Category: Interviews

Our interviews from Evolution 2017 continue! This time, we have the rare opportunity to present a conversation with another top Japanese Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 player, T5M7. He came in second in the Guilty Gear Grand Finals, right before Omito’s Johnny.

T5m7 — who’s actually called Tomo — rose to the surface with his Leo Whitefang, especially with a famous prior victory at Japan’s Toushinsai, also known as the Arc Revolution Cup. What’s more, Tomo received an r/Kappa sponsorship from Reddit after the subforum campaigned funds to help the man come to Las Vegas, Nevada.

We caught up with Tomo right after the Guilty Gear Grand Finals.

This conversation was also made possible thanks to assistance from an Arc System Works translator.

Luke “Woocash” Siuty: Tell us about the top 8 matches, and fighting Omito in the grand finals.

T5M7, also known as r/Kappa|Tomo: Right, well… I fought Omito many times before, I wasn’t really nervous, I was having fun out there. I can’t say that there’s no regrets, I wanted to win. But I had a good time and it was fun.

Woocash: After you lost to him first, what kind of changes or adjustments were you making?

Tomo: So in the first match, he had a lot of abare [poking, “mashing”], I focused on trying to stop that. But you know, he was very cautious with all that. And even in the finals, he was doing a lot of abare, so it was hard for me.

Woocash: You also fought other players, like Samitto Chipp. Which other match-ups do you feel are hardest for you?

Tomo: So Omito and Nage, they keep a distance, so as a Leo player, I need to step in and initiate the fight, which makes it a lot harder. But for Chipp, they come at you, so it’s a lot easier. But anyone who keeps their distance is very hard to play.

Woocash: You’ve managed to beat Nage.

Tomo: Today, earlier at the stage, yeah. Because, last night, we knew we were going to play each other, I was worried about how he was going to switch up his tactics and create some strategies to fight me. But I decided to not really worry about that and just go aggressive and see how he reacts to the aggressiveness. As you can see, as a result, I was able to overpower him and get that win from him.

Woocash: You’ve been proving otherwise, but a lot of people don’t consider Leo a strong character. What do you think about that?

Tomo: Yeah, so I agree with that notion. He’s a little underpowered, but he does have very powerful attacks and moves that do a lot of damage. It’s about managing the [Tension] gauge. At the beginning, I don’t have it, so it’s harder to play. But then I like to play and get more aggressive later on in the match. It really fits my playstyle. It’s all about timing and using the gauge at the right time and timing everything so you get that maximum damage.

Woocash: What advice do you have to people who are already strong players but can’t quite break through to the top? What can they do to continue leveling up?

Tomo: I see… The characters and how you’re going to move against opponents is very important. Also, the Tension Gauge. Having that Tension adds that pressure against the enemy because they never know when you’re going to do the specials and stuff. Learning the importance of having that Tension Gauge and how you use it without actually using it to your advantage is what’s going to be that leap to make it to the next level – top 32, 16, 8, etc.

Woocash: What do you think of Answer and Baiken, the new REV 2 characters?

Tomo: Baiken is very strong, with strong attacks, but the Azami system is a little bit different, so people are trying to learn the difference, so it’s hard to be consistent. Plus, her health is a little bit lower. People are still learning her.

As for Answer, he has strong combos, but, depending on the opponent, sometimes the combos don’t really land. That’s where it’s kind of iffy. He does have the mid and lower attacks, but there needs to be a little tweak going on, because in the current state, you’re losing a lot of the damage, because some of the combos won’t land. If they can make the right tweak, it will be interesting to see how he gets better. Patching and everything is going to be where it counts.

Woocash: Tell us more about the r/Kappa situation. Any shout-outs?

Tomo: I can only thank them and appreciate them for all the stuff they have done. I don’t speak English, so it was really hard to get the hotel room, book the flight. They arranged everything for me so I could focus on the match. I’m just really happy for everyone who assisted me and shout-outs to them.

Woocash: Any final thoughts?

Tomo: I just want to say, if people saw my match and they thought it was fun, and they got interested in the games, and had a fun time, I’m happy.

We also have an interview with Omito, the Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 Evolution 2017 World Champion. Check it out!

