Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese animated
film series
produced by TMS Entertainment and North Stars Pictures based on the manga Fist of the North Star
written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara
. The films are an updated re-imagining of the original story narrated in the manga, including additional detail expanding of the story, modern artwork and animation, new characters, as well as minor alterations to some events. The series spans three theatrical films and two OVAs each focusing on a different set of chapters and main characters from the original story. These were released in Japan
during a three year span between 2006 to 2008, culminating with the 25th anniversary of the original manga. The first film, as well as both OVAs, were distributed by Toho
. A portion of the project's budget came from a trust fund established by SMBC Friend Securities, which was raised over 23 billion yen.
The voice cast includes Hiroshi Abe
as Kenshiro
, Takashi Ukaji as Raoh
, Yuriko Ishida
as Yuria, and Kou Shibasaki
as Reina (a new character), all whom were live-action actors were little voice acting experience prior to the production of the movies.
The film begins with a scene straight out of the manga, and also adapted to the original anime. Kenshiro is being tested in a contest known as 10 battles to the death. Based on the script, it appears that Ken's older brother Raoh is responsible for this contest,due to his curiosity of Ken's ability or possibly even as a way of eliminating him by death. Raoh
and Souther observe, as a young Kenshiro defeats his much larger opponents 1 by 1 until, Ken locks eyes with Shū
. Shū steps forward to accept Ken's challenge,and defeats him swiftly. It is then that Ken humbly accepts defeat and shows great respect and appreciation toward Shū, miraculously casting Ken in an omnipotent light. At which point Toki
asks to take Ken's place, so that Ken's life would be sparred in exchange for Toki's. Souther interprets this as a challenge and claims that Toki would lose to him. An argument breaks out over the fate of Ken, with Shū debating that Ken should live and Souther swearing that it is against their law. To end the debate,and save Ken's life Shū destroys his own eyes using a special hand swipe technique, thus blinding himself permanently. It was this sacrifice that ultimately sparred Ken's life, although Souther remained angry. The scene ends with a shot of Raoh seemingly unfazed.
Prologue
The film then goes on to explain and introduce the 3 brothers Toki, Ken, and Raoh. Through narration and summary the story of their training to become the sole successor of the ultimate martial art form "Hokouto no Ken", is told. The narration and video also make a point to describe in detail how the world became a barren wasteland full of violence, then continues to summarize the brothers separate paths ending with Raoh's path of becoming supreme leader.
Overview
A film adaptation of the Holy Emperor story arc, which primarily depicted the conflict between Kenshiro and Souther. As the subtitle suggest, the movie expands upon Raoh's back-story and motivations. New characters Reina, a woman who falls in love with him, and her brother Soga, Raoh's advisor, play an important part. Not only are they his military support but, also relate to other characters such as Ken and Toki. Especially Reina who stays loyal to Raoh, even in despair,and attempts to recruit Toki, as the story shifts to her point of view. Much of the plot involves Raoh's relationship with her, and military strategy, in his conquest to restore order in a land of chaos under his rule. Most of this portion is new content specific to this film. The other side of the story is the retelling of Ken's attempt to save and protect the villagers from Souther's Army with the influence and friendship of Shū. A small subplot of Bart returning to his home is also apparent. The end of the film is new content that explains the new characters, Soga & Reina's ties to the 3 main characters of the series, Raoh, Ken, & Toki.
Insight
Feature film released on March 11, 2006.The film was rated PG12 in Japan due to violent content. The DVD release of the film features over 500 additional frames of animation, as well as re-recorded dialogue by Takashi Ukaji (the voice of Raoh), resulting in a few differences from its theatrical release. The movie grossed only $862,681
Overview
This OVA features a somewhat original storyline because it focuses on Yuria, spanning from her childhood, including the day she first met Kenshiro, to the conclusion of the previous film, but for the most part the story remains the same as the manga / anime. Many important characters from the manga also appear, such as Raoh, Toki, Shin, Rei (which happens to be his only appearance in this series), and the Nanto Goshasei (with the omission of Juza) all of them interacting and relating to Yuria. The Nanto Goshasei act as a cohesive group of 5 characters that directly interact with Yuria, during the majority of the story, in essence they are her support, whereas Yuria is the protagonist. However, there is not a clear antagonist. This story is the most expansive of the series, even covering never before seen events from Yuria's childhood, revealing both her mother and father, as well as her brother Ryuuga. It also fills in some details that were never addressed in the original story, such as the time and place when Yuria developed her illness, and the confrontation between Ken and Jagi that led to Jagi's disfigurement. Also there are scenes taken straight from the anime that have been altered significantly. One of the more notable differences is the addition of Yuria's dog Tobi,who serves an important role in the relationship between her and Ken. Because of its emphasis on Yuria, this OVA features very few fight scenes compared to the other installments,instead focusing on her love and concern, mostly for Ken, but also for the planet and its innocents.
