Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist | |
---|---|
Genre | Action Martial arts |
Based on | Street Fighter by Takashi Nishiyama Hiroshi Matsumoto |
Developed by | Joey Ansah Christian Howard |
Written by | Joey Ansah Christian Howard |
Directed by | Joey Ansah |
Starring | Mike Moh Christian Howard Akira Koieyama Shogen Itokazu Gaku Space Hyunri Lee Togo Igawa Mark Killeen Hal Yamanouchi Joey Ansah |
Composer | Patrick Gill |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original languages | English Japanese |
No. of episodes | 12 (web series) 6 (TV series) 1 (movie edition) |
Production | |
Producer | Jacqueline Quella |
Running time | 12 minutes (web series) 22 minutes (TV series) 105 minutes (movie edition: TV) 145 minutes (movie edition: DVD/Blu-Ray) |
Original release | |
Network | YouTube Machinima.com |
Release | 23 May 2014 [1] |
Related | |
Street Fighter: Legacy |
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist is a British martial arts web series, TV series and feature film developed by Joey Ansah and Christian Howard. Based on Capcom's Street Fighter video game series, the story focuses on Ryu and Ken as they uncover the past of their master, Gouken and learn the secrets of their Dark Art, Ansatsuken. [2] [3]
The web series was released on Machinima's YouTube channel on 23 May 2014 while the subsequent formats (TV & DVD/Blu-ray) were released later the same year and IFC Films released the film on 7 January 2015. [1] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
A sequel series, Street Fighter: World Warrior, which would have seen Ryu and Ken come into conflict with M. Bison and Shadaloo, was in development, but was eventually scrapped in favour of Street Fighter: Resurrection , which served as a tie-in to Street Fighter V .
The short film Street Fighter: Legacy , a passion project for Joey Ansah and Christian Howard, was released on YouTube in 2010 as a proof-of-concept. During San Diego Comic-Con International 2012 Capcom announced it had granted rights to the creators to go ahead with the project. [22]
The series started a Kickstarter crowdsource funding campaign in order to source funds for production. [23] The campaign was cancelled on 17 April 2013 when private backers stepped forward with the money necessary, removing the need for the crowdsource funds. [24]
On 14 July 2013 production began filming in Simeonovo, Sofia, Bulgaria. [25] [26] [27] On 24 August 2013 filming on the series wrapped. [28]
On 20 August 2013, in an interview with Gamereactor, Ansah talked about Ryu and Ken's story and said "a good analogy with Ryu is that he's not actually ever competing with anyone else; he's competing with himself. Whereas Ken is driven fiercely by competition. A lot of Ken's conflict comes from his relationship with his father. Without giving too much away, we learn in this series how Ken came to be in Japan, in Gouken's dojo". [29]
On 1 November 2013 Content has sold worldwide online rights for Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist to a major global online channel for a short first window. On 14 March 2014 Capcom and Machinima.com announced that the series would be airing on Machinima's main channel. [30]
Funimation acquired the home video distribution rights and released the web series on DVD and Blu-ray under their Giant Ape label. [8] Madman Entertainment and Manga Entertainment released the series in Australia and the UK, respectively. [9]
The music was composed by Patrick Gill [31] [32] with contributions from Ryan Ansah [33] [34] [35] and Daniel Braine. [36]
Number in season | Number in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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0 | 0 | "Alpha" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
Flash forward in this prologue to find best of friends and bitterest of rivals Ryu and Ken face off in a potentially lethal showdown. How did it come to this? [37] | ||||||
1 | 1 | "Beginnings" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
As Ryu and Ken near the end of their training they are impatient to master the power of "Hadō". Their master, Gōken, worries about sharing these powerful techniques. Gōken sets Ryu and Ken on a quest to find Gōtetsu's dōjō where he trained. [38] | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Round 1: Fight" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
At Gōtetsu's dōjō , Gōken, Ryu and Ken pay homage at Gōtetsu's grave. Ken and Ryu discover something secret in Gōken's past. Gōken recalls his own time spent training alongside his brother Gōki under their master Gōtetsu. Ryu and Ken fight in a sparring match. [39] | ||||||
3 | 3 | "Satsui No Hado" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
In the past, Gōtetsu instructs the young Gōken and Gōki. Goki is drawn to the power of "Satsui no Hadō". In the present, Ryu and Ken try to create their first Hadōken. Gōken is disturbed by Ken's approach and they argue. Ryu and Ken learn more about the history of Ansatsuken, their master Gōken and his dead brother Gōki. [40] | ||||||
4 | 4 | "A Rough Night" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
Ryu is disturbed and sees a foreboding stranger in his nightmares. Ryu and Ken sneak out for adventure at the nearby town's G.I. bar. Ken's father makes a surprise visit. Ryu is unsettled by the old dōjō. [41] | ||||||
5 | 5 | "Banished" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
