Made a quick video with some command throw setups a while back. Hopefully helps out new players
[media=youtube]byBL9QBa5Hs[/media]
A+C, follow by C grab command does the trick especially when you move behind the opponent
j.B, 214C helps too
Just came across my mind but one thing I all ways realize is that most players all ways spam A on wake up. Pretty much the best option is to use his D command grab. Once they caught on to the grab, their next reaction is to jump which can be counter with 236C. To really lock them down is either use 236D, or to guarantee a grab use 236C+D so that way way if they jump they will get caught from Kanji’s persona and if they don’t jump and just mash A then a good D command grab does the trick. Keep in mind this only works for inexperience players who hadn’t fought Kanji or fighting against Yu, Mitsuru, and Akihiko since they can DP there way out…unless you bait them 
Very nice set up though it can be counter once players learn Evasive Action or have a move that can get them out of the trap.
What is Kanji’s best reversal? What are his best options to stop jump in pressure?
his reversal action…? 
also BURN TO A CRISP is quite the show stealer.
as for anti air, 2B is amazingly good (tho slow). Gotcha! can also be used if you foresee a jump. backjump ya cant take this works too as does jump => air throw - with 4 frames his fastest option.
I was watching Juicenation and I saw Pain tearing it up with Kanji. I need to review those matches. He uses a BnB to launch and grab that I can’t quite figure out just by watching it.
If you can predict a jump then use 236C. Use 236C+D to have your persona auto track any jumping opponents if you want a guarantee grab.
B+D is also a best option though it’s best you don’t abuse it.
I believe 2B can be use for anti air though I hardly use that
Normally the methods I use against jumping opponents.
link!
Kanji seems to be a really good character in the States.
that’s because ppl haven’t figured out how to approach him (or avoid for that matter).
he’s okay, but not lacks the herpiness and abusive tools of other characters to maintain a good spot. you can’t really outplay the other character, you have to outplay the other player instead- which is way harder and riskier then simply using strong, save, fundamental tools, which he sadly doesn’t have; but at least for me, I can live with that; I like being in the head of my opponent.
zUkUu: Sorry to get back to you on this so late, but I wanted to follow up on my remarks on SB Gotcha!. It turns out Take-Mikazuchi will automatically do his jump-grab after about… it’s slightly less than 3 seconds, if the enemy doesn’t give him anything to trigger on first. That is not frame accurate in any way, of course. Also of interest, Take-Mikazuchi’s auto-jump for this moves at a slightly different angle compared to his D Gotcha. It’s very slightly different, just a tad more horizontal.
I am not sure if this is specifically worth adding to your chart, but thought the info should be brought up just in case.
General input on Akihiko matchup: This won’t work on every Akihiko, but I’ve found a few who like to be cute by starting a block-string against you, then backing off a few steps to avoid a presumed retaliatory 214C/D grab from Kanji. They may even go into a swaying stance during this. If you run into someone who has that habit, doing your normal throw (C+D) will sometimes beat this; Kanji moves forward before grabbing, putting him in range where 214C/D would whiff. It’s pretty funny when it works! Note it’s a little spacing reliant, I’ve seen it whiff sometimes.
Note this is best saved for ones where you clearly see they have that habit. Nonetheless, I’ve run into a few who do that and it’s a fantastic answer to their little trick.
Very well spoken and true. Timing is important, but I feel baiting and predicting is so much more prominent when playing Kanji. Love him, but sadly I can see he is limited.
Also, is it me, or is ranked taking forever to find a match now? It takes like 5-10 mins for me to get matched with players. I hit A rank fast with Kanji in the first 1.5 weeks. I think I have 70-80 games played with him (70% win). Any tips on how to keep getting constant ranked games? I am doing quick match searches.
