Grappler Baki: Saidai Tournament-hen

In terms of story, what you see is what you get. It’s a tournament so it focuses exclusively on that. But what makes up for limited but effective and reasonable plot in a singular environment is being a character centric story arc. We get to learn about a certain fraction of the new characters and what they sacrificed to get to where they are. They are portrayed in ways once again where you can get to know and sympathize with them. They all have likable qualities even though they may seem like savage animals. And the development is pretty much predictable in this kind ... of genre. Win or lose, if you put on the best fight you ever had, it’s only going to make you stronger, etc. In further addition the pacing that I liked from season 1 is still there for the most part except near the end where it pulls somewhat of a Kishimoto. I don’t want to spoil how it does but for those who have been frustrated with Naruto recently, you’ll get what I mean when you get to that part or if you have seen it before.

Art style wise, nothing much to really add from season 1. So what I said art style wise in season 1 applies here as well. Now on to the fights. Good news is, there is more emphasis on grappling which I do like, but still isn’t really the main base for the most part. And I don’t think styles such as the Sambo and Brazilian Jiujitsu weren’t accurately represented. How the hell does Kung Fu kill Sambo? What kind of crap is that? Especially when the strongest fighter in the world right now, Fedor, is primarily a sambo fighter. Kung Fu died in the old UFCs. Hell, Royce Gracie killed kung fu during the era of the Gracie challenge. And guys like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Tito Ortiz only made it worse. To get an idea of what I’m talking about, look them up on youtube. Then again, maybe Kung Fu is making a come back with Cung Le with his recent victory over an over the hill Frank Shamrock. But I gotta give Frank credit for backing up that he’d stand up with Cung Le. Then again, Cung Le I hope fights Anderson Silva or Paul Filho later to prove his kung fu. Plus, sumo wrestling beats traditional jujutsu? After how they built up Motobe in season 1, I thought it was bullcrap he’d lose like that! Look at the big name sumo wrestlers who fought in MMA competition. Akebono who was one of the most legendary Yokozunas ever lost to Bob Sapp for crying out loud! And Sentoryu is a bum.

I think grappling is underrated outside of the Mixed Martial Arts world, and I’m primarily a stand up fighter! I took up wrestling and judo in my youth and learned some catch wrestling on the side and started to see how grappling had its use first hand. Plus, the way Baki finishes his final fight in this story arc was how I beat a football player in 8th grade except I pulled guard like how Nogueria did against Tim Sylvia. I think it’s pretty bizarre the story arc represents styles such as bouncers and motorcycle gang members. Like how Bob Sapp’s style is listed as NFL, in consideration he had little to no career in the NFL. I really liked how Vale Tudo was represented in this anime. Plus, they used the name of a real life Vale Tudo fighter, Zulu, based on Rei Zulu who was feared until the legendary and awesome Rickson Gracie defeated him! And Zulu’s son, Zuluhino a few years back lost to Fedor in like 10 seconds. But despite that, the fights in Maximum Tournament are original and high octane.

If you’re a martial arts enthusiast, you may get a majority of who the fighters may represent. Like Yamamoto Minoru, the shoot fighter, is of course based on Suzuki Minoru, co-founder of King of Pancrase, one of Japan’s original MMA organizations. But he really didn’t do much. And the anime also has a catch wrestler. They explained the principles of catch wrestling very well, but execution wise, considering his opponent, really couldn’t shine. Shoot fighting is essentially catch wrestling, but with strikes added. Plus, Jack Hammer portrays pit fighting decently. Tank Abbott represented pit fighting and he was twice a finalist in the UFC. And he beat the mystic arts of kung fu and ninjutsu. Speaking of ninjitsu. Where was the anime representation of Frank Dux in all of this? C’mon! He was the originator of these kinds of movies! Plus, Bloodsport is a true story! It’s not fair they didn’t get Frank Dux in this showing off his ninja moves he used while as a CIA agent.

I can’t really add too much to the voice acting. But I thought the new actors did well. Another personal favorite of mine, Fujiwara Keiji does a great job of playing Kasumi, the son of Doppo. He does a great job as usual of playing someone being a smart ass, and yet so serious. The background music from season 1 is still retained so nothing much to say. But I don’t like the new opening and ending themes. So how do I explain this? OK, to those who play DDR. Are you the kind of guy that can handle very fast songs on SSR or Maniac or Expert or whatever you wanna call it and yet hate the slow songs? That’s how I feel about the newer opening and ending themes.

