Taki (Soulcalibur)

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Taki
Soul character
256px
First game Soul Edge (1995)[1]
Created by Kouji Mitsunaga[2]
Voiced by (English) Desirée Goyette (Soulcalibur II)[3]
Cynthia Holloway (Soulcalibur III, Soulcalibur IV, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny)[4]
Voiced by (Japanese) Fujiko Takimoto (Soul Edge, Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, Namco × Capcom, Soulcalibur III)[5]
Sachiko Kojima (Soulcalibur Legends, Soulcalibur IV, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny)[6]
Fictional profile
Birthplace Fuma no Sato,[7] Japan
Fighting style Fu-Ma's Musō-Battō-Ryū[note 1] school of ninjutsu
Taijutsu[9]
Weapon Kodachi short swords
Weapon name Rekki-Maru & Mekki-Maru[8]
Occupation Kunoichi, demon huntress

Taki (タキ Taki?, also written as 多喜) is a fictional character in the Soul series of historical fantasy fighting games by Namco. Taki is a Japanese demon-hunting kunoichi and the greatest warrior of the Fu-Ma ninja clan, who is traveling the world on a quest to destroy an evil sword known as Soul Edge. Taki was introduced in the original arcade version of Soul Edge in 1995, in which she and Sophitia are the main characters, and then has been featured as a player character in every title of the Soul series up until Soulcalibur V in 2012 when Taki's place was taken by her young disciple named Natsu. She also appeared in some other works such as Namco × Capcom and Queen's Gate.

In-game, Taki is most capable at close quarters where her speed, acrobatic agility and powerful kicks are the most effective. She was voiced in Japanese by Fujiko Takimoto until Soulcalibur III and then by Sachiko Kojima in later games; Desirée Goyette voiced her in the English version of Soulcalibur II. Taki has achieved a significant popularity among the fans of the series, especially in the West. She has also received mostly positive feedback from game journalists, being often regarded as one of the best female ninja characters in video games as well as one of sex symbols of the fighting genre and gaming in general, sometimes compared in these aspects to the likes of Mai Shiranui and the ninja women from Mortal Kombat. Several publications also noted her iconic status in the Soul series and lamented her absence in Soulcalibur V.

Appearances

In the Soul games

Taki has been raised by the Fu-Ma (風魔), a Sengoku-era mystic clan of ninja based in a hidden village in Ōmi Province[10] and connected to the Buddhist monk Tenkai,[11] having been adopted by them after her parents and brother died from an unknown disease. As a prodigy member of the clans's factions specializing in forging anti-demon equipment and in combating demons,[10] Taki became a stern fighter, regarded as most skilled in the entire clan,[12] as well as an accomplished spy and blacksmith,[7] known for not showing her personal feelings and carrying out her mission cool-headed and being able of making ruthless decisions.[9] In the series' lore, what "lies within her soul" (a character's defining concept) is honor[13][14] and her technique is called the Dream-Slashed Sword (夢想抜刀流?).[7][15] She has eventually become the "Hunter of Darkness" (闇の狩人 Yami no Karyuudo?) who has dedicated herself to fighting supernatural evil and began travelling Japan to purge with her demon-sealing magic.[16][17]

Taki debuted as one of the eight original characters in Soul Edge (1995, known as Soul Blade in PAL countries), set in the year 1584. In it, the 22-year-old Taki finds that her self-made magical blade Rekkimaru (裂鬼丸?) has weakened by the mighty evil sword known as Soul Edge. She decides to travel west to save her treasured Rekkimaru and to destroy Soul Edge. The prologue of Soulcalibur (1998) tells of how she has eventually confronts and defeats the first game's main villain and Soul Edge's wielder, Cervantes de Leon, and obtains a fragment of the shattered sword. In the process, she also saves Greek female warrior Sophitia. Soulcalibur Legends (2007), which takes place between Soul Edge and Soulcalibur, pits Taki, searching for the scattered shards of the Soul Edge,[18] against the rogue Fu-Ma ninja Geki (ゲキ) and his female partner Maki (マキ), both of whom have been transformed into monsters by Soul Edge's power.[19] In this struggle, she receives support from the Holy Roman Emperor.[20]

