Ling Xiaoyu

Ling Xiaoyu
Tekken character

Ling Xiaoyu in Tekken 6
First game Tekken 3 (1997)
Voiced by (English) Carrie Keranen (Tekken: Blood Vengeance)
Carrie Savage (Street Fighter X Tekken)
Voiced by (Japanese) Yumi Tōma (Tekken 3 – Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken Advance, Tekken 3D: Prime Edition, Street Fighter X Tekken)
Maaya Sakamoto (Tekken 7, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Tekken Revolution, Tekken: Blood Vengeance, Project X Zone, Project X Zone 2)
Motion capture Maya Asaba (Tekken: Blood Vengeance)
Yuka Hino (Tekken: Blood Vengeance) (stunts)
Portrayed by Claudia Alan (Tekken Tag Tournament 2 "Girl Power" trailer)
Xuan Thanh Nguyen (Tekken Tag Tournament 2 live-action short film)
Fictional profile
Birthplace China
Nationality Chinese
Fighting style Baguazhang,[1] Piguaquan
Occupation Student
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ling (凌).

Ling Xiaoyu (Chinese: 凌 曉雨; pinyin: Líng Xiǎoyǔ; Japanese: リン・シャオユウ; Hepburn: Rin Shaoyū) is a player character from the Tekken video game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment. She has appeared in every subsequent game in the series since debuting in Tekken 3 (1997). She is a cheerful Chinese teenager who was a high school friend of the series' main character, Jin Kazama, and serves as a supporting character in the story, mainly trying to interfere with the affairs of the increasingly corrupt Mishima family. Xiaoyu has appeared on official Tekken merchandise and alternate media such as the 2011 animated feature film Tekken: Blood Vengeance, in addition to appearances in many Bandai Namco crossover games. She has received critical and public reception for factors such as her sex appeal and representation of a strong female character in video games.

Appearances

Tekken series

A sixteen-year-old Chinese martial artist, Ling Xiaoyu was tutored by her elderly relative, Wang Jinrei, at a young age; he believed that she could achieve true greatness, yet was frustrated by her flippant attitude. While vacationing with her family in Hong Kong, she notices a company yacht owned by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Aware of the corporation's worldwide influence, she boldly stows away on the vessel in hopes of meeting Heihachi Mishima and making her dream of owning an amusement park reality.[2] However, she is discovered by Heihachi’s personal security, the Tekken Force, but when Heihachi arrives after being summoned, all his men are seen beaten and scattered on the deck. During the chaos, Xiaoyu then threatens to beat him up if he does not accept her challenge. Amused by her juvenile antics, Heihachi promises to build the park if she wins the company-sponsored King of Iron Fist tournament. She moves into the Mishima Zaibatsu's complex and enrolls at the Mishima Polytechnic School, where she befriends Miharu Hirano and Heihachi's grandson Jin.[3] Heihachi additionally teaches her trained panda, simply named "Panda", to fight so he is able to serve as Xiaoyu's bodyguard. This encourages Xiaoyu to view Heihachi as something of a grandfather figure.

During the events of Tekken 4 two years later, Xiaoyu receives an anonymous email telling her not to trust Heihachi as he posed an immediate danger to her life; she becomes convinced that Jin, who had gone missing after the previous tournament, is the mysterious sender, and opts to enter the fourth King of the Iron Fist Tournament in hopes of reconnecting with Jin and uncovering the Mishima Zaibatsu’s nefarious deeds. Xiaoyu was saved from Heihachi's evil plans by Yoshimitsu, who informs her of the Mishima family's tragic history, including a past incident in which Heihachi pitched his then-five-year-old son Kazuya off a cliff, but Xiaoyu is nonetheless saddened at Heihachi's apparent death in the competition. Xiaoyu therefore takes it upon herself to try and save the tragic Mishima family,[2] but as the fifth tournament commences, Xiaoyu learns that Heihachi is not dead after all, but Jin is seeking to kill him. Before she can try to stop Jin, the Mishima Zaibatsu pushes towards militarization and declares a worldwide war. When the sixth tournament is announced, Xiaoyu enters in attempt to save Jin's soul from evil.

