Ayane (Dead or Alive)
Encyclopedia
is a player character
in the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden
fighting game
series by Team NINJA and Tecmo Koei
. Ayane has also a complex relationship with Kasumi
, the leading hero
ine of the Dead or Alive series, ever since they grew up together. Even though she is often overshadowed by her Kasumi even in the real world, Ayane is still one of the most popular and recognisable received Tecmo characters. Outside of Japan she was also a subject of some controversy regarding her age and sexualization
.
Ayane is an expert of ninjutsu
; her deadly fighting style has given her the nickname "Female Tengu
". She is Kasumi's half-sister, whom she bears jealousy and hatred for being a shinobi
destined to live in the shadow of her older sister. She admires Hayate, her half-brother and also has some connections with Ryu Hayabusa
, who is a trusted ally of the Mugen Tenshin clan.
With the death of her former master Genra at the end of DOA3
, Ayane is now the strongest ninja of the Hajin Mon, the covert splinter the Mugen Tenshin clan. She may have managed to reconcile her feelings of hatred towards Kasumi somewhat, as demonstrated when she stops Kasumi from entering the burning DOATEC building seconds before it explodes in DOA4
.
described her character and personality as much "harder" than Kasumi and said she fit in the "very hard-edged" universe of the Ninja Gaiden
series.
In the games, Ayane uses a variety of female ninja suits and other attires (including a schoolgirl uniform and a Carnival of Venice
-style costume), often coming with a miniskirt
or tunic
, repeatedly with use of a butterfly
motif
. In Dead or Alive Ultimate
, one of her 20 outfits is inspired by this of the character Millennia from Kagero: Deception 2, and in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
one of her alternate costumes pays homage
to Sun Shangxiang (Lady Sun
) from Koei's Dynasty Warriors
series. Ayane's face changed slightly for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2; the game that according to GamePro
"has the lovely Ayane at her sexiest". Her controversial design for Dead or Alive: Dimensions
, however, "upset fans" when the game was announced in 2010.
, Ayane joined in the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship as an assassin in pursuit of her sister Kasumi, a runaway shinobi who has left the Mugen Tenshin behind and was promptly branded a "traitor" to their clan. Ayane encountered and rescued an amnesia
c Hayate, who went by the name "Ein". When confronting Helena, Ayane was accused of murdering Helena's mother Maria, but later it was revealed the assassin was really Christie.
In Dead or Alive 3
, Ayane's former teacher and foster parent, Genra, the leader of the sect of the Mugen Tenshin clan, has disappeared. Ayane, now as the de facto leader of Hajin Mon, learns that Genra has been turned into a puppet by the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC) and its sinister Omega Project. Seeing what has become of her beloved father, Ayane realizes that the fate commands her to put Genra out of his misery. According to the DOA series' creator Tomonobu Itagaki
, Ayane is the canonical main protagonist of the DOA3; she is also the official winner of the third DOA tournament.
In Dead or Alive 4
, Ayane has pledged her life to her half-brother and Mugen Tenshin clan leader Hayate in his cause to destroy the DOATEC for all the suffering the company has caused the ninja clans. Ayane has a threefold stake in this revenge trip for Raidou being changed into a monster, for Hayate being brainwashed
in their attempt to realize Project Epsilon, and for the manipulation and death of Genra. At the end of the game, Ayane uses her secret ninpo
technique to blow up the DOATEC Tri-Tower.
at the age of 14 (Ayane is 16-year-old in the DOA series).
In Ninja Gaiden II, she appears only near the end of the game, to give Ryu the treasured Dragon's Eye, a jewel that increases the power of Ryu's fabled Dragon Sword, and defeating the resurrected Fiend and the Black Spider ninja clan's leader Genshin. However, in Ninja Gaiden Σ 2
(conversion of NGII for the PS3
) Ayane plays a more potent role as a playable character in one level (showing how she obtained the Dragon Eye for Ryu, which also has a brief cameo
of Kasumi at the end) and also becomes available in the co-op
and multiplayer modes.
spin-off games Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
(where her current relationship with Kasumi is unclear) and Dead or Alive Paradise
. She is also featured in Zen Pinball: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, a pinball
game for the PlayStation Network.
