Ever since he was born, Baki Hanma has always known nothing but fighting—strengthening every single muscle and learning different techniques from various martial arts under the supervision of his mother, Emi Akezawa. He trains in order to prepare himself to face and eventually surpass his own father, Yuujirou Hanma, a man feared by the masses as the "Ogre" and deemed the strongest being in the world.
However, when Baki realizes his mother's techniques are no longer enough, he sets out to become stronger in his own way. Seeking out powerful opponents and forming unbreakable bonds with them, he continues to grow both body and his soul, as the clock continues to tick closer toward the inevitable showdown against his father...
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Kain
This is an anime everybody should see. The story may not be as deep as keshin or love hina but still this is a good anime. If you ever want to see a cool anime give this one a try. It may seem like a bad anime at first but it is sort of like the anime berserker. You will defintely want to see more. An anime with figting scenes all the and a nice story line. What more can you ask for. Yeah!!!
YoungVagabond
The synopsis of "Grappler Baki" couldn't be more boring and unoriginal; a teenager seeks to become the most powerful fighter in the world. However, the execution of this hackneyed concept is what's extraordinary. For starters, there are hardly any monologues or emotional flashbacks, and absolutely no cute, "funny" scenes of the main character being hit by a girl. Instead, each episode is filled with brutal, highly entertaining fights, most of them featuring the hero, Baki, getting the absolute piss beaten out of him. Getting multiple bones shattered, having one's ankle exploded, one's eye nerves severed, being thrown out of a window on the third floor, swallowing glass, havingone's mouth torn apart by a giant beast-ape, being hung execution-style by a rope, or having one's bloody, unconscious face repeatedly stomped by a fist or foot are all a part of a typical episode for Baki.
Most appropriately, there is almost a complete lack of "good" and "evil" in this series; every character (with the possible exception of Yujiro), even the most brutal and dirty, is shown to have a good, friendly, honorable side, and similarly, even Baki has a vicious, uncomprising part to his personality.
In a comical but oddly appropriate twist, Baki befriends the Yasha Ape whose eye he gouged out and which almost tore his mouth off, or Yakuza boss Hanayama, who almost killed him on several occasions.
In fact, he becomes friends with almost everyone he fights in the series, showing that these fights are simply the tool for him becoming better and stronger, not the product of his desire for violence.
Thus, on a pure entertainment level, the series is great; gritty fights featuring original attacks, unique fighting styles, and non-stop action mixed with a peculiar sense of humor.
With all that said, "Grappler Baki" works on a deeper level also.
While the show revolves around fighting, it's really a metaphor for the struggle and sacrifice anyone faces in achieving the absolute pinnacle in their field of interest.
Through Baki's non-stop training, fighting, and overzealous desire to improve at the risk of his own life, the hero is someone that a viewer can emphasize with, as he attains his ability more through practice and physical sacrifice than natural ability.
Despite all this, Baki is repeatedly beaten down by his invincible father Yujiro, the king of fighters. Thus, rather than being a simple story of a fighter's rise to the top, it's the story of a typical human giving everything to achieving his goals, succeeding, but ultimately, not being able to fulfill his greatest desire.
In addition to this, there are a number of refreshing "real" aspects for an action anime here, such as the lack of female fighters, and the "dirty tactics" (biting, eye-gouging, kicks to the groin, attacks from behind) that every single fighter utilizes, including Baki. (Once again obliterating the "good" and "evil" that so many animes rely upon)
Finally, another reason I love this series so dearly are the unforgettable characters; while Baki is a unique, macho badass in his own right, Orocho Doppi and Karou Hanayama are some of the most unique, likeable, and downright cool characters in any anime ever.
This can be extended to most of the characters on the show too; they all have their own quirks, sense of humor, fighting styles, and contrasting outlooks on life.
This feels a lot different than most animes, where there are essentially only two or three character prototypes which everyone is modeled upon.
Thus, Grappler Baki is not only a great series for anyone who enjoys fighting and combat, but anyone who wants to see something different and unexpected in an anime.
jmoriarty84
What's great is all the characters have a back story and even though they want a piece of Baki, they are portrayed in ways where you can sympathize with all them including Baki and I feel you can sympathize with Yujiro to some extent. They are people that are portrayed with reasons of what they do. And what’s also good about this anime is that it’s very fast pace. You can watch like 4 episode and you feel like maybe 15 to 20 minutes have passed by. But what I really didn’t like is in the last 45% of the season with the time skip,some of the characters like the cop that was watching Baki and Emi’s assistant who also watched over him are now written out and I thought they had very significant roles.
