Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
Encyclopedia
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 rest of the franchise. She has since become a popular sex symbol
in gaming and is known to be personal favourite of Team Ninja's founder and the series' creator Tomonobu Itagaki
. There are also two characters who are clones
of her.
According to the game canon
, Kasumi (her name
translates to "Mist"), also known as "the Kunoichi
of Destiny", is a teenage female shinobi
skilled in the style of ninjutsu
. She was to become the 18th Master of the Mugen Tenshin ninja
clan, but ran away in order to enter the Dead or Alive tournament and defeat Raidou who crippled her brother Hayate. Leaving the secretive ninja clan made her a nukenin (runaway shinobi), obliged to live on the run from her former comrades who are now seeking to hunt her down, including her younger half-sister Ayane
.
), her clone (second game
) and Helena (fourth game
).
" a 17-year-old girl, he answered: "In Japan
, that's okay. Maybe it's 20 in America
." Asked about Ayane and Kasumi, Itagaki said: "The basic concept of Ninja Gaiden was very hard-edged, but Kasumi is very soft. That's why she wasn't in it. DOA is based on a "softer" concept, and she is rather symbolic of the game as a whole." Kasumi is "of course" Itagaki's favorite DOA character and he feels "very close to her".
Kasumi uses a wide range of costumes through the series, from several female ninja outfits (her main colors being white and red at first, later becoming blue and white) to feminine teenage-girl casual clothes to Japanese schoolgirl uniform
(Itagaki's favorite) to beach bikini
s. According to IGN
, she had the best overall outfits of Dead or Alive Ultimate
, the expanded compilation of the first two DOA games ("she looks great and her outfits are fantastic"). Some prototype costume designs for the series' newest installment, Dead or Alive: Dimensions
, reportedly "upset fans" when the game was announced in 2010.
and heiress-in-line of her clan, the Mugen Tenshin, along with her brother Hayate. After Hayate was crippled in the attack by their treacherous uncle Raidou, Kasumi was supposed to take over leadership of the clan. Kasumi, however, left her village without permission on a personal quest of revenge.
Kasumi eventually killed Raidou and avenged Hayate, winning the first tournament
. However, she was then captured by Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC), who used her genes to create a clone called Kasumi Alpha as part of a project to develop a new breed of ultimate soldier
s. Kasumi managed to escape, defeating her first clone in the process, and attempted to return to her village, but was banished because a dishonored ninja could not rejoin their clan. Now labeled as a "traitor" in her village, Kasumi has been pursued incessantly by assassins from her clan and not a day passed without an attempt on her life. Despite this, she still wished to see her brother Hayate and half-sister Ayane and entered the third tournament
to meet with them one last time.
She eventually managed to meet her brother and tried to convince him to forget about DOATEC and return to the Mugen Tenshin village with her, only to be interfered by their half-sister Ayane, who attacked Kasumi but lost. Kasumi pursued Hayate to the DOATEC Tri-Tower, where she confronted Helena, who had taken control of DOATEC. Kasumi fought her way past Helena and then headed down to the lab to destroy her ultimate clone, the Alpha-152. Kasumi fought to her best efforts, but in the end Alpha-152 escaped in the chaos of the destruction wrought by the Mugen Tenshin attack. Upon spotting Helena entering the blazing helipad, Kasumi tried to risk her life and intervene, but was prevented from doing so by Ayane, who by doing that saved Kasumi's life as the building started exploding seconds later.
Kasumi was confirmed to return in Dead or Alive 5
in 2012.
was the first clone of Kasumi to debut in the games, looking just like Kasumi wearing a crimson ninja suit. Kasumi Alpha served as a boss character in Dead or Alive 2 and returned for Ultimate. She was defeated by Kasumi during her escape.
is the clone who seems to be made up of pure energy, born with an untainted hate of the world and created to destroy all. She was originally designed as Kasumi's figure made of light, however in the final game she was changed into a translucent/liquid-like form of Kasumi. The final CGI ending of Dead or Alive 4 shows Alpha-152 fleeing the DOATEC's Tri-Tower after a brief fight with Kasumi. The clone's whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Gameplay-wise, Alpha-152 is notorious for being an extremely challenging final boss, and she is especially difficult opponent for slower characters.