Dead or Alive: Code Chronos
, a DOA series' prequel project which was supposed to center on Ayane and Kasumi, has been officially cancelled in 2010 after Itagaki had left Team NINJA and Tecmo.
in Koei's Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
(her Fuma Kodachi
twin short swords are also available there as a player's optional weapon). Her signature purple dress is also an unlockable costume in Super Swing Golf: Season 2
for the character Kooh and in the Director's Cut version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
as an alternate costume for Mayu, one of this game's two protagonist sisters (the other one, Mio, may wear Kasumi's costume).
, Ayane "is one of the more devious characters" of Dead or Alive 4, "capable of devastating speed and some ingenious little fake-out animations", but requires "a lot more practice than is apparent at first glance."
In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, her attacks and finishing moves are far faster than these of Ryu, but the player has to learn to dodge much more as she has worse blocking abilities.
is a non-canonical
live-action film loosely based on the game series. In the movie, Ayane is a ninja assassin and Kasumi's former servant who is dedicated to seek and kill her, as Kasumi is being considered an outcast to the clan (a nukenin, though the word "shinobi", which really means simply a ninja, is mistakenly used instead throughout the movie). Ayane first confronts Kasumi before she flees the temple, then several times on the island. She has feelings towards Hayate (she is not his half-sister in the movie, and neither she is Kasumi's), and initially believes him to be dead. Ayane fails to kill Kasumi but finds Hayate and aids him against DOATEC. During the film's finale, she saves him from a potentially fatal fall.
Ayane was controversially portrayed by Natassia Malthe
, a half-Norwegian
half-Filipino
actress who was also much older than Ayane is supposed to be in the games. Tomonobu Itagaki later said he "wanted to have Japanese actresses portray Kasumi and Ayane", however the director Corey Yuen
"believed strongly in his casting choices". Itagaki said he would have chosen Aya Ueto
to play Ayane.
items featuring Ayane was created as well, such as a range of statuettes and action figure
s, including by Shunya Yamashita, Kotobukiya, Volks
, Mr Big and others (including one of which came with the limited edition Japanese release of Ninja Gaiden and another which could be undressed to a bikini
), a UFO Catcher claw crane figure by Sega
, a very special coffee mug for Banpresto
's arcade redemption game
s, etc. In 2004, a pinup picture of Ayana from Ultimate in a bikini outfit was printed in Playboy.
series Dead Fantasy
from beginning. However, in contrast to Kasumi, often commended for her personality, overwhelming most of critical attention Ayane received regarded solely her physical appearance. According to IGN
in 2004, "Ayane is most notable for her anime
purple hair and jigglin' jumblies." When featuring Ayane as the Videogame Babe of the Day in 2006, IGN added: "After that awkward goth
stage in high school, not many people continue to rock the violet locks, but Ayane is different… she's hot enough to get away with it."
In 2003, GameSpy
collectively ranked her an the other Dead or Alive girls as second on the list of Top 10 Babes in Games. While awarding The Annual GameSpy E3 Award to Dead or Alive Ultimate in 2004, Psylancer (Raymond Padilla) wrote: "Ayane should be my new girlfriend." GamesRadar
ranked hers, Ryu's, and Momiji's guest appearance in DW: Strikeforce as 49th on their list of 55 awesome character cameos in 2010. In 2006, the Polish edition of GameStar
included her among the 20 candidates in a poll for the title of Miss of the Video Game World. In 2009, Ayane was ranked seventh on the list of top 10 fictional ninjas by Fandomania, while Gavin Mackenzie of Play jokingly rated her breasts as two of the 10 top best things one can expect to see in Dead or Alive 5. Ayane shared being GameDaily
's Babe of the Week with Momiji and Rachel in 2009 and along with the other DOA girls was collectively ranked tenth on Complexs list of The 50 Hottest Women In Video Games in 2010; in 2011, Complex also ranked her alone as 14th on the list of The 25 Best Looking Sideline Chicks in Games, adding: "Kasumi's cool and all, but we definitely prefer Ayane's cold and killer demeanor."