It seems like every time Shoryuken bumps into Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi, he wins. In 2016, we sat down with him in Seoul, South Korea to discuss his victory alongside Mago and Momochi at Street Fighter Crash. Fast forward one year, and the Murderface has dominated his way to an Evo title in Street Fighter V, capturing his first Evo title in ten years over Victor “Punk” Woodley, who had previously shown himself absolutely dominant in nearly every event he entered.

After the confetti fell and while the stage was being torn down, we sat down alongside Amanda Stevens of SageGnosis.com and Cameron Gilbert of GameSpark.jp in a round table interview to discuss Tokido’s huge win at Evo 2017.

Amanda Stevens [SageGnosis]: You have stayed very competitive for a long time. What is it about yourself that allows you to stay at the highest level?

Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi: That’s a hard question. Recently the level of play has become increasingly higher. Previously, I could just practice in training mode then play in tournaments. This way made it easy to get to top 8. Nowadays, it’s not enough. Everyone wants to be on top. For me, gaming is just special. I spent so much time in my boyhood playing.

I’ve had to practice a lot lately, but in a new way. I don’t just think about execution and setups anymore, but mind games. Not only just mind games, but my own mental fortitude needed shaping. I’ve also played a lot more to desensitize myself to tournament nerves, so that I treat every match like casuals. Also, since tournaments tend to be a long grind, I have had to work on my own physical endurance so that I won’t tire out late in the day. I’ve had to try a lot of new things lately, so that is probably why I remain at the highest levels.

Corey “Missing Person” Lanier: One of the things you said on stage with Gootecks after you won was that you learned how to control your opponents. So I want to go back to grand finals with Punk. Before the reset, you gave up one round in game one, then took that game. Then in game two, you dropped the entire game. The rest of the set, and even past the reset, you looked completely in control. Were those rounds and games you dropped a part of establishing control, and seeing what Punk was capable of?

Tokido: Yes, at first we had played a lot of casuals. I knew his strategy, and I’m pretty sure he knew mine as well. Usually we have great sets together, and I feel like the Akuma/Karin matchup is rather even. So with Punk, usually we are just trading rounds. But today, I felt as though he was nervous or something. Until Evo, he was winning a lot. He had never really been in a pinch. I felt like this time, he felt like he was in a big pinch.

So when I was playing him, because of this, he was playing far more defensive than he usually does and was making way more mistakes than usual. I can tell this because I have a lot of tournament experience. From there, I was able to control him easily.

Cameron Gilbert [GameSpark]: In Season 1, you weren’t able to play your trademark character of Akuma, but in Season 2, he came out. Now that you’ve won Evo with him, how do you feel about the character as opposed to previous versions of the character?

Tokido: Before Season 2 released, they had announced the character and I immediately said I’d switch over. I didn’t care about tiers. In Season 1, I picked Ryu in lieu of Akuma, but if Akuma would come I would change my character. At first, it was very difficult for me, because Ryu was very strong in Season 1. He was actually better than Akuma. But now, I can honestly sit here and thank Capcom for Akuma. Akuma is definitely the best character for me.

For ordinary people, maybe Balrog and Ibuki are best. But tier lists aren’t based solely on ease of use, but potential. Akuma is a very difficult character, but I feel as though he has the highest potential. But I’m certain that Akuma fits me perfectly, and I was able to show that at Evo.

Stevens: You are on one of the premier fighting game teams [Echo Fox]. For instance, you have Justin Wong, JDCR, Momochi, Julio Fuentes, and others to bounce off of. Compared to other times in your career, do you feel like this the best time for you as a fighting game player?

Tokido: The week before Foxcon, I stayed with Justin in San Jose. There are so many good players there. Punk was also staying there. I practiced with a lot of good players that week. Without Justin, this wasn’t possible. It’s a very good team.

Missing Person: The last time I talked to you, we were in Korea and you were a free agent. Today, you have Echo Fox and an Evo title. How much can you attribute this win to your team, compared to when you were having to self-support yourself to go to events?