It provides some insight into her thoughts and motives, as well as explaining her whereabouts during the timeline of the manga / anime, in which she was thought to be dead. It also displays how she transitioned into the role of Last Nanto General. However, this OVA does not follow Yuria up to the moment of her death or acknowledge any events prior to the death of Souther,making it an incomplete recollection of her life and is without a major conclusion or climax, making it less of a stand alone story. Instead, "Yuria Den" like the rest of the series (except "Kenshiro Den") is a more of a fill in the blanks addition and compliment,to the original story.
Insight
OVA released February 23, 2007.
Overview
A film adaptation of the Last Nanto General story arc from the manga, depicting the final battle between Kenshiro and Raoh and the conclusion of the Hokouto no Ken. As an adaptation some events have been excluded from the story,(such as Raoh's fight with Juza) where as others have been altered or expanded. New content featuring Raoh's perspective and military strategy have been added to the story. The story serves as the follow-up to the first film in the series, which introduced Raoh and Reina's relationship, this time bringing it to a conclusion.
Insight
Feature film released on April 28, 2007. Nobuaki Kakuda
voices the character of Akashachi the Pirate. To promote the release of the film, a funeral event for the character of Raoh was held at the Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin
for ten days, beginning on April 10, 2007. Shinji Tanimura
served as the funeral director, while Takashi Ukaji gave the memorial address. Nearly 3,000 fans attended the event. This film fared slightly better at the box office at $1,479,911
Overview
An OVA which centers around Toki and his relationship with his brother Raoh. The OVA introduces another new character named Sara, a female doctor who watches over Toki and becomes his love interest.
Insight
OVA released on March 26, 2008.
Overview
The film's story is a prequel to the Fist of the North Star depicting the one-year interval between Kenshiro's defeat at the hands of Shin and their later battle. Unlike the others in the series this film has a completely original storyline, featuring Kenshiro as the central character.
Insight
Feature film released on October 11, 2008. Many of the voice actors from the original TV series were cast for the roles of numerous new characters in the movie. Similarly to the funeral that was held to promote the second Raoh film, a wedding event was held at the Nippon Seinenkan Grand Hall on September 13, 2008 (coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Weekly Shōnen Jump
debut of Hokuto no Ken) to promote the film.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
film series
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
produced by TMS Entertainment and North Stars Pictures based on the manga Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara
Tetsuo Hara
is a Japanese manga artist famous for drawing the series Fist of the North Star , which he co-authored with Buronson...
. The films are an updated re-imagining of the original story narrated in the manga, including additional detail expanding of the story, modern artwork and animation, new characters, as well as minor alterations to some events. The series spans three theatrical films and two OVAs each focusing on a different set of chapters and main characters from the original story. These were released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during a three year span between 2006 to 2008, culminating with the 25th anniversary of the original manga. The first film, as well as both OVAs, were distributed by Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
. A portion of the project's budget came from a trust fund established by SMBC Friend Securities, which was raised over 23 billion yen.
The voice cast includes Hiroshi Abe
Hiroshi Abe (actor)
is a Japanese model and actor.He began his career as a model, but he successfully made the transition to acting, becoming one of the most regularly visible presences in Japanese media. He is a 1988 graduate of Chuo University.-Career:...
as Kenshiro
Kenshiro
is the main protagonist of the manga franchise Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee.In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful...
