HOKUTO NO KEN
STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
27
RELEASE
August 8, 1988
CHAPTERS
245
DESCRIPTION
One day, a wanderer appears out of the wasteland to bring justice to the guilty and hope to the people—a warrior named Ken, a man who bears seven scars upon his chest and holds the secret of a mysterious martial art known as Hokuto Shinken, the Divine Fist of the North Star!
(Source: Viz Media)
CAST
Kenshiro
Raoh
Rei
Toki
Juuza
Souther
Shuu
Jagi
Shin
Lin
Bat
Yuria
Mamiya
Fudou
Shachi
Kaioh
Ein
Falco
Ryuga
Hyoh
Akashachi
Ryuuken
Airi
Sayaka
Shiba
CHAPTERS
RELATED TO HOKUTO NO KEN
MOVIE ActionHokuto no Ken Movie
ANIME ActionHokuto no Ken
ANIME ActionHokuto no Ken 2
MANGA ActionSouten no Ken
MANGA ComedyDD Hokuto no Ken
REVIEWS
serime
An everlasting gem that tries a little too hard on the second part (spoiler-free).Continue on AniListIt's a tad difficult to start and describe Hokuto no Ken without boring people out: they simply already know what it is. Like Dragon Ball, it was one of those shounen that radically changed a lot of things that went on to live, and still live in modern media.
The story isn't the most convoluted: a powerful but kind martial artist seeking revenge in a post-apocalyptic world learns a bigger truth, goes on to search his own way of life. That's it, that's our protagonist Kenshiro.
Obviously, being a manga about combats, that's where it truly shines: the art is uniquely mesmerizing, the exaggerated bodies flow on paper without a single worry, and fast-paced actions are directed in a surprisingly clear way - meaning, you'll hardly ever have to go back a page a couple of times to learn who actually hit who, you'll already know; also, Hokuto no Ken puts strong emphasis on the way hits can transform human bodies, and that's what makes them so "impactful".The world is another thing that was done magnificently: a bare wasteland, all humanity either has gone mad and cruel, or is trying their best to survive in this though environment where water itself is scarce. The reader is left with a genuine need to follow the hero through his campaign: will he be able to fix it, and leave such a scenario behind as a memory only?
The first part
In the first part of this manga we have a beautiful tale of brotherhood, peace clashing with war, emotions and bottled feelings. A cast of well-written enemies with one thing in common: while they at first appear to be mad and simply driven by blood thirst, it is only but a mask for hidden feelings.
The friends that'll accompany our protagonist through his journey are no less, be it innocent kids looking up to Ken, or powerful friends with a challenging and kind spirit.The second part
This is.. where the story shines not as bright. If you read the manga, you definitely know the moment where Ken's adventure reaches the "end of the first part".
I'm not saying this second part wasn't needed - there were some characters left ignored in the first part that here had a proper tale, and that's a good thing! however.. it could be much shorter. We have multiple tales that are way too similar to what we looked at in the first part, and it gets quite boring after a while. I'd say its best moments are at the start, and at the end. Between those are two arcs that are.. eh. I'm sure this was done because contracts were already there, people had to publish and sell things, but you can feel how both the artist and the writer were pretty much spent at this point, they most definitely needed a break.Final thoughts
All and all, it deserves a read, but be aware that it's a product of its era and even though it has aged nicely, you can definitely feel the weight.
I'm giving this a 7.5/10, even though it would have been a solid 8.5/10 if it wasn't dragged for so much.
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SCORE
- (3.95/5)
MORE INFO
Ended inAugust 8, 1988
Favorited by 730 Users