MANGA REVIEW | "Fist of the North Star" - Volume Fifteen
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.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
