Baki The Grappler is celebrating a major anniversary this year, with 2022 marking the 30th year that the story of Baki Hanma has been in publication via the medium of manga. With the series already celebrating via a special exhibit in Japan that holds a recreation of the fabled “Iron Dome,” Keisuke Itagaki’s fighting series isn’t done yet as the franchise has just announced that a special liquor is being made for the occasion with the hilariously titled “Baki Sake” which will be hitting stores in Japan shortly.
Last year saw the arrival of twelve episodes of Baki: Son of Ogre on Netflix, adapting stories from the manga that saw the son of Yujiro Hanma fighting against a giant mantis, Mike Tyson, and the unbeatable juggernaut known as Mr. Unchained. With Baki’s gaze firmly set on his devilish father, Netflix has yet to reveal when, or in fact if, new episodes will be arriving on the streaming service in the near future, though the cliffhanger ending of the latest batch of episodes certainly has fans wondering when the fighting anime will be making a comeback.
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Japanese Outlet Natalie shared this first look at the Baki Sake that is set to ship in Japan this April for a retail price of around $43 USD and is adorned with a number of images from the manga chosen by fans, though word on whether this Sake will hit North America is still anyone’s guess:
The creator of Baki The Grappler even shared a quote regarding this 30th anniversary Sake, with Keisuke Itagaki taking a hands-on role in the massive celebration for his hard-hitting series that has some of the most brutal fights in the history of anime:
“While (the sake) is super dry, it also has a slightly sweet abundance. If this is a treat and a bad guy doesn’t like it, it’s a perfect score. Tomorrow I can be a “good guy”.”
The final episode of Baki’s latest anime run came to an end by hinting at the arrival of a terrifying caveman known as Pickle, which is sure to be one of the strongest opponents that Baki, and perhaps even his father, have ever encountered.
Would you pick up this wild tie-in liquor? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Hanma family.
