Street Fighter II V

Street Fighter II V (Japanese: ストリートファイターⅡ V, Hepburn: Sutorīto Faitā Tsū Bui)[lower-alpha 1] is an anime series produced by Group TAC that is loosely based on the 1994 fighting game Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Directed by Gisaburo Sugii (who also directed the earlier Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie), the series first aired in Japan in 1995, from April 10 to November 27, on YTV. An English adaptation of the series was produced by the dubbing group Animaze and Manga Entertainment in 1996, and was released in Australia and the US as a series of VHS tapes in 1997−1998. Each tape included three episodes, and was released in both a dubbed version and a subtitled version (which was priced 5 US dollars more than the dubbed version).[2] In 1997, ADV Films produced an English dub exclusively for the UK market, also released on VHS. The Animaze/Manga dub had a DVD release on April 29, 2003 in a four disc set in North America and was then released on DVD in Australia.

For the fifth numbered installment of the Street Fighter video game series, see Street Fighter V.


Street Fighter II V
Promotional artwork showing most of the main characters.
ストリートファイターⅡ Ｖ
(Sutorīto Faitā Tsū Bui)
GenreAction, Adventure, Drama, Martial arts
Anime television series
Directed byGisaburō Sugii
Produced byKenichi Imai, Masao Iki
Written byKenichi Imai
Music byMasahiro Kawasaki[1]
StudioGroup TAC
English networkEncore WAM, Encore Action
Original run 10 April 1995 – 27 November 1995
Episodes29
Manga
Street Fighter II V Retsuden
Written byYasushi Baba
Published byKodansha
MagazineComic Bom Bom
DemographicShōnen
Original run1995 – 1996
Volumes3

Premise

The series chronicles the adventures of Ryu and Ken, two teenage martial artists who embark on a journey to improve their skills after experiencing brutal defeat at the hands of Guile. Along the way, they become acquainted with other Street Fighter characters such as the 15-year-old tour guide Chun-Li, martial arts movie-star Fei Long, Muay Thai champion Sagat, and Indian monk Dhalsim.[2] Eventually, they find themselves in the crosshairs of the criminal syndicate Shadowlaw, led by the enigmatic M. Bison, after defeating one of their subordinate organizations (Ashura). Among the agents of Shadowlaw include Russian bear wrestler and hired muscle Zangief, seductive British assassin Cammy (who is unaware of her employer's connection to Shadowlaw), and Interpol double agent Balrog. The Spanish nobleman Vega also appears as an antagonist, although he is not connected with Shadowlaw in this series.

In contrast to Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, which hewed very closely to the original game's storyline, Street Fighter II V takes a number of liberties with its source material. It features radically redesigned versions of most of the game's characters, whose appearances, backstories, and personalities deviated greatly from their traditional depictions. While the show was set in 1995, the present year of its original airing, the ages of the characters were altered to make most of the cast younger than they were in the games (for example, Ryu's year of birth was changed from 1964 to 1977).[1] Out of the seventeen characters featured in Super Street Fighter II Turbo (the latest game in the series at the time), only Blanka, Dee Jay, E. Honda, and T. Hawk never appear in the show. Akuma makes several cameo appearances during crowd scenes, but he is not actively involved in the story.

