K' has such a perfect design that it hasn't changed since his introduction 20 years ago. Its an out the gate slam dunk the likes we may never see again.
Iori is one of the greatest character designs ever. Rather famously, I remember Sakurai saying when he was talking about KoF in the Terry breakdown video that the first time he saw Iori, he thought "Whoever created this character was a genius!"
This Hispanic community thanks you for pronouncing Angel's name right. In defense of her design, she's meant to be like a wrestler of sorts, like a WWE diva. She goes hard on the Rock the Dwayne Johnson references.
Of course - I wouldn't be doing my latino/Hispanic side justice if I didn't get it right. And thanks for that added context - gives the fit a bit more credit
Shingo's gloves were actually gifted to him by Kyo - he wears them in some of the older games. This is why they stand out against the rest of the outfit, and you'll see the same design on Kyo's sleeves.
Also: Shingo is a school boy, and this is an unbuttoned school uniform. Like Kyo's classic uniform in the first 4 games of the series, also present in KOF XIV.
I can't tell if I'm bias, due to me growing up with KoF in a Mexican household, but this series is the most stylish fighting game ever and I love how it works. Like, the characters *feel* like they'd wear these things, without it seeing like they're cosplaying, or limited. Everything they wear is not only stylish, but it fits their personality, background, and fighting style.
Authenticity is the strength of KoF’s design elements. That’s how they were able to redeem sometimes-cringy design elements like the fingerless gloves. They avoided feeling like a costume because the characters _move_ like they’d appreciate the added precision that comes from uncovering their fingers. That design philosophy is a through-line for so many of the characters. The practical equipment (motorcycle riding suits, heavy gloves, etc.) feels like it provides authentic protection, dexterity, and support - and the skimpier outfits still look authentic instead of sensationalized, in the way they hang off the body. K, Kukri, and Iori show that a peek of skin can be just as alluring on male characters as it so often is on female characters. I love that. Body-confident fashion in gaming is typically so one-sided and it can feel like a dimension that guys aren’t welcome to explore, but it _can_ work if they’re bold enough to try.
Something I really appreciate in Rock Howard's design is his shirt being loose. So, unlike Terry or Kyo who tuck their shirt in, when Rock does a move his shirt lifts, showing off his midriff, and accenting the power behind the strike (you can kinda see it in the idle stance in this video too!).
Ive always loved K''s outfit and I know it reminded me of something but couldnt put my finger on it. The minute you said Diesel, i flashed back to when Devil May Cry did a Diesel cross promotion and thats definitely the same energy. I think its also just got some real early 00s vibes with the all leather, possibly one piece? Real great example of how a simple silhouette just works.
Might be my Brazilian bias, but to me, KoF is just the most stylish of fighting game franchises. Always love seeing people tackle the fashion in this, you killed it!!
finally, someone who likes shun’ei’s design! i think he looks sick, i’ll never understand the hate. you should check out tekken for another fighting game with rich fashion inspirations, there are a lot of fantastic looks in tekken 8.
This is like a Falcoon vindication video. I remember alot of his Maximum Impact designs not being especially liked back in the day. Seeing so many looks being appreciated makes me wish this series had more attention outside of the genre fanbase
Momoko from KoF XI is just the cutest. ❤ To me, the one word that best sums up her outfit is 'comfortable'. Her baggy pants, bare feet, and loose top give off relaxed homely vibes, while the anklet, bangles, headband, and overall color scheme add a certain playfulness. The only element that clashes a bit is that belt on her top. Momoko doesn't dress to impress, she just dresses to feel good, and tries to look fun along the way.
You're probably the first person I've seen praising the Maximum Impact character's design which sort of shows the dichotomy (if that's the right word) between the main games and MI. Fighting game characters are usually designed more practically to signify their personality (Kyo or Ángel for example) which is probably why the MI characters are given a lot of flack
I have always loved the designs of Iori, B. Jenet, Benimaru, Duo Lon, Shermie, King, Vanessa, and K'! I like that rating system of yours! It's very ingenious.
Part 2 of fun facts: -Angel was created after mexican devs won a drunk bet against kof devs in 2001 and is based on one of those devs -Zarina has a toucan and kicked a rich man in the nuts because he wanted to raise the rainforest (we respect a queen) -Rock's design is based on his father (geese) and adoptive dad (terry) as a nice mix. the animation of the jacket makes it a super move. -Whip is k' sister. she also used to have a gun for a super. just a normal gun -Vanessa is a mom and a super spy. her fists also catch fire due to how fast and hard she punches. -Maxima is the best canadian fighting game character (screw you abigail) -Isla has the same power source as shunei but seems to only be able to channel anger. which explains her attitude -Elisabeth'S outfit is made to work with her vfx too as she has light/rainbow abilities -Dolores is kukri's mom -Blue Mary has a green jacket that she hands to her dog before fights most of the time. the star is also a reference to her and terry being a thing
Wow, can tell you like 2000's looks! Very interesting to see so many chars from maximum impact since its not usually the first one that comes to mind Would be interesting to see something about Athena in particular since she gets a new outfit in every game
I am so happy you're a fan of Sylvie and Shun'ei's outfits so many KOF fans HATE them because they're loud but they just don't get them 😔 that's the point!
Fighting games was a great idea! Also love the added context section in the beginning and I feel like your overall presentation of these is gettin better and better.
list of bonus fun fact: -HInako is a sumo wrestler. hence the kneepads -Love heart is another pachinko era character (snk sadly lost the rights to her) - meitenkun uses basically drunken fist but a sleepy version -Ninon and mignon are sisters -Njad works a bit better when you see the vfx of her "spirit" she fights with -Ramon was created in 1999-2000 because snk was super popular in mexico and the ddevs wanted to make a character for that country -Robert's old design was the inspiration for dan hibiki from street fighter. he is also a nepo baby -yamazaki's hidden hand is because his bloodline is normally controlled by a god, but it only affects one of his arm. so h doesnt want to use it, thinking it'd be too easy -Shun'ei's headphones are to restrain his ability to hear everyone's emotion which overwhelms him a lot -Sylvie is the definition of "made it herself". she was made in a lab but ran away and decided she wanted to become an idol because she didn,t have a life prior to this. part 1 done
2 mins and your research of snk and king of fighters trumps more then half of the fgc. Production of the video and the research you put in really shows. Great stuff.
I know right? Same with Sylvie Paula Paula!! I also loved seeing all those out there Maximum Impact designs again. Probably because the overlap between FGC player and fashion enthusiast doesn't overlap that often, but damn if these are not incredibly stylish, always loved these
Something that i love about fighting games in general are the relationships between characters specially if they have a rivaly. KOF ain't an exception, across the mainline games there's been 4 big storylines with diferent protagonists and rivals, those being Kyo and Iori, K and Kula, Ash and Elisabeth, ending with Shun'ei and Isla. Is always fascinating to compare their outfits because they end up complementing each other as a pair.
I like that you mentioned some obscure choices. Maximum Impact isn't as fondly remembered as the mainline titles and Moe is from the KOF EX series which is exclusive to the Game Boy Advance. I'm not even sure if the EX series had any competitive play because of the platform it was on. I enjoyed your video! Thanks for talking about fighting games. It's always great to see people engage with these kinds of games in different and unique ways and honestly I wish there was more stuff like this for the Fighting Game Community. I've always felt that SNK made the coolest characters. And picking out who you think is the coolest character, either by moves or yes by outfit coordination is the first step to getting started in grinding a fighting game.
