Baki the Grappler Season 1

Baki the Grappler Season 1 has built a real following among viewers who do not usually seek out animation. Across 1 season, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. A harder one to justify skipping than to start. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Baki the Grappler Season 1 earns its spot. The look of Baki the Grappler Season 1 gets people in the door, but the writing is what keeps them there. In the saga, Baki and other characters from China, Japan, and the USA take part in the Great Raitai Tournament, a martial arts tournament that happens once every 100 years in China. Masami Kikuchi and Kazuhiro Nakata lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2001. What makes Baki the Grappler Season 1 more than a curiosity is writing that would hold up in any format. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Baki the Grappler Season 1 belongs on any best-of list regardless of format. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Masami Kikuchi brings more to the role than the format usually demands. A harder one to justify skipping than to start.