It has been over thirty-five years since the story of Baki The Grappler first hit the manga scene. Continuing to follow the titular character, Baki Hanma’s journey has taken over the anime world, thanks to its series on Netflix. As the franchise celebrates its big anniversary and prepares to return to the small screen, we here at ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Yuki Yokoi, Assistant General Manager of the Business IP Department at Akita Shoten, about the series. During our discussion, Yokoi talked about one of the manga’s most controversial topics, its inclusion of American politics and poking fun at President Donald Trump.
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Throughout Baki The Grappler, creator Keisuke Itagaki has routinely brought in real-life people into his story. Over the years, Baki’s father, Yujiro Hanma, has encountered Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, and many other famous figures. Most recently, Yujiro had a meeting with President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and without diving into details of what Baki’s dad said, the face-to-face was quite controversial. In chatting with Yokoi, Yuki explained why Itagaki will bring in political figures into his manga, “Personally, I think those depictions were chosen as a way to clearly convey to readers the depth of Yujiro’s strength as a character. It also reflects how, in Itagaki-sensei’s mind, the world in which Baki and the others live exists as something very real and tangible.” As the manga continues, we have to imagine that even more real-life figures will rear their heads within the story’s pages.
Baki Forever
Creating new chapters for any story for thirty-five years is a herculean task, and even with decades of chapters under his belt, creator Keisuke Itagaki isn’t stopping anytime soon. Yuki Yokoi also talked about the longevity of the franchise, hinting that a grand finale isn’t on the horizon, “When the series was approaching its 30th anniversary, Itagaki-sensei was often asked similar questions, and his response was something like, “I don’t really understand the idea of something not continuing. He said that as long as strong, vivid characters exist, the story will naturally emerge from their actions. If you have such well-crafted, living characters, there’s no way stories won’t be born. So, as long as Itagaki-sensei himself is around, I believe “Baki” will continue on.”
During our discussion, Yokoi shared his favorite fight from the franchise, and considering there were quite a few battles to choose from, narrowing down Baki The Grappler’s blowout fights was no easy task. “Rather than having a single “favorite” fight, I believe Itagaki-sensei has certain battles that hold deep personal meaning for him. As for me personally, I have particularly strong memories of the Katsumi Orochi vs. Pickle fight from the Pickle arc, which I worked on as an editor. Seeing Katsumi’s growth leading up to that battle, and being involved in how those ideas and developments took shape in the story, left a lasting impression on me as a collaborator on the series.”
What Lies in Wait For Baki?
As the manga continues to release new chapters, Baki The Grappler is set to return to Netflix with a new anime season in the future. Baki-Dou will be the anime’s next chapter, following Baki Hanma doing the impossible by scoring a victory over his father, the Ogre. Riding high with his new title as the world’s strongest creature, Baki will have to fight a legendary character from Japanese mythology, Musashi Miyamoto. The new anime will arrive in 2026, though the streaming service has yet to confirm when we can expect the hard-hitting series to arrive.
In terms of the manga, Baki Hanma has moved past his fight against Miyamoto and recently completed a fight against a legendary sumo wrestler. Now, the series is focusing on Baki’s brother, Jack Hanma, as he works toward achieving his own goals and make up the devastating losses he’s suffered in the past. With the anime adaptation remaining a major player as a Netflix exclusive, we have to imagine that all the bone-breaking moments from the manga will eventually be animated.
What do you think of Baki The Grappler’s wild takes on U.S. politics? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