With the art, I really like the character design a lot. Especially 13 year old Baki. He has this cut physique and yet he does have an innocent look to his face. Especially the eyes which I like about it. But what’s disappointing is that Baki’s scars from the oav are not at all drawn in this version though they are briefly talked about in the anime itself. And Yujiro comes across as a clone of the mixed genes of MMA juggernaut Fedor, Violence Jack, and Brolly from DBZ. And the other characters who come in later on in this anime are based on real martial artists and pro wrestlers such as Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushinkai karate, Japanese pro wrestling legends Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki, and Jiujitsu legend Rickson Gracie. So martial arts enthusiasts should be able to love this for those influences alone.
Once again, before I get into talking about the fights, I will protest the use and definition of the word grappler and how I felt it doesn’t at all apply to a majority of the fights and Baki’s fighting style, which looks like a mix between Shotokan Karate and Muay Thai like you see in the movie Kickboxer with Van Damme. I don’t like how there is very limited emphasis on grappling. But every now and then, we’ll see a rear naked choke that does little to no damage, and an arm bar attempt which does nothing as well, and typical wrestling suplexes. But there is the Hanayama character who grips the person’s arm and destroys their bicep and blood vessels which I think is a bizarre move and is nothing more than a fictional Indian burn. But I would like to see techniques like the omoplata, the triangle choke, and the guillotine choke.
I think if a true grappling element was implemented than it would be more exiting in my point of view. I practice grappling arts and striking arts. I have black belts in judo and in Tae Kwon Do, and I currently practice kickboxing, brazilian jiujitsu, and mixed martial arts, and there are times I’ve seen in the fights of this anime that I think true grappling you see in brazilian jiujitsu, kousen judo, and in catch wrestling could have applied. I think seeing an effective submission is just as fun as watching a KO punch or kick, or a vaporizing kamehameha.
But other criticisms people may have it how crazy these people can take pain. I swear, to do half of the crap they’re doing, you got to take serious steroids, PCP or some performance enhancer. Since the characters are not fighting in officially sanctioned bouts, they are free to take such drugs. Yujiro probably took serious roids and PCP. Hell, Nick Diaz beat Pride lightweight champion with a beautiful gogoplata while testing off the charts on weed. The closest I can back up this assumption to some extent is when Baki fights Gaea. Who can manipulate his own adrenaline. Which is bizarre but I guess that’s a cool concept. He brings new definition to adrenaline junky.
The music I really like in this one. The opening them Ai Belive and I forgot the name of the ending theme are really cool in my point of view. I think the style and execution of the songs fit more for Initial D, another favorite anime of mine with one of my favorite soundtracks, but I think it’s enough to represent the fast pace and explosive nature of Grappler Baki as well. The background music itself also invokes and entices the mood and really pulls you into it. Some of the tracks reminds me of an old school Virtua Fighter game which makes it cool in that kind of way, I guess.
The dub is ok. I think it has intensity but I don’t think it compares to the Japanese version at all. Surprisingly, despite how awesome the Japanese cast is, there are little to no big names in the Japanese version. The only big name I could recognize is of course Baki’s seiyuu, Kikuchi Masami, who is most known to some of you as Tenchi from Tenchi Muyo, and Keiichi from Ah My Goddess. I think this gives Kikuchi a different kind of approach to his other characters that are losers, while this time his character has a tough exterior with a soft heart and I think he portrays that very convincingly where you feel his character.
OK to conclude my review, I’ll get back into the subject of drugs and fighting. In case some of you don’t know, 10th Planet Jiujitsu chief instructor and my cousin’s instructor Eddie Bravo, who beat reigning Abu Dhabi champion Royler Gracie in the 2003 quarter finals happens to be a marijuana advocate and he’s the reason why Fear Factor host and UFC commentator Joe Rogan is also a weed dude. He claimed he invented his techniques such as his rubber guard while under the influence. Considering Nick Diaz’s victory over Gomi, I am starting to believe him, but in no ways am I advocating the use of drugs, nor am I consider taking up drugs. I just say after watching this anime, I am starting to reconsider how these guys fight like crazy ass mofoss. But putting that aside, I strongly recommend this anime despite my criticisms of it based on my passion and experience with the martial arts today thanks to MMA. It is high paced, explosive, has drama, and an excellent cast of characters. If you love extreme brutal action, then this is foryou.
OtherGuyX
Although many have said similar ideas to what i am about to present to you, i believe it really is true with this anime. What i love about this anime is how each character has its own background story, from the great Yasha Ape, Baki himself, to Yuri and Hanayama. All these characters make up the base of Baki the grappler. But lets not forget our favourite devil (Yujiro Hanma), yes you all hate him at first, but you actually end up actually liking him, the way he breaks up fights, his annoying weird voice and his devilishness :P The story is about baki, a 13year old kid, training martial arts since he was 3 years old, and having his father (yes that messed up psychotic bastard) as an idol or a goal for his life. But at 13 years old, he left his controlled training and started running his life by himself, however coming to realise that his father is really a psycho and not some loving person, he aims to defeat him.