On the other hand, Ayane's portrayal by Natassia Malthe in the film DOA: Dead or Alive was panned by fans and critics alike. GamesRadar nicknamed the motion picture version of Ayane as "White Girl Who is Somehow Also Japanese", while UGO.com wrote about Malthe's role as Ayane: "Defining Moment: Zzzzzzzz". Some also criticised the eye candy
aspects of the character. In 2009, GamesRadar ranked the series of Team Ninja's controversial series of Sigma 2 commercials designed to draw attention to the fact that the "notoriously big-breasted" Ayane was a playable character (one of which was called by Destructoid
"the best and worst thing to have ever been created") as the fourth most blatantly sexist
game advertisement ever, adding: "God forbid a moment goes by where any part of her body might be covered up".
girl, is sexualized
in the games (in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 players were even given control over the movement of her breasts using the Sixaxis
game controller). A writer for Destructoid has voiced concern about how a supposedly 14-year-old character (Ayane's NG Sigma 2 age) has such "huge busters", tongue-in-cheek commenting how this made him "worried that this now means I'm a pedophile
". In 2011, Nintendo
of Europe decided to not distribute Dead or Alive: Dimensions in Sweden
, apparently because of the local child pornography
law encompassing drawn and animated characters (and despite the age of consent
in Sweden being only 15).
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden
is a series of video games by Tecmo featuring the ninja Ryu Hayabusa as its protagonist. The series was originally known as in Japan. The word "gaiden" in the North American Ninja Gaiden title means "side-story" in Japanese, even though the Ninja Gaiden series is not a spinoff of a previous series...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
series by Team NINJA and Tecmo Koei
Tecmo Koei
Tecmo Koei Holdings Co., Ltd. , is a holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Japanese video game developers and publishers Koei and Tecmo....
. Ayane has also a complex relationship with Kasumi
Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
is a player character in Dead or Alive fighting game series by Team Ninja and Tecmo. Kasumi has served as the main character of the Dead or Alive franchise since its beginning in 1996, being the official protagonist in the first two main games in the series, and playing very important roles in the...
, the leading hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
ine of the Dead or Alive series, ever since they grew up together. Even though she is often overshadowed by her Kasumi even in the real world, Ayane is still one of the most popular and recognisable received Tecmo characters. Outside of Japan she was also a subject of some controversy regarding her age and sexualization
Sexualization
The definition of the term, Sexualization has been the subject of debate and dispute. It has been described as the act or process of sexualizing. It refers to the making of a person, group or thing to be seen as sexual in nature or a person to become aware of sexuality...
.
Ayane is an expert of ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
; her deadly fighting style has given her the nickname "Female Tengu
Tengu
are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami...
". She is Kasumi's half-sister, whom she bears jealousy and hatred for being a shinobi
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
destined to live in the shadow of her older sister. She admires Hayate, her half-brother and also has some connections with Ryu Hayabusa
Ryu Hayabusa
is the protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden video game series as well as a player character in the Dead or Alive series, both published by Tecmo. According to the game canon, Ryu Hayabusa is a ninja and the leader of the that has spiritual, physical and magical ties to ancient dragons...
, who is a trusted ally of the Mugen Tenshin clan.
In video games
Ayane was born as the result of Raidou raping Kasumi's mother, Ayame. Though Ayane was allowed to stay in Mugen Tenshin village, she was always looked down upon and generally detested by many in the clan. Ever since they were children, Ayane looked up to Hayate as a way of increasing her self-esteem and lifting her sadness. Hayate as well was fond of her; he might have learned of the true circumstances behind Ayane's birth and did not see the point of isolating her as everyone else did. Along with a burning hatred for Raidou, the man who ruined her life by creating it in the first place, the focal point of her ire rested on the one who had been treated like a princess, Kasumi, while Ayane was treated like dirt. This envy that Ayane harbors can be greatly compared to the hatred Raidou had over Shiden, Kasumi's father. Quiet and reserved, Ayane has honed her skills in an attempt to make others see her to be more than the "demon child".With the death of her former master Genra at the end of DOA3
Dead or Alive 3
Dead or Alive 3 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. It was released exclusively on the Xbox as a launch title.-Gameplay:...
, Ayane is now the strongest ninja of the Hajin Mon, the covert splinter the Mugen Tenshin clan. She may have managed to reconcile her feelings of hatred towards Kasumi somewhat, as demonstrated when she stops Kasumi from entering the burning DOATEC building seconds before it explodes in DOA4
Dead or Alive 4
Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
.
