Ayane (Dead Or Alive)

Ayane (; Japanese: ) is a fictional character in the ''Dead or Alive'' and '' Ninja Gaiden'' franchises developed by Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja. She debuted as a hidden unlockable character in the PlayStation version of the fighting game ''Dead or Alive'' in 1998 and has since appeared in all of its sequels and series spin-offs. Ayane serves as the protagonist of ''Dead or Alive 3'', is prominently featured as a recurring supporting character in the ''Ninja Gaiden'' series since its revival in 2004, and has made multiple guest appearances in other games, in particular in the ''Warriors'' franchise as well as '' Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water''.

The character is a teenage ninjutsu master of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan, who was shunned during childhood due to her origin, but into adulthood, has become a respected highly skilled ninja. Ayane currently assists her older half-brother and current leader of the clan, Hayate, and has a complex relationship with her half-sister, Kasumi, a runaway ninja and the ''Dead or Alive'' series' protagonist. She has been voiced by several voice actresses including Wakana Yamazaki, Gina DeVettori, Janna Levenstein, Wendee Lee, Brittney Lee Harvey, and Janice Kawaye. Meanwhile, the character was portrayed in the film adaptation of the ''Dead or Alive'' franchise by Natassia Malthe.

Ayane has been regarded as a popular character by media outlets, though with mixed reactions to her personality. While some publications reacted negatively to the character, others have considered her an early example of a ''tsundere'' or '' kuudere'' character archetype found in Japanese media and a positive example of the ''Dead or Alive'' series' writing. Ayane's sex appeal has received significant praise, though critics have questioned its appropriateness due to the character's defined age and portrayal in promotional material. As the series has progressed, Koei Tecmo's attempts to reduce what it feels is her "eye candy" aspect, particularly in regards to the size of her large breasts, have received backlash from fans causing the developers to voice surprise and reverse such changes.

Conception and creation

When developing ''Dead or Alive'' for Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja lead developer Tomonobu Itagaki found the ninja character concepts submitted by the design team to be the coolest and chose to apply the concept to the game's protagonist, Kasumi. While she was originally intended to be a "kuru kuru ninja" (a type of ninja that incorporates spinning movements into their behavior), Kasumi's characterization strayed from this concept as the project progressed. When developing the ''Dead or Alive ++'' arcade version, the team had decided to introduce the character Bass Armstrong. Itagaki felt it would be nice to incorporate another ninja into the title, prompting Ayane's creation.

While a basic version of Ayane was incorporated into the 1998 PlayStation port of ''Dead or Alive'', the ''Dead or Alive++'' arcade version fleshed her out fully, giving her the maneuvers they had originally planned for Kasumi. Itagaki noted they had some trouble with the character concept due to their technical capabilities. Finding "a balance between onset, duration, and rigidity, as well as the coolness of the motion" was particularly difficult because of the rotating aspect compared to Kasumi's more linear movement. He felt they reached a level of perfection with her in the game's sequel, '' Dead or Alive 2''.

Though initially her attacks were weaker than other characters, the developers gradually balanced them to meet Itagaki's aim of a character that would have a psychological impact on players while fighting regardless of her strength. Ayane's background was also meant to have an impact on players; introducing her as Kasumi's half-sister but with a significantly hard upbringing. In Itagaki's view, both Kasumi and Ayane were representative of "many unhappy women who have been at the mercy of a male society" and felt this aspect to their portrayal gave them depth and importance. Instead of telling this explicitly within the game, he included a relationship chart with ''Dead or Alive'' so players would recognize the key details between each of the cast and imagine the rest. However, later games more directly fleshed out the sister's relationship through in-game cinematics. For ''Dead or Alive 3'', she was given Lucha Libre attacks and maneuvers due to the development team's desire to include them somewhere amongst the game's fighting styles.

Ayane's personality is portrayed as a cold demeanor and "extremely serious", in contrast to Kasmui's "soft" personality. As Itagaki felt the soft personality was symbolic of the ''Dead or Alive'' series, Ayane was regarded as a better fit for the "very hard-edged" '' Ninja Gaiden'' series, appearing in several of its games. The sentiment was shared by Koei Tecmo general manager Yosuke Hayashi, who stated that the image of Ayane "fighting while covered in blood symbolizes the intensity and sharpness" of the games.

