Baki The Grappler Volume 7-8 Manga Review
Baki The Grappler: Volumes 7-8 - A Hilarious Bloodbath
The Unapologetic World of Bloodsports
Baki The Grappler stands as a premier example of unrealistic bloodsports, a series that masterfully blends the amazing with the utterly awful. It possesses an undeniable draw, making it impossible to put down even as the grotesque, impossible skills of its fighters are unleashed. Limbs are ruptured, bones are broken, and blood flows in torrents, yet Baki, or his opponent, will somehow continue to fight. This level of extreme violence reaches a point of sheer hilarity. The young, supposedly healthy bodies are mangled in ways that defy human recovery, only to rise and press on, creating a spectacle so horrible it becomes laughably entertaining. For those who enjoy extreme combat, this manga is a must read. For others, it comes with a serious warning due to its pervasive gore and body mangling.
Baki Versus the Wild: The Great Yasha Ape
Volume 7 thrusts Baki into a truly wild confrontation, as he ventures into the deep mountains to face the Great Yasha Ape. This particular "battle" constantly brings to mind articles detailing the severe overestimation many people have about their ability to fight wild animals. In any realistic scenario, an ape of such immense size would simply tear Baki to shreds, ending the conflict decisively. However, Baki The Grappler operates on its own set of rules. Here, Baki and the formidable ape forge an understanding, a bizarre turn of events that culminates in Baki doing the ape a significant favor. This unlikely alliance, born from an impossible fight, sets the stage for an unexpected tragedy that unfolds later in the narrative.
A Collision of Absurdity: Baki vs Hanazawa
Following his encounter with the ape, the story pivots into an arc that, while straightforward, elicits a resounding "what the actual fact" from the reader. Baki, a thirteen year old, finds himself on a collision course with the fifteen year old second head of a Yakuza family, Hanazawa. This Yakuza prodigy towers over Baki, standing nearly twice his height and breadth. The ensuing battle is brutal, spilling so much blood that even within the context of this uniquely bloodthirsty manga, one character is shown to vomit from the sheer intensity. Both Baki and Hanazawa are figures of extreme absurdity. If Baki represents a five foot four, zero body fat, absurdly muscled fighter, Hanazawa is his gigantic, imposing counterpart, covered in scars and boasting a Yakuza tattoo that, humorously, has its own backstory etched onto his back. Hanazawa's fighting technique is one of gruesome efficiency, rendering body parts into chopped meat. Yet, the reader is never truly worried for Baki's ultimate fate, understanding that this monstrous fifteen year old, who casually snaps glass bottle necks with his bare hands, is not Baki's true ultimate opponent.
The Shadow of the Ogre: Yujiro Hanma's Influence
Throughout these volumes, the narrative consistently reminds us of Baki's ultimate objective and his inevitable final boss: his father, Yujiro Hanma. Yujiro is presented as the strongest fighter in the world and an undeniably psychotic human being. He orchestrates countless challenges for Baki in these volumes, reinforcing his destructive nature. Yujiro's presence is a force of casual chaos; he enters a space, destroys the mood, potentially eliminates the host, unravels everyone's lives, and then moves on to his next round of devastation, all while smiling as if he has performed a good deed. Yujiro is portrayed as an utterly awful person, and it is no surprise that Baki develops an obsession with fighting, pushing himself and others to the breaking point. This behavior is rooted in a desire to punish both his own body and the bodies of his opponents.
A Mother's Tale: Emi Akezawa's Origin
The profound influence of Yujiro and the nature of Baki's upbringing are further cemented in Volume 8, which provides a surprising backstory arc concerning Baki's mother. When she was first introduced, she was a bizarre figure, seated spread legged before an enormous mirror, instantly as peculiar as Baki's father. Volume 8 reveals how Yujiro "stole" Emi Akezawa, the wife of a wealthy and influential man who counts figures like Nick Jagger and Sylvester Starlone among his acquaintances. Yujiro and Emi's eyes meet, and their relationship instantly becomes strange in every conceivable way. Emi is physically abducted by Yujiro from her home, leading to a perplexing question of whether she then "lives happily ever after." Yujiro later questions Emi's suitability as a birth mother for his "weak" son, but ultimately concludes that Baki's perceived weakness is not her fault. The manga consistently reminds us that Baki is only thirteen years old, making Yujiro's stated goal of raising a son strong enough to kill him an extreme example of bad parenting.
The Art of Exaggeration
The visual style of Baki The Grappler is as unique as its narrative. The art is intensely fixated on musculature, often to such an extreme that it can occasionally be challenging to discern exactly which body part is being depicted. This hyper detailed focus on the human form, contorted and exaggerated to incredible degrees, reinforces the series' over the top nature. The characters themselves transcend mere pastiche, venturing deep into "shrug emoji" territory, defying conventional logic and embracing their own bizarre realities. This distinctive artistic choice is not a flaw, but rather a core component of the manga's singular appeal, contributing to its undeniable charm.
Localization Excellence
Picking up a volume of Baki means signing a metaphorical contract to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy the ride, regardless of whether things make logical sense. In this regard, the series continues to boast outstanding localization. David Evelyn's translation clearly conveys his enjoyment of the material, which is evident on every crisp and clear page. Rafael Zaiats' lettering is equally excellent, contributing to a seamless reading experience. The entire team at Kodama is evidently having a fantastic time localizing this book, and it is the least a reader can do to reciprocate that enjoyment. The experience is immensely gratifying: crazy fighting, deplorable characters, copious amounts of blood, guts, and tears. It is the perfect recipe for an afternoon on the sofa with a bag of potato chips, witnessing characters exert themselves far beyond what any reasonable person could imagine.
