Open Letter to Takaki and Marvelous

I apologize in advance for any typos, because I am typing this all up on my phone. With that out out of the way...

Originally, I was drawn to this series because of the characters and the fan service they brought (I think most people fall into this camp).  When I first played Shinovi Versus, however, I was surprised at how much effort was put into the characters to make them unique, as well as their own personal backstories, which made them even more endearing.  There was humor, sure, but there was also a lot of darker elements at play which gave a nice contrast.  Now, I have only played the Versus games but I can agree with the sentiment of feeling like characters were dumbed down and pushed aside in favor of others. Katsuragi is one of the more notable examples to receive this treatment--In SV she had a nice subplot involving her parents but in EV she has been nothing but "I want to grope boobs" for the most part.  I mean, I get that's what she does, but I think the series is far too young to already have someone like her devolve into something so two-dimensional... especially since her story hasn't even been fully finished yet!

I also have to express concern over the constantly growing cast of characters. More isn't necessarily better and the more characters that are included, the harder it will be to write a story that properly accommodates them. I think a smaller cast would do wonders for the storytelling, but I am worried that the developers won't have what it takes to take this sort of initiative. We can already see that with Peach Beach Splash, which is not only being touted as a mainline game, but is boasting over 30 playable characters. Where do we draw the line here? Furthermore, when we finally reach that point where characters HAVE to go, do we base this decision solely on popularity polls? I for one would hate to see interesting characters dropped simply because they aren't deemed "popular" enough.

The other problem is, ironically, out of all these characters there is a distinct lack of a true antagonistic threat. There was Dogen who uh... died. Then there are the yoma which have been reduced to just cutscenes as well. Apparently the 3DS games let you actually fight yoma, so why not go back to that? It sure would help break up the monotony of constantly fighting other characters all the time.  Actually, more varied missions in general would be welcomed.

Lastly, I would like the series diversify itself more with spinoffs. Preferrably, these games would bring more focus on select characters and would help to expand the lore of the series.  That way the main series doesn't have to feel pressured into including 30+ characters per game but the girls are still guaranteed their time in the limelight regardless.

If the goal of this letter is to give Takaki some feedback and constructive criticism, here are some ideas for future Senran Kagura games:

- Give more focus to the original girls (Hanzo Academy and Homura's Crimson Squad).

- Avoid giving too much spotlight to Yumi, as it is becoming saturated.

- Do not introduce too many new characters.
I think the only new characters that should be introduced in future games should be the Junior Classes from Hanzo and Hebijo (led by Ayame and Souji), and the squads led by Yuyaki and Leo; and even then this new characters should not become "main" characters, I mean, they should not appear in the story mode of every single game.
They should only show up in certain games where they are useful to the plot, and as for the other games they should only be available as DLC characters.
The same goes for the already introduced Naraku, Kagura and Mikagura Sisters.

- Senran Kagura needs a recurring villain that is more charismatic than Dogen and that unlike the Hebijo girls is actually evil and won't end up being friendly with the other shinobi.
I suggest the Senki Shu squad from New Wave, as their designs are cool and they look truly evil, and on top of that there's the connection with the Yoma and Leo's squad which would make it easy to introduce them to the story.
However, it doesn't mean every single game should feature this villains.

- Use the Yoma carefully. Yoma have cool designs and are interesting adversaries, so the girls should fight them frequently.
However, at the same time, Yoma are also supposed to be the ultimate evil in Senran Kagura's world, so they shouldn't be more common than the "normal" foes shinobi supposedly face in their everyday missions (criminals, terrorists, corrupt politicians, corrupt corporations, etc).
Yoma summoned by a charismatic recurring villain should become the usual final bosses of Senran Kagura games, but they shouldn't show up more frequently than that.
Meanwhile, the girls should fight more "normal" adversaries, like criminals and terrorists, instead of spending the whole time fighting each other.

- Allow weapon customisation and give each girl a different body. Some girls can be skinnier while others can be chubbier. Some girls should have more voluptuous asses.

- Trying a new kind of gameplay in Peach Beach Splash was an excellent idea. So please keep doing that in future games. Some ideas:
1. a fighting game (like Street Fighter);
2. an action 2D platformer (with 3D graphics);
3. A top down shooter (with melee combat as well);
4. a stealth game. Regarding this idea, I'll repost what I've already written in the game suggestions thread:

First of all, I would like to show my gratitude for the series. My introduction to the series came from a Youtube walkthrough about Shinovi Versus I happened to stumble across. I really liked it. Beautiful Shinobi ladies competing against each other in Hack and Slash combat which I am a really big fan of the specific genre. Yes, I won't deny that I am also a big fan of Life and Hometown but that which most made me attached to the series was the deepness of the specific characters accompanied by the lively gameplay. When it comes down to Fighting games, I'm in, no matter the kind. I did a little research on the series and learned that there is also an Anime series. I decided to start with that and really loved it. Of course, the gaming afterwards was on a whole new level but still, the Anime was a good starting point. Unfortunately, I don't own a Nintendo 3DS yet so I didn't get the chance to experience the whole original timeline. Instead, I started with Shinovi Versus on the PS Vita. I really enjoyed it. I was really drawn to the characters each one unique in it's own way. I continued with Estival Versus and I really loved that too. New features, characters and more fun. It really has become one of my favorite gaming series so Kenichiro Takaki, I thank you for that.