In Soulcalibur, Taki tried to merge the Soul Edge fragment with her Rekkimaru without success, but when she fuses it with her other weapon, the kodachi named Mekkimaru (滅鬼丸?), she creates a new evil weapon that she seeks to pit against Soul Edge, hoping both blades would then destroy each other. Taki is contacted by her old master and adoptive father Toki (トキ, also written as 斗鬼) who tells her that Fu-Ma's former leader, Hachibei (八兵衛), has stolen Mekkimaru and fled, becoming a fugitive nukenin (runaway ninja). Toki orders Taki to hunt down and kill Hachibei and his daughter Chie (千恵), a childhood friend, and bring back the blade. Taki locates Hachibei quickly, but learns about Toki's obsession with the powers of the blade. Hachibei urges her to not let Toki take hold of Mekkimaru and gives it to her. Taki later gives a false report to Toki, leading his forces to pursue Chie's lover Li Long but Geki, Toki's right-hand man, discovers her deception and she becomes a nukenin outcast herself as she tries to destroy Mekkimaru.[21]

Taki returns in the next sequel, Soulcalibur II (2002), set seven years after the events of Soul Edge. After hearing about the destruction of Soul Edge, she tries to tame the evil kodachi, but discovers that Toki has obtained more Soul Edge fragments and decides to keep both Soul Edge and Mekkimaru away from him.[22][23] In Soulcalibur III (2005), Taki comes back to Japan and learns that because of Toki's madness, the Fu-Ma have descended into an internal conflict. Contacting the rebellious faction within the clan, led by her friend Chie, Taki faces the Soul Edge-corrupted Toki at the underground sanctum within the Hoko Buddhist temple, where he absorbs the Oni spirits within the shrine. She slays him and Chie becomes the new Fu-Ma leader,[10] but the evil spirits that dwelled within Toki escape and travel west. Knowing they are seeking Soul Edge, and that the cursed sword's power was weak enough to allow its destruction, Taki begins a new journey to extinguish Soul Edge. In Soulcalibur IV (2008), Taki witnesses how a duel between Siegfried armed with the Soul Calibur and Soul Edge-wielding Nightmare unleashes a cataclysm, motivating her to destroy both Soul swords.[24][25][note 2]

Formerly, it was announced that Taki would return in the sixth installment, Soulcalibur V (2012)[26] set 17 years after the events of the previous game, where she was expected to appear alongside her young, female disciple[27] named Natsu (凪津?), who is one of a number the new player characters.[28][29] However, Taki herself did not appear in the game, and is only mentioned in Natsu's backstory as well as the game's official artbook, SoulCalibur: New Legends of Project Soul. According to it, Taki was responsible for the sealing of the demon Arahabaki (アラハバキ, also written as 荒吐鬼) inside the orphan baby Natsu, adopted by Chie, after his previous container, Juju (ジュジュ) was killed by Taki around 1602.[30] Because this caused the young girl to be ostracized by her peers, Taki took the responsibility to personally raise her so she may grow her confidence. As explained in Natsu's backstory, Taki traveled west to pursue rumors of Toki's return, promising that she would return in two weeks. She has not returned since, prompting Natsu to travel in search of her mentor.[12] The game itself does not reveal whether Natsu finds Taki, but it was announced that Taki would "eventually" return, possibly in another sequel.[31]

Taki re-appeared in Soulcalibur II HD Online (2013), the high definition remake of Soulcalibur II.[32] She also returned as a playable character in the free-to-play spin-off Soulcalibur: Lost Swords (2014), where she looks by default as she did in Soulcalibur IV,[9][33] and in Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul, where she looks as she did in Soulcalibur II.[34]

