History Manga / BakiTheGrappler

* CatSmile: Not how you'd expect; Most older fighters, when particularly excited, give a rather vicious and eager smile that looks positively ''leonine''. Baki tends to have an odd version of this a good deal of the time as well.

An OVA adapting early chapters of the manga was released in 1994. A 24-episode anime adaptation aired in Japan from January 8, 2001 to June 25, 2001, followed by a second 24-episode series called ''Grappler Baki Maximum Tournament'', released on July 22, 2001. A short OVA covering the Convicts arc of the second series was released on December 6, 2016 and a full ONA series adaptation of the second series was released in 2018 and 2020 on Netflix. An ONA series adaptation of ''Baki Hanma'' was released on Netflix in 2021 and 2023.

An OVA adapting early chapters of the manga was released in 1994. A 24-episode anime adaptation aired in Japan from January 8, 2001 to June 25, 2001, followed by a second 24-episode series called ''Grappler Baki Maximum Tournament'', released on July 22, 2001. A short OVA covering the Convicts arc of the second series was released on December 6, 2016 and an ONA series adaptation of the same was released in 2018 and 2020 on Netflix. An ONA series adaptation of ''Baki Hanma'' was released on Netflix in 2021 and 2023.

An OVA adapting early chapters of the manga was released in 1994. A 24-episode anime adaptation aired in Japan from January 8, 2001 to June 25, 2001, followed by a second 24-episode series called ''Grappler Baki Maximum Tournament'', released on July 22, 2001. A short OVA covering the Convicts arc of the second series was released on December 6, 2016 and an ONA series adaptation of the same was released in 2018 and 2020 on Netflix.

''Baki Dou'' begins with Tokugawa showing Baki the fruit of a dynasty two hundred and seventy two generations of unbroken martial arts mastery in the making. A humble piece of coal turned into a solid mass of raw diamond with but the strength of a man's hand alone, the martial artist who created this marvel of nature being called: Nomi no Sukune II. The descendant of the man who singlehandedly founded the art of sumo over two thousand years ago. But himself could only crystallize that ancient piece of coal partially, leaving veins of diamond where his fingers rested. Thus with the completion of this art of so called "Ancient Sumo" Nomi No Sukune II leaves his post as guardian of the hidden temple and goes out into the world. Looking to see if this newly reborn art can stand against those wielded by the modern masters, and above all testing his ancient form against that of the modern "Grand Sumo" and the Rikishi who too have perfected their craft over these thousands of years.

It was originally serialized in ''Weekly Shonen Champion'' from 1991 to 1999, lasting 42 volumes, and followed by five sequel series, ''Baki'', ''Baki Hanma'', ''Baki-Dou'', ''Bakdou'' and ''Baki Rahen''.

It was originally serialized in ''Weekly Shonen Champion'' from 1991 to 1999, lasting 42 volumes, and followed by four sequel series, ''New Grappler Baki'', ''Baki: Son of Ogre'', ''Baki Dou'', ''Baki-Dou (2018)'' and ''Baki Rahen''.

* AnAesop:
** Honor isn't nearly as important as you think it is. While honor and a code of ethics can make you a respectable individual, that goes right out the door when you start fighting someone to the death. After all, it's hard to be honorable when you're dead, so numerous characters from Baki himself to Miyamoto Musashi, Biscuit, the Death Row Inmates and more are willing to throw away their honor for survival. This is why Yujiro is the strongest ''creature'' and not the strongest human, because his willingness to fight dirty means that he's extremely unpredictable and dangerous in a fight even outside of his SuperStrength.
** It is possible to become strong in ways that are not measured in physical limitations. Many of the most powerful people in the series are disciplined and philosophical, something that even extends to Baki himself. This actually gives them an edge in combat as their ways of thinking give way to unconventional strategies. [[spoiler: During Baki's leadup to his fight with Yujiro, he becomes so good at shadowboxing that he's able to manifest imaginary stand-ins that can physically hurt him, giving him an easy way to train.]]
** Learn when to admit defeat. Being a {{Determinator}} just means that you could die or be crippled in a fight instead of tapping out when things get too extreme. Refusing to back down when you've clearly been beaten will probably kill you, [[spoiler: something the Death Row Convicts have to learn the hard way.]]
** Pride always comes before a fall. Pretty much the entire cast pays for their arrogance at several points, ending up humiliated at best and ''dead'' at worst. This is something that causes a lot of AesopAmnesia at points, as the main characters continually have to relearn to stop being so arrogant and take their opponents seriously. Even Yujiro isn't safe from this lesson, as he has the rug pulled under him several times by characters who understand his mindset and take advantage of his pride. [[spoiler: This includes Baki himself, who uses his father's ego against him in their climactic fight and gets a ton of devastating hits in.]]

