The Salty Runback, a term familiar and oft-used within the FGC, describes a rematch request by the loser in a hotly-contested set. The winner usually accepts on good faith terms, indulging the loser's chance for redemption with a quiet confidence that it's all in vain. In the Japanese #VirtuaFighter scene, a similar concept exists by the name of the Sendai Rule.

The Sendai Rule
Named after the city of Sendai (仙台) where it originated, this variation of the Salty Runback has a "winner-takes-all" twist that considerably amps up the stakes!

On Tue 9 Mar 2021, a special FT10 exhibition was played between Chibita (LI) and Koedo (JN) at Ikebukuro Mikado game centre (@babamikado). It was a philosophical clash of fighting styles between Chibita's whimsical creativity and Koedo's clinical precision.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD



The end result was 10-1 to Koedo's Jean, however, one may argue that the final score wasn't a true reflection of the set, and Chibita certainly didn't think so either! Not ready to go home yet, the "VF God" just needed one more game to prove himself.

Enter the Sendai Rule!

The score is now reset to 9-9, next match wins! As if re-invigorated by the virtua smelling salt of the Sendai Rule, Chibita takes a 2-0 lead, but then the match goes down to the final round and then a final move only capable of being made by the VF God himself. Behold!



If you enjoyed this "ending" then perhaps you'd like to watch the entire story of this amazing #VF5FS FT10 exhibition between Chibita (LI) vs Koedo (JN). Be sure to check out the VOD on YouTube: