Kasumi (Dead or Alive)

Kasumi
'Dead or Alive' character
File:Kasumi DOA5.jpg Kasumi as seen in Dead or Alive 5
First game	Dead or Alive (arcade) (1996)
Created by	Tomonobu Itagaki

Kasumi (かすみ, also written as 霞, Mist) is a player character and the lead protagonist in the Dead or Alive fighting game series by Team Ninja and Tecmo (Tecmo Koei). She is also portrayed by Devon Aoki as one of the main characters in the film DOA: Dead or Alive.

According to the games' canon, Kasumi, also known as "the Kunoichi of Destiny", is a teenage female ninja skilled in the Tenjin Mon (天神門) style of Mugen Tenshin (霧幻天神流) ninjutsu. Leaving her clan makes her an outcast, pursued by her younger half-sister Ayane. Kasumi has served as the main character of the Dead or Alive franchise since its premiere in 1996 and was the official protagonist in the first two main games in the series. There are also two Dead or Alive boss characters who are clones of her.

Kasumi is a symbol of the DOA franchise and is known to be the personal favourite of Team Ninja's founder and the series' creator Tomonobu Itagaki. She has been the subject of various merchandise, including being used to promote the Xbox console in Japan. Kasumi has become a popular sex symbol in gaming and one of the iconic video game ninja characters.

In video games

Character design

Like the other female characters in the franchise, Kasumi was designed with a buxom figure (her official measurements are 35-21-33). Asked if he was comfortable with "sexualizing" a 17-year-old female, Tomonobu Itagaki answered: "In Japan, that's okay. Maybe it's 20 in America." Itagaki described Kasumi as "very soft". The series contributed its character Ayane, rather than Kasumi, for a cameo appearance in Ninja Gaiden because Kasumi did not fit with the game's "very hard-edged" basis. Itagaki said: "DOA is based on a 'softer' concept, and she is rather symbolic of the game as a whole." He also said that had the game featured Kasumi, it would have become less a "story of Hayabusa and ninjas" and more a story of Kasumi ("Kasumi-Den") and a "DOA action game".

Itagaki said Kasumi was "of course" his favorite DOA character; he felt "responsible for her" and "very close to her." When hackers found a way to turn Kasumi nude in DOA2, Itagaki felt this "was an attack on her". Tecmo's lawyers sued the authors of the hack (software company West Side) for violating Kasumi's dignity, winning the case and two million yen in damages.

Kasumi stands at 5'2" and weighs 106 lbs. She uses a wide range of costumes through the series: several female ninja outfits (her main color scheme was white and red in the original game, and later blue and white), feminine casual clothes to Japanese schoolgirl uniform (Itagaki's favorite) and beach bikinis. Her hair color has varied from blonde to red to auburn. According to IGN, she had the best overall outfits among the cast of Dead or Alive Ultimate, the expanded compilation of the first two DOA games, in which "she looks great and her outfits are fantastic." One controversial new costume in the series' newest installment, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, "upset fans" when the game was announced in 2010. Kasumi has a less cartoonish and more realistic and "grown up" appearance in DOA 5.

Dead or Alive series

Kasumi, the protagonist of the first two games in the series, is the respected heiress apparent of her clan, the Mugen Tenshin, along with her brother Hayate. According to the background story: she was destined to become the 18th Master of the Mugen Tenshin ninja clan, when Hayate was left in a comatose state following an attack by their uncle Raidou. On a personal quest of revenge, Kasumi then fled in order to enter the Dead or Alive tournament and defeat Raidou, in doing so becoming an outlaw outcast to her clan.

Kasumi kills the rogue Raidou and avenges Hayate, winning the first DOA tournament. However, immediately after the Dead or Alive 1 World Combat Championship she is abducted by Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC)'s Super-human Development Project, who uses her genes to create a clone (called Kasumi Alpha) as part of its project to develop supersoldiers. Kasumi manages to escape, defeating her clone in the process, and attempts to return to her village; but like Raidou, she too is banished because a dishonored ninja cannot rejoin their clan. Now labeled a traitor, as leaving the village is punishable by death, Kasumi is constantly hunted by assassins. Despite this, she still wishes to see her brother Hayate (the current clan leader) and half-sister Ayane and so enters the third tournament to meet with them a final time.

