kasumi is not top tier. she is too unsafe and she whiffs a lot.
It's all about balance. Her speed needs to be balanced by something. Sure, you can't change the fact that the majority of her moves leave her at a (punishable) disadvantage. And certainly only using her "safe" moves isn't a viable strategy. It's a fine line that you're forced to tread, you have to keep the pressure up by attacking, but those same attacks leave you very vulnerable to counters. So what do you do?
One of the biggest advantages you have, is that the ball is in your hands. You are the aggressor so you dictate where the fight goes. As the attacker you know what you're going to do, but your opponent doesn't. Are you going to go high, mid, or low? Or are you going to throw? They're forced to predict, anticipate, and react to your attack. And if they don't, or guess incorrectly--the closer to defeating them you get. However, as soon as you become predictable, you lose this edge and become punishable. Thus, try to mitigate her "unsafeness" with unpredictability.
As Murakame put it, she's only unsafe as you make her.
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Team Kasumi represent! Where you at? Anyone down to play (PS3) on Friday and/or this weekend? I need some pointers to improve. I'm new to DOA in general, and I've been focusing almost exclusively on Kasumi. I'm getting my butt handed to me constantly and have a terrible record. Even so, I'm still having fun... I would just like to be a little more competitive. More than anything, I probably need to shore up the basics along with Kasumi specific strategies. Would love to get some help from my fellow Kasumi players. Let me know!