Now, since I love this series, of course I want it to be improved. There is always room for it and as for me, my humble suggestions would be:

1. Unique body types. Even though they seem unique in the Art and Animation, they all appear identical when playing. Especially the proportions. A modification would really bring a more aesthetic as well as a more realistic feel to the characters.

2. Concerning the popularity of certain characters. Of course, everyone has their likes and dislikes. Reasons to be drawn to the specifc character. It is understandable but as a fan myself, I would love to see some balance when it comes to be given some spotlight. I don't mind a larger roster of characters. In fact, the more the merrier. I like the addition of new ones. Of course, I realize the difficulty that the story will have to go through. I'm fine with many being just DLC as long as I get to experience them in action. New appearances, personalities, fighting styles, chances to relate and possibilities. However, that which I would like to see is a more equal focus on them. The media should be able to properly advertise each one, giving fans the opportunity to know them better. When that happens solely for a select few, the rest start to seem hollow. The same applies to the screentime each character gets in the games. I am not really going to say the typical ''Give more focus to the original ones'' neither ''Discard the formers for the new ones sake''. Each character has a lot of potential. It all depends on how are you going to handle them.

3. The story. So far, I don't really have any complaints about it. I have really immersed myself in it. It is fun, touching and excitable. However, I would also like a part of the bigger picture. Although, I haven't experienced it myself, I am aware of what Deep Crimson has offered. A darker, more serious tone bringing a different feeling to the series. A deep point of the story. The Youma, a true villain, the reason Shinobi exist and what are they fighting for. I would love to see something like that returning. I believe it has a lot of potential. Especially now with the Versus series.

4. The Antagonists. I must say that I always loved the idea of recurring villains appearing in the series to antagonize the main girls. Shinobi of extremist factions, other type of warriors or those who interact with the Youma. The Senki Shu from New Wave for example could be a good opportunity. Of course, seeing the Youma themselves returning in final boss battles.

5. The gameplay. If I could suggest some improvements that would be the Awakenings. Each one of the four leaders seem to be capable of that but it would be nice if every girl could have her own type of Awakening. They could be separate from the Ultimate Secret Ninja Arts and require a certain action depending on the character. It would also probably offer a little bit of more balance between the characters. Also, certain commands for defeating a final boss as well as a variation of Aerial Rave conflicts which can also be applied on the ground when the attacks of opposing characters connect.

Pretty much, I'm hoping everything will be taken into consideration. I love to see this series keep getting stronger and wish all the people who worked on it the best !!!!

Fair treatment for all characters! That's basic writing 101 there! Less focus on Yumi. It's coming at the expense of everyone else, and that had to be my biggest disappointment of all with Estival.

I want for the gameplay foundations of Deep Crimson and the Versus series to come together. Frankly, this was what I wanted with Estival, and I was very disappointed that this wasn't what it was. Bring back tag-teams and co-op.

Can we have a new game with an aesthetic closer to classic arcade beat-em-ups. That was what got me interested in Burst in the first place. While we're at it, four-player drop-in, drop-out co-op would be nice, like in D&D: Chronicles of Mystara, or Konami's games based on The Simpson, X-Men, and Ninja Turtles.

I stand by my undying wish for a Hibari platformer! Maybe more exploration-based, like Spyro or Banjo-Kazooie.

Please, oh please do things with Mirai and Murasaki together. I really like seeing them interact. If we could just see something, anything with this, I would greatly appreciate it.

A lot of excellent, well thought out posts. I'd also like to stress; if you disagree and feel Yumi SHOULD be getting the most spotlight or that we shouldnt bring it up, please feel free to express that. We had some people on social media who disagree, but as I said, I want this to try and be a general consensus where we represent as many people as we can, obviously not the entirety of the western community.

Regarding Yumi: If you follow promotional materials, popularity polls and New Wave you are completely bombarded with Yumi. It creates a perception that the Japanese audience is the only audience being considered and that the franchise is 'stuck' on a character that absolutely needs to be pushed in order to sell units. It also creates the perception that the series direction is being dictated by a bunch of mobile gaming whales and that the only way to beat them is by having more money. Those concerns may have some truth to them.

Another issue is the divide in tastes between the Japanese fans and Western fans. We simply do not comprehend the widespread appeal of Yumi. Her archetype doesn't resonate with us in quite the same way and so her popularity is a mystery and the only answers we have for it are generalisations of the Japanese fans.

It's a different story in the games; if we look at Estival Versus and consider which characters got "preferential" treatment it's definitely the twins, the Overseers and Mikarugas. They had the largest story focus and more playable missions. Yumi herself never stole the spotlight in that game's storyline and was roughly on par with her adoptive sisters terms of screentime, playable missions and story relevance.

It's a bizarre situation.