Ken il Guerriero. Hokuto no Ken. Extreme Edition, Vol. 1

北斗の拳 究極版 [Hokuto no Ken Kyūkyoku-ban] #1

by Buronson, Tetsuo Hara (Illustrator)

UNA SERIE LEGGENDARIA IN UNA NUOVA EDIZIONE ASSOLUTAMENTE IMPERDIBILE. Ripercorriamo la storia del maestro di Hokuto, dal suo esordio contro gli uomini di Shin fino alla saga finale, mai vista nella serie animata. Nuove copertine, pagine a colori e in bicromia e molto altro in questa versione definitiva del capolavoro di Buronson e Tetsuo Hara.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Action

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Okamura Yoshiyuki (岡村善行), also known as Buronson (武論尊) or Sho Fumimura (史村翔 Fumimura Shō), is a Japanese manga writer most known by his famous work Hokuto no Ken. known in English as Fist of the North Star.
He graduated from the Japanese Air Force Training School in 1967 and served as an Air Force radar mechanic. In 1969 he discharged from the Japanese Navy and was soon hired by Hiroshi Motomiya as a manga assistant. He started his manga writing career when he wrote the script of Pink Punch: Miyabi in 1972, drawn by Goro Sakai. In 1975 Buronson wrote his first big hit The Doberman Detective, drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. The famous Hokuto no Ken made its debute as Buronson's greatest hit in 1983, drawn by Tetsuo Hara. In 1989 his story Ourou was released as a manga serialized in Animal Magazine, drawn by Kentarou Miura, and in 1990 a sequel entitled Ourou Den was released by the same manga artist. Buronson also collaborated with the manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami in many works as Strain (manga) , Human (manga) and the famous Sanctuary (manga). Among his other major works are The Phantom Gang, with art by Kaoru Shintani.

Buronson was mainly influenced by movies such as Bruce Lee's, and Mad Max.

The nickname Buronson is a tribute to the American actor Charles Bronson, whose way of growing the mustache was imitated by Yoshiyuki Okamura too.

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a classic 80s manga and it *shows* - think Mad Max but starring peak 80s action movie Stallone, Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, or Schwarzenegger. The hero is manly and silent, the villains are weird and larger than life, the kung fu is over the top action, the moral code is absolute. There's not much depth here, but it's a fun way to spend an afternoon.

**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

All caught up in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and hankering for something manly to hold you in its buff, beefy arms? Fear not! Fist of the North Star is here in all its bloody, muscley glory. The series that birthed a million memes (okay, one, really) returns in hardcover with color pages, and my, is it ever something. Protagonist Kenshiro is the sort of sensitive soul who can weep over a lost friend one panel and explode a guy's head the next, and somehow the manga makes this feel less ridiculous than it sounds. It's not a story for everyone, but it's one manga historians should know and fans of intense action with a side of melodrama should pick up.

[Omaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuarta lectura: [25/03/2021]
Tercera lectura: [27/07/2019]
Segunda lectura: [9/04/2019]
Primera lectura:[30/06/2018]

Uno de los momentos cumbre en mi vida fue cuando pude conseguir este tomo en físico. Había estado esperando a que lo trajeran a la librería de la localidad donde vivo, pero pasó una semana desde el día de la publicación y todos nos hallábamos sin noticias y sin explicaciones por parte de la editorial. No estaban repartiendo correctamente el manga por todas las librerías de España. Por casualidad pensé en buscarlo en una tienda de cómics en la ciudad en la que estudiaba. Como tenía que ir para allá pensé en que por preguntar nadie me iba a poner una pistola en la cabeza. Cuando entré en la tienda lo primero que hice fue preguntar: “¿Tenéis El puño de la estrella del norte?" a lo que el dueño me respondió afirmativamente. En ese momento la emoción me nubló la visión, y cuando por fin pude ver los tomos me dirigí a la estantería flotando como en un sueño. Pagué rápidamente y justo al salir por la puerta lloré. Fue entonces cuando comprendí lo verdaderamente importante que es esta historia para mí.

