Street Fighter owes its entire legacy to this one epic anime fight scene

The 1996 anime film begins on an eerily deserted road at night. In a nearby field of grass, two fighters exchange blows. Unlike other action movies, especially the animated ones of the time, the brooding score’s volume is overpowered by the grunts and hits of the fighters, along with the sound of thunder as lightning pierces the midnight sky. Even the blades of grass in the wind echo louder than the guitar riffs playing in the background. Something about the darkly serious fight scenes felt so intimidating that I wondered if I had stumbled onto an animated movie too adult for me, as I often did at that age. Finally, I caught a glimpse of Ryu in the night, his red hachimaki flowing in the wind.