, Takashi Ukaji as Raoh
Raoh
is a fictional character in the Fist of the North Star manga franchise by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. He is the eldest of four honorary brothers who trained alongside the protagonist Kenshiro in the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shinken...
, Yuriko Ishida
Yuriko Ishida
is a Japanese actress and essayist from Nagoya. She was the Japanese voice of "San" in Princess Mononoke. She is older sister of Hikari Ishida, also an actress...
as Yuria, and Kou Shibasaki
Kou Shibasaki
, born Yukie Yamamura, on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese singer and actress.-Music career:Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the...
as Reina (a new character), all whom were live-action actors were little voice acting experience prior to the production of the movies.
Opening Act
The film begins with a scene straight out of the manga, and also adapted to the original anime. Kenshiro is being tested in a contest known as 10 battles to the death. Based on the script, it appears that Ken's older brother Raoh is responsible for this contest,due to his curiosity of Ken's ability or possibly even as a way of eliminating him by death. Raoh
Raoh
is a fictional character in the Fist of the North Star manga franchise by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. He is the eldest of four honorary brothers who trained alongside the protagonist Kenshiro in the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shinken...
and Souther observe, as a young Kenshiro defeats his much larger opponents 1 by 1 until, Ken locks eyes with Shū
Shu
Shu may refer to:*Shū ** , Japanese Kanji.*Shu * 蜀 , an abbreviation of Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China, as well as the following historical regimes that have existed in this region:...
. Shū steps forward to accept Ken's challenge,and defeats him swiftly. It is then that Ken humbly accepts defeat and shows great respect and appreciation toward Shū, miraculously casting Ken in an omnipotent light. At which point Toki
Toki
Toki can refer to:People* The Toki clan, a Japanese samurai clan* Tōki Susumu, Japanese sumo wrestlerFictional characters* Toki, the second of the four brothers of Hokuto Shinken in Fist of the North Star...
asks to take Ken's place, so that Ken's life would be sparred in exchange for Toki's. Souther interprets this as a challenge and claims that Toki would lose to him. An argument breaks out over the fate of Ken, with Shū debating that Ken should live and Souther swearing that it is against their law. To end the debate,and save Ken's life Shū destroys his own eyes using a special hand swipe technique, thus blinding himself permanently. It was this sacrifice that ultimately sparred Ken's life, although Souther remained angry. The scene ends with a shot of Raoh seemingly unfazed.
Prologue
The film then goes on to explain and introduce the 3 brothers Toki, Ken, and Raoh. Through narration and summary the story of their training to become the sole successor of the ultimate martial art form "Hokouto no Ken", is told. The narration and video also make a point to describe in detail how the world became a barren wasteland full of violence, then continues to summarize the brothers separate paths ending with Raoh's path of becoming supreme leader.
Overview
A film adaptation of the Holy Emperor story arc, which primarily depicted the conflict between Kenshiro and Souther. As the subtitle suggest, the movie expands upon Raoh's back-story and motivations. New characters Reina, a woman who falls in love with him, and her brother Soga, Raoh's advisor, play an important part. Not only are they his military support but, also relate to other characters such as Ken and Toki. Especially Reina who stays loyal to Raoh, even in despair,and attempts to recruit Toki, as the story shifts to her point of view. Much of the plot involves Raoh's relationship with her, and military strategy, in his conquest to restore order in a land of chaos under his rule. Most of this portion is new content specific to this film. The other side of the story is the retelling of Ken's attempt to save and protect the villagers from Souther's Army with the influence and friendship of Shū. A small subplot of Bart returning to his home is also apparent. The end of the film is new content that explains the new characters, Soga & Reina's ties to the 3 main characters of the series, Raoh, Ken, & Toki.