Other appearances

Taki also appears as a playable character in the 2005 crossover tactical role-playing game Namco × Capcom. In it, she represents the Soul universe alongside the samurai Mitsurugi (her rival in the series[35]),[36] being paired with Waya Hime (Princess Waya, a boss character in Bravoman) and teamed with fighting game icons Jin Kazama (Tekken) and Ryu (Street Fighter). Taki plays a lead role in the 1999 Soulcalibur manga series, in which she fights together with Sophitia, first killing Cervantes[37] and then destroying Nightmare.[38] Taki has also joined the cast of Queen's Blade characters,[39] starring (in a cartoonish version of her appearance from Soulcalibur IV) in her own erotic gamebook Queen's Gate Taki (神速の封刃 タキ) published in 2011,[40] and is featured in the collectible card game Universal Fighting System. In 2009, Taki's costume for the player character Estelle was made available as free DLC in the action role-playing game Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology.[41]

Namco released a Taki keychain figurine and a 'standing clock' watch in its Soul Edge line.[42][43] Yujin released two Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). immobile figurines of Taki in her primary outfit from Soulcalibur II as part of its gashapon figure collections "Namco Girls Series 1"[44][45] and "Namco Girls Series 4" (in her alternative costume based on Waya-Hime's design).[46][47][48] In 2003, Wave released a 1/8 scale 7.5 in (19 cm) resin (garage) kit figure of Taki from Soulcalibur II.[49][50] In 2006, Namco released a MegaHouse PVC statuette based upon promotional artwork of Taki for the game as part of a Soulcalibur III set "Game Character Collection Soul Calibur III Series 1", while an alternative color and unmasked version was also released in a secondary set, which was not posable and came with three interchangeable weapons for it to hold.[51][52][53] Triad Toys released a 12 in (30 cm) action figure of Taki from Soulcalibur IV in red and blue versions in 2008,[54][55][56] which David Houghton of GamesRadar criticized as oversexualized.[57] In 2007-2010, companies Futene Karada and Aya released two resin kits for Taki's appearances in her prime costumes in Soulcalibur III, 6.7 in (17 cm) (crouching)[58][59] and 9.4 in (24 cm) (dashing);[60][61] an alternate version of the latter was also released.[62]

Character design

File:Taki Soul Edge character design.png
Some character design concept art sketches dating from the development of 1995's Soul Edge,[22] the original installment in the Soul series

As in the case of all Soul characters, Taki's character creation started with her weapon.[63][note 3] During the early development of Soul Edge, Taki was conceived as a Yoshimitsu-like ninja character, armed with a long sword and wearing a loose outfit and large helmet covering her upper face. She underwent several major design changes before the game's release,[22] evolving into an athletic, iron-masked, buxom woman with a chest size of 90 cm/E (Soulcalibur IV measurements; her breasts have noticeably grew through the series[64]),[65] clad in a partially armored catsuit.[66] Taki used variations of this outfit throughout the series; by default her primary costumes were colored crimson or navy blue. A cloth mask returns with Taki's primary costume in Soulcalibur, which is the only game in which her breasts are partially exposed. Taki has a demon-themed menpo iron mask with her blue-colored main costume in Soulcalibur III[21] and a similar red costume is featured in Legends.[20] Other demonic motifs have appeared on her armor since Soulcalibur.[67][68] Her outfits are generally supposed to give emphasis on ease of movement.[69]

Taki also wears some alternate costumes, such as her green attire in Soulcalibur II, which was modeled after an outfit worn by Waya Hime in Bravoman and Namco × Capcom. In it, she appeared for the first time with loose hair instead of her usual ponytail. Her hair is also tied back in her Soul Edge alternative costume.[7] Until Soulcalibur II,[23] Taki only appears unmasked in some of her alternative costumes, but in this game and in Soulcalibur IV she is unmasked in all costumes. In Soul Edge, one of the secret characters is "Nugi Taki", an alternative version of Taki who is unmasked, has short hair, and wears a unarmored blue bodysuit with a mesh shirt underneath. Soulcalibur III director Katsutoshi Sasaki described her as his personal favorite character from the series.[70] The game's producer Hisaharu Tago said of her appearance in Soulcalibur V, in which Taki is depicted as over 40, "In terms of her outfit, we don't know if she'll be in body tights."[26] One artist said he "got in trouble with Nintendo for showing Taki’s tits too much and had to slide her down for decentcy [sic]."[71] Bayonetta's character designer Mari Shimazaki created the "SC Woman" alternative costume for Taki in Lost Swords that was inspired by superheroine costumes in American comic books and has been made available in a limited offer in October 2014.[72][73][74][75] Other updates gave her maid clothes,[76] a Chinese-style outfit[77] and a heavy wolf-themed magical armor with special abilities.[78]

