Kamio Misuzu (EFZ)

Introduction

Kamio Misuzu (神尾 観鈴) is a strong but tricky character who fights using traps, poisons, and her trusted crow Sora. She has some useful normal moves, and her traps are good at catching reckless opponents unawares.

Misuzu is actually the main heroine of AIR, a visual novel produced by Key in 2000. Misuzu is a school girl in the town where the story takes place. She is a cheerful, slightly clumsy girl, and has a great love of both dinosaurs and pulpy-peach juice. She lives in an isolated house with her mother Haruko, who doesn't play with her or even cook for her, and who finds drinking as her main joy in life. During AIR, Yukito becomes close friends with Misuzu, as they struggle together against a supernatural curse that has continued for 1000 summers...

Stage: In Front of the Kamio House (神尾家前)

BGM: Blue Sky (青空)

Character-Specific Notes

• Misuzu is able to air jump once, and air dash/backstep once.
• Misuzu's ground dash is actually an air dash that moves forward and slightly up. Therefore, Misuzu does not have any dashing attacks. Any attacks she does during her "ground" dash will be considered jumping attacks.
• Misuzu's ground backstep is actually an air backstep that moves backward and up.
• Misuzu's ground dashes/backsteps do not actually count as air dashes/backsteps, so she is free to jump or dash/backstep at the end of her "ground" dash/backstep.
• Misuzu's Medium attacks are chained either like 5B(c) 5B(f), or like 2B 5B(f).
• When Misuzu manages to curse an opponent, the opponent will have a pale blue aura, and a "Time" gauge will appear under her life gauge. This time gauge displays the amount of time remaining on the curse. A full gauge will take 15 seconds to completely drain. However, the opponent can end the curse prematurely by landing a hit on Misuzu. While the opponent is cursed, they will slowly lose life at a rate determined by the level of the curse, which is not displayed. The maximum curse level is 5. Curse damage ignores all damage and defence scaling modifiers. However, the opponent cannot be killed by curse damage.
  • Curse level 1 - 750 total damage
  • Curse level 2 - 950 total damage
  • Curse level 3 - 1200 total damage
  • Curse level 4 - 1650 total damage
  • Curse level 5 - 2720 total damage
• When Misuzu does her "Fate" move, a feather will appear above her SP gauge. She can hold a maximum of 3 feathers. The number of feathers represent the number of times Misuzu can call Yukito forth.

Normal Moves

The notation for the movelists can be found under Move List Notation (EFZ).

Move	Hits	Damage	Guard	Move Cancel	Jump Cancel	IC Cancel
5A	1	210	Ground	Yes	Yes	Yes
2A	1	200	Low	Yes	Yes	Yes
j.A	1	220	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
5B(c)	1	405	Ground	Yes	Yes	Yes
5B(f)	1	400	Ground	Yes	Hit	Yes
2B	1	410	Low	Yes	Hit	Yes
j.B	1	420	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
5C	1	580	Ground	Yes	No	Yes
2C	1	580	Low	Yes	No	Yes
j.C	1	550	High/Air	Yes	Yes	Yes
Throw	1	1200	Throw	No	No	No
j.Throw	1	1200	Air Throw	No	No	No
Misuzu Crush
6C	1	590	High	No	No	Yes

Weak Attacks

5A

• Misuzu does a quick punch straight out at shoulder level.
• This move has good range and deals good damage for a 5A.

2A

• Misuzu does a short kick right along the ground.
• This move is a typical 2A attack.

j.A

• Misuzu flicks her ponytail out in front of her.
• This move does not have too much use other than for jump-in pressure.

Medium Attacks

5B (close)

• Misuzu shoves the opponent away with her open hand. Has noticibly short range.
• This is Misuzu's worst move by far. It has shorter range than her 5A, does less damage than the alternative 2B in combos, and worst of all, has a shorter range than the boundary distance where 5B(c) becomes 5B(f). This means you can easily find yourself whiffing 5B(c) after connecting an A attack somewhere, stopping your combo cold.

5B (far)

• Misuzu swings her hand while squeezing a juice box, causing the juice to spill and hit the opponent. The juice is quickly sucked back into the box afterwards. It has a nice range of almost 1/2 the screen.
• This move has some limited use as a poke, but should mainly be used within combos.

2B

• Misuzu kicks out her leg while doing a near-split.
• This move is the B move of choice within combos, due to the 5B(c)'s lack of range. It also has enough range to be used from the same position as her dash crossup, unlike the 2A.

j.B

• Misuzu kicks out both her legs diagonally down-forwards at the opponent. The actual hitbox of this move actually extends along her entire lower body.
• Because of the generous hitbox, this move can be used for aerial crossups along with j.C.

