 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16.9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 600 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV PG | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/25/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/15/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Baki the Grappler is a brutal, straight-up martial arts series with nothing held back. Fights are as brutal as such things get in any given anime, and the blood flows plenty. For anyone tired of goofy super-natural powers and fists that shoot fireballs, Baki the Grappler is a refreshing fighting series that is sure to astonish and please with its overload of bone-crunching violence. In the continuing saga of Baki the Grappler, Baki Hanma returns to the Supreme Fighting Circuit to defend his title against a sea of contenders. The quest to find the most supreme grappler in the world moves forward with unimaginable results. A monstrous secret is about to be unveiled in the arena; one which could bring about the ruin of Baki and every warrior in the competition. The plot thickens as Yujiro takes an unusual strategy to ensure all feel his presence. As expected, Baki is filled with mixed emotions as he is driven to distraction by his father’s bizarre behavior. Baki has fought his way to a new level in the circuit where legendary fighters are gathering and the only rule in the ring is fight or fail. Every warrior thinks they’re ready, but with Yujiro’s protégé making his debut, the Tigerslayer’s return and arrival of the toughest man in the world, the challenge won’t be just to fight – it will also to be to saty alive. Throughout the tournament, all the fighters have been pushed beyond the threshold of pain. Now, physical strength is no longer enough as combatants are forced to master their emotions when friendships and even the bond of brotherhood are put on the line. The desire to be the greatest fighter on the planet is enough to cloud even the most honorable man’s vision. Never before has this been more evident than in the eyes of the street-fighting hoodlum, Chiharu Shiba, and the monster Jak Xamma. Shiba’s obsession with street-fighting legend Kairu Hanayama has led the brawler to push his body far beyond the breaking point. How much more abuse can he inflict on himself in the name of pride? And the incredible force named Jak Xamma is far beyond using reason and logic. He’s resorted to illegal measures to ensure his eventual victory. His methods may be in question, but the results are obvious! Jak Xamma is the man to beat before the series moves on to it’s eventual closing. In the final episodes of the series, the ultimate showdown is at hand. Baki steps into the ring, and the agreement is made that only one fighter will walk away alive. As devastating blows fill the arena, Baki’s opponent begins to twist and gnarl into an unimaginable monster. Suddenly, the terrifying truth surfaces – Baki may not survive the fight. Meanwhile, Yujiro is navigating through the South American jungles and a deadly plan is devised by Strydum to stop him. The cunning foe sends a merciless prisoner with unequalled ferocity to unleash his primal rage upon Yujiro and finish him off for good. Prepare to bear witness to the wrath of two brutal and cataclysmic wars. As both father and son face the possibility of their end, only one questions matters – who will draw last blood? The animation style of this anime is straight-forward in a way without too much “flash,” but it always gets the point across. It focuses mainly on the action and the fighting styles of the different fighters. Good attention to detail is always given during action sequences, and you’re always sure to see some loose teeth flying in a spray of blood, etc. And there really is a huge assortment of characters and fighters – there is always someone new with a range of different abilities to fight Baki and challenge his title. It’s this constantly changing line-up of aggressors that keeps things interesting throughout the turmoil. The music is perhaps a bit repetitive in the series, but its all background music during fights and what not, so it doesn’t make a big impact in a negative way. The opening sequence uses some interesting computer graphics rendering to bring something a bit different to the table, and the closing sequence is a bit less flashy, but still does the trick. Its way more important that the opening sequence of an anime is dynamic, so it makes sense. The extras are actually pretty abundant and interesting for Baki the Grappler – it’s always great to see some good commentary tracks if you want to know more about the series and what went into production for it. The character profiles are also great, especially if you have a favored fighter and want to know more about his skills and origins. The physical product itself is made up of a very sturdy box (always appreciated) and six regular size DVDs instead of the little thinpak DVDs we keep seeing most sets released in. For those of us who still enjoy the size and weight of a proper-sized DVD case and box, Baki the Grappler doesn’t disappoint.
EXTRAS:
The disc extras include Director/Voice Actor Commentary, Episode Summaries, Textless Songs, Baki the Grappler Stills, Character Profiles, and Funimation Previews.
IN SUMMARY:
Baki the Grappler is a brutal, bloody fighting anime that takes the genre to the most violent level without so much as an apology. Those looking for a really gritty no holds barred fighting anime without all the silly power ups, and DBZ shenanigans can look no further than this fine example.
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