She eventually manages to meet her brother. After trying to convince him to forget DOATEC and return to the Mugen Tenshin village with her, she is attacked by her half-sister Ayane, but is victorious. Kasumi follows Hayate to the DOATEC Tri-Tower to confront Helena, who has taken control of DOATEC. Kasumi fights past Helena and then heads to the laboratory to destroy her powerful clone, the Alpha-152. Kasumi fights to the best of her ability, but in the end Alpha-152 escapes in the chaos caused by a Mugen Tenshin attack. Upon spotting Helena entering the blazing helipad, Kasumi risks her life in an attempt to intervene, but is prevented from doing so by Ayane, who thus saves Kasumi's life as the building starts to explode seconds later.

Kasumi returns in Dead or Alive 5 (2012), where "unable to return to her village, she continues to live on the run with her life remaining a target." In it, Kasumi joins forces with Helena to find Alpha-152, refusing help from anyone, including her own brother. After defeating her clone, she is attacked and killed by Hayate and Ayane. However, it is revealed that she is merely one of the Alpha clones programmed into believing that she was the original and the real Kasumi has been in Japan the entire time with Ninja Gaiden's Muramasa at a hidden village. She receives a message from a falcon sent by Ryu Hayabusa, which says that her brother is in danger and she is needed in battle. Reaching the oil platform where her brother is, Kasumi discoveres a secret laboratory of Victor Donovan's new organization, MIST, and finds that he has created several Alpha clones to sell to the militaries of powerful countries. After Kasumi frees Hayate, Kasumi, aided by Hayate, Ayane and Ryu, manages to destroy Alpha-152 and the laboratory. Afterwards, Kasumi thanks Ayane and Hayate before taking her leave to find and defeat Donovan.

Kasumi clones

File:Alpha-152 DOA4.jpg

Alpha-152 as seen in Dead or Alive 4

According to the series' storyline, DOATEC uses Kasumi's DNA to create many clones as part of its Project Alpha, which aims to create a perfect fighter. Kasumi Alpha (カスミα （アルファ）, Kasumi Arufa) was the first clone of Kasumi to debut in the games, appearing as Kasumi wearing a crimson ninja suit. Kasumi Alpha served as a boss character in Dead or Alive 2 and returned for Ultimate. She is defeated by an escaping Kasumi, and undergoes another phase of the project known as Project Alpha-2.

The character was later redesigned as a translucent, liquid-like form of Kasumi, Alpha-152 (（アルファ・イチゴーニ, Arufa Ichi-gō-ni). In the games' plot, this is the ultimate stage of Alpha series human weapons, and she "detests all things and her goal is only to destroy." The final CGI ending of Dead or Alive 4 shows Alpha-152 fleeing the DOATEC's Tri-Tower after a brief fight with Kasumi. In terms of gameplay, although not designed as one by Itagaki, Alpha-152 is known for being a very challenging final boss (in several characters' story mode and in the time attack mode in DOA4, where she is not playable, as well as being the final boss in the story mode of DOA5) who is an especially difficult opponent for slower characters. She returns in Dead or Alive 5, in which she can be unlocked as a playable character. She can be also unlocked in Dimensions. In the story mode of DOA5, Alpha-152 transforms into Hayate and Ryu during the final battle.

Other games

Kasumi features in sports video game Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, set on the fictional Zack Island. The premise depicts Kasumi invited to a fourth DOA tournament; upon arriving and discovering the invitation is a hoax, she and the game's other characters pass the time playing beach volleyball. Kasumi also appears in the sequel, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, and in Dead or Alive Paradise.

Kasumi makes a cameo appearance in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (starring Ayane and Ryu Hayabusa), wearing a new outfit. She stars in the iPhone game The Girls of Dead or Alive: Blackjack, in which she acts as a blackjack dealer. Kasumi also appears as an optionally playable "monster" in the games Monster Rancher 2 and Monster Rancher 4. Her blue ninja outfit is an unlockable costume for Arin in Super Swing Golf and Super Swing Golf: Season 2, and is an alternative costume of Mio Amakura in the Director's Cut version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly.

Dead or Alive: Code Chronos, a DOA series' prequel game which was supposed to center on Kasumi and Ayane, was canceled in 2010, following Itagaki's departure from Tecmo. In 2003, Itagaki also said that "the fact that we registered this trademark for Kasumi-Den should tell you that we have a big plan for it."

Gameplay

According to GameSpy's guide to Ultimate, her key moves in Dead or Alive 2 include her "famous" high kick and her cartwheel attack, which is "perfect" against low attackers. According to GameSpy's guide for Dead or Alive 3, "beyond her dazzling beauty, Kasumi combines powerful kick attacks and great speed, with some of the best punch and kick combinations in the game", usually ending with a very powerful launching attack (to send an opponent flying into a wall or off the edge of the arena). This - in addition to her versatile throws, some very good new long-range moves and many stunning attacks - means that "no player - scrub or master - can go wrong with Kasumi." GameSpy summed up, "all in all, Kasumi is a great character for any level of player; novices will certainly enjoy her easy mechanics, while master players will find some of the most evil combinations in the game with Kasumi." She is a good tag team partner for any fighter, but especially for Hayabusa, Bass, Helena and Ayane. In the DOA Extreme beach volleyball series, Kasumi has excellent technique and jump abilities, but average speed and defense, and very low power.

