Blanka’s all about gimmicks. I hate playing the “matchup” textbook bullshit, and I think this is also why Japan is better in most fighters than we are. Very few people here are adept to fighting in a versatile manner (this is one reason why we’re REALLY good at MvC2 - that game isn’t about playing textbook, in fact, there IS NO textbook definition on playing that game. You play counters, you play gimmicks, you need to work on reaction). You have players like John Choi, the Wolfe brothers, Afrolegends, and Jason Cole who will innovate their game and use all that textbook knowledge, but you’ll play them and get hella fucking confused because they’re not predictable. You can’t read these players just from their footsies.
This is what Blanka needs to be good. I mean, when you’re 100% focused and shit, you can be AMAZING with his balls. There’s been several times where I’m putting pressure on a Ryu or Dhalsim in the corner, two obviously bad “textbook” matchups for Blanka, but I’ve worked off of reaction, saw what they do, took note of the patterns I saw, and countered them. They jump immediately I’d have a vertical ball in their face, they walk forward BAM. I’ve reacted on Honda’s HP headbutt too from half screen. If they both start around the same time, Blanka ball will get to Honda before the headbutt comes out, so you win the exchange. Unless they’re on point with their charges, they can’t really punish you except to mash HP and hope that the thousand hands come out.
The only two matches that Blanka can play textbook is vs. Gief and T.Hawk… s.mp, c.mp, c.mk, s.lk, jump straight up hp, where it’s like… you don’t let them get in, and you win the match.
As far as a “top Blanka” it’s hard to define. The players that I mentioned use Ryu, Boxer, Claw, Dictator, Dhalsim, DJ, etc… Nobody really mains certain characters in the states. It’s hard to find a GOOD (like Kusomondo good) Honda player or a GOOD (like Komoda good) Blanka or even a really good Guile player. In Japan, they’re frequent.
The fact that Japan is more versatile with their characters also does something. Look at 3S for example, they pick EVERYBODY… In the states, I see a million kens, half a million Chuns, and quarter million Yun… then a few Ryu, Akuma, Dudley, Urien, and Makoto… Where’s the amazing Hugo, Alex, Twelve, etc. players? Very few. I think Japan uses this and they become more versatile because they’re forced to learn every matchup all the time, rather than just get really good at fighting top tiers alone.