Insight
Feature film released on March 11, 2006.The film was rated PG12 in Japan due to violent content. The DVD release of the film features over 500 additional frames of animation, as well as re-recorded dialogue by Takashi Ukaji (the voice of Raoh), resulting in a few differences from its theatrical release. The movie grossed only $862,681
Overview
This OVA features a somewhat original storyline because it focuses on Yuria, spanning from her childhood, including the day she first met Kenshiro, to the conclusion of the previous film, but for the most part the story remains the same as the manga / anime. Many important characters from the manga also appear, such as Raoh, Toki, Shin, Rei (which happens to be his only appearance in this series), and the Nanto Goshasei (with the omission of Juza) all of them interacting and relating to Yuria. The Nanto Goshasei act as a cohesive group of 5 characters that directly interact with Yuria, during the majority of the story, in essence they are her support, whereas Yuria is the protagonist. However, there is not a clear antagonist. This story is the most expansive of the series, even covering never before seen events from Yuria's childhood, revealing both her mother and father, as well as her brother Ryuuga. It also fills in some details that were never addressed in the original story, such as the time and place when Yuria developed her illness, and the confrontation between Ken and Jagi that led to Jagi's disfigurement. Also there are scenes taken straight from the anime that have been altered significantly. One of the more notable differences is the addition of Yuria's dog Tobi,who serves an important role in the relationship between her and Ken. Because of its emphasis on Yuria, this OVA features very few fight scenes compared to the other installments,instead focusing on her love and concern, mostly for Ken, but also for the planet and its innocents.
It provides some insight into her thoughts and motives, as well as explaining her whereabouts during the timeline of the manga / anime, in which she was thought to be dead. It also displays how she transitioned into the role of Last Nanto General. However, this OVA does not follow Yuria up to the moment of her death or acknowledge any events prior to the death of Souther,making it an incomplete recollection of her life and is without a major conclusion or climax, making it less of a stand alone story. Instead, "Yuria Den" like the rest of the series (except "Kenshiro Den") is a more of a fill in the blanks addition and compliment,to the original story.
Insight
OVA released February 23, 2007.
Overview
A film adaptation of the Last Nanto General story arc from the manga, depicting the final battle between Kenshiro and Raoh and the conclusion of the Hokouto no Ken. As an adaptation some events have been excluded from the story,(such as Raoh's fight with Juza) where as others have been altered or expanded. New content featuring Raoh's perspective and military strategy have been added to the story. The story serves as the follow-up to the first film in the series, which introduced Raoh and Reina's relationship, this time bringing it to a conclusion.
Insight
Feature film released on April 28, 2007. Nobuaki Kakuda
Nobuaki Kakuda
is a Japanese Seidokaikan Karateka.-Career:Kakuda is famous for his first punch knockout win over German mixed martial artist Mavrick at 0:56 seconds in the K-1 Fields Europe GP 2005 as well as being the only K-1 fighter to lose to Akebono, a former Sumo wrestler whose long losing streak has made...
voices the character of Akashachi the Pirate. To promote the release of the film, a funeral event for the character of Raoh was held at the Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin
Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin
is a temple located at Minato Ward Takanawa 3-15-18 in Tokyo. The persuasion is Koyamsan Shingon Sect and the principal image is Kūkai. It stands next to the Takanawa Police Station.-History:...
for ten days, beginning on April 10, 2007. Shinji Tanimura
Shinji Tanimura
is a Japanese singer and songwriter.- Biography :In 1971, Tanimura set up the musical group, Alice, along with Takao Horiuchi, and in 1972 produced his first extended play musical album. Two years later, they produced their first album from the musical group...
served as the funeral director, while Takashi Ukaji gave the memorial address. Nearly 3,000 fans attended the event. This film fared slightly better at the box office at $1,479,911
Overview
An OVA which centers around Toki and his relationship with his brother Raoh. The OVA introduces another new character named Sara, a female doctor who watches over Toki and becomes his love interest.
Insight
OVA released on March 26, 2008.
Overview
The film's story is a prequel to the Fist of the North Star depicting the one-year interval between Kenshiro's defeat at the hands of Shin and their later battle. Unlike the others in the series this film has a completely original storyline, featuring Kenshiro as the central character.
Insight
Feature film released on October 11, 2008. Many of the voice actors from the original TV series were cast for the roles of numerous new characters in the movie. Similarly to the funeral that was held to promote the second Raoh film, a wedding event was held at the Nippon Seinenkan Grand Hall on September 13, 2008 (coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
debut of Hokuto no Ken) to promote the film.
