The “Dead or Alive” Series: From Fighting Games to Excessive DLC and Controversial Fan Art

by Sylvia January 18, 2025

The Dead or Alive series, once known for its fighting games, has now become a joke with its excessive DLC costumes and contradictory promises to reduce sexualization. Recently, Tomotoshi Nishimura, an executive at Koei Tecmo, claimed that they had to take action against fan art that could harm the image of the game’s characters because they view them as “daughters.” This statement, using the word “musume” which implies both “young girl” and “daughter,” is both creepy and outdated. Nishimura admitted that they have suspended hundreds of doujinshi and taken action against thousands of fan art pieces each year.

The “Dead or Alive” Series: From Fighting Games to Excessive DLC and Controversial Fan Art

– The Dead or Alive series used to be taken seriously as fighting games before the release of its beach volleyball spin-off.
– Koei Tecmo has taken legal action against fan art that could damage the image of the Dead or Alive cast, claiming they think of them like daughters.
– Koei Tecmo suspends hundreds of doujinshi and thousands of fan art works each year, and has previously sued for unauthorized use of nude mods.

It’s often overlooked that prior to the release of its first beach volleyball spin-off, the Dead or Alive series commanded a level of respect as a fighting game franchise. Although we couldn’t help but poke fun at the exaggerated physics, the original installment was still regarded as a worthy successor to Virtua Fighter 2. However, in the present day, the Dead or Alive series has become somewhat of a punchline. Despite the promises of toning down the excessive jiggle physics, the franchise continues to churn out an abundance of DLC featuring bikini, maid, and schoolgirl costumes. This contradiction is what makes Tomotoshi Nishimura’s recent statement all the more absurd. Nishimura, the executive responsible for Koei Tecmo’s legal affairs division, claims that they were compelled to take action against fan art that could potentially tarnish the image of the Dead or Alive characters because they are viewed as “daughters” by their creators.

The specific term used in the original Japanese is “musume,” which can indeed mean “young girl,” but it is undeniably creepy and outdated in this context. Nishimura most likely intended to convey the sense of “daughter” in his statement. Speaking at a panel on intellectual property rights during the Tokyo Esports Festa, as reported by Game Watch, Nishimura expressed the company’s gratitude towards its fans and even disclosed their sponsorship of the doujinshi convention Comiket. However, he also revealed that legal action had been taken against approximately 200 to 300 online Dead or Alive doujinshi, including one instance that involved the use of art from an unreleased game. Furthermore, Nishimura mentioned that Koei Tecmo takes action against around 2,000 to 3,000 pieces of fan art posted on social media and the artist community Pixiv each year.

In an attempt to further elucidate the company’s position, Nishimura argued that certain adult-oriented Dead or Alive fan art could harm the characters’ image and, as a result, needed to be safeguarded. This is due to the fact that other companies produce official merchandise featuring these characters. Yet, the mention of “daughters” lingers in the background, adding an additional layer of confusion to Koei Tecmo’s stance.