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Kenshiro, Rei and Toki meet their deadliest enemy yet: Raoh. Raoh was an unparalleled fighter and fought them to a standstill. But fate is worse for Mamiya and Rei, as they both see the Seven Stars – the star of death omens – and now their fate is sealed. This is a race against the limits of time and the human body.
Fist of the North Star by Buronson, originally illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. Fist of the North Star Volume 6 Translated by Joe Yamazaki, lettering by John Hunt, edited by McMontesa.
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Review: |
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Introduction:
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Kenshiro , Rei and Toki meet their most mortal enemy: Raoh. Raoh was an unparalleled fighter and fought them to a standstill. But fate is worse for Mamiya and Rei, as they both see the Seven Stars – the star of death omens – and now their fate is sealed. This is a race against the limits of time and the human body.
Fist of the North Star by Buronson, originally illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. Fist of the North Star Volume 6 Translated by Joe Yamazaki, lettering by John Hunt, edited by McMontesa.
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Review:
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Volume 6 covers The most recognizable event in the entire story. While I think it’s easy to argue that there are individual events, battles or villains that stand out from the rest, I think the material covered in Volume 6 represents that “still state” of the world; in other words, the stars are perfectly aligned, and Provided chapters deliver hits after iconic hits without even missing a beat.
Many of the seeds and ideas planted in the previous chapters have fully blossomed. The plot of the successor to the Hokuto Shenquan is in full swing, and viewers have been introduced to Kenshiro’s brothers Jamu, Toki, and Rao Wang. The drama between these titans (though maybe that’s too generous for Jagi) isn’t just One191110 dramatic part of the series, but really This drama. Kenshiro’s battle for succession is the central conflict that drives much of the series: loss, shame, and power in a broken world. The tragedy of their broken brotherhood is on full display in these chapters, which provide a purposeful cornerstone that ties together the rest of Kenshiro’s beating of the mook’s melodrama.
The battle between Kenshiro, Raoh and Toki is truly an eternal one. It was the first apparent challenge to Kenshiro’s prowess we’ve seen. So far, Kenshiro has been an almost invincible angel of vengeance, tearing apart any opposition in bloody cathartic screeching. Even previous encounters with the would-be heirs of this legendary art – Jagi and faux-Toki (Fauxki?) – were only slightly steeper speed bumps in his path. But Raoh is a different breed entirely, a huge warrior with an unparalleled ego and martial prowess to match. The figure that killed his master and his father reached a plateau that Kenshiro had not reached. As much as we may know about genre conventions and future mass releases, this is the first time our hero feels vulnerable.
Melodrama and blood flow heavy, with a flair for the unique scenes the series is known for. Raoh impaled his feet and Toki’s, locking them in place, and Raoh and Kenshiro fought each other to a bloody stalemate, with neither fighter able to come away cleanly – that’s the stuff of legend.
Still, Rei really steals the show in this book. He’s never quite been Kenshiro’s sidekick the way Bat and Lin are, but he’s not quite his opponent either. There’s obviously a distance between them, but that makes Rei more endearing and more human, despite his ability to slice people with his bare fingers. He has clay feet that Kenshiro can’t, while never feeling like he’s playing a second violin. The drama here is his eventual death. We all knew it was coming, the cast knew it was coming, and that inevitability only underscores the importance of every remaining moment he has. Kenshiro’s inevitable victory is complemented by Rei’s inevitable death, and their fortunes circle each other in the wasteland. We already knew the outcome, but we couldn’t take our eyes off it and couldn’t help but be drawn to Rei’s desire to accomplish something meaningful before his time. That’s what finally resonated with him – despite the supernatural martial arts, the apocalyptic backdrop of a motorcyclist wearing a football pad, and his impossibly long, glorious anime boy hair, we viewers can see us in him The same thing I saw in myself: awareness of our inevitable death.
It’s not hard to see why this series is sometimes seen as a resting state for the franchise. Kenshiro, Rei, Mamiya, Toki, Raoh—these guys are more or less here, doing what we expect them to do. Unlike very early or very late parts of the manga that have different textures and rhythms, and it’s not like some of these actors have been rotated and established different status quo in the near future, the story in volume 6 is really when What comes to your mind when you think about it. This is also 1986 The film focuses heavily on itself, again adding to its importance and iconic status. 200 Yuan Tetsuo and Brunson is really at its peak here, and despite enjoying the comics all the way, it’s no exaggeration to say this book is where everything sings when.
If I have one complaint, it’s that while reading the book, one of the panels has a fairly obvious error . A huge cube is missing from part of Kenshiro’s hair, where (I assume) the previous Japanese sound effects were replaced with shorter English ones that didn’t reach his hairline. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a small problem, and I also have deadlines, so I know things will be missed. Still, it’s easy to notice, and seeing it immediately kicks me out of the comics and back to my real-life drudgery – it’s not that you’re reading a glossy hardcover of one of the greatest comics of all time The feeling that I wanted to have. This little complaint aside, in my opinion, volume 6 is the most important volume since the first volume was released.
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