Nobusuma

"Can you follow this?"

—Ibuki

The Nobusuma (野衾, Nobusuma^?) is one of Ibuki's unique attacks, introduced in Street Fighter V.

Input

Street Fighter V	(During neutral/forward jump)

Description

Executed by pressing two kick buttons during a forward or neutral jump, Ibuki glides across the stage using a red, kite-like sailcloth.

Tactics

Ibuki performing Nobusuma

This move can only be used during a forward or neutral jump. In addition, Nobusuma can only be used at the peak of Ibuki's jump. It is also an effective way to get out of the corner. With this added mobility, Ibuki can escape any tough situations her opponent puts her in. This forces the opponent to respect Ibuki while she is in the air. Unless the opponent is waiting for it, anti-airing Ibuki as she's gliding through the air can be tricky.

She can surprise her opponent by gliding to the opposite side. Nobusuma can be followed up with a jumping normal or an airborne Kunai. If spaced correctly, Ibuki can create tricky cross-up situations, catching her opponent off-guard and inflicting a good amount of damage.

Through updates the effectiveness of this as an escape tactic has been changed. One of the major nerfs to Nobusuma is that if Ibuki is hit during any time she is in the air regardless of what attack hit she will be put into a Juggle state where her opponent can followup the initial hit for higher damage, something very undesirable as Ibuki only has 925HP which is only higher than Akuma and Cammy. Ibuki's landing recovery has since been reduced from 7 frames to 4 frames making her able to react to a punish attempt faster or even punish an attempting opponent herself who would otherwise have hit Ibuki with the older recovery time. On a good prediction Ibuki for example could immediately use EX Kazekiri to hit any punish attempt.

Etymology

Nobusuma, or literally "wild quilt", refers to an uncommon kind of yokai in Japan. They are long lived bats, who like kitsune and nekomata, have lived long enough to become supernatural beings, and have grown to become large enough to assail humans to feed on their blood and consume fire. Naturally with Ibuki's ninja themes this serves as a poetic name for her associated moveset.

The overall idea for Nobusuma comes from tonsojutsu, or the art of utilizing kites in the ways of ninjutsu. It is believed that some schools of ninjutsu used hang glider like kites as a manner of escape or to rain incendiaries in battle.

Trivia

• This move bears similarities to Twelve's air dash.
• One of Ibuki's win poses in Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix is similar to this maneuver.
• Ibuki using this maneuver is inconsistent with her character story, as she is shown learning this in her Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike ending that takes place after Street Fighter V. Granted, said learning or ninjutsu class may involve more advanced situations and techniques, including long distance maneuvering and traveling in adverse or risky conditions, while another theory implies she masks her aptitude to not blow her cover or the Fourth World Warrior Tournament does not allow apparent or overt weaponry at risk of disqualification.
• If one is to consider the way EX Kunai changed Ibuki's aerial trajectory compared to her regular Kunai in SFIV then this can be considered a loose replacement for said attack as an alternate way to change Ibuki's aerial arc, as both attacks keep Ibuki in the air in terms of vertical placement far longer than her normal Kunai used in the air since in Street Fighter V her EX Kunai changes her aerial trajectory the same way as the normal version.
• Zeku is seen using a similar flying tactic during his fighting introduction.
• This attack is often joked as and compared to Mario's wing ability from Super Mario World.
  • Which continues a joke that started in the previous game of comparing the Tanuki tails Ibuki would often get in her outfits to the Tanuki outfit ability from Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario World's predecessor.

Gallery

Nobusuma

In Pocket Fighter, one of Ibuki's Pre Fight scenes was flying in on a kite, this could have been an inspiration for Nobusuma.