Mai Shiranui

Mai Shiranui (不知火 舞, Shiranui Mai) is a character from both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series of fighting games by SNK (now SNK Playmore). In her mind, Andy Bogard is her fiancé who studied Ninjutsu with her grandfather, Hanzo. The relationship between the two is often unclear and subliminal, usually on Andy's part, who at times seems to suppress his feelings for her in favor of treating her like a little sister.

Mai is very popular with fans, mostly due to her large breasted, highly attractive character design. Many see her as a prime example of this kind of depiction of women in video games and anime (predictably, Mai's breasts appear larger in art than her printed measurements). She typically wears exceptionally low-cut blouses, dresses, and clothing to maximize the exposure of her cleavage and most fight scenes involving Mai include several shots that focus especially on her breasts and buttocks. Since her first appearance in Fatal Fury 2, she has been converted and recognized as the main sex symbol of SNK. Mai was rated #4 in GameSpy.com's "Top Ten Babes in Games" feature and #5 in Game Informer's "Top Ten Hottest Girls of the 16-Bit era."

She was originally not planned to be included in Fatal Fury at all, as her fighting style was created for a different male ninja. When developers shifted their focus to including an idol character into the series, they decided to scrap the Shiranui man for Mai. Her characteristic "bounce" was loosely modified from a kunoichi (female ninja) method of assassination: to be sensual to their unassuming prey before they strike. According to an issue of Neo Geo Freak, her breasts were modeled after Fumie Hosokawa and her butt is modeled after Ai Iijima; both women were famous idols at the time.

Fatal Fury


Mai Shiranui is the granddaughter of Hanzo Shiranui, master of Ninjitsu and Koppo-ken. Mai learned from her father the secrets of Ninjitsu, and became an expert in stealth and other sneaky tricks. Although her beauty has brought her many suitors, she rejects all who propose to her, considering them "weak." However, one day she became obsessed with a young boy by the name of Andy Bogard.

Andy had come from Southtown in the United States to train under the orders of Hanzo Shiranui in Kopo-ken. Mai then had to take alternate courses from her grandfather's friend, Jubei Yamada in Ninjitsu. However, far from hating him, Mai fell instantly in love with the American kid, since he was suitably strong and handsome. However, Andy paid little attention to Mai, too absorbed in his training. Mai, on the other hand, had even made plans as to when Andy would marry her.

After they grew up, Andy became a good-looking young man, and Mai a very attractive woman who received marriage proposals from dozens of men. However, Andy decided to travel back to the United States and reunite with his brother Terry Bogard to exact revenge on Geese Howard, the man who killed their father.

Mai was infuriated by this desertion, but had no choice but to stay and keep training. She knew that Andy would come back one day. Not much time later, Andy returned to Japan in order to continue his training. He found out that his fighting in Southtown had been for the wrong reasons; not for the real sense of fighting, but for personal vengeance. In addition, Andy left Southtown with unresolved emotional problems and a resolve to gain honor in fighting. Mai did not care for any of this, she just wanted Andy to be close to her again. So, when Wolfgang Krauser decided to go out in search of worthy fighters, she followed Andy to fight Krauser. After the journey, Mai felt even closer to Andy, and thought it was the time to wrap things up.

When developers were asked about her whereabouts during Mark of Wolves, they chose not to answer the question directly. However, they did divulge that she still loves Andy - as she always has- ten years later.

The King of Fighters
The new King of Fighters tournament was announced around this period. The fights would take place between teams of three persons each. Mai felt it was a sure bet to make a team with Andy, but he thought otherwise: he would team up with Terry and his friend, Joe Higashi. Mai was left out, but she promised Andy that she would be in the tournament as well. Once she found out that the Southtown bouncer King had received an invitation as well, and had no assembled team, Mai immediately proposed herself as a team member, along with her friend Yuri Sakazaki. King was not expecting this, but accepted them anyway. During the next two tournaments, the Gorgeous Team was seen as a beautiful, but deadly team.