Taki's height is 170 cm (67 in) and weighs 55 kg (121 lb)[7] (later 53 kg (117 lb)).[9][21][23] Her original weapon in Soul Edge is a ninjatō,[note 4] called Rekkimaru (Rekki-Maru), which she made by infusing it with mystical powers. This is her preferred weapon and is one of the few original weapons that have not been replaced in subsequent games. Her secondary weapon, the kodachi Mekkimaru (Mekki-Maru), formerly property of Yoshimitsu's deceased clan, was added for her dual-wielding style in Soulcalibur as the lower blade on her back. Though Taki uses a single weapon in Soul Edge, Mekkimaru was featured in this game as an unlockable weapon. Her other optional weapons include a jutte, a kunai, a tantō and a bladed iron fan.[79] Immediately after the release of Soulcalibur V in Japan, the game's director Daishi Odashima said that he had decided that at 46, Taki would be too old to be an active ninja, and she retired to train the next generation and is now watching over her pupil Natsu from the shadows.[80][81][82]

Taki was one of the first two characters confirmed for Soulcalibur III[83] and the ninth playable character confirmed for Lost Swords.[84] She was officially described in the latter game as "one of the most versatile fighters of the SOULCALIBUR universe" due to "her unarmed & armed skills, demon huntress abilities and blacksmithing abilities."[85] In the series of wallpapers pairing Namco and Capcom characters in Namco × Capcom, her Capcom equivalent is Street Fighter's Chun-Li.[86] Setsuka, introduced in SoulCalibur III, has a fighting style mixing these of Taki and Mitsurugi,[87] while Soulcalibur V's Natsu fights very similar to Taki, including using many of her signature moves.[26]

Gameplay

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Taki is a close-range fighter, end of story. She's blindingly fast, perhaps one of the most agile fighters in the series. The best way to play Taki then is to string combo into combo without ever letting up.[88]

—Adam Rosenberg, UGO

Official UK PlayStation Magazine recommended Taki and Li Long in Soul Blade (Soul Edge) as "probably best for the novice they can both offer a great range of kicks and attacks."[89] According to Computer and Video Games guide to Soul Edge, "lightning fast combos and close quarter combat" is what a Taki player has to master in the game: "Though she has little in terms of long range attacks, she has multi-height combinations that can be employ in close. A good choice for the competent player to move on to."[90] Similarly, James Price of DC-UK wrote that in Soulcalibur, the "fast and agile" Taki is capable of "swift and deadly attacks" as well as "of making somersaults over and around her opponents," but at the cost of having a limited range.[91] According to Jesse Schedeen of IGN, the character's fighting style "improved dramatically" between Soul Edge and Soulcalibur due to being given dual swords to use at once.[92] Taki was also noted for being very dangerous in unarmed combat due to her powerful kicks.[93]

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Always in your face (in more ways than one), Taki severs tendons and slices throats at the speed of sound—even those love kegs can't slow this acrobatic assassin down. Her extreme mobility makes her a constant a threat.[94]

—Soulcalibur II guide by EGM Review Crew

Soulcalibur II guide to GamePro verdicted Taki is an "excellent short range fighter with plenty of height variation in attack," but "weak against good long range opponents" and with "poor offensive capabilities outside short range."[95] The game's review by Marlon Ramos of Philippine Daily Inquirer "of course" highly recommended Taki for the players who are "after speed".[96] In GameSpot's guide to Soulcalibur II, Stephen Kleckner wrote that Taki has "a lot of options and variety which allow her to really mix up her attack heights" and very quick moves making her highly capable at close range, but might "essentially become a moving target" if her player "can't rush down someone who is really good at sustaining a range game, such as Kilik."[97] Andrew Alfonso wrote in GameSpy's guide that "what makes Taki so fearsome is her speed. She's still the fastest character in the game, and despite this her damage potential is still very good at times. However, unlike the big power hitters like Cervantes and Astaroth, she needs to work for her wins." Alfonso added that Taki can be "somewhat hard to learn and execute with" and the key strategy "is to maintain her flow of attack."[98] Taki and Talim, who are both the more acrobatic[99] and the fastest characters in Soulcalibur II, were noted to be particularly dangerous in the original version of the HD Online edition due to the Internet multiplayer lag problems.[100]

