

Image courtesy of 2GG Lakitu. Graphic by TheRealHeroOfWinds.​

Abadango" Kawamura is known for revolutionizing the way characters play. Though a veteran from the Super Smash Bros. Brawl days, Abadango didn't gain international exposure until 2015. He first captivated audiences with his Pac-Man at tournaments like Apex and EVO, but it was his Mewtwo which permanently cemented his status as a titan of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. At Pound 2016, he became the first Japanese player to take a major tournament, doing so in convincing fashion. Since then, he's continued to refine his Mewtwo play while juggling a rotating roster of secondary characters.



Since October 2016, Abadango's been sponsored by MKLeo" Perez, so things are looking good for him. I took some time to chat with Abadango about his character, practice routine, and the Japanese tournament scene.​ Yuta "" Kawamura is known for revolutionizing the way characters play. Though a veteran from thedays, Abadango didn't gain international exposure until 2015. He first captivated audiences with his Pac-Man at tournaments like Apex and EVO, but it was his Mewtwo which permanently cemented his status as a titan of. At Pound 2016, he became the first Japanese player to take a major tournament, doing so in convincing fashion. Since then, he's continued to refine his Mewtwo play while juggling a rotating roster of secondary characters.Since October 2016, Abadango's been sponsored by Luminosity Gaming . This has enabled him to travel to a wide variety of events like Genesis 4 and 2GGC: Civil War. This weekend, Abadango will be looking to take Umebura Japan Major over incredibly difficult competition. He's coming in off of a 2nd place finish at KSB 2017 , where he lost only to Echo Fox's Leonardo "" Perez, so things are looking good for him. I took some time to chat with Abadango about his character, practice routine, and the Japanese tournament scene.​

Hi Abadango! Thanks again for talking with me. It looks like out of everyone registered for Umebura Japan Major so far, you're the second highest rank on the PGR. [NOTE: Abadango is the highest ranked now that James “VoiD” Makekau-Tyson cancelled.] Would you say you're feeling confident going in?

Yeah, I was wondering about MKLeo. Do you plan on going MK again (if you'd rather not say for strategic reasons, that's fine)? How do you feel about Mewtwo vs. Cloud?

That makes sense. A few other MK players (Tyrant, AC) had some luck against MKLeo, but I'm not sure if that comes down to the character or something else. For Mewtwo, what makes the Sheik matchup so hard? You seemed to be doing pretty well in that one until KKON. Diddy I understand, that one's always looked bad.

Good points. With so many threatening players attending, how do you prepare for a tournament like this? Do you use the same strategy as for monthlies?

Hmm, I was wondering about differences in tournament format. A lot of Americans are surprised when they first learn that Japan plays Bo1 pools. [NOTE: Umebura Japan Major will use the American pools format.] How would you recommend getting used to this?

I really appreciate you taking the time to talk. There's a huge timezone difference between us.

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I'm not so confindent lol. You guys already know Japanese results are inconsistent because we have a ton of good players. (Of course, most top player's level is higher in the USA. I want to avoid the arguments lol.) Also, MKLeo is coming; his Cloud is one of the most annoying Clouds for me to fight besides komo.I will never go MK I guess. He knows the MK matchup very well. And maybe I'll go Mewtwo next time. It is one of the hardest matchups (Sheik, Diddy & Cloud). I'm fine only on Battlefield against Cloud. His “hitpoints” are twice as high as Mewtwo’s. That’s the problem of the matchup.Sheik can catch Mewtwo more easily than others. It’s also hard to land and ledge get-up.I practice at someone's house Smashfest. At home, I watch videos to learn and do training mode to lab new moves and maximize combos.It’s not recommended. It's just for newcomers to play a lot. It also destroys seeding.No problem, goodnight.Did you enjoy this interview? Please consider following Abadango on Twitter , and stay tuned for more coverage of international Smash.