

The last leg of the journey takes them off to Spain, where they meet back up with their China connection, Chun Li and soak up the local culture. This includes coming across the Wolvie bladed, Vega (or Balrog, once again depending on the American or Japanese version you’re referring to. I’ll call him Vega, but it’s this guy). No real fights, except for Ken vs. a bull, and we get to see Vega obsess over Chun Li, but that’s about it once this volume wraps up.

Overall, it was a slow paced installment of Street Fighter II V. No real title fights, like we got to see in the first volume with Ryu and Ken versus Guile or Ken versus Fei Long or how we got to see them all battle their way through the dark alleys of Honk Kong against hundreds of henchmen. Fights are alright, but nothing knock down drag-out, filled with awesome choreography. Mostly, the best parts are learning the art of meditation and patience, which I guess this Volume was an exercise in. It wasn’t bad, just didn’t fulfill my need for balls to the wall action that I like when watching an anime of this sort. Still good if you want the collection, but don’t expect the 18 barrels of whup-ass you got in the first Volume.

You do get to see hints of a darker and larger evil lurking in the background of the plot as this is the first time you get to see M. Bison make an appearance. He does nothing but look foreboding, but it’s a hint of the climactic battle to come. Other than him, you get a coupleof “Where’s Waldo” shots of the infamous bad guy, Akuma, that serve as no more than a wink to the fans and nothing more, so don’t get you hopes up. That title fight is found in the Street Fighter Alpha movie.

Hopefully we’ll get that slack pulled up in Volume 3 where somebody is going to have to take care of that pretty boy, Vega.

Final Thoughts

Not outstanding, but still, it’s hanging with the original fighter heroes and you get a couple beginner's lessons in meta-physics and meditation, so if you’re into that kind of thing, it’s pretty entertaining. Gotta take off points for what they did to Sagat. Where they could’ve geared his arc of episodes as to showing the beginning of the Sagat/Ryu rivalry and his connection to Shadowlaw and M. Bison, I think it would’ve been much more entertaining that taking the complete flipside of the story and having Sagat and Ryu being good natured friends. There are still two volumes to come and more fights to be had as more warriors enter the arena. So, that’s it for Volume 2.

Good fight, good night.

Keith "JC" Hayward