Gōken and Gōki vie for Sayaka's attention. Gōki uses Satsui no Hadō in a sparring match against Gōken, almost killing his opponent. Gōtetsu gives Gōki an ultimatum after his abuse of Satsui no Hadō, and expels him from the dōjō. Gōki and Sayaka part. [42] | ||||||
6 | 6 | "Demons Within" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
Ryu and Ken continue to work on their Hadōken, but Ryu is troubled and refuses to fully manifest his after accidentally striking Ken with it. Something is learnt of Ryu's past. A mysterious stranger appears to Gōken. [43] | ||||||
7 | 7 | "Path of the Shin Oni" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
In the past, we see events from Gōki's perspective as he finds a new home. Gōken and Sayaka become estranged. [44] | ||||||
8 | 8 | "The Ultimate Sacrifice" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
Gōki's fatalistic pursuit of Dark Hadō takes him to new dangerous levels. Gōtetsu and Gōken seriously debate the risks vs the benefits of the Satsui no Hadō. [45] | ||||||
9 | 9 | "The Calm Before the Storm" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
Gōtetsu and Gōken consult the Ansatsuken scrolls and discuss Gōki's departure. They question the very real potential of Ansatsuken myths becoming reality. Gōtetsu confronts a dark presence. [46] | ||||||
10 | 10 | "The Raging Demon" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
More is learnt of the fate of Gōtetsu, Gōki and Sayaka. Returning to Gōken's dōjō, Ryu and Ken continue to train, improving their techniques, their Hadōken becoming more advanced. [47] | ||||||
11 | 11 | "May the Best Man Win" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
As Ryu and Ken's training approaches a climax, Gōken sets them in a "rite of passage" which will culminate in the greatest challenge of their lives. [48] | ||||||
12 | 12 | "End Game" | Joey Ansah | Joey Ansah & Christian Howard | 23 May 2014 | |
With a near fatality, tensions are high as Gōken is forced to make the hardest decision of his life as an outside force draws closer. The dōjō will never be the same again. [49] |
In contrast to the poor reception of previous live-action Street Fighter films, Assassin's Fist has been acclaimed as the best and most faithful adaptation of the franchise.[ citation needed ] IGN gave the series a positive review, stating that it was more authentic to the franchise than either of the larger budgeted Street Fighter feature films, as well as one of the best live-action video-game adaptations overall, rating it an 8.7/10. [50]
Shehzaan Abdulla from Continue-Play gave it a score of 8/10 and said, "Balancing in-jokes and fan service with humble, down-to-earth storytelling isn’t easy. Go too far in one direction and you end up with a hokey, pandering mess; go too far in the other, and you have a feature that feels disconnected, and uninspired by the source material. Assassin’s Fist walks this line almost perfectly." [51]
Akuma, known in Japan as Gouki, is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist of the Street Fighter series of fighting games created by Capcom. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu's and Ken's master. In some games, he also has an alternate version named Shin Akuma or Shin Gouki in Japanese and Oni Akuma in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. Since his debut, Akuma has appeared in several subsequent titles and has been praised by both fans and critics.
Dan Hibiki is a fictional character from Capcom's Street Fighter fighting game franchise. He was created to parody Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia, the two lead characters of SNK's Art of Fighting series, as Capcom saw Ryo as a ripoff of Street Fighter characters Ryu and Ken. Since then, Dan has become a fan favorite due to his humorous design, signature moves and mannerisms.
Ryu is a fictional character and the protagonist of Capcom's Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the game's lead character alongside his best friend and friendly rival Ken Masters. Other games in the series show Ryu to be highly focused on his training, aiming to become the strongest he can. Unable to control his dark nature, Ryu developed two alter egos: Evil Ryu, and Kage-naru mono or simply Kage.
Major Guile is a fictional character from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. He debuted as one of the original eight World Warriors in 1991's Street Fighter II and appeared in the game's subsequent updates. In the games he is portrayed as a major in the United States Air Force who is seeking to avenge the death of his Air Force buddy Charlie at the hands of the villainous dictator M. Bison.
Ken Masters is a character in Capcom's Street Fighter series. Ken's goal is to test his power against many different fighters, as he strives to become stronger. He uses improved Shoryuken techniques.
The main titles of the Street Fighter fighting game series have introduced a varied cast of 87 characters from the main series, and 34 from several spin-offs, for a total of 121 playable characters who originate from 24 different countries around the world, each with his or her unique fighting style. This is a list of playable characters and non-playable opponents from the whole franchise. They are categorized based on the game in which they first became playable, including the original Street Fighter game, the Street Fighter II series, the Street Fighter Alpha series, the Street Fighter III series, the Street Fighter IV series, Street Fighter V, Street Fighter 6 and other related games.
