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Julia Chang

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Julia Chang
Tekken character
Julia as of February 2019
First gameTekken 3 (1997)
Created byNamco
Portrayal by
Various

Julia Chang[j], also known by her alias Jaycee[k], is a character in the Tekken media franchise created by Japanese company Namco. Julia debuted as a player character in the 1997 arcade game Tekken 3, while her alias Jaycee first appeared in the 2011 fighting game Tekken Tag Tournament 2 as a lucha libre wrestler. Julia is an American of Native American descent and the adoptive daughter of fellow Tekken character Michelle Chang, whom she was intended to replace.

In her storyline, Julia's initial goal is to save Michelle, and afterward, she focuses on reforesting her homeland due to environmental problems. Throughout the Tekken series, her professions have included archaeology, research, professional wrestling, and live-streaming. She uses Chinese martial arts as her fighting style and has appeared in several Tekken games, as well as in comics, anime, and merchandise. Over the years, she has been voiced by multiple actors. Critics have acknowledged her portrayal as a Native American, often describing it as stereotypical, and she has been recognized as a competitive character within the Tekken community.

Character overview

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Designs

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Julia was introduced in Tekken 3 as a young American woman,[4] originally designed with traditional Native American features.[5] She was created to replace the character Michelle Chang with a design aimed at broader appeal.[6] Tekken 4 features Julia in two distinct costumes: one featuring jeans and a jacket, and the other, shorts with a crop top.[7] Tekken 5 introduces customizable items that can modify the character's appearance.[8] In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, she takes on the alter ego, Jaycee, a character aligned with lucha libre.[9][10] As part of a crossover in Street Fighter X Tekken, Julia received Street Fighter's Chun-Li outfit.[6] By Tekken 7, her character transitions into a live streamer.[11]

Abilities[l]

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Julia's gameplay and fighting style are distinguished by her use of various Chinese martial arts,[12] including bajiquan.[13] Her techniques feature numerous wrestling throws and quick attacks, which can be chained into combos.[14] Julia's wide range of moves allows players to strategically keep opponents guessing.[4] While she may lack raw power, her speed is a crucial element of her playstyle, enabling her to execute combos efficiently and deal significant damage. This agility also enhances her offensive capabilities, allowing her to maintain constant pressure on opponents throughout a match.[7]

Plot (canon)

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Julia's Tekken 3 profile reveals that she was adopted by Michelle after being abandoned on a Native American land.[15] In her Tekken 3 ending, Julia rescues Michelle from a person named Heihachi Mishima.[16] In Tekken 4 and 5, Julia becomes an archaeologist and focuses on reforesting her homeland. She stored her reforestation data in a research center, but an organization stole it.[7][17] In Tekken 6, Julia reclaimed data and returned to her home. Julia later met a useful old woman for the reforestation project.[18] In Tekken 7, Julia hoped to expand reforestation but needed additional funding. For this reason, she aimed to defeat the character Kazuya Mishima.[13]

In other media

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Julia (or Jaycee) is featured in multiple Tekken spin-offs such as Tekken Tag Tournament,[19] Tekken Card Challenge,[20] Death by Degrees,[21] Tekken Tag Tournament 2,[22] Tekken 3D: Prime Edition,[23] Street Fighter X Tekken,[6] and Tekken Revolution.[24] Additionally, an Easter egg of hers can be discovered in Street Fighter 6.[25] Beyond video games, she is featured in various comics like Tekken 3,[26] Tekken: Tatakai no Kanatani,[27] Tekken Forever,[28] Tekken Comic,[29] in an anime Tekken: Bloodline,[30] and Namco's promotional material.[31][32][33] Several manufacturers have produced her action figures, including Kazya,[34] BROVO COMPANY,[35] Diamond Select Toys,[36] and Kotobukiya.[37]

Reception

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In May 2003, Julia was a popular character among Tekken 4 professional players.[38] Tekken player Rene Maistry noted her as a challenging character in Tekken 5 due to her speed,[39] while another player Fergus highlighted her playstyle and potential as reasons for playing her competitively.[40] At one point, Tekken producer, Katsuhiro Harada received criticism from a Native American regarding Julia's feathered headband and its inaccuracy in Native Americans' dressing sense.[41][5][42] Julia's absence from Tekken 7 sparked anger among fans,[43] but her return was celebrated by player Seong-ho 'Chanel' Kang.[44] In a study by English professor Samuel Martínez Linares, he criticized Julia's Native American depiction, noting the lack of cultural depth and her sexualized attire.[45]

Notes

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  1. ^ Tekken 5, Tekken 6, and Street Fighter X Tekken.[1]
  2. ^ Tekken 3.[1]
  3. ^ Tekken: Bloodline.[1]
  4. ^ Tekken 5.[2]
  5. ^ Tekken 4 and Tekken 5.[1][2]
  6. ^ Tekken Tag Tournament 2.[1]
  7. ^ Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament.[1]
  8. ^ Street Fighter X Tekken and Tekken: Bloodline.[1]
  9. ^ Harada did motion capture process in the 1990s.[3]
  10. ^ (pronunciation: JOO-lee-ə CHANG; Japanese: ジュリア・チャン; Hepburn: Juria-chan)
  11. ^ (pronunciation: JAY-see; Japanese: ジェイシー; Hepburn: Jeishī)
  12. ^ It is important to note that these abilities may vary in each form of media the character has appeared in.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Julia Chang Voices (Tekken)". Behind The Voice Actors. Inyxception Enterprises, Inc. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Tekken 5 - Details". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Katsuhiro Harada [@Harada_TEKKEN] (January 4, 2024). "By the way, I was also the voice actor for Marshall Law and Forest Law all the way up to TEKKEN6 (not me after TAG2).