Strong Attacks

5C

• Misuzu swings a long laundry pole (with Yukito's clothes still hanging on) horizontally at the opponent. This move reaches just less than 1/2 of the screen.
• This move is mainly used as a way to inflicit a large amount of hitstun within a combo in order to link a super. It also serves a limited role as a poke, due to its range.

2C

• Misuzu smashes a juice box into the ground, creating a small explosion of juice around her. This move launches the opponent for a short time if it hits, which will certainly knock down the opponent if left alone.
• This move is the alternative to

j.C

• Misuzu swings her hands wildly around her body, creating a barrier of juice which hits in all directions.
• This move is Misuzu's aerial pride and joy, allowing her to hit people above her, below, on either side. It can be used to cross up the opponent, and if successful, there is enough hitstun dealt for Misuzu to continue the combo on the ground.

Throws

Throw

• Misuzu grabs the opponent and hurls them behind her across the screen.
• Above-average damage, and a perfect trajectory to connect with any juice or book traps you might have laid on your way towards the opponent. This move is one of Misuzu's strengths.

Air Throw

• Misuzu grabs the opponent, and hurls them downwards behind her across the screen.
• This move's usefulness is similar to her standing throw.

Command Normals

Misuzu Crush (観鈴ちんクラッシュ)

• Misuzu does a small hop with her laundry pole held high, and then smashes it down on top of the opponent. This move acts as an overhead.
• This move is one of the longer-range overheads in the game, and is quite damaging for an command overhead as well. This move is ill-suited to combos, so its sole purpose is to be used within a blockstring to try and land some spare damage on the opponent.

Special Moves

The notation for the movelists can be found under Move List Notation (EFZ).

Move	Hits	Damage	Guard	IC Cancel
Picture Diary
236A/B	1	500	Any	No
236C	1	800	Ground	No
Wings [+Aerial]
623A	1	650	Any	Yes
623B	1	650	Any	Yes
623C	1	850	Any	Yes
j.623A	1	650	Any	Yes
j.623B	1	650	High/Air	Yes
j.623C	1	850	Any	Yes
Rich and Pulpy
214A/B	1	300	Any	No
214C	1	300	Any	No
Lump of Misfortune
421A	1	100, Curse+1	Any	No
421B	1	100, Curse+1	Any	No
421C	2	[100, Curse+1]*2	Any	No
Sora Attack [Sora must be near Misuzu]
41236A	1	650	Any	FIC
41236B	1	650	Any	FIC
41236C	1	950	Any	FIC
Gao Gao Fire [SP Level 1-3]
236236A	≈15	≈2200	Any	No
236236B	≈21	≈3400	Any	No
236236C	≈32	≈4600	Any	No
Misuzu-chin's in a pinch! [SP Level 1-3]
214214A	1	1000, Curse+1	Counterhit	No
214214B	1	1600, Curse+3	Counterhit	No
214214C	1	2500, Curse+5	Counterhit	No
Fate [SP Level 1]
463214A/B/C	0	N/A	N/A	No
> [Sora must be near Misuzu]
> 41236A	12	120	Any	No
> 41236B	n	200*n	Any	Yes
> 41236C	7	1360	Any	No
Mother's Poem [1/3 HP, SP Level 3]
AA2BC	1	5000 (ignores damage scaling)	Throw	No

Specials

Picture Diary (絵日記)

• A/B version:
  • Misuzu creates a book trap by quickly scribbling on the ground. The trap is invisible, and will automatically activate once the opponent is within a fixed distance of its horizontal position, which happens to be just outside of its maximum range. It can also be destroyed by the opponent if they land a hit on Misuzu. Finally, the trap will disappear without a trace after about 12 seconds. Once the trap is laid, you cannot re-create the trap with the same button, until the original goes away. This move will launch the opponent straight up if it hits, giving you plenty of time to jump up and add more damage. There is no difference between the A and B versions, except for the picture (A version is Misuzu waving, and B version is Haruko drinking).
  • This move is quite useful. It forces the opponent to be careful about their movements and adds more to their mental burden.
• C version:
  • Same as the A/B version, except that it launches the opponent with a frozen stun timer so they are vulnerable until they hit the ground, it has a wider range, it cannot be blocked regularly in midair, and it cannot be destroyed by attacking Misuzu.
  • [usefulness]

Wings (翼)

