The new Hokuto no Ken -Fist of the North Star- anime is bringing in three more voice actors for its upcoming eighth episode, adding fresh faces to one of anime’s most legendary wastelands.
According to the anime’s staff, Kaori Ishihara will voice Taki, a boy from the village where Bat once lived. Sayuri Sadaoka joins as Toyo, an elderly woman from that same village, while Takashi Matsuyama will play Jackal, an antagonist who launches an attack on the settlement.
For newer anime fans in Malaysia and SEA who maybe only know the memes — yes, the whole “You are already dead” legacy — Fist of the North Star is not just old-school muscle anime. It is one of the big pillars of 1980s action manga, the kind of series that helped shape how over-the-top martial arts, post-apocalyptic violence, and tragic rivalries look in anime today.
The story follows Kenshiro, successor to a lethal martial art, as he travels through a nuclear wasteland defending the weak from gangs, killers, and power-hungry fighters. Along the way, he faces other martial arts masters and figures from his past, including Raoh, his “brother” who has declared himself king of the new world.
This new anime is being produced at TMS Entertainment, with Hiroshi Maeda directing. Maeda previously worked as director of photography on titles such as Hellsing Ultimate and Aquarion. Kazuma Ogasawara is assistant director, while Kazuhiko Inukai handles series scripts. Character designs are by Naoki Hisatsune, who has prior key animation credits on Fist of the North Star projects including Legend of Kenshiro and Legend of Toki. Kōji serves as animation director, and Yūki Hayashi of My Hero Academia fame is composing the music.
Production support also includes NIA Animation and Kishida Studio BACU. The opening theme is “Hallelujah” by Alexandros, while Toshl performs the ending theme, a remix of Crystal King’s classic “Ai o Torimodose!!” from the original anime.
The series premiered with its first two episodes on Tokyo MX and BS11 on April 10 at 25:00 JST, effectively April 11 at 1:00 a.m. More importantly for us here, Amazon Prime Video is streaming the anime worldwide, which makes it much easier for Malaysian and SEA fans to keep up legally without waiting for some random delayed release.
The new adaptation was announced as part of the franchise’s 40th anniversary celebration. Staff have previously said the CG-based anime aims to stay closer to the original work, which is a big deal because long-time fans can be very protective of Hokuto no Ken’s gritty look and brutal tone.
The original manga by Tetsuo Hara ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1983 to 1988. It later inspired a two-season TV anime that aired from 1984 to 1988 with 152 episodes, plus films, spinoffs, and other anime projects. Viz Media also began releasing a newer edition of the manga in digital and physical formats in June 2021.
The franchise is still active beyond this main remake too. Hiroshi Kurao launched the spinoff manga Hokuto no Ken Seikimatsu Drama Satsuei-hen in 2021, and his Elegy for the Henchmen: Fist of the North Star spinoff received a short anime earlier this year, with its second part scheduled for July.
For SEA viewers, episode 8 looks like another chance to see whether this remake can balance modern CG production with the raw, heavy-metal soul that made Fist of the North Star iconic in the first place.
Source: Anime News Network