** ''Five Most Evil Death Rown Innmates'' arc is technically one, with the Innmates forming one team and the fighters of undergroudn arena forming another. The rules stated the fighters can attack members of other team anywhere, at any time and fights are full no-holds barred, leading to situations like two fighters teaming up on a single opponnent or other characters inteffering in the fights.
** ''The Great Chinese Challenge'' arc starts as a standard tournament...up until Kaku Kaioh doesn't get fed up with Japanese and American fighters humilating Chinese fighters, takes over and declareing it a team tournament between Team China and Team Foreigners.
** ''Baki Dou'' manga is entierly about one of those, when appearance of Nomi no Sukune the Second shakes underground martial arts scene so much it leads to a group tornament between underground arena fighters and strongest of sumos.

** Kaku Kaioh deliberately turned himself into this, renouncing his amazing strength and letting his muscles shrivel through ‘decades’ of training exclusively devoted to his technique because he was convinced that this would ultimately make him a stronger fighter. He is over one hundred years old, is usually carried around in a wheelchair, and gave Yuujiro a run for his money.

* BloodierAndGorier: The 2018 ONA, compared to the first anime. due to the increased budget and plot of the story (pragmatic criminals fighting against trained martial artists or wrestlers) the fights are far more violent, gory and darker than the arcs preceding it. So brutal and extremely {{Gorn}}ographic like Kentaro's Berserk series, that it made the already Rated R or TV-MA Live-Action Deadpool duology feel more like an extended Barney episode or two by comparison (no seriously, Yuujiro himself is basically the answer on WhatIf the Merc in the Mouth is played by Wrestling/BrockLesnar instead of Ryan Reynolds, except with Red Hair).

* RefugeInAudacity: The entire series is steeped in this trope. It's so over-the-top, and yet somehow so ''earnest'' in that over-the-topness that it loops back around to being taken deadly seriously. For example, one arc deals with [[MakesJustasMuchSenseinContext an unfrozen caveman from the Cretaceous that fought dinosaurs being fought as an opponent,]] and other weird elements of the setting include elephants the size of dinosaurs, kung fu gorillas, earthquakes caused by fighting your imagination, using human beings as nunchucks... All this and more while genuinely being considered ''realistic'' by the characters.

** In some instances, it's {{Deconstructed}}: there's no point in giving up if you still have a chance at victory, but sometimes giving up ''is'' the right thing to do. After all, you can always fight another day, and pursuing a fight that you have no hope of winning doesn't make you brave or determined; it just means you're suicidality and overconfident.

''Baki the Grappler'' is a shonen manga revolving around teenage martial artist Baki Hanma. Born to Emi Akezawa in Japan, Baki is a talented prodigy in the field of martial arts, easily crushing most opponents who come his way. Unfortunately for Baki, success in the public scene is not enough for him- his true goal is to surpass his father, Yujiro Hanma, a titanic monster of a man who has made it his goal to ruin Baki's life as punishment for being born "too weak" for his standards. You see, the Hanma bloodline carries with it incredible superhuman genes, and Yujiro is intent on molding his son into a warrior [[KickTheDog by whatever means necessary.]] The manga follows Baki as he slowly grows stronger and stronger and the vendetta against his father only grows in intensity, building up to the eventual grudge match between father and son.

It was originally serialized in ''Weekly Shonen Champion'' from 1991 to 1999, lasting 42 volumes, and followed by four sequel series, ''New Grappler Baki'', ''Baki: Son of an Ogre'', ''Baki-Dou'', ''Baki Dou'' and ''Baki Rahen''.