Nanase (七瀬?) is a video game character from the Street Fighter EX series, first appearing in Street Fighter EX2 as a hidden fighter. She is the current successor to the Mizugami clan, and younger sister to Kairi and Hokuto.
A character based off of Nanase appears in the game Fighting EX Layer, a spiritual successor to the Street Fighter EX games, under the name Sanane (紗波音?).
Biography
Appearance
Nanase appears as a brown-haired teenage girl of average height, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. The top half of her outfit resembles a sleeveless floral-print yukata, with a purple shirt worn underneath it, as well as a breastplate on top and was tucked into a large orange belt with a yellow trim. The bottom half of her outfit is a blue skirt resembling that of a traditional Japanese schoolgirl's uniform, along with matching colored socks and green sneakers. She wears greenish-blue gloves, matching her breastplate in color. Underneath her skirt, she wore bloomers similar to Sakura's but the color is light purple.
In Street Fighter EX2, Nanase's primary outfit has a minor color change in-game; her shirt is pale purple, the half of her sleeveless floral-print yukata is capri blue, her belt is red with an orange trim and both her gloves, socks and sneakers are dark blue.
In Street Fighter EX3 her gloves are blue to match her floral-print yukata and her sneakers appear as indigo. Her skirt is also extended below her knee.
Her outfit remains mostly the same in her Shadaloo C.R.I. profile art, save for her gloves and breastplate being brighter in coloration, and her sneakers being colored white.
In Fighting EX Layer, Sanane posseses long hair is longer and its color is black (brown in her portrait). She wears a casual outfit; a pink and white high-neck dress with frills at the edge, a dark blue undershirt with an extended collar, and black stockings with gray cross strap designs. Both her sneakers and her gloves from her original outfit are now turquoise. She also wears a large lime green scarf on her neck with a rabbit pin at the left side. She also has a cross hairclip at the left side of her hair and black, gray and dark green headphone on her neck. During her win pose, Sanane carries a wooden bo staff instead of the red and black naginata she previously wielded.
Personality
Nanase is generally very cheerful, and has a bright and lively personality.[1]
Story
Street Fighter EX series
Background
Nanase was born to the main house of the Mizugami (水神?) family, growing up with her beloved elder sister and role model Hokuto. Although born to a family of kobujutsu masters, Nanase only trained to maintain the tradition and actually dislikes her training, slipping out whenever she gets the chance. However, Nanase avoids cutting training as much as possible in order to not upset her sister. In spite of her reluctance to train, Nanase is a skilled master of bojutsu.
One day, Nanase was surprised by Hokuto's sudden decision to forsake the title of Seiden (正伝?) of the Mizugami Ancient Art of Jujutsu and handed it down to her. Not long afterward, Hokuto disappeared and set off on a journey to fight a new enemy. Nanase later learned that Hokuto was in fact, searching for their long-lost elder brother Kairi, and went on a trip to prevent the two from fighting each other.
Endings
Street Fighter EX2
Nanase was raised to be the successor of the Mizukami family. But when she heard about her brother Kairi from her grandfather, her heart was moved and Nanase got the urge to set off to a journey for the truth.
But was she motivated by her yearning to see her brother? Or was it a journey to become a successor in the Mizukami family? Not even Nanase herself knew for sure.
"Wait for me... Brother... Sister..."
Street Fighter EX2 (special ending)
"Sister, Brother, stop fighting!" echoed Nanase's sorrowful shout. At the very moment Kairi opened his eyes. Thanks to Nanase, Kairi was liberated from the insides of a deep fog when the appearance of his young sister overlapped within the darkness of his memories. Nanase's sister felt in her mind that her own brother Kairi has been rescued from a solitary darkness.
Street Fighter EX2 Plus
"Brother, Sister, please stop it!"
Kairi softened his fists the moment he heard Nanase's scream.
Despite their separation, they were still brother and sister.
Street Fighter EX3
After her victory, Nanase reflects upon how her lost brother has changed her life Forever. Since her sister left to find him and never returned, Nanase was forced to learn and become a master of her family's Mizukami style. She never wanted to become the master of this style and keeps wishing that one day things will go back to the way they were...