Anyway, the plot is linear, but for its intentions, there is nothing wrong with that. It’s very exclusive to the underground tournament environment for the most part, which may turn off some people. But if you want brutal martial arts action, then you’ve come to the right anime. Anyway, I am aware of more manga stories going on after this one and is still in publication. I hear the manga is excellent and trying to get my hands on it. I really like the characters. Even though some may have limited screen time, they all bring in their own kind of personality and charisma. Even though I disagreed with how some of the match ups ended up in very inaccurate ways, in comparison to my criticisms of History’s Strongest Disciple Ken’ichi for being too one dimensional, the reason why I’m not that critical with this series in that aspect is because the original manga of Baki was made from 1991 and MMA didn’t really become mainstream yet. So I feel because of the age of the manga in comparison to Ken’ichi’s which I believe was between 2000 and 2002, I feel I can leave Baki off when kung fu had its myth-ism.

I'm a huge fan of the first season of "Grappler Baki", and the second season, which covers the Maximum Tournament saga, is a continuation of the same theme.

If you didn't enjoy the first season, you won't like this.

Every single episode is devoted to the 38 fighters in the tournament and their encounters with one another, and God, what encounters. As viciously brutal, bloody, and uniquely choreographed as the fights in the first season are, they pale next to the fights in the Maximum Tournament.

I have watched thousands of action movies, but there were instances of the Maximum Tournament where my head jerked back, and then ... slowly shook in disbelief that such a simultaneously awesome and violent scene was filmed.

As with the first season, every fighter is different, and has their own peculiar personality and style.

There are Japanese pro wrestlers, world champion boxers, Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic champions, judokas, karate practioners, Vale Tudo and streetfighting experts, kung-fu guys, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu experts, and a dozen other styles and hybrids.

Virtually every characters is at least interesting, and some are especially likeable and cool, such as Orochi Doppo, a heavily-scarred old man who resembles a jolly old uncle, wears an eyepatch, has a physique that would make Arnold jealous, and constantly cracks jokes.

Karou Hanayama is another favorite, a stoic, gigantic crime boss, wearing an elegant suit, glasses, and stab and bullet wounds along his face and upper body. His calm, understated personality and ruthless effiency would make Ogami Itto proud.

Watching these fighters having their skulls shattered, their windpipes smashed, and repeatedly beaten to bloody pulps in graphic detail is a sight to behold, since the show takes the time to make one genuinely care about each fighter.

The season peaks at the perfect time, too; Baki, the hero, gets more vicious, focused, and intense in each episode, and the fights become more and more spectacular every time.

It all comes to a head in Episodes 22 and 23, with a gritty, emotional battle royale-style final that truly defies the imagination.

At one point, one of the tournament organizers wants to stop the match, as it has gone from life-threateningly brutal to downright grotesque.

At that point, the 70 year old, 3 foot tall patron of the Underground Arena, Tokugawa Mitsunari, largely comic relief until then, pulls out a dagger and holds it to the organizer's throat, making it perfectly clear what will happen if he goes through with that decision.

Finally, Episode 24 is a neat bonus, as it offers more backstory for Yujiro and his experiences fighting in the jungles of Central and Southern America, as well as introducing the unbelievable badass known as Biscuit "Oly" Oliva (who plays a huge role in the manga continuation).

After watching these two amazing Baki seasons, I can only hope that they eventually make an anime of the Convict and Chinese Tournament sagas.

Baki, one of the greatest series in fighting genre history. Baki Season 1 was fine, however Baki season 2 is much better in every way. I enjoyed this series so much, although at times there is some annoying stuff. To start, Baki season 2 is very enjoyable and awesome because of all the amazing fights and intriguing techniques. I love seeing all the fights between all the interesting characters. There are so many cool and lovable characters in this season. Now, at the time of writing this the manga has not been translated to English fully. As to why the original manga for Baki has ... not been translated, do not ask me, it drives me bonkers. Season 2 has some irritating points. Some of these would be nearing the end of this season, the show throws in annoying backstory and flashbacks for no reason. I am not a fan of getting hyped fights interrupted by stupid backstory that we already know. I also have a problem with Baki in general as the MC. I find him to be rather annoying at times, and a big ol' baby. However, Baki is highly skilled and an enjoyable character to watch fight. Any problems you might encounter, like mine, will quickly be thrown aside do to the sheer awesomeness of Baki season 2. Finally, all i can say is, season 2 of Baki did a much better job, fixing stuff like the arts inconsistency. I would recommend any fighting genre fan to watch this, because the fights are crazy, the art is great, the sounds are fun, and its hype.

