SF6: Real Bout Mai, Shinkiro Art References are Tight!

I'm so damn happy with how Mai Shiranui has turned out in Streetfighter 6, I just had to post and talk about her a bit more- so here we are. For starters, I am sure there are quite a few young 'uns here, so you might not be aware of what us Gen X-ers and Old Timers are referring to when we say that SF6 Mai's sexy ninja outfit is her 'Real Bout' outfit.

Mai's ninja outfit- her iconic red gi-type costume- has changed a lot over the years since her debut in Fatal Fury 2 (she was the first female character in the series, making her literally the 'Chun-Li' of the game). Her tabi or ninja footwear was the usual covered-up footwear, but that changed in the sequel, Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory. Mai's costume there got changed a bit, with her showing off some skin- mainly her toes and heels. This persisted in the subsequent Fatal Fury games, collectively known as the Real Bout series- which comprises of Real Bout Fatal Fury, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 and finally, Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. In contrast, Mai has always kept her regular, non-barefoot tabi in the entirety of the King of Fighters series.

Mai's SF6 costume is, from what I can see, based on the Real Bout costume since she is wearing the 'barefoot' tabi. The first artwork of Mai posted above is her character art from Real Bout 2, and this artwork is probably the most widely-seen of her in the series. I believe this is also referenced in Mai's Level 3 Super Art, as you can see her facial expression at the end of the Super.

Another reference- recently cited by Maximilian Dood on his reaction to the Mai Gameplay Trailer- is the 'Shinkiro smile' that Mai makes during her 'Nippon Ichi' ('Japan No.1') win pose after KO'ing Chun-Li. You can see the similarity of the smile she makes in the inset artwork. That smile is often seen made by characters drawn by Shinkiro in many of his artworks.

Also, during the start of the sequence with Chun-Li, you can see Mai and Chun do a special clash before the fight actually starts- this is a reference to their longtime rivalry since Capcom VS SNK. It remains to be seen if this is actually in the game or if it was just for the trailer.

I have to also mention that apparently the Fatal Fury 2 Mai stage shown in the Teaser trailer is not actually included in the game? This is kinda sad, since it was a badass stage, but this may mean that Elena will have her own stage later this year. I'm hoping Mai's stage makes it in, but whatever.

I guess that is that for this post. Obviously, I am so excited for Mai, and she adds so much to the game for me. She's easily one of my favorite female characters in fighting games ever, and to have her in one of our two flagship fighters lets me post more of her, which is awesome. Expect Mai to be alongside Chun-Li, Cammy and Juri as our mainstay babes for SF6 once she arrives on February 5.