Quite a vid, I tell ya. It's interesting to see the parameters change given the setting but still have some quality here and there. This does leave me thinking on how things could vary from setting to setting, but ultimately prove how we do not need to compromise our aesthetic for functionality or the other way around... looking forward to the next vid, to say the least.
of course shermie is a knockout! shes canonically a fashion designer uwu. and yashiro is her bf so makes sense hed be the best dressed of the three leather jackets :b im loving these series!! im a huge kof fan and ive been trying to learn more about fashion, this is so perfect 🫶
I need to review this and take notes, very inspiring from a character design perspective. Outfit design is really the frontline when it comes to telling who the character is, way beyond just "looking cool" or "showing skin" without really weaving it with the character's essence. KOF always knocks it out of the park in that regard. Edit: For an 1h long video it went like breeze, really engaging. If you happen to do Street Fighter at some point, you gotta help my main Cammy, she is in DIRE need of fashion design advice! XD
Wow X i love your dedication to go through every single KOF character and present us your favourites! That's definitely a lot of work :D KOF is a classic Fighting Game series and has so much legacy and evolutions on its belt. I'm really looking forward to the next fastion analysis! :) especially the anime and fighting game ones Would love to see Tekken or Street Fighter!
Thanks for noticing the effort - certainly worth it. Yes, there is so much available to uncover in KoF, loved seeing some style evolution over time. More fighting games will be covered eventually for sure 👌🏽
Interesting to see you rate most of maximum impact designs as knockouts, they were all designed by artist Falcoon. His art has a heavy jojo influence but when MI series came out, a lot of KOF fans were divisive about his original designs/characters.
Love this insight - thank you for sharing! There's something a little extra quirky about the maximum impact designs, I'm glad to know some of that JoJo-level imagination was a little infused :D
I would've never imagine someone taking a game like KOF and analize it on the style and design side.❤️ Personally, Iori, K', Benimaru and even Rugal andKrizalid have been characters with designs that have gravitated with me the most. And from XV, I have to say that Shermie's and Dolores' design really catched my eye
Xiao Lon's look with the long sleeves reminds me of Mienshao the Pokemon, since you mentioned her having a 'human Pokemon' vibe. I wouldn't doubt it if her inspo was the same as Mienshao's.
I was waiting for a fashion designer opinion/react on King of Fighters outifts. In my opinion, KOF as a franchise has one of the best character designs and I hope you revisit some older games besides the 3d ones , Im so grateful to watch this video. :) Greetings from Chile, South America
Another suggestion, adventure time Specifically marceline, unlike a lot of cartoon characters she gets a unique outfit in pretty much every episode she appears in, and they’re all great Princess bubblegum also gets a lot of different outfits, but not to the same degree as marceline
when you said you mainly liked the outfits from 14, 15 and MA2 I fully was not expecting to see my boy Krizalid pop up AND get a KO while at it. Probably my favourite design in KOF but i'm a sucker for that kinda black feather/raven vibe
Thank you for making this video on KOF. My all time favorite KOF look is classic Iori Yagami. I'm not a huge fan of his newer looks, I think they are a down grade from his classic look. I have a thing for white lepels on dark shirts. The oversized shirt with a long tail.The black choker. The red pants with the string joining the legs together, while not practical, it's iconic. His style still influences mine to this day.
Classic Iori is definitely super stylish as well. Worth covering if/when I do any sort of follow-up KoF video. He's a good source of fashion inspo for sure
i don't agree with shun'ei's overall rating But Sylvie and Luise have always been personal favorites of mine and I'm glad you recognize the strenghts in their designs. Really underrated
K's red glove may make his outfit asymetrical, but there's a lore reason for that. K' was made as a part of a series of clones of KOF protagonist Kyo Kusanagi's DNA taken from past tournaments, produced on mass to take over the world, He inherited Kyo pryokensis but has no control over it which is why he needs to channel it through said glove. He resembles Krizalid because he is his clone given Kyo's DNA which technically makes him his brother? Son? K' was made to be a new protagonist for The Clone/NESTS Saga starting at KOF '99 and his design was inspired by COOL from Daraku Tenshi Fallen Angels, an unfinished fighting game made by Ex- SNK Devs
billy isnt one of my favorites but i appreciate him for giving some really solid early brit-punk vibes. He feels and looks like the kind of loudmouth biker youd try to avoid making eye contact with or a 90s movie protagonist would beat up after getting jumped by him in a back alley, which is perfect since he was originally a midboss working under Geese. I also really like how he pulls off the more composed crime boss look in XV without losing his trademark bandana
fun fact: alice was made for the fatal fury pachinko machine (when snk was more focused around pachinko machines) hence why her attacks shoot out the metal balls
@@XDF have You seen Máxima ? I think his design is inspired by Terminator, the guy just has like , a leather suit that covers his Gear and weapons , and he JUST looks cool. Like , it's the basics of basics but manages to Stay fashionable. It's totally a 90s thing.
Part 3 of fun facts -Iori is a jazz musician when not fighting, which explains the outfit. -B Jenet's skull on her dress is nearly always visible in all frames of animation -Athena deserves a video all for herself as she has a different outfit each game -Ash was created to be a "different" protag compared to kyo and k'. hence why the gender ambiguity and smug aura -Antonov MIGHT be blind. he is also the most wholesome man alive as his goal when he ran the tournament was to make people smile and give them a good show. -Team CYS (chris, Yashiro and Shermie) were a band. they originally joined the tournament because iori stole their gig once. Yashiro is the drummer, chris is the singer and shermie has a keytar.) -Shermie is also a fashion designer -Mature and vice are heavily implied to be together. both also just got a redesign reveal for 15. -Khronen is 100% an akira reference. he was basically tetsuo originally and dissapeared from the games for 20 years with devs not wanting to talk about him at all. people thought it was because of the copyright reason but they just didn't like him -Mian's mask was added to her because the snk team was running out of ressources... they still gave her like 5 different masks because even when they cut corners they make things harder -Luong's animations sell her design a bit more. -Kula was created to be the anti K'. she also has 2 moms. -Benimaru is a fashion model -King used to dress as a guy to work for a criminal to provide for her family. but ended up joining the good side while still keeping her style. -Kukri's face being hidden was also because they ran out of money in kof 14
also mian's mask is because of the cultural aspect she's referencing with her clothes, it's a style of chinese theater with quickly swapping masks not budget cuts at all
Just found your channel and I'm loving your reviews! I'd be really happy if you'd go through Street Fighter one day, Ive always admired fighting game character designs and SF6's redesigns and glow ups were what made me really dive into the Street Fighter series ! Especially outfit 3 in SF6... oh my lord
I think you should have see some of the classic looks You do refer some classic versions of the characters but still feels they were underrepresented in this vid But by the way thank you so much for the vid!!