However, by 1996, Yuri was obliged to take her father's place in the Kyokugenryu Team, and King and Mai were left without a third team member. When Mai seemed hopeless, a strange woman attacked her. Mai avoided the attack and prepared to fight. The woman praised Mai's skills and introduced herself as Kasumi Todoh, the new third member of the team. Once more, the Gorgeous Team was back in action; but by next year, King and Mai were in trouble again, as Kasumi was still looking for her father. They resigned themselves to losing the tournament that year. King had to take care of her brother, Jan, anyway. However, Chizuru Kagura intervened, and told Mai and King that she would gladly be the third team member, and that she would take care that Jan would go with them.

Mai used the two year recess to go back to Japan and perfect her Ninja skills, and to spend some more time with Andy. Mai insisted in that next time, she would team up with Andy, which he took more as a joke. However, a stroke of luck enabled Mai to finally accomplish her wish: an invitation for another King of Fighters tournament, with a new four team member rule. Mai lost no time in joining along with Andy. However, after the tournament, Terry disappeared under the ruins of Krizalid's base (the tournament's host). Mai's high spirits were dampened by the task of trying to reassure Andy that Terry was not in fact dead.

Even though it hurts to leave her beloved one once again, Mai has decided to abandon the Lonely Wolves team. After finding out that Terry was in fact alive, Mai and Yuri reunited after a long separation. They decide to team up once again, since they miss the fun times way back when the King of Fighters tournament was just beginning to grow. They also decided to accept Kasumi along as well, but this left one gap in their four person team. The final member appeared soon enough, during an audition in Japan, where they saw a peculiar little girl named Hinako Shijou. Mai was so impressed with her skills, that she was taken in as the fourth team member. Hinako Shijou also fought in the next tournament with Mai, but Yuri decided to return to the Kyokugenryu Team because of Robert Garcia being in distress, so Li Xiangfei would take Yuri's place.



In The King of Fighters: KYO, an RPG game centered on Kyo Kusanagi and settled right in between KoF'96 and KoF'97, Mai isn't a playable character, but she and other fighters provide Kyo with info and help during his trials, specially when his girlfriend Yuki is kidnapped and taken abroad. Mai is also present in one of Kyo and Yuki's dates after the incident, when she treats them to a tea ceremony.

Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
Mai makes her first anime appearance in the Masami Obari-directed Fatal Fury: The New Battle, where she attacks Andy and knocks him down for coming to Japan and not telling her. When a message comes along to Andy about Terry being defeated by Wolfgang Krauser and going underground, Mai takes the opportunity to give the distracted Andy another attack... only to end up getting swatted away into the water. Later, while taking a bath and nursing her injured pride, she laments that Andy didn't have to hit her that hard, but inwardly is giddy with admiration for Andy's strength. She follows Andy on his travels to find Krauser in Germany, where she is approached and later attacked by Laurence Blood. Though she is able to get a good hit in, she is easily subdued and taken hostage. Unfortunately for Blood, the sight of Mai bound drives Andy into a frenzy and he is easily beaten. Mai happily leaps into Andy's arms.

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture


In the feature-length Fatal Fury anime movie, Mai is present with Terry, Andy and Joe when the quest to find the Armor of Mars and stop the would-be conqueror Laocorn Gaudeamus is given to them by Sulia, Laocorn's sister. As usual, she tags along not so much to help save the world but more as an excuse to spend time with Andy. Despite the severity of the situation, she is able the time to have fun in a dance party held by Duck King, which is later crashed by Hauer, one of Laocorn's henchmen. Hauer lifts his mask to reveal his face to Mai, maybe to win her favor. The kunoichi considers Hauer handsome and very attractive but not at the same level of Andy. Afterwards, Mai is captured by Hauer, who tries to steal a kiss from her in front of Andy. Enraged, Andy attacks, only to be stopped dead in his tracks when Mai is put in the path of his blow. Using Mai as a shield, Hauer gives Andy a severe beating. Afterwards as they all regroup and recover, Mai bonds with Sulia, who has a crush on Terry. Both girls promise to work hard to win the hearts of their respective men. An attack by Hauer and Panni, another of Laocorn's servants, leads to a fierce battle. Mai defeats Panni using her super technique, and Andy, fresh from some training, easily eliminates Hauer. The two share an intimate moment afterwards. In the final battle with Laocorn, Mai helps Terry, Andy and Joe stop Laocorn and later an incarnation of the god Mars.

