NHK World Japan released a brand-new episode of their docuseries ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION! The newest episode discussed Keisuke Itagaki’s Baki The Grappler.
The new episode featured an extended interview with Itagaki, who discussed his manga and his depiction of fights and muscular characters that changed the martial arts genre. But that’s not all. We got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Hanma Baki anime series. The episode also featured an interview with professional boxer Nasukawa Tenshin.
In the extended interview, Keisuke Itagaki discussed his time at a manga training school a few years after he left the JSDF and a crucial secret he learned called The Character Theory. One thing from the interview was interesting. He was asked how he envisioned his manga would end, saying that he didn’t have any intention of creating an ending for Baki, saying that My Pursuit of the Meaning of Strength is what got me this far. I doubt it will change, plus I‘ve never experienced cancellation, so I’ve never had to come up with an ending. Yoshihiro Togashi had a similar question regarding his manga, Hunter x Hunter.
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Baki the Grappler was originally serialized in the Shonen magazine, Weekly Shonen Champion from 1991 to 1999 and collected into 42 Tankobon volumes. The series inspired five sequels: Baki (1999 to 2005), Baki Hanma (2005 to 2012), Baki-Dou (2014 to 2018), Bakidou (2018 to 2023), Baki Rahen (2023), and one spin-off manga titled Gaiden. The series also consists of two OVAs, two anime adaptations, a video game adaption, and two mobile games. Be sure to check out part two of the Street Fighter x Baki Collaboration on Street Fighter 6, which is available now on Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Source: NHK World Japan
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