Taki was one of the four characters available in the pre-release demo version of Soulcalibur IV.[101] According to Alex Jenkins of 1UP.com, in this game she lost some of her prior advantages but is still an agile and fast character who can cause considerable damage and is meant to be played aggressively, as well as a strong counter-attacker. Her weaknesses include difficulties in playing against ranged-type characters and having many risky special moves.[24] IGN's Schedeen wrote that, due to her "lightning-quick ninja reflexes," Taki is "a vicious combatant that new and old players alike love to control."[92] In Soulcalibur Legends, Taki is the only character capable of performing a double jump (a video game character's ability to jump a second time in mid-air). In Lost Swords, she was originally supposed to be only four who are available in this game from the start (the others being Siegfried, Mitsurugi and Sophitia)[102] but is actually one of unlockable characters.

Reception

Popularity

File:Taki cosplay Acen 2010.jpg
Namco named Taki, Ivy and Nightmare as the three most popular Soulcalibur characters in North American markets[103] and a Taki cosplayer represented Mexico at the World Cosplay Summit competition in 2012.[104][105] Pictured, a fan dressed as Taki at Acen 2010

Since her introduction in 1995, Taki has become consistently one of the most popular characters in the Soul series, especially in the overseas countries,[69] but also popular in her native Japan.[106] She was noted as one of the most favoured female characters alongside Ivy Valentine by Computer and Video Games (CVG),[107] and was described as "a favorite of many" by Official Xbox Magazine,[108] and as one of the series' most beloved characters by Brazil's SuperGamePower.[109] The latter chose her one of the 20 "muses" of video games in 2001,[93] and UGO.com ranked Taki as sixth best Soulcalibur character in 2008.[88] Also in 2008, IGN's Jesse Schedeen ranked her as the fifth top fighter in the series, writing "it's hard to imagine a Soulcalibur game without Taki. It just wouldn't be the same."[92] GameDaily's staff called Taki one of the most elite fighters in the Soul games,[110] adding that she "has left an impact from the very start" of the series.[111] According to GameDaily, "there are many women worth mentioning in the Soul Calibur series, but if anyone really knows how to handle Darth Vader, Yoda and the Apprentice, it's Taki."[112] Complex placed Taki sixth in their 2013 ranking of the best characters in the series, calling her "an unstoppable force" and stating "We love Taki!"[64] Taki was voted the second most popular Soulcalibur character in the West in an official Namco Bandai poll in 2015 (behind Talim).[113]

Taki has also been repeatedly listed as one of gaming's top ninja characters, such as by Kotaku Japan in 2013.[114] According to Kotaku USA's Schedeen, "Everyone loves a good ninja, and Taki just so happens to be one of the best;"[92] in 2007, Joystiq's JC Fletcher called her "everyone's favorite underdressed ninja."[115] She was ranked as fifth best ninja hero in video games by Virgin Media in 2008,[116] and included among the ten best video game "ninjas" by Jon Ledford of Sushi Arcade in 2013.[117] In 2010, Game Informer chose Taki as one of the 20 Namco characters they would like to see in a rumored crossover fighting game "Namco Vs Capcom", her Capcom side equivalent being Strider Hiryu, adding that "most fighting game characters can’t quite keep up with Taki’s rapid (and annoying) leaps."[118] That same year, GamePro's Chris Jager ranked her as the second best video game ninja character, comparing her with the similarly proportioned Mai Shiranui, and wrote that they had "originally contemplated giving Taki two places on this list in honour of her formidable pair of assets" and called her "arguably the toughest and most skillful ninja on our list" next to Mai in such circumstances.[119] Polish magazine PSX Extreme also compared her to Ninja Gaiden's Momiji.[120] UGO included her on a 2010 list of top 25 "hot ninja girls" in all media[14] and Gelo Gonzales of FHM included Taki on his 2012 list of nine "sexiest ninja babes" in games, comparing her to Solenn Heussaff.[121] In 2012, Rich Knight of Complex ranked her as the fifth swiftest video game ninja, adding that, due to her large bust size, "the only female on this list is also probably the most incredible ninja on here."[122] In 2013, PLAY similarly ranked Taki as the fifth top ninja in video games, described as "superagile fighting machine" and noted as the only female on their list, adding that she "wins the Most Outrageous Ninja Outfit award for garbing herself in nothing but a pink skintight bodysuit."[123] Márcio Pacheco Alexsandro of Brazil's GameHall placed her at fifth spot of his 2014 list of top ten kunoichi (female ninja) characters in games.[124] It is possible Taki inspired the design of Crimson Akali, an alternate version of the League of Legends female ninja character Akali the Fist of Shadow.[125]

