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TV Review

Baki the Grappler: Season One – TV Review

There are all sorts of anime out there, some may even say there is something for everyone. What about the people who are into mixed martial arts and fighting? While there are a few anime series with fighting, often they contain magic or the fighting is not the focus of the story. Baki the Grappler is a series that really is all about the fighting.

The story centers around the idea that once in every man’s life they dream of becoming the strongest fighter in the world. Of course for Baki Hanma this dream is something he takes very seriously. At the start he is a teen with some pretty decent knowledge of fighting, but as the story progresses he meets and fights many other individuals with similar dreams, allowing him to master his own style. While the series does not have magic, it does have some characters who are over the top and seem to possess powers. For example, Baki’s father, who is the strongest fighter in the world, seems to be unbeatable due to the fact that he has what looks like a demon’s face in his back. This is explained away by saying he developed the odd shape of his muscles through fighting, and that musculature could only be developed in combat. While this first season is all about fighting, it does also have some interesting dialogue and depth for a show all about fighting.

While Baki does fight many individuals, he learns a lot about himself and the path he wants to take in his life, choosing one slightly different from his father’s. There is also a little bit of biology thrown into the show to add a little bit of science to the carnage. Endorphins and adrenaline as well as muscle memory are brought up during the season, explaining how Baki as well as other fighters can perform at near super human levels. He also happens to fight a gorilla near the beginning of the series, which while not too ridiculous, becomes so when it turns out that this gorilla can fight like a person. Even though it is possible, you may need to forgive the writers of the show for such an odd choice of opponent.

For some story is important in their anime, but the real question is, are the fight scenes worth watching? Since the show is animated, there are a lot of opportunities to have action that you cannot show in a live action television show, as they would just be difficult to do without looking too cheesy. Aside from just bruising and bleeding, the show has many scenes of the breaking of bones and the contorting of limbs in awkward and painful ways. Also, the action is pretty easy to follow, as the scenes are well planned out, meaning it is more than just some flashes and quick punches.

As a season, Baki the Grappler Season one is interesting in the way it is structured, as we see Baki as a teen, and see him become an adult. There are only a few problems with the show that one may need to get over, the first is that it is a show about one central character trying to be the best fighter, so while in real life he would lose a lot, Baki does not lose very often. The second is the second half of the season being structured more like a tournament, rather than Baki seeking out opponents to learn their ways. All in all, I would give this a cool or cool+ if you are into anime and mixed martial arts, for the rest it probably falls somewhere between a cool- and a meh. Obviously if you don’t like shows about fighting then this is definitely not for you.

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About The Author

Genuwine Jon Hammer

The self proclaimed "Genuwine" Jon Hammer, currently a student studying at Digipen Institute of Technology to be a programmer. I am a huge pop culture nerd, so movies, music, tv, podcasts, and games are all important to me, in fact if I often post about such topics on my twitter.

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Article Information

  • Posted: Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
  • Author: Genuwine Jon Hammer
  • Filed Under: Review, TV
Tags: , , ,

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