• A version:
  • Misuzu does a forward somersault leap at the opponent, her wings extending to hit the space in front of her. It starts up quickly but has loads of recovery time if blocked. This move will launch the opponent a medium distance horizontally if it hits. It does not guarantee knockdown if the opponent's guard meter is low.
  • Its main use is to add damage to combos, usually after a C attack. It's not too good on its own because of the recovery time if the opponent blocks it.
• B version:
  • Same as the A version, except that it starts up late and has no disadvantage on block.
  • This move has too much startup time to be chained into. It is more useful to use as part of a blockstring.
• C version:
  • Same as the A version, except that it has invincibility for the most of the startup frames, and if the launched opponent hits the corner before hitting the ground, they will wallbounce.
  • The added wallbounce property makes this move a lot more useful than the A version, since it can lead to longer combos. Normally, the opponent will only be wallbounced by this move if they are already close to the corner, since they are only thrown half a screen away. However there is a way to force a wallbounce from any location as long as you yourself are not against a corner. By performing an IC right after you hit this move and jumping backwards, the screen will stay where it is to keep both players on screen, and the opponent will hit the edge and wallbounce.

Rich and Pulpy (どろり濃厚)

• A/B version:
  • Misuzu creates a juice trap by quickly spinning and smearing her juice against the air. The trap is invisible, and will automatically activate once the opponent is in the air and within its maximum range. It can also be destroyed by the opponent if they attack the space where the trap is. Finally, the trap will disappear without a trace after about 12 seconds. Once the trap is laid, you cannot re-create the trap with the same button, until the original goes away. This move will keep the opponent suspended for a split second, during which you can attack the opponent. There is no difference between the A and B versions.
  • This move is useful for many reasons. It forces the opponent to be careful about their movements and adds more to their mental burden. It also lets you follow up on things like throws.
• C version:
  • Same as the A/B version, except that it erases any A and B versions existing on creation, it suspends them longer on hit, and it cannot be destroyed by the opponent's attack.
  • [usefulness]

Lump of Misfortune (不幸の塊)

• A version:
  • Misuzu crouches down and creates a glowing lump above the opponent. Once created, this lump will slowly float down while gently moving side to side. Once it reaches a fixed distance off the ground, it will disappear. It can also be destroyed by the opponent if they land a hit on Misuzu. This move will only work if the opponent is farther than 1/2 screen from Misuzu, otherwise the lump will be sent completely off screen. This lump will curse the opponent if it hits.
  • [usefulness]
• B version:
  • Misuzu crouches down and creates a glowing lump a fixed distance behind the opponent. Once created, this lump will slowly float backwards while gently moving up and down. Once it reaches the location of where the opponent was when the lump was first created, it will disappear. It can also be destroyed by the opponent if they land a hit on Misuzu. This lump will curse the opponent if it hits.
  • More useful than the A version because there is no distance restriction to worry about.
• C version:
  • Same as the A version, except that 2 lumps are created at the same time.
  • [usefulness]

Sora Attack (そらアタック)

• A version:
  • Misuzu motions both her arms forward, and her crow Sora moves down vertically and then quickly flies horizontally straight across the screen, acting as a low projectile. This move will not activate unless Sora is around the same X-position as Misuzu.
  • [usefulness]
• B version:
  • Same as the A version, except Sora moves less down before attacking, acting as a high projectile.
  • [usefulness]
• C version:
  • Same as the A version, except Sora flies forward directly from her current position with a slight angle downwards. This move attacks multiple times and will burn the opponent if it hits.
  • [usefulness]

Eterny Specials

Gao Gao Fire (がおがおファイアー)

• A version:
  • Misuzu points forward and summons a Stegosaurus in front of her, which breathes fire originating from the ground forwards. The flames are slightly random. This move will burn the opponent if it hits. There is a safe spot for the opponent at close range.
  • This move is only useful when at the end of a combo. Do not use this move at point-blank range.
• B version:
  • Misuzu points forward and summons a Pteranodon in front of her, which breathes fire from its mouth originating from the head-height forwards. The flames are slightly random. This move will burn the opponent if it hits. There is a safe spot for the opponent at point blank range.
  • Just like the A version, this move is only useful at the end of a combo. Because of the low increase in damage of 1000 (in end of combo) for an extra level of SP, it would be better to use the A version unless you really needed the extra damage.
• C version:
  • Misuzu points forward and summons a Apatosaurus behind her, which breathes fire from its mouth aimed diagonally down, moving to forwards-up. This move has complete invincibility during startup frames, and will burn the opponent if it hits. There is a safe spot for the opponent at point blank range.
  • This move is harder to combo into since the flames have farther to travel now. It can possibily be done after a RF Wings wallbounce. The startup invincibility also allows this move to be used as a counter hit, if you anticipate the opponent's attack. However, if this move is blocked, Misuzu is extremely vulnerable to attack once the flames aim upwards, more so than the A or B versions.

