Difference between revisions of "Fist of the North Star"

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[[Category:All Pages]]
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{| class="infobox" style="width: 25em; font-size: 95%; clear:right; margin: 0 0.8em .8em; float: right; padding: 0 0 .2em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px solid #aaaaaa; text-align: left; border-collapse: collapse;"
[[Category:Manga]]
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|-
[[Category:Action]]
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! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: larger;" bgcolor="#8B8AA0"  | Fist of the North Star
[[Category:Sci-Fi]]
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|-
[[Category:Anime (TV)]]
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: smaller; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;" |[[Image:Kenshiro.jpg]]<br>Are you already dead?
[[Category:Anime (Movie)]]
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|-
[[Category:ADTRW Simulwatchathon]]
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! Written By
[[Category:Horses in Anime]]
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| Buronson
 
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|-
{{Infobox|
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! Illustrated By
animename = Fist of the North Star|
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| Tetsuo Hara
imagelink = [[Image:Kenshiro.jpg]]|
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|-
imagecaption=|
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! Director
originalmanga= Yoshiyuki Okamura|
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| Toyoo Ashida
director = Toyoo Ashida|
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|-
format = [[:Category:Manga|Manga]]|
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! Format
madeby = Weekly Shonen Jump|
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| [[:Category:Anime (TV)|Anime (TV)]], [[:Category: Manga|Manga]]
episodelength = 1983-1988|
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|-
#ofepisodesvolumes = 245 Chapters|  
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! Made By
footnotes = }}
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| Weekly Shonen Jump (manga)<br>Toei Animation (anime)
 +
|-
 +
! # of Episodes
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| 109 (Season 1)<br>43 (Season 2)
 +
|-
 +
! # of Manga Volumes
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| 27
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="2" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center;" |
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
==Genre==
 
==Genre==
[[:Category:Action|Action]], [[:Category:Sci-Fi|Sci-Fi]]
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[[:Category:Action|Action]], [[:Category:Shounen|Shounen]]
  
 
==Sum it up in a Sentence:==
 
==Sum it up in a Sentence:==
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In the near future a nuclear war results in an apocalyptic era where human kind fights simply to survive.  The necessities of life, such as food and water, are warred over; while emotions such as hope, compassion, and love are seemingly lost.  A few strive to make a difference, including Kenshiro, the successor of the legendary martial art Hokuto no Ken.  With just a touch from this powerful art Kenshiro can cripple, control, or destroy an enemy.  However before Kenshiro can restore light to the world he must first overcome the seemingly endless armies of vicious warlords who seek to rule it.
 
In the near future a nuclear war results in an apocalyptic era where human kind fights simply to survive.  The necessities of life, such as food and water, are warred over; while emotions such as hope, compassion, and love are seemingly lost.  A few strive to make a difference, including Kenshiro, the successor of the legendary martial art Hokuto no Ken.  With just a touch from this powerful art Kenshiro can cripple, control, or destroy an enemy.  However before Kenshiro can restore light to the world he must first overcome the seemingly endless armies of vicious warlords who seek to rule it.
  
===Legend of the Century's End Savior===
+
===Season 1===
The first arc of Kenshiro's journey begins with the search for his missing fiancée, Yuria; taken from him by none less than his former best friend Shin.  Shin is a general of the Nanto style Nanto Koshū Ken; a polar opposite of Ken's Hokuto no Ken. He defeats Kenshiro with ease, tortures Kenshiro to force Yuria away, and leaves Kenshiro for dead. Famously Shin left Kenshiro seven wounds on his chest shaped like the Big Dipper; aka. the flag of Hokuto.  During the time that Kenshiro was recuperating from the encounter Shin even declared himself ruler under the name King, and founding the city of Southern Cross.
+
Although Kenshiro and his fiancée Yuria survived into the post-apocalyptic world, Kenshiro's best friend Shin and practitioner of Nanto Seiken (opposite of Kenshiro's Hokuto Shinken) suddenly turns against him. Seeing how the world is now dominated by brute force, Shin realizes that only those with both power and the tenacity to take what they want will truly rule in the new age. With that, he no longer suppresses his jealousy and love for Yuria, and steals her from Kenshiro by ambushing him. He leaves a defeated Kenshiro with scars shaped like points of the Big Dipper constellation to mock his Hokuto Shinken (North Star God Fist) style, and whisks Yuria away to his his new empire of Southern Cross. It is here that Kenshiro begins his journey of revenge and carrying out justice against Shin and all those who would terrorize survivors of the apocalypse with the same attitude that Shin adopted.
 
 
Upon "reentering" the world Kenshiro reluctantly befriends a loud-mouthed thief named Bat, and later they also take on a deaf girl (who Kenshiro is able to cure) named Lynn.  The three of them travel to the many strongholds controlled by King and his men; hoping to finally find King himself, and take back Yuria once and for all.  A reoccurring theme is invented here that every story arc traditionally follows.  Kenshiro constantly goes into towns which have been taken over by the current main-villain, always to find a henchman of that villain in control.  The henchman will always seem impossibly powerful to normal humans, but Kenshiro usually takes them down with just one punch.  The henchman will also usually have dozens of nameless soldiers to throw at Kenshiro like cannon-fodder.
 