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, known as Street Fighter II Movie in Japan and Australia, is a 1994 anime film adaptation of the Street Fighter II fighting game written by Kenichi Imai, directed by Gisaburō Sugii and animated by Group TAC. The film, originally released in Japan on August 6, 1994, was released theatrically in the United Kingdom, France, and Spain, and was adapted into English in dubbed and subtitled format by Animaze for Manga Entertainment. It was distributed by Toei Company in Japan, while 20th Century Fox also distributed in other countries.
Sheng Long is a character hoax related to the Street Fighter series, created by Electronic Gaming Monthly as an April Fools' prank in 1992. Conceived by editor Ken Williams due to a mistranslation suggesting the existence of a character named Sheng Long in the Capcom fighting game Street Fighter II, the publication released an article describing a method to fight the character in the game. Despite intending it to be an obvious joke, many players took it seriously, and other publications reprinted the details as fact without verifying its legitimacy causing the Sheng Long hoax spread worldwide. As a result, the magazine later acknowledged it was indeed a hoax, though revisited the concept for a similar joke in 1997. Claiming Sheng Long would appear in Street Fighter III, they provided a backstory for the character and an appearance designed by editor Mike Vallas. Despite the article trailing off and incomplete, it resulted in confusion between the North American and Japanese branches of Capcom, with the former calling the latter to ask why they had not been informed about the character.
Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation, released in Japan as Street Fighter Zero (ストリートファイターZERO), and also known as Street Fighter Zero: The Movie, is a 2000 OVA based on the fighting game Street Fighter Alpha 2 by Capcom, directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. An English dub version was later produced by Manga Entertainment and released in 2001 on the 10th anniversary of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.
Street Fighter Alpha: Generations is a 2005 Japanese anime film produced by A.P.P.P. and released by Manga Entertainment based on the Street Fighter Alpha 2 video games by Capcom. Its production is unrelated to 2000's Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation, which was produced by Group TAC. The film was produced specifically for the English-language market and was not officially released in Japan until its inclusion as a bonus feature in the DVD release of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
Street Fighter II: Ryu, simply titled Street Fighter II in its English editions, is a manga series written and drawn by Masaomi Kanzaki that was serialized in the monthly Family Computer Magazine in 1993 and 1994. It is based on the fighting game of the same name and its subsequent iterations. The manga was produced prior to the release of Super Street Fighter II and only features the original twelve "World Warriors".
Ansatsuken is a Japanese neologism used frequently in fictional works to describe any martial art style or fighting technique that has been developed with the purpose of killing an opponent. The term satsujinken is used interchangeably as well and the homophonous term satsujinken is used when the martial art style or technique explicitly revolves around swordsmanship rather than barehanded combat.
Machinima, Inc. was an American multiplatform online entertainment network owned by WarnerMedia. The company was founded in January 2000 by Hugh Hancock and was headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
UDON's Street Fighter comic book series are based on the Street Fighter video game franchise published under license from Capcom. This series draws not only on the established Street Fighter canon, but also occasionally addresses various continuity retcons, and even draws from fanon and non-official sources as well. UDON's Street Fighter comics are stated to share the same continuity with other Capcom franchises like Darkstalkers, Rival Schools and Final Fight.
Joey Ansah is an English actor, director and martial artist best known for his roles in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014) and The Old Guard (2020).
Street Fighter is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six other main series games, various spin-offs and crossovers, and numerous appearances in other media. Its best-selling 1991 release Street Fighter II established many of the conventions of the one-on-one fighting genre.
Street Fighter: Legacy is a live-action short fan film based on Capcom's popular fighting game series Street Fighter. The film is a Streetlight Films production, co-directed by Joey Ansah and Owen Trevor, produced by Jacqueline Quella and stars Jon Foo as Ryu, Christian Howard as Ken, and Ansah himself as Akuma/Gouki. Both Ansah and Howard are also the writers of the film.
The Hadouken or Hadoken is a special attack from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. Game designer Takashi Nishiyama credits an energy attack called Hadouho, from the 1970s anime Space Battleship Yamato, as the origin of Hadouken. It is used by the characters Ryu, Ken, Sakura, Akuma and Gouken. The Hadouken, Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, and the Shoryuken are the two archetypal moves of these characters, as well as some of the most iconic and famous elements of the Street Fighter series or even video games in general.
Christian Howard is a British actor, model, martial artist, and filmmaker. He is best known for his performance as Ken Masters in the short film Street Fighter: Legacy, the 2014 web series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist and its follow-up Street Fighter: Resurrection.
Street Fighter: Resurrection is a live-action web mini series developed by director, fight choreographer, writer, actor and martial artist Joey Ansah. The series is based on the Street Fighter video game series by Capcom, its release coinciding with that of Street Fighter V to serve as a promotion. Resurrection is set ten years after Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist web series.