Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and released in Japan in 1999, Manga Entertainment acquired it for a English dubbed release back in 2000. Coincidentally, this movie commemorated the tenth anniversary of the arcade release of Street Fighter 2. It's also quite interesting in the fact that it isn't a prequel, or sequel, to either Street Fighter 2 the Animated Movie or the Street Fighter 2 V anime series. Instead, Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation is it's own outing, while at the same time having some loose connections to the fighting game it's based off of.
As for the story, here's what is on the back of the DVD Case:
"A black cloud hangs over Ken and Ryu's reunion. Brought together by the mysterious death of their master, the two warriors must overcome a challenge unlike any they've faced before. Increasingly disturbed by the dark energies building within him, Ryu is unexpectedly confronted with the appearance of Shun - a boy claiming to be the long-lost brother he never knew. Soon signs of their common lineage are revealed as Shun enters a martial arts competition and displays the same power of the Dark Hadou."
"But Before Ryu has the chance to consider whether Shun's timely appearance might be more than coincidental, the boy is kidnapped by agents of the insidious Shadowlaw organization. To recover Shun, Ryu must undertake the ultimate journey of self-discovery and learn to control the power threatening to consume him."
"Ryu must undertake the ultimate journey of self-discovery and learn to control the force threatening to consume him. But with his confidence waning, will he have what it takes to confront Akuma, the vicious master of the Dark Hadou himself? Find out as allies old and new join forces against a sinister new threat in the pulse-pounding sequel to the phenomenally popular Street Fighter II V series."
Yes, it says in that last part that this movie is connected to the Street Fighter II V anime series, but it isn't. Trust me.
To start of the positives, let me say that despite the more modern look and appearance, this is still Street Fighter. There's still a lot of action, a lot of fighting, and some of the most recognizable characters within the world of video games. Fans of the game series will easily recognize the characters, and even those with a passing interest in Street Fighter will at least recognize the more popular characters.
The second positive of this film is how it looks. Like it says right above, Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation has a more modern look and appearance. If you were to watch both films back to back, you'd see why. This movie has a more cleaner and crisper appearance than Street Fighter II: The Movie, and the characters seem to move more fluidly than their predecessors. Even the colors seem to be more vibrant than the movie before it, but that's just me.
The 3rd positive of Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation is the story. This time around, things aren't as cheesy or predictable as Street Fighter II, as things are a bit more dark & bleak. Despite the hope and humor that was generated at certain points within the film, there always seemed to be a dark cloud hovering over everybody, including the energetic & cheery Sakura. I was genuinely surprised at many points within the movie, as I didn't expect certain things to occur. I can't say what those certain things are, cause that would ruin it for you. Trust me when I say that you won't see these things coming.
The 4th positive of Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation is how long it lasts. Coming in at two hours long, this is a movie that can kill an afternoon, or kill a portion of it at least. This movie is also has the distinction of beating Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie's time, which was just 98 minutes. Still large, but not quite as massive as this movie. However, you could easily include both movies together as part of a massive Street Fighter marathon with your friends.
Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation's fifth positive are the extras. Although there isn't a lot of them (I usually harp about this, but this time I won't), there are enough to keep you interested. There's interviews, a making of Street Fighter Alpha, a trailer for Street Fighter Alpha, a web link to Manga Entertainment, and Manga DVD Previews and trailers. Like I said there wasn't a lot, but their still entertaining regardless.
The last positives of Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation are availability and pricing. Although the VHS copies are slim on Amazon, the DVD release is incredibly easy to find & buy. As I'm typing this, there are 29 new copies for sale, and 57 used copies. The new DVDs start at $3.95, the starting used cost is just $1.24. Buying either a used or new copy won't cause your wallet to bleed, and it makes for a decent addition to the library of any anime fan.
Yet, despite all that this movie has going for it, there's a couple thing that go against it. For starters, there's a gap between main & secondary characters in terms of screen time. Much like Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and Nightwarriors: Darkstalker's Revenge, some characters get a lot of screen time, while others get some or little screen time. This time around though, there aren't as many main or side characters. We've got 7 main characters (Ken, Ryu, Shun, Chun-Li, Dr. Sadler, Rosanov, Akuma), and 10 secondary characters (Sakura, Rose, Zangief, Adon, Vega, Birdie, Dan, Kei, Sodom, Wallice). Like I said, not as large of a screen time gap, but a screen time gap regardless.
The second negative is the movie's feel. I wrote eariler that this movie is more dark & bleak than Street Fighter II, and I wasn't lying. However, I didn't like that permeating feel of despair. I was hoping that this film would be a little more like Street Fighter II: Some more humor, a little more upbeat vibe, etc. This movie had humor at times, but those moments seemed smaller than those in Street Fighter II. I still enjoyed watching this however.
The final negative is the reception of the movie. In the eyes of many fans (whether they're Street Fighter fans or not) this movie isn't as likable as Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Whether it's because of it's darker mood, the beginning character interactions (Ryu & Chun-Li meet as if they've never seen each other before. Hardcore Street Fighter fans know better), or something else, the movie just doesn't have as big of a following as Street Fighter II. In general though, Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation has garnered a mixed to positive response, earning a 58% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes.
Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation gets a 7 to 7.5 out of 10. It's still Street Fighter, everything looks and feels more modern, the story plays out differently than it's predecessor, the movie lasts for a while, the extras are nice, and it's very easy to find & buy, but there's a screen time gap between main & secondary characters, the movie's feel may be too dark for some, and it just wasn't as well liked as the movie before it.
See you later this week. Until then, stay Otaku!
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