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"She can charm any man on the planet! The Shiranui-style Ninjutsu successor herself! MAI SHIRANUI."
The King of Fighters XV

"Want a little taste of Shiranui fire?"
—Mai Shiranui (Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves)

Mai Shiranui (不知火しらぬい まい) is a character from the Fatal Fury series. She made her debut in Fatal Fury 2 as the last Shiranui ninja heiress and the girlfriend of Andy Bogard (assumed officially in The King of Fighters XIV). She also appears in almost every game in The King of Fighters series (with exception of KOF XII), being one of the founders of the Women Fighters Team, along with King and Yuri Sakazaki.

Her official nickname is "The Alluring Ninja Girl" (魅惑みわく女忍者くノいち).[5][6]

Development

FF2 Mai Design

Fatal Fury 2: Concept art.

Mai was originally not planned to be included in Fatal Fury 2 at all, as her fighting style was created for a different male ninja. When developers shifted their focus to include an idol character in 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 bottom is modeled after the late Ai Iijima; both women were famous idols at the time.

Mai-shiranui-kofxiv-facial-expressions-concept-art

Mai's concept art in KOF XIV, showing her personality: Happy, Angry, Serious. Illustrations by Eisuke Ogura

During the development of The King of Fighters '94, Mai's designer wanted to add more animation to her neutral pose. When the designer came back with the "swaying bosom", the developers were awestruck.[7][8] Due to this pose's potency, however, Mai's eye-popping motions were stilled in the KOF '94 international home version.[9][8]

In an interview with one of the series designers, Shinkiro, he replies that Mai was the most difficult character to illustrate. He comments "I thought she was going to burst out of her costume..." [10]

Appearance

Mai is a very beautiful woman, with fair skin, long brown hair tied into a tight, high topknot style, accompanied by a waist-length ponytail with parted bangs and amber eyes (with some games being brown). She is well-known both in verse and amongst fans for her well-endowed body.

Her main outfit is a red and white kunoichi dress (a traditional garb of her family's), with red tassels at the back that are fastened to an obi around her waist. She has circular white ropes secured around her shoulders, with red and black colored tabi for footwear. Mai is also usually seen wielding a traditional white Kachō Sen, or "butterfly fan", as her primary weapon.

in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, she has a completely new outfit. Instead of wearing the usual red and white kunoichi dress, she instead wears a partially zipped black leather biker jacket with a pinkish red color on the sides and some pink flower designs on the back. She now wears black pants with high heel boots, wears black gloves on her hands, and her topknot is now pinkish red instead of white. This new outfit is based on a promotional artwork of Fatal Fury Special, done by Shinkiro.

Personality

Mai is a very cheerful and temperamental girl. She tends to also be somewhat of an airhead and admires any kind of beauty or attractiveness, which sometimes comes across as being vain. She also at times compares attractive boys who flirt with her or acknowledge her beauty to Andy, acknowledging their attractiveness but ending with a comment saying they're 'not as cute as Andy'.

Like many girls, she has dreams of getting married to her Prince Charming — she found her own Prince in Andy Bogard, and self-proclaimed herself his fiancé, which at times has creeped out Andy himself. Within the Fatal Fury series, he mostly tries to ignore her advances as he views her like a younger sister but has a hard time adequately returning platonic affections due to her persistence.

Another notable example of this within the King Of Fighters series is her intro with Andy in KOF '97, proposing to Andy outright in a wedding dress, or scaring Andy with a mock child doll in KOF '99 and 2001. Despite this, Andy mutually acknowledges her love but prefers to keep quiet about it, mostly due to his own stoicism and focus on training.

Although her peppy fighting persona suggests otherwise, Mai is actually a traditional and ideal Japanese beauty. However, her pride as a Shiranui ninja and infatuation with Andy usually keeps her from fitting the mold 100% of the time.

Despite her complex relationship, Mai has shown her support for the women's team and their notorious reputation for years and enjoys working with her teammates. As for Andy's older brother Terry, Mai admires him, although she gets skeptical when she feels he's hiding something about Andy. Mai shows deference towards Joe but she feels his silly habits are a little annoying.

Fighting style

Mai utilizes the Shiranui-ryuu form of ninjutsu, blending traditional ninjutsu techniques with graceful and majestic movements reminiscent of traditional Japanese dance. This style is further complemented by her expert use of paper fans, which she integrates into her combat technique, performing a variety of combinations and moves with them.

