The OGs Ohma Tokita aka Kengan Ashura, Metsudo Katahara and Mitsunari Tokugawa are back. It is thanks to the latter, coming from the worlds of Ashura and Hanma, that the concept of competition began. On the other hand, Sea Emperor Kaku, Retsu, and Jaku make a cameo, and it's as good as them not being in the movie. Nobunaga Shizamaki returns to voice Baki Hanma, while Tatsuhisa Suzuki appears as the voice of Kengan Ashura. Both, as always, stand out in the franchise.
The film begins with an earthquake. Of course we know what it means in the world of Baki Hanma. So, when Hanma met Ashura, well, the break is history. It is a story that is meant to be retold. As in Baki Hanma, Kazuo Yamashita is the one who is introduced.
Director: Toshiki HiranoWriters: Daromeon, Atsuo Ishino, Keisuke ItagakiStars: Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Yutaka Aoyama
This story is about power, and with thunder falling, it makes that absolutely clear. Keeping the tone of the series intact, there is always tension over when a fight will break out, but at the same time, there is also a lot of admiration for the other person. The film has the same message to convey.
I saw Paing Yoroizuka and Kaouru Hanayama do it first. Just when everything seems one-sided, the match takes a turn. This is very accurate with the concept. They have a surprise around them that you probably didn't see coming. Of course, there is a lot of violence and gore in this movie, given the concept of WWE, so it is not made for the faint of heart.
Julius Reinhold and Biscuit Olivia are next, but in a different way. Goki Shibukawa is needed to clarify them.
Raian Kure and Jack Hammer, like most, get an interesting introduction. Their appearance is like literal demons, as is their fighting style. For some reason, there are lights when they hit each other, which might be overkill. The backstory of the time when they were offered to compete against each other is told, and the build-up really works. The moment where Kure loses all control is something you don't want to miss. They are where everything begins. There's the deja vu moment, where it's either kill or be killed.
Pickle is here. The first comes at the perfect time. At that same moment, Ashura comes face to face with Pickle and that's something, especially since Hanma already shares a strong bond with the primitive being.
With that, Hanma and Ashura give us a moment before their fight even begins. This sets a good tone for what is to come. Ashura and Hanma's fighting techniques, as well as their training, vary drastically. This is seen through a scene in the movie, just before their match.
Their fight is finally here and they demand your full attention because of how quickly their fights move. Both Hanma and Ashura have developed techniques to become the best in MMA and luckily we have people explaining it all here. Their confrontation also turns out to be more one-sided than one might expect. At that moment, there is a supernatural twist.
Much like what we've seen in the franchise, their fight brings people together. They want to know what will happen next, because this is no longer a fight to simply win. It is a struggle to be proud of oneself and others for how far they have come in their training. If there could be an ending for them, it couldn't be better than the one shown in the movie.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the father of the OGs, Yujiro Hanma, makes a surprise entrance. To say he still has it would be a gross understatement. Yujiro, even in his soft era, is still quite dangerous and that is seen in his brief appearance in the film. Thanks to that, he is now junior vs senior instead of junior vs junior and senior vs senior.
Gensai 'The Devil Lance' Kuroki certainly has the best entrance in the movie. Not only does he come out of the dust but he is also recognized by the best of all.
In a matter of minutes, the game ends with the promise of a new season. And although the game ends, the movie does not. There are still some surprises left. One of them hints that the story is taking a drastic turn towards the supernatural.
Coming to the OST, if you have been a fan of the franchise, you will like to hear both the opening and ending themes. They don't offer too many visuals, so don't get your hopes up, but they sure are easy on the ears.
Adam Dudley and Chiharu Shiba end up having their own competition. Although this was supposed to bring relief (read pain) in the tense atmosphere, it almost never does, as the joke is as old as the Edo period itself (mentioned in the film).
Although Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura has some things to offer, he still doesn't live up to what the franchise has been about. This could be because they are just building up, but the preparation took an hour and had few moments to really pique your interest.
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