Baki then goes through several stages of his life, including defeating a 20Ft Ape with his bear hands, fists, and feet.
The funny thing i have to say about this (and i know someone already mentioned this in another review but its so true), everyone here takes steroids. Its like DBZ almost but not with the rapid unexplainable expansion of muscle and the sudden change in hair pigment colour and random yellow lines of supposedly fire that doesnt seem to burn the skin.
I mean, the one scene where baki (when he has orange hair) sitting on the river hillside, he is so big for his size and age, its pretty obviouse hes on roid rage. And lets not start on Yujiro. Dude that guy takes the pain like its nothing, and his face.... I swear he pumps roids in his face too... Just looking at his neck and how thick it is...
But even then, people like Hanayama, Baki too, they all take so much pain yet they dont suffer much for it. Do you think you will still live if you got kicked against a tree, and due to its impact the tree split in half at the base? I think you would die most definately.
A funny part of this anime that i remember was when Baki was climbing up a hill (this is on one of the earlier episodes), and has numerouse experiences of hormones or adrenalin or something. It reminded me of something we all do when we are very excited, and we are with the opposite sex (unless we are homosexual where its the same sex, or bi where its either sex) and we rease alot of white sticky stuff... Yes, do you go "UHG" when you have a sudden climax of hormonal release? I dont think so.
However, with all the steroid crap, climaxes and paracetamol they take, it still is an amazing anime. What i love about it is that it was so seriouse, and had a true fighting spirit within. It never got into comedy (which isnt bad, but for this anime, comedy would have probably sucked, baki would have turned out to be some dense weirdo, and it would have been something like hajime no ippo or historys strongest diciple kenichi, which arnt bad, they are also my favourite animes :) )
The sound, well the music are all pertty good. If you watched the english dub version you know what im talking about, that OP gets stuck in your head and it is an awesome OP.
As soon as i finished this anime, i just had to go to the second season... and i would reccomend the same for you to do also.
TheFirstEvil
This anime is something.. Whether that's something good or bad will depend on your tastes. When this came out, I'm sure it looked amazing and I must admit I am a fan of that 'older' art style of anime. Everything art wise is very 'odd' or quirky for this show, the way Baki looks, the design of his father.. Yujiro Hanma, the villain of the series has a very striking design. His muscles are horrifyingly creepy looking, he's completely, totally despicable and... he vaguely resembles Akuma from Street Fighter. Okay, I've yammered about the art and how it's both unique, yet dated..The story is basically... meh. It's your typical kid fights to overcome odds thing but the action is always intense and full on badass throughout.
Character wise - there's very little depth to anyone other than 'I must beat so and so', outside of one episode where Baki and his mother deal with their relationship.
Overall. I'd call it a solid '6'. There's a lot to like if you enjoy fighting and big displays in your show, but, other shows have developed their characters while also juggling these big fighting displays much better. Not bad, but not the best.
Nightscream
There are a lot of things to consider when grading this anime as it has some strong points but a lot of flaws, so let's get started. The story is about a 13 years old boy named Baki who wants to get as stronger as he can be for one purpose: to defeat his father. The story is at weak as it sounds as there's nothing else to support it. In theory there's another reason for this as well, as Baki wants to get stronger to be admired by his mother to finally be loved by her (she loves strong people.......). There's nothing else to sayabout the story as that is all there is to it.
The art is not that bad (given that this is from 2001) and shows what needs to be shown. The details of the body of each fighter are spectacular as it show muscles that I didn't even know they were there. The background is somewhat repetitive as you get to see either the same place of the city or a jungle.
The music falls into what I like to call the almost-annoying-yet-not-so-much category. Every tone brought me to an 80's movie due to the unfitting-ness of it with the anime. There are about 3 types of music and they get abused often enough to really question their selection.
Character development.......an enormous flaw.
There are a lot of characters in this anime due to the fact that Baki has to fight to become stronger. You do get to see some difference between them, however they all seem to be based from a generic character. Almost all of the characters that appear get none to little background to support them nor a motivation for their actions. You get to wonder who the hell is each one as you only know their name before fighting. The second half of the show is worse as a supposed "girlfriend" of Baki comes out of nowhere and all you get to know about her is her name. Even the background of Baki's father and mother is left untouched (except for an episode that "tries" to explain something about them). They could have done a better job if at least with the main characters.
After all this flaws why the hell did I enjoyed the anime? Well, if there's a strong point with this anime it should be the fights. They are well done and show the different kinds of martial arts from the world, so you get to see some action that is worth the multiples mistakes done with this anime.
A warning though; if you're going to see this anime with fansubs (not DVD subs, those may be right) you'd better know japanese, because the available versions of it have such an awful translation that you barely know what's happening (goes from "unfinished sentences" to "things said that are not translated" to "bad translation" to "things that are never said but put in the transation").
