Kodama Tales
Inc. , a subsidiary of Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd. , has
officially announced that it will release the Baki the Grappler manga
in English worldwide. The highly anticipated 24-volume series
will begin publishing in October 2025. The English-language
physical edition will be printed directly in Japan , ensuring
editorial quality faithful to the original.
A
martial arts classic returns to the scene
Keisuke
Itagaki debuted
with the work “Baki the Grappler” in 1991 in the magazine Weekly Shōnen
Champion , publishing a total of 42 volumes until
1999. It was followed by a direct sequel, simply titled “ Baki ”,
which had 31 volumes and was active until 2005.
The saga
continued with “ Hanma Baki ” (2005-2012), with 37
volumes , and later with “ Baki-Dou ”, started in
2014 and ended in 2018 with 22 volumes . In October 2018, a
new version of “ Baki-Dou ” was released, which concluded in June 2023,
although it kept the same title, it used different characters for the name
“Baki”.
More
series to come from Japanese publishers
In addition
to “Baki,” Kodama Tales announced it is working on future publications with
publishers including Asahi Shimbun Publications , Coamix , Daiwa
Shobo , Hero's Inc. , Nihonbungeisha , Shodensha ,
and Shonengahosha . This points to an ambitious publishing
strategy to expand Japanese manga beyond its borders through official,
high-quality editions.
Baki is
also a hit on Netflix
The
franchise has been a success not only on paper but also on screen. In June
2018, the anime " New Grappler Baki: In Search of Our
Strongest Hero " premiered on Netflix Japan . It
consisted of 26 episodes divided into two parts, the second of
which premiered internationally in March 2019.
In June
2020, “ Baki: Dai Raitaisai-hen ” was released globally,
followed by “ Baki Hanma ” in September 2021. The most recent
series, “ Baki Hanma: The Father VS Son Saga ”, premiered in
August 2023, closing a cycle of intense action and emotion between father and
son.
A
publication eagerly awaited by fans around the world
While Media
Do has already published part of the manga in English digitally, this
is the first time the complete series will have an official
physical edition in this language. It's undoubtedly an excellent opportunity
for both new readers and collectors who have
been waiting for a quality print version of Keisuke Itagaki's classic.
With a
combination of raw violence , martial arts philosophy ,
and extreme characters , "Baki the Grappler"
continues to cement itself as one of the most iconic combat manga franchises.
And now, the entire world can enjoy it as it deserves.
