To me, there are only two types of action in entertainment. You have your stupid action, and you have your smart action. Bakki the Grappler is most definitely stupid action. Not that there's a thing wrong with that. If this is the first time you've ever heard of Bakki, I'll let you know that he's been around the block before.

I've only seen the old Baki Hanma once, and his fights and opponents defied logic. In one infamous scene, his opponent pulls out a nerve from Baki's arm. From what I learned, the biology the anime was alleging held no truth in reality at all. The old Bakki was even more ridiculous than Bakki the Grappler, but I think the new Baki might win the prize in stupid.

We first learn about Baki when a gang of 100 thugs gathers together for a singular goal- to beat Baki Hanma once and for all. When Baki does show up, he is unimpressive. He's short and couldn't be less intimidating. Looks are absolutely deceptive, because Baki shows this massive gang that he fears no one. Baki mounts the shoulders of the largest, scariest guy and proceeds to beat his face in. From there, Baki goes after the other 99 and manages to knock out more than 30 of them.

The scuffle is broken up by Kido, who looks to be a veteran police officer. He knows much about Baki, and he keeps a close eye on Baki's whereabouts. There is a mysterious man named Kurigawa who is looking on with interest as well. While Kido knows a lot about Baki, Kido's rookie partner Shima does not. In Baki's neighborhood, he is quite well known, to the point that the house he lives in has been tagged with loads of graffiti. As Kido says, gangsters and thugs have been so unsuccessful in beating Baki that they can only resort to ruining the outside of his home.

Yuri lives alone, but he does have family. His mother, it turns out, pays for Baki's accommodations, and his martial arts training as well. He is trained by the best staff money can buy, but for Baki, it is not enough. Baki knows how powerful his father, Yujiro, was, but Baki wants to train on his own. Yujiro is not in the picture, and he may not be alive. Baki's mother, Emi Akezawa, has an odd relationship with Baki, to say the least. In one scene, Emi meets her son at his home, and their interaction is something straight out of Hentai.

Baki's frustration with his training stems from the fight he has against Yuri Chakovsky. Yuri Chakovsky is a boxer, but he is a champion fighter. After fighting Yuri, Baki makes a decision to refocus his training and to take a different approach to becoming the greatest grappler alive.

In the second episode, Kaoru Hanayama is introduced. Kaoru is 15 years old. He is also a bit big for his age and he is one of the most dangerous members of the underworld. Kaoru's power lies in his crushing grip, and he could be the person to kill Baki Hanma. They do not meet in this volume, but I look forward to the beating these two young fighters will give each other.

In episode 3, Baki goes to Yasha Crag to face the Yasha Ape, like his father before him. The yasha ape is a fierce, highly sentient and agile creature. It's fair to say that Baki does not beat the yasha ape the first time he faces it.

Ando, a big bear of a man who knew Baki's father, lives near Yasha Crag and he warns Baki about the yasha ape, but he also teaches Baki that he should bulk up as part of becoming a more formidable fighter. In episode 4, Baki challenges the yasha ape yet again.

Baki the Grappler is a lot of fun, but it is dumb. In one montage, Baki takes his body past its limits, and when he passes these limits, I had to giggle at the silliness of him releasing certain energies within himself. The whole Yasha Ape situation was also silly to me, as was Baki's freak out at his gym. Baki takes itself a bit seriously, so when the characters speak of their philosophy as fighters, I can't swallow such a laughable pill.

Special features include basic character profiles, previews of other anime, a commentary track from the directors of the American production, and art for the anime.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older