Design
According to the book Video Game Art, Ayane's design requirements are of "beauty and mystery". Ayane is the youngest girl in the series, at only 16, but possesses the second largest bust (stated at 93 cm / 37"), falling just behind Tina Armstrong. Her fighting style is very different from Kasumi's Tenjin Mon style (according to Kung Fu Cult Masters, Ayane's "pirrouetting slaps are harder to imagine in a film, but draw from a spinning/twisting dynamics of martial arts choreography"). She also has one of the most distinctive appearances out of the DOA girls because of her unusually-colored eyes and hair. Character designer and producer Tomonobu ItagakiTomonobu Itagaki
is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting game and beach sport simulation series and also revived the Ninja Gaiden franchise in 2004...
described her character and personality as much "harder" than Kasumi and said she fit in the "very hard-edged" universe of the Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden
is a series of video games by Tecmo featuring the ninja Ryu Hayabusa as its protagonist. The series was originally known as in Japan. The word "gaiden" in the North American Ninja Gaiden title means "side-story" in Japanese, even though the Ninja Gaiden series is not a spinoff of a previous series...
series.
In the games, Ayane uses a variety of female ninja suits and other attires (including a schoolgirl uniform and a Carnival of Venice
Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival starts 40 days before easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday , the day before Ash Wednesday.-History:...
-style costume), often coming with a miniskirt
Miniskirt
A miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks; and a minidress is a dress with a similar meaning...
or tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
, repeatedly with use of a butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
motif
Motif (textile arts)
In the textile arts, a motif is a smaller element in a much larger work. In knitting and crochet, motifs are made one at a time and joined together to create larger works such as afghan blankets or shawls. A good example of a motif is the granny square.Motifs can be any size, but usually all...
. In Dead or Alive Ultimate
Dead or Alive Ultimate
Dead or Alive Ultimate is a multiplayer fighting game developed by Team Ninja and released by Tecmo for the Xbox in 2004...
, one of her 20 outfits is inspired by this of the character Millennia from Kagero: Deception 2, and in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, also known as Ninja Gaiden Σ 2, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3. It is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden II.-Plot:...
one of her alternate costumes pays homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to Sun Shangxiang (Lady Sun
Lady Sun
Lady Sun, known as Sun Shangxiang in Chinese opera and contemporary culture, was a noble lady in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was a daughter of Sun Jian and younger sister of the warlords Sun Ce and Sun Quan, who laid the foundation for the state of...
) from Koei's Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
series. Ayane's face changed slightly for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2; the game that according to GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
"has the lovely Ayane at her sexiest". Her controversial design for Dead or Alive: Dimensions
Dead Or Alive: Dimensions
Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a fighting game for the Nintendo 3DS. It was announced as an official title on 15 June 2010 at E3 under the working title Dead or Alive 3D. It is the 15th game in the Dead or Alive series. It will also be the first Dead or Alive game to be released on a Nintendo system...
, however, "upset fans" when the game was announced in 2010.
Dead or Alive series
In Dead or Alive 2Dead or Alive 2
Dead or Alive 2 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. It debuted in arcades in October 1999 and was released on February 29, 2000 for the Dreamcast....
, Ayane joined in the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship as an assassin in pursuit of her sister Kasumi, a runaway shinobi who has left the Mugen Tenshin behind and was promptly branded a "traitor" to their clan. Ayane encountered and rescued an amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
c Hayate, who went by the name "Ein". When confronting Helena, Ayane was accused of murdering Helena's mother Maria, but later it was revealed the assassin was really Christie.
In Dead or Alive 3
Dead or Alive 3
Dead or Alive 3 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. It was released exclusively on the Xbox as a launch title.-Gameplay:...
, Ayane's former teacher and foster parent, Genra, the leader of the sect of the Mugen Tenshin clan, has disappeared. Ayane, now as the de facto leader of Hajin Mon, learns that Genra has been turned into a puppet by the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC) and its sinister Omega Project. Seeing what has become of her beloved father, Ayane realizes that the fate commands her to put Genra out of his misery. According to the DOA series' creator Tomonobu Itagaki
Tomonobu Itagaki
is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting game and beach sport simulation series and also revived the Ninja Gaiden franchise in 2004...