BIG MEN DOING MAN SHIT returns triumphantly for a second season and there is more man than ever. Baki is peak testosterone fueled fun and it's a joy from beginning to end. Do yourself a favour and don't pass up on this!

This entire season is just a tournament arc and it takes full advantage of that fact and brings forth the best you could expect from something like this. Tons of varied and compelling fighters, each with a unique personality and of course a unique fighting style. The different matches all present something fresh and different and the whole season is engaging throughout. There is ... hard hitting action in basically every episode, the storylines are easy to follow and there is sufficient depth to keep this from being just fighting without any meat on its bones. If you love martial arts, you will also love this, as its chock full of ridiculous love letters to them. Some of these fighters are what I imagine those tai chi/wing chun wankers in China THINK that they look like. In any case, I personally love me some good ol' fashioned martial arts mayhem and this anime scratched that itch bountifully.

Now, this season is not without issues. Firstly, the first season already had its moments when the animation drops the ball, but here you can really feel that the budget was slashed significantly. In the fights themselves, it works well and there are some cool moments, but there are plenty of occasions when the animation is quite lacking. The flashbacks and recaps are back too, so that definitely hurts the pacing. Also, this anime is blessed with one of the worst openings I've ever had the misfortune of witnessing. Piss poor 2001 era Nintendo 64 quality CGI combined with a song that is nothing but nonsensical ingurish lyrics over the most un-catchy and devoid of beat or melody track to ever exist. I have no idea how this thing was approved. If the internet were more popular back then, I'm pretty sure they would've seen the backlash and maybe reverted to the old opening, which I would've been fine with to be completely honest.

In conclusion, Baki is not Berserk, it's not One Piece and it's not Death Note. You don't come here for sophisticated storytelling, deep worldbuilding or deep psychological tension. No, you come to see great fights between massive muscular men brandishing all kinds of martial arts, each pushed to realms of absolute absurdity. Baki knows what it is and what it's supposed to be and delivers on its strengths. While this particular anime suffers from some poor management and budget cuts at times, while its age might put some people off, this is still a thoroughly enjoyable experience worth having. Despite its flaws, this is one my favourite tournament arcs in all of anime, with all the good aspects of a tournament distilled to their purest form. So be the bigger man and give this a watch, I firmly believe you won't regret it.

Baki the grappler II: Overall Rating 9/10

If you want a better understanding on Baki the grappler II, I highly recommend that you watch the prequel before seeing this.

Baki the grappler II takes place 4 years after all the events of the first one. All grown up and now champion of the underground tournament baki's back and ready for more action. His goals remain the same as in the first one, to become the world's strongest man alive. I have to say after seeing this I felt like I was watching someone else playing a videogame tournament and me in the audience cheering on the ... champ. The hype was exactly like the first one, scratch that I think it was better.

Baki is now 17 years old and alot more mature in this one. He doesn't get angry over little things anymore, he's more relaxed and cool headed. Instead of using his head as a weapon he uses it to think strategically. He tries his best to find that certain achilles heel/weak point on his opponent's fighting style.

Baki has earned his respect as the new undeafeated champion of the underground tournament and for that he must defend his title against the world's best. Before I continue there's something you should know, the events of Baki becoming the new underground champ probably happened in the manga. I haven't seen it so that's what probably happened. Let's continue shall we, fighters all across the world with different stature want a taste of the young champ. Some of the Characters from the prequel make an apperence, and have also have improved greatly in there fighting skills. New and even formidable opponents await the young fighter.

The way the new fighters are presented in terms of back story and character development are pretty much the same as it was from prequel, they just have more screen time. It was really interesting seeing moves from different martial art styles being used here, and let me tell you there are alot of martial art styles presented in this anime.

Baki the grappler II has top notch action and alot of fighting scenes combined with a tounament like setting. The pace of the story is alot faster than the prequel. New martial artists testing there skills against one another, it felt like a little taste of heaven in a way for fight fans and action fans.

Baki continues his journey towards his father's title of being the strongest creature on the planet. Is a dream only a dream or will the young fighter succeed in making his dream possible?

For those who love tournament fights only! Preferably with aberrant and gore-ish martial prowess among masters. Because there is nothing else to it. Well, almost.