Characters

Street Fighters

Ryu is the main protagonist. He is a young martial artist who is extremely dedicated to the lifestyle of martial arts, and is always trying to improve his fighting skills. He was raised in the Japanese countryside, on the fictional island of Mikuni. His best friend and sparring partner is Ken Masters, with whom he has trained in the same dojo since childhood. Ryu and Ken are attacked by Guile's soldiers after Ken flirts with one of the women accompanying them. Although they defeat the soldiers, Guile himself shows up and beats Ryu and Ken. The encounter with Guile humbles and inspires them to go on a journey to improve their martial arts skills, in the hopes of challenging Guile to a rematch. During their travels, Ryu learns how to use a Chinese ki-based power called Hadōkō in the form of the Hadouken, as well as mastering another move called the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. Unlike his in-game counterpart, Ryu wears prayer beads on his left hand, and has short spiky hair. Additionally, the stern and stoic personality he exhibits in the games is replaced with a more giddy, upbeat personality; simple-minded, but always on the lookout for a good challenge.
    • Voiced by Kenji Haga in Japan, Jason Douglas in the English ADV dub and Stephen Apostolina in the English Animaze dub.
Ken is Ryu's best friend, and the only son of the extremely rich Masters family. He lives in San Francisco with his parents (a Caucasian-American father and Japanese mother) in a large mansion. Ken's personality and backstory are mostly unchanged from the original game. He loves to show off and be a womanizer. Unlike his in-game counterpart; Ken has red hair similar to the Street Fighter cartoon. He is a teenager. Eventually, Ken learns to use the power of Hadōkō while being held captive by Shadowlaw. Ken and Ryu have both mastered the Shoryuken, as Ken takes it one step further, by later empowering the Shoryuken to the Hado Shoryuken, and then shortens it to the Hadou Shoryu. In the English dub, Ken still calls the move the Shoryuken while Ryu calls it by its English translation.
Guile is a Sergeant in the United States Air Force, stationed in San Francisco. He takes pride in both the Air Force and his men, and goes out drinking with them whenever he can. He and his partner, Nash, have served together for many years. He regularly works out and lifts weights, and has won at least one boxing tournament. Compared to his game counterpart, Guile’s hairstyle went from being a flat-top, into a crew-cut fade, and he traded his army green tank-top and forest-camouflage cargo fatigues for a navy blue tank-top and cargo-fatigues; he also does not have a wife and daughter. The martial arts style that he uses is loosely based on US Military Combatives. Much like his live-action counterpart from Street Fighter, Guile has no ki-force and only uses a powerless version of his signature Flash Kick and carries weapons and artillery. Following his bar encounter with Ryu and Ken, Guile is not seen again until the second half of the series, after Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li are kidnapped by Shadowlaw and Guile is sent on a mission to rescue them.
Chun-Li is a tour guide hired by Ken and Ryu upon their arrival in Hong Kong. She is also the daughter of Dorai, the top inspector for the Hong Kong police. Her father trains her in kung fu, both as self-defense and as part of her rearing. Like Ken, Chun-Li comes from an extremely wealthy, privileged background, although she is much friendlier and more humble than Ken. She accompanies the pair throughout their journeys across Asia and Europe, but rarely engages in combat unless personally attacked or threatened. Ken becomes smitten with her to the point where he takes her on a shopping spree and buys her an expensive ring and clothes from fashion houses such as Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, and jewelry from Tiffany's. It is never revealed if she reciprocates his feelings. Chun-Li appears to be 10 years younger than her game counterpart and she is not seen in her blue mini-qipao and white boots until the final season, where she is captive at Bison's base. Changes to this outfit include the absence of her hair-bun covers, as well as her pantyhose being replaced with kneepads. The only signature move that Chun Li uses from the game is her Yosokyaku.
    • Voiced by Kazuki Yao in Japan, Andrew Klimko in the English ADV dub and Randy McPherson in the English Animaze dub.
One of Dorai's best students, Fei Long is an up-and-coming martial arts movie star whose insistence on "making the fight real" results in damaged props and public property as well as injuries to the stunt doubles. Ken Masters volunteers to be his opponent in a fight scene while touring Hong Kong with Ryu and Chun-Li, but the destruction caused by the fight forces the director to halt the filming. Upon learning of his master's supposed death, he becomes distraught with grief and seeks to avenge him. While visiting the hospital where Dorai is staying, the Chief of Interpol informs Fei Long of the charade. Fei Long identifies Balrog as the Shadowlaw operative who ordered the hit on Dorai, with the assistance of Cammy (after a fight with her in Dorai's hospital quarters). The only move Fei Long uses from the game is his En Geki Shu which was simply a basic attack in the game and made into a special move in this anime.
Sagat was the "King of Muay Thai", one of the most vicious forms of martial arts in the world. When he fought professionally, he was the champion of Thailand and was known simply as "Champ". After refusing to participate in a match for the Ashura syndicate, he is framed for selling drugs. One of the Ashura syndicate's men plants heroin in Ryu's luggage at the airport in Bangkok, leading to Ryu's imprisonment in the same facility as Sagat. The two of them gain each other's respect and learn more about the Ashura. After the Ashura kingpin is arrested, evidence of Sagat's innocence is discovered by Thai police and he is released from prison. In contrast to his video game counterpart, Sagat does not work for Shadowlaw, still has both of his eyes, and lacks a chest scar. Thus, his rivalry with Ryu is more of a friendly one, and not based on any prior resentment. The only move Sagat uses from the game is his Tiger Knee.
Dhalsim is a monk who lives in a remote village in India. He is a practitioner of yoga who possesses many psychic abilities, and predicted the eventual arrival of Ryu and Ken before either of them were even born. Sagat had earlier instructed Ryu to seek Dhalsim for advice about the Ways of Hadou. Ryu and Ken are initially turned down, with Dhalsim describing them as "beasts", but the monk changes his mind after seeing them overcome the challenges within the village temple. However, he was unsuccessful in training Ryu to use the Hadouken, which is inadvertently triggered in Ryu's body during a lesson.
Vega's full name is Vega Fabio La Cerda (Balrog Fabio La Cerda in the Japanese version; his video game counterpart has no full name). He is a popular, aristocratic and handsome matador who resides in a large mansion in Barcelona, where he moonlights as a cage fighter for rich socialites. He is noted for his sadistic, cold-hearted, ruthless personality; he is shown drinking his own blood, and the blood of his opponents. He is highly vain, and lashes out in a violent rage at anyone who damages his face. When cage fighting, he wears an expressionless mask and wields a three-pronged claw gauntlet. During a bullfight attended by Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li, Vega develops an obsession for Chun-Li, and plots to kill Ryu and Ken, whom he sees as rivals for her affections. Chun-Li is initially attracted to Vega, but becomes terrified of him because of his sadistic tendencies. He breaks into her hotel and uses a "love potion" drug on her. While under its influence, she watches Vega and Ken fight each other in a steel cage at Vega's mansion. Although Ken defeats Vega, Ken nearly dies from the battle injuries. Vega's fate is not clearly shown. Weeks later, the mansion is investigated by Guile and Nash; it is completely abandoned, indicating that Vega is either still hospitalized or has fled. Unlike his in-game counterpart, Vega has no affiliation with Shadowlaw or M. Bison and the only signature move he uses is his Flying Barcelona Attack.
Balrog is an executive officer at Interpol who works for Shadowlaw as an informant. After an Interpol conference in which Inspector Dorai is appointed to head the investigation into Shadowlaw, Balrog hires Cammy and orders her to assassinate him, telling her that Interpol secretly ordered the hit and that Dorai is actually a double agent who replaces every drug cartel he shuts down with a new one, with himself as its leader. Suspicions are raised when it is suggested that only a senior Interpol officer would have been aware of his investigations into Shadowlaw. When it is revealed to Interpol that Dorai is still alive, Balrog orders Cammy to finish the job. She visits Dorai in his hospital room, where she is attacked by an enraged Fei Long and eventually captured. Balrog's secret is discovered by Fei Long (with the help of Cammy) after his cover story's inconsistencies are compared. Before being placed under arrest, Cammy takes revenge against Balrog for giving her fraudulent reasons for the assassination. Unlike his in-game portrayal, Balrog is highly intelligent, crafty, and even cowardly. Despite retaining his large build and intimidating stature, Balrog does not participate in any fights and only shows up in his boxing gear in the second version of the ending credits. He is known as M. Bison in the Japanese version.
    • Voiced by Yōko Sasaki in Japan, Carol Matthews and Shawn Taylor in the English ADV dub and Debra Jean Rogers in the English Animaze dub.
Cammy White is a former agent of MI6 who now makes her living as a mercenary assassin. Being a devout Catholic, she always prays for forgiveness before and after each hit. She takes pride in her work, and believes that when she's hired for a job, the death of her target must come from her own hand and not as an accident or incidental occurrence, to the extent that she will even protect her target from harm until she is ready to strike. Also as a matter of pride, she refuses to act on false pretexts for employment. Cammy's costume design is drastically altered from her appearances in other media. She wears a black halter top, black leather pants, and a choker decorated with a crucifix which she uses to conceal a retractable metal wire to assassinate her victims. Her original costume with a beret and pigtails is briefly seen during her introduction in episode 17. Despite being British, Cammy speaks with an American accent. The signature moves that Cammy uses from the game are Cannon Spike, Spiral Arrow, Flying Neck Hunt, and an aerial version of her Spiral Arrow called the Sniping Heel.
Zangief is a Russian bear wrestler who works as one of Shadowlaw's strong-men. He does not seem to have any particular desire or inclination to injure or kill anyone, although he's not above using his strength in full should his orders require him to do so. He wears a loincloth-like shirt, whereas in the games he appears in a speedo. He also works for Shadowlaw, though he was unaffiliated with them in the games. The only move that Zangief uses from the game is his Atomic Suplex.
M. Bison is the enigmatic head of Shadowlaw. In contrast to Ken and Ryu's Hadou (which is based in ki), Bison's powers are based on his rage and hatred, and are referred to as "Psycho Power". Usage of "Psycho Power" usually causes him to lose his ability to reason, and in one instance he nearly strangles Chun-Li to death only to regret his actions when he resumes his previous cognitive state. His goal is world domination, and most of his activities are financed through underground operations, such as the Ashura syndicate. It is suggested that much of his work may be the result of semi-telepathic influence originating from a silver idol in the form of an eagle's head. Unlike most characters in the show, Bison's personality, appearance, and backstory do not deviate much from his in-game portrayals, though his uniform, which resembles the original one he had in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, has a swapped color-scheme. Bison has a variety of bases throughout the world, and the final battle against him takes place in Barcelona. He is known as Vega in the Japanese version.

