Fist of the North Star Master Edition Volume 1 in our manga review

The last few years have been a real joy for new manga readers like me. Again and again, the German manga labels also bring the classics onto the shelves of the readers. Be it Akira, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Battle Angel Alita for Carlsen manga or Ranma ½ and Ghost in the Shell for Egmont manga, some series are reprinted over and over again or re-released in great new packaging. In this case, that meant that I was able to bring the classics into my house without any major problems. Another classic whose publication was canceled in Germany at the beginning of the millennium and which is now finding its way back into the hands of bookworms in a hardcover edition is Fist of the North Star.





Manga Cult has now published the first two volumes of the series in a hardcover edition, which is rightly called the Master Edition. The great drawings by Tetsuo Hara really come into their own in the large hardcover format. The amount of action and fighting that man conjures up on paper is really something to be proud of. But before I go into the artistic features, let's briefly deal with the premise.





Kenshiro not only looks fierce, he also grabs it properly

© Manga Cult / Cross Cult

After a devastating nuclear war in the year 199X, the world lies in ruins and wasteland spreads everywhere. Water is a scarce commodity and the law of the fittest is exercised here by rampaging gangs oppressing the weak. So, as it should be for a post-apocalyptic story. But then a glimmer of hope appears in the firmament: the fighter and tramp Kenshiro, who has mastered the art of "Hokuto Shinken", has set himself the goal of protecting the weak. Kenshiro bears seven marks on his chest that identify him. We readers will learn what the marks are all about in the course of the first volume. He is accompanied by the young thief Bat and the orphan Lin. On his travels he repeatedly fights against the gangs or violent criminals who are supposedly showing off their strength. In the first volume, Ken faces Shin, an old adversary who has internalized the art of Nanto Seiken. An unequal battle ensues that ends tragically. As is so often the case, love for a woman is involved and leaves no room for losers.





With Fist of the North Star, Manga Cult brings us a true manga - Classics back in public. The original was released in Japan between 1983 and 1988 and has also been adapted into anime several times. As a reader, you can tell from the way the story is told that this is not a current story. Fist of the North Star relies too much on its core building blocks and rudimentary points that we as readers have been presented with so many times: the lone hero who is endowed with a trait and thereby becomes the chosen one. There really is no innovation to be expected here.





But that didn't bother me one bit when I read the first volume, quite the contrary. Because the story takes a predictable course and the characters could also have come from the drawing board, I was able to focus more on the visual implementation. It's still possible that Fist of the North Star will surprise you as the story progresses, since it became a classic for a reason and remained popular for several decades. At the moment, my guess is that the art of drawing accounts for the legendary status. What Tetsuo Hara pulls out of Buronson's story here is truly remarkable and still worth seeing today.





I was upset because of the age of the manga adopted a rather conservative and old-fashioned style. This also applies to some extent to the staging of the characters and their design, but when it comes to fighting or character movements in general, I can only bow to Mr. Hara. It's really well drawn and staged. I always have the impression that I can see exactly what movements and processes the individual characters are making and I can literally see them happening in front of my inner eye, just like in an anime. In addition, there are the large-format pages for a manga and the details in the figures and backgrounds. I would say that you wouldn't design a manga like this anymore because the deadlines are too tight and there isn't enough time. This work was implemented really fabulously and it almost pulls you into the book.





I would like to say a few words about the action sequences in the book. The manga is not aimed at children, but things really get down to business here. The recommended age of 16+ on the back of the book is no coincidence. Blood squirts, body parts are severed and the harsh world presented in all its facets. As predictable as the story in the first volume may seem, the visual implementation is still a great art today, which you should definitely read as a manga fan!





If you want to get an impression of the artwork, which I think is great, you can view a reading sample online here.





Fist of the North Star Master Edition Volume 1 is published by Manga Cult;

ISBN: 978-3964337481 Hardcover black and white with some color pages 306 pages 24 x 16cm 28 euros



Now Fist of the North Star Master Order Edition Volume 1 at Buecher.de This is an affiliate link. Our online magazine ntower is a member of the affiliate networks Amazon PartnerNet, Awin, Webgains, Media Markt E-Business GmbH and Saturn online GmbH. If you order via one of our affiliate links, we receive a variable commission from the respective shop operator. There are no additional costs for end customers.



Order Fist of the North Star Master Edition Volume 1 now at Amazon.de





Our online magazine ntower is a member of the affiliate networks Amazon PartnerNet, Awin, Webgains, Media Markt E-Business GmbH and Saturn online GmbH. If you order via one of our affiliate links, we receive a variable commission from the respective shop operator. There are no additional costs for end customers.