Keisuke Itagaki’s Baki has spent 35 years entertaining manga readers with extraordinary fighters, brutal martial arts battles, and exaggerated displays of physical strength. However, according to Yuki Yokoi, Director of Promotions at publisher AKITASHOTEN, the series’ influence extends beyond manga and anime. In a new anniversary interview, Yokoi suggested that Baki helped inspire people to pursue real-world combat sports, with some fighters beginning their training after reading the series.
“Personally, I think it’s less that the world changed Baki and more that Baki has had a big influence on combat sports in the world,”
Yokoi explained.
“I believe there are many fighters who started training after reading Baki.”
Yokoi, who has worked on the franchise for 20 years, described the manga as a work that was ahead of its time. His comments form part of AKITASHOTEN’s interview celebrating the series’ 35th anniversary in Weekly Shonen Champion.
Baki’s Influence on Combat Sports Goes Beyond Its Manga and Anime
Yokoi’s comments highlight the connection between Baki’s fictional martial artists and real-world fighting. The series features practitioners of different combat disciplines, often bringing fighters with contrasting techniques and physical abilities into the same arena.
The publisher’s representative believes the manga encouraged some readers to explore martial arts themselves. This influence is particularly notable given that Baki began serialization in 1991, before mixed martial arts reached its current mainstream popularity.
Yokoi also discussed the popularity of Musashi Miyamoto, revealing that the historical swordsman finished second in a recent character popularity poll. He believes the anime adaptation contributed to the character’s popularity among viewers.
Keisuke Itagaki Uses Bodybuilding Magazines to Draw Baki’s Muscles
The interview also revealed how Itagaki creates the franchise’s distinctive muscular artwork. According to Yokoi, the manga creator maintains a scrapbook containing photographs of individual muscle groups collected from bodybuilding magazines.
Itagaki also references medical books on human anatomy, although photographs of bodybuilders remain his primary resource for depicting muscular physiques. Despite changes across the manga industry, Baki continues to use traditional production methods, including physical manuscripts, hand-applied screentones, and manual scraping.
Baki’s TEKKEN Collaboration Has Been in Development for Years
Yokoi revealed that AKITASHOTEN had pursued a collaboration with TEKKEN since Baki’s 30th anniversary. He considers the partnership a natural match because both franchises explore father-son rivalries.
The interview also revealed his personal contribution to the manga. Yokoi suggested Retsu Kaioh’s final line during his fight against Musashi:
“I’ll make use of this next time…”
Discussing the franchise’s lasting appeal, Yokoi credited its memorable cast and concluded that its central message remains simple:
“Strength is beautiful.”
The anniversary interview also coincides with the upcoming US release of the Most Evil Death Row Convicts Saga in the New Grappler Baki Perfect Edition. Meanwhile, all episodes of BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai are available worldwide on Netflix.
