At this point in the film, we all know the origin of the enigmatic Sheng Long: an unfortunate translation by Capcom America led to one of the myths of Street Fighter 2 and, later, to the unexpected return of Ryu and Ken’s teacher. . But what if I told you that something very, very similar happened in Street Fighter 6 and no western gamer noticed? Or, at least, none capable of understanding Japanese and playing the Japanese arcade version.
The fault, more or less, lies with E. Honda and the story goes back to the times of Street Fighter 2 and his mythical phrases with which he sentenced his defeated opponents, so that while in the West, the picturesque sumo wrestler questioned whether his rival was capable of doing better (“Can’t you do Better than That?”) on the battlefield. To no one’s surprise, that had nothing to do with the original Japanese phrase.
If we play the Japanese version of Street Fighter 2 and win or are defeated, the veteran fighter with the painted face gloats much more about his victory, literally assuring that it was “easier to beat you than to complete his morning workout”. And this is where the issue gets mixed up.
In Japanese, the traditional morning training referred to by E. Honda is written あさのけいこ (you can see it right at the beginning of the sentence) and it reads Keiko Asano. So, technically, his Japanese phrase lends itself to a double meaning:
- With such a weak opponent, the fight was easier than his training routine.
- It was easier to beat you than Keiko Asano.
Logically, the Japanese (who are so fascinated by puns) began to speculate with the second option. whatWho is that blissful Keiko Asano and where is it in the game? Logically, and as a result of the phenomenon, Capcom and the creators of the game were fully aware of this.
The Keiko Asano Honda was referring to is real… and you can fight with it
To begin with, on the occasion of April Fool’s Day 2016 (and as the account of @ryo_redcyclone specialized in data from the fighting sagas) Capcom showed the illustration of a curious collectible item: an album of a young lady who did not show her face and responded to the name of Keiko Asano. However, in 2023 that long-postponed joke became real.
In the mode world tour of Street Fighter 6 it is possible to travel around the world and get lost in two great locations where it is possible to challenge almost everyone we meet with a single button. As simple as it sounds.
Thus, once we have some experience, we are asked to challenge the best fighters from around the world, many of which are marked on the maps of Metro City.
And among this wrestling elite, practically a stone’s throw from E. Honda’s restaurant and in her own sumo suit, one of the most powerful wrestlers in the game. Guess the name? The very, authentic and original Keiko Asano!!
In fact, Keiko Asano is one of the most powerful characters in the game. and from the World Tour: his character level is only a little below that of our masters when challenging them before reaching the highest grade. And there are only a handful of characters in all of Metro City at his level.
And beware, the thing does not end here. If we get lost in the city both day and night we will see other absurd cameos from the Street Fighter universe, including Sheng Long himself at the top of the largest tower in Metro City.
One of the greatest successes of Street Fighter 6 It is how it combines in a spectacular and hilarious fighting game everything that you liked the most from all the previous installments. But what has made the difference is how Capcom built this game by listening and keeping both new players and passionate fans in mind.
And that the hitherto unknown in the West Keiko Asano as the very Sheng Longamong many others, are hanging around Metro City and you can break your face with them is the best proof of this.