Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Baki – Complete Collection (2018)

A pulse-pounding, kick ass action anime series!  If you like violent, mature action, fighting anime series, then “Baki – the Complete Collection” is for you!

Click here to purchase on Amazon

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TITLE: Baki – Complete Collection

ORIGINAL SERIES DATE: 2018

DURATION: Episodes 1-26 (650 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, DTS-HD Master Audio: English and Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV MA

Release Date: May 25, 2021

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Originally Created by Itagaki Keisuke

Director: Hirano Toshiki

Series Composition by Urahata Tatsuhiko

Character Design by Suzuki Fujio

Music by Fujisawa Kenji

Art Director: Kouno Jirou, Ooishi Noriko

Anime Production: Double Eagle, TMS Entertainment

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Featuring the following voice talent:

Shimazaki Nobunaga/Blake Jackson as Baki Hanma (Sentai redub)

Kawahara Yoshihisa/Andrew Love as Katsumi Orochi (Sentai redub)

Sugo Takayuki/Brian Mathis as Doppo Orochi (Sentai redub)

Amamiya Sora/Christina Kelly as Kozue Matsumoto (Sentai redub)

Miyake Kenta/Courtland Johnson as Jack Hanma (Sentai redub)

Shimada Bin/David Harbold as Goki Shibukawa (Sentai redub)

Chafurin/David Wald as Spec (Sentai redub)

Yamazaki Takumi/Gabriel Regojo as Kosho Shinogi (Sentai redub)

Murase Ayumu/Gareth West as Gaia Nomura (Sentai redub)

Katsu Anri/Heath Morrow as Kiyusomi Kato (Sentai redub)

Narita Ken/James Marler as Kureha Shinogi (Sentai redub)

Eguchi Takuya/Jay Hickman as Kaoru Hanayama (Sentai redub)

Tsuda Kenjiro/Joe Daniels as Sikorski (Sentai redub)

Ishii Koji/John Swasey as Morio Sonoda (Sentai redub)

Ginga Banjou/Josh Morrison as Dorian (Sentai redub)

Ohtsuka Houchu/Jovan Jackson as Biscuit Olvia (Sentai redub)

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In the deadly underground world of no-holds-barred fighting, one name reigns supreme: Yujiro Hanma, aka “The Ogre,” a legendary martial artist whose incredible strength, skill, and savage ferocity are so terrifying that even great nations fear him. Still, no man can stand at any pinnacle forever, and the Ogre’s son, Baki, has trained his entire young life in order to achieve his dream of rising to the top.

Unfortunately, the young fighter’s escalating string of victories make him a target for the most ruthless of rivals, and an underground martial arts promoter warns him that five ultra-violent convicts are en route to Tokyo to eliminate Baki once and for all! Now, with the lives of his friends and classmates at stake, the young fighter must face his greatest challenges yet, both inside and outside of the ring!

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Back in 1991, a manga series by Itagaki Keisuke titled “Grappler Baki” (aka “Baki the Grappler”) began its serialization in “Weekly Shonen Champion”.

The series would last through 1999 with a total of 42 tankobon volumes released by Akita Shoten.

The original story was followed by three sequels, “Baki” (1995-2005), “Baki Hanma” (2005-2012) and “Baki-Dou” (2014-2018) and “Baki Dou” (which began in 2018).

While a 45-minute OVA was released in 1994, and its first TV series adaptation airing in 2001, with a second season  later that year, it wouldn’t be until 2018 when Netflix aired the Original Net Animation (ONA), followed by a second season in 2020 and a third season set to stream on Netflix this year.

The first season featuring 26 episodes has been released on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

The series takes place after Hanma Baki has defeated his brother Jack at the finals of the World Martial Arts Tournament.

For the first season of “Baki”, five deadly criminals on death row from all over the world (Dorian, Hector Doyle, Sikorsky, Spec and Yanagi Ryuukou) have escaped incarceration hearing about the World Martial Arts Tournament winner.

All seeking what it means to be defeated and have fled to Tokyo to see if Baki or anyone there can show them what “Defeat” truly means.

Once again, the fight promoter Tokugawa Mitsunari begins an underground tournament of fighters from Japan taking on the death row escapees.

Meanwhile, as battles are beginning, for Baki, he and Kozue start to spend more time together and for Baki and Kozue, it’s their first chance at love and want to make the best of it.

But can Baki find true love, when death row escapees want to fight him?

And how will Baki and his allies fare in their battle with the escapees?

Having grown up with watching the original “Baki the Grappler” OVA release, it is quite surreal to have the series return over 25 years later.

And this anime series depicts the hardcore violence with many deaths, a lot of blood, decapitations or limbs being cut off, nudity, sex and more.

This is an action anime series that is targeted towards mature viewers and for the most part, it is a series that shows how Baki has evolved since the tournament, as a teenager falling in love but also a fighter, who doesn’t want to be the best fighter in the world, but to be strong enough to take on his father, the feared strongest fighter in the world, Hanma Yujiro.

While the series features Baki, this anime series focuses on many of the side characters who take on the death row escapees.  Some who will never be the same after their battle with the escapees.

Such as Doppo Orochi. Katou Kiyosumi, Suedou Atsushi, Motobe Izou, Shinogi Kousho, Kaiou Retsu and many more, as they are in a fight of their lives.

While I don’t want to spoil the third season, the last three episodes of “Baki” transitions to a storyline that would eventually setup season three.

As a person who loves action-driven anime series, especially fighting series, “Baki” was no doubt an entertaining anime series to watch.

It is quite violent but this is not like other anime series where people get off with bruises, cuts or scrapes, if you watched the original anime series, would be shocked to see how certain characters will be forever changed after their encounter against the deadly death row escapees.

Overall, a pulse-pounding, kick ass action anime series!  If you like violent, mature action, fighting anime series, then “Baki – the Complete Collection” is for you!

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Click here to purchase on Amazon