you’re a DOA newcomer, start with Hitomi. She’s a nice combination of stylish moves [and is] easy to learn." Dean James of Attack of the Fanboy wrote that "Hitomi has the best punch techniques" in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, while her recovery time "more than makes up" for her weak offense, "making her quite useful for anybody playing the series for the first time." The character compensates for her lack of power in the games with speed and technique. Matthew Rorie of GameSpot opined in their Dead or Alive 4 guide that Hitomi was a "fairly standard character" that is "not exceptionally damaging, but her speed works to her favor" as she is able to "strike between a slower character's blows or throw them off-balance with a mixture of high and low strikes." David McCutcheon of GameSpy additionally praised her quickness while adding that a "dinky powerhouse in herself, Hitomi can really wallop an opponent when needed", but "she does take a little getting used to, which is bound to throw a lot of impatient players off." Appearances In Dead or Alive games Hitomi was born in Germany to a German father and Japanese mother. She was trained in karate by her father, a martial artist and dojo owner. She is energetic and cheerful, with a longtime commitment to her martial arts studies. Despite her Japanese name, Hitomi identifies more as Western, as her role in the series focuses more on her upbringing with her father while her relationship with her mother is unexplored. Due to this, her name is typically written in Katakana instead of Kanji. After the events of the original Dead or Alive, Hitomi encounters an amnesiac named "Ein", who had been abandoned by the executive committee of the first tournament. She takes him into her home, and together they practice karate until he departs to enter the second tournament to find out about his past. He gradually regains his memories of being ninja clan leader Hayate, which enables him to return home to his village. In Dead or Alive 3 (2001), the eighteen-year-old Hitomi (making her playable debut in the series) enters the third DOA tournament simply to prove her skills and independence. While working as a waitress for the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC), she reunites with Ein and meets ninjutsu specialist Ayane, and during this time, Ein reveals the truth