Fist of the North Star Volume 14 provides Kenshiro with his most interesting collection of post-Raoh villains by delving into a series of familiar tricks.
This episode, almost more than any other, left me divided on how I felt about the events. These are new and old, familiar and unique ideas. The effect is actually positive—I enjoyed this episode after the dust settled—but it's hard to shake the lingering feeling that it's too safe and identical in terms of plot developments and characters. new villain that Kenshiro must face. However, just as I started lamenting the feeling of repetitive elements, I couldn't help but focus on the number of new concepts and story beats on display while still delivering great art. unprecedented awesomeness and violence, characteristic of the series.
For better or worse, Buronson and Tetsuo Hara return to the concept of brothers as villains. Hokuto Ryoken users Han, Hyoh and Kaioh become the counterpart to the television series about the Hokuto Shinken brothers. Han is the immediate threat at the beginning of the episode, as Kenshiro continues his battle against Han. But Hyoh and Kaioh emerge as pseudo-replacements for Toki and Raoh, acting as older brothers (literally and figuratively) that Kenshiro must overcome.
This is where I put together how to do it in this section. It cannot be argued that one of the core themes of Fist of the North Star is the drama between brothers surrounded by martial arts. So drawing from this well is not only expected, but also one of the decisions that audiences are most likely to resonate with, as it's a key part of what makes the series a phenomenon. so. At the same time, it's hard to tell whether this is a new creative twist on old themes or just a rehash of things that worked before. Can you recreate the magic of the relationship between Kenshiro, Raoh, Toki and Jagi? Or is the attempt to create lightning twice immediately compared to the superior storyline we've seen before? I have yet to fully answer these questions for myself and with each chapter I can feel my mood changing as to whether this is the right path to take or not.
One thing that I feel is not an obvious improvement is the introduction of the Jukei master. Jukei is the elder teacher of the Hokuto Ryoken style and serves as a counterpart to Ryuken, who trained the Hokuto Shinken brothers. The interesting thing about Jukei is that he has more plot than Ryuken. Sure, we explored some of Ryuken's past through flashbacks, but he never really stood out as a compelling character. Ryuken has always been more of an archetype than a personality, serving as a martial arts master, while Kenshiro, Raoh, and others have more dramatic moments. He is the solid foundation that allows the more diverse personalities under his tutelage to grow and become exceptional.
Jukei is much more fascinating to learn. His attempt to master the fighting style of Hokuto Ryoken, falling into the demon's wrath, the tragic death of his family, and losing control—it's fascinating stuff. Jukei's struggles and regrets color our understanding of the Hokuto Ryoken style and make it distinct in a way that previous styles have never been. Most fighting styles in the series focus on what they do to their opponents, but now Hokuto Ryoken has an emotional dimension where strength is not an issue. Instead, it comes at the cost of self-control.
Things are not going well for Jukei and Ryoken High. Hyoh expressed my mixed feelings towards the episode's plot. Hyoh is Kenshiro's biological brother, and in classic pulp storytelling tradition, he does not remember these events because of amnesia. This amnesia is due to Jukei sealing his memories. It's hard to buy this setup or find it appealing. However, it still makes for a great dramatic scene as Jukei fights Hyoh allowing him to release his true memories of Kenshiro and some dramatic flashbacks from Hyoh's perspective. However, that has to shake the feeling that we have to have another brother at any cost and are trying to find a way to make him suitable for Kenshiro.
Kaioh stands out at this stage as a villain, at least. He's not a very exciting fighter, but he has a cool look on the page with his fully armed appearance. The way the armor breaks down and changes throughout the fight also looks great, and he's one of the few villains who sticks around with the pure appearance of being hard to kill – a rarity for Kenshiro .
One area that I have never mixed in is art. It was, in a word, awesome. Tetsuo Hara only gets better as the series goes on and this is evident in this episode. Aside from the usual violent martial arts and heavy metal character designs, I would say in these chapters, Tetsuo Hara shows off his penchant for the scene. There are some truly impressive landscape shots, from piles of bones to alien landscapes and strange architecture. The land of Asura feels completely alien while still retaining its core post-apocalyptic wasteland aesthetic.
Overall, I give this episode a positive review. After all, even a somewhat mixed volume of Fist of the North Star still ranks as one of the best manga you can watch. There's no doubt the series is playing to its strengths. When it works, it works perfectly. But some of these parts are starting to creak due to overuse.