Thanks for the feedback - I mean, this is a favs video, so I featured the outfits I preferred to 🤷🏽♂️ But I'll be taking a look at some character style evolutions, so that should include a few classic looks
kof also inspired super smash bros greatly. A lot of mechanics from that came from kof and even the invitation letter was a kof invention. It's was deconfirmed but there was a story that super smash was created because the creator sakurai beat a couple really badly in king of fighters and wanted to make a more accessible game. Its massive in china and south america. Theres a dance move in mexico called la yashiro based on one of yashiro's moves. sylvie's out there style is based on the idol kyary pamyu pamyu. Specifically her first outfit which is crazier than the one shown in the video. But they released her right as she was waning in popularity so bad timing there. Shun-ei's style is also based on a fashion trend in china at some particular time. I'm not well versed in that trend so i don't know the name of it or anymore details. its actually one of the most hated designs in the series for being so busy but most people don't have an interest in fashion i suppose. Athena is the only character to change outfit in every game. Some of the outfits are similar but she has to have a different one in every appearance. Fun fact her character is a descendant of another character from a different game by the same company also called athena. That athena is the first playable female character ever in a video game and her theme song is the first ever video game song with vocals. Hard to see but ash has a different design on each nail i believe. SNK doesn't have the greatest track record on 3d modelling compared to other fighting game companies but they have attention to detail. It's a complete rabbit hole but krohnen's original design was a complete ripoff of tetsuo from akira. benimaru is polnareff from jojo, blue mary is android 18 from dragonball. definitely wear their inspirations on their sleeve. In her introduction game king pretends to be a man so its good you picked out the androgyny in her outfit. She had ronnie coleman shoulders in that game so her disguise was really convincing. Not so much anymore.
Amazing video! I've always appreciated the effort fighting game developers go through to make these designs pop, so having someone knowledgeable about fashion take a closer look is great. You should have a look at Under Night In-Birth designs, they're among the best to me!
Really good analysis on fashion and character design analysis of the kof cast. The only thing i wish you did a little bit further waa o look at some of the characters' outfits like Robert, vice and mature, and especially Athena, since she gets a new outfit in every kof game, is a futhur emphasizing her idol personality and careers as one. But that would have way longer, lol. I'm looking forward to later analysis on other fighting game and video game franchises!!!!❤️
Really appreciate the feedback. A few people have mentioned Athena - I'm actually evaluating what video I can do on her evolution. More to come given the overall positive reception of this video 🙌🏽
Robert has some crazy designs in some of the games but they're only available in the old 2d pixelated sprites so you might not be able to really judge them properly but if you have the time, maybe you can find some artwork for them to really see how cool he looks. Robert and Athena are the only two characters that have the biggest changes in design almost every game. Also, amazing video! I really enjoyed your JoJo's and Guilty Gear fashion reviews also.
At long last, and I was not let down! This was a very interesting look in what KoF comes across as from a perspective outside the usual fighting game community voices I usually hear. Foremost, in your fondness for the most modern characters and their looks, like Shun'Ei and Meitenkun. Meiten usually gets mellow responses but a lot of people have nothing but outright vitriol for Shun's look. It's almost funny to hear you say the different colors don't clash because almost EVERYONE I've seen discuss Shun'ei talk about how they hate his 'garish and clashing' colors, and they feel like his outfit doesn't have any clear character statement that shows who he is as a personality. I feel like part of this reaction comes from Shun being the designated protagonist of the latest games, and if you compare him to previous protagonist characters it makes sense why he got such a negative reception. Kyo Kusanagi was the very first KoF protagonist, and as one can see his outfit doesn't have a lot of colors and a pretty clear idea- he's basically a school-boy uniform modified to include leather jackets and feature his clans traditional gauntlets, which he then ditches for a more mature jacket and pants combo, but he's ultimately the prototypical "hot-blooded young Japanese delinquent" protagonist, your JoJo, your YuYu Hakusho etc, kind of vibe. This was followed by K', and his awesome black leather ensemble. K' is a guy on the run from the organization that put him through genetic experiments that endowed him with supernatural powers, and being a bad-ass biker on the run is his deal. He came up in the late 90's- early 00's so he's very much that era of "bad-ass edge". He was then followed by Ash Crimson, who was a product of the mid-00's and a much more sinister figure than previous protagonists. He was a manipulative and clever fighter who antagonized many of the previous protagonists for his own, ultimately benign but certainly douchey, plans. In that regard making the manipulative schemer an androgynous high-fashion kind of guy is... a little bit skeevy, but his tittering laugh, painted nails and bratty "laugh at them when they're down"-personality made it so that there was nothing half-assed about him. This man knew he was here to give queer-coded villain-vibes and brought the whole Pride Parade in response. Which then brings us to Shun'ei who... well, story-wise he doesn't really have a good, strong vibe of his own. The fashion as you say is all about clashes and lots of different colors, and in SOME variants of the canon like the manga this is reflectivr of him being a very mood-swinging characters on account of having the old "demonic possession-powers that have him flipping from laughing maniac to mellow, almost depressed teenager"-vibes. But in his intro- game this didn't really come across in the script where he's mostly mellow, laid-back and lethargic. Compared to previous protagonists which all had very strong and out-going personalities with a very clear and focused color scheme revolving around one particular color, people thought this was a mess that didn't say anything of who he was as a character. It was a design that went against what SNK had gotten people used to with their protagonists, it didn't seem to match his personality, it couldn't be mapped to any fashion trends that the community was aware of (K' being matrix and leather, Ash being general hugh fashion) and not to be ignored- Shun'ei was the star of the first game SNK had made in a LONG time after having disappeared from the videogame industry, and it was the first 3D game after almost all the others were sprite-based and to top it all of it did NOT look as good as other fighting games on the market because SNK was basically back from the dead and had to learn how to do 3D-modelling and effects, so Shun'ei had pretty much everything working against him. So it's at least nice to see there's one fan of his look, when he's got so few other fans due to circumstances that are only sometimes related to his actual design.
Wow - this is very helpful context. Someone else mentioned how no one likes his outfit. I think his outfit is totally giving main character - a bit on the anime side - but still main character. I'm surprised people are getting caught up on the "color clash".
@@XDF It's interesting you say that his outfit gives 'main character' vibe, because I don't think I or even the fandom at large disagrees... but a LOT of time had passed since SNK's last game and KOF 14, and the sources of inspiration they draw from like fashion, anime and so on, had gone through quite a few shifts as well. Shun'ei's first game, King of Fighter XIV, is from 2016. Ash Crimson, the previous protagonist, debuted in KOF 03... released December 2003- 2004 in other regions of the world. Up until Ash's debut KOF had a long history of unbroken, nearly annual releases in which the audience grew up with the games and gradually acclimated to it all. But all of a sudden the style that came with KoF 14 was a stark reminder that times had changed, and a lot of people who had been all in on the aesthetics of the 90's-00's were NOT loving the 10's. Heck, some of them barely even tolerated the 00's, so good luck getting them onboard with the 10's! Add to that what I mmentione that apart from just not vibing with new aesthetics the 3D graphics were far less polished compared to the competition at the time (especially considering the previous game KoF 13 released in 2011 with some of THE most gorgeous 2D sprite-based games that was SO expensive it forced the 5 year long break in the first place) and Shun'ei not really making as strong an impression personality-wise as previous heroes, and it all starts to add up. People were reminded of the passage of time and the changing market and development realities, and with a game that was supposed to be all "King of Fighter's is back baby!" the return didn't really feel as unabashedly triumphant as people wanted it to feel. Which actually reminded me of something else I wanted to mention before but I think I forgot since the comment was already so large- your love for the character designs in KoF Maximum Impact- BECAUSE OOOH BOY were those lambasted back in the day! Some further history lessons- SNK's FIRST actual bankruptcy came all the way in 2001 because they had gone so all in on games that sold well in arcades, that the arcade business crash did NOT set them up for financial success or stability. But the influential people behind SNK started a lot of various "divide us up, sell of to new companies founded by important people that basically lets us go bankrupt while keeping all important properties under semi-control" that nonetheless brought out some changes as roles got shuffled around, and one such thing was the rise of the illustrator Falcoon, or Tatsuhiko Kanaoka, as character designer. He had joined 1998, gotten smaller roles but worked his way up, and as a result of the shakeups and them trying to branch out into 3D games he was handed the role of character design for Maximum Impact-series. The discourse was... let's just say, unkind. In comparison to the more grounded designs of say, Kyo Kusanagi or Terry Bogard, creations of the 90's, Falcoon was a lot more fancy and elaborate and used a lot more different colors- look no further than Soiree's teal cowboy chaps, or Mignon's large fluffy boots and pink "stage magician" outfit. I remember a lot of grumbling that it was all "too much" or not "cool", but with time even that has kind of passed... but then again, the Maximum Impact characters also haven't really showed up subsequent King of Fighters games, so it may also be that they're considered "okay" because they've also been mothballed and aren't considered part of the on-going canon, hard to tell. Again, I just found it amusing to see such fondness for designs from Falcoon's style, after recalling so many discussions where people thought they were uncool or too ostentatious and not as "bad-ass" as the designs of the 90's KoF games. It was something new and different from what had come before, both in terms of design sensibilites AND different gameplay styles (the maximum impact games are widely considered to be less polished and fun than the 2D games because drastically different gameplay and less experience making it meant they were compared to Tekken and Virtua Fighter who had WAY more accumulated skill at that point), so it was unlikely to be given a fair shake.
