Exploring Manga #1: Is Baki The Grappler Worth Reading?
Note: This blog was written by Bilawal Akter.
A well-done fight scene, if done properly, can convey strong emotion. It can also help keep the audience invested during a long ride. We’ve seen several Mangas that use fighting as a device to establish points further and add impact to a narrative. Then, there are mangas like Hajime no Ippo, which takes the sport of boxing as the central theme. It follows the Journey of Ippo as he tries to become the best boxer of all time. However, that is not the only thing that the story focuses on, as it also fleshes out the several individual characters and their personal lives outside of boxing.
And then there is The Baki Series, where the fighting happens just for the sake of it.
The Storyline:
The Baki Series, which has four completed and one ongoing manga, follows the story of Hanma Baki in his quest to exceed his father, Hanma Yujiro, to become the best fighter in the world. Baki goes through rigorous training to fight the deadliest fighters en route to reach his goal.
Now, if you are someone who reads manga for the story, Baki is not for you. The story is as simple laced as it can get even for typical shounen standards and is ridiculous in its portrayal of characters and their backstories.
And the art style isn’t for everyone as it looks very different and, dare I say, unattractive. Still, I think it seems grotesque, but that is partly why it suits the story perfectly: the story can go to the very extreme at times, and it portrays characters who are larger-than-life martial arts experts.
However, one aspect that can’t be taken away from the manga is how it brilliantly portrays the fights between different martial arts types. It can be fun consuming it in today’s era, where MMA is such a popular combat sport.
Another thing that needs to be said about the manga is no matter how ridiculous the story might be; you will always stay invested in what the story is trying to push. The way almost all fights are built up, no matter how bizarre it may seem, you will find yourself hyped up for the fight, and the bulk of the credit goes to just how dedicated the author, Keisuke Itagaki, is to making it all work.
Baki the Grappler’s author and his not-so-conventional experiments with Mangas:
Itagaki had worked on several mangas that are ridiculous and different when compared to the norm. And his experience in working on those said mangas and his genuine love for different kinds of Martial Arts shows in the Baki Series as it is almost always compelling by the time the fights are on.
All in all, The Baki Series is an excellent read for anyone who is looking for a manga that is all about the action, as the fights are genuinely brilliant. In my opinion, the art adds a thump of impact to the already powerful presence of the characters. However, if you are looking for a manga that would give you a good story and well-written characters, Baki isn’t for you.
Author’s Take:
As for my personal opinion, I thought Baki was good for what it tried to represent and was a good read for me, who was looking for something different. But, I doubt it holds up very high on my all-time list, as it has some crippling shortcomings in its storytelling that kills off re-read value for me.
Story- 1.5/5 | Art- 3.5/5 | Characters- 2/5 | Enjoyment- 4/5| Overall- 2.75/5
So that’s all for the first edition of Exploring Manga with Quriverse. I hope you enjoyed our blog, and if you are looking to connect with anime folks around the world? Join us @Quriverse | 1st ever interactive Anime community for fans and creators. Sign up and stand an opportunity to get your hands over cool anime merchandise, Netflix premium, Amazon gift vouchers, and more!