Some publications have regarded Taki as one of the best female video game characters for a variety of reasons. Famitsu described her in Soulcalibur II as "a breathtaking sight to see, with more powerful offense and defense than the other girls in the game."[126] In 2003, WomanGamers.com opined Taki was "a strong and independent female character in all of the games" and gave her an overall score of 8.4/10, especially applauding the character for her tough attitude and for marketing efforts towards women "despite the obvious sex-appeal role Taki has taken."[127] That same year, play called Taki and Ivy "arguably the finest females in all of 3D fighting."[128] In 2007, Rob Wright of Tom's Games chose Taki as one of the 50 greatest female characters in video games, calling her "a skilled and noble warrior with a shining spirit and stunning beauty" and suggesting that Zhang Ziyi should play her in a live action adaptation of the Soulcalibur series.[129] GameDaily featured Taki in many entries of its "Babes of the Week" gallery series,[110][111][112][130][131] including in the 2007 special "Babe of the Week: Taki", which stated that she has been "becoming more agile – and big-breasted – with each new entry. She made such an impact [...] that we awarded her a solo gig."[132] In 2011, Grant Howitt of FHM featured her as one example of "some of the wonderful women of videogames", but one that would be impossible to date.[133] Patrick Toworfe of B-TEN ranked her as the gaming's ninth top female character in 2014.[134] In 2015, WhatCulture's Joe Pring placed Taki as 23rd on his list of greatest female fighting game characters of all time, adding: "Ignore the ridiculously over-the-top bust size for just a moment and you’ll realise how great a character Taki is."[135] Similarily, a Manila Bulletin review of Soulcalibur II advised readers to "not be fooled" by the looks of this "gorgeous ninja in a very tight-fitting outfit that leaves little to the imagination," as "Taki can kick anybody's b*tt and before they know it, it's already game over."[136] Researcher Rachael Hutchinson wrote about how "when using Taki as her avatar, the player will be able to defeat more male opponents on screen, overturning social expectations of male–female roles."[137]

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It's a cop-out to say that Taki is too old to fit in Soul Calibur V's timeline, and then flaunt Ivy and all of her overly abundant assets at the age of 50+. Why remove the characters at all if you're going to replace them with cardboard stand-ins?[138]