Other characters

Chun-Li's father, who was unnamed in the original games. He is the Vice Squad Captain for the Hong Kong Police Department, and is routinely engaged in drug busts, sting operations, and various other police activities. His residence also functions as a temple and training ground where he teaches his daughter and several other students, including Fei Long. Following the successful bust of a large cocaine-smuggling operation and the subsequent arrest of the Ashura kingpin behind it, Inspector Dorai is called to Barcelona to attend an Interpol conference concerning the investigation of Shadowlaw. He is appointed to lead the investigation, but is nearly killed by Cammy on the orders of a Shadowlaw infiltrator, Balrog. His survival is kept secret by the Chief of Interpol until the person who ordered the hit can be identified. Unlike his in-game counterpart, Dorai survives Shadowlaw's attack.
Charlie Nash is Guile's best friend, who has served alongside him in combat situations. Nash is murdered by Bison during the mission to rescue Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li from Shadowlaw. Since the show was produced while Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams was still under development, he bears no resemblance to his in-game counterpart. In the show, his appearance is similar to Jean Reno. While Nash is known as "Charlie" in the English localization of the games, Nash retains his Japanese name for the English dub of the show (except in one scene during episode 26, where Guile shouts out his name and calls him "Charlie" just before his death).
  • Zoltar
    • Voiced by Matsuo Matsuo in Japan, and Milton James in the English Animaze dub.
Zoltar, a blue-suited, loyal, but spineless servant, and chauffeur of M. Bison, who also holds secondary command over Shadowlaw. Zoltar appears to be one of M. Bison's top scientists, as it is he who informs M. Bison of the details regarding the microchips used to control Ryu and Chun-Li's minds. Zoltar usually does nothing more than remain at M. Bison's side, assists him in capturing evidence with a camera and report several major occurrences to him. Zoltar plays a very similar role to Senoh from Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, given that they are both Bison's top scientists who report directly to him, and are both voiced by Milton James in the U.S. dubs.