You have a story, a script the size of a matchbox, but fairly right for the purpose it serves. Characters' backstories easily fill that purpose too, being side stories on their own, keeping us entertained. It only stretches a bit much around the end, otherwise, there's nothing to get bored of: plenty of fights!
On the artistic side, Grappler Baki is a failure. Everything from the chara design to the animation is cheap to the point even Baki doesn't look the same ... from one one scene to another. Thankfully, he has red hair, but you should see him trying to smile: it's sometimes dreadful! The only thing worth saving is the tension, the grim side of the show. The savagery accommodates well with the poor design and animation and the good but unremarkable music.

Oddly enough, the flaws are nothing much compared to the enjoyment procured. You can forgive easily when you seek fights and the show offers you fights. There is a scent of Bloodsport, backstories with the assumed flavor of 80s' american action movies, mixed with chinese kung fu flicks. It doesn't promise much, but it delivers.

(Like an undertalented Morricone-like, but taken as a compliment.)

In Baki season 1 you watch a spunky kid work himself to muscle failure in pursuit of power and acceptance from an arrogant father. A later time skip jumps to a teenage Baki who is a staple in deadly fighting tournaments. There we see that kid put hair on his chest through trial and error and establish himself as a champion fighter against strong competition. Season 2 expands upon that journey with a tournament filled with world class fighters who are all out to kill. Sound fun? It is. Tournament arcs are historically hard to get wrong, and Baki presents one of greatest of our ... time.

Crucial to a successful tournament arc are the stories behind the fighters to give the viewer a reason to pull for their success. Special moves are cool and all, but knowing the journey that a character takes in order to develop those abilities can give their execution an added oomph and connection to the viewer. Baki nails this - every competitor in the tournament articulates their reason for wanting to win and it is reflected upon their fighting discipline itself. There is enough dedicated exposition that at many points it becomes difficult to choose a rooting interest. The viewer is able to remove their bias from the competitions and enjoy the spectacle as a neutral observer as if they were a part of the crowd itself.

Much of the fun in Baki derives from figuring out which fighting discipline will emerge victorious. From street gangstas to old man kung fu warriors, chinese martial art practitioners, steroid abusing hulks and boxers. Mob bosses to personal security guards. Seemingly all fighting orientations are in some way represented in the tournament and it becomes an exercise of the mind to contemplate which will emerge victorious. A lot of the early-mid matches put opposite styles against each other. Disciplined boxer versus freestyling street thug. Karate master versus a guy that punches hard. Steroid abusing hulk versus a textbook old dude. Somewhere in the middle they'd have to adapt their style in order to make a comeback. And even if it didn't work, still show respect to the person that made them change their principles.

Tournament arcs are also an excellent stage for character development - through battle is where you'll see the warrior change most as he is forced to adapt himself in order to survive in a threatening environment. Baki undergoes a substantial change in demeanor this season - no longer can afford to be the arrogant brat who talks a bigger game than he can prove in combat. Through continued battles against adult men does Baki become grounded as a fighter who respects his adversaries and aims to win by any means necessary. What was a child with untapped potential is now a man who has begun to scratch the surface of the Hanma bloodline.

The one major flaw of this show is the animation - more panning shots with dramatic effects than fluid motions. This would typically be a dealbreaker for a martial arts oriented show, but it turns out you don’t need S-tier animation to show bone dislocations, caved in skulls and joints bending ways they aren’t intended to go. By pushing the envelope on gruesome fighting does Baki manage to effectively deliver the visual impact of hand to hand combat.

In the words of the announcer in the conclusion of this tournament - “Not a single fight was mediocre in any way. Every match was superb. Every match was historic. And each and every competitor was breathtaking". If you haven't seen this yet, do check it out if at all interested in tournament arcs. It's a great one that seems to be under the MAL radar for one reason or another.

To anyone interested in fighting tournaments, i'll assure you, you won't be dissappointed. Plus you learn a thing or two about the human body.

This is season 2 of Baki the Grappler and man there is sooo much action in this season compared to the first one. You come across some interesting fighters and most if not all of the fights are very well done.

One of the things I liked about this anime is the variety of all the fighters and the way they fought. Though they have one particular fighting style, they used multiple moves in their choosen discipline, which is not usually associated ... when it comes to this genre of anime, and thank you so much to the writers for keeping the fights interesting and not putting you to sleep by going through a repitiion of moves you have seen before.

It's weird, though i really liked the anime overall i gave it a 7/10. The reasons being the way the anime ended, that really puzzled me.

Secondly it would have to be a few scenes which though explained some parts of the plot, took away the excitement and focus of some fights by going into story mode for a bit too long.

But overall it is a good anime and I would recommend anyone into fighting anime to give it a go.

Okay; let's all say the word:

“Yet another strongest in the world”.