¿Por qué me gusta tanto El puño de la estrella del norte? Bueno, seguramente las personas que han leído más manga que yo les parezca “uno más”. Pero he de recordar que este es el padre del shonen y que él se encargó de allanar el terreno a muchas historias posteriores. Por lo que, sí, puede que sea una historia más, pero hay que reconocer el mérito que tiene. Detesto a aquellos lectores que son incapaces de guardar gratitud o sentirse en cierta deuda con los Maestros; no son gente de fiar. Yo no leo mucho manga, porque de hecho no me gusta. Prefiero leer novelas que cómics y manga. Pero yo cuando leo El puño de la estrella del norte experimento emociones de una manera que jamás ha conseguido hacerme sentir una novela. Es una sensación distinta, ni mejor ni peor a las que experimento cuando leo una buena novela.

La historia empieza en un futuro postapocaliptico después de una debacle nuclear a finales del siglo XX. El dinero no vale nada e impera la ley del más fuerte, aquel que es capaz de guardar más recursos es el más poderoso de la zona. En este mundo cuyos gobernantes son jefes de bandas dedicadas al pillaje y cuyo poder se hace más grande a costa de someter a los inocentes vive un proscrito, un hombre que no tiene nada que perder porque ya se lo han quitado todo. Pero dentro de él hay guardado un poder milenario, un poder que puede salvarlos a todos o acabar con la vida corrompida que se abre paso en aquel insalubre mundo. Un hombre que allá por donde pasa reparte bendición y muerte. Él es el heredero de un arte marcial, el Hokuto Shin Ken…


Ya hice una reseña anterior a esta más abajo la primera vez que lo leí y como estoy completamente de acuerdo con lo que expuse me limitaré a decir que este tomo solo es el inicio de un arco épico que emociona y e implica emocionalmente al lector, algo que desconocía por aquel entonces para mi suerte.

Tal vez entre las razones de que me guste tanto este manga se encuentre el hecho que se muestra absolutamente comprometido con los inocentes, los niños y las personas que no pueden valerse de si mismas, al mismo tiempo que ofrece un desarrollo de personajes masculinos bastante interesante y, lo más importante, tiene todas las hostias que una por educación y sentido pragmático de la vida no puede ir dando a los malos del mundo real. De todas maneras, siempre existen razones que una persona jamás llega a conocer....

Él amó a la misma mujer que yo…

---------------------------------------
Reseña de la primera lectura.
Con el CALOR que hace en España—pero menos que el año pasado—, y ante la ausencia de aire acondicionado en mi casa, la verdad es que no me apetece pensar ni leer sobre grandes cuestiones humanas. Estos cómics son perfectos para mis circunstancias. Tenía los tebeos de El puño de la estrella del norte pendientes desde principios de año, pero simplemente no me apetecía leer comics porque estaba inmersa en los claroscuros rusos. Pero no os penséis que leo esto porque ahora mismo no tengo mono de rusos. En cuanto el calor afloje vuelvo a lo mío; la cabra tira al monte.

"Pero, Omaira, ¿estos cómics son fast food mental?". Pues bueno, si y no. Quiero decir, todavía no puedo confirmarlo con seguridad porque solo he leído el primer volumen. Pero os cuento lo que he sentido. Simplemente creo que El puño de la estrella del norte es un shonen que busca cumplir su cometido principal: entretener mediante hostias. Y, luego, contar una buena historia sobre la obsesión que entraña el sentimiento de venganza. Punto. Sobre todo, encontraréis en estos 27 volúmenes hostias, sangre y, en última instancia, amor (al estilo puro).

Me gusta cómo han introducido el tema de Ying y el Yang, con Ken (La estrella del norte) y Shin (La estrella del sur). Ellos representan el caos y el orden, el bien y el mal. Porque hay que tener en cuenta que este manga pertenece a una época donde se llevaba bastante estos arquetipos de héroe bueno/ antagonista villano, caracterizaciones de personaje que se han ido diluyendo y fusionado con los años. Ahora lo que mola son "los claroscuros", personajes grises vamos, pero a mi me gustan ambos tipos de caracterización. Con las dos se pueden crear historias brillantes o historias de mierda. O sea que no entiendo las gilipolleces que leo por ahí de que el grimdark ha venido a salvarnos a todos de los arquetipos planos y aburridos.

