Baki (ONA)
Movies
Alternate Titles
バキ
Synopsis
Utterly determined to surpass his father Yujiro (the strongest fighter in the world) in terms of strength, Baki Hanma trains daily until five of the world’s worst inmates are gathered to face him. Overly powerful, they are bored of fighting and desperate to know what it feels like to lose. Fighting alongside Baki in this terrifying underground tournament are some of the greatest martial arts warriors out there: Kaoru Hanayama, Gouki Shibukawa, Retsu Kaioh, and Doppo Orochi. Who will come out of this alive...?
Anime Adaptation
Originally written and illustrated by Keisuke Itagaki, Grappler Baki is a martial arts manga that was serialized from October 1991 until April 2018 for an incredible 132 volumes spanning across four series: Grappler Baki, Baki, Baki Hanma, and Baki-Dou. More than 75 million copies are in print, and the series has been adapted into OVAs, video games, and anime.
A modern anime adaptation of the second manga series’ Most Evil Death Row Convicts arc was revealed on Dec. 26, 2017. Consisting of 26 episodes, it is directed by Toshiki Hirano with animation by TMS Entertainment. It began streaming on Netflix on June 25, 2018 within Japan and will begin streaming outside of Japan in the fall.
The opening theme is “Beastful” by GRANRODEO, and the ending theme is “Resolve” by Azusa Tadokoro.
Characters
Baki Hanma (Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki)
Despite only having just turned 18, the titular protagonist Baki Hanma is the champion of the underground area after surviving repeated scrapes with death. He continues fighting daily in an effort to surpass his father (Yujiro Hanma) who is considered the strongest above ground.
Yujiro Hanma (Voiced by: Akio Ohtsuka)
Yujiro has a reputation as the strongest living creature above ground, and he is Baki’s father. He has the strength to take down an army with his bare hands, and is feared by fighters, politicians, and armies all over the world.
Doppo Orochi (Voiced by: Takayuki Sugo)
Known as the “God of Military Arts” and “Cannibal Orochi,” Doppo Orochi is an extremely skilled karate veteran who once defeated a Siberian tiger with his bare hands.
Gouki Shibukawa (Voiced by: Bin Shimada)
Despite his height and age, Gouki is known as the “personification of war” and is a master of the art of Aikijujutsu. He is considered a living legend.
Kaiou Retsu (Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama)
Retsu fights with Chinese martial arts (kenpo) and trained in China where he became heir to his style. The “Kaiou” of his name is the highest title in the Chinese world of martial arts, and he is considered an absolute genius in the 4,000 years of kenpo history.
Kaoru Hanayama (Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi)
Considered Japan’s strongest fighter, Kaoru is an outrageously powerful young yakuza member who meets Baki at the age of 15.
Dorian (Voiced by: Banjou Ginga)
A convict who managed to escape from an American prison after being hanged. He killed the prison guards and Catholic priest there before his escape.
Hector Doyle (Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu)
A British convict who managed to escape prison after near execution by electric chair after conspiring with an outside pilot.
Sikorsky (Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda)
A convict from a Russian prison. Using his overwhelming physical strength and just the smallest protuberance, he can climb and descend from even a vertical wall.
Speck (Voiced by: Chafurin)
A convict from an American prison under the ocean. With an incredibly strong heart and lungs, he can survive for 5 minutes without breathing.
Yanagi Ryuukou (Voiced by: Issei Futamata)
A convict from a Japanese prison. Despite his small stature, he’s called the “poison user” and strikes fear even into the hearts of other convicts.
Mitsunari Tokugawa (Voiced by: Mugihito)
The manager of the underground arena, a holy ground of martial arts, and the 13th head of the Tokugawa financial conglomerate. He is the first to get the call for the most evil death row inmates.
Katsumi Orochi (Voiced by: Yoshihisa Kawahara)
The son of Doppo Orochi, Katsui is the prodigy of Shinshinkai karate and is considered the “lethal weapon” of the world of karate.
Kozue Matsumoto (Voiced by: Sora Amamiya)
A girl who goes to the same school as Baki and is the daughter of the landlord where he stays. She was aware of him appearing in the tournament.
Kanshi Igari (Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada)
An extremely charismatic man who carries the world of professional wrestling. He fought in the past against Baki in the Greatest Tournament but was defeated.
Haru Shibachi (Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki)
Head of the special attack unit of a group of troublemakers. He’s new to martial arts, but he went far in the Greatest Tournament with his sheer delinquent willpower.
Morio Sonoda (Voiced by: Koji Ishii)
A police detective with an impressive amount of skill in judo.
Tsuneo Katahira (Voiced by: Hiroyuki Amano)
A 34-year-old policeman. He saw the fierce fight between Hanayama and Speck in close proximity.
Kiyosumi Katou (Voiced by: Anri Katsu)
A strong fighter who much prefers training in actual fights over practice fights in a dojo. He’s well known as a “dangerous lion.”
Atsushi Suedou (Voiced by: Kenji Nomura)
A three-time champ of the karate national tournament, and in the same class as Kiyosumi Katou. He is massive and capable of bench pressing 270 kilos and running 100 meters in 11 seconds.
International Streaming
Netflix
Official Links
Staff
- Original Creator: Keisuke Itagaki
- Director: Toshiki Hirano
- Series Composition: Tatsuhiko Urahata
- Character Designer: Fujio Suzuki
- Color Designer: Hiromi Miyawaki
- Art Director: Jiro Kawano, Noriko Oishi
- Director of Photography: Ryusei Noguchi
- Editor: Yuriko Sano
- Music: Kenji Fujisawa (Team-MAX)
- Sound Director: Yasuyuki Uragami, Keiko Uragami
- Animation Production: TMS Entertainment
- Opening Theme: "Beastful" by GRANRODEO
- Ending Theme: "Resolve" by Azusa Tadokoro