Episodes
#English dub title (top)
Japanese title (bottom)		Original air date
1"The Beginning of a Journey - Invitation from San Francisco"
 (旅立ち サンフランシスコからの招待状)		April 10, 1995 (1995-04-10)
Ryu, still living in rural Japan, receives an unexpected letter from his old friend and sparring-partner Ken Masters. He invites Ryu to visit him in the United States, as they have not seen each other for many years. Ryu thinks about the request and decides to travel and see his best friend. They meet at San Francisco airport, where a big limousine is waiting to drive them home to Ken's place. Ryu is impressed by the riches of Ken's family. After relaxing, the 17-year-old boys go out for the night on Ken's motorcycle and bribe their way into a pub called Mt. Fuji. Ken angers some soldiers by flirting with one of their girls and a fight ensues. After the military men are defeated, their Sergeant, Guile, appears.
2"The King of the Air Force - An Explosion of Menacing Military Combat"
 (空軍の王者 炸裂、脅威のミリタリーコンバット)		April 17, 1995 (1995-04-17)
Ryu and Ken are accosted by Guile, which causes Ryu to attack the Air Force Sergeant. An enraged Guile responds by severely beating the over-confident Ryu to the point where he is unable to leave his bed for the next few days. Afterwards, Guile chides Ken for sitting on the sidelines and watching his friend get beaten to a pulp. Ken tells Guile that he and Ryu follow a code of honor permitting one-on-one combat only, and proceeds to angrily insult Guile and his men (calling them "military meatheads") for ganging up on Ryu. Before Guile leaves the bar with his men, he tells Ryu (who refuses to stay down, despite the brutal beating he had just received) that "he has guts". Ryu is taken home by Ken, who decides to take revenge on Guile at the Air Force Base the next day. Ken loses the fight against Guile as well, but is inspired by his "street fighting" methods. Ken then suggests to Ryu that they should travel the world to improve and strengthen their skills. Their first destination on their quest for underground street fighters is Hong Kong.
3"Landing in Hong Kong - Sneaking In... The Invitation from Devil's Battle Cave"
 (香港上陸 潜入、魔闘窟への挑戦状)		April 24, 1995 (1995-04-24)
Ryu and Ken stay at a very fancy hotel in Hong Kong and meet their tour guide, Chun-Li, who is hired to show them around the city. To her surprise, they are traveling via helicopter to the restricted area Kowloon Palace, in order to find some street fighters. The pilot, Tyler, loudly objects to this idea, but accedes after much begging from the boys. Arriving in Kowloon Palace, Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li find the Devil's Battle Cage, where a martial arts tournament is taking place. Ryu enters the ring and defeats all of the opponents sent by Lean, the overlord of Kowloon Palace. A humiliated Lean marks the outsiders for execution, forcing them to flee and fight their way out of Kowloon Palace.
4"Darkness at Kowloon Palace - Their Great Escape from the Lawless Zone"
 (暗黒の九龍城 無法地帯、命がけの大脱出)		May 1, 1995 (1995-05-01)
Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li fight their way through Kowloon Palace, defeating all the foes they encounter. They reach the outer perimeters of Kowloon Palace, only to be stopped by the evil Lean. He orders his two strongest bodyguards to prevent Ryu and Ken from leaving the place. The boys defeat both, but Chun-Li is soon taken hostage by Lean. Chun-Li's father Dorai, who is the police chief of Hong Kong, enters the scene with some other policeman. Dorai neutralizes Lean with a shot in the head and rescues the trio from Kowloon Palace. Dorai accompanies Chun-Li, Ryu, and Ken back to their hotel and tells his daughter not to act this foolish again. Chun-Li informs Ryu and Ken about the next day's plan: to visit the martial arts actor Fei Long.
5"Hot Blooded Fei Long - Super Battle Action Movie"
 (飛龍熱血! 激写、スーパーバトルアクションムービー)		May 8, 1995 (1995-05-08)
Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li visit Fei Long, who is filming a movie. Fei Long is frustrated with the stuntmen hired for the fight scenes, and demands "a real challenge". He believes in "making the fight real", as opposed to the strictly choreographed fight scenes found in most other martial arts films. Ryu and Ken both volunteer, but only one of them may participate. Fei Long picks Ken as his opponent, and the two engage in combat. However, Fei Long and Ken take the fight a little too far for a film, damaging most of the set pieces in the process. The match ends in a draw when the director of the film stops the fight because of the injuries Fei Long and Ken are inflicting upon each other.
6"Appearance of the Secret Technique - The Ki Begins to Rise, the Awakening of Hadou."
 (秘伝見参! 漲る気、波動の覚醒)		May 22, 1995 (1995-05-22)
Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li go shopping at a shopping mall. Once there, Ryu meets a strange old man who it seems is about to die, as he is sweating, and looks to be in bad condition. Ryu says he will call an ambulance for him, but the old man insists on Ryu taking him to a place of privacy. There, the old man practices a martial arts technique in front of Ryu, where he uses his ki to create a blue fireball from his hands. He swallows this fireball, and, after it explodes in his stomach, he's fine and back in good health. Ryu wants to learn how to do the technique the old man just did, and so he takes him to his shop where they can have privacy and practice the technique. Ryu fails to master it, although he gains a little more knowledge about his spiritual self after this encounter.
7"The Revenge of Ashura - The Attacking Muai Thai Assassin."
 (阿修羅の報復 襲いかかるムエタイの刺客)		June 5, 1995 (1995-06-05)
The evil crime organization called Ashura set up a plan to kill Chun-Li's father, Dorai, for constantly foiling their plans. They decide to kidnap Chun-Li and use her as bait, and when she goes to a park to meet up with Ryu and Ken, she is ambushed by an Ashura member disguised as a clown. Ryu and Ken get there just in time to save Chun-Li, defeating all the Ashura foes. Chun-Li, Ryu, and Ken then head to Dorai's dojo to prevent Ashura's assassination attempt on Dorai. Chun-Li goes inside to protect her father, while Ken, Ryu, and Fei Long stay outside and battle the Ashura thugs to prevent them from reaching Dorai. They triumph, but one of Ashura's men escapes. Akuma makes a cameo appearance when the dojo is attack.
8"Trap Prison and the Scream of Truth - Proud Ryu"
 (罠、牢獄、真実の叫び 誇り高きリュウ)		June 12, 1995 (1995-06-12)
Ryu and Ken decide to go to Thailand in the hopes of learning Muay Thai, a fighting style they encountered during their battle with Ashura's forces. Once at the airport in Bangkok, Ryu and Ken go to separate lines to obtain approval to enter Thailand legally. Donu, the Ashura thug who fled in Episode 7 after Ryu and the others thwarted their attempt to murder Dorai, disguises himself, sneaks up on Ryu, and plants heroin in his backpack as a way to get revenge. Ryu doesn't notice this at first, and just as he and Ken go down an escalator, Ryu is caught with heroin in his backpack, and is sent to prison. There, he endures brutal torture from Warden Nuchi, as well as taunting from other prisoners. Ryu fights back against the two prisoners who are taunting him throughout the episode. After that, Sagat, who is "the one to fear" according to the prisoners that taunted Ryu, prepares to battle Ryu. Akuma makes a cameo appearance while waiting for his bags at the airport.
9"The Superstar of Muay Thai - The Grand Prison Battle Symphony"
"Muay Thai no Kyosei - Sōzetsu Prison Battle Symphony" (ムエタイの巨星 壮絶、獄中戦交響曲)		June 19, 1995 (1995-06-19)
Sagat and Ryu battle each other using Muay Thai. To Sagat's surprise, Ryu immediately masters Muay Thai and lands a number of critical blows on Sagat. The fight ends in a draw after Sagat realizes that he and Ryu are kindred fighting spirits. Sagat vows to protect Ryu as long as he is in prison, and calls the fight off. Nuchi then insists Sagat and Ryu continue to fight each other, because he had already demanded 50% percent of the betting money. Sagat refuses, and an angered Nuchi attempts to kill them both. Ryu and Sagat successfully fend off Nuchi and easily defeat him in combat. Later, Ken gets Ryu out of prison on bail, although he is forbidden to leave the country until he is able to prove his innocence. Ryu and Sagat bid farewell to each other, and Ryu sets out to find the man who framed him.
10"Dark Omen - The Veiled Rightful Ruler"
 (暗黒の予兆 ベールに包まれた真の君臨者)		June 26, 1995 (1995-06-26)

