DD Hokuto no Ken (anime 2013)

DD Hokuto no Ken (DD北斗の拳) is a Japanese animated series of 26 short episodes, broadcast in pairs over 13 weekly evenings from April 2 to June 25, 2013 on TV Tokyo. Produced by studio Ajia-do under the supervision of Tetsuo Hara for the 30th anniversary of Hokuto no Ken, it adapts the parodic manga by Kajio published in Monthly Comic Zenon and transposes the Hokuto brothers into 21st-century Japan, between neighborhood konbini and odd jobs.

Synopsis

199X. The Earth has experienced neither nuclear war nor the destruction of nature, and basks in perfect peace. In the 21st century, in a Japan softened by tranquility, Kenshiro was supposed to become the savior of the end of the century and earn everyone's admiration. No such luck. His every action triggers a catastrophe, no employer wants him, and his day-to-day survival is a feat in itself. It is a high school girl, Rin, who takes him in and brings him to the Ryuryuken convenience store, run by her father Ryuken. To his surprise, he finds his brothers Raoh and Toki there, just as ill-suited to the modern world as he is, along with the student Bat, the shop's only official employee. A merciless struggle then begins among the three brothers for the single permanent employee position, and incidentally for the title of successor of Hokuto Shinken. The zany comedy of Hokuto Shinken can begin, howatah!

An anime for the 30th anniversary of Hokuto no Ken

Officially labeled "Hokuto no Ken 30th anniversary commemorative TV anime" on its video editions, the series adapts the DD Hokuto no Ken manga by Kajio, published in North Stars Pictures' Monthly Comic Zenon since its inaugural December 2010 issue. The DD (Design Deformation) concept dates back to the Flash web series DD北斗之拳 produced for the 25th anniversary, which Kajio was already directing, but the 2013 series is a distinct work, with an entirely new setting and cast. It aired on TV Tokyo every Tuesday in the late-night block, as well as on TV Aichi, TV Osaka and AT-X, and Crunchyroll offered it as an English-subtitled simulcast internationally starting June 4, 2013.

Production

The animation is handled by studio Ajia-do under the direction of Daichi Akitaro, a big name in animated comedy, also credited for concept work alongside Kasugamori Haruki and Mankyu; the character design is by Sekine Masayuki and the music by Abe Jun and Muto Seiji. Tetsuo Hara supervises the production. In the cast, Tachibana Shinnosuke voices Kenshiro, Seki Tomokazu voices Toki and Ichijo Kazuya voices Raoh, but the most delightful nod lies elsewhere: Kamiya Akira, the iconic Kenshiro from the 1984 and 1987 series, here plays Ryuken, the konbini manager. The narration is entrusted to Shocker O-no.

The music

The opening theme, « Shift to jikyū to, tsuide ni ai wo torimodose!! » (The schedule, the hourly rate, and while we're at it, take back love!!), and the ending theme, « Hokuto no Ken iechau kana », are performed by the duo of Yoshiki Risa and Hyadain, the latter, whose real name is Maeyamada Ken'ichi, handling the production. The single was released by Nippon Columbia on May 22, 2013.

Episode Guide

The series consists of 26 short episodes, broadcast in pairs every Tuesday on TV Tokyo. No official English titles exist; the title translations are our own.

• Episodes 1 and 2, 「世紀末なんてフツーだ ケンシロウ登場！」 (A perfectly ordinary end of the century, Kenshiro enters the scene!) and 「歌えケンシロウ 愛を取りもどすために!!」 (Sing, Kenshiro, to reclaim love!!), aired on April 2, 2013.
• Episodes 3 and 4, 「ゼニは滅びぬ! 南斗は敵だっひゃー!」 (Money never dies! The Nanto is the enemy, hyahaa!) and 「眠るな!! 墓標なきコンビニで!!」 (Don't fall asleep!! In a konbini without a tombstone!!), aired on April 9, 2013.
• Episodes 5 and 6, 「卑劣! ストーカーには地獄すら生ぬるい!」 (Despicable! Even hell is too lenient for a stalker!) and 「バナナがない! ケンシロウはじめてのおつかい」 (No more bananas! Kenshiro's first errand), aired on April 16, 2013.
• Episodes 7 and 8, 「オレオレ！オレだよ！ ラオウと小さいばあさん」 (Hello, it's me! Raoh and the little old lady) and 「健やか！健康人生！！ トキさんの場合」 (Healthy living!! The case of Mr. Toki), aired on April 23, 2013.
• Episodes 9 and 10, 「結婚したい女 愛はこんがらがったったー」 (The woman who wants to get married, love is all tangled up) and 「雲のジュウザだ 三兄弟あぶなし！」 (Here's Juza of the Clouds, the three brothers in peril!), aired on April 30, 2013.
• Episodes 11 and 12, 「ホワッチャーネーム！！ サウザーの英語塾」 (What's your name!! Souther's English class) and 「ひと夏の拳 波の数だけアタタタタっ！」 (A summer fist, as many atatata as there are waves!), aired on May 7, 2013.
• Episodes 13 and 14, 「宿なし救世主！ ならば家を建てるまでっ！」 (A homeless savior! Then let's build a house!) and 「マーズアタタック！ あの日のユリアが歌ってた」 (Mars Atatack! The Yuria of that day was singing), aired on May 14, 2013.
• Episodes 15 and 16, 「ラオウさらわれる ラブストーリーはトウトツに」 (Raoh kidnapped, a sudden love story) and 「ジャギ主役！ この時を待っていたのだ」 (Jagi takes the lead! I've been waiting for this moment), aired on May 21, 2013.
• Episodes 17 and 18, 「ユリアを取りもどせ ケンシロウ対シン対横浜ギャング 前編／後編」 (Take back Yuria! Kenshiro vs. Shin vs. the Yokohama gangs, first and second parts), aired on May 28, 2013.
• Episodes 19 and 20, 「動かざることヤマのごとし フドウ動く！」 (Immovable as a mountain, Fudo moves!) and 「女子会とは何か！ お前たちに問うてみたい」 (What is a girls' night out! I'd like to ask you that question), aired on June 4, 2013.
• Episodes 21 and 22, 「ヨロレイヨロレイ！ レイよ愛をとりもどせ」 (Yorolei yorolei! Rei, reclaim love) and 「その時は来た！ ケンシロウｖｓラオウしびれる決戦！」 (The time has come! Kenshiro vs. Raoh, an electrifying showdown!), aired on June 11, 2013.
• Episodes 23 and 24, 「ラオウ 風邪をひく！」 (Raoh catches a cold!) and 「ケンシロウ 酔っぱらう！」 (Kenshiro gets drunk!), aired on June 18, 2013.
• Episodes 25 and 26, 「死闘！ 南斗対北斗！」 (Deathmatch! Nanto vs. Hokuto!) and 「最後のたたかい ケンシロウ対ユリア!?」 (The ultimate battle, Kenshiro vs. Yuria!?), aired on June 25, 2013.

Cast and staff