Chainsaw Man Creator Honors Baki with Special Sketch

Chainsaw Man is one of the biggest series at Shonen Jump, and fans around the world are waiting for its anime to go live. In the meantime, creator Tatsuki Fujimoto is staying busy with side projects as he works behind the scenes on the next installment of
Chainsaw Man. And as it turns out, he took time recently to honor Baki ahead of the series’ big anniversary.

Weekly Shonen Champion commission the artwork in honor of Baki, and Fujimoto stepped out with an intense piece. The artist brought the leads of Keisuke Itagaki’s manga to life. Even when paying homage to another series, Fujimoto’s detailed style is hard to miss. So as you can imagine, fans are buzzing about the impressive piece. 

View on X

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Baki, don’t feel too bad! The series is considered a classic with sports anime fans as Itagaki penned it from 1991 to 1999. A series of follow-up stories went live after the original manga ended with the latest wrapping in 2018.

Baki tells the story of its titular hero, Baki Hanma, who is raised to become a powerful fighter by his mother. After leaving tradition behind, Baki finds himself grappling with tons of strong fighters across Japan and learns from them all along the way. In the end, Baki is tested once more as he wins a fight against his father. The boy goes on to train around the world, and he meets even more challenging fighters in arenas across the globe.

Baki might not have much in common with Chainsaw Man, but the shonen series cannot be discounted. Thousands look to Baki as a role model, and manga creators often credit Itagaki similarly. It is hardly surprising Fujimoto would jump on this commission, and it is clear the artist sees Baki fondly even after all these years. 

What do you think of Fujimoto’s take on Baki? How hyped are you for Chainsaw Man to get its own anime? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.