Ryu and Ken find out that it was Donu who had framed Ryu, recognizing him by the scar on his cheek. They follow him to the Ashura's secret hideout building, where they defeat Donu and the other Ashura members to get revenge for what they did to Ryu. They bring them into custody and Ryu is subsequently acquitted, but as they leave the station, they are fired at by a sniper from a building a few stories above. Ryu and Ken escape the sniper relatively unharmed, although Ryu is lightly injured by a bullet in his shoulder. They climb atop the sniper's vehicle as it tries to escape. They arrive at another secret hideout of the Ashura, which appears to be their main headquarters. However, Ryu and Ken are quickly discovered and severely beaten by an evil man named Zochi, the kingpin of Ashura. Zochi is able to graft a chainsaw and various other weapons onto his left arm, although it is never explained how he lost his hand. Zochi, after realizing torture will not make Ryu and Ken tell him who they are "supposedly" working for (in truth, they are working for no one, but Zochi doesn't believe them), he puts Ryu in a chair, where he is tied up. Ryu attempts to wiggle himself out, but Zochi plans to cut Ryu's left arm off with his chainsaw to add to his "collection" of other left arms. Just as Zochi is about to do so, the alarm sounds as Dorai and the rest of the Hong Kong police force enter the secret hideout, thanks to the tracker Dorai planted on Soong.

