To say I was excited when I first heard news of a new Fist of the North Star series would be an understatement. When I was growing up, the Fist of the North Star movie was one of my favourite anime titles. It may not have been particularly deep or intelligent, but as far as splatter filled, crowd pleasers go it’s hard to top.

Following one man’s struggle for peace in a post apocalyptic world populated by super powered thugs, Fist of the North Star found favour amongst fans thanks its unique brand of viscera splattered action and vivid cast of mystically empowered hard men. Two series and one movie down the line we arrive at New Fist of the North Star, an original three-part OVA produced in 2003, that brings Kenshiro’s gory exploits up to date.

The first volume of New Fist of North Star was business a usual for muscle bound meat cake Kenshiro. Having taken out despicable despot Nanga, Ken must now travel to the Clifflander’s enclave in search of a serum to save the mortally wounded Bista. Shortly after Kenshiro leaves however, a powerful warrior named Seiji arrives in search of the dethroned oppressor. Upon learning of his death and with no one to stand in his way Seiji declares himself king of Last Land, and establishes a new reign of cruelty.

I’m not ashamed to admit it; I absolutely love this modern iteration of the Fist saga. It’s great to see Kenshiro busting heads again after all these years, and whilst this OVA may add nothing new to the series’ tried and tested formula, it successfully recaptures most of what made the original series such a guilty pleasure. Namely, grossly muscled guys knocking seven shades of crap out of one another. The absence of recognisable characters like Rei and Toki is sorely felt, but the franchise’s winning blend of simple storytelling and bone crunching action is present, correct and looking better than ever.

During the second volume of Fist of the North Star, the grisly action that dominated vol.1 takes a backseat to the storyline, as Kenshiro fights his way into the Clifflander’s mountaintop stronghold. After battling his way into the inner sanctum, Kenshiro learns the truth behind a strange decree, forbidding those who learn its secrets to leave the enclave alive. Meanwhile, back in Last Land, Seiji imprisons Nanga’s false idols, inciting a bloody war between soldiers and serfs on the streets.

The writers’ attempt to tack something of a plot onto Fist of the North Star is a bold move, but despite their best intentions ‘The Forbidden Fist’ just misses the mark. There’s not enough action on offer to satiate the bloodthirsty appetites of life long Fist Of the North Star fans. And despite a commendable effort to inject the flimsy plot with some dramatic backbone, Fist of The North Star still won’t be winning any awards for originality.

The character of Seiji (voiced by J-pop impresario, Gackt) is also something of a disappointment. It’s hard to sympathise with a character that sets about erasing the pain of his tumultuous past by acting every bit as evil as the man he’s usurped. Although a few sickly sentimental flashbacks try to get the viewer on his side the disturbing acts he indulges in during this episode make him a difficult character to like.

Kenshiro may not get much of a chance to flex his muscles in this volume, but the show still finds ample opportunity to pack in some of the blood drenched, viscera filled thrills the most infamous series in Anime is known for. I was extremely glad to see Kenshiro’s trademark face-pounding techniques carried over from the original series.

And thanks to some cutting edge animation those body-bursting battles have never looked better. The level of detail on display is absolutely staggering, outside of the occasional Madhouse series or Ghibli feature film there aren’t many productions that can equal this OVA in terms of sheer eye candy. Even the detail on Kenshiro’s jacket has been rendered in gorgeous, painstaking detail. It’s not perfect however, and the occasional shoddy 3D effect, jars noticeably with the traditionally drawn 2D animation.

In Summary

As much as I love Fist of the North Star, this volume left me feeling under whelmed. The over the top action has always been the series main draw and by shoehorning it into background this entry of the series falls short. Still, I’m not prepared to give up on the series just yet, and I can only hope this volume is calm before the storm. Fingers crossed the ultimate volume in this series of OVAs will drag the more splatter-centric side of Fist Of The North Star to the forefront, finishing the series with a characteristically blood drenched bang.