, Ayane is the canonical main protagonist of the DOA3; she is also the official winner of the third DOA tournament.
In Dead or Alive 4
Dead or Alive 4
Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
, Ayane has pledged her life to her half-brother and Mugen Tenshin clan leader Hayate in his cause to destroy the DOATEC for all the suffering the company has caused the ninja clans. Ayane has a threefold stake in this revenge trip for Raidou being changed into a monster, for Hayate being brainwashed
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
in their attempt to realize Project Epsilon, and for the manipulation and death of Genra. At the end of the game, Ayane uses her secret ninpo
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
technique to blow up the DOATEC Tri-Tower.
Ninja Gaiden series
In Ninja Gaiden, Ayane plays a minor role, showing a younger her as she assists Ryu during his bloody vengeance against the Vigoorian Empire and the Greater Fiend Doku, serving a courierCourier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
at the age of 14 (Ayane is 16-year-old in the DOA series).
In Ninja Gaiden II, she appears only near the end of the game, to give Ryu the treasured Dragon's Eye, a jewel that increases the power of Ryu's fabled Dragon Sword, and defeating the resurrected Fiend and the Black Spider ninja clan's leader Genshin. However, in Ninja Gaiden Σ 2
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, also known as Ninja Gaiden Σ 2, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3. It is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden II.-Plot:...
(conversion of NGII for the PS3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) Ayane plays a more potent role as a playable character in one level (showing how she obtained the Dragon Eye for Ryu, which also has a brief cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
of Kasumi at the end) and also becomes available in the co-op
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
and multiplayer modes.
Spin-off games
Outside of the main DOA series, Ayane appears as one of the player characters in the beach volleyballBeach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
spin-off games Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
is a beach volleyball game by Tecmo released in 2003 exclusively for the Xbox. The game is a departure from the rest of the Dead or Alive series which otherwise consists of fighting games and marks the first game in the series to have a Mature rating due to the very revealing swimsuits featured in...
, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 is a 2006 video game for the Xbox 360 game console. Developed by Team Ninja, it is the sequel to Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball...
(where her current relationship with Kasumi is unclear) and Dead or Alive Paradise
Dead or Alive Paradise
is a 2010 video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Dead or Alive series. The game is a port and a remake of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 for the Xbox 360, and the title expands upon the activities available in the original which consisted...
. She is also featured in Zen Pinball: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, a pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
game for the PlayStation Network.
Dead or Alive: Code Chronos
Dead or Alive: Code Chronos
Dead Or Alive: Code Chronos was the code name for a cancelled video game that was in development by Team Ninja for the Xbox 360....
, a DOA series' prequel project which was supposed to center on Ayane and Kasumi, has been officially cancelled in 2010 after Itagaki had left Team NINJA and Tecmo.
Guest appearances
Ayane makes an unplayable guest appearanceGuest appearance
In show business , a guest appearance is a participation of an outsider performer , usually called guest artist , in an event , i.e., the participation of a performer which does not belong to the regular crew In performance...
in Koei's Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, originally released in Japan as , is a video game for the PlayStation Portable. It is based on Dynasty Warriors 6. It was released in Spring 2009 for North America and Europe. A console release of the game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was released in Japan on...
(her Fuma Kodachi
Kodachi
A , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...
twin short swords are also available there as a player's optional weapon). Her signature purple dress is also an unlockable costume in Super Swing Golf: Season 2
Super Swing Golf: Season 2
Super Swing Golf Season 2 is a golf game developed and published by Tecmo for the Wii. It was released in the North America on December 11, 2007...
for the character Kooh and in the Director's Cut version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, known in Japan as and in Europe as Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly, is a survival horror video game developed by Tecmo. It is the second installment in the Fatal Frame series and is considered by some gaming magazines as one of the scariest video games ever...
as an alternate costume for Mayu, one of this game's two protagonist sisters (the other one, Mio, may wear Kasumi's costume).
