The Baki franchise has become one of the biggest anime exclusives for Netflix, with the son of the Ogre recently finishing his fight against a mythical samurai who was brought back from the grave. Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai might have seen Musashi Miyamoto eventually defeated, but said defeat took a heavy toll on the main character and his network of fighters. Sea King Retsu was killed while fighting Miyamoto in the latest arc, and a brand new isekai project is resurrecting the master of kung-fu. Set to arrive next year, this Baki The Grappler isekai might not be what you’re expecting.
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For those who might not know, Baki Gaiden: It Doesn’t Even Matter if Kaiou Retsu is Reincarnated Into Another World is an ongoing series that arrived in 2020. Immediately after his death at the hands of Musashi Miyamoto, Retsu finds himself awakening in a fantasy world where he puts his martial arts talents to the test. Based on an idea from Baki creator Keisuke Itagaki, the manga story is receiving a live-action stage play in 2027. The performances will take place in Japan at the “Owl Spot” in Tokyo from March 19th to the 22nd, adapting parts of the manga from creators Sai Ihara and Eiji Murai. While the upcoming performance has been confirmed, the cast remains a mystery as of this writing.
Baki’s World Expands
Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai recently released its second season, featuring the defeat of the sword-wielding warrior while also sending his soul back to the abyss thanks to Baki’s victory. Netflix has yet to confirm if Baki will be returning, but since there are plenty of manga stories left to adapt, it would make sense to see the son of the Ogre make a comeback. If you’re unfamiliar with the storylines that take place following Musashi’s defeat, the next manga arc sees a legendary sumo wrestler brought back to the land of the living in a similar style. The latest Baki arc focuses on Baki’s half-brother, Jack, attempting to catch up to his sibling and father, going to some wild extremes to bridge the gap.
Earlier this year, we here at ComicBook.com had the opportunity to speak with Baki-Dou director Toshiki Hirano about the death of Retsu. During our discussion, the anime director laid out how the anime differed from the source material in portraying the supporting character’s tragic demise: “In the manga, Mr. Itagaki depicts this death in a ‘dry moment’, so it isn’t as tear-jerking, so it doesn’t feel as emotional. In animation, we didn’t want to make it as such, so we made it more emotional and tear-jerking. We utilized music and staging to make it feel more emotional, so seeing the audience respond to that feels good, and we appreciate that.”
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