Fist of the North Star, Vol. 15

北斗の拳 究極版 [Hokuto no Ken Kyūkyoku-ban] #15

by Buronson, Tetsuo Hara (illustrator)

Among the three Rasho, the generals who rule the land of the Asuras, Hyo hangs on to a little more of his humanity than the others. Deceived into believing that Kenshiro is responsible for the death of his sister, Hyo enters the demon realm to confront him. Meanwhile, Kenshiro searches for Hokuto Shinken’s ultimate secret technique, which he will need when he squares off against the demon lord Kaio once again. What fuels Kaio’s hatred, and what secret does he hold that could change Kenshiro’s fate?

Genres: Manga, Comics, Science Fiction

286 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2014

About the author

Okamura Yoshiyuki (岡村善行), also known as Buronson (武論尊) or Sho Fumimura (史村翔 Fumimura Shō), is a Japanese manga writer most known by his famous work Hokuto no Ken. known in English as Fist of the North Star.
He graduated from the Japanese Air Force Training School in 1967 and served as an Air Force radar mechanic. In 1969 he discharged from the Japanese Navy and was soon hired by Hiroshi Motomiya as a manga assistant. He started his manga writing career when he wrote the script of Pink Punch: Miyabi in 1972, drawn by Goro Sakai. In 1975 Buronson wrote his first big hit The Doberman Detective, drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. The famous Hokuto no Ken made its debute as Buronson's greatest hit in 1983, drawn by Tetsuo Hara. In 1989 his story Ourou was released as a manga serialized in Animal Magazine, drawn by Kentarou Miura, and in 1990 a sequel entitled Ourou Den was released by the same manga artist. Buronson also collaborated with the manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami in many works as Strain (manga) , Human (manga) and the famous Sanctuary (manga). Among his other major works are The Phantom Gang, with art by Kaoru Shintani.

Buronson was mainly influenced by movies such as Bruce Lee's, and Mad Max.

The nickname Buronson is a tribute to the American actor Charles Bronson, whose way of growing the mustache was imitated by Yoshiyuki Okamura too.

Reviews

[Agnese Rosengren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inizia a essere tutto un po' ripetitivo ma, tutto sommato, continua a piacermi.
Si capisce comunque che non manca tantissimo alla conclusione della serie, questo sì.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are also approaching the finale of this “second series” that takes place on Demon Island. In this epic issue we have some revelations and the battle between Hio and Ken. Buronson and Tetsuo Hara never disappoint.

Ci stiamo avvicinando anche al finale di questa "seconda serie" che ha luogo nell'isola dei demoni. In questo numero epico abbiamo alcune rivelazioni e la battaglia tra Hio e Ken. Buronson e Tetsuo Hara non deludono mai.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun and the art is great. But you can stop reading at the end of the Raoh arc

[Diogo Muller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another volume with fated fights and the power of love... and I gotta say, this is not only feeling a bit repetitive, but the weakness of the plot's consistency also shows a lot here.

It's still the same manga, so it's not too bad, but... yeah, maybe it's good that the series is close to its end here.

[Shin Donghae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jilid lain dengan formula yang sama, pertarungan yang ditakdirkan dan kekuatan cinta hha. Terlepas dari repetisi yang ada, tetapi kelemahan konsistensi plot juga banyak terlihat di sini DXX

Itu masih manga yang sama, jadi tidak terlalu buruk, tapi... ya, mungkin ada baiknya seri ini sebaiknya segera diakhiri hhe.

[Juan Carlos Esteve]

Estilo de dibujo: Bien. Historia: La trama no tiene sentido desde el segundo o tercer volumen. Con cada nuevo capítulo descubrimos algo del pasado del protagonista o sus compañeros que no terminan de encajar con muchas cosas que se han explicado hasta ahora

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5. Better then the previous volume. The ending was very promising. It brings back the hype for me!

[Paul Spence · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think you’ve got family problems, then you should see what Kenshiro goes through. No matter the circumstances, it feels like our hero from Fist of the North Star will make family reunions all the more difficult as his pathway in life lengthens. Sure, siblings will fight, but never to point of violence and death (unless you live in Alabama, of course). But poor Kenshiro has to keep chipping away from the family tree, as the fifteenth volume of Fist of the North Star continues to spill sibling blood in the most beautifully gruesome of ways.

The next person who swears to end Kenshiro’s life is Hyo, whose fiancé’s life comes to an end. Although it’s thanks to Kaio that she’s died, the blame is placed on Kenshiro because, well, evil reasons, I suppose. But there’s something bigger on Kenshiro’s mind, and that’s the location of the ultimate technique in Hokuto Shinken. Its location is still a mystery, but a little luck from Kaio somehow manages to discover where it could be.

There’s a big focus on love and what it can cause in this volume of Fist of the North Star. For Hyo, the death of his betrothed fuels his strength against Kenshiro. Our hero uses his love for his bloodline and even Rin to push himself towards ridding the evils of the world. As for Kaio, his reasons for pushing love out of his life deal with his mother, with her death being the main reason behind his lack of feelings in the heart.

Of course, this is the tale of Kenshiro, and while matters of the heart are important in this series, it’s the matters of the fist that trounce every other body part. The fights are once again a display of wanton violence and gruesome imagination. From horses stomping on appendages to the classic head bursts, it’s a foray of gore that any fan of Fist of the North Star will enjoy. And yet, something feels missing in this volume.


Yes, a lot of things occur. Kenshiro’s fight with Hyo is certainly one that’s brimming with importance. Learning of the ultimate Hokuto Shinken technique is also something that our hero has been working hard to seek. There’s also the relationship between Kenshiro and Rin, which has been leaning towards something more than just being friends and allies. But why does it not have that feeling of importance that past moments were brimming of?

Whatever the case, the fifteenth volume of Fist of the North Star is a little off on the storytelling side. Action-wise, it’s chock full of the crazy moves and bloody deaths that we’ve come to love. But concerning the plot, Fist of the North Star seems a little stuck. Perhaps with Kaio in his sights for the next ultimate fight, there can be a lot more focus placed back on the important matters of Kenshiro’s world.

[Robert S.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh I missed this

Manga gets no better than this. It's so over the top and so philosophical in its way, that most among the nowadays would seem to be pedestrian in comparison. This will always be a unique manga among the many and the story has become such a wild ride and it will always be one of the greatest.

[Ruz El · Rating 4 out of 5]

As things ramp up to the series conclusion, this on lightens up on the fights and actually does a good job of doing some actual narrative to add some emotion to everything. Which doesn't mean that no heads get kicked off of course. Other than that, it's pretty much the same, only with some better stakes being set up.

[Davide Pappalardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with the series, the plot is just an excuse for the great battles, which are the gristle and bone of the manga. So, there is a lot of naive melodrama to sit through, but it is worth it in the end.P.S Kaioh is the original emo, isn't he?

[Omar Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenshiro. The man

[Federico Lucifredi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations. Incredibly violent, and needlessly so (but still less than Battle Angel Alita). A classic, written by the master himself, Buronson.

[Derek Keener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know what my next 5-10 therapy sessions will be about!

[Andy Cantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I think the series can't get more over the top, Buronson kicks it up a notch.

I thought this was the end, but I was wrong, and I'm glad to be wrong!

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...