Hands Down this has to be the best strictly martial-arts anime SERIES out now.
Parents, be advised that this series is hand-to-hand and is violent yet not too graphic.
In this volume, we meet Baki a lone 13y.o. in Japan who is on a mission to be the greatest fighter in the world. Living separately from but fully endorsed by his SMOKIN-HOTT mother who is obsessed with Baki's father Ujiro who is indeed, a martial arts monster...get vol.1 and 2 and you will agree.
Animation:
Body musculature is exaggerated...every 3rd episode or so they switch artists and you can really tell the difference. I don't know why they do this but I get really happy when they go back...
Sound:
As always, the Japanese voice acting with subtitles is great. The English voice acting isn't so great, hokey sounding, some comical dialog, and the different from what is being said in Japanese about a third of the time...BUT all that makes it worth watching again.
Music:
Now THIS is one of the things that grabbed me!
It has a Jap-Rock intro, the usual but good background and incident themes and jazzy cool ending theme...but when the action starts, you get a euro-dance track that goes very well. When the action ends a nice lounge house track. All well done IMO.(this made me want the sound track)
Story:
After I got the first "6" volumes, I thought the story would get old... that was until I got a hold of 7&8... Ok we are talking about vol.1 right now. So for story? "Grapples you and doesn't let go!"
Overall:
If you get this by itself you will be crying in a corner saying "WHY OH WHY DIDN'T I GET 2 OR 3 AT A TIME...! ". There are three things that hooked me.
1. Who Baki is going to face.
2. What happens between face-offs.
3. What impossible feat will Ujiro pull off next.
I Highly recommend this set.