According to Prima Games' official guide for Dead or Alive 4, in this game Kasumi is "faster than ever" and her techniques have been modified considerably; she was ranked overall 8/10, while her clone Alpha-152 was ranked 10/10. According to GameSpot's guide to DOA4, 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." GameSpy's guide to DOA4 wrote that "Kasumi is a very well-rounded character that is diverse in usefulness," adding that she "can be a pure powerhouse character outside of her looks that will certainly drive the point across even to the most defensive of fighters," and that novice players might especially appreciate her very accessible high combos. In Dead or Alive 5, Kasumi uses "beautiful yet varied attacks executed at a high speed that few can guard against."

In film

File:Kasumi Devon Aoki.jpg

Devon Aoki as Kasumi in the film. In 2011, Complex ranked her role as 10th on the list of "hottest women in video game movies", but with likeness factor of only 52%

Kasumi appeared in the 2006 action-comedy film DOA: Dead or Alive (loosely based on the game series) as one of its lead characters, and was played by Devon Aoki. Itagaki later expressed a preference for a Japanese actress, ideally Kumiko Gotoh "from the time right after she made her debut", but had no authority over the casting process. In an interview, Aoki said 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."

According to Kung Fu Tai Chi, DOA: Dead or Alive "focuses its pugilistic mayhem on the eye-candy surrounding the mythos of Princess Kasumi." In the movie, Kasumi escapes her clan and joins the tournament upon receiving an invitation. She fights against Leon and wins. Later, Kasumi pierces an acupuncture needle into the villain Victor Donovan, who then suffers paralysis and perishes in an explosion. In the end, she goes 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 be allowed to stay.

Promotion and merchandise

File:Xbox Kasumi-chan.jpg

"Kasumi-chan" limited edition of the Xbox

A wide range of merchandise items featuring Kasumi has been created, including scores of different figurines, statuettes and action figures of various types and scales. Examples include figures by Sega, Kaiyodo, Max Factory, Kotobukiya, and Takara, as well as one bundled with a special edition of Dead or Alive Paradise for the PlayStation Portable. A few Kasumi figures can be stripped to their underwear, or stripped topless. One exclusive figure was added to the magazine Hobby Japan in 2010.

Other items include an Xbox 360 face plate, a PSP protective cover, special "3D breasts" mousepad and a similar mug, trading cards, a Dead or Alive 5 arcade stick by Hori decorated with a graphic of Ayane and Kasumi (available in two versions for either the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360), and a live-size 160 cm long (Kasumi's height is supposed to be 158 cm) body pillow which was bundled by Microsoft with the 5000-unit "Kasumi-chan Blue Xbox" limited edition batch of the Xbox consoles in Japan. Kasumi and Hitomi were also used in the iPhone digital clock application Bijin Tokei and a Dead or Alive talking clock, which was bundled with a figure of either her or Ayane. In 2007, Side A: Love! Kasumi was released as one of the two DOA tenth anniversary picture books. Dead or Alive 4 pre-orders in Japan included bonuses marketed as "the most beautiful slipcase in the world" and "the most beautiful poster in the world", the case having an almost-naked Kasumi on one side and Ayane in her standard fighting outfit on the other. Dead or Alive 5 pre-order bonuses included an exclusive Kasumi-themed iPhone case from the online retailer ShopTo.Net.

In 2010, an erotic gamebook Destiny Kunoichi Kasumi (運命のくノ一　かすみ) was published (in the Queen's Gate series, in the Queen's Blade franchise), for which in turn another Kasumi figure was released. She is also a subject of an unofficial (non-Tecmo) doujin erotic game, for which a CD featuring erotic vocal samples and 14 of the game's songs was also released separately. Kasumi's signature high kick attack was a subject of a TV commercial for Dead or Alive 3.

Reception

Kasumi has also been positively received for her personality traits. In 2000, WomanGamers appreciated her portrayal "as a woman of action and deeds [...] willing to risk everything in order to search for her missing brother". The website questioned her visual allure "for which the series is both famous and infamous," but nevertheless rated her 8.14/10 as "a very pleasing character." In 2004, TeamXbox ranked Kasumi as the third-top "Xbox babe", 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." TeamXbox also included Kasumi among the 11 "hotties in the Xbox universe" in 2009. The Age ranked her as 36th top Xbox character 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 heroine based on a well-loved archetype." 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 magazines, maybe 10% of them have Kasumi on their cover." According to Brian Ashcraft, in Japan "Kasumi is nothing short of an icon."