 
 
Kenshiro discovers enemies and allies exist who are far more powerful than Shin.  He soon befriends Rei, another master of Nanto whose powers can literally slice an opponent to pieces.  Rei seeks to avenge the death of his parents, who he believes were murdered by the man with seven wounds on his chest, Kenshiro.  Luckily Rei is able to see that a compassionate man like Kenshiro could never do such a thing.  The true enemy is revealed to be Jagi, another Hokuto master, and the elder brother of Kenshiro.  Jagi is out for vengeance against Kenshiro after an altercation concerning Kenshiro's rise as the successor of Hokuto that left Jagi's face horrifically scared.
 
  
Through Jagi, Kenshiro learns that two more of his brother are still alive; the gentle Toki, and the ruthless Raoh.  Toki lives with radiation poisoning from sacrificing himself to save Kenshiro and Yuria during the nuclear war. Raoh on the other hand has renamed himself as Ken-Oh, and seeks to conquer the Earth and heavens as the End of Century Ruler.  His army is massive and without mercy.  Raoh only considers Toki to be a real challenge, but because of Toki's illness he is unable to defeat Raoh.  Raoh soon realizes however that it's Kenshiro who he should truly fear.  The two clash for the right to lay claim to the Hokuto title, as well as for the sake of mankind.
+
===Season 2===
 +
Kenshiro's adventures continue several years after the end of the first season. Bat and Lynn are now grown up and help any way they can to preserve Kenshiro's legacy. However, events lead Kenshiro back to the Land of Asura; a place from Kenshiro's past now ruled by even more fearsome warriors.
  
 
===The Movie===
 
===The Movie===
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==If You Liked This, You Might Like...==
 
==If You Liked This, You Might Like...==
* [[Akira]]
+
Supplements to the storyline:
* [[Berserk]]
+
*[[Fist of the Blue Sky]]
 +
*[[Legends of the Dark King]]
 +
 
 +
More ultra-violence:
 +
*[[Akira]]
 +
*[[Berserk]]
 +
*[[Shamo]]
  
 
==Personal Opinions==
 
==Personal Opinions==
 
 
===Liar===
 
===Liar===
Fist of the North Star shouldn't be missed.  This series borrows from many popular genres of the 1980's and molds them together into something too outrageous to imagine.  From people exploding to biker gangs at war, there's nothing here that disappoints.  Just don't watch that crappy live action movie; god is it awful.  The animated movie however is a must!  Shin's battle against Raoh to buy time is perhaps the climax in a movie that climaxes every five seconds anyway!
+
Fist of the North Star shouldn't be missed.  This series borrows from many popular genres of the 1980's and molds them together into something too outrageous to imagine.  From people exploding to biker gangs at war, there's nothing here that disappoints.  Just don't watch that crappy live action movie; god is it awful.  The animated movie however is a must!  Rei's battle against Raoh to buy time is perhaps the climax in a movie that climaxes every five seconds anyway!
  
 
===Zorak===
 
===Zorak===
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===Willsun===
 
===Willsun===
Nothing else has such a perfect balance. It's violent as hell, but it doesn't revel in gore. It has a story, but it's very simple. The animation quality is old, but it's so outrageous you'll be entertained. You question whether or not you want to make manbabies with the characters, but not before you realize you're already gay.
+
A manly adventure full of muscle and where every villain get what's coming to them. If you don't like the fact that the hero is established as undefeatable right from the start or can't stand the charming 80s animation quality, you should look somewhere else. Otherwise, I think this gem of a series is the greatest example of shounen where the action doesn't stop and the protagonist isn't a snot-nosed teenager, but a real man's man.
 +
 
 +
===Cappy===
 +
Great anime. The first part of it is very formulaic but has some interesting characters. After that, new supporting characters are added and the quality of the show improves continuously until the very end of the series. A problem I had with the series is how many cool or interesting characters are introduced, only to be killed off within an episode (or sometimes less time), but I guess that helps reinforce the fact that post-apocalyptic hell is hell.
 +
 
 +
If you think that whatever part you're at is boring and are thinking about stopping, then I'd suggest skipping to whatever the next recap episode is and giving it another shot from there.
 +
 
 +
===IShallRiseAgain===
 +
Even though the story doesn't have much depth, its a fun action series about a guy going around blowing people up with martial arts. Just be warned that sometimes the show focuses on some terrible characters including a completely useless woman whose weapon is a yo-yo.
 +
 
 +
===Buster===
 +
Not many shows have been able to hook me solely on episode 1. Despite being old, these scenes have fantastic visual and audio work. The non-child voice actors have great deliveries that highlight the dramatic romance and anger intertwined in the story. The show doesn't push the boundaries of storytelling, yet you'll always be wondering what will happen next. Some of the episodes towards the middle of this series fail to be engaging because they unravel a side character who doesn't really have an impact on the storyline. They're pretty good about not reusing animations so you can still enjoy these episodes, but feel free to skip them.
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
*[http://www.hokuto-no-ken.jp/ Official site, but in Japanese]
+
*[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3182334 ADTRW Simulwatchathon thread]
 +
*[http://www.hokuto-no-ken.jp/ Official website (Japanese)]
 +
 