Misuzu-chin's in a pinch! (観鈴ちんピンチ！)

• Misuzu covers her head with her arms and braces for impact. If Misuzu is attacked by a counterable move within a half-second of the start of the pose, Misuzu will disappear with an unblockable explosion of juice, and reappear from the ground afterwards. The A, B, and C versions will add 1, 3, and 5 levels of curse respectively. After the target half-second is over, Misuzu will open one eye, signifying her recovery state.
• The flash and time stop associated with all supers gives away the intent of what you are trying to do, so this move will only work on opponents who have already committed to an attack of some sort. Also, the explosion of juice is large, but some counterable attacks are outside of its range, such as Mai's 6C, or several of Mio's long range normals. Finally, the effectiveness of this move depends largely on how well you can keep the opponent from hitting you and allowing the curse to deal as much damage as possible.

Fate (縁)

• Misuzu spreads her arms out like a bird and gains 1 feather in exchange for 1 SP bar. The button used doesn't matter for this move. Misuzu can stock up to 3 feathers. Once Misuzu has at least one feather, her "Sora Attack" move will summon Yukito in exchange for 1 feather.
• This move is absolutely essential in order to do Misuzu's most damaging supers. The recovery time is quite long however, so it should only be done as soon as the opponent is knocked down, or while the opponent is in an long hitstun.
• The "Fate" versions of Sora Attack are as follows:
• A version:
  • Misuzu summons Yukito, who immediately starts squeezing a juice box, letting the juice pour out a short distance in front of Misuzu. Yukito does this independantly for 2 seconds, leaving Misuzu free to get close again and restart a combo.
  • This does minimal damage by itself, but is mainly used either to extend combos, to keep the opponent in block stun for a free mixup, or to regain the initiative by using this right after RGing an opponent's attack.
• B version:
  • Misuzu summons Yukito, who kicks Potato in a straight line horizontally across the screen. Potato will drill through opponents, acting as a multi-hit projectile.
  • This move is the best damage dealer for Misuzu for the amount of SP needed. It's almost useless when used outside of combos, though.
• C version:
  • Misuzu summons Yukito, who immediately does a rising uppercut.
  • It's quite cumbersome to combo into this, so this move is mostly used as a low-risk wakeup or anti-air attack.

Final Memory

Mother's Poem (母の詩)

• Misuzu concentrates for half a second with sparks gathering around, and then stops time while reappearing in some pajamas. She takes three steps towards the frozen opponent, and if the opponent is on the ground within arms-length of Misuzu on the third step, she will grab them and say "Goal...". It is essentially a ground throw with a medium range and a long startup time. It is medium-range only, so if the opponent is too close or too far, it will not connect. She is completely invincible for the entire startup, so the opponent cannot hit you out of it. The most interesting thing is how this move is one of the very few moves in EFZ that ignores all damage scaling. If landed, it will deal 5000 damage precisely, no questions asked, making it the only move capable of killing the opponent who is at 1/2 health single-handedly. If Misuzu manages to win the match with this move, she adds on "Let happy memories reside at the end..." (最後にはどうか幸せな記憶を…) with some added music. However, if the grab fails, Misuzu will fall to the ground in a knockdown state, completely vulnerable to attack for two seconds.
• The sheer power of this move makes it a move to be feared by the opponent, but it is quite easy to see and evade if the opponent is actively looking for it, since all they need to do is jump when they see the tell-tale sparks. However, since it only takes a half-second to activate and cannot be interrupted, the opponent may change their playing style to increase their chances of evasion. They may refrain from attacks with long recovery times, and might even jump more often if they lack confidence in their reaction time. If the opponent is noticably affected by the threat of your FM, you can try to take advantage of their weakness.

Strategy, Tactics, and Combos

Combos

BnB combo: (close) 2AABBC 623A. Does about 1900 damage and does not require any RF or SP meter. Practice that last move so you don't accidentally do the Gao Gao Fire super.

Potato Kick combo: (close, with "Fate" feather) 2AAB 5C 41236B [IC] 5B(f) [(repeat until at corner) [dash] [airdash] j.C] 2BC. Does about 4500 damage when starting from the opposite corner with only a red 50% RF meter, and can do around 5800 damage when starting with a full 100% RF meter. This combo is one of Misuzu's best combos for the amount of skill required, and should be ingrained in all aspiring Misuzu players. Any situation where you land an A attack can lead into this, and it only costs 1 SP stock.