Outside of the main series, Ling Xiaoyu has appeared in numerous noncanonical Tekken spinoff games, including Tekken Card Challenge, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken Advance, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Tekken 3D: Prime Edition, Street Fighter X Tekken, and Tekken Revolution.

Design and gameplay

Ling Xiaoyu's age (sixteen) in her Tekken debut was the result of the Tekken 3 development team wanting a younger girl in the game, as most of the game's female characters were "more than 25 years old".[4] Her black hair is kept in pigtails throughout her series appearances, while her costumes have varied from a modified cheongsam in Tekken 6 to a kogal-style schoolgirl uniform in the 2011 computer-animated film Tekken: Blood Vengeance.[5]

Her fighting style is officially listed as "various Chinese martial arts",[6] in particular Baguazhang.[1] In his 2003 book Kung Fu Cult Masters, author Leon Hunt wrote that her style "draws extensively on wushu, with graceful balletic sweeps and wide, extravagant stances—like Lei [Wulong], she is a 'shapes'-based fighter and harder to learn than the Japanese or Korean boxers."[7] Her specialities are evasion moves that emphasize speed over strength;[8] according to Simon Hill of Prima Games, her "main strength lies in her speed ... she's the fastest character in Tekken 3."[9] However, GameSpy opined that her offense in Tekken 6 was "rather lacking ... most of the damage she dishes out will probably be from jabs you slip in between her evasive maneuvers."[10] IGN said of her style in Tekken Tag Tournament: "Who says it’s bad to fight like a little schoolgirl? Xiaoyu’s graceful style and fancy setups make her a powerful fighter among the Tekken universe."[11]

Other games

Outside of the Tekken series, Xiaoyu appeared in Namco crossover titles such as the tactical role-player Project X Zone and its sequel; the mobile game Full Bokko Heroes X;[12] and Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2, in which she was unlockable along with Heihachi and Cassandra Alexandra and Raphael Sorel from the Soul series. Xiaoyu and fellow Tekken character Alisa Bosconovitch were featured on a downloadable aircraft skin variant designed by former Square Enix character designer Shunya Yamashita for the action-flight simulation games Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and Ace Combat: Infinity.[13][14] Her Tekken 6 costume was included as downloadable content for raising-simulation title The Idolmaster SP, and as part of a selection of downloadable Tekken costumes for Soulcalibur V.[15][16]

Media and merchandise

Claudia Alan as Ling Xiaoyu at E3 2012

Ling Xiaoyu is not included in the 1998 anime film Tekken: The Motion Picture, only appearing in its opening sequence. In the noncanonical storyline of Tekken: Blood Vengeance, she is a student who transfers to Kyoto International School after being recruited by Anna Williams of G Corporation to spy on a fellow student and film-exclusive character named Shin Kamiya.[17] Xiaoyu meets Alisa Bosconovitch, who was sent by Jin Kazama to perform the same task, and the girls become friends but are later forced to turn on one another after Shin is captured by an unknown assailant,[17] but Alisa spares Xiaoyu's life. After Xiaoyu is abandoned by Anna, she and Alisa take refuge in their teacher Lee Chaolan's mansion. Xiaoyu was voiced by Maaya Sakamoto in Japanese and Carrie Keranen in English.[18]

Xiaoyu was among many Tekken female characters portrayed by models for a 2006 Maxim photoshoot.[19] She was played by actress Xuan Thanh Nguyen in a 2012 Tekken Tag Tournament 2 live-action short film that starred performers from stunt company Wild Stunts Europe,[20] while model Claudia Alan portrayed Xiaoyu in a Tekken Tag Tournament 2 "Girl Power" trailer that premiered at Comic-Con 2012.[21]

Her comic book appearances includes Tekken Forever, Tekken: Tatakai no Kanatani, and Tekken Comic.[22] In 1998, Epoch Co. released an action figure based on her Tekken 3 design that was packaged with a miniature Panda figure.[23] Namco's 2006 six-figure Tekken "Game Character Goods Collection" package included Xiaoyu from Tekken 5.[24] A Xiaoyu bishōjo figure was released by Kotobukiya as part of their 2013 Tekken Tag Tournament 2 toyline.[25]

