Baki the Grappler

Baki the Grappler

Cover of the English release of Baki the Grappler volume 1.
グラップラー刃牙
(Gurappurā Baki)
Genre Martial arts
Manga
Written by Keisuke Itagaki
Published by Akita Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion
English magazine
Original run 1991 – 1999
Volumes 42
Manga
Baki
Written by Keisuke Itagaki
Published by Akita Shoten
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run June 1, 1999 – November 24, 2005
Volumes 31
Manga
Baki Hanma
Written by Keisuke Itagaki
Published by Akita Shoten
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run December 1, 2005 – August 16, 2012
Volumes 37
Manga
Baki-Dou
Written by Keisuke Itagaki
Published by Akita Shoten
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run March 20, 2014 – present
Volumes 10
Original video animation
Directed by Yuji Asada
Produced by Chiaki Yasuda
Tsuneo Seto
Written by Yoshihisa Araki
Music by Takahiro Saito
Studio Sung San
Licensed by
Released August 21, 1994
Runtime 45 minutes
Anime television series
Directed by Hitoshi Nanba
Produced by Dynamite Tommy
Written by Yasunori Yamada
Music by Project Baki
Studio Group TAC
Licensed by
Network TV Tokyo
English network
Original run January 8, 2001 – June 25, 2001
Episodes 24
Anime television series
Grappler Baki: Maximum Tournament
Directed by Katsuyoshi Yatabe
Produced by Dynamite Tommy
Written by Yasunori Yamada
Music by Project Baki
Studio Group TAC
Licensed by
Network TV Tokyo
English network
Original run July 23, 2001 – December 24, 2001
Episodes 24
Game
Fighting Fury
Developer Tomy
Publisher Midas Interactive
Genre Fighting video game
Platform PlayStation 2
Released
  • JP October 12, 2000
  • UK July 26, 2003

Baki the Grappler (グラップラー刃牙 Gurappurā Baki, "Grappler Baki") is a manga series written and illustrated by Keisuke Itagaki. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1991 to 1999 and collected into 42 tankōbon volumes. It was followed by two sequel series; Baki (バキ, officially romanized as "New Grappler Baki: In Search of Our Strongest Hero"), which was serialized from 1999 to 2005 and collected into 31 volumes, and Baki Hanma (範馬刃牙 Hanma Baki, officially romanized as "Baki: Son of Ogre"), which was serialized from 2005 to 2012 and collected into 37 volumes. A third sequel, Baki-Dou (刃牙道 Baki Dō, "Baki: The Way"), began serialization on March 20, 2014.

A 45-minute original video animation (OVA) was released in 1994. A 24-episode anime aired on TV Tokyo between January 8 and June 25, 2001. This was quickly followed by a second 24-episode series, from July 22 to December 24, 2001. The 2012 comedy film Graffreeter Toki (lit. "Toki the Freelancing Grappler") is based on the March 2011 play of the same name, which in turn was inspired by Grappler Baki.[1] The OVA was the first to be licensed and released in North America, in 1998 by Central Park Media, followed by the original manga series in 2002 by Gutsoon! Entertainment (incomplete), and finally both anime series in 2005 by Funimation Entertainment.

Plot

Baki is raised by his wealthy and money-obsessive mother, Emi Akezawa, who also funds his training in the hopes that he can be a powerful warrior like his father. Around the start of the series, Baki outgrows traditional training and heads out to follow the path of his ruthless father's training and meets many powerful fighters along the way. Eventually, Baki fights his father and is beaten without a challenge.

After being beaten, Baki travels around the world continuing his training. Years down the road he finds an underground fighting arena where he fights some of the most powerful fighters of all styles of martial arts. It is here he truly begins to hone his martial arts skills.

Media

Manga

Main series

This series was licensed for a North American release by Gutsoon! Entertainment, who retitled it Baki the Grappler. They published the first 46 chapters in their English-language manga anthology magazine Raijin Comics.[4] The magazine's first issue was released on December 18, 2002, but in July 2004 it was discontinued. 4 collected volumes were planned but it is unknown if they were released.