Gao Gao Fire combo: (close) 2AB 5BC 236236A/B. The A version does about 2800 base damage, and the B version does about 3700 base damage. This combo is quite inferior to the full potential of the Potato Kick combo, but has its uses when the opponent is already in the corner, or if you need the extra damage right now.

Wall Loop: (close, at corner, opponent midair) 5AB j.ABC

Keeping Pressure on a Waking Opponent

A good place to keep Misuzu would be at her maximum range of her 2B. From here, she can do the following:

• 2B for a low hit that will combo into 5B(f) 2C 623A
• 6C for a high hit that will knock down again
• [airdash] j.BC for a high hit that can also crossup left-right if the opponent is still down, and can link into combos
• [airdash] [land] 2A for a low hit that can link into combos

Traps are Love

If you find yourself out of the enemy's range, start laying those traps and projectiles. Create juice traps in your spare time. Create book traps and curses while the opponent is down or blocking your Sora projectile. Adding traps will increase the number of things the opponent must keep track of, and may cause him to pay less attention to you, or use less complex strategies.

Win Quotes

Japanese	English
にはは 観鈴ちん勝利！	Nihaha! Misuzu-chin wins!
もう一人の私が 呼んでいるの 行かなきゃ 空の向こうであっても	[TRANSLATION NEEDED]
このジュース飲む？ ん、いらない？ が、がお… 美味しいのに…	You don't want this juice? G-Gao... It's tasty though...
時が来たんだよ みんなが繋げてくれた 千年の希望 大丈夫 私が全部終わらせてくるよ	The time has come. Everyone gave me 1000 years of hope. It's okay. Let me finish this on my own.
ゴールはもっと先 だから私は 前に進むの	Since the goal is a bit further, I'll keep moving forward...
が、がお… どうして そういうこと するかなぁ…	G-Gao... I wonder why you'd say something like that...
(To Ayu, Mizuka, or Misuzu) 大丈夫 あなたのことも 忘れない ちゃんと、全部 持っていくから	(To Ayu, Mizuka, or Misuzu) It's okay. I'll never forget you. Because, I'll take everything away completely...
(To Rumi) が、がお… こういうのって テレビの中だけかと 思ってた… ふ、深い意味は無いよ にはは （汗）	(To Rumi) G-Gao... I thought it was said like this on television... T-There isn't any deep meaning. Nihaha... (sweatdrop)
(To Mai) あなたなら大丈夫 だって 一人じゃないから にはは…	(To Mai) If it's you, it's okay, because you're not alone. Nihaha...

Colors

In-game References

External References

• Misuzu's "Picture Diary" move is based on Testament's "HITOMI" move, from the Guilty Gear series.
• Misuzu's "Wings" move is based on Testament's "Grave Digger" move, from the Guilty Gear series.
• Misuzu's "Rich and Pulpy" move is based on Testament's "Zeinest" move, from the Guilty Gear series.
• Misuzu's "Sora Attack" move is based on Nakoruru's "Amube Yatoro" move, from the Samurai Shodown series.
• Misuzu's "Misuzu-chin's in a pinch!" move is based on Testament's "Warrant" move, from the Guilty Gear series.

AIR References

• The house in the background is where Misuzu and her mother Haruko lives.
• The pink juice that Misuzu constantly uses in her attacks is her favourite brand of juice, "Rich and Pulpy Peach Flavored".
• The wings that appear whenever Misuzu dashes are a reference to the fact that she is a reincarnation of one of the winged race.
• The t-shirt and pants hanging on the pole when Misuzu does a standing strong or her "Misuzu Crush" move is a reference to an event in the game, when Misuzu washes Yukito's clothes.
• The pictures that pop-up in Misuzu's "Picture Diary" move are based on the pictures she drew in her actual picture diary.
• The dinosaur dolls in Misuzu's "Gao Gao Fire" move are a reference to her love of dinosaurs. The Stegosaurus from the level 1 version is from a t-shirt that she made Yukito wear one time. The Apatosaurus from the level 3 version is based on an important doll in the game.
• The basis of Misuzu's "Fate" move, where Sora temporarily turns into Yukito, is based on an event that happens in the game.
• The A version of Misuzu's "Fate" move is based on an actual event that takes place in the game, where Yukito tries Misuzu's juice and squeezes it out in front of her in disgust.
• The white dog that is kicked in the B version of Misuzu's "Fate" move is Potato, a resident dog of the town where the game takes place.
• The entire scenario in Misuzu's "Mother's Poem" move is based on an actual event that takes place in the game.