Street Fighter EX3 (in team with Hokuto)
Hokuto was very pleased that Nanase has grown to be much stronger that she had espected. Hokuto complimented her sister, "You've become so strong." Nanase smiles shyly and says, "Yes." Through their battles, they learned to have a mutual trust which became stronger than that of their sisterhood. Although Kairi changed their lives for the worse, he also changed thier lives for the better...
Street Fighter EX3 (in team with Kairi)
It was Nanase's wish that put and end to the fightthat lasted a decade. She happily spoke, "Let's go home together." But Kairi started to walk away, ignoring her words. Hokuto stood in his way and commanded, "It's my duty to prevent you from from going into the evil way again." Kairi replied, "Do as you wish!" And from there, nobodyknows where they went...
Street Fighter EX3 (in team with Kairi and Hokuto)
Nanase yells, "Grrrrrrr! Kairi!" At the moment, Kairi saw the image of his little sister in Nanase and spoke, "Nanase... is that you?" Suddenly, all of Kairi's lost memories came back. With tears in his eyes, he turned to his sister and says, "We can be together from now..."
Other appeareances
Fighting EX Layer
Nanase a.k.a. "Sanane Suzuki" in Fighting EX Layer
A character based off of Nanase under the name of Sanane Suzuki (鈴木 紗波音 Suzuki Sanane?) appears as one of the playable characters in Fighting EX Layer, Arika's spiritual successor to the Street Fighter EX games.
At some point prior to the events of Fighting EX Layer, Nanase's memories were erased by Hokuto, now having awoken the seal of blood and going by her birth name, Shirase. Her whereabouts after that are unknown.
Sanane is a university student, a girl who is exceptionally skilled in naginata and occasionally overcomes her deja vu when using her weapon. After crossing paths and being defeated by a certain man at the Sports Festival, Sanane begins to question about the truth behind her early life.
In the game's various endings, it is later revealed that Sanane is not actually Nanase, and is really a child from a branch of the Mizugami family. Hayate reveals in her ending that she was implanted with some of Nanase's memories and used as a "substitute" for Nanase after she went missing. After realizing this, Sanane begins to despise Hayate, due to her mind being filled with memories that are not her own.
It is also revealed that the "Hokuto" appearing in the game is actually a disguised, amnesiac Nanase. In Hokuto's arcade ending, as Shirase tells "Hokuto" to finish her off and break the curse of the Mizugami clan, she regains her memories, remembering her true identity as Nanase and remembering that Shirase is her sister, the real Hokuto. Furthermore, in Kairi's ending, he recognizes "Hokuto" as actually being Nanase.
Gameplay
Fighting style
Nanase's fighting style is based in Bojutsu. Her growing bo-staff is usually used as part of her every special attack. Nanase also shares some attacks with Hokuto, particularly her throws. She is versatile in that she can attack from different ranges using her staff.
She is also expert in hand to hand combat when she uses both punches and kicks.
In Fighting EX Layer, she uses Hokuto's fighting style in Kobudo while disguising as her older sister.
In Fighting EX Layer as Sanane, she uses most of Nanase's moves from Street Fighter EX series. Her growing bo staff resembles a long naginata when she unleashes her special attacks and her Super Combos. Nanase who is a disguised Hokuto as a playable DLC character, finally utilized most of Hokuto's original moveset and her Super Combos.
Move List
In Fighting EX Layer, (See Hokuto's page) all of Nanase's movelists in the previous games was now carried over to Sanane Suzuki as the amnesiac Nanase now utilizing her older sister's movelist while disguising as her.
Normal throws
- Kyaku - neutral throw
- Keishukou - directional throw
Unique Attacks
- Raku Shichi Geki - air attack. Double knee similar to Zangief's signature diving double knee attack.
- Tou Chuuhou - overhead punch.