50:02 About Nakoruru, It's Because of She's from an Ainu Tribe just as the Same as Her Sister, Rimururu. Nakoruru's Red Details and Rimururu's Blue Details... 😊 Note: I Mostly Love Yuri's ( Sakazaki ) Fashion Detail is Almost a Karate Kid - Themed Top wear 😅 But She Look so Mostly Cool in a White - folded Sleeve Karate Gi Uniform with Purple Sports Shirt. Plus, Black Karate Belt, Red - Stripped Headband ( Tied in Ribbon Knot ), Fingerless Glove with Yellow Knuckle Cover, Navy Leggings and Red Hi - Cut Shoes ( But It Looks Like a Boots, I Swear ). AWESOME SAUCE!😁😄😆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 To Her Karate Costume 'Cause She's a Kyokugen Karate Girl!! 😁😄
Love the context and perspective - thanks for explaining. :) Yuri does have a cute outfit. It feels lightweight, but fun and free. Kinda like her movements.
Hi, just wanted to say thank you so much for doing these fashion analysis videos on various video game characters. 😊 If there's one video game in particular that I would suggest for you to check out, it would be Fire Emblem: Engage. The characters in this game also have casual outfits that you might like. 🙂
I was waiting for your reaction to Mai 😢 If you ever dive deeper into Fatal Fury, I am sure you will enjoy her new outfit that just got revealed in a trailer the other day!
Honestly I feel like KoF is AMAZING for this kind of fashion look through, I've always felt the series' fashion style was really unique and a rally nice blend of stylized normal outfit with some slight anime vibes to some of them A lot of clothes do feel like something someone would wear irl, but not in a normal setting, but it still doesn't look like it would only work in a costplay. A lot feels like it could work in some fashion or high fashion settings, and the style is just delicious
YEEESSSS i've always thought KOF had THE best character desgins, they chose a fashionable aproach instead of the cool muscle guy other fighting games go for, that being said i think you would love kain's outfit from garou, also in defense of geese, i think his best look is his young version from art of fighting (his hair i can take it or leave it). And YES keep the bassic attack/super/k.o. style, i love it edit: i think mary should wear her jacket more often in her outfits, it goes really well with her giant belt, at least in the older games
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K' has such a perfect design that it hasn't changed since his introduction 20 years ago. Its an out the gate slam dunk the likes we may never see again.
It truly is effortlessly cool - untouchably cool
Shoutout to Iori for the consistent luxurious style!
He has the most amazing fashion sense. He's been my fashion inspiration since high school.
The Self-imposed Challenge LEG BELT! 0_0
Iori is one of the greatest character designs ever. Rather famously, I remember Sakurai saying when he was talking about KoF in the Terry breakdown video that the first time he saw Iori, he thought "Whoever created this character was a genius!"
Iori Yagami always has good taste in clothing. He's so cool, and Iori is my most favorite character in KOF
of course he's a member of a visual kei band he has to be stylish
This Hispanic community thanks you for pronouncing Angel's name right.
In defense of her design, she's meant to be like a wrestler of sorts, like a WWE diva. She goes hard on the Rock the Dwayne Johnson references.
Of course - I wouldn't be doing my latino/Hispanic side justice if I didn't get it right. And thanks for that added context - gives the fit a bit more credit
Shingo's gloves were actually gifted to him by Kyo - he wears them in some of the older games. This is why they stand out against the rest of the outfit, and you'll see the same design on Kyo's sleeves.
Cool context - thanks for informing me 👍🏽
Also: Shingo is a school boy, and this is an unbuttoned school uniform. Like Kyo's classic uniform in the first 4 games of the series, also present in KOF XIV.
I can't tell if I'm bias, due to me growing up with KoF in a Mexican household, but this series is the most stylish fighting game ever and I love how it works. Like, the characters *feel* like they'd wear these things, without it seeing like they're cosplaying, or limited. Everything they wear is not only stylish, but it fits their personality, background, and fighting style.
Personally street has more iconic designs, while SNK has more stylish designs (I prefer SNK)
Authenticity is the strength of KoF’s design elements. That’s how they were able to redeem sometimes-cringy design elements like the fingerless gloves. They avoided feeling like a costume because the characters _move_ like they’d appreciate the added precision that comes from uncovering their fingers.
That design philosophy is a through-line for so many of the characters. The practical equipment (motorcycle riding suits, heavy gloves, etc.) feels like it provides authentic protection, dexterity, and support - and the skimpier outfits still look authentic instead of sensationalized, in the way they hang off the body.
K, Kukri, and Iori show that a peek of skin can be just as alluring on male characters as it so often is on female characters. I love that. Body-confident fashion in gaming is typically so one-sided and it can feel like a dimension that guys aren’t welcome to explore, but it _can_ work if they’re bold enough to try.
This channel got me into fashion. Thanks. I'm more broke than ever before 🙏🏽
Lol - the struggles of being into fashion - but glad your interest has grown! :D
kudos for saying Angel's name with the latino pronunciation
Of course - only felt right 👌🏽
Something I really appreciate in Rock Howard's design is his shirt being loose. So, unlike Terry or Kyo who tuck their shirt in, when Rock does a move his shirt lifts, showing off his midriff, and accenting the power behind the strike (you can kinda see it in the idle stance in this video too!).
Terry in Garou is practically a walking masterclass in follow through animation. Man just looks good.
Love that shirt detail that you mentioned - it does add some extra cool factor for sure!
Ive always loved K''s outfit and I know it reminded me of something but couldnt put my finger on it. The minute you said Diesel, i flashed back to when Devil May Cry did a Diesel cross promotion and thats definitely the same energy. I think its also just got some real early 00s vibes with the all leather, possibly one piece? Real great example of how a simple silhouette just works.
Might be my Brazilian bias, but to me, KoF is just the most stylish of fighting game franchises. Always love seeing people tackle the fashion in this, you killed it!!
They look totally like visual kei band members specially Iori Yagami
finally, someone who likes shun’ei’s design! i think he looks sick, i’ll never understand the hate. you should check out tekken for another fighting game with rich fashion inspirations, there are a lot of fantastic looks in tekken 8.
This is like a Falcoon vindication video. I remember alot of his Maximum Impact designs not being especially liked back in the day. Seeing so many looks being appreciated makes me wish this series had more attention outside of the genre fanbase
Great point! Lots of great looks that break the characters out of their standard style
Momoko from KoF XI is just the cutest. ❤
To me, the one word that best sums up her outfit is 'comfortable'. Her baggy pants, bare feet, and loose top give off relaxed homely vibes, while the anklet, bangles, headband, and overall color scheme add a certain playfulness. The only element that clashes a bit is that belt on her top.