JJMFREAP
"If someone is born a male, at least once in his life he'll dream of becoming the strongest man alive." This quintessential phrase of pure poignant basedness is the mantra by which Baki is made. This is a real man's show! This story will make you grow a second penis. The characters are MEN, the plot is MEN, the message is MEN. You've heard of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things, well this is BIG MEN DOING MAN SHIT, a genre that is sadly dying as of late. But what can you expect, the based masculine male is the biggest threat to those hungry for power, that'swhy they're stuffing all the food and drinks with soy and estrogen to make men weak. But the innate male desire for strength of body, mind and spirit cannot be undermined and it will find a way, just like testosterone makes its way through the bloodstream. We will always find a way to climb any mountain!
Jokes aside, this right here is Baki. Quintessential Baki. It's a simple story, but honestly, there is comfort and fun to be had in its simplicity. There is no overly deep worldbuilding here (yet), no huge overaching story, no world threatening cataclysm to be stopped. This is just the story of a big strong boy and his desire to become the biggest strongest boy so he can defeat his menace of a father. It's a classic coming of age story and a classic journey of growth and self improvement. If you also love martial arts like I do, they play a huge role here and this is one the best martial arts stories to be found in classic shounen anime. The fights are great, the dialogue is snappy, sharp and to the point, the visuals are quite nice and the soundtrack is really catchy, with a distinctly oldschool charm. The characters aren't some profound philosophical allegory, they are simple, but charismatic and engaging people that will definitely keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Now, this specific adaptation is not without its flaws. For starters, this released in 2001, which is already old, but its still newer than things like One Piece, Naruto or Shaman King. Despite that, it actually looks like its 10 years older than it really is, with a very retro artstyle and animation approach that aligns much more with classic 80s battle shounen than it does with more modern ones. It feels much closer to Fist of the North Star or Yu Yu Hakusho than the others I mentioned before. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I personally enjoy oldschool media or newer media with an oldschool aesthetic, but here the show also comes with some of the drawbacks of the era. Firstly, the animation can drop the ball sometimes. Some segments are barely animated, some aren't animated at all and are basically shaky slideshows and animation bits get reused frequently. Also there are numerous unnecessary recaps across all the episodes that ultimately hurt the pacing of the story. Hell, one of the episodes in the middle of the season is just a recap of everything that happened up to that point with barely any new information being shared. It's very annoying, it's obviously a cost cutting measure but this was sadly something that was commonplace during this era. We can all be grateful that it fell out of favour.
All in all, I know most people today will go straight to the newer Netflix Baki anime, but I still think that this classic deserves a shot too. It's really enjoyable and really captures the essence of Baki and of this classic epoch of anime. It won't blow your mind or move you deeply with groundbreaking storytelling, but this was never the point. It has that same lovable testosterone-filled heart that classic action movies have. It's just a very fun collection of macho nonsense. And it's damn good at what it does too. Now if you excuse me, I must go lift weights this very moment to become the strongest in the world!
lonestar6969
at first i saw the anime art and thought... heck no... but i had a go anyway and never regreted it. Yes the art is not so cute but its roughness backs up the tough story of a son trying to win the love of his mum and to an extent his dad... though fighting. The most interesting part to this anime is the fight match ups where you would have judo against boxing or street brawling against chinese kenpo for example and the best part, there are no rules. Plenty of blood and plenty of unique action where each fighter has their own techiques.Story is unpredictable and very intriguing... once i started i couldnt stop, a must for for fighting anime lovers such as Dragon ball Z, naurto (minus the whole energy ball things... a lot more real)
ThatAnimeSnobRE
Notice: This review covers all three major arcs. First arc A typical shonen series is about hyperactive boys training endlessly in order to become the best in a specific field. Well guess what; this anime is also like that. It’s about a boy that wants to be the best fighter and to surpass his father, the strongest man in the world. The catch is, it’s way more focused on being brutal than telling a moral message about friendship or spicing things up with something other than fighting. If you got tired of watching fighting shonen or sport series that are wasting a lot of time on not beingabout the action, Grappler Baki is where you go to, assuming you can tolerate bad animation and horrible openings. Seriously, if you want to get your blood pumping when you begin watching an episode of pure manly action, you don’t throw a lame pop song, sang by a girl in the opening.
And I get why they did that. Females in the series are damsels in distress, existing only as rewards for manly men who beat the crap out of each other. Listening to girl singing while the protagonist is training hard is telling you subconsciously that everything is done for the pussy and that all the pain and suffering the hero is going through will have a reward at the end. It’s just a cheap hook to keep teenage boys watching a show about guys who want to be the strongest for the sake of being the strongest.