Reception

The character has received positive critical and public reception. Robert Workman of GameDaily named Ling Xiaoyu as one of his favorite female Asian video game characters, calling her "a joy to behold".[26] GameDaily also listed her among the "chicks that will kick your ass" and adding that "if you mistake Ling Xiaoyu for an innocent schoolgirl, prepare to get your nose schooled."[27] Writing for ImpulseGamer in 2008, model Tara Babcock called Xiaoyu her favorite Tekken character: "Her cute, flexible moves and kind mannerisms ... really got my attention. Besides, who doesn't dig a girl flouncing about in pigtails?"[28] MSN said of the character in 2011: "Xiaoyu made the cheongsam fashionable again, and reminded the world that girls in tight clothing can still pull off some amazing fighting moves".[29] Interia.pl included Xiaoyu among the "sexiest game heroines" of 2012.[30] Kevin Wong of Complex rated her the eleventh-best Tekken character in 2013: "Ling Xiaoyu is what happens when you put an 8-year-old girl's mind into a 19-year-old girl's body."[1] IGN called Xiaoyu "a fun character to use", while "everyone loves a schoolgirl that can kick some booty."[31] Her guest appearance in Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 was ranked 42nd in GamesRadar's list of "55 awesome character cameos".[32] Michael Harradence of PlayStation Universe ranked Xiaoyu's Tekken 6 ending sixth in his 2009 selection of the ten best series endings of all time: "In comparison to her fellow combatants, Xiaoyu is perhaps one of the most innocuous characters in Tekken history. She’s not driven by hatred, greed or personal vendettas—she just wants a theme park built for herself and her pet Panda."[33] FHM listed Xiaoyu and Chun-Li as one of the "10 awesome fantasy fights" in Street Fighter X Tekken.[34] Anthony Taormina of Game Rant called Xiaoyu "not just a representative of the strong female fighters in Tekken, but in video games in general",[35] but in describing what he considered the unrealistic depiction of students in video games ("A peppy individual who enjoys nothing more than dabbling in deadly martial arts during their free periods"), David Meikleham of GamesRadar commented on Xiaoyu: "Instead, she’d be spending all her downtime writing essays, revising and generally making her brow as furrowed as possible."[36]

In 2005, Xiaoyu was one of five characters nominated for G4's Video Game Vixens "Baddest Good Girl" award, which was won by Rikku of Final Fantasy X.[37] In 2006, readers of the Polish edition of GameStar voted Xiaoyu eighth in a poll for the title of "Miss Video Game World", and the second-highest placed Tekken character behind Nina Williams.[38] Digital Spy readers voted Xiaoyu their fourth-favorite Tekken character in 2012, behind Nina, Hwoarang, and Jin Kazama.[39] In an official fan poll held by Namco, Xiaoyu was the sixth-most requested Tekken character for inclusion in the 2012 crossover fighter Tekken X Street Fighter, receiving 12.23% of 88,280 votes.[40]

