Baki the Grappler (2001) Review

Pushing your body to its limit and being the strongest there is a dream of many. The anime Baki the Grappler entails a journey of a boy in a world surrounded by men who strive to achieve just that. Raised by a man named Yujiro Hanma who earned the title of the Ogre, aka The Strongest Creature in the World, Baki has trained his entire life to be an ultimate fighter. His journey started when he was only 13, training through combat with some of the world’s best fighters to be able to face off against his father. Testing his resolve and tenacity against a range of enemies, from world-class boxers to a huge forest beast called the Yasha Ape.

Not only building his strength, young Baki builds friendships and a name for himself within the underground global fighting community. As the Son of the Ogre, he faces high expectations against opponents who won't go easy on him. Characters and opponents that he faces sometimes appear with familiar names, such as the iconic Muhammad Ali. Although, his character is used more in the sequel series, Baki(2018), which can be found on Netflix. In fact, there is another series called Baki Hanma(2021), depicting the time leading up to his final battle with his father.

Ultimately, Baki’s journey can be described as the most pivotal father-son quarrel ever seen, both of which have the strength in them to rival a whole country alone. However, the heart of the boy stays strong throughout all of the grueling training and harsh beat downs he received before perfection. Valuing the lives of others in a cruel, greedy world goes a long way as he faces against cold-blooded experts. Baki promotes a message of healthy masculinity, as he uses his strength to protect others, as well as knock his father off his throne of being the strongest and serve justice for the many lives ruthlessly ended in his wake.