You also don’t use cancer CGI models. I get how it saves money, but if you don’t bother to render them properly or cover them by drawing over them, then it looks horrible and not awesome at all, which happens to be the main appeal of the show. I mean, if you can somehow look past it, it’s still amazing for its brutal fighting, which includes all sorts of nasty attacks no typical shonen would use. Scratching the eyes, biting the ears, kicking the nuts, attacking without a warning, and so on. The early episodes were merciless, as there was no honor in fighting and winning was the only thing that mattered.
Second arc
Unfortunately this was diminished in the second arc, where everybody was fighting before an audience with a referee and you had to follow a few rules because you were doing it to prove how powerful you are and not to win no matter what. In fact, the second arc took away most of the charm in general and became an almost typical fighting tournament, despite constantly saying it is dangerous and merciless.
Even the plot was damaged because of it. During the first arc things were moving at a reasonable pace. You were following a single character as he was travelling around the world and facing all sorts of challenges with no rules or referees to limit what you are allowed to do. It also had meaningful character growth, as Baki gets constantly stronger and learns new tricks. The handful of opponents he faces get some screen time as well so their backgrounds can be fleshed out.
The second arc ruins everything. There is no actual growth since nobody there gets stronger from his battles. There are also about 30 fighters, most of which are one note, and they all get a rather equal amount of screen time when it’s their time to fight. Meaning you don’t focus on someone for too long and because of their sheer number almost nobody feels important or memorable. Also, every battle takes place on the exact same arena, which quickly becomes repetitive and dull to look at. Also, you can’t use dirty tricks, field tactics, or dirty tricks, because there is a referee and rules to follow. The fights are still kinda fun but there is very little engagement.
And I have to stress how darker the first arc was, despite having a lot more absurd elements during its battles. Everybody was constantly grumpy and ready to choke the life out of their enemies, while the only relevant female was the psychotic mother of Baki, constantly mistreating him so she can have sex with his even more psychotic father. It was edgy at times, but it was also much more enjoyable than the second arc that had a comic relief midget and a dull schoolgirl acting as a generic platonic girlfriend.
What I am getting at here, is that although the story was never something special, the first arc had a linear plot where every major character was somehow significant and was getting fleshed out. The tournament arc had everyone waiting for their turn on the ring. Until then, they had nothing to do besides being spectators who were stating the obvious for what is going on in the current duel. There is no plot to speak of and it quickly became boring. The show is all about muscular guys training and fighting each other just to see who the biggest badass is. In vacuum they are all different and cool, but when binging the show you clearly see how none of them feels important because of their sheer number and lack of permanent focus.
I also have to point out how a big part of the appeal was also Baki’s relationship with his crazy ass father. The two of them are the flagship of the whole series, and we don’t get much of it. Baki stops evolving in the tournament and becomes almost of a blank self insert. His father’s backdrop gets fleshed out, but he is still not doing something other than being a jerk who keeps making his son suffer as means to keep getting stronger.
Third arc
Things seem to improve during the third arc, since the plot goes back to be being about dirty fighting, field tactics, and stealth. It is quickly proven to suffer from the exact same pacing issue as the second arc, with the addition of constantly cutting away every few minutes. Basically, a bunch of convicts go after Baki but they are constantly bumping on the 30 fighters from the previous arc. So again, there is no focus on a few characters. On top of that, since those 30 fighters are no longer standing idle as spectators, they are now constantly jumping in to intervene, or the convicts constantly do tricks to escape and leave the battle inconclusive. On top of that, a fight that is at large is constantly stopped and the scene changes to show us what someone else is doing at the time thus ruining the fun.
Basically, the third arc has the same problem that plagues all stories that go past a tournament. You either never again show the fighters that took part in it, thus making it even more clear of how meaningless it was to spend time on them, or you keep them all around and you need to find something for them to do. The cast was now over 50 fighters doing their daily routine or bumping onto the convicts, making the plot extremely fragmented and unfocused.
On top of that, even if you somehow make a compilation of the fights so they will seem uninterrupted, they are still going to be horrible to look at. The CGI is now everywhere and it makes the characters look like something out of a Playstation 1 era. The android animation is also extremely cheap, as most motions are essentially stills that slide instead of actual motion. Most of the badassery is lost because of it.
I also need to point out how messed up the power scaling is. You never get a clear picture of who is stronger than whom, with the only exception being Baki’s father, who is the strongest man in history. At one scene it seems like A is stronger than B, only to somehow be proven weaker than C, who lost to B. For example, in the first arc Gaia was referred to as the second strongest person in the world, and then the second arc introduces all those fighters who are supposed to be even stronger. Then the third arc introduces the convicts, who are supposed to be even stronger, yet they all get defeated by the lower end of the fighters of the second arc.