. Kasumi, hoping to see Hayate, goes to the island for the tournament. However, the tournament turns out to be a hoax crafted by Zack, and they are stuck for two weeks on the tropical island, playing beach volleyball
in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
. Kasumi later returned to the New Zack Island in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
upon hearing that her brother was there, even though she wondered what he was doing on a tropical island. It was there that Kasumi began to develop a more friendly relationship with Ayane.
, starring Ayane and Ryu Hayabusa
, wearing a new outfit, and it's possible she might become a player character
via DLC
. Dead or Alive: Code Chronos
, a DOA series' prequel
game which was supposed to center on Kasumi and Ayane, was canceled in 2010, after the series' creator Itagaki left Tecmo (Code Chronos has been his "pet project").
and Monster Rancher 4
. Her blue ninja outfit is an unlockable costume in Super Swing Golf and Super Swing Golf: Season 2
for the character Arin, and is an alternative costume of Mio Amakura in Director's Cut version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
. She also appears in the iPhone
game Girls of DOA BlackJack ～ the Kasumi version ～, in which she acts as the blackjack
dealer.
Accordiong to GameSpot
, Kasumi is "an interesting character for many reasons ... while she doesn't rely on brute strength to get the job done, she has a dizzying array of quick strikes and more than a few teleportation
moves to dazzle your opponents and pull them off guard, allowing you to sneak behind them and attack from the rear, or just confuse them mightily."
, loosely based on the game series, as its main character. She was played by Devon Aoki
, who however bears no physical similarity to the character she portrayed and it many felt she appeared to be miscast in this role. This sentiment which was shared also by Itagaki; when asked about whom he would choose for the film, he said it would be Kumiko Gotoh "from the time right after she made her debut".
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes
, Aoki said this about Kasumi: "Yes, she's pretty badass. ... and she's a princess
. She's never been outside the palace walls. She's been very, very sheltered, because she's a princess and that's the way it is…until the point where she actually decides to leave, she's basically been pretty sheltered but she's a capable fighter." The scene of her leaving the clan was named the movie's "most ridiculous" scene by GamesRadar
and was ranked #16 on their list of "The 16 most awesomely bad videogame movie moments" in 2009. "Transitioning from martial art fight scene to skydiving without blinking" was also chosen as her defining moment by UGO.com, with a snicker comment how Aoki's portrayal of Kasumi is "keeping conservative in a world full of boob".
In the movie, Kasumi fights against Leon and wins. The film Kiss of the Dragon
is referenced when she pierces an acupuncture
needle into the villain Victor Donovan, who then suffers paralysis
and perishes in an explosion. In the end, she did go home with her brother despite being a runaway shinobi, but has to make a fighting stand against her clan with her new friends in order to get to stay.
ttes and action figure
s of various scales, including one which was bundled
with a special edition of Dead or Alive Paradise
for the PSP
(a different edition also came with an original Kasumi box cover) another which could be stripped topless
, and another to her underwear; an Xbox 360
face plate, a very special mousepad
, and even a live-size 160 cm long (Kasumi's height is supposed to be 158 cm) body pillow which was bundled by Microsoft
with the "Kasumi-chan Blue Xbox" limited edition batch of the Xbox
consoles in Japan. She and Hitomi were also used in the iPhone
digital clock application Bijin Tokei.
