About

I must use “Haoh Sho Ko Ken” (Japanese: 「覇王翔吼拳」を使わざるを得ない, _ Haoh Sho Ko Ken Wo Tsukawazawu Wo Enai_) refers to a series of image macros parodying the road scene from SNK's 1992 Neo-Geo fighting game, Art of Fighting^[1], where the protagonist Ryo Sakazaki is strangely riding his motorbike in several ways, as well as riding on other things. Most image macros feature fictional girls and women, some others either edited or completely made from scratch.

Origin

This line comes from a demo movie in the middle part of the video game. It's a quite serious monologue of Ryo Sakazaki riding on a motorbike (shown below, left). In the English version, this monologue is translated as "Fighting a guy with a weapon. I must use "Haow-Ken"" (shown below, right).

Meaning

One of the reasons why the meme became hilarious to many people is the strangeness of Ryo riding on his motorbike while wearing his well-known getas and orange karate gi outfit, because it is unsuitable to ride a motorbike or other similar vehicles with similar outfits.

Another reason is his quote:

“武器を持った奴が相手なら 「覇王翔吼拳」を使わざるを得ない”
“Buki wo motta yatsu ga aite nara “Haoh Sho Ko Ken” wo tsukawazaru wo enai"
“If I fight with armed forces, I can’t help using “Haoh Sho Ko Ken”."

This "Xせざるを得ない(I can’t help doing X) " is roundabout and a speaking with an air of importance for this scene. And his remark also means indirectly that “Haoh Sho Ko Ken” is superior to heavy firearms. Most gamers know that “Haoh Sho Ko Ken” needs very slow and big movement in order to "initiate super death blow". Therefore, they don’t believe his statement at all.

Spread

From a private archives at Futaba Channel (2chan), the first thread related to the meme titled “Ohaoh Thread(お覇王スレ)” started on July 11, 2006, and was rebuilt everyday at 5:00 AM. "Ohaoh" is a pun for “Ohayo (おはよう, Good morning)” and “Haoh”, which explains why it appears quite early in the mornings for this pun. Those threads are sometimes called "Ohaoh" simply.^[2]

Of course, almost all Internet users won’t and can’t access Futaba in such an early morning. So, this fad is supported and kept by a very small Futaba user’s community in actually.

On the popular Japanese video sharing website Nico Nico Douga (NND), it became slightly well-known by a role playing game made by NND users called Nico Nico RPG. It seems that not a few NND users noticed “Haoh Sho Koh Ken” fad for the first time by this game.

Since the beginning, there are now over 2000 images archived at Futaba, and many of them are compiled to videos and uploaded to both NND^[3] and YouTube.^[4]

Notable examples

This series of videos shows many related image macros with music added to the slide shows.

Because of contributing to a popular freeware fighting game engine M.U.G.E.N is so active in Futaba, Ryo and his friend and rival Robert Garcia (also appearing in some image macros) driving their vehicles were soon converted by ana^[5] to it as playable joke characters on September 28, 2007, with references of the meme added to them. Ryo was named "Ohaoh", while Robert was named "Donaiya".

It was also featured in some Nico Nico all*star cross-over MADs and videos like this one titled "Tokyo NicoNicoLand Electrical Parade Dreamlights":

External References