The dirty tactics many are using could be used as a justification for why some can get the upper hand in cases where normally they would lose. But as it turns out not even that makes much sense, since the convicts are all crazy powerful on their own, and their dirty tactics are actually making them underperform. Plus, Baki gets a power up in this arc not through training or through some realization but because he lost his virginity. I kid you not; the show treats sex as a power up.
We also don’t get an actual finale, since the story ends without a resolution and it’s yet another case of go read the manga, where you get a whole bunch of arcs that keep going forever. There is never any clear objective or end point, making the whole thing being literally about endless pointless fighting.
Down to it, Grappler Baki is cool at points, but as a whole unfocused and badly directed and animated. It stands no chance next to better produced titles, even if their action is nowhere close as brutal.
milhouse
First of all, the bad stuff. The art is not easy on the eyes and quite inconsistent. For instance, Baki looks like a completely different person once he ages. Storyline is pretty much non-existent and very generic of fighting animes (fight - train - fight again - train - win ultimate final fight). It's not a challenging anime to watch at all. Nothing unique about the way its done. Pretty much the same as stuff like Tenjou Tenge. But having said that, the entertainment value is enormous. It's very gratifying to be fed action scene after action scene. Fights were well choreographed and exciting towatch (even though you knew in the end who would eventually win).
Very much worth watching because its a no-nonsense blast for fighting anime fans. If you've never watched a fighting anime before, this would be a good start!
Mr-_-Zero
Baki the grappler: Overall Rating 9/10 Have you ever dreamed about becoming the world's strongest? Have you ever wondered what it felt like to be defeated by someone a hell of alot stronger than you? Have you ever trained your hardest, but you could never win against your father? That's what Baki the grappler is all about. It starts off with the main character Hanma Baki a fearless 13 year old delinquent who is hot headed and isn't afraid to pick fights with anyone, just to test his fighting skills. Baki would charge his way through the crowded street gang of a 100 young punksbut in baki's eye's he only see's 4 people all together, ready to fight he charges.
Secretly Baki was being watched by his mother's employee, to see how he was progressing. Baki goes back to the gym and his hot headed attitude kicks in. The boy goes completely insane for the lust for strength and power. His lust for power has been growing for quite sometime. His mother gets wind of it and knows her son is becoming a man. The way Baki was presented in the story is intriguing to me. His goal is to be the strongest fighter on the planet. Doing this will take more than just a hot headed attitude, rigorous training, a few broken bones, and bloody fists. Does he have what it takes?
Eventually during his encounters with other fighters he makes new friends, even if they had fought each other. It's all about respect for a martial artists. Along the way you'll notice that most of the fighters Baki encounters have backstories, getting to know a little more about them personally. Character development has done well to explain itself. I thought the way they handled there reasoning for fighting was good enough. While watching this I could see Baki growing, training, fighting many challenging foes in the near future.
Opponents that fought the youngster were reasonable enough to keep me from turning away from my screen. The different fighting styles made the fighting scenes more enjoyable because all the fighters had different strengths and weaknesses. It took me only a day to watch this, but none the less it was really fun to see some action done right most of the time.
Baki the grappler is definitely fast and tends to skip most of the boring moments, the anime got me all hyped up. While I was watching this, my head was filled with many unanswered questions. Could a 13 year old with execeptional fighting skills actually exists in this world? Could I be this strong when I become 13 years old? Many questions have gone through my head and till this very day I still wonder about it.
What awaits this young fighter is a tough and rigorous journay. Through many hardships Baki must fight bigger and even stronger opponents that rival his level. He must become stronger than he is now, because his father is waiting for his son to improve himself. Baki the grappler is filled with action, a ton of fighting scenes and a story of a young boy training to become the strongest man alive.
NewCityRaza
Grappler Baki is indeed a must watch Its a lot better than the Baki on netflix, which in itself is a good anime too but lacks depth and sometimes great fights. Grappler Baki, brings great story to the table, and every character Baki, encounters has a back story, and most of them are defiantly interesting. What is also cool about this version is Baki start of as 13 year old, and than grows up as the season goes a long. You see how he has changed, and matured as well. What is also cool, is how he develops a friendship with the opponents he defeatsas well.
The art, sound, and music, and this anime is really amazing too, and i loved the opening theme song, its just epic on another level, and makes you want to train haha.
Its an anime I believe anyone can get into, even if your not a fan of fighting animes, or animes for that matter.
Really enjoyed it and might re-watch it again in the future.
Eoussama
“There is always a stronger opponent” - is the non-ending loop that this series seems to be stuck in. Let me preface this by saying that 13 years old Baki is the best version of himself yet. I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion or I'm just too much of a Shounen struck to know better, but it is what it is. This show established itself as one of the most bizarre and weird Anime experiences I had the pleasure of enjoying, it's ridiculous and takes itself lightly, never too serious and desperate and that's what was the most fun. You'd think a show about martialarts would get stale and boring by the end of the first episode, after all, there is only so much you can do with throwing fists in the same direction only at different targets, but no, you're still missing out on the crack version of it all, that is, the acid trip known as Baki.