In 2010, the gamebook
Destiny Kunoichi Kasumi was released in the Queen's Gate series of Queen's Blade
, along with another figure.
abilities, and sometimes also her personality. Talking about her popularity in Japan, Itagaki claimed in 2004: "It's almost like there are too many Kasumi covers. If you look at Japanese [video game] magazines, maybe 10% of them have Kasumi on their cover." WomanGamers.Com appreciated her portrayal "as a woman of action and deeds ... willing to risk everything in order to search for her missing brother", hurt by her eye candy
aspect "for which the series is both famous and infamous", overally rating her 8.14/10 as "a very pleasing character". The Age
ranked her as 36th among The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time in 2008, commenting: "Kasumi's appeal is no great mystery, is it? As the merciful ninja who avoids confrontation but finds herself again and again having to defeat challengers, she's just another hero
ine based on a well-loved archetype
." In 2004, TeamXbox
ranked Kasumi third in the list of Top Ten Xbox Babes, adding: "When we imagine our ideal Tecmo babe, Kasumi fits the bill perfectly. She has fought her way into the hearts and minds
of millions of gamers." Featuring her as a Videogame Babe of the Day in 2006, IGN noted: "This sultry redhead is also a fan favorite, and it's not difficult to see why. In addition to being gifted as a fighter, she's been graced with one of the finest digital bodies ever. Also, she is a freaking ninja."
In the 2005 G4
TV show Video Game Vixens
Kasumi won in the category "Dressed to Kill", and in 2007 she won the G-Phoria
award in the category "Best Hottest Babe" (55% of the votes). Ranking her tenth in the 2006 list of Top 11 Video Game Hotties, UGO
called her "the most attractive ninja you'll ever see". In 2007, Kasumi was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history and "the video game vixens of today", as well as "and one of the most powerful - and sexy - ninjas in the world". In 2010, UGO featured her for having one of the 30 best swimsuit
s in all works of fiction and listed her among the Top 50 Videogame Hotties, commenting: "Kasumi is the flagship protagonist of the Dead or Alive series of games, and it's for good reason. Her huge breasts, flowing hair, and butt-bumpin' volleyball skills represent at least half of what the series is all about. It only helps that she's equally deadly when the fighting portion comes around." In 2011, UGO also ranked her ninth among the Fighting Games' Finest Female Fighters.
In 2007, she was featured as the Babe of the Week by GameDaily
as one of the series' "most delectable hotties", and in the Babes of the Week articles Babes We're Thankful For in 2008 ("this voluptuous vixen has a killer body and the moves to match") and Asian Beauties in 2009 ("there's no way we could ignore Kasumi"), as well as in 2009's article Gaming's Greatest Patriots in the category Team Japan with a comment that "it's hard to imagine a video game world without the lovely Kasumi". GameDaily also ranked her eight on the 2008's list of Top 50 Hottest Game Babes, adding: "We love female ninjas, especially ones with gigantic breasts, flowing hair and a knack for beach volleyball. Kasumi remains the most recognizable Dead or Alive girl, and [...] one of the most dangerous." In 2011, machinima.com
ranked her third on the list of Top 10 Ninjas in ALL of Gaming.
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 Dead or Alive 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. Kasumi has served as the main character of the Dead or Alive franchise since its beginning in 1996, being the official protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in the first two main games in the series, and playing very important roles in the rest of the franchise. She has since become a popular sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
in gaming and is known to be personal favourite of Team Ninja's founder and the 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...
. There are also two characters who are clones
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
of her.
According to the game canon
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...
, Kasumi (her name
Kasumi
Kasumi is a Japanese given name. It literally translates to "Mist".Places:* Kasumi, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan* Kasumigaseki , a district in downtown TokyoPeople:...
translates to "Mist"), also known as "the Kunoichi
Kunoichi
is the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...
of Destiny", is a teenage female 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...
skilled in the style 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...
. She was to become the 18th Master of the Mugen Tenshin ninja
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...
clan, but ran away in order to enter the Dead or Alive tournament and defeat Raidou who crippled her brother Hayate. Leaving the secretive ninja clan made her a nukenin (runaway shinobi), obliged to live on the run from her former comrades who are now seeking to hunt her down, including her younger half-sister Ayane
Ayane (Dead or Alive)
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 heroine of the Dead or Alive series, ever since they grew up together...
