At EVO 2024, we had the opportunity to talk with the hosts of Crunchyroll’s ‘The Anime Effect’ podcast as they shared their passion for fighting games and discussed their ideal anime fighter for the FGC.
EVO 2024 solidified its position as the biggest open-bracket esports competition globally, uniting more than 10,000 registered players at the Las Vegas Convention Center to battle it out in their preferred fighting games such as Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, and other popular titles.
During this year’s event, EVO and Crunchyroll joined forces to present a special anime night featuring a screening of the beloved Street Fighter II animated movie. The hosts of Crunchyroll’s official podcast, The Anime Effect, were also present and shared their thoughts on the event with us. They were excited to be a part of the festivities and were happy to discuss their experience with us.
During our conversation on Sunday, Nicholas Friedman and LeAlec Murray expressed their excitement about how the fighting game community has become more inclusive over the years, and how closely connected it has become with anime fans. They both agreed that they had a great time discussing this topic.
During yesterday’s recording session, Friedman noted that there was a clear understanding among everyone present. It was as if we could jump right into discussing shows and everyone instantly understood and felt connected. As we listened to their stories, it became apparent just how closely intertwined their journey in the fighting game community was with their love for anime. This is what we witnessed and it’s the reason why we were thrilled to join other like-minded anime fans.
We got the chance to speak with Nicholas Friedman and LeAlec Murray (pictured left and right), hosts of Crunchyroll’s The Anime Effect podcast, at EVO 2024.
It is natural for fans of fighting games to desire the adaptation of their favorite anime series into a 2D fighter, given the vast number of anime series that exist.
However, upon conversing with members of the community over the weekend, the two hosts came to the realization that a number of players’ desired anime fighting game had already been created several years prior.
“Murray expressed that he has always been a fan of fighting games, and his interest in Street Fighter II coincided with his introduction to the original Dragon Ball series. As he became more involved in the fighting game community, his love for anime also continued to grow. The release of Dragon Ball FighterZ felt like the ultimate combination of these two worlds, even though there had been previous attempts at anime fighting games. It was the perfect realization of a crossover between the two genres.”
According to Friedman, when we asked people yesterday about their dream anime or fighting game, they all answered with Dragon Ball. They claimed that it already exists and is exactly what they would want.
After polling fans at EVO 2024, Murray and Friedman discovered that everyone’s ‘dream’ anime fighting game had already been released years ago.
While it is true that there is always room for imagination when it comes to potential anime fighting games, this does not diminish the fact that there are plenty of possibilities to explore. During their discussion, Murray and Friedman exchanged multiple ideas, with one of the standout concepts being a fighting game based on My Hero Academia.
“Murray expressed his excitement about the potential interactions between quirks and archetypes, noting the need to account for all their unique traits. He envisioned a scenario where using too much of All Might’s power would result in an automatic debuff, causing him to throw weak punches.”
Friedman considers a Capcom-style 2D Digimon fighting game to be as amazing as sliced bread.
“He elaborated, “It would be really awesome. You would begin as Rookie level and if you were stun-locked, you would revert to Baby form. However, as you level up, you would be able to Digivolve and your moveset would alter slightly. I believe this concept could be effectively implemented using meters in gaming.”
A My Hero Academia fighting game would be pretty cool – but there’d be a lot of different factors to account for.
Despite this being Friedman’s introduction to the fighting game community, Murray has been a dedicated fan of the genre for numerous years. He shared with us memories from his childhood that solidified his passion for fighting games, recalling how his father and a stranger at an arcade were the ones who introduced him to this scene.
“According to him, my father played a significant role in my interest in fighting games. He would accompany me to the arcade and constantly provide me with quarters to play Tekken. Even when I suggested playing something else, he would insist that I continue practicing.”
I became enamored with tag fighters when I entered the arcade and found myself completely lost. I stumbled upon the massive MVC machines that were once a staple in arcades. A young man, likely in his twenties, was sitting at one of the machines and asked me if I wanted to play. I eagerly accepted and he kindly guided me through the proper etiquette and rules of the arcade.
“And he said, ‘Okay, let’s play some matches.’ He completely destroyed me. ‘Thank you,’ I said. He continued to beat me and I thought, ‘Oh, okay,’ but he explained, ‘This is how you improve. Keep playing and you’ll get better.’ So I went back for more.”
The fighting game community and the anime fandom are pretty heavily intertwined.
Murray’s story is similar to that of countless other players in the FGC. Although this was Friedman’s first time participating in the community, he was able to witness the unfettered passion that defines it – and it’s safe to say that he has become a fan.
The connection between anime and fighting games is undoubtedly significant, especially with the upcoming release of a Guilty Gear Strive series in 2025. This collaboration between the two mediums is stronger than ever, as evidenced by our conversation with Crunchyroll, which showcased the close relationship between the anime community and the FGC.
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