Mai is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, using various throws and powerful elbow strikes that can break through an opponent’s defenses and incapacitate them. Her strength allows her to lift and throw opponents much heavier than herself, demonstrating her physical prowess. Fire is another central aspect of her combat style. She can create and control fire, infusing her attacks and fans with flames or completely cloaking herself in them.

Due to her ninja training, Mai is skilled in stealth and climbing. She also possesses aerial control, allowing her to stay airborne temporarily, float, glide, and change directions mid-air. Additionally, Mai can create shadow images of herself and her weapons, a technique called "Bunshin," which she uses to confuse and outmaneuver her opponents.

Mai's combat attire is not only functional but also strategic. Her revealing outfit often distracts male opponents, giving her an advantage in battle. She has the ability to change these clothes instantly with a single gesture. Moreover, her clothing can be used offensively; for example, the tassel on her ninja garb can be set ablaze to attack her opponent.

Music

  • Enryuujin (Flame Dragon God) - Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury Special, The King of Fighters XIV (PS4 theme only) and Street Fighter 6
  • Ne? (ね?/Isn't?) - The King of Fighters '94, The King of Fighters '98 and '98 Ultimate Match (when teamed with Yuri and King)
  • Ivonnu Rurouru E no gensou Yori Piano to Harp ni Yoru Fuyuu (Floating on a Harp and Piano Fantasy for Yvonne Lerolle) - Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury
  • Tsuchi o Hau Bass (The Ground-Crawling Bass) - The King of Fighters '95
  • Get'n Up - The King of Fighters '96, The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match (When teamed with Kasumi and King)
  • Hikyou no sato (Village of Unexplored) - Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
  • Mai Mai Kyuun - Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, SNK Gals' Fighters, The King of Fighters R-1, The King of Fighters R-2, SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium, The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match (as EX Mai)
  • Fairy - The King of Fighters '98
  • 176th Street - The King of Fighters '99
  • Come up Smiling - The King of Fighters 2000
  • Terry 115 - The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood, The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood (shared with Terry and Andy Bogard)
  • The Queen of Fighters - The King of Fighters 2001
  • Diet - The King of Fighters 2002
  • I'm Hot for You - The King of Fighters 2003, The King of Fighters XIII (when the music is set to "Type B", console version only, shared with King and Yuri Sakazaki)
  • Who is Queen? - The King of Fighters XIII
  • Splendid Soldier - The King of Fighters XIV
  • Like a Queen - The King of Fighters XV
  • Club M ~Flute in the Sky~ (KOF XV ver.) - The King of Fighters XV (as Andy's opponent)
  • Tsuchi o Hau Bass (The Ground-Crawling Bass) (KOF XV ver.) - The King of Fighters XV (as King's opponent)
  • Destiny - The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
  • The Fight for a Job and Family - Days of Memories (Koi wa Good Job!)
  • SHIRANUI - Days of Memories (Koi wa Good Job!)
  • Chasing You - Days of Memories (Kaze Maou Miyako de Tsukamaete!, Sekai de Ichiban Atsui Fuyu)
  • Mai Shiranui - Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
  • Mai-hime - Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
  • Mai Roulette - Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf, Garou Densetsu Special
  • Mai-chan Roulette - The King of Fighters (Pachinko)
  • Sacred Flower - Dead or Alive 5 Last Round
  • Enryuujin ~SNK Heroines Edit~ (A.K.A Flame Dragon God ~SNK Heroines Edit~) - SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy

Image Songs

  • Mai Mai Kyuun - Real Bout Fatal Fury Special image song
  • Kachou Fuugetsu Otome Mai (花蝶 風月 乙女 舞) - 1994 Image song by Reiko Chiba
  • 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
  • Lucky Paradise - Shared image song with Andy in Garou Densetsu Special

Voice Actresses

Japanese

Akoya Sogi Kotono Mitsuishi Ami Koshimizu
Asva
List of Roles:
Kotonomitsu
Amikoshimizu
Megumi Hayashibara
MegumiHayashibara
List of Roles:
  • Dengeki Bunko drama CDs
  • Fatal Fury Dengeki drama CD series