.
In video games
Kasumi is portrayed throughout the DOA series as a more compassionate character than Ayane and most of the other fighters. Though she is a highly skilled kunoichi with deadly abilities but she does not enjoy fighting and often expresses a desire to avoid confrontation. She values her family and seeks to return home in peace. In all of the tournaments except the first her goal is not to win or even to fight; she simply wishes to meet Hayate. Kasumi dislikes seeing people suffer from at the hands of her skills and often shows mercy even to enemies. However, she is a trained shinobi who is capable of killing, though, and she foregoes showing mercy to particularly dangerous adversaries or those who have wronged her or her family: Raidou (first gameDead or Alive (arcade game)
Dead or Alive is a fighting game and the first entry in the long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released in 1996 in arcades, followed by home ports for Sega Saturn in 1997 and Sony PlayStation in 1998 .-Gameplay:Dead or Alive was unique in its debut that featured fairly different choices in...
), her clone (second game
Dead 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....
) and Helena (fourth game
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
Just like the other girls in the franchise, Kasumi was designed by Tomonobu Itagaki to have a buxom figure (her official measurements are 35-21-33). When asked if he was fine with "sexualizingSexualization
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...
" a 17-year-old girl, he answered: "In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, that's okay. Maybe it's 20 in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
." Asked about Ayane and Kasumi, Itagaki said: "The basic concept of Ninja Gaiden was very hard-edged, but Kasumi is very soft. That's why she wasn't in it. DOA is based on a "softer" concept, and she is rather symbolic of the game as a whole." Kasumi is "of course" Itagaki's favorite DOA character and he feels "very close to her".
Kasumi uses a wide range of costumes through the series, from several female ninja outfits (her main colors being white and red at first, later becoming blue and white) to feminine teenage-girl casual clothes to Japanese schoolgirl uniform
Japanese school uniform
Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are common in many of the Japanese public and private school systems. The Japanese word for this type of uniform is .-Usage:...
(Itagaki's favorite) to beach 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...
s. 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...
, she had the best overall outfits of 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...
, the expanded compilation of the first two DOA games ("she looks great and her outfits are fantastic"). Some prototype costume designs for the series' newest installment, 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...
, reportedly "upset fans" when the game was announced in 2010.
Dead or Alive series
Kasumi is the respected missMiss
Miss is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman . Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction...
and heiress-in-line of her clan, the Mugen Tenshin, along with her brother Hayate. After Hayate was crippled in the attack by their treacherous uncle Raidou, Kasumi was supposed to take over leadership of the clan. Kasumi, however, left her village without permission on a personal quest of revenge.
Kasumi eventually killed Raidou and avenged Hayate, winning the first tournament
Dead or Alive (arcade game)
Dead or Alive is a fighting game and the first entry in the long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released in 1996 in arcades, followed by home ports for Sega Saturn in 1997 and Sony PlayStation in 1998 .-Gameplay:Dead or Alive was unique in its debut that featured fairly different choices in...
. However, she was then captured by Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC), who used her genes to create a clone called Kasumi Alpha as part of a project to develop a new breed of ultimate soldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
s. Kasumi managed to escape, defeating her first clone in the process, and attempted to return to her village, but was banished because a dishonored ninja could not rejoin their clan. Now labeled as a "traitor" in her village, Kasumi has been pursued incessantly by assassins from her clan and not a day passed without an attempt on her life. Despite this, she still wished to see her brother Hayate and half-sister Ayane and entered the third tournament
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:...
to meet with them one last time.
