Baki

After emerging victorious from a brutal underground tournament, Baki Hanma continues on his path to defeat his father, Yuujirou, the strongest man in the world. However, he gets no time to rest when the tournament runner, Tokugawa Mitsunari, visits him at school. He reveals to Baki that five incredibly dangerous death row inmates from around the world—all skilled in martial arts—have simultaneously escaped confinement and are heading to Tokyo, each wishing to finally know the taste of defeat. Tokugawa warns that, due to his well-known strength, Baki is bound to encounter them sooner or later, and he will not be their only target.

Adapting the first saga of the second manga series, Baki centers on the all-out war between the esteemed martial artists of Japan and those of the dark underground world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hanma, Baki Main

Shimazaki, Nobunaga Japanese

Kaiou, Retsu Main

Koyama, Rikiya Japanese

Orochi, Doppo Main

Sugou, Takayuki Japanese

Shibukawa, Gouki Main

Shimada, Bin Japanese

Hanma, Yuujirou Supporting

Ootsuka, Akio Japanese

Hanayama, Kaoru Supporting

Eguchi, Takuya Japanese

Hanma, Jack Supporting

Miyake, Kenta Japanese

Biscuit, Oliva Supporting

Ootsuka, Houchuu Japanese

Doyle, Hector Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Dorian Supporting

Ginga, Banjou Japanese

Hirano, Toshiki Director

Simone, Jamie Director, Casting Director

Urakami, Keiko Sound Director

Urakami, Yasuyuki Sound Director

Reviews

Jul 20, 2024

Manaburn

Recommended

Story: 10/10
"Baki" features a compelling and dynamic narrative, following Baki Hanma’s relentless quest to outshine his father, the ultimate fighter. The storyline, while straightforward, is enhanced by its unpredictable twists and high-stakes confrontations, keeping viewers deeply invested.

Characters: 10/10
The series is outstanding in its portrayal of a diverse and multifaceted cast. Each character, from Baki himself to rivals like Retsu Kaioh and Doppo Orochi, brings a unique fighting style and backstory, enriching the depth and complexity of the series. Their interactions and development add significant value to the story.

Art: 9/10
The artwork in "Baki" is striking, effectively showcasing the fighters’ powerful physiques and intense battles. The detailed ... and expressive character designs, especially during combat scenes, significantly enhance the visual experience and immersion.

Animation: 9/10
The animation is generally robust and well-executed, capturing the high-speed and powerful nature of the fights with impressive fluidity. Even though there are occasional moments of less smoothness, the overall quality effectively supports the intense action and dynamic visuals of the series.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Sep 11, 2023

Bensonas

Mixed Feelings

Right then, this one was a shame. It's started with much promise, lost its way and finished in a little bit of a mess. That's the summary here is a little breakdown.

What really does shine in this show is the music. It's excellent. Less of a score and more of a series of bangers that appear at the perfect moments. Even the intro music is great. It add a great deal of excitement to fights that honestly, the further you get into the show, are really anything but exciting. The music at times really keeps the show afloat.

Animation wise, it seems to be in line ... with all 'Netflix Original Anime' (NOA), it's ok, bit of a cheap copy of Jo Jo style. Seems every NOA has the same weird look to it. Everything is over the top and I'm not sure it is in a good way. Not quite as good damn awful as Record of Ragnarshite, but it's not the best. The actual fights seems to get more boring on animation as the show progresses too. Had some high hopes in the begining, the hope quickly subsided.

Now for the story. It's starts ok to be honest, it gives these death row inmates a lot of hype. Gets you excited to witness some destruction from them. It also doesn't disappoint for maybe the first ten episodes. It then just gets really predictable. You think the inmate has lost and POW, no he hasn't, he has ANOTHER trick up his sleeve....of course he does. Once these convicts start losing, pretty much from the first time one loses, the story goes all over the place. Characters are introduced in a rush job kind of way, with no relevance to the actual plot. They come out of nowhere. The writing of the story gets more and more rushed to the end as well. The effort in the writing that you enjoy in the begining is none existent towards the end and when you finally finish this 26 ep season which feels twice as long, you are glad it's over. I'll be honest, the writing in some of the fights in the later half, specifically the final two, is awful.

Given its starts well, despite it ending terribly, the animation is JUST ok and the music is solid, it's a 6/10. Only just a 6 for me sadly, yet to be impressed by a NOA and I doubt I ever will be.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jan 12, 2024

MizuhoKamui

Not Recommended

Fans of “Baki” already know what to expect. Where the show becomes more interested in establishing a strange and improbable situation between fights, rather than martial arts, logic, sense of coherence and explanations or intense battles. One would wonder how it is possible that even serious injuries, which could be facial wounds or severed hands, can easily be handled if only using simple means like band aids and stitches. The show is not about blood loss or even death because here, there is a divine doctor who can even resurrect people from the threshold of death. The fights themselves, however are not all that inspiring ... and can be slow-paced, the CGI in some episodes leaves a lot to be desired. The dialogue can also be weird. However, if these eccentricities don't bother you, you may enjoy the show or appreciate its unusual style.

In the second season, after winning the title of the strongest man in Japan and defeating his brother in a duel, Baki is challenged by five dangerous criminals who emerge from around the world due to "synchronicity." They come to Japan to fight the best in the underground arena, and the cycle continues for 24 episodes until the challengers finally understand the concept of defeat. Nonetheless, bad CGI battles and slow pacing make the fights not as exciting. Besides, there is an occasional interruption by a narrator with some nonsensical details, and that makes the show further confusing.

Characters are not well developed and their relationships are shallow. They are somehow related to each other, however. The show has its own weird logic, for example the scene that sex enhances strength and also that blood loss is not a problem. Finally, there is an odd romance between Doyle and Retsu.

The music itself is average and the animation quality ranges from mediocre to poor. The backgrounds and lighting effects are visually appealing, but the poor CGI in certain episodes becomes a weakness.

In general, this season can be a hit or miss with viewers as some fights are interesting and others aren’t. Pacing, animation, and the absence of narrator are some areas that could have been better but like it boils down to being an acquired taste not so much due to its style itself but for what is done with the result.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: Baki Episode 26 Discussion ( 1 2 ) uninstallthegame - Dec 16, 2018	64 replies	by MagpieO5 »» Oct 11, 7:38 AM
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	Poll: Baki Episode 9 Discussion Ulquiorra - Aug 20, 2018	27 replies	by LaviiS »» Jun 5, 7:11 PM