--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAI SHIRANUI
"The Dance that knows not of Flames"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Birthplace: Japan
Birthdate: January 1, 1976 (23 years old)
Height: 1.64 m (5'4")
Weight: 50 kg (109 lbs)
Blood type: B
Hobbies: Making Osechi
Favorite food: Ozouni
Favorite sport: Hane-Tsuki
Most valuable: Hairpin of dead grandmother
Hates the most: Spiders
Fighting style: Shiranui-style Ninjitsu
*Ozouni = special soup made on New Year, accompanied with rice cakes
Mai Shiranui is the grandaughter of Hanzo Shiranui, master of Ninjitsu and
Kopo-ken. Mai has learned from her father the secrets of Ninjitsu, and as such,
she is an expert in stealth and other sneaky tricks. Although she was a very
beautiful girl, she rejected all the boys who proposed to her, considering them
"weak".
However, one day, she would be obssesed with a young boy by the name of
Andy Bogard. Andy had came from Southtown in the United States to train under
the orders of Hanzo Shiranui in Kopo-ken. Mai then had to take alternate courses
from his grandfather's friend, Jubei Yamada in Ninjitsu. However, far from
hating him, Mai fell instantly in love with the American kid, since he was so
strong and so handsome. However, Andy never did pay attention to Mai, too
absorbed in his training. Mai, by the other hand, had even made plans when Andy
would marry her! When both grew up, Andy became a good-looking young man, and
Mai a very attractive woman. Even more men desired her, but she still remained
tied to Andy. However, Andy decided to travel back to the United States, and
reunite with his brother Terry to exact revenge on Geese Howard, the man who
killed their father. Mai was enfuriated, but had no choice but to stay and keep
training. She knew that Andy would come back one day...and he did...
Not much time later, Andy returned to Japan in order to continue his
training. He had found out in his fights in Southtown that he had been fighting
for personal emotion, and not for the real sense of fighting. Mai didn't care
for any of that, she just wanted Andy to be close to her again! So, when Krauser
decided to go out in search of worthy fighters, she follows Andy to fight
Krauser! After the journey, Mai felt more attached to Andy, and thought it was
the time to wrap things up. However, the new King of Fighters tournament came
across. The fights would take place between teams of three persons each. Mai
felt it a sure bet to make a team with Andy, but he thought otherwise: he would
team up with Terry and his friend, Joe Higashi. Mai felt left out, but she
promised Andy that she would be in the tournament as well. Once she found out
that the Southtown bouncer King had received an invitation as well, and had no
present team, Mai inmediately assisted to propose herself as a team member,
along with Yuri Sakazaki. King was not expecting but had to accept the two
"bimbos" anyhow. During the next two tournaments, the Gorgeous Team was seen as
a beautiful, but deadly team, like three roses with some nasty thorns!
However, by 1996, Yuri was obligated to take her father's place in the
Kyokugenryo Team,and King and Mai were left without a third team member. Mai got
so disturbed at this, since she wanted to see Andy again so badly. When all
seemed hopeless, a strange woman attacked Mai out of the dark. Mai avoided the
attack and got ready for the fight. The woman just laughed and praised Mai's
skills. She introduced herself as Kasumi Todoh, the new third member of the
Gorgeous Team! Once again, the Gorgeous Team was back in action.
However, by next year, King and Mai were in trouble once again. Kasumi got
lost all of a sudden, and there wasn't anybody who like to be a third team
member anytime sooner. They got reunited, and they resigned to lose the
tournament this year. King had to take care of her brother, Jian, anyway.
However, Chizuru intervened, and tells Mai and King that she would gladly be the
third team member, and that she would take care that Jian would go with them.
Mai gets inspired once again. People must be aware of female power!
Mai took the two year recess to go back to Japan and perfect her Ninja
skills...and, of course, to pass some more time with Andy! Mai insists in that next
time, she would team up with Andy, which he takes more as a joke (after all, it had
been four tournaments where they didn't). However, a stroke of luck gets Mai to
finally accomplish her wish: an invitation for the new King of Fighters tournament,
with the new four team member rule! Mai loses no time in joining along with Andy,
not minding the presence of his brother Terry, or the bothersome Joe. After all,
she gets her golden wish by fighting alongside Andy! However, the disappearance of
Terry after the tournament, after disappearing under the ruins of Krizalid's base
(the host of the tournament). She will now help Andy in a more useful way: trying
to cheer him up, not allowing him to think that Terry is dead.
Mai doesn't seem a danger when she attacks, since she uses fans and the
tail of her dress to attack. However, they turn into deadly weapons when Mai
flames them on and burns the opponent down! Mai is also always praising her
beauty, and does not think a beauty such as her can ever lose. She loves Andy so
much, she never even bothers to tak a glimpse at other men. She also seems so
careless with her skimpy outfits, since she considers her body her best weapon.
However, she is a bit of an airhead, and doesn't think logically in most
situations.
REAL BOUT: FATAL FURY 2 MAI SHIRANUI (The King of Fighters '98): Alternate
version of Mai based on her Real Bout: Fatal Fury 2 incarnation. She doesn't
seem to change much: she loses her Hakuro no Mai (fan spin), and wins a new fan
slash instead. She still conserves her Cho Hissatsu Shinobibachi DM, and gains a
new Shinryuken like DM, but loses the other two DM.
*Fun fact = Mai the Samurai! Anybody who finished Samurai Shodown I back in the
day with Gen-an Shiranui (cousins? Not quite likely!) and Haohmaru. She appeared
in both character's endings, and always ends up doing her Ryuenbu attack. She
seems to KILL Gen-an with it (ouch! ^-^), and the result with Haohmaru was
unknown (the action freezed). Pretty zany!
Appearances: The King of Fighters '94, The King of Fighters '95, The King of
Fighters '96, The King of Fighters '97, The King of Fighters '98, The King of
Fighters '99
Other games: Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury Special, Fatal Fury 3: Road to Final
Victory, Real Bout: Fatal Fury, Real Bout: Fatal Fury Special, Real Bout: Fatal
Fury 2
(
geocities.com/tokyo/bridge) (
geocities.com/tokyo)