—Daniel Bischoff, Game Revolution

A number of media outlets strongly criticized Taki's controversial[139] replacement with Natsu in Soulcalibur V. In 2011, GamePro stated it as one of the reasons why they were "worried" about the game.[140] C.J. Smillie of Game Rant wrote that the "long-time favourite" Taki was one of the "most notable of the absentees",[82] Daniel Maniago of G4tv.com listed her among the characters that are "noticeably absent",[141] Nick Dinicola of PopMatters listed as first among the missing "fan favorite fighters",[142] and Kotaku's Evan Narcisse described the replacement of "established characters Talim, Taki and Kilik" as Project Soul's "most baffling decision".[143] Following the release of Soulcalibur V, the staff of IGN named Taki "the most obvious choice for the first DLC character" because her omission from the game was "ridiculous". In an accompanying poll that asked IGN's readers which character they would they choose to be added through downloadable content (including new characters from outside the series, such as Darth Maul), Taki placed third out of seven candidates.[144] A review by Italy's The Games Machine called the game's roster "scandalous" and demanded to "bring back Taki!",[145] while Angelo M. D'Argenio of Cheat Code Central included Natsu and "every new character in the game" in a 2012 list of top ten "lamest" video game characters of all time, writing that "instead of Taki, the mysterious ninja, we get Natsu, a bored girl with the same backstory as Naruto."[146] Bandai Namco Games' Soulcalibur: Lost Swords press release stated: "Taki makes a noticed come-back in the SOULCALIBUR series as fans were missing this really unique character."[85] Nevertheless, some other commentators approved of Taki's replacement. Taylor Cocke of Official Xbox Magazine stated that "you'll be happy to know that newcomer Natsu is taking up [Taki's] mantle and then some."[147] Similarly, Derrick Smith of Game-insider.com wrote: "Taki, my personal all-time favorite doesn’t make the Soul Calibur V trip. Yet she is nicely replaced with Natsu, her apprentice who brings with her the complete Taki package with some added youth to spice things up."[148] Jeremy Duff of Gaming Nexus also suggested players who are "not happy with the fact that Taki was left out" to restore her through the game's extensive custom-character creation mode.[149] In 2015, Taki placed 2nd out of 45 characters on the official Facebook popularity poll, behind only Talim with 720 votes. [150]

Sex appeal

The character is often noted for her attractiveness.[151] In 2008, GameDaily ranked her as 17th "hottest game babe", stating that "female ninjas will always hold a special place in our hearts, especially Taki, what with her muscular physique and insanely large chest."[152] That same year, Taki emerged as the winner of Unreality's "Queen of the Iron Fist Tournament" 2008, described as "the complete package, in body, face and skills alike."[153] In 2009, Rich Knight of Complex listed Taki as one of top ten "hottest game girls"[154] and later also pitted her against Mortal Kombat's Kitana in its "battle of the beauties" feature, category "female ninjas", calling her "hot, face mask on or off".[155] In 2010, UGO listed her among the 50 "hottest girls" in video games, describing her as "quick, efficient, and super-deadly".[156] In 2011, Bob Muir of Japanator.com described Taki as "easily the hottest one in the cast" of the series and included her on his list of Japanese gaming's top ten "hottest girls" for her "sexy [armor] that insists on not covering up anything that's fun to look at on her voluptuous body, including her generous chest" and "a dark humor to all of her taunts."[157] In the "Miss of Video Games 2012" poll by PSX Extreme, Taki was voted second place in the 'Soul Calibur' category (behind Sophitia).[158][159]

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Long time Soul Calibur battler Taki is a fanboy fave - and here we see why. Taki's ninja suit has seemingly been designed for one thing. And that's making her love pillows resemble torpedoes. [...] Namco really understands its fanbase.[160]

—Ben Richardson, GamesRadar

Many publications commented on her large bust and revealing outfits, in 1999 described in CVG as "a kinky little all-in-one red outfit and a pair of breasts to match Lara Croft's."[161] According to Sherilynn Macale's G4tv.com's The Feed blog about the breasts in video games, "the girl's practically draped in skin-tight, nipple-proud and crevice-filling material that clings to her agile, dual kodachi wielding frame."[162] GameSpy in 2003 described her as "the bounciest ninja this side of Mai Shiranui"[98] and NGC Magazine gave her the "Tightest Outfit" entry in their "Nintendo Book of Records" for her red catsuit from Soulcalibur II.[163] In his review of that game, Gaming Target's Ryan Genno wrote: "I love the ninja Taki and her very skin tight red number which I'm surprised got by the censors."[164] GameDaily praised her "superb fashion sense" and positively contrasted with Mortal Kombat's Mileena.[132] GameDaily also repeatedly contrasted Taki's "inexplicably big" breasts and her "swift ninja moves,"[111] and rhetorically asked "how does she fight with those big boobs."[132] Official PlayStation Magazine - Australia commented on the "conspicuous enlargement" of Taki's chest in Soulcalibur IV: "We're not complaining when we say this; but Taki could raise the eyebrows of a milking cow."[165] Michael McWhertor of Kotaku similarly wrote stated the game: "Sure, Taki's boobs flopped about ridiculously with the slightest breeze it seemed, but that's not necessarily a complaint,"[166] while Vicious Sid of GamePro wrote: "Taki's, um, assets bobbed and jiggled after each move. We expect that fighting fans – and pubescent teen boys – will have a ton of fun with Soul Calibur IV".[167] Ross Lincoln of GameFront included Taki's breasts on his 2011 list of "greatest boobs in video game history".[168]