Tokido: I’m very happy to win this tournament for Echo Fox. I think in fighting games, winning is most important. However, I feel like I also have other things to show. I succeeded in both at Evo. I won and showed what I wanted to in fighting games. I hope this is a big contribution to the scene.

Gilbert: [in Japanese] In Japan, fighting games are considered old man’s games, making it harder for younger players to come in and pick up the genre. In Japan, BlazBlue is really the only fighting game that gathers a young audience. Given that fighting games are so important in your life, how do you help young people understand what is so great about fighting games?

Tokido: [in Japanese] One of the ways we can open up the appeal of these games to younger players is to have great events like Evo, with big prizes to show that you can make a living off of playing these games. Making that happen is up to the event organizers. Hopefully, the young players will come in and have really fast reactions and energy. As they keep winning, they’ll run into these old school players, who will beat them down. When they do lose, they’ll realize that there’s all this money involved, but there’s a lot more to this. So the older players will provide that experience for the new players and help them grow.

[in English] It’s very difficult to learn from winning. When you lose, you have to struggle and think a lot. This isn’t just important in fighting games, but in society and in life.

Missing Person: In Evo 2013, you got second to Xian, and you hadn’t won an event at Evo since 2007. To be fair, you were also playing multiple titles at the same time and constantly getting top 8 in multiple events in one year. Now, you are clearly focused solely on Street Fighter V. How much can you attribute stepping back from all these games to this win?

Tokido: Because of that, I can practice a lot and think a lot. I was always searching for something to win. Actually, the old school players taught me a lot about what I should do. It’s a little complicated, so it’s hard to put it into few words. I was able to learn from older players about how to deal with various situations. Actually, because this is a Street Fighter title, I was able to take a lot from Super Street Fighter II Turbo players and apply what they gave me here.

Missing Person: So your conditioning strategy worked very well in the top 8 of Evo. Now, what happens if you were in a team tournament? Like go back to Street Fighter Crash, where you, Mago, and Momochi had one game each. How do you adjust yourself to that?

Tokido: It’s almost the same for me. However, due to it only being one match, I have to decide more about what I want to do over how to control my opponent. It becomes a different dynamic. You don’t fully know your opponent in one match, but you know your teammates. So I can give advice to them, and they can also do the same to me. It’s much more relaxed. In team tournaments, you train in a different way than if it were singles.

Missing Person: With Street Fighter V, the game has become global, and it’s much more difficult for any country to truly dominate the game. I heard that there will be a Korea vs. China 5-on-5 exhibition at a salty suite after Evo. Who do you think would win, and if Japan was represented, do you think they would win?

Tokido: At the highest levels, I think Japan is the best.

Missing Person: So do you think you could take a team in to best them?

Tokido: I think so, but it would depend on the opponents. Who are they?

Missing Person: Xiao Hai is leading the Chinese team, and Verloren and XYZZY are leading the Korean team.

Tokido: And it’s tonight?

Missing Person: Yes.

Tokido: It would depend on how tired I am after I eat. If I don’t sleep. In normal conditions, I believe Japan would win. But with it being night, everyone is probably tired. Still, I think Japan would win. We have Daigo, Fuudo, Nemo, and Bonchan. They have different philosophies in fighting games.

[While the exhibition was scheduled, the plan ultimately fell through when Xiao Hai couldn’t find enough Chinese players willing to play.]

Missing Person: You obviously don’t have to worry about Capcom Cup points. It’s a long way away, but are you thinking about Capcom Cup at all yet?

Tokido: You’re right, I still have five months left. I’ll still be playing and practicing. I need to seek out more, not only about playing the game, but generally about how to prepare. It will take some time as well as trial and error.

Missing Person: I saw your sister and brother-in-law on the floor congratulating you after your win. Is this the first time you’ve had family at any of your events?

Tokido: No, they’re here every year. They live in Las Vegas.

Missing Person: No kidding! So do you stay with them while you’re here?

Tokido: Actually, I don’t. I prefer to stay at the hotel.

Missing Person: How amazing was it for you to win in front of your family?

Tokido: Actually last year, we watched top 8 together in the audience. I was able to tell them things like, “Infiltration is a really good player from Korea,” as well as general information about fighting games. But this year, it was me on stage. I was able to perform for them. It was an amazing feeling.

