It has been announced that the flashback scenes depicting Ryu and Ken’s past in the live-action film *Street Fighter: The Movie*, scheduled for release on October 16, will be rendered as hand-drawn animation.
Ryu and Ken’s Past Scenes Will Be Depicted Through Hand-Drawn Animation!
Although this film is a live-action adaptation of the fighting game *Street Fighter*, it has been revealed that hand-drawn animation will be used for the scenes depicting Ryu and Ken’s past. The animated segments are said to be styled after traditional 1990s animation.
Director Kitao Sakurai, who was born in Japan and spent his childhood in both the U.S. and Japan, commented that *Street Fighter* served as a bridge between the two countries and was deeply intertwined with manga and anime. He explained that the decision to use hand-drawn animation in this film is a tribute to anime and embodies the true spirit of the game.
Takayuki Nakayama, known for his work as a director on *Street Fighter 6*, remarked, “When I first saw it, I thought, ‘Is this even a valid form of expression? It’s so cool.’” He added that he was particularly impressed not only by the action scenes but also by how well the animation conveyed emotion.
A poster featuring the animated visual of “Goken”—the master of Ryu and Ken—was also unveiled. The character will be portrayed by Ma Dong-seok. While past trailers briefly showed a photo of a figure believed to be the live-action Goken, it remains unclear whether he will actually appear in live-action form in the film.
“Street Fighter: The Movie” will be released worldwide simultaneously on October 16. Details can also be found on the official website.
