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From Baki the Grappler to Baki-Dou, one word can sum up this iconic manga: Strength
Strength means different things to different people, but it will always be part of what makes Baki the Grappler great.
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For more than 30 years, Baki Hanma has been on an unending quest to prove he is the greatest fighter in the world. From Baki the Grappler to the ongoing Baki Rahen manga, the story of this world filled with over-the-top fights and extraordinary characters is iconic for both its manga and anime. According to one person who has been working on both over the years, one word ties all the plots and characters together.
There are over 150 volumes of the Baki storyline, which started in 1991 with Baki the Grappler. Just like most manga, it is the work of a single creator, Keisuke Itagaki, who is supported by a whole editorial staff. One of the people who has worked with Itagaki for years is Yuki Yokoi, an assistant general manager of the business IP department at publisher Akita Shoten. We got to talk to Yokoi about his work on Baki the Grappler as we approach the 35th anniversary of the manga, and he gave us a very straightforward answer about what the whole series is really about.
“Here lies the answer to what ‘strength’ truly is,” Yokoi told us. It sounds simple, but strength in Baki means many different things. For protagonist Baki Hanma, it has meant training constantly to surpass his father’s fighting skills. For defrosted caveman Pickle, it leads him to consuming his opponents. Proving he is the strongest in the modern era is the driving force for cloned samurai Musashi Miyamoto in the upcoming Baki-Dou anime.
Strength means different things to different people, but it has always been at the core of what makes Baki the Grappler great.
Get ready for what's next with our list to upcoming comics and how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to all the free comics you can get with this year's Free Comic Book Day and Comics Giveaway Day.
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