Sofia (Battle Arena Toshinden)

is a character introduced in the 1995 fighting game ''Battle Arena Toshinden'', produced by Tamsoft.

Conception and development

When Tamsoft was initially development their 3D fighting game ''Battle Arena Toshinden'', when first developing the cast director Shintarō Nakaoka started with a basic concept taking inspiration from the duality of Ryu and Ken Masters of Capcom's ''Street Fighter'' series. Working with character designer Miho Furukawa, he then followed with developing certain character archetypes to provide a variety of physiques to the game, such as the "big man", the "guru", and the "lolita". As development progressed others added their own elements, such as programmers adding unique animations to characters to give them more visible personality, while one core person was assigned to each character to assist with the planning stage.

The character designs were finalized and drawn by Tsukasa Kotobuki, who also provided input on the development process. The game's publisher Takara initially sought to have Masami Obari for this role, but he was unable to due to obligations on another project and suggested Kotobuki instead. According to ''Battle Arena Toshinden URA'' director Norihiro Hayasaka, with the original game there was a noticeable discrepancy between the Kotobuki's artwork and the character models themselves, particularly in how he drew the female characters as slender with large breasts. Hayasaka pushed for the models to be closer to Kotobuki's art in terms of silhouette as a result, but also keep sharp edges to retain a style unique for ''Toshinden''.

Design

Sofia stands 172.5 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall and has measurements of 90-56-88 cm (35-22-35 in). She is dressed like a dominatrix, described as a "queen" in-game, wearing a leotard that exposes her cleavage, torn leggins that connect to high heel boots, and similar fingerless gloves that extend to her elbows. She wears a large earring on each ear, which was intended to bring a sense of charm to her character. Her blonde hair is held up in a long ponytail held in place with a red hairband, while arching bangs frame her face in the front.

Sofia's design was mostly decided upon early on, with most changes relating to her outfit, though the earliest versions of her character design lacked bangs.

Appearances

Sofia is a Russian introduced in the 1995 fighting game ''Battle Arena Toshinden''. A former member of the KGB, she is skilled in magic and works as a private detective in Tokyo. She enters the fighting tournaments to follow clues regarding the secret society puppeteering the series' events, and learn more about her past.

Outside of the games, Sofia also appears in the two audio-only CD dramas that act as continuations of the game's story, and the sequel OVA series. An additional, more comedic chapter titled ''主役は誰なんだ編'' (lit. "Who is the Lead Role?") was also released on cassette tape. In print media, anthology comic collections by various authors featuring the character were compiled in two separate books, one for the first and the other for the second game.

She was originally voiced by Yoko Teppouzuka in Japanese, with Yumi Tōma voicing her in the OVA and later the games starting with the release of ''Toshinden URA''. Hayasaka praised her performance, stating it was "so sexy he was a little embarrassed. In English, her voice actress for the first ''Toshinden'' and its remake ''Toshinden Remix'' is uncredited, while Debbie Rabbai voiced her in the OVA. Meanwhile, a live action actress was used ''Battle Arena Toshinden 2''s opening sequence and commercials related to the game, which were performed by a Western model named Jazuli.

Promotion and merchandise

During the debut of the PlayStation, early advertisements were ran for ''Toshinden'' that focused on Sofia's inclusion in the game, using the then-intended North American mascot for the console, Polygon Man. However, after Sony's Japanese branch reacted negatively to the Polygon Man character, the campaign briefly shifted to Sofia exclusively, who was used to market the PlayStation directly in a "Sofia Says" ad campaign where she would bark orders at the reader in the manner of a dominatrix. Later, a similar campaign was run by Sega on their website when ''Toshinden'' was released for the Sega Saturn, putting "Because ''Toshlnden''s Sofia says so" at the top of a list of reasons to purchase the gaming console. She was also featured in television ads for ''Battle Arena Toshinden'', with the words "Like to be humiliated by women? Here’s your dream date. Worship me" included.

In Japan, models representing Sofia and fellow character Ellis were featured at promotional events for the game's release. Takara Amusement also produced two varieties of character-themed clocks. Takara also released a doll of the character in 1997, based off her appearance in ''Battle Arena Toshinden 2''.

Response to advertising

The ad campaigns featuring Sofia for the PlayStation drew a variety of discussion. The staff of ''GameFan'' remarked that female readers of its magazines wrote in to complain about the ad, stating that they themselves felt that it was a bizarre ad that insulted both "mature gamers" and female gamers. Scott Taves of ''Wired'' meanwhile noted that while she was an early contender for a mascot for the PlayStation brand, she was quickly replaced with Crash Bandicoot, something he attributed possibly due to "S/M attire". ''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' in a retrospective felt that the ad campaigns alongside with its design helped paint the PlayStation as a console for more mature audiences instead of a toy for children, helping to make gaming as a whole appear "cool", though pointed out the low resolution of her character model "kept the smut-meter down".

