Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture, released in Japan as , is a Japanese animated feature film based on the popular SNK video game series Fatal Fury originally released in Japan on July 16, 1994.

It is the third and final anime production directed by Masami Obari based on the series, following the two TV specials, Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf and Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle. Unlike the first two titles, Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture does not follow the plot of any particular game; however, it does feature several characters from the first two games making extensive cameo appearances. It was released in English dubbed and subtitled formats by VIZ Media.

The original Japanese ending theme is "Yoake no Legend" ("Legend of Dawn"), performed by Kazukiyo Nishikiori as the voice of Terry Bogard. For the North American release, the song was given English lyrics and retitled "Oh Angel," performed by Canadian singer Warren Stanyer.

Plot

While exploring a cavern in Alexandria, Egypt, Cheng Sinzan discovers a piece of armour said to be one of six pieces of the Armour of Mars. Cheng encounters and escapes from three powerful beings able to control fire, wind and water but is defeated by their leader. In the grip of the armour affixed to his leg, Laocorn eradicates the archaeological site and proclaims that when he obtains the rest of the armour he will become a god.

In Japan, Terry Bogard and Joe Higashi are celebrating the defeat of a Thai-kickboxing champion, Hwa Jai, when Sulia, a teenage girl arrives. "Cyber" Cheng, still under the sway of his armour, attacks the party searching for Sulia.

Big Bear (the reformed Raiden) attempts to protect Sulia, but Cheng's energy viciously hurts Bear, rendering him unconscious. Kim Kaphwan, defeated by Terry in the previous film, has undergone a strict training regimen and, although injured by Cheng, defeats him using his trademark Desperation Move, the Hou'Ou Kyaku, which breaks the cybernetic mask controlling Cheng.

Sulia's brother Laocorn (who already has three pieces of the armour) sends his agents to recapture Sulia. Sulia, Terry, Andy, Mai and Joe go on a trip to Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea, where Sulia tells them about her family's descent from Gaudeamus, a powerful warrior whose armour gained life after his death, taking on the persona of the war-god Mars and destroyed a city. Four unknown warriors arrived, fought the armour and defeated it. To stop the bloodshed, the armour was broken up and secretly hidden in different places.

After Sulia discovers the locations of the three remaining armour pieces, the group divides into two subgroups in an attempt to find them. After explorations in Turkey, Germany, Iraq and China.

Terry, who had believed that any woman he falls in love with is doomed to die, hears from Sulia the story of how she was orphaned and of how Laocorn came to acquire the first of his pieces of the armour. Hearing the story, Terry vows to fight to protect Sulia from any pain or suffering.

In China, while Andy is exploring a temple in search of an armour piece, Mai is temporarily taken hostage by Hauer, who defeats them and takes the armour for his own master. In the meantime Laocorn has managed to procure two additional pieces of the armour. Because of their link as brother and sister, Sulia is able to "feel" when Laocorn dons the fourth and fifth pieces. Laocorn realizes that the key to the location of the final piece is within Sulia's pendant and sends his allies Panni, Hauer and Jamin to retrieve her.

In a cave on Rhodes, Sulia learns that the final piece of armour is hidden in the Dead Sea in Israel. In Jerusalem, Hauer's wind powers cause Joe and Terry to fall unconscious, and Sulia agrees to accompany Panni, Hauer and Jamin after they promise nut to hurt them any further.

After Sulia leaves with Jamin, Andy and Mai are able to defeat Hauer and Panni, and the two head towards the Dead Sea in the company of Terry and Joe. In a fight before a massive temple raised by Laocorn in the middle of the water, Terry defeats the powerful Jamin, who tells Terry that only he can save Laocorn for Sulia's sake.

Sulia pleads with her brother, who wants nothing but revenge on those who left their family to wander the earth.

Terry arrives in the main chamber too late to stop Laocorn from donning the final piece of armor. Crowning himself, Laocorn's body becomes encased in vermeil armour, and his power and abilities increase dramatically. Laocorn easily hits Terry, who is saved by Andy, Joe, and Mai just in time. As Laocorn is preparing to finish off Joe, Andy and Terry, Laocorn's arm suddenly appears injured and he stumbles, cursing Sulia. Sulia had stabbed herself in the arm, in order to prevent Laocorn from killing Andy and Mai. Sulia tells Laocorn that their bond was only amplified through the armor; he can feel her pain just as she feels his. Sulia then stabs herself fatally, telling Terry that Laocorn can now be stopped. Terry strikes Laocorn through the breast plate, freeing Laocorn from the curse of the armour.

The armour itself, reduced to four pieces roughly the size of silver dollars, now assimilate themselves onto the statue of Mars in the temple, animating it. It is at that moment that Laocorn realizes that the armour only wanted to exist as Mars again, so it used him to put itself back together. Laocorn, now deeply regretful at all he has done, dies to protect Mai whilst crying out for his sister. After Terry executes a direct hit to Mars' abdomen, the armour's power finally dissipates, and a victorious Terry commemorates both Sulia and Laocorn and their sacrifice by throwing his hat into the air in silence.

Voice cast

SNK references

• The Neo-Geo Land Sports Amusement, where Terry runs into Sulia, is based on a real arcade of the same name that was located in Osaka, also home to SNK's original office. The same building can be seen in the backgrounds of various King of Fighters games.
• The SNK company logo appears multiple times in the film. Most notable are its presence in the middle of the ring where Joe and Hwa have their match at the beginning of the film, and on the grill of an 18-wheeler that Terry's motorcycle crashes into in Germany.

Cameo appearances

• Reiko Chiba, a singer and voice actress who plays Nakoruru in SNK's Samurai Shodown anime series has two speaking roles in the original Japanese version of the film.
  • The first is right after Joe's bout with Hwa Jai in which she congratulates him. He instantly recognizes her as "THAT Reiko Chiba" (In the English version of the same scene, Reiko's character is not named and Joe simply asks if it is "Really her".
  • The second is during a scene in Duck King's "King of Dancing" night club, when she, dressed as her character Nakoruru, switches places with Mai, who has disappeared in order to get ready for a surprise stage performance. This can be considered somewhat of a double in-joke, as Reiko once performed an image song for Mai on the Arranged Sound Track to Fatal Fury Special.

External links

• Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture at the Anime News Network

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