English

Sarah Sawatsky Lisa Ann Beley Sheryl Stanley
Miwa Gardner Maddie Matsumoto Rebecca Rose
List of Roles:
List of Roles:
Rebeccarosevoice
List of Roles:

Live Action Actresses

Tomomi Miyauchi Miki Hareyama Maggie Q
List of Roles:
List of Roles:


Appearances

Games

Mobile

Cameos

Anime

Gallery

Etymology

  • The name Mai means "dance" (舞).
  • Mai's surname Shiranui means "phosphorescent light" (不知火).
    • Phosphorescence refers to a type of light that glows softly in the dark and that does not produce heat.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Mai's profile page from the Fatal Fury 15th Anniversary website (Japanese)
  2. Official character profile from The King of Fighters 2001 website
  3. Official character profile from The King of Fighters 2003 website
  4. Mai's profile page from the Official website for Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
  5. Official character profile from KOF Maximum Impact Regulation "A"
  6. http://game.snk-corp.co.jp/official/kof-xiii/arcade/character/index.html
  7. - "The King of Fighters ’94 – Developer Interview" Archived from The original'
  8. 8.0 8.1 Official character profile from KOF anniversary website.
  9. A previous editor recalled here a reference called "KOF94". But this reference and its content doesn't exist on this page. To those who know what he meant please fix the issue.
  10. KOF 10th anniversary website Shinkiro's interview.
  11. Post from Maddie Matsumoto's official X account
Fatal Fury characters
Fatal Fury - King of Fighters Logo Sprite Terry BogardAndy BogardJoe HigashiRichard MeyerMichael MaxDuck KingTung Fu RueHwa JaiRaidenBilly KaneGeese Howard
Fatal Fury 2 Logo Sprite Kim KaphwanMai ShiranuiCheng SinzanJubei YamadaBig BearAxel HawkLaurence BloodWolfgang Krauser
Fatal Fury Special Logo Sprite Ryo Sakazaki
Fatal Fury 3 - Road to the Final Victory Logo Sprite Blue MaryBob WilsonFranco BashHon-FuSokaku MochizukiRyuji YamazakiJin ChonreiJin Chonshu
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special Logo Sprite Nightmare GeeseShadow AndyEX Blue MaryEX Billy KaneEX Tung Fu RueIori Yagami
Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special Dominated Mind Logo White
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 - The Newcomers Logo Sprite Rick StrowdLi XiangfeiAlfred
Fatal Fury - First Contact Lao
Fatal Fury - Wild Ambition Logo Touji SakataTsugumi SendoMr. Karate II
Garou - Mark of the Wolves Logo Sprite Rock HowardB. JenetLillien KnightsKim Dong HwanKim Jae HoonHotaru FutabaItokatsuGatoTizocMarco RodriguesHokutomaruKevin RianFreemanGrantKain R. Heinlein
Fatal Fury - City of the Wolves Logo PreechaVox Reaper • Potential Cristiano Ronaldo Character • Ken Masters (Guest)Chun-Li (Guest)
Fatal Fury - Legend of the Hungry Wolf Logo Lily McGuire
Fatal Fury 2 - The New Battle Logo Tony
Fatal Fury - The Motion Picture Logo Sulia GaudeamusLaocorn GaudeamusPanniHauerJamin
The King of Fighters characters
KOF '94 Logo Sprite Kyo KusanagiBenimaru NikaidoGoro DaimonTerry BogardAndy BogardJoe HigashiRyo SakazakiRobert GarciaTakuma SakazakiRalf JonesClark StillHeidernAthena AsamiyaSie KensouChin GentsaiKingMai ShiranuiYuri SakazakiKim KaphwanChang KoehanChoi BoungeHeavy D!Lucky GlauberBrian BattlerRugal Bernstein