Characters from the original manga
New characters
- Voiced by: Kou ShibasakiKou Shibasaki, born Yukie Yamamura, on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese singer and actress.-Music career:Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the...
- Introduced in Raoh Den, she is a childhood friend of Raoh, and determined female general of his cavalry. Her character design was done by Tsukasa HojoTsukasa Hojois a Japanese manga artist. He studied technical design while still at Kyushu Sangyo University, where he began to draw manga. He worked on several one-shot stories before releasing his serialized works: Cat's Eye, City Hunter and Angel Heart....
. Reina, like Raoh and his brothers, is a native of the Land of Asura. Before Raoh left Asura, he promised Reina that he would come back to save their homeland.
- Voiced by: Unshou IshizukaUnshou Ishizuka, better known as is a Japanese seiyū from Katsuyama, Fukui. He is currently affiliated with Aoni Production and also provides the voice for the Narrator and Professor Oak on Pokémon. During the Johto saga, he voiced Jasmine's Steelix, Pryce's Piloswine, Clair's Gyarados and also Ash's Kingler in...
- Reina's brother, also introduced in Raoh Den. Master of . He and his sister left the Land of Asura to join Raoh's army and become his loyal followers. He lost his right leg at Cassandra and wears a prosthetic. After he was struck with a fatal attack by Gaiya which gave him a mere two months to live, he came up with a ruse to scare Raoh's men out of any inclinations of desertion or rebellion. He made it look as if he had allowed an assassin into Raoh's palace and Raoh subsequently killed him in front of his horrified troops.
- Voiced by: Masuo AmadaMasuo Amadais a male actor and seiyū from Hyōgo Prefecture. He is affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company, and graduated from the Osaka University of Arts.-Television animation:*Arc the Lad *Berserk *Black Cat...
- A rival warlord who fights against Reina. He is secretly being manipulated by Gaiya. Meiō controls what was once Southern Cross and Godland.
- Voiced by: Yusaku YaraYusaku Yarais a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with Vi-Vo. His real name is ', and his former stage name was .He is best known for his roles in Chibi Maruko-chan as Hiroshi Sakura, Kiteretsu Daihyakka as Kiteretsu's Papa, the 1989 version of Sally, the Witch as Sally's...
- Appears in Yuria Den as Yuria's predecessor of Last General of Nanto. He also served as Yuria and Ryūga's guardian when they were children. He gave his position to Yuria before his death. He originally appeared in the manga as an unnamed character in a flashback.
- Voiced by: Yoshimitsu ShimoyamaYoshimitsu Shimoyamais a male Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture. He is probably best known for his role as Mukkuru, the white tiger from Utawarerumono.-Notable voice roles:*MegaMan NT Warrior as Gutsman.exe and Gravityman.exe...
- Appears in Yuria Den as Yuria's pet bull terrierBull TerrierThe Bull Terrier or English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. They are known for their large, egg-shaped head, small triangular eyes, and "jaunty gait." Their temperament has been described as generally fun-loving, active and clownish...
, whom she found abandoned as a puppy at the doorsteps of Ryūken's dojo when she was a child. Yuria proclaims that he bears the .
- Voiced by: Aya HiranoAya Hiranofrom Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She was contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of the Space Craft Group, for her voice acting career, and for her singing career,...
- Appears in Toki Den as a female doctor connected to the Hokuto Shinken dojoDojoA is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
. A friend of Toki's, she diagnoses his illness and travels with him to his new village.
- Voiced by: Rikiya KoyamaRikiya Koyama' is a Japanese actor and voice actor who is a member of Haiyuza Theatre Company.He has done popular voicing roles in Hajime no Ippo, Utawarerumono and Kamen no Maid Guy.He is also known by the nicknames "Rikki" and "Riki-chan".- Biography :...
- Appears in Kenshiro Den as Shin's rival to successorship of Nanto Koshūken.
- Voiced by: Takeshi AonoTakeshi Aonois a Japanese voice actor and actor from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō affiliated with Aoni Production. He graduated from Hokkaidō Asahikawa Higashi High School....
- Appears in Kenshiro Den, he is the Nanto Koshūken master who trained Shin and Jugai.