Gameplay
Throughout the Dead or Alive series, Ayane has been amongst the fastest characters in terms of move execution. While as fast as Kasumi, Ayane's attacks do twice as much damage. However, although she is powerful, Ayane is a very hard character to master. This is mostly due to how her moves require practice to execute flawlessly and efficiently; one wrong move could leave her wide open to attack. As such, she is definitely not suited for beginners—before using Ayane, it is recommended to practice with Kasumi first, as she is a more balanced character while still pertaining the same speedy attack style. When she is mastered, however, Ayane’s spinning attacks can be a great asset in a duel, making her difficult to predict and be countered by the opponent. According to GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, Ayane "is one of the more devious characters" of Dead or Alive 4, "capable of devastating speed and some ingenious little fake-out animations", but requires "a lot more practice than is apparent at first glance."
In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, her attacks and finishing moves are far faster than these of Ryu, but the player has to learn to dodge much more as she has worse blocking abilities.
In film
DOA: Dead or AliveDOA: Dead or Alive
DOA: Dead or Alive is a 2006 ensemble martial arts film loosely based on the Tecmo/Team Ninja fighting game series of the same name. Directed by Corey Yuen and written by J. F. Lawton, Adam and Seth Gross....
is a non-canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
live-action film loosely based on the game series. In the movie, Ayane is a ninja assassin and Kasumi's former servant who is dedicated to seek and kill her, as Kasumi is being considered an outcast to the clan (a nukenin, though the word "shinobi", which really means simply a ninja, is mistakenly used instead throughout the movie). Ayane first confronts Kasumi before she flees the temple, then several times on the island. She has feelings towards Hayate (she is not his half-sister in the movie, and neither she is Kasumi's), and initially believes him to be dead. Ayane fails to kill Kasumi but finds Hayate and aids him against DOATEC. During the film's finale, she saves him from a potentially fatal fall.
Ayane was controversially portrayed by Natassia Malthe
Natassia Malthe
Natassia Malthe is a Norwegian model and actress.-Biography:Natassia is the younger of two daughters. She was born in Oslo, Norway. She is half Filipino. She is usually credited by her birth name however is sometime credited as 'Lina Teal'...
, a half-Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
half-Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
actress who was also much older than Ayane is supposed to be in the games. Tomonobu Itagaki later said he "wanted to have Japanese actresses portray Kasumi and Ayane", however the director Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen Kwai is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer. He was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes.-Life and career:...
"believed strongly in his casting choices". Itagaki said he would have chosen Aya Ueto
Aya Ueto
is a Japanese actress, singer, model, tarento, and occasional radio personality. Born in Nerima, Tokyo, Ueto was discovered when she participated in the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest, where she won the special jury prize...
to play Ayane.
In promotion and merchandise
A number of merchandiseMerchandising
Merchandising is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity. In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer...
items featuring Ayane was created as well, such as a range of statuettes and action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s, including by Shunya Yamashita, Kotobukiya, Volks
Volks
is a Japan-based corporation that produces garage kits and mecha kits as well as the Dollfie, Super Dollfie and Dollfie Dream lines of dolls. The company's headquarters is in Kyoto, with some 30 shops worldwide, and annual sales of about $50 million, as of 2008....
, Mr Big and others (including one of which came with the limited edition Japanese release of Ninja Gaiden and another which could be undressed to a bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
), a UFO Catcher claw crane figure by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, a very special coffee mug for Banpresto
Banpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
's arcade redemption game
Redemption game
Redemption games are typically arcade games of skill that reward the player proportionally to their score in the game. The reward most often comes in the form of tickets, with more tickets being awarded for higher scores. These tickets can then be redeemed at a central location for prizes...
s, etc. In 2004, a pinup picture of Ayana from Ultimate in a bikini outfit was printed in Playboy.
Critical reception and popularity
Since her introduction, Ayane remains a face of the series alongside her older half-sister, and was featured through the fan-made CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
series Dead Fantasy
Dead Fantasy
Dead Fantasy is a series of fan-made CGI short action movies created by Monty Oum , starring a cast of characters from the Final Fantasy, Dead or Alive, Kingdom Hearts and Ninja Gaiden game franchises, fighting it out against each other battle royale-style in a number of different environments,...
from beginning. However, in contrast to Kasumi, often commended for her personality, overwhelming most of critical attention Ayane received regarded solely her physical appearance. According to IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
in 2004, "Ayane is most notable for her anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
purple hair and jigglin' jumblies." When featuring Ayane as the Videogame Babe of the Day in 2006, IGN added: "After that awkward goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
stage in high school, not many people continue to rock the violet locks, but Ayane is different… she's hot enough to get away with it."