Makes you think that there must be a lot of misinformation and censorship in the world of Baki for people to always be shocked when a character breaks the previous strongest fighter and reclaim the title.

I'm an avid believer that early Baki, in his 13 yo was the best version of himself, but as for everyone else, this season completely blows anything else away.

The season took the word Tournament and made some of the best entertaining matchups there are. Seriously, an episode could start with the referee declaring the opponent as a Sumo wrestler vs. ... some local amateur wrestling champion and still make it some of the most intense fights up to that point, it's simply a wonder for hype and build-up.

Naruto part 1 Chunin exam is the only tournament that comes to mind that would hold a cancel to this, and that's saying a lot, but once the tournament wrapped up, it blew that out of the water.

I thought I was so aligned and happy with the cast we got in part 1 and then this season introduced a whole lot of amazing characters plus reintroduce some of the most beloved old ones like Shinogi and Hanayama, man the rooster keeps growing and it's such a blast of nonending fun characters to see interact.

This season was pure fight hanger fest, and it was glorious, I hope it was longer.

Overall: 8/10

Story 5/10 - I could probably give it lower than a 5, but because it acknowledges that and shows you that the story isn't their concern, I believe a 5 is fair.

Art 6/10 - Not great, cheapish looking, again I'm hoping the 2018 season is much better.

Sound 7/10 - Fine, wish it was more akin to Hajime no Ippo, but lacking in emotion and pop.

Character 7/10 - Slightly stronger than the first season, Baki being older is a much better decision.

Enjoyment 8/10 - I feel like it's the enjoyment that saves this series, even though the story is one dimensional, the tournament setting means that ... it's just pure action.

Overall 7/10 - Tough to watch but I'm hoping it was a necessary sacrifice for season 3.

As expected the 2nd season wasn't disappointing at all. The whole season revolves around the tournament that Tokugawa organizes to find out once and for all who is the strongest fighter. The story around Baki unfolds very emotionally and dramatically. It all starts after he finishes his training to discover himself and continues in the ring. The 38 strongest fighters are gathered to show their skills. There are small, big, young, old, crazy, smart, just present and people ready to give their lives for victory. This season we can see how much Orochi Dopo's karate has improved, we can also see his son in action. ... For me personally, it was very interesting to watch the performance of Shibukawa Gouki. This old man performed wonderfully and really proved to be a master. When I saw the battle between Shinogi Kureha and Shinogi Koushou, I thought it would be the only brother battle I would see this season, but I was surprised. The writers have turned the story around in a very interesting way, showing us how Jack Hammer actually turns out to be Hanma Jack. Before I get to the battle of the Hanma brothers, I would like to first note that there is already a connection between Hanma Baki and Matsumoto Kozue, which will be fully established in the 2018 series. Let's move on to the battle of the Hanma brothers. The fact that the writers make them two brothers also gives us a better look at Hanma Yojiro. We later find out that he actually had two wives in his life and the first one appeared in his youth (only 16 years old) and from there we see what he goes through to become the monster he becomes. As for the battle of the Hanma brothers ... They are both committed to one goal, and that is to defeat their father and avenge him for what he has done to their mothers. One chooses the path of hard training and difficult battles, and the other chooses a slightly more curvilinear path. This time he is training hard in addition to doping, which he knows will cost him his life and he will not be able to see old age. Fortunately, the dramatic battle developed in favor of Hanma Baki and he retained his title of champion, but still can not compete with his father's strength, but has made great progress. In recent episodes, we have seen Bucky's back take on the shape of a devil that is inherent in his father.

I don't know even know what to say. I was already stun by the ferocity of each of the competitors brutality as well as the ferocity of their attacks when they fought. I mean my god. Each of the characters themselves the Judo professional, the expert in Japanese Kendo, The Tigerslayer, his son, the two Street Gang Leaders, as well as Baki himself including his bother.. I mean wow.. amazing.. And then the sporatic moments where Yujiro comes in and starts dunking everyone he sees. This show is STRAIGHT UP OFF THE CHAIN YO! The only thing that disappointed me was the fact that Baki ... ending his fighting career right after the tournament was over and we NEVER got a chance to see him fight his father Yujiro. I seriously wanted to see Baki kick his a**, and claim his "The King" status it was kind of getting out of hand considering he actually wanted to kill off most of the competitors as well as the finalists. Oh well I suppose all good things do come to an end other than that. I give this part of Baki The Grappler a 7. While it does leave things a little unfinished like from part 1, still turned out to be one of the best fighting animes I've seen in a while. :)