Hokuto no Ken

Fist of the north star is easily my favorite anime movie ever. The film is set in a post apocalyptic wasteland where Ken the fist of the north star searches for his kidnapped girlfriend after being brutally beaten and thrown in a chasm. There's lot's more to it than that though, He has some evil brothers that want to kill him because he is the true prophet and they want his title. Ken joins up with a couple of kids and a deadly guy named ray who slices his enemies apart in some of the most brutal violence in film history. The intensity of the action alone in this movie makes it worth seeing. You see characters screaming battle cries and destroying cities with their fists, slicing and dicing they're enemies apart graphically, and causing bad guys' heads to explode with ken's touch of death. The plot although not explained well enough sometimes, is also very good and the voice acting is also good (look for the voice of the guy who played the father in the fresh prince of bell air as the leader of the guys in bear hides.) The animation dosen't flow flawlessly like in something like ninja scroll or akira but as in a lot of anime with limited budgets they make it look excellent with a minimalist style. The drawings are superb and add to the epicness of the story giving the characters huge pumped up bodies and absurd amounts of power. (punching over buildings, breaking tables due to intense mental powers, crushing peoples heads effortlessly) Some people might not like the over the top presentation of characters being fifty feet tall in one scene and then being in proportion to everyone else the next, but you must understand this is just to present the terrifying presence and power of these characters. I think it's brilliant. Rent it at all costs!!

PS The rapper Jeru the damaja samples and quotes the opening voiceover of fist of the north star on his album The sun rises in the east!

It's with great pleasure that I be the first critic to write the review for "Fist Of The North Star".

After writing several number one reviews, I will write a great review for this incredible anime.

Fist of The North Star is based on the movie and manga which has been one of the top anime fan picks ever!!!

It's based on a post nuclear society in which their is no law. Only the strong shall survive.

Kenshiro , the hero of our story is part several brothers of the Hotushin school of Martial Arts.

His Brother Jagi, Toki and his friend Shin all were honest, fighters, but all their hearts became evil.

Jagi became jealous with envy after the leader of the school chose Kenshiro as the new leader of the school.

Jagi tries to kill his brother, but Kenshiro using several moves including his "North Star Death Fist" stops Jagi and leaves Jagi face disfigured and ugly.

But this is only the beginning as Kenshiro, remeniscent of the Clint Eastwood Western character, travels to place to place battling Evil and giving hope and entertainment to the people he meets.

I am laughing right now, because I have all the episodes on tape, and I keep getting amazed with every episode I see.

The series is hard to find, but through my best friend I've gotten it on tape.

I am sure they are people who would love to see this series, so email me if you want it.

Back to the series:

Fantastic action!!! Unbelievable moves and many groundbreaking animation scenes make "Fist Of The North Star" one of the greatest anime ever made.

The characters aren't mutated warriors like that other fellow said (at least not in the original japanese version). These people are extremely gifted martial artists. Kenshirô, the main character, is a master assassin and the next in line to take over the Hokuto shin ken art. As Ken is chosen to be the master of the art by his teacher, his older school brothers (mainly the menacing Rao) are outraged by this and choose to violently leave the order, killing their teacher in the process. Keep in mind that only one master can be chosen and the rest of the students must either have their memories erased or their ken (fists) destroyed. Apparently the art is only meant for the best warrior and no internal struggle must persist. The character, Shin is a master of the Nanto sei ken (south fist or something like that). He is the first of four other nanto masters who will confront Ken.

Anywho, one can describe Kenshirô as a mix of Mad Max and Bruce Lee with a Road Warrior/kung fu/samurai flick backdrop. The series goes on as Ken battles his brothers, the nanto masters, and a bunch of other freaks with some flash backs here and there to help explain the story. The great thing about this series are the characters. They're not just evil dudes who kill kill and kill. Not only are they extremely colorful, they all have their reasons for their actions. You'll find that most of the major villains are regarded as heroes by the end.

Because this series is based on a comic book, you can expect to find some glitchy plot holes. But don't worry, the characters and the action are enough to make you forget about these plot holes.

This masterfully written and developed story is told by means of pain and tears. Crude, unfair and definitely sad, it uncovers the reasons behind the power quest.

Love is the key of the story and it is shown as the story unfolds, the main character Kenshiro goes through a journey and unnoticed by viewers he becomes spiritually deeper. The plot twists are unexpected and there is richness in the story and characters are developed in depth.

Several actors (japanese) reflect high stake through their voice as they transmit deep emotions. Must be said the last words of Souther are a great voice performance and can be overwhelming to the audience.

This is a story surrounded by hate, pain and violence but it must be seen as an allegory to human passions and the hidden truth of love beyond all that.

Don't get me wrong, this manga production is seriously flawed in places. As most would point out, it is excessively gory. Heads pop and people explode, frequently. The plot, basically about a guy searching for his kidknapped girlfriend, in a post nuclear war ravaged planet, is kinda weak. The japanese humour may also annoy the less tolerant viewer but, and this is an important one- the excellency of this anime story is its perfect atmospherics and ambience. Forget the over-hyped Akira, (though it was much more stylish). FOTNS is a triumph for its desolate tone, and great portrayl of post-apocalyptic isolation.