One of the most influential manga and anime to ever grace television in the 80s is returning in an all-new adaptation thanks to Warner Bros. Japan. Get ready to relive one of the best anime of the 80s, Fist of the North Star, and discover everything anime fans hope will be different about the latest adaptation.
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If you weren’t around in the 80s, you might have missed one of the biggest influences of the manga and anime genre. Hokuto no Ken (literal translation Fist of the Big Dipper), also known as Fist of the North Star, was written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara and was one of the most prominent manga in the genre’s history.
Fist of the North Star ran in Weekly Shonen Jump, where nearly every amazing manga has its first real debut, from 1983 to 1988. The art style of Tetuo Hara was one of the most unique, intense and gore-filled styles that really brought the martial arts and the story’s action to life. Despite being gory and intense, Bronson’s storytelling was elite, with enough emotion and maturity to keep readers hooked on the series.
The manga became such a success that the series sold over 100 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga ever. The only issue readers had with the manga was that while the first half was gripping and iconic, the second half was a bit polarizing to fans, with some loving it and others having extreme opinions about the choices.
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Which choices? The manga writers decided to change details already established earlier in the story, completely retconning details. Anyone looking at a franchise with an avid fanbase knows that messing with the timeline is not something you should do light-heartedly.
Being as famous as it was, Fist of the North Star received numerous anime adaptations and spinoffs over the years, helping it remain one of the most recognizable anime franchises, leaving a considerable impact and influencing artists worldwide. As always, though, there is something that has bothered fans of the anime, and that is where it ended.
All the anime has only adapted the manga up to a certain point, leaving the last three volumes purely as manga. Luckily, there is a new chance for this unique anime series.
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Celebrating the series’ 40th anniversary, Warner Bros. Japan announced that Fist of the North Star would finally get a brand-new anime adaptation, and the best part is that it is already in development. They also shared that the new anime will feature a new cast. Unfortunately, the series is so new to the playing field that this is all the information that they were willing to share.
While Fist of the North Star has one of the most recognizable art and anime techniques, WB Japan will be switching things up with a new technique, breathing new life into this iconic anime. This attempt could either go really well or really badly! Let’s hope for the best and watch for the stunning new adaptation of Fist of the North Star, one of the most iconic anime series from the 80s.