She eventually managed to meet her brother and tried to convince him to forget about DOATEC and return to the Mugen Tenshin village with her, only to be interfered by their half-sister Ayane, who attacked Kasumi but lost. Kasumi pursued Hayate to the DOATEC Tri-Tower, where she confronted Helena, who had taken control of DOATEC. Kasumi fought her way past Helena and then headed down to the lab to destroy her ultimate clone, the Alpha-152. Kasumi fought to her best efforts, but in the end Alpha-152 escaped in the chaos of the destruction wrought by the Mugen Tenshin attack. Upon spotting Helena entering the blazing helipad, Kasumi tried to risk her life and intervene, but was prevented from doing so by Ayane, who by doing that saved Kasumi's life as the building started exploding seconds later.
Kasumi was confirmed to return in Dead or Alive 5
Dead or Alive 5
Dead or Alive 5 is an upcoming fighting game in the Dead or Alive franchise, set for release in 2012 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the first game in the series to see a multi-platform release since Dead or Alive 2 and the only one to be released simultaneously on both...
in 2012.
Kasumi clones
According to the series' storyline, DOATEC created many clones of Kasumi as part of their Project Alpha with the aim of creating a perfect fighter.was the first clone of Kasumi to debut in the games, looking just like Kasumi wearing a crimson ninja suit. Kasumi Alpha served as a boss character in Dead or Alive 2 and returned for Ultimate. She was defeated by Kasumi during her escape.
is the clone who seems to be made up of pure energy, born with an untainted hate of the world and created to destroy all. She was originally designed as Kasumi's figure made of light, however in the final game she was changed into a translucent/liquid-like form of Kasumi. The final CGI ending of Dead or Alive 4 shows Alpha-152 fleeing the DOATEC's Tri-Tower after a brief fight with Kasumi. The clone's whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Gameplay-wise, Alpha-152 is notorious for being an extremely challenging final boss, and she is especially difficult opponent for slower characters.
DOAX series
Following the third Dead or Alive tournament, Kasumi has been invited to Zack Island, an imaginary place that has all the DOA girls for the fourth tournamentDead 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...
. Kasumi, hoping to see Hayate, goes to the island for the tournament. However, the tournament turns out to be a hoax crafted by Zack, and they are stuck for two weeks on the tropical island, playing beach volleyball
Beach 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....
in 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...
. Kasumi later returned to the New Zack Island 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...
upon hearing that her brother was there, even though she wondered what he was doing on a tropical island. It was there that Kasumi began to develop a more friendly relationship with Ayane.
Other games
Kasumi also appears in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2Ninja 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:...
, starring Ayane and 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...
, wearing a new outfit, and it's possible she might become a player character
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...
via DLC
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
. 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
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
game which was supposed to center on Kasumi and Ayane, was canceled in 2010, after the series' creator Itagaki left Tecmo (Code Chronos has been his "pet project").
Guest appearances
Kasumi appeared as an optionally playable "monster" in the games Monster Rancher 2Monster Rancher 2
Monster Rancher 2 is a video game and the second North American and Japanese installment in the Monster Rancher series. In Europe Monster Rancher 2 is the first release in the series and is thus named Monster Rancher.-Gameplay:This game involves raising, fighting, and breeding monsters...
and Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4 is a monster breeding and management game that was released by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Gameplay:Like the previous installments, this game involves the raising, breeding, and fighting of monsters. Monsters are created via a "Saucer Stone" regeneration system...
. Her blue ninja outfit is an unlockable costume in Super Swing Golf and 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 Arin, and is an alternative costume of Mio Amakura in 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...
. She also appears in the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
game Girls of DOA BlackJack ～ the Kasumi version ～, in which she acts as the blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
dealer.
Gameplay
Similar to the other Dead or Alive ninjutsu characters, Kasumi is considered a mid-to-top tier character due to her balanced character traits. She features good speed, execution, and fairly simplistic input commands, but her range is lacking and her single strikes do little damage. Kasumi's playing style has differed slightly over the series: in the original Dead or Alive and its sequel, her commands were suited to performing air combos and juggles. In the later games, however, she became a pressure character, focusing more on extremely fast attacks and great interrupters to keep the opponent constantly on the defense.Accordiong to GameSpot
GameSpot
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...