[Feature image courtesy of Shane Shrestha]

Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, released just a few months ago, did not grace the Sunday finals stage at Evolution 2017. Nonetheless, you can bet the crowd was just as hype for the top 8 regardless. All of the top 8 were Japanese players, and it wasn’t easy to predict the winner, either.

Ultimately, the one who emerged victorious was Omito and his Johnny. Crowned as the World Champion in Guilty Gear, I took a quick opportunity to speak to the winning warrior. I ask Omito whether he was worried about any characters or players, what his favorite thing about Johnny is, and which American Guilty Gear players he respects.

The conversation took place with a translator provided by Arc System Works. Thanks to ASW for making it possible.

Luke “Woocash” Siuty: You just won Evolution 2017 in Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2! How do you feel?

Omito: I’m very happy that I won! But the opponent for the finals, I played him a couple of times before, and I’ve been doing very well against him, so I had a lot of confidence in winning this match.

Woocash: Walk us through a little with your Tomo matches.

Omito: I didn’t change anything. I didn’t adapt. I just did what I always do, and if he was going to adapt and change something, I was going to change it up, and go with whatever he sends to me. But for me, I just played like I always play.

Woocash: Against whom were you preparing the most?

Omito: As for players, I didn’t really plan for anything. In Osaka, there aren’t that many players, so I did a lot of Training Mode to prepare for characters I don’t usually face. That’s how I prepared, but I didn’t really do anything special.

Woocash: Which character do you like fighting against the least?

Omito: There isn’t one.

Woocash: Is that because you’re equally prepared for everyone, or…?

Omito: I kind of learn as I go, so even during the match, if it’s someone I don’t usually fight against, I learn really fast and adapt. I don’t really have to worry about certain characters.

Woocash: What was the toughest challenge at Evo?

Omito: Jack-O’ and Raven are the two characters I don’t usually face. I was a little worried about those because I just don’t have enough practice against those, but it wasn’t too bad.

Woocash: purepure? [Japanese Jack-O’ player]

Omito: Yes. purepure and Zadi.

Woocash: What advice do you have to other Johnny players?

Omito: Participate in tournaments, and when you’re going to play, you have to be hungry for that win. If you’re not, you’re not going to win.

Woocash: Do you watch a lot of American players as well? Who are some that you respect?

Omito: Yeah, I do watch a lot of American players as well, and the ones that I’m always looking for are: LordKnight, KidViper, Kizzie Kay, and Hotashi.

Woocash: Is there anything in particular you feel Americans are stronger at?

Omito: Japanese players tend to focus on making combos and set play, while US players lean more to gimmicks, so that’s the difference in how they play.

Woocash: What’s your favorite thing about Johnny?

Omito: Everything.

Don’t forget to also read our interview with Daisuke Ishiwatari and Toshimichi Mori!

Arc System Works had quite the Evo weekend, wouldn’t you say? Along with stand-out finals for both BlazBlue Central Fiction and Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, the esteemed fighting game developer brought the house down with the announcements of Jubei in Central Fiction, Future Trunks in DBFZ and their new tag team fighter, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle.

With the studio riding high, Red Bull eSports were able to sit down with Guilty Gear creator Daisuke Ishiwatari to talk about the future of the hard-rocking fighter, potential new characters and the state of the competitive scene. While the series is becoming more popular overseas, it “isn’t quite where [Ishiwatari would] like it to be yet”, so expect Arc System Works doing more to push Guilty Gear in the West.

As for the future of Rev 2, Ishiwatari wants to keep adding legacy characters to the roster, just as long as he has the budget and staff to do so. The next character on the list is Robo-Ky according to Ishiwatari, thanks to his “interesting playstyle”. Robo-Ky did make an appearance in Rev 2’s Story Mode, so we may see the robot clone of Ky Kiske joining the roster in the not-too distant future.

While Rev 2 is still the game of the moment, Ishiwatari is planning to “start something entirely new with the Guilty Gear franchise” soon, so look forward to the next Guilty Gear taking the series in a brand new direction. If you want to read the full Red Bull interview, you can check it out right here.

Source: Red Bull eSports