Designs

Standing 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall, Ayane is a young Japanese woman with red eyes and measurements of 93-54-84 cm (37-22-33 in). She has purple hair extending to her neck, with bangs in the front. Several designs were considered during development, including a biker style outfit as well as various ensembles with short skirts and a top that exposed her chest. The finalized design features a dark blue strapless miniskirt dress with a butterfly imprint and an orange trim that exposes portions of her body: shoulders, cleavage, and part of her right thigh. Additionally, the outfit had matching flowing sleeves, stockings, and high heel boots, while a headband wraps across her brow, with a ribbon tied to the left side of it. An orange sash surrounds her waist, tied into a large bow on her back. After the outfit was decided, the development team spent additional time adjusting the color scheme.

In terms of physical appearance, the developers wanted to counter the then-perception that it was impossible to "create beautiful girls in 3D", with Itagaki aiming to create "Digital Venus" designs that would be popular on media character rankings. To this end, particular emphasis was placed on the size and movement of the cast's breasts, in part due to the development team's own preference and what they perceived as a "breast boom" in Japan—an increase in average bust sizes across the nation—at the time. Due to Ayane's original outfit exposing her shoulders, Itagaki gave their animation and movement particular attention. He described the process as "trial and error" and was not satisfied with the results until three days before the game's release deadline.

With ''Dead or Alive 3'', her primary attire was changed to a black ninja outfit that covered more of her body, while exuding a "somber tone". Itagaki noted he preferred it, in part due to his uncertainty towards implementing original ideas with her ribbon outfit. Regardless, the ribbon outfit has appeared in other games in the series as a clothing option. In addition to these, Ayane has had a multitude of outfits throughout the franchise including swimsuits, schoolgirl clothes, and other variations of ninja attire, some of which are meant to represent her as a "dark heroine". Many designs, such as her appearance in the ''Ninja Gaiden'' series, have integrated a butterfly motif.

Several changes to Ayane's appearance and aesthetics have been met with considerable pushback from players. For her appearance in '' Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'', they made her face appear older. After receiving backlash from fans, the change was reverted; however, a similar change later in the ''Dead or Alive'' series was met with less resistance. For '' Dead or Alive 5'', Hayashi reduced Ayane's breast size and the amount they jiggle in order to present the game as more "mature", stating that the characters were "no longer content to be eye candy". Players again objected, with lead developer Yohei Shimbori stating fans requested bigger breasts much to the development team's surprise, and the change was undone.

Appearances

In ''Dead or Alive'' and ''Ninja Gaiden''

Ayane is a Japanese kunoichi introduced in the video game ''Dead or Alive''. Raised by one of her ninja clan leaders, Genra, she is treated as an outcast with her only friend being series protagonist Kasumi. She later discovers she is the daughter of the series's villain, Raidou, who raped Kasumi and Hayate's mother, Ayame. Angered this was withheld from her, Ayane turns her aggression towards her half-sister, who she saw as living the exact opposite life she had. When Kasumi leaves the clan's village, Genra orders Ayane to hunt her down. She continues this mission into the game's later sequels, but in ''Dead or Alive 3'', discovers that Genra was captured by the corporation DOATEC who had turned him into a superhuman puppet. She ultimately kills her foster father to end his misery. In '' Dead or Alive 4'', she helps bring down DOATEC by destroying their complex. Later in ''Dead or Alive 6'', she fights alongside Kasumi and her half-brother Hayate to defeat a revived Raidou.

Outside the main series, Ayane appears in all the spin-off '' Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball'' titles. ''Dead or Alive: Code Cronus'', a prequel project about Kasumi's and Ayane's childhoods, was intended for release but cancelled when Itagaki left Tecmo. In all appearances, Ayane is voiced by Wakana Yamazaki in Japanese. She has been voiced by a variety of actresses in English, including Gina DeVettori for ''Dead or Alive 2'', Janna Levenstein for '' Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2'' up to '' Dead or Alive Paradise'', Wendee Lee for '' Dead or Alive: Dimensions'', Brittney Lee Harvey for '' Dead or Alive 5'', and Janice Kawaye for '' Dead or Alive 6''.

