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Casuals: Bonchan, Street Fighter's Sagat King
We sat down with Bonchan to talk personal branding, sponsorship, and winning the Red Bull Kumite.
Bonchan celebrates a victory
© @Ohsuakira
Masato “Bonchan” Takahashi is instantly recognizable with his signature blonde highlights on dark hair and his slim figure, most likely by design. In Japan, he’s known as much for his personality as he is for being the king of Sagat players. Fans like him for his expressive behavior and his dominating performances. But like many Street Fighter players of his generation, Bonchan wouldn’t be where he’s at now without guidance from the professionals who came before him. At 28, Bonchan still awaits a career breakthrough, despite having accomplished so much in such a short time.
Bonchan early in his Street Fighter career
© @Ohsuakira
Unhealthy Lifestyle
Bonchan started his professional Street Fighter career six years ago. In that time, he’s gone through a significant transformation beyond becoming one of the world’s premiere Street Fighter competitors. Looking at images and video of Bonchan from 2012, you’d hardly recognize him as the same person. He was much heavier back then, and lived a lifestyle that wouldn’t work well with his competitive Street Fighter goals. He needed to be healthier just to make it through the long days of competition. But to present himself as a viable brand, he needed an image overhaul. Bonchan attributed his evolution as a professional to his friends and mentors Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi and Daigo Umehara.
“When I went to compete abroad, I was always tired,” Bonchan said.
“I would compete in the morning and during later matches, and I would be sleepy. This was the turning point for me.”
Bonchan with friends early in his career
© @Ohsuakira
Bonchan Reborn
It was after Evo 2012 Bonchan started training, losing a significant amount of weight. The transformation was immediate as he looked like half the man he used to be within a year. The inspiration for the weight loss and to stay healthy came from Tokido.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Tokido the past two years,” Bonchan said.
“He has a philosophy to train himself physically to compete well. Naturally, I was inspired by that.”
Daigo’s impact on Bonchan was more subtle. The long-time Street Fighter pro provided a professional roadmap for Bonchan, and other gamers to follow. Daigo made himself a brand in eSports, something Bonchan aspired to carry out as well.
“Daigo is like a teacher to me,” Bonchan said.
“I try to solve my problems first, but Daigo is the one I go to when I’m stuck.”
Bonchan enjoying a moment with Daigo Umehara
© @Ohsuakira
Seeking the Perfect Partner
Bonchan possesses a deep respect for his peers. That much is clear when speaking with him. Tokido and Daigo learned how to present themselves in and out of competition to fans and sponsors, and were willing to guide Bonchan in doing the same.
Image was an important factor. Bonchan focused on his image in addition to his Street Fighter play. With Bonchan’s recent success, one might wonder why he doesn’t have a sponsor. The answer is simple. He hasn’t found the right fit. The reason can be more complicated.
“I do want to be sponsored,” Bonchan said. “To be honest, I haven’t been approached by a company I would be satisfied with.”
Bonchan took pride in becoming a pro player, and he went to great lengths to reinvent himself. As a result, he places a great deal of importance on companies meeting his standard to work with him.
“If I join a team or become sponsored,” Bonchan said, “I really want to work with them, train with them, and grow together. The offers I’ve had weren’t for the long run. I really want to do something to get me there, not just the titles. I want to understand what the company does. The ones that approached me, I didn’t really know.”
Bonchan vs Luffy at Evo 2014
© @Ohsuakira
Silver Collector
“I know every tournament, he gets second place,” Tokido said in a pre-match interview. “I know he wants to be champion. I’m sorry, but your opponent is Tokido.”
In an uncharacteristic break in the all business demeanor from Tokido, whose nickname is “Murder Face,” he didn’t stop there. “If he uses Ryu, I’ll body him! If he uses Sagat, I’ll body him!”
At the time, Bonchan agreed with Tokido’s assessment, offering nothing in the way of trash talk as a response. Months later, Bonchan laughed about the whole incident, but he didn’t refute the comments.
“It’s true. I took second place a lot last year,” Bonchan said. “I didn’t feel bad about it. The crowd went nuts. I wasn’t in a good position to start out with. I had a little feeling Tokido was taking advantage of that.”
Eyes on the Larger Prize
Bonchan came from the losers bracket to meet Tokido in the grand finals and take two straight sets 3-1 each. It was just the victory Bonchan needed for a confidence boost. When asked how much he thought Tokido’s comments were a joke versus being serious, Bonchan laughed.
“50/50,” he said.
“I set my goal to get to the Capcom Cup,” he said.
“That was most important to me, even more important than Evo.”
Red Bull Kumite 2015 Grand Champion Bonchan
© Katya Mokolo
The King of Sagat Players
Fans admire his personality and his play. He’s healthy and he believes, with absolute confidence, he is the best Sagat player in the world. When asked about it, he replied with the simplest answer and a big smile.
“Duh.”
Check back next Thursday for another installment of Casuals and follow @RedBullESPORTS on Twitter for more Street Fighter coverage.