The biggest character I’ve had trouble with as Kanji were Naoto and Chie. Naoto’s emphasis on ranged attacks makes it difficult to get close, and I keep getting spammed with bullets before I can get a shock out properly. Along with that is the risk involved with the BYCTT to try and close the gap. Chie is just difficult to work around because, at close range she’s very tricky.
thanks for this awesome thread! is there any matchup tips anywhere?
also what kind of oki do you guys use?
for matchups we def. need sub forums - so for now, just ask / post here about whatever matchup / problem you want.
otherwise I can suggest to look up these forums:
http://www.dustloop.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?245-Matchups
http://mayonakamidnight.com/forumdisplay.php?63-Matchups
alright cool ill check those out!
i was just curious because i just got a train run on me by a labby in player matches, i know im pretty ass but i felt near helpless when he started baiting dps in his strings/using throw mixups combined with the high lows… is there any specific tips against her or is it just my lack of properly using the evasive maneuvers? also i feel like there were places in her string a c command grab would work every time but it wasnt… dunno
also i noticed in the kanji threads in dustloop pretty much everyone uses 214D instead of C, is there any reason to ever use the C one? its the only one ive been using because the startup seemed too long on the D one
The matchup against Aigus makes me want to break my controller. 2B, flamewheel and her instant overhead make me free.
Invincible frames. Most players, I had fought, tend to mash the A when your up close but using 214D prevent you from getting hit. Take a look at the frame data chart that zUkUu made if you want to know more info of Kanji’s moves.
I don’t know I’d this is a symptom of me sucking or online play but I’m having some real trouble with geting rushed down. I know there’s holes in a lot of these character’s pressure where I shroud be able tl IB and 214C or 214D but my throws never seem to come out. I always eat a counter hit. I’ve even had wake-up BD stuffed. Is my timing just terrible or is online causing my rage?
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I joined to support the cause! My roommate and I have had the game for a couple weeks now, he’s a Bsomething ranked player and I’m a C-Ranked (super busy with grad school so I haven’t had as much of a chance to play) But I would like to share a few general and matchup specific tips with Kanji, as he is my go-to character.
Mind Games/Punishment/Mix-Ups
This is essential to any good Kanji player’s game. P4A is very much a game of reads and punishes, and Kanji is the embodiment of this. This can be difficult for online/tournament play because you don’t get a lot of matches to download your opponent, but Kanji’s mixups don’t always have to be defensive, and most of the time, knowing how the character works is more than enough. Use the time from any knock down you get to take a couple microseconds and think, “What’s he going to do when he gets up?” Kanji has a counter to almost any situation, provided you read it correctly. If they get up from a knockdown defensively, big mistake, command grab them. If you think they are going to attack and you’re very close, hit your DP to shock them. Try a delayed (D) command throw every once in awhile, as it has armor, and sometimes people will run right into it. Also jumping as they recover from a knockdown and hitting them with air B is pretty solid. One of Kanji’s best aspects is his high damage. Aside from obvious reasons, this is important because it provokes too pretty strong emotions in the opponent: fear and frustration. No one playing Kanji is just going to go in no fear. They are going to do everything cautiously. Take advantage of this by keeping a cool head, even in bad situations (between his massive health and the fact that he becomes even more deadly in awakening mode make this quite easy). People are more likely to make a mistake like this, but even *more *likely to mess up when they are frustrated. Land two command grabs in a row and the match is over, even if your opponent isn’t KO’d. Most people will begin throwing out their burst, attacking wildly, and jamming buttons to try and stick you just to get you away. Remain cognizant of your opponents attitude (even if you can’t see them! It’s easy to guess if you can put yourself in their shoes), and you will have a huge edge with Kanji.
Whiffs and Safe Moves
Kanji’s biggest weakness to me is that he does not have a lot of safe moves. Missing an air pounce is a full combo on you. Missing a command throw is usually a C,D or special move punish. Screwing up an input with your Persona is a free hit on him often. Kanji’s safest moves from my experience are his 5B, air B and his DP most of the time. While all of these are punishable, they are not particularly moves players are eager to get in and whoop you for, as they have a lot of range and set Kanji up to destroy people if they make a mistake. These are your go-to moves for getting in on anyone, but mix it up every once in awhile, not just between the moves, but occasionally feign one and try an unsafe move-for example, if your opponent gets used to your air b over head, they’ll probably bock when you jump at close range. If you’re close enough, simply don’t attack, land, and command throw them. Little things like this will continue to throw them off balance and not know when to risk getting in.