KOF '95 Logo Sprite Iori YagamiBilly KaneEiji KisaragiSaisyu KusanagiOmega RugalNakoruru (Game Boy only)
KOF '96 Logo Sprite Leona HeidernMatureViceKasumi TodohGeese HowardWolfgang KrauserMr. BigChizuru KaguraGoenitzMr. Karate (Game Boy only)
KOF '97 Logo Sprite Shingo YabukiYashiro NanakaseShermieChrisBlue MaryRyuji YamazakiOrochi IoriOrochi LeonaOrochi YashiroOrochi ShermieOrochi ChrisOrochi
KOF '99 Logo Sprite K'MaximaWhipBaoLi XiangfeiJhun HoonKyo-1Kyo-2Krizalid
KOF '99 Evolution Logo VanessaSethSyo KirishimaAlfredFiolina GermiGai Tendo
KOF 2000 Logo Sprite RamónLinHinako ShijoKula DiamondClone ZeroFoxyCandy DiamondAnother K'Another IoriAnother BenimaruAnother RobertCosplayer KyokoKang Bae DalSmart ChangCool ChoiKaoru WatabeBaitangDuck KingLilly KaneKim Jae HoonKim Dong HwanUnknownKing LionKim Sue-ilKaedeDuke EdwardsRockyAthenaNeo & GeoG-Mantle
KOF 2001 Logo Sprite May Lee JinjuK9999ÁngelZeroRonGluganIgnizMistyNests
KOF EX Logo Moe Habana
KOF 2002 Logo Sprite Kusanagi
KOF EX2 Logo Reiji OogamiJun KagamiMiu KurosakiSinobu Amou
KOF 2003 Logo Sprite Ash CrimsonDuo LonShen WooTizocGatoMalinMaki KaguraAdelheid BernsteinMukai
KOF MI Logo Alba MeiraSoiree MeiraLien NevilleMignon BeartChae LimDukeRock Howard
KOF XI Logo Sprite OswaldElisabeth BlanctorcheMomokoB. JenetShionMagakiSilberSho HayateJyazuHotaru FutabaItokatsuTung Fu Rue
KOF MI2 Logo Luise MeyrinkNagaseJivatmaNinon BeartHyenaHanzo HattoriKyo Kusanagi ClassicWild WolfMr. Karate IIArmor RalfRichard Meyer
KOF MIRA Logo Xiao LonMakoto Mizoguchi
KOF '98UM Logo Nightmare Geese
KOF 2002UM Logo Nameless
KOF XII Logo Raiden
KOF XIII Logo Hwa JaiBig BearSaikiEvil AshHonki ni Natta Mr. Karate
KOF XIV Logo Shun'eiMeitenkunGang-ilLuongXanaduSylvie Paula PaulaKukriMianNelsonZarinaBandeiras HattoriKing of DinosaursHeinNakoruruMamahahaMui MuiLove HeartAlice Garnet NakataAntonovVerseNajd (Aila)
The King of Fighters XV Logo Isla (Amanda) • DoloresKrohnen McDougallRe VerseOtoma RagaHaohmaruDarli Dagger
SNK vs. Capcom characters
SNK current logo Kyo KusanagiIori YagamiLeona HeidernOrochi IoriTerry BogardMai ShiranuiGeese HowardRyo SakazakiYuri SakazakiAthena AsamiyaHaohmaruNakoruruMamahahaJubei YagyuRimururuAkari IchijouMarco RossiFiolina GermiMars PeopleGenjuro KibagamiKim KaphwanMr. KarateKasumi TodohChoi BoungeEarthquakeShikiGoenitzHonki ni Natta Mr. KaratePrincess AthenaKingViceBenimaru NikaidoRaidenRyuji YamazakiRugal BernsteinChang KoehanRyuhaku TodohHibiki TakaneGod Rugal
Capcom Logo RyuKen MastersChun-LiGuileDan HibikiSakura KasuganoMorrigan AenslandFeliciaAkumaBaby Bonnie HoodM. BisonEvil RyuKarin KanzukiArthurRed ArremerDhalsimVegaSagatBalrogHugo AndoreTessaDemitri MaximoffZeroViolent KenShin AkumaRed ArremerBlankaCammy WhiteEdmond HondaEagleRolento SchugergMaki GenryusaiYun LeeKyosuke Kagami
CardFightersClash1 ShinKeiCapCometThe KidFoKanaHarumiZombieYoshikiNishiTakaNoriSakiYukiAkiTakeMikaNonakaKeikoYuriMikamiThe MaskRikuto ArataHaruna HatenaLip AyahaSasuke FuwaKido YoshijiRyugai TorawoAsō ShūkoDogou SōkenShin DaichiKei KikkaForu GottonYashichi FuwaCap ComComet ComNanako NijiiroZet Charles DetroitSys TemNeomantleRobomantleG-Lady
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