Genre: Action
Parental Guidance Recommended
Credits: 1987 Buronson (Yoshiyuki Okamura) and Tetsuo Hara , Toei Animation. Screenshots courtesy of DVD Emporium.
Shop: Fist of the North Star Artbooks and Manga
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Cover Description:
The Fist is back, fighting for justice on a savage, postapocalyptic Earth!
In the tradition of Road Warrior, comes Fist of the North Star, an action-packed epic adventure. Kenshiro is the last of the world’s true heroes, fighting for justice on a wartorn world overrun by bloodthirsty gangs. Entrusted with the sacred martial art of the Great Bear, otherwise known as the Fist of the North Star, can he use his martial arts prowess to protect Earth’s innocents from the evil forces that threaten to obliterate them?
One would think that seeing this on Betamax (the ancient video format, ancestor of the much-loved VHS) would lessen the impact of the overly exaggerated blood and gore. I was barely an adolescent when I first saw this and what I saw was red horror beyond my imagination. Left and right you’d see bodies of thick red water and innards flying everywhere. It wasn’t a beautiful spectacle. It didn’t help that the land the characters were walking on was dry and barren, and that the mere sight of a white flower in bloom brought hope to desperate people. This made me wonder how come it’s so popular among my male friends. Should I blame that to the fact that we were impressionable and easily amazed back then?
The story? I dunno. I could hardly concentrate on the plot because I kept ducking and dodging away from my TV as if those dangerous fists and fingers were aiming at me! All I remember was that there were brothers Ken and Shin who took the phrase “sibling rivalry” to the extreme. They seem to fight about everything: strength, power, and heck even this girl named Julia who does nothing but look pretty! A word of advice: If you’re having a spat with your brother or sister, don’t even think of watching this anime. The psychological effects can be devastating!
One thing’s for sure about this title, though. You’re bound never to forget it.
Individual Rating: Art/Animation 6; Story 7; Characters 7; Sounds 6