Momoko doesn't dress to impress, she just dresses to feel good, and tries to look fun along the way.
I was sooo close to including Momoko - but she is more of an honorable mention. I also like her outfit for the reasons you mentioned. 💗
You're probably the first person I've seen praising the Maximum Impact character's design which sort of shows the dichotomy (if that's the right word) between the main games and MI. Fighting game characters are usually designed more practically to signify their personality (Kyo or Ángel for example) which is probably why the MI characters are given a lot of flack
I have always loved the designs of Iori, B. Jenet, Benimaru, Duo Lon, Shermie, King, Vanessa, and K'!
I like that rating system of yours! It's very ingenious.
I've always loved the style in the KoF series, it was great hearing you articulate why the outfits work
Glad you enjoyed!
Do a video just on just Athena, who gets a new outfit every game.
U gotta make this a full series🙏🏾
KoF DLC perhaps, but I'll def cover other fighting games eventually
Part 2 of fun facts:
-Angel was created after mexican devs won a drunk bet against kof devs in 2001 and is based on one of those devs
-Zarina has a toucan and kicked a rich man in the nuts because he wanted to raise the rainforest (we respect a queen)
-Rock's design is based on his father (geese) and adoptive dad (terry) as a nice mix. the animation of the jacket makes it a super move.
-Whip is k' sister. she also used to have a gun for a super. just a normal gun
-Vanessa is a mom and a super spy. her fists also catch fire due to how fast and hard she punches.
-Maxima is the best canadian fighting game character (screw you abigail)
-Isla has the same power source as shunei but seems to only be able to channel anger. which explains her attitude
-Elisabeth'S outfit is made to work with her vfx too as she has light/rainbow abilities
-Dolores is kukri's mom
-Blue Mary has a green jacket that she hands to her dog before fights most of the time. the star is also a reference to her and terry being a thing
I thought Wolf Hawkfield is the best Canadian fighter.
Wow, can tell you like 2000's looks! Very interesting to see so many chars from maximum impact since its not usually the first one that comes to mind
Would be interesting to see something about Athena in particular since she gets a new outfit in every game
Maximum Impact definitely has some hidden gems! And a character style evolution could be interesting to cover eventually 👍🏽
I am so happy you're a fan of Sylvie and Shun'ei's outfits so many KOF fans HATE them because they're loud but they just don't get them 😔 that's the point!
I'd love to see you do Tekken, if you stick with fighting games. That series definitely has tons of looks that'd be KOs!
More fighting games to come - eventually. Curious to see what other KOs are out there
Great video, growing up in the 90s i've always loved how the kof cast dressed and how their style changed throughout the years.
Thanks so much - and I agree
There's a quote where an important japanese game director says for KoF XV: "Whoever design Iori's look is a genius." And I agree with that
I can get down with that
Fighting games was a great idea! Also love the added context section in the beginning and I feel like your overall presentation of these is gettin better and better.
Thanks for noticing the growth - these bigger projects are helping develop my abilities for sure 😁🙌🏽
list of bonus fun fact:
-HInako is a sumo wrestler. hence the kneepads
-Love heart is another pachinko era character (snk sadly lost the rights to her)
- meitenkun uses basically drunken fist but a sleepy version
-Ninon and mignon are sisters
-Njad works a bit better when you see the vfx of her "spirit" she fights with
-Ramon was created in 1999-2000 because snk was super popular in mexico and the ddevs wanted to make a character for that country
-Robert's old design was the inspiration for dan hibiki from street fighter. he is also a nepo baby
-yamazaki's hidden hand is because his bloodline is normally controlled by a god, but it only affects one of his arm. so h doesnt want to use it, thinking it'd be too easy
-Shun'ei's headphones are to restrain his ability to hear everyone's emotion which overwhelms him a lot
-Sylvie is the definition of "made it herself". she was made in a lab but ran away and decided she wanted to become an idol because she didn,t have a life prior to this.
part 1 done
Isn't Dan supposed to be based on Ryo?
@@soapsatellite both ryo and robert but the appearance is robert
@@chakradarrat8832 I'm guessing that Dan is Robert's appearance with Ryo's moves
@@soapsatellite well dan and ryo were originally clone characters so kinda
Never heard about Yamazaki's hand having a different explanation in KoF and it being related to the Orochi or anything.
2 mins and your research of snk and king of fighters trumps more then half of the fgc. Production of the video and the research you put in really shows. Great stuff.
Thanks for appreciating the research.
People HATE Shun'ei's design. I'm glad you liked it. Makes me feel vindicated.
I know right? Same with Sylvie Paula Paula!!
I also loved seeing all those out there Maximum Impact designs again. Probably because the overlap between FGC player and fashion enthusiast doesn't overlap that often, but damn if these are not incredibly stylish, always loved these
@@jpnakashima1224 for me it works more on Sylvie because she has a loud in-your-face personality so the outfit makes sense for who she is
Same, I thought the point of the outfit was that it is overdesigned and a lil silly.
I just don't like the green hair with his outfits. The alts look better imo.
@@MsMvsc i agree, the alts have a better color pallet.
Something that i love about fighting games in general are the relationships between characters specially if they have a rivaly. KOF ain't an exception, across the mainline games there's been 4 big storylines with diferent protagonists and rivals, those being Kyo and Iori, K and Kula, Ash and Elisabeth, ending with Shun'ei and Isla. Is always fascinating to compare their outfits because they end up complementing each other as a pair.
Good point - I can definitely see some of the coordination/dynamic between characters from some of the outfit styles alone 🤓
I like that you mentioned some obscure choices. Maximum Impact isn't as fondly remembered as the mainline titles and Moe is from the KOF EX series which is exclusive to the Game Boy Advance. I'm not even sure if the EX series had any competitive play because of the platform it was on. I enjoyed your video! Thanks for talking about fighting games. It's always great to see people engage with these kinds of games in different and unique ways and honestly I wish there was more stuff like this for the Fighting Game Community.
I've always felt that SNK made the coolest characters. And picking out who you think is the coolest character, either by moves or yes by outfit coordination is the first step to getting started in grinding a fighting game.
My pleasure - had to surface some of those cooler more lowkey designs
Great video!
I love how well you were able to give a good intro to kof at the start especially.
Glad you appreciate the intro
My jaw dropped when you gave shunei a ko lol
But hey someones gotta like it. Glad to see someone going through this franchise in this aspect
Great video! I really like and appreciate the research you did into understanding KOF as a game in the beginning of the video!
Thanks for appreciating the research - been getting good feedback on that piece.
I love this video. I'm a KoF fan and i Always loved the clothes in this series. Ty for recognizing it
Of course - glad this video served well
This was a great watch
Especially considering how much i love KOF deaigns
Also i smiled super hard when you said Kula Queen! 😊
Isla is the best character design I've seen for a fighting game character in years.
She's peak.
That's exactly how I felt when I saw her character
Quite a vid, I tell ya. It's interesting to see the parameters change given the setting but still have some quality here and there. This does leave me thinking on how things could vary from setting to setting, but ultimately prove how we do not need to compromise our aesthetic for functionality or the other way around... looking forward to the next vid, to say the least.
Always appreciate the engagement - you've definitely captured a good takeaway from this analysis 👍🏽
Love how SNK makes for great talk in so many different contexts, and loved the video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
i knew ramon would be basic if it landed a spot, but im glad you recognize how fun a print can make a simple fit!