Y que tengo un crush con Ken. Para nada es porque sea más de un 50% Sylvester Stallone.

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Postapocalyptic Epic

An exemplary shōnen manga, Hokuto no Ken takes place in a devastated earth, where small, vulnerable communities struggle to survive, often on a day-to-day basis, often raided by nomad bandits. In this eventful first tome, it is soon unveiled that the bandits are in fact recruits from a larger gang led by a powerful kingpin named Shin... A kingpin Ken holds grudges against; Shin was Ken's former partner in training, before he betrayed him and engraved the seven deep scars on his chest and kidnapping Julia, Ken's fiancée, leaving Ken on the brink of death and utter despair.

A haunting environment of ruined megalopoleis, over-the-top martial arts technique involving the vital points, larger-than-life opponents reminiscent of legendary heroes from ancient epic poems... As far as you're fine with letting yourself go with the flow, this manga delivers.


See also:

The Stand
Ravage
Malevil
Conan 1 - Le Cimmérien

FILMS:
Mad Max (1979) - George Miller

[Mizuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

(1) Can we talk about how the male lead is basically Bruce Lee and the gang-controlled dystopia is basically from the Mad Max series?

(2) Plus the evil gangs pretty much stole their wardrobes, makeups and bikes from metal bands like KISS and the Mad Max series too. LOL

(3) All of the supposed 'ancient Chinese' kung-fu and assassination technique really makes me LOL all along, in a good way.

(4) Plus we just have to talk about Shin from the South Star School, the main villain in this volume, he has a thing about not having his clothes on in front of his subordinates. LOL But of course his...guy part got censored by the manga-ka, hahahah!

(5) Overall it is a manly and action-paced series opener!!!

(6) The stories are pretty much dark and gritty, in a good way too!

(7) It obviously that creators of this series were inspired by a lot of Hong Kong kung-fu movies, I am glad! ^_^

(8) Outside of the over-the-top manliness, I like Ken's outing of helping the villagers who are in need and his interaction with the orphaned girl and the young punkish boy. ^_^

The reviews I wrote after reading the Chinese translation (you can find the premise of the series in my reivews!): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read some of this series back in the late 1980s and even managed to write a college paper about it my senior year, though I don't remember what class it might have been for. I thought I'd check it out again since my local library has some of the new Viz Signature editions.

It's pretty much how I remember it, as lone hero Kenshiro wanders a post-apocalyptic wasteland on a vague quest that constantly brings him into contact with hangers-on or weak villagers needing protection from the many gangs that maraud and pillage. Being a true hero, he always intervenes, and being a bit of a Superman with his invincible secret martial art acupressure techniques there is little doubt that he will persevere. The only real question is how gory and imaginative the deaths of his opponents will be. Answer: Very.

It gets pretty goofy, but it's still fun in its way.

I'll pick up a couple more from the library, but I could see myself losing interest in this fairly quickly.


FOR REFERENCE:

There are multiple, distinct works labeled Fist of the North Star Volume 1. This version is the Kyūkyokuban Edition.

Contents: Chapters 1-13 -- Special Commentary: The Birth of Fist of the North Star by Nobuhiko Horie, the original editor

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh... Fist of the North Star. I remember the time when I was watching the anime series. Back then, good was good and manly and handsome, while evil is just pure evil. Heads explode, bodies explode. Manly man versus a horde of goons and gangs. That's Fist of the North Star.

So it is a great joy for me to see the manga series gets republished again by Viz Media. This book oozes with heroic manliness that you'd grow muscles and go hiya-ya-ya-ya-ya! just by reading it. It shares the appeal of Mad Max in its post-apocalyptic flavor, but with fist-fighting and martial arts-ing. It is a very satisfying read to those who just want to have a pretty good gory time.