Special Attacks
- Sanren Kon - multiple commands. Nanase performs a horizontal strike to her opponent with her bo staff. Can be perform three times. Strength of punch button used determines the length of her staff (it also determines the range), LP can hit from half screen, MP from 3/4 and HP from almost full screen. HP has the slowest start-up and recovery. Only LP version of this move will combo for the full 3 hits.
- Kasumi Oroshi - multiple commands. Nanase leaps forward and attacks mid-air using her bo staff. Strength of kick button attacks from different angles so be sure to use the right version depending on the opponents position.
- LK version strikes in front.
- MK version strikes down and therefore will only connect if directly above the opponent.
- HK version strikes behind her
- Tenshou Kon - an upwards strike. Used as anti-air and like the Sanren Kon, the length of her bo staff varies depending on strength of punch button used. HP has longest range.
- Ryuusui- throw. Nanase grabs the opponent and flings them forward to switch sides. Opponent's back is momentarily exposed which allows her to follow up with a combo.
- Gekkyou Botan - counter, When in stance, Nanase will counter attack if opponent strikes with high attack.
Super Combos
- Yayoi Toukon Gi - A projectile attack which can also be performed in the air and has multiple commands.
- Kon no Kidou Shuusei - controls the direction.
- Meigetsu -
- Ariake - she will throw her bo staff onto the ground near the opponent.
- Kon wo Modosu - staff will spin combo the opponent and then return to Nanase.
- Izayoi Rekkon - launching attack followed up by an air juggle.
Meteor Combo
- Machiyoi Tenkyuu Geki - Nanase performs a long range single strike of her bo staff which knocks her opponent down. Then uses her weapon to launch herself into outer space and then perform a diving attack into the opponent.
Combos
Nanase has effective attacks at all ranges due to her growing staff.
Basic Special Combos. Most of her combos are based around her Sanren Kon special attack.
- Kasumi Oroshi (x3). Can combo three times if correct angles are used. A cornered opponent is an ideal position to get all three hits of this combo.
- cr,MP x Tenshou Kon. Will only combo up close.
- cr.MP Sanren Kon (x3), Only LP version will combo into each other.
- Ryuusui > cr.LK x Sanren Kon (x3)
Stage Themes
Gallery
Trivia
- Nanase's growing bo-staff, wielded in the EX series, is based on Ruyi Jingu Bang wielded by Sun Wukong, one of main characters in the Chinese classical novel Journey to the West. In Fighting EX Layer this growing bo-staff has been replaced with a wooden naginata.
- Her name in Fighting EX Layer has switched the big 'N' with the 's' in English, while in Japanese, the kanji for her name is completely different.
- Also in Fighting EX Layer while disguising herself as "Hokuto" as a playable DLC fighter, Nanase had changed her main fighting style being combined to Bojutsu to her older sister's fighting style as well as imitating her win poses in the previous games. If you see a closer look of "Hokuto" it has fringes on her head along with longer fringes on her long black hair rather than prominently showing her forehead, this shows that this "Hokuto" was indeed Nanase.
See also
References
| Street Fighter EX Characters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX | Original | Akuma · Allen · Blair · Chun-Li · C. Jack · Darun · D. Dark · Guile Hokuto · Kairi · Ken · Pullum · Ryu · Skullomania · Zangief | ||
| Plus | Bloody Hokuto · Cycloid-β · Cycloid-γ · Evil Ryu · Garuda · M. Bison | |||
| Plus α | Dhalsim · Sakura | |||
| EX2 | Original | Blanka · Hayate · Nanase · Shadowgeist · Sharon · Vega | ||
| Plus | Area · Sagat · V. Rosso | |||
| EX3 | Ace · Bison II | |||
| CPU Only | Shin-Bison · Cycloids · Zako | |||
| Fighting Layer Characters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Layer | Allen · Blair | |||
| Fighting EX Layer | Original | Darun · D. Dark · Garuda · Hayate · Jack · Kairi Sanane · Shadowgeist · Shirase · Skullomania | ||
| Downloadable | Area · Hokuto · Pullum · Sharon · Terry (Guest) · V. Rosso | |||