Appreciate the understanding - still a very stunning outfit for sure
of course shermie is a knockout! shes canonically a fashion designer uwu. and yashiro is her bf so makes sense hed be the best dressed of the three leather jackets :b
im loving these series!! im a huge kof fan and ive been trying to learn more about fashion, this is so perfect 🫶
That makes so much sense - such a super stylish couple
Looove this review! Can’t wait to see more fighting game reviews!
Plenty more to come eventually
You are stylish, bro. You probably would be a good SNK character.
Very flattered - thanks a lot dude! ✌🏽
YES YES YES LETS GOOO!
my suggestion is now a video.
cant wait to dig in.
Yeesss
I need to review this and take notes, very inspiring from a character design perspective. Outfit design is really the frontline when it comes to telling who the character is, way beyond just "looking cool" or "showing skin" without really weaving it with the character's essence. KOF always knocks it out of the park in that regard.
Edit: For an 1h long video it went like breeze, really engaging. If you happen to do Street Fighter at some point, you gotta help my main Cammy, she is in DIRE need of fashion design advice! XD
Thanks for the positive feedback
Gassed up my girl Fio. You sir have earned a like and sub.
Bless! 🙏🏽
I'm a simple man, I see kof, I like, this is a really unique way to look at fighting games, thank you :3
Haha, I appreciate you giving the vid a look
Wow X i love your dedication to go through every single KOF character and present us your favourites! That's definitely a lot of work :D
KOF is a classic Fighting Game series and has so much legacy and evolutions on its belt.
I'm really looking forward to the next fastion analysis! :) especially the anime and fighting game ones
Would love to see Tekken or Street Fighter!
Thanks for noticing the effort - certainly worth it. Yes, there is so much available to uncover in KoF, loved seeing some style evolution over time. More fighting games will be covered eventually for sure 👌🏽
Interesting to see you rate most of maximum impact designs as knockouts, they were all designed by artist Falcoon. His art has a heavy jojo influence but when MI series came out, a lot of KOF fans were divisive about his original designs/characters.
Love this insight - thank you for sharing! There's something a little extra quirky about the maximum impact designs, I'm glad to know some of that JoJo-level imagination was a little infused :D
I would've never imagine someone taking a game like KOF and analize it on the style and design side.❤️
Personally, Iori, K', Benimaru and even Rugal andKrizalid have been characters with designs that have gravitated with me the most. And from XV, I have to say that Shermie's and Dolores' design really catched my eye
Cool video! Omega Rugal is my favorite outfit / design for sure :) Was fun to hear your opinions on everything!
Great choice - Omega Rugal is super fresh
Xiao Lon's look with the long sleeves reminds me of Mienshao the Pokemon, since you mentioned her having a 'human Pokemon' vibe. I wouldn't doubt it if her inspo was the same as Mienshao's.
this video was MADE for me
Yeesss
@@XDF My Chilean ass was screaming when mi mija Isla got a KO!
In the Art of Fighting 2 Geese is the boss and he wears purple trousers and shirt with a white waistcoat on top, looks so freaking cool
Ooo - sounds very stylish
I was waiting for a fashion designer opinion/react on King of Fighters outifts. In my opinion, KOF as a franchise has one of the best character designs and I hope you revisit some older games besides the 3d ones , Im so grateful to watch this video. :) Greetings from Chile, South America
Appreciate the awesome feedback
Kudos for actually doing research instead of just talking without any context.
Appreciate the feedback
Another suggestion, adventure time
Specifically marceline, unlike a lot of cartoon characters she gets a unique outfit in pretty much every episode she appears in, and they’re all great
Princess bubblegum also gets a lot of different outfits, but not to the same degree as marceline
I agree, Marcie always looked great
That could be fun and interesting. I'll take a look
when you said you mainly liked the outfits from 14, 15 and MA2 I fully was not expecting to see my boy Krizalid pop up AND get a KO while at it. Probably my favourite design in KOF but i'm a sucker for that kinda black feather/raven vibe
Raven is a good description of the look - it's so elaborate and rich; such a KO look
I’m not gone lie brotha. This a cool idea. i hope this blows up 🤝🏾🤝🏾
Ayyyee - much appreciated 👍🏽
Thank you for making this video on KOF. My all time favorite KOF look is classic Iori Yagami. I'm not a huge fan of his newer looks, I think they are a down grade from his classic look. I have a thing for white lepels on dark shirts. The oversized shirt with a long tail.The black choker. The red pants with the string joining the legs together, while not practical, it's iconic. His style still influences mine to this day.
Classic Iori is definitely super stylish as well. Worth covering if/when I do any sort of follow-up KoF video. He's a good source of fashion inspo for sure
i don't agree with shun'ei's overall rating
But Sylvie and Luise have always been personal favorites of mine and I'm glad you recognize the strenghts in their designs. Really underrated
K's red glove may make his outfit asymetrical, but there's a lore reason for that.
K' was made as a part of a series of clones of KOF protagonist Kyo Kusanagi's DNA taken from past tournaments, produced on mass to take over the world, He inherited Kyo pryokensis but has no control over it which is why he needs to channel it through said glove.
He resembles Krizalid because he is his clone given Kyo's DNA which technically makes him his brother? Son?
K' was made to be a new protagonist for The Clone/NESTS Saga starting at KOF '99 and his design was inspired by COOL from Daraku Tenshi Fallen Angels, an unfinished fighting game made by Ex- SNK Devs
billy isnt one of my favorites but i appreciate him for giving some really solid early brit-punk vibes. He feels and looks like the kind of loudmouth biker youd try to avoid making eye contact with or a 90s movie protagonist would beat up after getting jumped by him in a back alley, which is perfect since he was originally a midboss working under Geese. I also really like how he pulls off the more composed crime boss look in XV without losing his trademark bandana
fun fact: alice was made for the fatal fury pachinko machine (when snk was more focused around pachinko machines) hence why her attacks shoot out the metal balls
I would have had no idea - thanks for the fun fact
Luv your Videos and your drippy Outfits 🙏🏻
Thank you!
KoF is peak fashion I believe. Even the 90s designs You look at them and just think " yeah. Cool"
So much strong 90s, and even 00s, fashion and style!
@@XDF have You seen Máxima ? I think his design is inspired by Terminator, the guy just has like , a leather suit that covers his Gear and weapons , and he JUST looks cool. Like , it's the basics of basics but manages to Stay fashionable. It's totally a 90s thing.
THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME
Thank you!
Thank you for your work!
Fur sure! 👍🏽
Nice! Fighting games are a goldmine for these videos but also a lot of work with all the styles, characters and alternate outfits.
Yes - looking forward to cover more over the coming months.
what a fun video. well done
Thank you :D
Part 3 of fun facts
-Iori is a jazz musician when not fighting, which explains the outfit.
-B Jenet's skull on her dress is nearly always visible in all frames of animation
-Athena deserves a video all for herself as she has a different outfit each game
-Ash was created to be a "different" protag compared to kyo and k'. hence why the gender ambiguity and smug aura
-Antonov MIGHT be blind. he is also the most wholesome man alive as his goal when he ran the tournament was to make people smile and give them a good show.
-Team CYS (chris, Yashiro and Shermie) were a band. they originally joined the tournament because iori stole their gig once. Yashiro is the drummer, chris is the singer and shermie has a keytar.)
-Shermie is also a fashion designer
-Mature and vice are heavily implied to be together. both also just got a redesign reveal for 15.