What Fist of the North Star gives me most is that sweet nostalgia. Nothing beats that feeling that you get when you want to become a kid again, living in a simpler time, looking at the mirror and trying the Hokuto moves by Kenshiro.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick review for a quick read. So this is my chance to kind of gush over a classic manga series that I've known about for many years because of the anime, but this is my first time revisiting the series in quite some time. When I saw the first volume on NetGalley, you all have no idea how quickly I requested this. Cue in a massive happy dance when it came through.

"Fist of the North Star" hits the right brutal blend of action, dystopian, sci-fi/fantasy, and martial arts feature that I admittedly did not know what I was getting into when I first experienced the series. Starting with this first volume made details come rushing back and I fell in love with the story (and main character) all over again. It centers around Kenshiro (Ken), a mysterious traveler with a seemingly strong and lost martial art technique known as the Hokuto Shinken. You don't know much about Ken to start with, but you realize that he's surviving in a version of the world that's a barren dystopia. Food and supplies are running low and gangs run rampant, taking everything they can get. In each of the beginning chapters, Ken helps (and some times is helped by) the people he comes across, but always seems to find trouble in brutal ways. Ken's quickly made enemies make the mistake of underestimating him, usually because of his seemingly quiet demeanor. Take one look at the scars on his torso though - and basically..."You are already dead." (That's a classic line from the series.)

Ken's a good one as far as following a strong leading character. You can tell he really cares for the people he comes across and tries to help, but he shows no mercy for those who take advantage of the weak and poor. His skill prowess is cool, calculated, and does not relent in giving those on the other end of his technique a brutal fate, as necessary. (Y'all - heads actually do roll and there's on page uber graphic violence - so expect that going in. I've marked this as mature for primarily that, and it doesn't pull punches in this first volume.)

As the story progresses, you learn of Ken's reunion with an old enemy (Shin), and the reason why Ken has the mysterious scars on his body. It's a pretty heavy experience when you realize what Ken had to go through to get his power, and what he's searching for. It also branches out into a pretty big plot turn at the end of this volume, which is probably why I'm giving this overall rating a little less because where it leaves off. I'm tap dancing around spoilers for the story, but its one that makes sense for the starting point the ongoing series, and I found it to be well illustrated, paced very well, and immersive the entire time I read it.

I definitely plan on picking this up for my personal library, and continuing to read the series from this volume onward.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewer admissions up front: I like maybe three manga I've ever read, and I've been occasionally reading manga since the 80s, starting with Mai the Psychic Girl and Area 88 back in the days when some white idiot thought it was a good idea to call anime "Japanimation" and 95% of the Japanese people one could easily see on TV were on M*A*S*H and the rest were George Takei. Due to my own personal preferences I've never delved significantly into Japanese comics, but I've thought more recently that getting at least somewhat more familiar the field would be worth my time and because of my love for all things post-apocalyptic from the 80s I've ever run into (and the fact that this edition just started), I opted to give Fist of the North Star, apparently a fundamental work in the field of the period, a shot. Boy I'm glad I did.

The art's great! Other than Lone Wolf and Cub (which I absolutely love) I have little familiarity with Japanese work to really compare it to and that seems like an unfair comparison to me--I don't really think comparing (for American examples) Neal Adams and Steve Ditko is really fair, either--but I also don't yet have enough of a base of knowledge to effectively judge it intelligently other than to say it's above competent, imo, and particularly adept in execution when the subject is violence, which OH BOY IS IT.

The story is great, classic Mad Max-ripoff (without cars, Ken's a walker) crossed with a basic series of Western/Kung Fu movie tropes with a surprising smattering of emotionally healthy masculinity on display throughout, which, given the series' reputation, I was NOT expecting. Thinking I would get post-disaster Hulk Hogan cartoonish manliness I got something a touch closer to a Johnny Cash flavored tormented wanderer variety maculinity and I was pleasantly surprised. These kid sidekicks better step it up, though. It's definitely still a shonen comic, but it's a really solid, if unsurprising, one.

