The OVA, while I still think it's a 7/10 on its own (though I voted it higher up make up for the low score), would hugely benefit a lot from being a full-blown movie. But I don't think the same applies to the manga at all, no matter how many people say the same about it. It had just the right amount of characterization, comedy and quiet moments to endear you to the characters more and make it feel less rushed than the OVA, to the point where it's nearly perfect as a simple-action-focused story.
I think of short action-driven stories like Baoh the way I do about classic martial arts films; the kind that feature superstar actors like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Tony Jaa etc (and obviously Araki's over-the-top super powers, gore and bizarre sci-fi make this a very different beast, but bear with me here - you'll see what I mean). The core is always the "haha, holy crap, did he just DO that?" appeal and any loftier-sounding thematic goal, story or characterization, if any at all, will come second. By this standard of comparing action manga/anime to such films, the Baoh OVA is definitely an above-average, worthwhile ride on its own that I gotta bump some points off of for being a bit too shallow in terms of characterization and emotional content. The manga however has just enough context to perfectly get across the action and hit that perfect little sweet spot between character charm and kick-ass ball-busting action. The two complement each other near-perfectly even if the action is clearly the focus.
I recommend both, but read the manga first. That way, instead of being a kick-ass, absolutely above-average, yet flawed experience that feels like it's missing a little something, it'll be a wonderful abridged animated adaptation of the core scenes of the manga you just witnessed and you'll get that "holy crap, this is badass" high while also knowing the lengthier backstory to all of the events. |