Gaiden

Supplements

Original video animation

A 45-minute original video animation (OVA) was released in 1994. The story is a close adaptation of the first few volumes of the original manga, in which Baki Hanma fights Shinogi Koushou.

It was licensed and released on DVD, under the title Grappler Baki: The Ultimate Fighter, in North America by Central Park Media on December 1, 1998.[9] Manga Entertainment later released it in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Anime series

A 24-episode anime series aired on TV Tokyo between January 8, 2001 and June 25, 2001. It faithfully follows the original manga series. Notably, the anime was produced by Free-Will, a music record label. A second 24-episode series, titled Grappler Baki: Maximum Tournament (グラップラー刃牙 最大トーナメント編) as it tells the story from that part of the manga, aired from July 23, 2001 to December 24, 2001.

All of the series' music was written and composed by "Project Baki", and all the theme songs performed by Ryōko Aoyagi. The first anime's opening theme is "Ai Believe" (哀 believe), while its closing theme is "Reborn". For the second series, "All Alone" is used as the opening and "Loved..." as the closing. Baki the Grappler: Original Soundtrack was released on March 27, 2003.

Both series were licensed for a North American English release by Funimation Entertainment. They released both series as one on 12 DVDs, each with four episodes, beginning on June 14, 2005 with the last released on February 27, 2007.[10] Two box sets were released on January 23, 2007 and March 25, 2008, the first included volumes 1-6 (1st series), while the second included 7-12 (2nd series).[11][12] A set including every episode was released on September 2, 2008.

Funimation's English version was one of the launch-shows on their own television channel, Funimation Channel, which debuted on June 19, 2006. Baki was broadcast on weekends at 11:30pm,[13] switching to the 10:00pm slot on September 4, 2006.[14] Dubbed in English, the episodes were edited for time but do not appear to have been edited for content. The opening theme is the song "Child Prey" by Japanese metal band Dir en grey, who is signed to Free-Will.

Video games

There have been a few video games based on the series. A fighting game developed by Tomy was released for the PlayStation 2 as Fighting Fury (グラップラー刃牙 バキ最強列伝 Gurappurā Baki - Baki Saikyō Retsuden) in Japan in 2000 and the United Kingdom during 2003.[15]

Reception

As of May 2014, the series have sold over 60 million copies.[16] Allen Divers and Jason Thompson, both writing for Anime News Network, briefly described the series as "very compelling" and a "demented fighting manga", respectively.[17][18]

References

  1. ↑ "Baki Manga-Inspired Graffreeter Toki Film Trailer Posted". Anime News Network. 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  2. ↑ グラップラー刃牙 1 完全版 (少年チャンピオン・コミックス) コミック. Amazon.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-05-25.
  3. ↑ グラップラー刃牙 24 完全版 (少年チャンピオン・コミックス) コミック. Amazon.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-05-25.
  4. ↑ "Raijin Comics Details". Anime News Network. 2002-05-20. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  5. 1 2 "Baki Restarts". Anime News Network. 2005-12-05. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  6. 1 2 "Hanma Baki Manga to End in 10 Chapters or Less". Anime News Network. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  7. ↑ "New Baki Manga Series Titled Baki-Dou". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  8. ↑ "Baki Manga Spawns New Spinoff in June". Anime News Network.
  9. ↑ "Grappler Baki". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  10. ↑ "Baki The Grappler Site and Details". Anime News Network. 2005-05-06. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  11. ↑ "Baki the Grappler: Season 1 Box Set". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  12. ↑ "Baki the Grappler: Season 2 Box Set". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  13. ↑ "Funimation Syndicated Block Starts June 19". Anime News Network. 2006-06-07. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  14. ↑ "Funimation Doubles Syndicated TV Package". Anime News Network. 2006-08-24. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  15. ↑ "Fighting Fury for the PlayStation 2". MobyGames.
  16. ↑ グラップラー刃牙 ： 最新作「刃牙道」のコミックスが毎巻もらえる　「永年読書権」をプレゼント. Mainichi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2015-04-20.
  17. ↑ Diver, Allen (December 31, 2002). "Ima, kore ga hoshiin da! - I Want It, Manga Style!". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  18. ↑ Thompson, Jason (October 20, 2011). "Alien Nine - Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 12, 2014.

External links

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