The Viz hardcover is great, a solid physical product that has scattered multitone & a few full color pages as well, with original right to left orientation and a short afterward by the original editor. I'll be getting more as they come out in this edition.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first volume is bit underwhelming with the characters but more than makes up for it with fantastic artwork and some crazy action scenes. This is Mad Max but with combat out of a Dragon Ball martial arts tournament.

Ken seems to be the only bastion of hope in the wastelands. While most people are at the mercy of incredibly powerful thugs - Ken is on a revenge mission but takes his time to help people that are in need. He bears 7 puncture wound scars on his chest in the shape of the Big Dipper. His combat style, as he makes sure his opponent knows in each battle, is Hokuto Shinken.

Chapters 1-13

[Agnese Rosengren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sono felicissima di aver iniziato questa avventura.

[Adam M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up the first 'chapter' of this story from the "VIZ Media Sampler Summer '21" and I had to read the rest. OK, imagine this: it's the 1980's, action movies are everywhere and Mad Max has caught the collective consciousness.
NOW, with that in mind, picture a hero who looks like a young Sylvester Stallone (but with his features all stretched out by bad photoshop work) in a sleeveless leather jacket in the middle of a dystopian wasteland.
ALLLLL the bad guys are taller than regular people, jacked like hell, and the big bosses are somehow giants. They are either bald, sporting mohawks, or they have the most luxurious locks that even Rapunzel would be jealous of.
THEN the hero's way of fighting involves being able to make his enemies explode from the inside out. Blood and guys everywhere, bones through skin, people literally splitting in half lengthwise.

The art from Tetsuo Hara is really a tale of 2 halves: The scope of the cities, the desolation, the detail = all fantastic. The people though...yeesh. They are hard to look at directly and it immediately makes the book feel dated. Some art can have a more timeless feel, but this one doesn't hold up.

It's a very wild ride and it feels very much 1980's. After this first volume I get it and I don't feel compelled to go further, but that doesn't mean someone out there might not really like this. I'm glad I read it to have experience this as I've been lead to believe it was once a book of note, but 1 volume also told me everything I need to know.

[Ryan Ridgely · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were to sum up this manga in a single world, it would be phenomenal. Far and away, it is my favorite manga title of all time, and if you’re looking for a new series to start, I urge you to start here.

That being said, it’s not for everyone. If you’re not into incredibly violent and action-oriented series, it’s probably not going to win you over. But if that’s at all your thing, give this a shot. A few chapters in I think you’ll find you’re hooked on it. In addition, this is a new hard-bound edition that just started being released, so you can take the time to collect this as they come out.

Fist of the North Star has a dystopian Mad Max setting to it which I can’t get enough of. The art style is consistently on point and masterfully drawn. Ample amounts of gore as well, if that’s your thing. Not to mention there’s a damn good story throughout that I don’t want to spoil. Check it out, it’s my favorite with good reason!

[Kristina Mlinarić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anime has a lot more story to offer for the chapters listed in this volume but manga drawing is far superior, even in the first volume.

If you are a Mad Max lover this is the right manga to read. Characters are very manly, world is brutal and uncaring and its main character is a spitting image of Mel Gibson's character from Mad Max 2 and 3.

It surprised me how influential this anime was and how it inspired future fighting animes like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and even Dragon Ball Z (I loved both of them).

Can't wait for the next volume :)

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bonkers Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic series about a master martial artists with a grudge. Lots of action. Our protagonist appears to basically be invulnerable with the ability to kill anyone at ease. The art is great 80s style and the setting is cool. Not sure how this will develop but I'll follow along in the fun.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very 80s, very cheesy, very gory, all of which make this great fun to read.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Mad Max Japanese Edition.

Saying that it is pretty fun. When a kind soul is put into a shitty world where everything around him is a piece of shit and believes in torture and violence. So he uses his special moves where he can strike so fast and make your body explode into a gory mess. It's hyper-violent meets a saint of a character mixed with old tropes of women always begging for help. It's silly, stupid, and fun.

This is 100% a product of its time. That's not a diss or calling it bad. It feels outdated but somehow has its charm. I will say, I think the art is great. Some really fucked up kills here. The characters are over-the-top baddies, especially the last guy, but man was he fun to watch.

