I'm originally from Norcal, though I currently live in Yokosuka, Japan. I mostly play Guilty Gear, though I did play VF once upon a time.
DOA5UA has gained popularity out here, and seeing as it has Jacky who was my main in VF, I figured I'd give it a try. To put it lightly, I wasn't ready for how entertaining this character is. I'm now hooked, and I play this game when the GG cabinets are vacant.
To be honest, the level of play out here is generally pretty low. You can tell the good players from a mile away, though; people usually don't want to play against them. I'm always more than happy to oblige because I know there's more to this game than turning your opponent into a punching bag.
I'm still a little confused on some of the nuances of this game (particularly how counters and stun work), but overall I think it's actually quite easy to get in to (in the good way).