In the not-so-distant future, Earth has become a post apocalyptic wasteland. In isolated towns and villages, people struggle to rebuild, only to have their efforts constantly destroyed or commandeered by roving gangs. It’s a world where the strong prey upon the weak, and justice might well seem like an outdated concept, if not for the efforts of one man.

His name is Kenshiro, and he is the lone master of the martial art known as Hokuto Shinken (Fist of the North Star)- an art that lets him kill an opponent simply by striking certain power points on their bodies. Accompanied by his young friends Bart and Lynn, Ken travels across the land on a quest to rescue his lover, Julia, from the hands of Shin, a former friend turned deadly rival. But although his journey will be far from easy, it marks only the beginning of Ken’s adventures.

In a market dominated by newer and shinier titles, Fist of the North Star continues to stand as a testament to that one simple fact- anime doesn’t always need to look good or even have a particularly deep storyline to be entertaining. Basing itself around a single concept- that of an invincible hero dishing out some well deserved damage to wave after wave of bad guys- the series nonetheless tends towards refreshingly simple rather than outright dire.

As you might expect, fighting is the core of this series, and pretty much every battle can be summarised in two words- brief and bloody. Hokuto Shinken is a martial art that involves attacking ‘power points’ on the body, and any victim thus afflicted usually ends up exploding several seconds later. Armed with a selection of moves that would make Bruce Lee proud, Kenshiro inevitably manages to strike at least one of these power points, ensuring that even the toughest of enemies are dispatched by the end of the episode.

Although Ken’s effortless victories over any and every opponent pretty much remove any tension in the conflicts themselves, they also add a measure of gratification- the majority of the villains are thoroughly dislikeable types and it is more than a little satisfying to see them get their just rewards. The action certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted though; the head-exploding capabilities of Hokuto Shinken represent just one of the various deadly martial arts in this post-apocalyptic world. A quick glance at the opening animation will show you what to expect, and if the idea of seeing people getting sliced and blown apart in gory detail really doesn’t appeal to you, then there’s really no point in watching any further.

The series isn’t just about random slaughter, however; Ken’s continuing conflicts are framed by an ongoing story. Whilst the first story arc about Ken’s quest to rescue Julia is beset by numerous flashbacks and extensive repetition, later arcs pick up the pace a little, introducing new allies and enemies for Ken. If never the deepest of storylines, Fist of the North Star is at least interesting enough to keep you wanting to find out what happens in the next episode. Sadly, however, Manga Entertainment only licensed the first 36 of the show’s 109 episodes, leaving the series unfinished for viewers in the West. Fortunately, episode 36 does bring one arc to a close, but it also begins to lay the groundwork for future episodes, and viewers may feel more than a little frustrated by hints of a storyline they will never get to see.

Given the show’s age, impressive visuals are certainly not the order of the day here, but then again, nor are they meant to be. Given that the series is set in the aftermath of a nuclear war, the Earth is not a beautiful place, whilst Ken’s numerous adversaries usually have looks to suit their personalities. The animation may be over twenty years old, but it is certainly more than sufficient to appropriately convey the atmosphere of this harsh world.

In Summary

Fist of the North offers one thing, and one thing only- pure, unashamed action. If you’re looking for an entertaining beat-‘em-up that gets straight to the point and never pulls its punches, you can’t go far wrong with this. But you want something a little deeper, or find the idea of excessive violence and a high body count off-putting, then you’d be well advised to give this one a miss.