-Khronen is 100% an akira reference. he was basically tetsuo originally and dissapeared from the games for 20 years with devs not wanting to talk about him at all. people thought it was because of the copyright reason but they just didn't like him
-Mian's mask was added to her because the snk team was running out of ressources... they still gave her like 5 different masks because even when they cut corners they make things harder
-Luong's animations sell her design a bit more.
-Kula was created to be the anti K'. she also has 2 moms.
-Benimaru is a fashion model
-King used to dress as a guy to work for a criminal to provide for her family. but ended up joining the good side while still keeping her style.
-Kukri's face being hidden was also because they ran out of money in kof 14
Didn't know that SNK ran out of money when it came to 14 but when you look at it it makes a lot of sense.
@@axsprime thankfully it worked
how is antonov blind? he's literally watching a movie in kof 14
also mian's mask is because of the cultural aspect she's referencing with her clothes, it's a style of chinese theater with quickly swapping masks
not budget cuts at all
@@neo-giu it's more a theory and would apply only to 15. we never see him with open eyes or glasses in any cutscene
Just found your channel and I'm loving your reviews! I'd be really happy if you'd go through Street Fighter one day, Ive always admired fighting game character designs and SF6's redesigns and glow ups were what made me really dive into the Street Fighter series ! Especially outfit 3 in SF6... oh my lord
You should check the Neo The World Ends With You clothes. There's different brands in the game filled with different styles.
That's been in the back of my mind - will get there eventually
I think you should have see some of the classic looks
You do refer some classic versions of the characters but still feels they were underrepresented in this vid
But by the way thank you so much for the vid!!
Thanks for the feedback - I mean, this is a favs video, so I featured the outfits I preferred to 🤷🏽♂️ But I'll be taking a look at some character style evolutions, so that should include a few classic looks
kof also inspired super smash bros greatly. A lot of mechanics from that came from kof and even the invitation letter was a kof invention. It's was deconfirmed but there was a story that super smash was created because the creator sakurai beat a couple really badly in king of fighters and wanted to make a more accessible game. Its massive in china and south america. Theres a dance move in mexico called la yashiro based on one of yashiro's moves.
sylvie's out there style is based on the idol kyary pamyu pamyu. Specifically her first outfit which is crazier than the one shown in the video. But they released her right as she was waning in popularity so bad timing there.
Shun-ei's style is also based on a fashion trend in china at some particular time. I'm not well versed in that trend so i don't know the name of it or anymore details. its actually one of the most hated designs in the series for being so busy but most people don't have an interest in fashion i suppose.
Athena is the only character to change outfit in every game. Some of the outfits are similar but she has to have a different one in every appearance. Fun fact her character is a descendant of another character from a different game by the same company also called athena. That athena is the first playable female character ever in a video game and her theme song is the first ever video game song with vocals.
Hard to see but ash has a different design on each nail i believe. SNK doesn't have the greatest track record on 3d modelling compared to other fighting game companies but they have attention to detail.
It's a complete rabbit hole but krohnen's original design was a complete ripoff of tetsuo from akira. benimaru is polnareff from jojo, blue mary is android 18 from dragonball. definitely wear their inspirations on their sleeve.
In her introduction game king pretends to be a man so its good you picked out the androgyny in her outfit. She had ronnie coleman shoulders in that game so her disguise was really convincing. Not so much anymore.
Amazing video! I've always appreciated the effort fighting game developers go through to make these designs pop, so having someone knowledgeable about fashion take a closer look is great.
You should have a look at Under Night In-Birth designs, they're among the best to me!
Yes, the game devs/designers deserve to have their creations celebrated
I love fashion in fighting games SPECIALLY KOF!
Yes - lots of great style
I did not expect a KOF fashion analysis video, but I will take it.
Bless
can't wait for the street fighter one 🙏🙏🙏
Great work! I love it!
Thank you! Cheers!
Don't pay attention to the hate, my dude just keep doing you bro 🤙🏽🤘🏽
Really good analysis on fashion and character design analysis of the kof cast.
The only thing i wish you did a little bit further waa o look at some of the characters' outfits like Robert, vice and mature, and especially
Athena, since she gets a new outfit in every kof game, is a futhur emphasizing her idol personality and careers as one.
But that would have way longer, lol.
I'm looking forward to later analysis on other fighting game and video game franchises!!!!❤️
Really appreciate the feedback. A few people have mentioned Athena - I'm actually evaluating what video I can do on her evolution. More to come given the overall positive reception of this video 🙌🏽
Never though i'd see you do it for fighters, I'd be interested to see your thoughts on Tekken - especially it's evolution over the years.
More fighting games to come for sure - curious to see how to fashion compares cross all of them
think you can make a video only with athena designs through the years haha, good video, you review character i didn't remember, great effort :D
Dolores, Luong, and Iori were my favorites, Iori is wearing my favorite color, so I think is my favorite male, and Dolores OMG, gorgeous
BTW, the ranking system works great
Great outfit choices! And I'm glad you're digging the rating system :D
Robert has some crazy designs in some of the games but they're only available in the old 2d pixelated sprites so you might not be able to really judge them properly but if you have the time, maybe you can find some artwork for them to really see how cool he looks. Robert and Athena are the only two characters that have the biggest changes in design almost every game. Also, amazing video! I really enjoyed your JoJo's and Guilty Gear fashion reviews also.
OH WE ARE EATING TODAY THANK YOU
Ayyyee - you already know 🕺🏽
At long last, and I was not let down!
This was a very interesting look in what KoF comes across as from a perspective outside the usual fighting game community voices I usually hear. Foremost, in your fondness for the most modern characters and their looks, like Shun'Ei and Meitenkun. Meiten usually gets mellow responses but a lot of people have nothing but outright vitriol for Shun's look. It's almost funny to hear you say the different colors don't clash because almost EVERYONE I've seen discuss Shun'ei talk about how they hate his 'garish and clashing' colors, and they feel like his outfit doesn't have any clear character statement that shows who he is as a personality.
I feel like part of this reaction comes from Shun being the designated protagonist of the latest games, and if you compare him to previous protagonist characters it makes sense why he got such a negative reception. Kyo Kusanagi was the very first KoF protagonist, and as one can see his outfit doesn't have a lot of colors and a pretty clear idea- he's basically a school-boy uniform modified to include leather jackets and feature his clans traditional gauntlets, which he then ditches for a more mature jacket and pants combo, but he's ultimately the prototypical "hot-blooded young Japanese delinquent" protagonist, your JoJo, your YuYu Hakusho etc, kind of vibe.
This was followed by K', and his awesome black leather ensemble. K' is a guy on the run from the organization that put him through genetic experiments that endowed him with supernatural powers, and being a bad-ass biker on the run is his deal. He came up in the late 90's- early 00's so he's very much that era of "bad-ass edge".
He was then followed by Ash Crimson, who was a product of the mid-00's and a much more sinister figure than previous protagonists. He was a manipulative and clever fighter who antagonized many of the previous protagonists for his own, ultimately benign but certainly douchey, plans. In that regard making the manipulative schemer an androgynous high-fashion kind of guy is... a little bit skeevy, but his tittering laugh, painted nails and bratty "laugh at them when they're down"-personality made it so that there was nothing half-assed about him. This man knew he was here to give queer-coded villain-vibes and brought the whole Pride Parade in response.