This show was a festival in spirit, with so many characters and so many names that you end up somehow resonating and remembering for the long run, better yet, the exchange of blows strangely makes them relatable and better to understand, they say you never know how hard a wall is until you throw your punch at it and this was all true with the character arch types in this series.
Baki as a character feels like a greater than life, loud dreamer on a non-ending chase for greatness, or at least, his 13 years old did, and it was amazing, his relationship with his surroundings was amazing in all the weird ways which make it the more unique and interesting to follow. Yujiro Hanma too, unlike any other meathead in Anime really does leave an impression, his aura is hard felt, his intimidation radiates all over the screen, and his presence is always strong and encompasses everything and everyone around, definitely a runup for the best neutral antagonists out there, there is potential here and I'm excited to get to know more. I could run out of words here before I manage to appreciate every other character, Yuri, Hanayama, Yumi, Doppo, Tokugawa, Kato, Strydom, Gaia, Shinogi, and so on, all were amazing match-ups for Baki which makes it the more exciting and tempting to know who's next.
This is not a problem but it does get repetitive, there is always, somehow, a bigger, stronger world champion that was never foreshadowed or name-dropped until the point they are introduced as an opponent, it does feel like the author was making up a story as he went on, never having a clear ending in mind which also has the advantage of seeming more like adventure and coming of age story, you never know what would hit you next, but you're all on board for it.
Overall: 7.2/10
dizzi_rd
[This season is the best by far] ⪻- Review | Comment and Reflection -⪼ Baki's scoop is very fresh. By fresh I mean that it is a first that brings something new to this industry with such repetitive and generic animes, and this is surprising, since Baki itself is very simple. Baki's story is good, simple, and entertaining. As the scoop says, Baki is a 13-year-old who under the supervision of his mother grows stronger, learns different martial arts techniques and fights against different enemies. All this to surpass his father from him, considered the strongest being in the world and nicknamed the "Ogre". Baki as such does nothave a strong enough reason to defeat his father, that is what I find interesting, since he is being forced into something he does not want, but then the push would enter that would drive Baki to fulfill his objective until the end. day of his death, and that would be the death of his mother, which causes Baki to go into anger and challenge Yujiro in one of the most epic battles in anime.
The art and animation are very bizarre, but I love them, as they transmit a lot of power in the blows, and the aesthetic is very original.
Finally, the negative points.
The fundamental thing I consider is that Baki abuses the factor "this character is the strongest in the world", and this is bad. It gets to a point where you can't take power levels seriously due to how absurd everything is, let alone expect something from a character. The best example would be that the anime says that the soldier Baki fought with is considered to be the second strongest being in the world and in the end he is a smoke seller ...
Another thing I hate is that it does NOT make sense for Baki to befriend all the guys he fights with. For example, the smoke seller who was considered the second strongest man, who previously intended to kill him without problems, now suddenly become friends for no reason.
For these negative points, Baki just seems good to me, but it is not an anime that I would watch again or crazy.
TheEternalHunter
I'm watching these 2001 series anime in 2020 and i'm still amazed by the anime itself. I made a mistake. My mistake was to watch Baki 2018 from Netflix. That's how i found about the earlier series of Baki The Grappler so after i finished the first season of Baki 2018 i came into these series and i learnt a lot of the things i found for undone in the netflix anime. I like the entire idea of a kid from rich family who decides to live by himself. The first years of Baki are introduced to us really well. It is really original story.His dad as a main villain is great idea. You can see him being the strongest and Baki trying the achieve even more power than his father so he can actually beat him but at least in this first season this thing do not happen. Baki goes through a lot of lessons just because he wants to defeat his father. He made a lot of friendships just from fighting. The transition from young ages of Baki ending with him loosing his mother on his first fight with his father to the 5 years more grown Baki is great. He seems stronger, smarter and more peaceful. The ending of this season is really devastating. You see this all grown up Baki who is a lot stronger then before and then his father comes in and kick his butt with 0 sweat and this hypes you for the next season because you wanna see how much stronger can Baki get.