I'm not sure how far I'd go into reading this series. I had fun reading it but I also was drifting every so often wanting some fresh and new but this wasn't really that. Maybe I'll grab volume 2 when it comes out and see but for what it was, was a fun violent title. A 3 out of 5.

[Simon Holland]

Somewhat cheesy writing with a formulaic plot but I don’t give a fuck. It was a really fun read that kept me entertained, and was a major page-turner. The art was really cool, and the action scenes were well-illustrated!

[Borja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Y, sorprendentemente, ¡no me ha disgustado!

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Il domani è più importante del presente"

L'uomo delle sette stelle. Ken rappresenta uno dei ricordi della mia infanzia, quando guardavo l'anime in compagnia di mio fratello (forse non era il programma più adatto per una bambina delle elementari, ma questo è un altro discorso) - l'uomo che vagabonda in un mondo devastato dagli effetti delle armi atomiche, un mondo in cui, come suggerisce quel piccolo truffatore di Bat, vige la legge del più forte. Le risorse sono scarse e la gente comune diventa vittima di bande criminali con zero rispetto per il valore della vita umana. Discepolo della Divina Scuola di Hokuto, scuola di arti marziali dai colpi letali che vanno a influenzare i punti di pressione del corpo umano, Ken si muove di villaggio in villaggio, mandando all'altro mondo assassini e criminali, alla disperata ricerca della donna di cui è innamorato, Yuria - rapita dall'uomo che gli ha inferto le sette cicatrici che ha sul petto, quelle che rappresentano la costellazione che presiede la morte, Hokuto. La presenza di Shin ci permette di conoscere anche la Sacra Scuola di Nanto, altra scuola di arti marziali che rappresenta, per così dire, l'altro lato della medaglia rispetto a quella di Hokuto. Stando al vecchio maestro di Ken, le due scuole non dovrebbero mai scontrarsi, ma quello tra Ken e Shin sarà solo il primo di una serie di battaglie che coinvolgeranno i discepoli di Hokuto e Nanto. Inoltre, c'è da capire se Shin ha detto la verità sulla morte di Yuria (ovviamente, per chi ha visto almeno l'anime, la risposta è no). Però Ken continua a viaggiare (accompagnato da Bat e da quella piaga di Rin) per portare speranza e giustizia e la sua avventura è solo all'inizio.

Con la pubblicazione di questa nuova edizione, ho deciso di approcciarmi anche al manga (poi partirà un bel rewatch), anche per capire come va a finire tutta la storia (anche per capire se il manga copre pure la seconda stagione dell'anime oppure no). Quest'anno ho deciso di cogliere la palla al balzo e recuperare altre serie che hanno fatto parte della mia infanzia/adolescenza, perché sento un po' la nostalgia per quelle storie. Con "Miracle Girls' l'esperimento non è andato tanto bene, ma sento che Ken, Trigun, i Cavalieri e altri, mi daranno tante soddisfazioni.

[True Sankofa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could be a stickler and talk about how every time Kenshiro powers up and his shirts rip off how he has another set ready to go like Hulk but that's something idiots would do. This is fiction and FOTNS provides the fun and adventure you look for in fiction without taking itself too seriously. We are talking about a saga where a man's martial arts technique applies pressure to vital points in the body that make people explode from the inside out! With that being said, do not expect a lot to make sense from this manga. When it comes to manga FOTNS is the OG. It gets no better than Kenshiro. One Punch Man, Superman, He-Man, no one's messing with son. This first volume has him befriend Bat and Rin and get revenge on his former friend Shin who gave him his seven scars. It ends in Godland where Kenshiro aims to get retribution for all the lives lost of men that tried to rescue their women and daughters from the militia that were holding them captive to breed a superior species. There are some splash pages that are color but the majority of the story is in black and white and has some of the best artwork ever in the history of everything! One of my fav sagas of all time.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve heard about this pair of fists before, and this manga is truly a story full of blood and action. In a post-nuclear wasteland, we follow the journey of Kenshiro, a warrior with seven connected scars who has the fighting ability to kill his opponents with such intense precision. With less-than-enthusiastic former thief Bat by his side, they travel through desecrated lands while stopping violent marauders and saving the innocent. He hopes to find his kidnapped lover from the evil man responsible for his scars.