Tekken: Blood Vengeance screenwriter Dai Satō said in 2011 that he had chosen her as one of the two lead characters because he felt she "symbolize[d] the older Tekken games".[41] However, Scott Foy of Dread Central said in his review of the film, "I was constantly laughing at ... those peculiar moments where Ling’s behavior around [Alisa] sure made it seem like she wanted to be much more than just best friends."[42] In criticizing the film's plot, Charles Webb of MTV.com said, "Ling and Shin are simply pieces in a larger, mostly incomprehensible game being played by father and son Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama."[43]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wong, Kevin (September 3, 2013). "11. Ling Xiaoyu — The 20 Best Tekken Video Game Characters of All Time". Complex. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Goulter, Tom (September 4, 2012). "Tekken Tag Tournament 2 roster—Meet all 55 fighters". GamesRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ Jasper, Gavin (June 19, 2016). "Tekken: The Strange History of the Mishima Family". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Tekken 3 team interview". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. 2009-06-28. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  5. ↑ "Ling Xiaoyu". Fighters' Generation. July 15, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Tekken 6 : Ling Xiaoyu". Tekken6-official.eu. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  7. ↑ Hunt, Leon (July 15, 2003). Kung Fu Cult Masters. Wallflower Press. p. 196. ISBN 1903364639.
  8. ↑ "Tekken 6 Guide & Walkthrough – Xbox 360 – IGN". Guides.ign.com. 2009-10-30. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  9. ↑ Hill, Simon (1997). Tekken 3 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide). Prima Games. ISBN 0761511857.
  10. ↑ "Tekken 6—PSP—Walkthrough and Guide—page 37". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. January 15, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ling Xiaoyu". guidesarchive.ign.com. 2000. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  12. ↑ "TEKKEN OFFICIAL". TEKKEN OFFICIAL. 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
  13. ↑ "Ace Combat Assault Horizon - Su-34 Tekken - Alisa & Xiaoyu". bandainamcogames.eu. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  14. ↑ "Ace Combat Infinity - Su-34 - Alisa & Xiaoyu". bandainamcogames.eu. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  15. ↑ Anoop Gantayat (2010-05-21). "Idol Master Meets Tekken 6 in New Download Content". andriasang.com. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
  16. ↑ "Soul Calibur V – Tekken, Modern, and Ancient Armor Costume Packages Now Available". Shoryuken. 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  17. 1 2 "Tekken: Blood Vengeance (movie)". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Voice Of Ling Xiaoyu". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  19. ↑ Bogdanovich, Prince (November 7, 2006). "Tekken Girls". Maxim.com. Biglari Holdings. Archived from the original on June 13, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  20. ↑ Walker, Ian (October 22, 2012). "Live-Action Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Short Film by Wild Stunts Europe". Shoryuken.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Tekken Tag Tournament 2—Behind the scenes of 'Girl Power' trailer". YouTube. 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  22. ↑ "Ling Xiaoyu screenshots, images and pictures". Comic Vine. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Ling Xiaoyu—Tekken 3 Basic Series Epoch Action Figure". Figurerealm.com. Figure Realm LLC. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  24. ↑ Karlin, David (December 6, 2005). "Soul Calibur III, Tekken 5 Figures". 1UP.com. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  25. ↑ Tianxiao, Ma (November 26, 2013). "Tomopop Review: Tekken Bishoujo Xiaoyu by Kotobukiya". Tomopop.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  26. ↑ Workman, Robert (February 6, 2009). "Babe of the Week: Asian Beauties". GameDaily. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Girl Power: These Chicks Will Kick Your Ass". GameDaily. 2009-04-30. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  28. ↑ Babcock, Tara (August 2, 2008). "20 HOTTEST VIDEO GAME BABES BY TARA BABCOCK". ImpulseGamer. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Ling Xiaoyu – Tekken – The hottest women in video game history". Technology.xin.msn.com. Microsoft. January 18, 2011. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Najseksowniejsze bohaterki gier 2012 roku" (in Polish). Gry.interia.pl. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  31. ↑ "Tekken 5 Guide & Walkthrough—PlayStation 2". Guides.ign.com. IGN Entertainment. September 9, 2005. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  32. ↑ "55 awesome character cameos". GamesRadar. 2010-05-01. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  33. ↑ Harradence, Michael (October 27, 2009). "The top ten greatest Tekken endings of all time". PlayStation Universe. Canada Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  34. ↑ "10 Awesome Fantasy Fights in Street Fighter X Tekken". FHM.com.ph. July 27, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  35. ↑ Taormina, Anthony (January 2, 2012). "M. Bison and Ling Xiaoyu Joining 'Street Fighter X Tekken' Roster". Game Rant. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  36. ↑ Meikleham, David (February 8, 2011). "If video game jobs were true to life". GamesRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Biggest Guns, Best Bounce and Viewers' Choice Baddest Good Girl". G4. G4 Media. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  38. ↑ "GameStar – Wybory Miss: Miss Ĺšwiata Gier 2006" (in Polish). Gamestar.pl. Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  39. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (September 16, 2012). "'Tekken': Digital Spy readers voted Nina Williams favorite character". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Tekken vs Street Fighter". Fb.namcobandaigames.com. 2012. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  41. ↑ Ciolek, Todd (July 24, 2011). "The X Button at Comic Con". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  42. ↑ Foy, Scott (July 27, 2011). "Tekken: Blood Vengeance (2011)". Dread Central. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  43. ↑ Webb, Charles (August 1, 2011). "Review: 'Tekken: Blood Vengeance' Juggles Absurdity and Action". MTV.com. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
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