The "Sofia Says" advertisement in particular was analyzed in the book ''The Ethics of Playing, Researching, and Teaching Games in the Writing Classroom'' by Professors Victoria L. Braegger and Ryan M. Moeller. The cited it as an example of how video game advertising tended to focus on the "hardcore gamer", using in this case the imagery of a dominatrix and binding the player to the rules of the game Simon Says. This not only put an imperative in the reader's mind, while prodding the reader's masculinity by encouraging them to be "man enough" to hurt for the character, in this case financially.

Critical reception

Sofia was well received since her debut. The staff of ''Computer Games Strategy Plus'' described her as "a tall leggy blonde with porn-star good looks and a disarming giggle", and felt she was an example of sex sells for the franchise, her presence in it helping to ensure games would be financially successful. The staff of German magazine ''Video Games'' cited her alongside Mai Shiranui as examples of how female characters in fighting games illustrated an increase in mature content in video games, something they wanted to see more of. Another German magazine, '' Bravo Screenfun'', cited her as an example of the rise of strong and sexy female characters in video games that countered the notion of women being "the weaker sex".

Other outlets offered their own praise. The staff of '' Video Games: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine'' cited her as the character they tended to gravitate to the most when playing the game and an integral part of the PlayStation's appeal. Additional praise went to her outfit and characterization, with the staff further describing her as " the hottest videogame character to come around since ''Street Fighter II''s Chun-Li". '' Ultra Game Players'' featured her in their video game character swimsuit issue, calling her one of the most memorable characters on the PlayStation during its early years. ''Complex'' writer Larry Hester remarked that she stood out as a Russian character in an industry he felt focused exceedingly on "vodka swilling war criminals with fur hats," feeling that she made a significant impact on the fighting game genre.

She was also popular in Japan, with magazines ''Game Yuu II'' and ''Game Charge'' citing her as a frequent subject of cosplay. Magazine ''Jugemu'' found she was popular with men in Tokyo's Shibuya district, particularly due to her revealing attire and sexualized behavior but also her strong-willed character. Meanwhile,''Virtual Idol'' magazine ran a six-page article on her and fellow character Ellis, examining both of them and feeling that their appeal arose from both how the ''Toshinden'' franchise had expanded their characters through supplemental media, but also how their 3D models made them viewable from every angle. They heavily praised the sex appeal of her design too, particularly the contrast between her large bust and slender figure, particular how the former made her feel visually overwhelming. While describing her as brutal, they felt she fit a "big sister" type of character too, and stated that while her personality was portrayed as a "queen" archetype her attacks also gave her a sense of elegance.

In an article for '' Game On! USA'' discussing the similarities between Sofia and fellow blonde female fighting game characters Sarah Bryant of ''Virtua Fighter'' and Nina Williams of ''Tekken'', Roger Miller described her as the "prima donna of her game". Regarding her character design, he noted that while some had criticized her for having broad shoulders, he felt it was a welcome change to see more muscular women and femme fatale characters in gaming. He further observed that while her outfit had been criticized by some, it did not feel out of line when compared to how female characters in similar games dressed, referencing Chun-Li's attire directly by stating "At least Sofia doesn't have pom-poms on her head!" Website ''Kakuchopurei'' made a similar comparison, describing her as an answer to Sarah Bryant "but Russian" to compete directly with ''Virtua Fighter''. They furthermore saw her as bringing diversity to the game, and the aspect that made ''Toshinden'' as a series truly memorable.

In contrast, ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' used her as an example of how female characters in video games were often sexualized for the sake of marketing, and how such painted an image of the video game industry as male-dominated. Meanwhile, ''Honest Gamers'' writer Joseph Shaffer felt that she was the only standout character of ''Toshinden''s cast, which he felt spoke poorly of the quality of them as a whole when a "sexual selling point" was the standout. Todd Ciolek in an article for ''Topless Robot'' considered her a stereotype that presented Russian women as "either babushka-wearing hags or icy blondes armed with predatory sex drives and cackling disdain", and in an article for ''Anime News Network'' emphasized that the ''Toshinden'' series was better off distancing itself from its old cast, particularly Sofia.

References

{{PlayStation

Video game characters introduced in 1995
Fictional Russian people in video games
Female characters in video games
Fictional characters who use magic
Fictional KGB agents
Fictional detectives
Battle Arena Toshinden
Fighting game characters
PlayStation (brand) mascots
Fictional whip fighters