yande_re
In the final scene the boy now grown as a young man decided that his life was of going forward. Life had already beaten him (in an spectacular way) and the memory of his new friends and former rivals propel him to the future. In the road to eternity he makes a stop to meditate and reflect on what just happened, closing the best fighting anime of those years. "I have come here to find myself" He says. Story: Simple but exciting: 9 Art: While the outrageous designs from the manga are watered down, it still leaves an impression: 8 Sound: The music has the incomparable flavor of 90's houseand early electronic, pure vibes: 10
Characters: A vivid interpretation of human emotions: 8
Enjoyment: A rollercoaster of emotions that will inspire you to be better: 10
MATAUZ41
In this Review you will find very few spoilers. Review first in English and then in Portuguese (PT/BR). Story (Score: 5) : Baki's story is not the best, it has several holes, many things poorly explained and I feel that there was a "hurry" when writing/publishing. Maybe if they had introduced fewer characters and enriched/explained a few more, it would be more interesting to watch and the story would be better and more complete. Script (Score: 4): Baki's script is probably the worst part of the anime, extremely cliché and vague. Everything sounds repetitive and underdeveloped. With a great script the anime could be much better, since thecharacters are good and the "intention" of the anime is good too.
Characters (Score: 8): The baki characters are good. Baki, despite being more of the same main character as all the shonnens, has a really great charisma and everything behind him sounds interesting and exciting.
Also highlighted for the characters: Emi Akezawa who brings a sexy and mysterious side to the story, Kozue Matsumoto who brings a cute side and Mitsunari Tokugawa who is one of the most charismatic and funny characters in the entire anime.
Quality of design, animation and sound (Score: 7): For an anime from 2001, everything is ok in that sense, I believe the fight moves could be much better, but I don't have much to complain about.
I recommend Baki for people who don't care too much about the story and script, people who really like martial arts and also for those who haven't watched many animes yet.
PT/BR:
Historia (Nota: 5) : A Historia de Baki não é das melhores, tem vários furos, muitas coisas mal explicadas e sinto que teve uma "pressa" na hora de escrever/publicar. Talvez se eles tivessem apresentado menos personagens e enriquecido/explicado mais alguns, seria mais interessante de assistir e a história seria melhor e mais completa.
Roteiro (Nota: 4): O roteiro de Baki é provavelmente a pior parte do anime, extremamente clichê e vago. Tudo soa repetitivo e mal desenvolvido. Com um grande roteiro o anime poderia ser bem melhor, uma vez que os personagens são bons e a "intenção" do anime é boa também.
Personagens (Nota: 8): Os personagens de baki são bons. O Baki, apesar de ser mais do mesmo personagem principal de todos os shonnens, tem um carisma muito grande e tudo por trás dele soa interessante e empolgante.
Destaque também para os personagens: Emi Akezawa que trás um lado "sexy" e misterioso para história, Kozue Matsumoto que trás um lado fofo e Mitsunari Tokugawa que é um dos personagens mais carismáticos e engraçados de todo o anime.
Qualidade do desenho, animação e som (Nota: 7): Para um anime de 2001, tudo está ok nesse sentido, acredito que os movimentos das lutas poderiam ser bem melhores, mas não tenho tanto para reclamar.
Eu recomendo Baki para pessoas que não se importam muito com a história e roteiro, pessoas que realmente gostam de artes marciais e também para quem ainda não assistiu muitos animes.
YellowFlash32
So I started watching Baki, which turned out to be season 3, so I paused it and decided I needed to go and watch season 1 and 2 as I heard it’s integral for the story going forwards. Story 7/10 – Quite a generic martial arts/tekken style story but with a few twists that caught me off guard that I enjoyed. Art 8/10 – It’s a shame this anime wasn’t a few years older as I reckon the fight scenes could’ve been of an unbelievable tier. For the time though, the art is pretty decent. Sound 7/10 – Similar to the art, it was decent but there isroom for improvement. Maybe I'm just being strict as I recently finished Bleach.
Character 6/10 – The characters were far too generic, I find myself comparing the characters to a show like One Punch Man, which had such diverse and unique characters, I’m hoping the next few seasons have better characters. Baki and Yujiro are the standouts in the show, which bodes well for the future.
Enjoyment 7/10 – A few comical bits, sprinkles of potential romance and good fights. I feel like it could potentially reach a 10 if a few things had been done differently.
Overall 7/10 – A solid 7, if I had watched it 15 years ago then maybe it would’ve scored higher. I look forward to watching where it goes though.
MasterVolk9001
~This review is in terms of both seasons of this title~ Baki the Grappler is my third favorite anime, the series is quite lengthy if watched at leisure or even at a fast pace. I have seen the series twice and i consider it to have a very high re-watch level for an anime of this style. the story is very simple and like a lot of other fighting or martial arts anime, he wants to be the strongest. a very adaptable basic plot which was turned into something so much better and captivating. his unfathomable will to live, to be strong, and to fight onis so incredible and enthralling. the action scenes are insane and awesome, the drama is well played out, the voice acting is very good (preferably Japanese), and i love the art that both the manga and the anime portrays (the human body/muscles) very highly recommended for fans of Martial Arts, Action, Drama, or all out brawling.
