Kuniang M.A. Team
Stats
Japanese:	東風三姉妹 (トンプーさんしまい) Tonpû sanshimai
Debut:	Game: Strider (CPS-1)
Voice Actors:	Yumi Tôma (PC-Engine) Yayoi Jinguji (Marvel vs. Capcom) Miho Yamada (Namco × Capcom)
Profile
Gender:	Female
Hair Color:	Black Brown (Ton Pooh since Strider 2)
Eye Color:	Blue
Nationality:	Chinese
Affiliation:	Grandmaster Meio
Fighting Style:	Original form of martials arts based off Chinese Kenpô[1]
In-Game Information
Enemy Type:	Human
Hit Points:	7 HP, each (1)
Score:	0 PTS (1), 10.000 PTS (2)

The Kuniang M.A. (Martial Arts^[2]) Team are a recurring team of enemies in the series, appearing in all versions of the original coin-op as well as its sequel. In Japan, they are known as the Three Chinese Girls (中国３人娘) in the first game^[1][3], and the Tong Poo Three Sisters (東風三姉妹) in the sequel. Out of its three members, Ton Pooh (also written as Tong Poo) is the most representative of the group, having the most on-screen time and guest appearances in other games/crossovers.

Contents 1 The Team 1.1 The "Fourth" Member 2 Story 2.1 Strider 2.2 Strider 2 3 Skills and Abilities 3.1 Attacks 4 Other Appearances 4.1 Game Appearances 4.2 Cameos 5 Trivia 6 References

The TeamEdit

The Kuniang M.A. team is a trio of chinese sisters that offer their services as bounty hunters^[1]. Their strength lies in their hand-to-hand mastery and teamwork, employing perfectly synchronized and magnificent dance-like movements^[3]. Their mastery of chinese martial arts is beyond that of ordinary people, with their kicks being strong enough to generate a plasma-like arc of energy, not dissimilar from the one made by Hiryu's Cypher.^[1][3]

Each sister has their own signature attack, using the plasma generated by their kicks differently, though they also sport techniques shared by all three of them.

	Ton Pooh/Tong Poo (東風, eastern wind)	Middle sister as well as the leader of the trio[1], recognized by her green clothes and hairstyle, two braided pigtails. She's the most vocal out of the three, usually taunting Hiryu after being defeated. Her signature attack is a back kick which generates an arc of plasma energy.
	Sai Pooh (西風, western wind)	Youngest sister[1], recognized by her blue clothes (purple in the first game) and hairstyle, twin pigtails. Her signature attack is a descending flying kick engulfed in plasma energy.
	Bei Pooh (北風, northern wind)	Oldest sister[1], recognized by her red clothes and hairstyle, a long ponytail. Her signature attack is a series of rapid kicks which release small blades of plasma energy. Her name was mistakenly localized as Nam Pooh.

The "Fourth" MemberEdit

In the original Strider, there's a second optional boss fight against the trio in the last stage, the Third Moon. In contrast of the different coloured suits used by the Kuniang, this trio uses a grey-and-black attire. They are faced in a much smaller space, making their continous attacks more difficult to handle.

A minor enemy in the crossover game Namco × Capcom seems to be a nod to this boss fight, being identical to Ton Pooh and wearing a grey costume. According to the game, these are named Nam Pooh (南風, southern wind), and are clones of Ton Pooh^[4]. It is unknown if this information applies to the main series, since no prior mention of this fact was ever done before or after Namco × Capcom.

StoryEdit

StriderEdit

The Kuniang M.A. Team was contracted by Grandmaster Meio to eliminate Strider Hiryu after he brought down the higher-ups at Kazakh. As with fellow bounty hunter Solo, Hiryu encounters them as he makes his way through a siberian plateau, finally engaging the trio while aboard the Sky Thunder Mk-II, an airship he commandeered in-flight. After defeating them all he confronts Ton Pooh where she reveals to him the existence of the Flying Battleship Balrog.

Strider 2Edit

The Kuniang M.A. Team takes part in the terrorist attack on Neo Hong Kong initiated by the Chinese Mafia, with Light Sword Cypher's support. Hiryu confronts them in the high society residential area, on a speedway crowded by flying cars. Jumping from car to car, Hiryu faces the three acrobatic assassins and defeats them at the end.

Following Hiryu's destruction of the Emperor Dragon, a defeated Ton Pooh taunts him with his foolishness in believing he can take "her Lord", and that the whole world (and Hiryu himself) belongs to him. Hiryu retorts that she's the only one that will always be Meio's servant, and leaves her behind.

Skills and AbilitiesEdit

The Kuniang team's main strength lies in their combined hand-to-hand attacks, which is why they always work together as a trio^[1]. Their strategy consists in using martial arts with their strength and speed to overwhelm their opponents with quick and agile movements and lethal attacks, coming from all directions and with enough strength to generate plasma on their own. Besides enhanced strength, they are also shown to be extremelly fast (in Strider 2, they move fast enough to leave afterimages) and move with delicate and graceful movements, an ability born from their mastery of martial arts.^[1]

AttacksEdit

As previously stated, each of the three sisters has her own signature attack, but they also possess two special techniques that any of them can perform.