, Kasumi is "an interesting character for many reasons ... while she doesn't rely on brute strength to get the job done, she has a dizzying array of quick strikes and more than a few teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
moves to dazzle your opponents and pull them off guard, allowing you to sneak behind them and attack from the rear, or just confuse them mightily."
In film
Kasumi appeared in the 2006 action-comedy 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....
, loosely based on the game series, as its main character. She was played by Devon Aoki
Devon Aoki
Devon Edwenna Aoki is an American model and actress.-Early life:Aoki was born in New York City, New York, and grew up in California and London, attending high school at The American School in London...
, who however bears no physical similarity to the character she portrayed and it many felt she appeared to be miscast in this role. This sentiment which was shared also by Itagaki; when asked about whom he would choose for the film, he said it would be Kumiko Gotoh "from the time right after she made her debut".
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, Aoki said this about Kasumi: "Yes, she's pretty badass. ... and she's a princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
. She's never been outside the palace walls. She's been very, very sheltered, because she's a princess and that's the way it is…until the point where she actually decides to leave, she's basically been pretty sheltered but she's a capable fighter." The scene of her leaving the clan was named the movie's "most ridiculous" scene by 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...
and was ranked #16 on their list of "The 16 most awesomely bad videogame movie moments" in 2009. "Transitioning from martial art fight scene to skydiving without blinking" was also chosen as her defining moment by UGO.com, with a snicker comment how Aoki's portrayal of Kasumi is "keeping conservative in a world full of boob".
In the movie, Kasumi fights against Leon and wins. The film Kiss of the Dragon
Kiss of the Dragon
Kiss of the Dragon is a 2001 martial arts action film, directed by Chris Nahon, co-written and produced by Luc Besson, and starring Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, and Tchéky Karyo....
is referenced when she pierces an acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
needle into the villain Victor Donovan, who then suffers paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
and perishes in an explosion. In the end, she did go home with her brother despite being a runaway shinobi, but has to make a fighting stand against her clan with her new friends in order to get to stay.
In promotion and merchandise
A wide range of merchandise items featuring Kasumi was created as well, such as statueStatue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
ttes 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 of various scales, including one which was bundled
Product bundling
Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...
with a special edition of 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...
for the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(a different edition also came with an original Kasumi box cover) another which could be stripped topless
Toplessness
Toplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...
, and another to her underwear; an Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
face plate, a very special mousepad
Mousepad
A mousepad or mouse mat is a surface for enhancing the usability of a computer mouse.-History:During a 1968 presentation by Douglas Engelbart marking the public debut of a mouse,...
, and even a live-size 160 cm long (Kasumi's height is supposed to be 158 cm) body pillow which was bundled by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
with the "Kasumi-chan Blue Xbox" limited edition batch of the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
consoles in Japan. She and Hitomi were also used in the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
digital clock application Bijin Tokei.
In 2010, the gamebook
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
Destiny Kunoichi Kasumi was released in the Queen's Gate series of Queen's Blade
Queen's Blade
is a series of visual combat books published by Hobby Japan based on the licensed works from Flying Buffalo's Lost Worlds. First published in 2005, it features sexually suggestive depictions of an exclusively female cast of characters. The overall plot of the game revolves around a tournament...
, along with another figure.
Reception
Kasumi was received well among the gaming fans and professional critics for both her sex appeal and her martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
abilities, and sometimes also her personality. Talking about her popularity in Japan, Itagaki claimed in 2004: "It's almost like there are too many Kasumi covers. If you look at Japanese [video game] magazines, maybe 10% of them have Kasumi on their cover." WomanGamers.Com appreciated her portrayal "as a woman of action and deeds ... willing to risk everything in order to search for her missing brother", hurt by her 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...