Which then brings us to Shun'ei who... well, story-wise he doesn't really have a good, strong vibe of his own. The fashion as you say is all about clashes and lots of different colors, and in SOME variants of the canon like the manga this is reflectivr of him being a very mood-swinging characters on account of having the old "demonic possession-powers that have him flipping from laughing maniac to mellow, almost depressed teenager"-vibes. But in his intro- game this didn't really come across in the script where he's mostly mellow, laid-back and lethargic. Compared to previous protagonists which all had very strong and out-going personalities with a very clear and focused color scheme revolving around one particular color, people thought this was a mess that didn't say anything of who he was as a character. It was a design that went against what SNK had gotten people used to with their protagonists, it didn't seem to match his personality, it couldn't be mapped to any fashion trends that the community was aware of (K' being matrix and leather, Ash being general hugh fashion) and not to be ignored- Shun'ei was the star of the first game SNK had made in a LONG time after having disappeared from the videogame industry, and it was the first 3D game after almost all the others were sprite-based and to top it all of it did NOT look as good as other fighting games on the market because SNK was basically back from the dead and had to learn how to do 3D-modelling and effects, so Shun'ei had pretty much everything working against him. So it's at least nice to see there's one fan of his look, when he's got so few other fans due to circumstances that are only sometimes related to his actual design.
Wow - this is very helpful context. Someone else mentioned how no one likes his outfit. I think his outfit is totally giving main character - a bit on the anime side - but still main character. I'm surprised people are getting caught up on the "color clash".
@@XDF It's interesting you say that his outfit gives 'main character' vibe, because I don't think I or even the fandom at large disagrees... but a LOT of time had passed since SNK's last game and KOF 14, and the sources of inspiration they draw from like fashion, anime and so on, had gone through quite a few shifts as well. Shun'ei's first game, King of Fighter XIV, is from 2016. Ash Crimson, the previous protagonist, debuted in KOF 03... released December 2003- 2004 in other regions of the world. Up until Ash's debut KOF had a long history of unbroken, nearly annual releases in which the audience grew up with the games and gradually acclimated to it all. But all of a sudden the style that came with KoF 14 was a stark reminder that times had changed, and a lot of people who had been all in on the aesthetics of the 90's-00's were NOT loving the 10's. Heck, some of them barely even tolerated the 00's, so good luck getting them onboard with the 10's!
Add to that what I mmentione that apart from just not vibing with new aesthetics the 3D graphics were far less polished compared to the competition at the time (especially considering the previous game KoF 13 released in 2011 with some of THE most gorgeous 2D sprite-based games that was SO expensive it forced the 5 year long break in the first place) and Shun'ei not really making as strong an impression personality-wise as previous heroes, and it all starts to add up. People were reminded of the passage of time and the changing market and development realities, and with a game that was supposed to be all "King of Fighter's is back baby!" the return didn't really feel as unabashedly triumphant as people wanted it to feel.
Which actually reminded me of something else I wanted to mention before but I think I forgot since the comment was already so large- your love for the character designs in KoF Maximum Impact- BECAUSE OOOH BOY were those lambasted back in the day!
Some further history lessons- SNK's FIRST actual bankruptcy came all the way in 2001 because they had gone so all in on games that sold well in arcades, that the arcade business crash did NOT set them up for financial success or stability. But the influential people behind SNK started a lot of various "divide us up, sell of to new companies founded by important people that basically lets us go bankrupt while keeping all important properties under semi-control" that nonetheless brought out some changes as roles got shuffled around, and one such thing was the rise of the illustrator Falcoon, or Tatsuhiko Kanaoka, as character designer. He had joined 1998, gotten smaller roles but worked his way up, and as a result of the shakeups and them trying to branch out into 3D games he was handed the role of character design for Maximum Impact-series. The discourse was... let's just say, unkind. In comparison to the more grounded designs of say, Kyo Kusanagi or Terry Bogard, creations of the 90's, Falcoon was a lot more fancy and elaborate and used a lot more different colors- look no further than Soiree's teal cowboy chaps, or Mignon's large fluffy boots and pink "stage magician" outfit. I remember a lot of grumbling that it was all "too much" or not "cool", but with time even that has kind of passed... but then again, the Maximum Impact characters also haven't really showed up subsequent King of Fighters games, so it may also be that they're considered "okay" because they've also been mothballed and aren't considered part of the on-going canon, hard to tell.
Again, I just found it amusing to see such fondness for designs from Falcoon's style, after recalling so many discussions where people thought they were uncool or too ostentatious and not as "bad-ass" as the designs of the 90's KoF games. It was something new and different from what had come before, both in terms of design sensibilites AND different gameplay styles (the maximum impact games are widely considered to be less polished and fun than the 2D games because drastically different gameplay and less experience making it meant they were compared to Tekken and Virtua Fighter who had WAY more accumulated skill at that point), so it was unlikely to be given a fair shake.
Why does this have so many dislikes???? I loved the video, keep it up ❤
always some folks having to go against the grain, lol
50:02 About Nakoruru, It's Because of She's from an Ainu Tribe just as the Same as Her Sister, Rimururu. Nakoruru's Red Details and Rimururu's Blue Details... 😊
Note: I Mostly Love Yuri's ( Sakazaki ) Fashion Detail is Almost a Karate Kid - Themed Top wear 😅 But She Look so Mostly Cool in a White - folded Sleeve Karate Gi Uniform with Purple Sports Shirt. Plus, Black Karate Belt, Red - Stripped Headband ( Tied in Ribbon Knot ), Fingerless Glove with Yellow Knuckle Cover, Navy Leggings and Red Hi - Cut Shoes ( But It Looks Like a Boots, I Swear ). AWESOME SAUCE!😁😄😆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 To Her Karate Costume 'Cause She's a Kyokugen Karate Girl!! 😁😄
Love the context and perspective - thanks for explaining. :)
Yuri does have a cute outfit. It feels lightweight, but fun and free. Kinda like her movements.
@@XDF Exactly! 😁😄😆 Why Thank You About Yuri's Karate Costume... 😁😄👏👏👏👏👏👏
Hi, just wanted to say thank you so much for doing these fashion analysis videos on various video game characters. 😊 If there's one video game in particular that I would suggest for you to check out, it would be Fire Emblem: Engage. The characters in this game also have casual outfits that you might like. 🙂
Thanks for the feedback
I remember playing my first KOF and IMMEDIATELY gravitating towards K'
Can't blame you
I was waiting for your reaction to Mai 😢
If you ever dive deeper into Fatal Fury, I am sure you will enjoy her new outfit that just got revealed in a trailer the other day!
Fio is from metal slug!!! She’s a soldier. I love her.
Honestly I feel like KoF is AMAZING for this kind of fashion look through, I've always felt the series' fashion style was really unique and a rally nice blend of stylized normal outfit with some slight anime vibes to some of them
A lot of clothes do feel like something someone would wear irl, but not in a normal setting, but it still doesn't look like it would only work in a costplay. A lot feels like it could work in some fashion or high fashion settings, and the style is just delicious
This was a really cool and well put together video, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this video. SNK for life!!!
Aayyee - love the hype 🕺🏽
Wasn’t expecting a fighting game fashion breakdown! Already excited for more! You doing Tekken or Street fighter later?
More fighting games to come for sure - eventually 👍🏽
Love the rating system, simple and fun
Thanks for the feedback!
YEEESSSS i've always thought KOF had THE best character desgins, they chose a fashionable aproach instead of the cool muscle guy other fighting games go for, that being said i think you would love kain's outfit from garou, also in defense of geese, i think his best look is his young version from art of fighting (his hair i can take it or leave it). And YES keep the bassic attack/super/k.o. style, i love it
edit: i think mary should wear her jacket more often in her outfits, it goes really well with her giant belt, at least in the older games