Distracted by this, Ryu and Ken defeat Zochi and the other Ashura members in the room, much to the surprise of Dorai and his men when they enter the room. Sagat is freed from prison in light of new evidence proving his innocence. Sagat asks Ryu to show him the scroll he got from master Yo. He then tells Ryu that if he wishes to learn about Hadou, he should travel to India, where a monk named Dhalsim lives.
11"Visitation of the Beasts - The Fierce, Holy Monk Advice to Young Warriors"
 (野獣来訪 聖なる荒法師、若武者への忠告)		July 3, 1995 (1995-07-03)
Ryu and Ken visit India to learn about Hadou from a monk named Dhalsim, who lives in northern India. Ryu and Ken fight off a gang of thugs who want to destroy Dr. Hanna's small hospital (since it is built on land that they wish to use for themselves), which she built as a refuge for the impoverished population of Calcutta. Ken makes a phone call to his father, asking him to purchase Dr. Hanna's hospital and turn it into a much larger, fully functioning hospital, so that Dr. Hanna is never harassed or threatened again. Ryu and Ken soon arrive in Dhalsim's village, but he refuses to teach them the ways of Hadou, because he believes them to be "beasts with an aggressive spirit", and thus unworthy to be taught Hadou. Ryu and Ken befriend the villagers to impress Dhalsim and motivate him to teach them Hadou. Dhalsim shows Ryu and Ken the Cave of Ancients, telling them never to go in there, for there is a terrible monster inside. Four criminals enter the cave, intent on plundering its treasure.
12"The Deadly Phantom Faceoff - The Battle Spirit Hidden Between Body and Soul"
 (赤白の闘神 幻の真剣勝負)		July 10, 1995 (1995-07-10)
Dhalsim and the rest of the villagers are taken hostage by two of the criminals (the other two had perished inside the cave), who were unable to access the treasure inside the Cave of the Ancients. They order Ryu and Ken to enter the cave and retrieve the treasure, threatening to massacre the entire village if they do not succeed. Inside, they are forced to face each other in combat, not knowing that the "monster" they are fighting is merely a reflection of their innermost being. Ryu and Ken, after suffering serious injuries from the fight, realize that they are fighting each other, causing the illusion to disappear. Ryu and Ken emerge from the cave and hand the treasure over to the criminals, who then try to kill them for outliving their "usefulness", although Dhalsim paralyzes the two men. Dhalsim then heals Ryu's and Ken's injuries, and agrees to teach them the ways of Hadou.
13"The Legend of Hadou Ken – All Creation, Source of the Energy"
 (森羅万象の気 波動拳伝説)		July 17, 1995 (1995-07-17)
Dhalsim attempts to teach Ryu and Ken how to use Hadou. Ryu feels an uncontrollable surge of energy inside his body, and unleashes it via a Hadouken. Although he is successful in performing the technique, he is unable to control his new found powers, fearing that it could kill anyone without warning. Ryu goes to the Cave of Ancients to perfect his use of the Hadouken. In the cave, he fights an imaginary Guile, who he says helped him realize "just how arrogant we really were". Soon afterwards, he fires the Hadouken at an imaginary Dhalsim, since imagining opponents helps him focus on where to shoot the Hadouken. After he finishes his training, Ryu and Ken leave India to go to Spain, since Dorai was invited to Barcelona to receive an award for shutting down the Ashura crime syndicate. Chun-Li invites Ryu and Ken to come as well, and thus they do.
14"The Bloodthirsty Prince – A Lust for Beauty and a Love Potion for Chun Li"
 (血に飢えた貴公子 美への執着、春麗への媚薬)		July 24, 1995 (1995-07-24)
The dark-hearted matador Vega enters a bullfighting arena to show off his skills. Vega notices the beauty of Chun-Li, and develops an attraction to her. He gives her a rose before fighting the bull, declaring that he would defeat the bull in her honor. Vega is victorious, and presents Chun-Li with the bull's ear as proof of his victory. Chun-Li becomes uneasy when around Vega after this incident. Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li meet up with Vega a couple more times outside of the bullfighting arena, and each time Vega shows more and more affection towards Chun-Li. In the middle of the night when Chun-Li, Ryu, and Ken are sleeping, Vega sneaks into Chun-Li's hotel room and kisses her. Vega casts a love potion over Chun Li, where she will only focus on him via a daze each time she sees him. Vega escapes the room just as Ken notices that someone is there. Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li wake up.
15"Clash of the Titans – Mortal Combat for Pride, Life, and Cinderella"
 (両雄激突 プライドと命とシンデレラを賭けた死闘)		July 31, 1995 (1995-07-31)
Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li are invited to a party by Vega, although Ken doesn't know that it was Vega who sent the letter. Ken and Chun-Li go to the party, while Ryu stays behind at the hotel practicing his Hadouken. When they reach the party, Chun-Li drifts off into a daze, and Ken, realizing that Vega is in the steel deathmatch cage in the middle of the room where the party is being held, accepts Vega's challenge. Vega attacks Ken a few times.
16"The Unveiled Ruler - The Rampage of the fearful Thirst for Conquest Begins"
 (ベールをぬいだ君臨者 暴走を始めた恐るべき征服欲)		August 7, 1995 (1995-08-07)
The battle between Ken and Vega continues. Vega easily has the advantage, as he breaks both of Ken's feet, and also causes Ken to lose a lot of blood because of his claws. Despite this, Ken survives the matador's onslaught, and even scores a few hard hits on Vega (including knocking his mask off) before Vega wears him down. Vega jumps atop the chandelier and prepares to finish him off, while Ken decides to use his ultimate attack, the Shoryuken, on Vega.
17"Shudder! The Despot's Commander – Infiltration Strategem – An Approaching Crisis"
 (戦慄、暴君の司令 忍び寄る策謀、迫り来る危機)		August 14, 1995 (1995-08-14)