Brutal, harsh, and certainly a manga marvel. It never holds back it’s rough and austere feel and it’s no fairy tale manga either. It also has many elements that reminded me of “Berserk” and “Mad Max”, while the violence is truly over the top. The story’s outcome for now was very unexpected and it’s hard to say where Ken’s story will go, but it still shows there’s more bloody action coming. A (100%/Outstanding)

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand it's so basic: dude shows up to some asshole talking shit, says a one-liner, and one-shots them with magical divine martial arts. Rinse and repeat. But that's not exactly a complaint because of how it's done. It looks awesome! I was so surprised this was a Shonen Jump title, man this stuff had some brutal kills and blood. At one point you see him fighting sex traffickers who used garrote wires to kill men in front of their captured loved ones, and watching our boy Kenshiro dismantle the dudes casually with little effort. The action is intense, there's a bit of humour in watching these foes get taken down, and everything about the setting design (the cities with ruined buildings, the roving biker gangs, the leather outfits) is phenomenal. It's a straight-forward action series in a post-apocalypse that pulls no punches.

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tohle je zkrátka takový Mad Max po japonsku, nukleární sráč zpustošil zem a holt se teď hraje na práva silnějšího. Náš nabušený hrdina Ken tedy brázdí post apo pláně a bojuje s neprávím, pomocí jeho skvělého bojového uměné. To spočívá v tom že vám zmáčkne na těle body a vám pak třeba do pár sekund exploduje hlava.

No a o tom zhruba je celé první volumko, hrdina cestuje a drtí různé prevíty a sem tam se nastíní nějaký jeho lore, ale jeho zatím poskrovnu. Celé je to tedy zatím pěkně nakreslená a krvavá akční jednohubka, která spíše připomíná takový roadtrip bez hlubšího děje.

Každopádně mě to bavilo, lehký humor mi sedl a gore velice, jsem zvědav jak se tato série rozjede později. Zatím jsem si na prdel nesedl, ale jsem v očekávání.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the mid-1980s, there were two shōnen titles that redefined our general understanding of battle manga. One was Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, a series that started off somewhat childish and parodic towards things like martial arts cinema, but eventually paved the way for the type of modern shōnen storytelling that you see now in One Piece and My Hero Academia. However, one year before the publication of Toriyama’s creation, there was Fist of the North Star, which Viz Media has begun re-publishing in hardcover editions.

Please click here for my full review.

[AsianMerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s totally what you would expect when thinking about this series. The fighting, the gore, the men lol. But shockingly it was good because of the MC. Ken is a great main character and his resolve and what he stands for is just good that you want him to succeed. The plot we get here should’ve been something we got a lot later cause it didn’t feel as impactful but still overall a good first volume, also this Viz print is solid! Definitely go out to get this.

[Matthew Aravena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The influence this had on Berserk and JoJo is clear and after just one volume I gotta say this tops both of those. I LOVE Berserk, not using that word lightly, it is one of my favorites ever but this is just too damn good, literally never a dull moment. Also the art is better, Miura may he R.I.P., was an amazing artist and supremely creative but Hara was a better artist at least here. This is even grittier Road Warrior without the boring parts, not a single qualm, fantastic %100.

[Shazne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's essentially about a badass lover boy who destroys dictators and fools who harass innocent people. A martial art terminator in the world of mad max. What's not to love. Dope art, even cooler character. The hook is brilliant and the pacing is great. A Manga Blockbuster done right.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! It was recommend to me by someone and even though I wasn't really sure I decide to trust him and I was right to do so. It was really good, got some kind of Mad Max vibe to it and it a lot of fun to read. i will continue on with this series!

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like if Mad Max had the face of a Ken doll (the main characters name is actually Ken), had the powers of One Punch Man and constantly fought in ultra-violent Kill Bill-style martial arts battles.