There was also some criticism in the regard of what Pat Garrat from Xbox World described as "blatant sexual references" of a "Japanese ninja with enormous tits. Sorry, there's no other way of saying it."[169] Writing for GameSetWatch, Leigh Alexander used "Taki's nipples [that] have been meticulously articulated since the graphics technology existed to make it possible" as an example of "a strong degree of physical exploitation" of female characters in fighting games.[170] Video game designer and blogger Damion Schubert wrote he "found Taki’s outfit awesome in Soul Caliber 2 [sic], and awful in Soul Caliber 4 [sic]."[171] According to Kotaku's McWhertor, Taki's "tighter than skin tight ninja outfit leav[es] absolutely nothing to the imagination, making her high kicks the stuff of Hustler magazine spreads."[172] Destructoid's Karim Kayka commented on "ridiculously endowed ninja gal Taki, who demonstrates what happens now that consoles can chum out superflucous polygons to render realistic nipples under a skintight leotard."[173] Shawn Sines of GameFront used the images of Taki from Soulcalibur II and Kasumi from the Dead or Alive series to illustrate the 2007 critical article about "the video game implementation of modeling female breasts."[174] GamesRadar UK opined that in Soulcalibur IV Taki’s breasts look if they "have been designed by a hormone-addled 13-year-old. They’re simply unfathomable and totally impractical for the fighting physique. If she gets punched in them it’s going to hurt and she isn’t even wearing a sports bra."[175]

Grant Howitt of FHM wondered about "how she kept those enormous breasts supported during fights,"[133] and GamesRadar's AJ Glasser commented Ivy's breasts are "a couple of cup sizes larger, but Taki probably has less back pain."[176] Complex's Knight wrote that Taki's knowledge of mastery of ninjutsu and ninja magic that must be reason how she is able to do all her acrobatic moves with such a chest,[154] adding that "most women with a cup size that big would have back pains and would have to sleep on their side at night" yet Taki "takes it all in stride, moving around the stage of history like the most athletic girl on the volleyball court."[122] UGO commented: "To be honest we don't really care, but there must be some kind of ninja-magic that supports those behemoths."[156]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In the English version of Soulcalibur the name of her fighting style was transliterated as 'Musoh-Battoh-Ryu'.[8]
  2. ↑ In her Soulcalibur IV ending (which is later proved noncanon), she tracks down and defeats Siegfried, who takes the wicked sword and allows himself to be crystallized while she silently walks away. According to the epilogue, "There is no way to know how Taki lived her life from that point on. She sealed such a great evil and disappeared from history."
  3. ↑ "Once the weapon is selected, we choose the sex [of the character], then the height, weight, and age, and down to the details of where the character is from. Then the character starts to take shape. These pieces of information are what the character designer creates a design off of. The character modeler then works with the design to develop a model, and the motion designer incorporates the motion into that model...and our character comes to life onscreen."[63]
  4. ↑ In Soul Blade (the English localization of Soul Edge) described as 'Katana "Rekki-maru"'.[15]

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  96. ↑ Marlon Ramos, Soul of a new fighting game, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 28, 2003.
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  174. ↑ Shawn Sines, Breast Physics: A Growing Social Problem?, GameFront, July 27, 2007.
  175. ↑ A year in breasts: 2007 was a great year for breasts in games – allow us to jog your mammaries, GamesRadar UK, December 28, 2007.
  176. ↑ AJ Glasser, Best in breasts: GamesRadar salutes National Breast Cancer Month, GamesRadar US, October 24, 2007.

External links

  • Taki at The Soulcalibur Wiki
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