Ken and Vega's battle reaches its end, as Ken uses the Shoryuken to knock Vega into the chandelier above. A gravely injured Ken falls to the ground afterwards. Chun-Li enters the cage as Vega's love potion wears off, and rushes to Ken's aid. Vega is enraged when sees Chun-Li embrace Ken, and drops down from the chandelier in one final attack. However, Ken catches the Vega on his back and lays him down gently as Bison, impressed with his skills, orders his assistant Zoltar to get his doctors to work on his recovery and bring him to his villa. Ryu continues to practice the Hadouken on the beach by the hotel he is staying in. Ken and Vega are taken into different rooms for recovery. Chun-Li, finding this suspicious, questions Bison's doctors. The doctors give Ken a shot which makes him sleep. Bison enters the room afterwards and tries to kidnap Chun-Li. She refuses to go with Bison, and attacks him. However, Bison expertly dodges and counters Chun-Li, ripping off parts of her dress in the process.
18"The Beautiful Assassin – Green Eyes, Terror of the Cross"
 (美しき暗殺者 緑色の瞳、十字架の恐怖)		August 21, 1995 (1995-08-21)
Bison and Chun-Li fight. She hits Bison twice, although her attacks barely make a dent in him. Just as she is about to flee, he teleports in front of her and strangles her until she loses consciousness. Bison, realizing he went berserk with his Psycho Power, tells his assistant, Zoltar, to bring Chun-Li and Ken to his villa. Meanwhile, the assassin Cammy White, who was hired by Interpol infiltrator and Shadowlaw double agent Balrog to kill Dorai, enters her hotel room next to where Dorai is staying. The alibi given to Cammy was that Dorai supposedly set up a new drug syndicate every time he smashed one, with himself as boss of those drug syndicates. Also, apparently the Chief of Interpol, Barrac, agreed to this hit, but said that it has to be a secret. Balrog selected Dorai for the hit because the latter was sent to lead the investigation of the Shadowlaw crime syndicate. Cammy is about to kill Dorai.
19"Special Orders to Iron Men – The Mightiest Rescuers Launch into the Sheltering Skies"
 (鉄人への特命 救出の空に発つ最強の助っ人)		August 28, 1995 (1995-08-28)
Bison calls Mr. Masters, Ken's father, and informs him that he has kidnapped his son. He demands a $1,000,000,000 ransom (nearly a fifth of his fortune) in exchange for Ken. The money was needed because it would reimburse Bison and Shadowlaw for the money they lost when Dorai shut down Ashura. In response, Mr. Masters sends two special commandos from the United States military, Guile and Nash, to rescue Ken from Bison. Guile is given a picture of Ken with his best friend Ryu, and recognizes them (to which he replies "those boys sure know how to get into trouble"). Guile and Nash enter a helicopter after being briefed by Mr. Masters's friend from college, and they head to Spain to rescue Ken from Bison. Meanwhile, Dorai is attacked by Cammy White and is presumably killed by the assassination attempt (although Dorai survives the attack). On the beach, Ryu is attacked by the Shadowlaw wrestler Zangief, who was sent by Bison to take Ryu to Bison's headquarters. Ryu resists Zangief.
20"Unknown Explosive Force – The Full Extent of Unbelievable Power"
 (秘められた爆発力 渾身に満ちるとてつもないパワー)		September 4, 1995 (1995-09-04)
Ryu and Zangief fight for a brief time on the beach, but Zangief, with the help of the Shadowlaw driver, knocks Ryu out and puts him in the truck in which they came. Just as Zangief puts Ryu into the truck, Guile and Nash land nearby, and Zangief and the Shadowlaw driver quickly escape with Ryu before Guile and Nash can confront them. Guile and Nash search the castle that Vega and Ken were in before being worked on by Bison's physicians to see if they can find Ken. The place is thoroughly cleaned out, and thus their search is futile. Meanwhile, Ryu and Bison fight each other as Ryu awakens to find himself in Shadowlaw's headquarters. Ryu fights Bison to no avail, as Bison easily overpowers him. Ryu is taunted by Bison into using the Hadouken, and when he is about to fire it, Bison uses his Psycho Power to cause Ryu to lose control of the Hadouken. The Hadouken explodes, and this, combined with the energy of Bison's Psycho Power, knocks Ryu unconscious.
21"Compulsion Towards Vengeance – Cyberchip – The Challenge to Mind Control"
 (服従への強制 サイバーチップ、脳支配への挑戦)		September 11, 1995 (1995-09-11)
Ryu has the cyberchip planted on his forehead by Bison. Zoltar created the chip to recruit Shadowlaw warriors for Bison. These cyberchips control the subject's higher brain functions, and thus as long as the cyberchip is on their forehead, Bison can control the subject as he pleases, as Zoltar demonstrates by getting a test subject to bang his head against the wall and kill himself. With Ryu under Bison's control, and Ken unconscious and chained in a bed, Guile and Nash will have to hurry in order to rescue Ken and Ryu from Bison. Meanwhile, Fei Long learns of Dorai's supposed death, and rushes to the hospital to see him (he was in Barcelona because he was to film a movie there). He is greeted by Interpol Chief Barrac, who explains the situation to Fei Long. He wishes to help Barrac protect Dorai from future assassination attempts, since he is still alive.
22"Rising Dragon Into The Sky – The Extremes of Rage – Awakening of Hadou"
 (昇龍、空へ 怒りの絶頂、目覚める波動)		September 18, 1995 (1995-09-18)
Ken is continually having nightmares of Chun-Li being strangled by Bison, and this begins to awaken his ki and his ability to tap Hadou. Ken wakes up, although weaker than ever. He gradually summons the Hadou Shoryuken and frees himself from the chains, as well as a bust a hole in the ceiling allowing him to escape the room. Ken makes his way deeper into the fortress in hopes of finding Ryu and Chun-Li.
23"The Icy Light of Their Eyes – Heroes Possessed by Evil"
 (凍りついた眼光 悪魔に魅入られた勇者)		October 16, 1995 (1995-10-16)
This episode gives a recap of what happened ever since Ryu and Ken journeyed to Barcelona. This whole segment is over ten minutes long. After the recap, Ken slowly makes his way to the main room of the headquarters, where he is separated from Chun-Li and Ryu via a wall. Balrog summons Cammy to the hospital, since Dorai had survived her assassination attempt, and Balrog wants him dead. Cammy begins to have suspicions about Balrog, but continues to follow his orders for the time being. Ken approaches a window to a room in which he sees Chun-Li, who also has a cyberchip implanted on her forehead, strangling a Shadowlaw guard.
24"Nightmare Reunion – An Anguished Cry, A Mind Sealed Away"
 (悪夢の再会 悲痛の呼び掛け、閉ざされた意識)		October 23, 1995 (1995-10-23)