 +
[[Category:All Pages]]
 +
[[Category:Manga]]
 +
[[Category:Action]]
 +
[[Category:Shounen]]
 +
[[Category:Anime (TV)]]
 +
[[Category:Anime (Movie)]]
 +
[[Category:ADTRW Simulwatchathon]]
 +
[[Category:Horses in Anime]]

Latest revision as of 22:56, 30 September 2013

Fist of the North Star
Kenshiro.jpg
Are you already dead?
Written By Buronson
Illustrated By Tetsuo Hara
Director Toyoo Ashida
Format Anime (TV), Manga
Made By Weekly Shonen Jump (manga)
Toei Animation (anime)
# of Episodes 109 (Season 1)
43 (Season 2)
# of Manga Volumes 27

Genre

Action, Shounen

Sum it up in a Sentence:

Fists fly, heads explode, foes already dead!

Main Description

In the near future a nuclear war results in an apocalyptic era where human kind fights simply to survive. The necessities of life, such as food and water, are warred over; while emotions such as hope, compassion, and love are seemingly lost. A few strive to make a difference, including Kenshiro, the successor of the legendary martial art Hokuto no Ken. With just a touch from this powerful art Kenshiro can cripple, control, or destroy an enemy. However before Kenshiro can restore light to the world he must first overcome the seemingly endless armies of vicious warlords who seek to rule it.

Season 1

Although Kenshiro and his fiancée Yuria survived into the post-apocalyptic world, Kenshiro's best friend Shin and practitioner of Nanto Seiken (opposite of Kenshiro's Hokuto Shinken) suddenly turns against him. Seeing how the world is now dominated by brute force, Shin realizes that only those with both power and the tenacity to take what they want will truly rule in the new age. With that, he no longer suppresses his jealousy and love for Yuria, and steals her from Kenshiro by ambushing him. He leaves a defeated Kenshiro with scars shaped like points of the Big Dipper constellation to mock his Hokuto Shinken (North Star God Fist) style, and whisks Yuria away to his his new empire of Southern Cross. It is here that Kenshiro begins his journey of revenge and carrying out justice against Shin and all those who would terrorize survivors of the apocalypse with the same attitude that Shin adopted.

Season 2

Kenshiro's adventures continue several years after the end of the first season. Bat and Lynn are now grown up and help any way they can to preserve Kenshiro's legacy. However, events lead Kenshiro back to the Land of Asura; a place from Kenshiro's past now ruled by even more fearsome warriors.

The Movie

In 1986 a movie was created that melted together many stories of the first arc. Due to limited time many characters were removed or altered from the series. For example Rei's death is shortened from three days. The American release of the movie showed the final battle between Raoh and Kenshiro ending in a draw, however the alternate Japanese version remains closer to the actual outcome from the manga and series.

If You Liked This, You Might Like...

Supplements to the storyline:

More ultra-violence:

Personal Opinions

Liar

Fist of the North Star shouldn't be missed. This series borrows from many popular genres of the 1980's and molds them together into something too outrageous to imagine. From people exploding to biker gangs at war, there's nothing here that disappoints. Just don't watch that crappy live action movie; god is it awful. The animated movie however is a must! Rei's battle against Raoh to buy time is perhaps the climax in a movie that climaxes every five seconds anyway!

Zorak

You're already dead. In the brief moments left in your misbegotten life, start reading Fist of the North Star.

Willsun

A manly adventure full of muscle and where every villain get what's coming to them. If you don't like the fact that the hero is established as undefeatable right from the start or can't stand the charming 80s animation quality, you should look somewhere else. Otherwise, I think this gem of a series is the greatest example of shounen where the action doesn't stop and the protagonist isn't a snot-nosed teenager, but a real man's man.

Cappy

Great anime. The first part of it is very formulaic but has some interesting characters. After that, new supporting characters are added and the quality of the show improves continuously until the very end of the series. A problem I had with the series is how many cool or interesting characters are introduced, only to be killed off within an episode (or sometimes less time), but I guess that helps reinforce the fact that post-apocalyptic hell is hell.

If you think that whatever part you're at is boring and are thinking about stopping, then I'd suggest skipping to whatever the next recap episode is and giving it another shot from there.

IShallRiseAgain

Even though the story doesn't have much depth, its a fun action series about a guy going around blowing people up with martial arts. Just be warned that sometimes the show focuses on some terrible characters including a completely useless woman whose weapon is a yo-yo.

Buster

Not many shows have been able to hook me solely on episode 1. Despite being old, these scenes have fantastic visual and audio work. The non-child voice actors have great deliveries that highlight the dramatic romance and anger intertwined in the story. The show doesn't push the boundaries of storytelling, yet you'll always be wondering what will happen next. Some of the episodes towards the middle of this series fail to be engaging because they unravel a side character who doesn't really have an impact on the storyline. They're pretty good about not reusing animations so you can still enjoy these episodes, but feel free to skip them.

Links