Personality
Mai is a very happy girl with every girl's dream: get married with her prince charming. She found that same Prince Charming in Andy and self-proclaimed herself his fiancé. Although her preppy fighting persona suggests otherwise, Mai is actually a traditional and ideal Japanese beauty (Yamato Nadeshiko). However, her pride as a Shiranui ninja and infatuation with Andy usually keeps her from fitting the mold 100% of the time.

Powers

 * Hide Weapon: Mai has at least one Kachosen fan beneath her clothing that can't be seen.
 * Bushin: Mai can temporarily project shadow images of herself.
 * Weapon of Fire: Mai can use fire attacks with her weapon and clothing.

Skills

 * Changing: With only one gesture, Mai can change clothes within a second.


 * Climbing: Due to her ninja training, Mai is an expert with climbing surfaces.


 * Stealth: Also because of her training, Mai is a master of stealth.

Fighting Style
Mai uses the Shiranui-ryuu Ninjutsu. The style resembles normal ninjutsu with more flamboyant attacks. Mai uses a lot of gestures while fighting as well.

Music

 * Kachou Fuugetsu Otome Mai - Fatal Fury 2 and Fatal Fury Special
 * Ne! - The King of Fighters 94
 * Ivonnu Rurouru e no Gensou-yori - Fuyuu - Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury
 * The Creeping Soil Pacer - The King of Fighters 95
 * Get'n Up - The King of Fighters 96
 * Unexplored Territory - Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
 * Mai Mai Kyuun - Real Bout Fatal Fury Special and Real Bout Fatal Fury 2
 * Fairy - The King of Fighters 98
 * 117th Street - The King of Fighters 99
 * Come up Smiling - The King of Fighters 2000
 * The Queen of Fighters - The King of Fighters 2001
 * Diet - The King of Fighters 2002

Image Songs

 * Kachou Fuugetsu Otome Mai - 1994 Image Song
 * Non Stop! One Way Love - 1994 Image Song
 * Dear Mai Boy - 1997 Image Song
 * Heavy Baby's 1, 2, 3 - Neo Geo DJ Station shared image song
 * Dance de Peace! - Fatal Fury shared image song

Voice Actors

 * Akoya Sogi - since her debut
 * Kotono Mitsuishi - Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle, Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
 * Sarah Sawatsky - Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle (English voice)
 * Lisa Ann Beley - Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (English voice)
 * Megumi Hayashibara - Fatal Fury Dengeki drama CD series
 * Sheryl Stanley - Maximum Impact series (English voice)

Live Action Actors

 * Miki Hareyama - Fatal Fury Special commercials

Game Appearances

 * Fatal Fury 2 - playable character
 * Fatal Fury Special - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 94 - playable character
 * Fatal Fury 3 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 95 - playable character
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 96 - playable character
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind - playable character
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury Special - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 97 - playable character
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 98 - playable character
 * Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition - playable character
 * Fatal Fury: First Contact - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 99 - playable character
 * SNK Gals' Fighters - playable character
 * SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millenium - playable character
 * Capcom vs SNK - playable character
 * Capcom vs SNK Pro - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 2000 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 2001 - playable character
 * Capcom vs SNK 2 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters EX - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 2002 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters EX2 - playable character
 * SVC Chaos: SNK vs Capcom - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 2003 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters Neowave - playable character
 * The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - playable character
 * The King of Fighters XI - hidden character, ps2 only
 * Neo Geo Battle Coliseum - playable character
 * The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 - playable character
 * The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Regulation A - playable character
 * The King of Fighters 98: Ultimate Match - playable character
 * Samurai Shodown - cameo appearance
 * Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf - playable character

Anime Appearances

 * Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
 * Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
 * The King of Fighters: Another Day - 1st episode