    Also, I was a motion capture actor myself in the 90s. I recorded Michelle and Julia's praying poses, Lei Wulong's victory performance, Kuma's dance, etc…etc…many others (However, they have all been replaced with new data from Tekken 5 to 7)"     (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b "Julia Chang - Wandering Fighter". Computer and Video Games (202): 52. September 1998.
  5. ^ a b Ngan, Liv (January 10, 2024). "Tekken director seeks feedback from Native American community on Michelle and Julia designs". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Street Fighter X Tekken: Artworks. UDON Entertainment. September 2012. pp. 150–151. ISBN 978-1926778518.
  7. ^ a b c Barton, Jeff; Littlefield, Michael; Sakamoto, Kevin (2002). "Julia Chang". Tekken 4: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games: 56.
  8. ^ "Julia Chang". Tekken 5: Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames: 106.
  9. ^ タケヤマ カメラ [Takeyama] (September 14, 2011). "鉄拳が目指すアクションゲームの究極とは――本日稼働開始の「鉄拳TAG TOURNAMENT2」。新宿平八こと原田Pが語る格闘ゲーム，その哲学" [What is the ultimate action game that Tekken aims for? Tekken TAG TOURNAMENT2 starts today. Shinjuku Heihachi, also known as Harada P, talks about his philosophy on fighting games]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  10. ^ Fanelli, Jason (June 19, 2011). "Get Ready For The Next Interview! Katsuhiro Harada Of Tekken". GamerNode. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  11. ^ Tarason, Dominic (February 18, 2019). "Julia and The Walking Dead's Negan hit Tekken 7 next week". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "Julia Chang: chico nueovos el barrio". PlayStation Power Especial Trucos: Tekken 3.
  13. ^ a b "『鉄拳7』有料DLC第8弾"ジュリア"、第9弾"ニーガン" の配信日が2月28日に決定。キャラクターPVも公開" ["Tekken 7" Paid DLC 8th "Julia" and 9th "Negan" will be released on February 28th. Character PV also released]. ファミ通.com [Famitsu.com] (in Japanese). February 18, 2019. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  14. ^ "Ten of The Best". Computer and Video Games (198). May 1998. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  15. ^ Hill, Simon (1998). "Julia Chang". Tekken 3: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games: 126.
  16. ^ Namco (1998). Tekken 3 (PlayStation). Level/area: Theater Mode: Julia Chang - Homecoming.
  17. ^ "Characters". Tekken 5 NTSC-U/C Manual: 38.
  18. ^ Tekken 6 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2009). p. 146.
  19. ^ Namco (July 1999). Tekken Tag Tournament.
  20. ^ "Tekken Card Challenge for WonderSwan". IGN. July 15, 2000. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  21. ^ Audrey, Sean (September 1, 2005). "Death By Degrees Walkthrough". PSX Extreme. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "A New Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Challenger Enters The Ring". Siliconera. GAMURS Group. January 12, 2011. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  23. ^ Edwards, Matt (February 17, 2012). "Tekken 3D: Prime Edition Review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  24. ^ "Jaycee Joins Tekken Revolution Just In Time For Valentine's Day". Siliconera. GAMURS Group. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  25. ^ Wong, Kevin (August 2, 2023). "15 Character Revelations We Learned In Street Fighter 6". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  26. ^ Li Zhonghao (w), Kuang Shijie (a). Tekken 3 (1996). Namco.
  27. ^ Keiichi Suzuki (a). Tekken: Tatakai no Kanatani (2000—2001). Shogakukan.
  28. ^ Dave Chi (w), Paco Diaz (a). Tekken Forever (2001). Image Comics.
  29. ^ Rui Takato (a). Tekken Comics (2009—2010). Shueisha.
  30. ^ Tekken: Bloodline. Bandai Namco Entertainment. 2022.
  31. ^ Namco (1998). Tekken 3 - Symphony Orchestra Calendar.
  32. ^ "Tekken 3 - Julia Chang (Namco)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  33. ^ Takuji Kawano (2004). Fan Service. Namco.
  34. ^ "Tekken 3 - Julia Chang - 1/7 (Kazya)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  35. ^ "Tekken 4 - Julia Chang - 1/8 (BROVO COMPANY, Heihachi Zazen)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  36. ^ "Street Fighter x Tekken - Julia Chang - Minimates (Diamond Select Toys)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  37. ^ "Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - Jaycee - Julia Chang - Bishoujo Statue - Tekken". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  38. ^ "Tekken on the World". PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia. 14: 15. May 2003.
  39. ^ "Meet The Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Team: KOR". Prima Games. September 12, 2012. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  40. ^ Collins, Ryan (March 10, 2019). "Stream Monster: Fergus Talks About His History With Julia Chang And Her Transition To Tekken 7". Medium. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  41. ^ Harradence, Michael (January 10, 2024). "Tekken 8 Boss Wants Feedback From Native American Community On The Designs Of Michelle & Julia". PlayStation Universe. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  42. ^ Kaur, Tessa (January 12, 2024). "Tekken Director Proves We Can, In Fact, Expect Japanese Developers To Be Culturally Sensitive". TheGamer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024.
  43. ^ Borkowski, Alex (May 31, 2017). "'Tekken 7' Julia Chang: No Julia DLC? Fans are antsy for the character to return". Mic. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  44. ^ Glaze, Virginia (December 3, 2018). "Tekken pros rush stage to hug producer after major character reveals". Dexerto. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  45. ^ Martínez Linares, Samuel (February 2018). Representation of Native Americans: From Literature to Video Games (Thesis). p. 53—54.
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