Baki, Kinnikuman: Kanpeki Chоujin Shiso-hen Recommendations
These shows feature some of the toughest, manliest, most hard-boiled macho men in the fighting genre. You come for the fight of your life, but stay for the crazy and borderline goofy antics sprinkled throughout both the battles and the brief, momentary periods of calm leading up to the battles. But they’re not the originals.
No, Baki 2018 and Kinnikuman: The Perfect Origin Arc are both modernized sequels to older adaptations that serve to cover the previous story arcs. But that’s not to say that watching these two prequels is necessary, because these two shows also fundamentally serve as reboots or starting points for newer
fans.
Story-wise, both feature an unconventional approach to the tournament trope, with many of the fights only being in the ring to serve a thematic purpose. The real tournaments were already covered in the first adaptations, and these two shows feature our protagonists after some sort of big win. But there are still unresolved tensions that have yet to be resolved, either knowingly by the protagonist or not.
The thing about Baki and Kinnikuman is that they both live in worlds where most of the cast is obsessed with fighting. They see it as a literal way of life, with many devoting their entire lives to unique techniques and philosophies. But those two? Fighting is mostly a means to an end. While they value the craft and genuinely try to get stronger, the pursuit of strength is mostly for their own sake.
The underlying themes of Baki and Kinnikuman both have something to do with connection. More specifically, family. Baki tackles his own Oedipus Complex by striving to defeat his father and find peace in his past. Kinnikuman, even with his new obligations, chooses to step down and fight alongside his Chojin brethren against a foe who seems to be closer to him than he knows.
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