In the ''Ninja Gaiden'' series, she first appears in a minor role in the 2004 video game, and more prominently in ''Ninja Gaiden Black'' where she asserts herself as protagonist Ryu Hayabusa's master in the game's "Ninja Dog" mode, occasionally providing him items throughout the game to make it easier. In later games, such as ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'' and '' Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge'', she is available in select missions and multiplayer modes as a playable character. In tie-in games for the series, she is featured in '' Zen Pinball: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'' and in the 2013 mobile action card game ''Hyakuman-nin no Ninja Gaiden''. In Japanese, the character is voiced again by Wakana Yamazaki in all ''Ninja Gaiden'' appearances, while Janice Kawaye voices her throughout the series in English.

In other games and media

Koei Tecmo has included Ayane in several games it has produced. She appears as a playable character in both '' Warriors Orochi 3'' and ''Shin Sangoku Musou VS'' in her ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'' outfit, with the latter as downloadable content for the game. Ayane represents the ''Ninja Gaiden'' franchise in the crossover title '' Warriors All-Stars''. In '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV'', she was included as a playable character alongside others from ''Dead or Alive''. The survival horror game '' Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water'' features Ayane in her own side story mission, which focuses on her trying to find a missing girl. Ayane's inclusion in the title was at the suggestion of Nintendo, and the developers spent significant time adjusting the character's model, particularly the wobble of her breasts, based on Team Ninja's feedback.

In non-Koei Tecmo produced titles, she was included in Marvelous Entertainment's fighting games '' Senran Kagura: Estival Versus'' and '' Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash'', as well as the follow up title ''Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link'' produced by Honey Parade Games. In mobile titles, she was added to Shift Up's ''Destiny's Child'' as part of a collaboration event in 2020.

In other media, Ayane appears in several stories in the gag comic series ''Dead or Alive 2 Comic Anthology'' by DNA Media Comics. She was also featured in the live-action film '' DOA: Dead or Alive'', where instead of being Kasumi's sibling she is her former servant and holds romantic feelings for Hayate. Dedicated to killing Kasumi, Ayane confronts her several times on the island. She later aids Hayate against DOATEC. In the film, Ayane was portrayed by actress Natassia Malthe, who went through "weeks of martial arts training in China" for the film. Tomonobu Itagaki later said he "wanted to have Japanese actresses portray Kasumi and Ayane," but the film's director Corey Yuen "believed strongly in his casting choices." Afterward, the film's producer Mark A. Altman said that he "was such a fan" of Malthe being "threatening and enigmatic as Ayane" that he cast her in his later film '' Dead and Deader''.

Promotion and merchandise

Several figurines and action figures of Ayane have been released based on her appearances in the ''Dead or Alive'' and ''Ninja Gaiden'' series by companies such as Kotobukiya, Multiverse Studio, Mr Big, Sega, Volks, and Kaiyodo's Revoltech brand. Other merchandise includes wall scrolls, dakimakura pillow cases, trading cards, credit card designs, women's swimwear, and a ''Dead or Alive'' talking clock that was bundled with another figure of either Ayane or Kasumi. "3D" coffee mugs and 3D mousepads emphasizing the size of her breasts were produced, including a life-sized variant of the latter.

In promotions for other Koei Tecmo properties, Ayane makes a guest appearance as a non-player character in '' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', which also includes her swords from ''Ninja Gaiden'' as optional weapons. Parts of her ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'' costume were released as downloadable content for '' Dynasty Warriors Online''. Ayane's dress appears as an outfit for the character Mayu in the 2004 Director's Cut of '' Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly'', for the character Kooh in 2007's '' Super Swing Golf: Season 2'', and for avatars in the 2017 massively multiplayer online game ''Phantasy Star Online 2''.

Promotional media featuring Ayane often heavily focused on her sex appeal, such as banners promoting ''Xtreme 2'' that emphasized the visibility of her nipples through her swimwear. An image of her in a swimsuit appeared in ''Playboy'' magazine as part of their "Girls of Gaming" series. Meanwhile, advertisements for ''Ninja Gaiden 2'' focused on being able to use the PlayStation's sixaxis controller to move the character's breasts in-game, while another utilized a wall fixture in Japan that had silicone facsimiles of her chest protruding from the wall, with a camera recording people groping and caressing the "breasts" as they passed by.

