Ranked #1830

Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh

Personally, I have not seen the original Hokuto anime series (although I've read some of the manga). I've also only seen the first 5 episodes of Hokuto Raoh Gaiden, as episodes 6 and 8-13 are unsubbed and difficult to obtain, and I don't want to watch the anime out of order. I'll update this review after I watch the remaining 8 episodes, if I somehow manage to understand the Japanese in them.

Without having seen the original Hokuto series, this anime is great on its own. In each episode, we are treated to a delightful chapter of Raoh's conquest of a post-apocalyptic world. None of the battles drag out, and the anime moves along at a nice pace.

At times, Raoh's actions feel like they're taken straight out a Chuck Norris joke. For instance, he punches a hole in a building and walks through it instead of going around it. However, this does not does not detract from enjoyment of the series, since his decisions are sometimes very clever and unusual, in a way very fitting to his personality.

This anime does not have any deep philosophical insights into human nature. It does not take any unpredictable plot twists. But that's not what it sets out to do. If you like violent series with lots of adventure, and want a refreshing break from unbelievably moral protagonists, this is the anime for you. read more

Legends of the Dark King (or more literally translated, Conqueror of the Heavens: Fist of the North Star Raoh Gaiden) is a prequel to Fist of the North Star focused primarily on Raoh building his empire. You could, in theory, watch this short series before you tackle the original hundred episode long series but the story would probably make even less sense; it's just really helpful to know who the characters are. The plot isn't terrible but it is very different from what is normal with Fist of the North Star. While most Fist of the North Star anime is focused on one guy punching a bunch of other guys until their heads explode, while Legends of the Dark King is much more focused on Raoh building his empire. Sure, Raoh gets into fights with enemy generals who have their own unique fighting style but it has a very different feel from other shows in the franchise. The animation in this show is also subpar. I realize that the original series has pretty cheap animation but it at least had detailed character designs. With this new series, the characters are pretty basic. The animation should be much better since they're so simple. Legends of the Dark King is decent, but not astoundingly great. Considering this is a Fist of the North Star show, this is disappointing. If you're thinking about watching it, then you might as well, just don't get your hopes up. read more