Volume 13 is an odd mixture of elements and novel concepts that dazzle visually while being all right otherwise.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but many of the same strengths and weaknesses seen here have been with the series since Volume 10. There is a lot to enjoy, especially with the artwork and character designs. The medium is used well, and the new setting is a big first for the series, providing novel environments and concepts. The ongoing issue remains whether all of these new ideas and characters will gain the same ground in the reader’s admiration as the previous arcs and whether this just feels like everyone involved is simply making more because, hey, why stop?
The Land of Asura is the marquee element of this volume. Fist of the North Star has had Kenshiro traveling all over the wasteland, wandering from one environment to another, but this is the first time he has made the journey to a truly novel location. This is a landmark moment in and of itself. It gives Tetsuo Hara and Borunson a license to create new concepts, set new expectations, and make a significant break from what has come before.
They do get decent mileage out of these new ideas initially. It’s quite astounding to see Tetsuo Hara drawing vast seas and oceans after years of Kenshiro drawn against the harsh, sandy backdrops of the world that we knew. He is no slouch in this regard – but I’m sure that’s no surprise to you, dear reader. The oceans are inky and unforgiving, thrashing about on the page despite being still images. The ship that Kenshiro rides to get to the Land of Asura is a massive one, as this ocean mimics the land only allowing the strongest to survive.
We get a complete rework of the average population in the Land of Asura. Back in the wasteland we had grown accustomed to, many of the average people were hapless civilians terrorized by the strong, elite few. Sure there were armies of bemuscled and bemohawked warriors, but they were always portrayed as being less in number compared to the swathes of survivors dotting villages or serving as slave labor in various strongholds. The Land of Asura on the other hand only really has two occupations: those who kill and those who are killed. Every man is trained from boyhood to succeed or perish, and even within those ranks, there are further stratifications of power.
These elements coalesce into a rather fearsome reputation indeed. Harsh seas, harsh lands, harsh people – the legend of the Land of Asura looms large in these early chapters.
Sadly, this effect starts to wear off rather quickly. Once Kenshiro arrives at the Land of Asura and starts getting into his usual shenanigans (punching people until they explode, being the coolest guy ever – you know, typical Kenshiro stuff), it ends up feeling not all that different from the wasteland he just vacated. Kenshiro still ends up walking around a mostly empty landscape broken up by a few ultra-bizarro torture dungeons, fighting villains, and doing his usual stuff. It is technically different in theory, but in practice, it’s more of the same Fist of the North Star.
…which is not a problem, mind you! “Oh no, not more chapters of one of the greatest shonen fighting tales ever told,” is a complaint you will never hear me utter. But it is worth pointing out that for all the additional setup and preparation to establish new norms, this does not feel measurably different than what came before. In that sense, it is easy to understand why people criticize this stretch of the series after the final battle with Raoh.
Or is it the final battle with Raoh? Some rumors are already flying in the text about Raoh being the legendary warrior. Is it just hearsay, or will he return? I won’t spoil it for you if you don’t already know. That said, even in the text of the series the shadow of Raoh hangs over everything that is happening, and that makes it a challenge to escape those comparisons.
One of the big standout new characters is Shachi. Shachi is another long-haired companion for Kenshiro and is more interesting than he first seems. At first blush, you might fear he’s a pale imitation of Rei, Toki, or Shu. Shachi’s long hair has certainly been adjusted for inflation. But he actually manages to find a distinct identity despite his short time with Kenshiro, mainly because he wields a sister style to the Hokuto Shinken: Hokuto Ryuken. This is a situation where the new island actually creates storytelling opportunities that are just unique enough without rocking the boat too much. It makes sense that the Hokuto school would have branching paths of understanding separated by major geographical features. I think the reason Gento Koken sort of flopped for me was that it was hard to buy this brand new style existing so close to the other two main styles that had dominated the narrative for so long. Here we have a new but not totally new style with a clear reason for its separation – that’s great!
The art is excellent as always. I’ve been beating on this drum forever, but if you want to see amazing art and a keen understanding of the comic medium, here it is. Even when Tetsuo Hara is so obviously pulling on outside references, he manages to make it feel distinct. Sure, Kenshiro looks like Stallone in Cobra, but he also looks like Kenshiro realizing that same basic outfit without it feeling like awkward cosplay. It’s masterful stuff, alongside all the usual gore and great action.
The volume’s a strong package, but at the same time, I wouldn’t blame someone for feeling like there are diminishing returns in this latter era of the run.
