Chun-Li
For me, Chun-Li is the first female I associate with gaming. That sentiment is probably shared by many, and it’s a big part of why she’s one of the most recognizable video game characters of all time.
I still remember my mind being blown playing Street Fighter II on my brother’s SNES. Chun-Li was never one of my favorites, but she easily stood out as the only woman in the game. And while I wasn’t as aware at the time, the only playable female characters I can remember from any video game before then are Samus (Metroid), Zelda (Legend of Zelda), and Linda (woman with the whip in Double Dragon).
At a glance, she seems to fit right in with Bison & Ryu. Her figure is the same scale, and the proportions jive. It’s kind of hard to tell which version of Chun-Li this is supposed to be. The box art looks like SF III without the gray hair. But the figure looks more SF II. When I first got her years ago, I wasn’t a fan of her face. But having her at my desk at work these past few weeks has changed my opinion. She’s actually pretty with doll-like qualities.
Like all the other figures in this line, her sculpting & articulation are quite amazing. And like all the other figures in this line, the latter is directly influenced by the former. Every part of Chun-Li’s body is unencumbered except for her shoulders, so she’s more free to strut her stuff. We’ve already seen stitching, stretching, and boot soles. But now we’ve got completely laced boots from the middle of the foot to just below her knees. Being white really brings it all out.
Her legs are covered in stockings, a bit darker than normal for her default blue outfit but matching the tone that goes with some of her alternates. Her knees continue the trend of disguising the actual hinge from the front. She’s effectively double-jointed there. Her hips look like balls from the outside, but they’re combined with lateral hinges visible from beneath. And she does swivel at the waist, though very stiffly.
Chun-Li has picked up some major thunder thighs over the years, but here she has modest, realistic muscle definition.
She has an ab crunch that blends into the mid-section of her dress. It’s not much, but helps. Her skirt is a soft plastic on both sides, softer than the tops on Bison & Ryu. Here we start a little paint slop on the back of her dress, but it’s minor. And like her knees, her elbow hinges are covered.
Her fists are tiny, but that doesn’t take away from how threatening those spiked bracelets look.
Besides the gold trim and scrapes, her shoulders are also noteworthy for their lack of horizontal range. It makes sense in context. Her shoulders should be about the same size as her hands, so that whole piece shouldn’t be so free-moving.
Other than that, Chun-Li is fully flexible. She’s skimpy on accessories with just one alternate smiling head and two open hands, but it’s enough to get a lot out of her.
No joke, if you look at it close, that’s what she’s doing during the Spinning Bird Kick.
It’s funny because I’m actually writing this review on a Tuesday.
It’s one of the happiest winning taunts that isn’t ridiculous or over the top.
Chun-Li is another impressive hit in the SOTA Street Fighter series. I don’t enjoy her quite as much as Bison or Ryu, but she’s grown on me. Available in blue, green, and pink outfits, she’s not as BS-expensive as most of her peers, but still pricey enough that I only recommend her to big SF fans. And even then, I’d suggest holding out for a convention or a visit to a hobby shop.