Tekken 7's latest character, Josie Rizal, sparks a controversy in the Philippine Government. The country's National Commission for Culture and the Arts states their dismay over the image of Jose Rizal which was adopted by Bandai Namco in to the latest character for their Tekken franchise.
An official from NCCA says that they're looking to "correct" the image of Dr. Jose Rizal, the country's national hero. They believe that they need to address these "impressions" that the public may have about the national hero. Jose Rizal is revered to be a great man in the Philippines, a revolutionary that pushed for the country's independence from the opposing West. NCCA noted that the character Josie Rizal wears a skimpy costume in the colors of the Philippine flag.
NCCA Bayaning Bayan Program Coordinator for Visayas Dr. Leodenito Cañete states that it's not easy to prevent other countries from creating these kinds of characters because the of the Philippines' notable reputation to the world.
Her name was Josie Rizal?
On Twitter, the character Josie Rizal is receiving mixed reviews. The character specializes in kickboxing and national sport Eskrima. Josie Rizal garnered attention in the gaming community following the release of the game's Japan arcade version after a GDC 2015 trailer leaked that Tekken 7 will be available for consoles. The trailer featured a short clip of Tekken 7 gameplay which will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One platforms. Bandai Namco has yet to announce a release date for the availability of the game on the consoles.
Tekken 7 Director/Producer Katsuhiro Harada was well aware that the character's name Josie Rizal was derived from the country's National Hero.
Josie Rizal vs Talim
The character Talim is a stark contrast to that of Tekken's Josie Rizal. Albeit the character Josie Rizal garners attention now for being the first Filipina character in the Tekken Series to date, Soul Series' Talim has been around for quite awhile. Talim's signature dual Elbow blades and tribal accessories are reminiscent of the country's Eskrima fighting style developed prior to the country's Spanish Occupation. Talim is the Last Priestess of the Winds who lived in the Village of the Wind Deity. Her costumes are modest and inspired by the country's national costume of Barong Tagalog woven in Abacca Silk. Gamers are familiar with Bandai Namco's Talim since she first appeared in the series' third installment Soul II back in 2003.
Tekken 7 is now available on arcade all throughout Japan. It will hit the U.S. Arcade early this year as the release date for its PS4 and Xbox One is set after the EVO 2015 tournament. Stay in tune for more updates!
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