• Back Kick: The signature attack of Ton Pooh, originally used by the whole team. Ton Pooh starts out by doing a small hop forward, and quickly spins in mid-air. Once her back is facing the opponent, she does a back kick with enough strength to generate a long arc of plasma energy.
• Flying Kick: The signature attack of Sai Pooh. After jumping high into the air, Sai Pooh descends with a fast angled flying kick, while her feet is covered in blue energy.
• Rapid Kicks: The signature attack of Bei Pooh. As soon as she lands from a jump, Bei Pooh makes three quick kicks in front of her, each one trailed by a small blade of red energy.
• Somersault Kick: A technique used after one sister is eliminated, replacing the signature attack of the remaining ones. Right after landing from a jump, the attacker does a backflip kick engulfed by a large plasma arc. The technique also release a large plasma projectile straight forward.
• Three-Way Kick: A technique used by the remaining sister, after the other two are eliminated. After a quick jump, the attacker stands in mid-air and quickly kicks at three different angles towards the enemy (diagonal-down, center, diagonal-up), each releasing a large plasma projectile in said direction.
• Backflip: Not an attack, but an evasive technique used by all three. If they are hit by Hiryu, they will perform a quick backflip to back away and then move out of Hiryu's range, in order to resume their attack.

Other AppearancesEdit

Game AppearancesEdit

Marvel vs. Capcom
Ton Pooh appears in the fighting game as one of several "Special Partners", characters which can be called forth during battle to deliver a quick attack and then leave. Upon being called, Ton Pooh jumps into the screen and delivers her signature back kick attack, which covers the full length of the screen.

Namco × Capcom
Ton Pooh appears as a minor enemy alongside Solo and Strider Hien, and uses the Back Kick and Somersault Kick as her attacks. She serves Grandmaster Meio and protects the Third Moon. Her sisters are not present, but she has the support of the Nam Pooh soldiers, grey-clothed clones of herself. Since they are mere pawn characters, they have no dialogue at all.

Ton Pooh fights Hiryu and his allies several times throughout the game, while displaying blind loyalty towards Meio and a fierce desire to kill all who oppose him, specially Hiryu.

SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters
Ton Pooh appears in two of the three games in this card-themed crossover series. In the second game (Card Fighters 2), she and her sisters appear in the art for a Reaction Card (a type of counter card) named "3 Sisters" (3しまい). In the third game (Card Fighters DS), she's an actual character card alongside Hiryu. She's a card of "C" Rarity (common) with 400 hit points and no special ability. Interestingly enough, her card profile states she's "the daughter of Meio", but considering the game's rather sloppy translation, it's likely just a mistake.

CameosEdit

Strider Returns
While Ton Pooh is not seen at all at any point in the game, she's shown talking to Strider Hinjo at the end of the second stage out of nowhere, claiming that "The Master has many ways". Nothing surprising considering the games's quality, and since it was removed from continuity, nothing to think much about either.

Capcom Fighting Evolution
Ton Pooh makes a minor background cameo in the comic book-styled ending of Felicia from Darkstalkers fame. Ton Pooh appears in the last panel dancing alongside Felicia and a host of several other Capcom female characters.^[5]

TriviaEdit

• The group's design was influenced by the boom of Bruce Lee and Kung Fu at the time, and the popular image of a chinese girl expert in martial arts^[6]. Since Isuke wanted a scene against a human-like boss rather than a giant one, and it'd involve martial arts, he considered a chinese girl would look good^[6].
• The name Tong Poo was inspired by the popular song "Tong Poo" from Yellow Magic Orchestra's self-titled album^[6].
• For Strider 2, the design team went through different design sketches for Ton Pooh, but ultimately ended up simply updating her original look^[7]. They were also given unique hairstyles and individual techniques to set them apart, as they were identical pallete swaps of the same sprite in the original.
• Reportedly, the design of Street Fighter's popular chinese warrior Chun-Li was inspired by Ton Pooh.^[8]

ReferencesEdit

Strider Game Series
Games
Strider (Amiga • Mega Drive • Master System • Turbo Duo • Sharp X68000 • Playstation • Mobile Phones) Strider (NES) • Strider II/Returns • Strider 2
Characters
Hiryu • Grandmaster Meio • Solo • Kuniang • Hien Strobaya • General Mikiel • Captain Beard Jr. • Herzog Schlange • Admiral Wilhelm
Recurring Objects and Settings
Striders • Cypher • Climb Sickle • Options • Kazakh Federation Flying Battleship Balrog • Anti-Gravity Device • The Third Moon
Other Articles
Isuke • Moto Kikaku • Strider Hiryu (Manga) • Capcom Gamebook: Strider Hiryu