Sex appeal

Kasumi has been received well among gaming fans and professional critics for her sex appeal, juxtaposed with martial arts abilities. In 1998, Computer and Video Games featured her as its Star of the Month, commenting: "She's so sexy, and so deadly (and so a-lively)," while Sega Saturn Magazine featured her on a cover along with a caption stating "Drop dead gorgeous!" in capital letters. In 2005, Kasumi won in G4 TV show Video Game Vixens in the category "Dressed to Kill". In 2007, she won the G-Phoria award in the category "Best Hottest Babe" after 55% of all votes were cast for her.

Featuring Kasumi as their "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 2007, Kasumi was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history as well as "the video game vixens of today" for being "one of the most powerful - and sexy - ninjas in the world." GamePro ranked her third in their 2007 list of "top asses in gaming", while in 2011 her breasts were ranked as the 14th finest by GameFront, and, together with Tina's, chosen as the seventh "most incredible chest" by Joystick Division. She was also included on the list of top 25 "hottest" female video game protagonists by Manolith in 2009, for "always [having] been overly-cute," and was ranked third on the list of top ten ninjas in all of gaming by Machinima.com in 2011.

She was featured as the "Babe of the Week" by GameDaily as one of the series' "most delectable hotties" in 2007, and included in the "Babe of the Week" articles "Babes We're Thankful For" in 2008 ("this voluptuous vixen has a killer body and the moves to match"), "Girl Power" and "Asian Beauties" in 2009 ("there's no way we could ignore Kasumi"), as well as in a 2009 article about gaming's "greatest patriots" which commented that "it's hard to imagine a video game world without the lovely Kasumi." GameDaily also ranked her at number eight in their 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." That same year, PC Games Hardware listed her as one of the most important female characters in games. In 2012, FHM included Kasumi among the nine "sexiest ninja babes in games", commenting that "she’s about as pure as ninjas go" and comparing her to Bela Padilla.

Ranking her as tenth in the list of "video game hotties" in 2006, UGO called her "the most attractive ninja you'll ever see." UGO also featured her in its 2010 lists of the 30 best swimsuits in all works of fiction, and the top 50 "videogame hotties" ("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"), and ranked her as ninth in its 2011 list of the finest female fighters in video games. In 2012, Nintendo World Report ranked Kasumi as the second top chesty heroine on Nintendo systems solely for her appearance in Dimensions. Professional gamer Margorie "Kasumi Chan" Bartell took her pseudonym from the character.

Negative reception of the game character involved accusations of sexual objectification. In 2010, GamesRadar listed Kazumi [sic], Lara Croft, Ivy Valentine and an unidentified "Ruby" as the female video game protagonists who are "all festering adolescent wank-fantasies." In 2012, Kotaku listed "Kasumi, Ayane or Ivy" as examples of objectified female characters in video games. GamesRadar also linked Kasumi being depicted as underaged and a Dimensions feature, Figure Mode, "which lets players snap photos of the not-quite-legal bounciness from all angles," to Nintendo's decision to not sell the game in Sweden, allegedly due to this country's strict pornography laws. This game's cover art, featuring a high-kicking Kasumi, was also slightly censored in the United States. There were reports indicating it was done to appease the ESRB, but Tecmo Koei spokesperson said "this whole thing is getting blown way out of proportion. The truth is that [...] there were a few parties both internal and external who thought there might be some issue with the image [...] You have to pick your battles, and covering up that small bit of the image seemed to be harmless."

Film

The film adaptation version of the character gained some negative reception. The scene of her leaving the clan was named the movie's "most ridiculous" scene by GamesRadar when it was included in their 2009 list of the 16 "most awesomely bad videogame movie moments". "Transitioning from martial art fight scene to skydiving without blinking" was also chosen as the film Kasumi's defining moment by UGO.com, with a snicker comment how Aoki's portrayal is "keeping conservative in a world full of boob," and was ridiculed by SpoonyOne in a review for That Guy with the Glasses. Complex also lamented Kasumi's appearance as "nowhere near as central to the movie as she is the game franchise, which of course we attribute to the intractable racism of the entertainment industry in this country."

External links

• Official website (DOA5)
• Kasumi – The Dead or Alive Wiki
• Kasumi Alpha – The Dead or Alive Wiki