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New Baki Manga to Feature Japan's Legendary 1st Sumo Wrestler
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
This year's 19th issue of Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine revealed on Thursday that the fifth part of Keisuke Itagaki's Baki The Grappler manga franchise will feature the Japanese legendary sumo wrestler Nomi no Sukune. The wrestler supposedly had the first ever sumo match against Taima no Kehaya in 23 B.C. The magazine will reveal the details of the manga in the future.
Itagaki's Baki-Dou manga, the fourth main manga in the franchise, also ended in the issue. In addition, Yukinao Yamauchi's Baki Gaiden - Scarface (Scarface - Legend of the Invincible Fist) manga will return in the magazine's next issue on April 12.
The Baki-Dou sequel series launched in Weekly Shōnen Champion in March 2014 as the third sequel to the original Baki The Grappler manga. Akita Shoten released the 20th compiled book volume on February 8, and the 21st volume will ship on April 6.
The manga's 14th volume bundled an original anime DVD (OAD) adaptation in December 2016 that depicts the "Most Evil Death Row Convicts" arc from Itagaki's Baki (New Grappler Baki: In Search of Our Strongest Hero) manga. Netflix's upcoming anime adaptation of the series will also focus on the same story arc. The anime will premiere in summer 2018 inside Japan, and in fall 2018 outside of Japan.
Itagaki's original Baki The Grappler martial arts manga ran for 42 volumes in Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from 1991 to 1999. The manga has more than 63 million copies in circulation. The series has received two television anime adaptations and an original animation video.
Baki, the second installment in Itagaki's overall series, ran for 31 volumes in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1999 to 2005. After the Baki sequel manga finished in 2005, Hanma Baki then ran in the same magazine from 2005 to 2012.
Yukinao Yamauchi (Baki Gaiden - Scarface) launched Baki Gaiden: Kizuzura, a Baki The Grappler spinoff, in the inaugural issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Champion magazine in 2012. Still another spinoff, Baki Gaiden: Kenjin, debuted in Champion RED magazine in 2013.
Source: The Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web