In 2003, GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
collectively ranked her an the other Dead or Alive girls as second on the list of Top 10 Babes in Games. While awarding The Annual GameSpy E3 Award to Dead or Alive Ultimate in 2004, Psylancer (Raymond Padilla) wrote: "Ayane should be my new girlfriend." GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
ranked hers, Ryu's, and Momiji's guest appearance in DW: Strikeforce as 49th on their list of 55 awesome character cameos in 2010. In 2006, the Polish edition of GameStar
GameStar
GameStar is a monthly released PC computer game magazine, published by the IDG Entertainment Media GmbH in Germany. In 2008 it had an average monthly circulation of 250,000 copies and is therefore the best sold PC computer game magazine in Europe. It is also being published in Hungary, the Czech...
included her among the 20 candidates in a poll for the title of Miss of the Video Game World. In 2009, Ayane was ranked seventh on the list of top 10 fictional ninjas by Fandomania, while Gavin Mackenzie of Play jokingly rated her breasts as two of the 10 top best things one can expect to see in Dead or Alive 5. Ayane shared being GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
's Babe of the Week with Momiji and Rachel in 2009 and along with the other DOA girls was collectively ranked tenth on Complexs list of The 50 Hottest Women In Video Games in 2010; in 2011, Complex also ranked her alone as 14th on the list of The 25 Best Looking Sideline Chicks in Games, adding: "Kasumi's cool and all, but we definitely prefer Ayane's cold and killer demeanor."
On the other hand, Ayane's portrayal by Natassia Malthe in the film DOA: Dead or Alive was panned by fans and critics alike. GamesRadar nicknamed the motion picture version of Ayane as "White Girl Who is Somehow Also Japanese", while UGO.com wrote about Malthe's role as Ayane: "Defining Moment: Zzzzzzzz". Some also criticised the eye candy
Eye candy
Eye candy may refer to:*Attractiveness*Eye Candy , an album by Mis-Teeq*software "Eye Candy", a plugin for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Fireworks that adds new filter effects*"Eye Candy", an episode of the animated series Happy Tree Friends...
aspects of the character. In 2009, GamesRadar ranked the series of Team Ninja's controversial series of Sigma 2 commercials designed to draw attention to the fact that the "notoriously big-breasted" Ayane was a playable character (one of which was called by Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
"the best and worst thing to have ever been created") as the fourth most blatantly sexist
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
game advertisement ever, adding: "God forbid a moment goes by where any part of her body might be covered up".
Underage controversy
Just like Kasumi's (supposed to be 17), Ayane's age was not listed in the western versions of the games to avoid backlash regarding underage characters. Nevertheless, some outlets raised and sometimes questioned the issue how much Ayane, an adolescentAdolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
girl, is sexualized
Sexualization
The definition of the term, Sexualization has been the subject of debate and dispute. It has been described as the act or process of sexualizing. It refers to the making of a person, group or thing to be seen as sexual in nature or a person to become aware of sexuality...
in the games (in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 players were even given control over the movement of her breasts using the Sixaxis
Sixaxis
The Sixaxis Wireless Controller was the official gamepad for the Sony PlayStation 3 from launch until 2008 when it was succeeded by the DualShock 3....
game controller). A writer for Destructoid has voiced concern about how a supposedly 14-year-old character (Ayane's NG Sigma 2 age) has such "huge busters", tongue-in-cheek commenting how this made him "worried that this now means I'm a pedophile
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
". In 2011, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
of Europe decided to not distribute Dead or Alive: Dimensions in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, apparently because of the local child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
law encompassing drawn and animated characters (and despite the age of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
in Sweden being only 15).
External links
- Ayane – The Dead or Alive Wiki
- Ayane – Ninja Gaiden Wiki
- IGN: Ayane (Dead or Alive)
- Ayane at Giant BombGiant BombGiant Bomb is an American video game website and wiki that includes gaming news, reviews, commentary, and video, created by former GameSpot editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis in collaboration with Whiskey Media...
- Ayane at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...