Negative Penalty
As previously stated, most people will play extremely cautiously against Kanji, especially zoning characters, which are normally Kanji’s worst nightmare. The big downside to this is that zoning characters are forced to play extreme keep away against Kanji, which often results in Negative Penalties. Take advantage by approaching ambiguously until this turns on (if you think it will actually happen) then punish with impunity and extra damage once those red bubbles show up.
Ride the Lightning
One of Kanji’s best and most underrated moves is his D persona attack. Obviously it’s good, but it’s range is soooo obnoxious, right? Wrong. Make sure you remember the fact that Kanji’s lightning can hit in 3 PARTS OF THE SCREEN, depending on whether you hit 5, 2, or 8D. The main point of this is that 8D is a full screen strike, which almost always nails pesky zoning spammers. It’s also quite fast from full screen, and can strike 3 or 4 times depending on how you space it out, and leaves your opponents helplessly paralyzed. Work on integrating this as much as possible into your plan of attack whenever you find yourself at a distance. Don’t just rush in like an idiot; remember you have lightning to use!
Air Pounce Notes
**- **Cruel Attack can be cancelled into AP (Air Pounce AKA Bet Ya Cant Take This). Use this for sudden short range pounces
- Air Pounce can be Tiger Knee’d (Roll 2148B instead of 214B for a pounce that starts a little off the ground). I haven’t found a use for this yet, but I’m sure someone can think of something.
-AP can be cancelled into off an air B hit. This counts on block AND when you hit a persona. If someone is air-Persona happy, jump up, smack it with the chair, then pounce them. The AP follow up will hit most of the time, but in rare recovery or blocking situations, you won’t hit it and will be open for a combo. Use it mostly as a hit confirm.
-The 214A AP is most useless. Stick to 214B or 214Skill which is TRACKING.
DP!
Use this A LOT when your opponent is close to you. It’s completely armored (will outlast grabs even) has a super long active hitbox, and causes them to be paralyzed and land very close to you. Another interesting aspect of it is that you can mash B+D while your blocking a combo, and sometimes it will activate randomly in the middle of their combo and stun them. Most of the time it will go live after the end of the combo (and if you’re opponents smart theyll jump back at the end of their combo and punish you), but if any moves in your opponent’s string has even a moments hesitation (Chie, Liz, some others I can’t think of off the top of my head), they’ll get a face full of voltage.
General Fight Notes
-Kanji’s EX Gotcha sits around and waits for your opponent to jump before going in. Use this on air-heavy opponents (Yosuke) to keep them grounded.
-Kanji’s 5C, DP and occasionally 5B are all anti-airs.
-I’m not very good at using Kanji’s 2C, but I know it’s an awesome set up to his monster combos.
-Kanji’s air C is faster than Air B if you have an opponent jumping with you and pressuring you.
-Kanji’s corner game is disgusting and will often result in death against most characters who can’t read your mixups.
-Kanji’s most are most vulnerable to defensive jumping. Try to train your opponent to think this is a legit escape plan then start air grabbing them.
Last But Not Least, The Super Salty N00B Killing Move
We all wanna bro down and hit that instant kill, right? Here’s the most effective way I’ve been able to use it. Most people who aren’t familiar with it will just get slammed. When you’re on winning round, fight normally till you get them in a corner. Smart players will have learned to jump on wake up to get away from you, but that won’t save them from a gold burst. Nail em on wake-up to fill your gauge then hit the input as fast as you can. Kanji is armor and as far as I know unblockable during this approach, and since it’s take awhile to get up, chances are your opponent will still be recovering during the move’s start up. From what I know right now, ONLY A WAKE UP JUMP will save your opponent from getting the BroFist. Use this to cheaply seal matches if you so desire. It’s also rude as hell and leaves many people quite salty.
That does it for general notes. I’ll do another post to explain some specific matchup observations.