aspect "for which the series is both famous and infamous", overally rating her 8.14/10 as "a very pleasing character". The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
ranked her as 36th among The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time in 2008, commenting: "Kasumi's appeal is no great mystery, is it? As the merciful ninja who avoids confrontation but finds herself again and again having to defeat challengers, she's just another 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 based on a well-loved archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
." In 2004, TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
ranked Kasumi third in the list of Top Ten Xbox Babes, adding: "When we imagine our ideal Tecmo babe, Kasumi fits the bill perfectly. She has fought her way into the hearts and minds
Hearts and Minds
Hearts and Minds may refer to:* A biblical quotation; see the Wikisource link-Film:* Hearts and Minds , a 1974 documentary film about the Vietnam War-Television:...
of millions of gamers." Featuring her as a Videogame Babe of the Day in 2006, IGN noted: "This sultry redhead is also a fan favorite, and it's not difficult to see why. In addition to being gifted as a fighter, she's been graced with one of the finest digital bodies ever. Also, she is a freaking ninja."
In the 2005 G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
TV show Video Game Vixens
Video Game Vixens
Video Game Vixens was a special four-part TV show hosted by Hal Sparks on G4 that featured what the network considered to be "the sexiest female video game characters of the year." It debuted in June 2005...
Kasumi won in the category "Dressed to Kill", and in 2007 she won the G-Phoria
G-Phoria
G-Phoria is an annual video game awards show started in 2003 and produced by G4. The awards are democratically voted on.Formerly the event was formatted like a regular awards ceremony taped in front of an audience, featuring celebrities such as Hal Sparks, Carmen Electra, Wilmer Valderamma and Anna...
award in the category "Best Hottest Babe" (55% of the votes). Ranking her tenth in the 2006 list of Top 11 Video Game Hotties, UGO
UGO
UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...
called her "the most attractive ninja you'll ever see". In 2007, Kasumi was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history and "the video game vixens of today", as well as "and one of the most powerful - and sexy - ninjas in the world". In 2010, UGO featured her for having one of the 30 best swimsuit
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
s in all works of fiction and listed her among the Top 50 Videogame Hotties, commenting: "Kasumi is the flagship protagonist of the Dead or Alive series of games, and it's for good reason. Her huge breasts, flowing hair, and butt-bumpin' volleyball skills represent at least half of what the series is all about. It only helps that she's equally deadly when the fighting portion comes around." In 2011, UGO also ranked her ninth among the Fighting Games' Finest Female Fighters.
In 2007, she was featured as the Babe of the Week by 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...
as one of the series' "most delectable hotties", and in the Babes of the Week articles Babes We're Thankful For in 2008 ("this voluptuous vixen has a killer body and the moves to match") and Asian Beauties in 2009 ("there's no way we could ignore Kasumi"), as well as in 2009's article Gaming's Greatest Patriots in the category Team Japan with a comment that "it's hard to imagine a video game world without the lovely Kasumi". GameDaily also ranked her eight on the 2008's list of Top 50 Hottest Game Babes, adding: "We love female ninjas, especially ones with gigantic breasts, flowing hair and a knack for beach volleyball. Kasumi remains the most recognizable Dead or Alive girl, and [...] one of the most dangerous." In 2011, machinima.com
Machinima.com
Machinima.com is a gaming and media streaming website, that aims to be a hub for machinima, the art of creating animated videos in real-time virtual 3-D environments. The site features machinima-related articles, and news. Machinima productions can be submitted for possible redistribution after...
ranked her third on the list of Top 10 Ninjas in ALL of Gaming.
Legal case
When hackers found a way to turn Kasumi nude in DOA2, Itagaki felt this "was an attack on her" and Tecmo's lawyers actually sued the authors of the naked Kasumi DOA2 hack (software company West Side) for a violation of Kasumi's dignity, winning the case and two million yen in damages.External links
- Kasumi – The Dead or Alive Wiki
- Kasumi Alpha – The Dead or Alive Wiki
- IGN: Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
- Kasumi 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...
- Kasumi 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...