Carrying on from the previous episode, Ken watches as Chun-Li breaks the guard's neck. Ryu then enters, now under Bison's control via the cyberchip. They briefly stare at each other before Chun-Li leaves the room. Ryu stays and attacks Ken, who realizes that something must be wrong with Ryu. Bison then orders Ryu to focus his ki to do the Hadouken. Ryu complies and charges his ki. Meanwhile, Guile and Nash infiltrate the fortress to try and rescue Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li from Bison. Ken summons enough rage to use the Hadou Shoryu to break the wall between him and Ryu. After breaking the wall, he tries to convince Ryu to come with him, but Ryu doesn't answer.
25"Fight to the Finish (Round One) – The Grand Triple Battle Command"
 (死闘 <第一章> 壮絶、トリプルバトルコマンド)		30 October 1995 (1995-10-30)
Ryu and Ken fight each other in a heated battle. Ryu easily overpowers Ken, as Ken refuses to fight his best friend. However, Ken hits Ryu in order to defend himself, at which point Bison tells Ken that he and Ryu were born to fight each other. The fight goes on between Ryu and Ken, as Ken tries to break Bison's hold over him, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Cammy enters Dorai's hospital room and attempts to make a final assassination attempt on him, but she is intercepted by Fei Long. He talks with Cammy for a while before battling each other for Dorai's life. Finally, Guile and Nash, having successfully infiltrated Shadowlaw fortress, go their separate ways to find Shadowlaw's captives. Guile runs into Zangief along the way, and he initiates a fight with him.
26"Fight to the Finish (Round Two) – The Final Moments of an Exhausted True Friend"
 (死闘 <第二章> 力尽きゆく親友の断末魔)		6 November 1995 (1995-11-06)
The fight between Guile and Zangief continues, as Guile continues to struggle in defeating Zangief. Guile knocks Zangief out cold. Fei Long and Cammy continue their fight, with Fei Long determined to protect Dorai from Cammy. Ryu and Ken continue their fight as well, with no signs of it coming to an end. Ken continues to try to convince Ryu to turn back to normal, but Ryu is still not listening. Nash fights his way into the control room of the fortress, where he finds Bison. He confronts Bison boldly, shooting a bullet into his heart. Bison uses his Psycho Power to render this bullet useless. Afterwards, Bison attacks Nash relentlessly, and chokes him to death.
27"Fight to the Finish (Round Three) – Critical Point – The Limits of the Smashing Hadou Energy"
 (死闘 <第三章> 臨界点、激突する波動エネルギーの極限)		13 November 1995 (1995-11-13)
Guile makes his way into the control room, where he finds his friend Nash dead. Realizing that Bison had killed him, Guile attacks Bison in an extreme rage. Bison uses his Psycho Power to blast Guile back to the entrance of the room, briefly incapacitating him. Meanwhile, Fei Long and Cammy continue to fight for the life of Dorai, although Fei Long reveals to Cammy that Shadowlaw had sent her to kill Dorai, because he kept foiling their plans. Cammy goes to the hotel room where Balrog is staying, and questions his motives. He reveals to her that he set her up, pointing a gun at her. Just as he is about to kill her, Fei Long and Barrac bust the door down, and Cammy kicks Balrog's gun out of his hand while he is distracted by the intrusion. Barrac says Balrog is under arrest, but before he is arrested, Cammy attacks Balrog for tricking her, nearly killing him. She decides to hand him over to Fei Long, and also thanks him for telling her the truth.
28"Fight to the Finish (Round Four) - Master Bison - The Overwhelming Destructive Power"
 (死闘 <第四章> 君臨者ベガ、その圧倒的破壊力)		20 November 1995 (1995-11-20)
Ryu and Ken finally finish their fight at the end of this episode by using the Hadou Shoryu and the Hadouken against each other. The resulting blast of energy knocks the cyberchip off of Ryu's forehead, returning him to normal. Guile pulls himself together, and stands again to face Bison. However, Bison doesn't have time to fight Guile personally, and orders the brainwashed Chun-Li to keep Guile occupied. Ryu and Ken meet up with Guile and Chun-Li in the control room of the fortress. Their reunion is short-lived, however, as Bison's eagle head transports Guile and Chun-Li outside to continue their battle. It also teleports Ryu, Ken, and Bison into the focal point of the universe where all of its power flows, although this is not seen until the next episode.
29"Fight to the Finish (Final Round) – The Final Battle, Risking All of Body and Soul"
 (死闘完結 全身全霊をかけたファイナルバトル)		27 November 1995 (1995-11-27)
Guile and Chun-Li battle outside, while Ryu, Ken, and Bison do battle in the focal point of the universe, which is revealed to be another dimension that Bison's eagle had sent them to. There, Ryu and Ken seem destined to lose, because of Bison's overwhelming Psycho Power. Ryu and Ken's fighting abilities are no match for Bison, and Guile is losing to Chun-Li, since the cyberchip has made her a much more powerful opponent than she was without it, and also because Guile is reluctant to fight back with full force, out of fear that he might seriously harm her. Bison uses his Psycho Crusher and Double Knee Press attacks to overpower Ryu and Ken, severely wounding both of them. They find the strength needed to carry on thanks to their Hadou powers. Ken uses the Hadou Shoryuken against Bison. This weakens Bison substantially and this also knocks the cyberchip off Chun-Li's head, allowing Ryu to finish him off. After Bison is gone, Ryu and Ken head back to America, then Ryu sails to an unknown location.

Music

Japanese

  • Opening Themes
  1. "Kaze Fuiteru" by Yuki Kuroda (eps 1-19)
  2. "Ima, ashita no tame ni" by Shuji Honda (eps 20-29)
  • Ending Themes
  1. "Cry" by Yuki Kuroda (eps 1-19)
  2. "Lonely Baby" by Shuji Honda (eps. 20-29)

The American and Australian release of the Manga/Animaze English dub uses an untitled instrumental theme music by Mike Egan composed specifically for the dub. The ADV Films version kept the original Japanese intro and outro themes.

Notes
  1. Pronounced "Street Fighter Two Vee".

References
  1. Street Fighter II V: Original Soundtrack (Media notes). TOCT-9195.
  2. "Anime Sheds Light on SF Story". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 91. Ziff Davis. February 1997. p. 26.
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