Like Clint Eastwood in FOR A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS or Yul Brynner in THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR- and dressed like Mel Gibson in THE ROAD WARRIOR-, Kenshiro comes walking out of the desert ready to take on all comers. He wanders a post-apocalyptic wasteland, doing good wherever and whenever he can. (And, in fact, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR inspired my own post-apocalyptic comic story, WASTELAND.) Hara and Buronson eschew subtlety: when Kenshiro unloads his devastating combinations, the results are invariably explosive- literally. Heads and bodies alike erupt in founts of blood and bone and brains that shower the battlefield. Not for the weak of heart. Or gorge. Ultra violence has been a mainstay of anime for as long as I've been a fan, so it doesn't faze me, but I can see how kids weened on Americanimation might blanch.

Fist of the North Star is definitely the best anime ever created- certainly the most violent, in fact, anyone who has the grace to see this film should note that this could very well be the most violent film in any genre of any time period; it makes Clockwork Orange, Natural Born Killers and the entire Living Dead trilogy combined look like amateur demonstrations. True, it comes from the same minds that have developed some of the sickest and most perverse entertainment on planet Earth, but what's strange is that it's terrifyingly beautiful all the way through. While the ending gets weak, the animation in and of itself from first frame to last is remarkable and captures all the feeling that goes in and with these characters.

The story as well, while at times set up like the video games it inspired, is also quite credible, er for a kids movie. And yes, I said a kids movie, or at least that is how it's understood in Japan being that there is no real nudity and language past SOB and bastard, but can still go no holds barred in earth shattering battle scenes. While not without having some off-putting material in the nature of the violence and in some of the hints of the subject matter, it's not without having its true merits as a genre picture. It might be the best 'cult' anime film ever produced; an absolutely incredible must-see for all anime fans and even strident American animated patriots might want to look in the non-violent scenes for care and fortitude.

Bottom line, the Fist of the North Star motion picture is one of the best animated films ever presented. Bravo!

This animated feature film of the famous manga "Fist of the North Star" is worth watching perhaps just to see how ludicrous and terrible a lot of anime was back in the '80s. It goes for almost two hours but has no story or characters, is filled with repetitive and totally over-the-top violence but no decent action, and is dubbed by actors whose delivery is so unnatural it sounds like they come from another planet.

The setting is basically a rip-off of "Mad Max". The Japanese just couldn't get enough of post-apocalyptic settings in the '80s and '90s. Here, instead of fuel being the thing everyone is fighting over, it is possibly water and food - at least it was in the manga.

Basically all the bugbears of anime in the '80s and early-to-mid '90s are here. The characters are all ridiculously massive - apparently in a world with water in scarce supply, there is a plentiful stock of steroids - and some of them tower over the hero like King Kong might. How they got so big isn't explained. The movie makes no sense, has a bunch of off-hand references to relatively simple concepts from the manga that it never explains, has ridiculously over-the-top violence with a possible record for the number of exploding heads, goes for far too long, and features women only so that they can be threatened with sexual violence.

One thing you can say is that it has none of the usual sleazy sex and nudity that anime was synonymous with back in the day. There is one bizarre scene where the token damsel-in-distress takes her clothes off... and has no nipples. What's up with that?

The movie doesn't really have a story or a plot. The man guy, Kenshin, is the titular Fist of the North Star, which I take to mean the best at the type of martial arts he practices, which allows him to use pressure points to make people's heads and bodies explode. There is a genuine laugh in the first scene where he says "Haiiiiiiii-dididididididiididididi!" in a high pitched voice and starts punching really quickly.

The movie is basically just Kenshin being challenged by different muscle bound punk types and making their heads and bodies explode. I defy you to not get bored by that - and frustrated with the lack of plot - in about five to ten minutes. And it goes for almost two hours.

Watch this to appreciate modern day anime more.