Baki Hanma has just upset the annual karate championship and sent shockwaves through the world of martial arts. This wide-eyed, 17 year old white belt newbie shouldn’t have been able to face off against more seasoned fighters, yet somehow he toppled them all to win first place. What’s going on with this kid?
Originally serialized for the magazine Weekly Shonen Champion in 1991, Baki the Grappler is among the best selling manga in Japan, however the still-ongoing manga has never been officially translated for English readers until now. A Netflix anime adaptation was released in 2020, but that series covers a later arc in the overall story. This is truly the first time the earliest part of Baki’s tale has been readily available to English speaking fans.
Coming fresh to the series, I expected this to be a one dimensional story about fighting and relentlessly beating opponents, and at first at first glance, that seemed true. Baki initially appears to just be an oblivious wunderkind with a lucky streak and a heart of gold. When asked directly, he can’t quite articulate his training goals, other than to say he’d like to become the strongest man on the planet. But there are hints that there’s more beneath the surface. Readers see him meticulously mark off photos of defeated opponents. His typically kind demeanor cools significantly when dealing with bullies, and betrays a cold and calculating side. There are also mysterious scars all over his body that strangely allow him to withstand even the most intense punches. He may even have ties to dangerous underground fighting rings. Clearly there’s much more going on with this seemingly happy-go-lucky kid. You don’t get all the answers in this volume, but I immediately wanted to crack open the second volume to see what makes Baki tick.
Almost every page is filled with action and the art is crisp and easy to follow. The manga style in this volume is a bit dated with rounder and softer lines than more recent iterations of the character, but it contributes to the classic feel of this manga. In terms of theme I’m reminded of other popular manga and anime series of the 1980s and 90s, such as Naruto and Dragon Ball, with their stories of (mostly) young men pushing themselves to be the strongest fighters in their community. There are no magical powers or fantastical elements for Baki, even if everyone’s muscles bulge just as unrealistically as Goku and Vegeta’s. Machismo practically drips off each page.
Other than the fighting that occurs in almost every panel, there are only a few content warnings. Some of the fighting turns more violent, with visibly broken bones and blood. There is a panel with teenage nudity and somewhat crude mentions of male anatomy. There is one awkward scene between 17 year old Baki and his attractive older landlady, where she is a little too eager to put her hands on him and he is visibly uncomfortable. The landlady and her teenage daughter are the only women in the first volume, and both are in supporting roles to the men.
The publisher rates this volume for older teens and I agree that’s probably where it fits best in a library collection. Adult readers might also enjoy it, and I could see it ticking the nostalgia box for fans of 80s and 90s manga and anime. While definitely aimed at a male audience, any reader that enjoys stories of perseverance, athleticism, and martial arts should give Baki the Grappler a try.
Baki the Grappler
By Keisuke Itagaki
Kodama Tales, Inc., 2024
ISBN: 9781966523000
Company Age Rating: Older Teen
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Japanese,
