Daigo Ikeno (character designer) and Chun Li's thighs
Now, in an interview the other members of the Street Fighter 4 team said something about the character designer liking "bigger" girls in response to a question about Chun Li's thighs and whether or not they'd be the thunder thighs they were in SF3. Now, while I think there was some friendly joking in that I got the vibe that there was a little truth to that.
When interviewed this is what Ikeno said about the thigh issue
[...]Chun-Li's thighs aren't a reflection of my personal tastes or fetishes so much as they are a product of the character's design. That's just who Chun-Li is. I certainly wouldn't dream of thickening up every female thigh in the game. I mean, characters who need big thighs will be graced with big thighs. Characters who require thinner legs will get a pair of legs that suits them.[...]
I call bullshit, kthx. There are different ways to build muscle, and building bulky muscle makes a character slower. What's Chun Li always been known for? Speed. One of her most recognizable moves? Lightning Kick. Like, so rapid her legs blur. On what massive planet of dumbass does "Oh, this character is known for lightning fast kicks" translate to "WELL THAT MEANS GIANT ASS BABY BIRTHIN' THUNDAH THIGHS"? I think it's good they made her look like she had some muscle, in the originals she appeared to have none. But they should have gone the way of Street Fighter Alpha, where she clearly had muscle, but not bulky muscles that would slow her down.
When interviewed this is what Ikeno said about the thigh issue
[...]Chun-Li's thighs aren't a reflection of my personal tastes or fetishes so much as they are a product of the character's design. That's just who Chun-Li is. I certainly wouldn't dream of thickening up every female thigh in the game. I mean, characters who need big thighs will be graced with big thighs. Characters who require thinner legs will get a pair of legs that suits them.[...]
I call bullshit, kthx. There are different ways to build muscle, and building bulky muscle makes a character slower. What's Chun Li always been known for? Speed. One of her most recognizable moves? Lightning Kick. Like, so rapid her legs blur. On what massive planet of dumbass does "Oh, this character is known for lightning fast kicks" translate to "WELL THAT MEANS GIANT ASS BABY BIRTHIN' THUNDAH THIGHS"? I think it's good they made her look like she had some muscle, in the originals she appeared to have none. But they should have gone the way of Street Fighter Alpha, where she clearly had muscle, but not bulky muscles that would slow her down.