Cultural Impact
Mai's sex appeal has quickly made her a famous and popular character, turning her into a female icon of SNK. According to a retrospective article by GamesRadar's Brett Elston, in the early 1990s "gaming magazines were abuzz with commentary on what Mai's bobbing bosom meant for the industry - it was like witnessing (half-naked) women entering the workplace for the first time." The character is noted to be very popular in the cosplay community, including the pornographic cosplay session by Ran Asakawa, a homage video Queen of Fighters 2005 released by the pornographic actress Misa Nishida, and the cosplays by the Chinese and Taiwanese models Yoyo Mung, Wu Xi Er, Li Mengtian (Shan Shan Maity), Yang Qi Han (Isabella Yang) and Lan Fenghuang, as well as being subject of the work by Yuuri Morishita. According to Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku, "In Asia—especially China and Taiwan—models keep popping in non-gaming related events" dressed as Mai as "the outfit is skimpy and revealing and has become a uniform of sorts. So if you want to show up in cosplay, its an easy go-to choice—instead of simply representing the fighting game character." Ashcraft also wrote in 2010: "Mai is one of the most popular and recognisable fighting game characters. Her image has been recreated in countless figurines and endless fan art."
Read more about this topic: Mai Shiranui
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