The upcoming 29th issue of Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine, set to release on June 15, will mark the conclusion of Keisuke Itagaki's manga series, "Baki-Dou." This announcement was made in the magazine's 27th issue, which was released on Thursday. Notably, the manga will go on a brief hiatus and will not have a new chapter in the 28th issue on June 8.
The current iteration of "Baki-Dou" features a different set of characters compared to the previous series with the same name, although it retains the "Baki-Dou" title. In this manga, the protagonist Baki confronts Japan's most ancient and formidable "sumo god," Nomi no Sukune, a legendary figure known for engaging in the first-ever recorded sumo match against Taima no Kehaya in 23 B.C.E.
The new "Baki-Dou" manga premiered in Weekly Shōnen Champion in October 2018, and its 16th compiled volume was published on May 8 by Akita Shoten.
Keisuke Itagaki's original martial arts manga, "Baki The Grappler," was serialized for 42 volumes in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1991 to 1999 and has garnered over 63 million copies in circulation. Itagaki then continued the franchise with a 31-volume sequel manga from 1999 to 2005. Media Do has released an English version of the manga. Following that, Itagaki worked on the 37-volume "Hanma Baki" manga, which was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 2005 to 2012. The first "Baki-Dou" manga, the fourth overall installment in the franchise, debuted in March 2014 and concluded in April 2018 with 22 volumes.
The "Baki" anime adaptation, based on Itagaki's work, debuted its first season on Netflix in June 2018 within Japan, consisting of 26 episodes that concluded in December 2018. Netflix then released the first 13 episodes internationally in December 2018, followed by the second half of the season in March 2019.
Subsequently, the "Baki: Dai Raitaisai-hen" anime premiered globally on Netflix in June 2020, with all episodes available at once. "Baki Hanma," the third series on Netflix, serves as a sequel to "Baki: Dai Raitaisai-hen." It premiered on Netflix worldwide in September 2021, featuring 12 episodes.
The second season of "Baki Hanma," titled "Tale of Pickle & The Pickle War Saga," is set to debut on Netflix worldwide on July 26. Following that, the anime's "The Father VS Son Saga" will premiere on August 24.
By Parth Thapar
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