Critical reception

Since her debut, Ayane has received mixed reception. Gen Gamachi of Japanese website ''Inside Games'' described her "appearance and excellent style" as having "blossomed", feeling that both helped make her very popular. He praised the character as a "quiet, cool beauty" with a strong sense of responsibility. The staff of Paragon Publishing's ''Dreamcast Magazine'' meanwhile described her as a character "worthy of special attention", calling her equally glamorous as Kasumi and "just as much of an eyeful...if not more so!" They further praised how the series' clothing options increased her appeal, though called her gameplay "irritating". Mike Fahey of ''Kotaku'' on the other hand, approved of her toned down breast physics in '' Dead or Alive 5'', stating she now " ooksmore like a young girl who'd studied martial arts all of her life and less like a young woman who only studied martial arts when she wasn't recovering from cosmetic surgery."

Other outlets have focused more on her personality. Raymond Padilla of ''GameSpy'' stated he originally saw the character as an "uptight bitch with a massive chip on her shoulder", but upon seeing her story, which covered her upbringing and the root of her feud with Kasumi, he felt he liked the character significantly more. Padilla emphasized this as an example of good writing in fighting games and the effects thereof. '' Dengeki Online'' staff writer "Masked Imaichi" stated that while characters with ''tsundere'' and '' kuudere'' had become more common in the years since her debut, he felt her personality was a novel concept at the time. He added that "she was a little tough, but with her cute face, she struck a chord with my heart" and he found her more appealing as the series progressed. The staff of website ''Kakuchopurei'', however, were more critical, describing her as "just a Terminator archetype who’s dressed to kill". They further complained that she had a "literal child-like demeanor".

The staff of Chinese website '' Sina.com.cn'' wrote that upon her debut, Ayane's "icy demeanor" and purple hair color quickly drew the attention of players and helped make her a popular character. When discussing her movements, they stated they were "inferior to Kasumi in terms of elegance and noise" but highlighted "her petite and attractive figure". The staff additionally pointed out the significance of purple in her primary color scheme, noting the color was often believed to have "a healing effect, especially a healing light for people with hurt hearts". They felt it tied well into her backstory and personal traumas, especially as her character became more open as the series progressed. Additional praise was given to voice actress Wakana Yamazaki, stating that while some saw her delivery as having a "lack of presence" and giving a weak impression, in their eyes it naturally fit the image of a lonely ninja. The staff summarized by calling her a perfect fit for the character.

Criticism regarding age and sexualization

In early ''Dead or Alive'' titles, Ayane was one of three characters whose in-universe age was stated to be under 18, a detail that Tecmo omitted from Western releases of the games. However, this caused issues in countries such as Sweden, particularly with '' Dead or Alive: Dimensions'' due to allegations of the game portraying underage characters in "pornographic situations". ''Kakuchopurei''s staff in their earlier mention of her also acknowledged her underage status, expressing gratitude that she was made older in ''Dead or Alive 6'', but noted that the unease of "her previous incarnations with the skimpiest kunoichi outfits made for Japan strip clubs" lingered in their minds.

Writing for ''Destructoid'', James Stephanie Sterling addressed the matter in her own commentary, jokingly stating they felt like a "pedophile" when discussing the character and her "huge busters" with a Tecmo representative at E3 regarding ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2''. She further criticized Tecmo for caving in to player demand regarding the character's face for the title, as she felt its "child-like" appearance only compounded the issue. In an article for '' GameFront'', Sterling further called Ayane's young age coupled with her sexualization an "obsession with youth", a perceived aspect in Japan she found particularly disturbing. She questioned if it was "so important to see ..that the girl with gigantic tits is sixteen-years-old?", though felt that even if her age was increased Ayane would still "look like a creepy, big-breasted infant". Sterling also called out the sixaxis gimmick of moving her breasts with the controller, feeling the way it was advertised encouraged players to "Buy our game, and manipulate the jugs on this big-eyed lump of grade-A jailbait."

The character's use in promotional material also drew criticism, with ''Hyper'' magazine staff questioning the appropriateness of her ''Playboy'' appearance and expressing concern that such promotions could give ammunition to those critical of video games. Joe Newman of ''GamesRadar+'' heavily criticized the ''Ninja Gaiden'' ad campaigns, feeling both were out of place with not only the tone of the game but also her character, particularly for her role as a ninja. He further emphasized it followed a trend of Tecmo using such material to promote their games, which he believed suggested the developers lacked confidence in their works.

See also

* Ninja in popular culture

References

External links

*
*Official website
''DOA5''

{{Ninja Gaiden series

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