Thoughts : Fist of the North Star (1986)
As a young man, my fascination with anime grew fast and was ingrained deeply upon first contact. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this animation existed on a much more adult level than the Saturday morning and after school cartoons that I was used to. These animated gems introduced me to different aspects and emotions that could be covered which were not normally present in cartoons, and the one that introduced me to insane levels of violence was the manga classic turned anime masterpiece Fist of the North Star.
Earth has become a barren wasteland in the wake of a worldwide nuclear war. The remaining inhabitants have separated into warring tribes that represent two forces of power : Fist of the North Star and Fist of the South Star. Ken (John Vickery), current title holder of Fist of the North Star, is traversing the wasteland with his fiancee Julia (Melodee Spivack) when he is confronted by Shin (Michael McConnohie), Fist of the South Star. As Ken’s brothers-in-training Raoh (Wally Burr) and Jagi (Dan Woren) overlook the encounter, Shin defeats Ken and leaves him for dead, taking Julia with him as his prize. Believing Ken to be dead, Raoh seeks confirmation from sensei Ryuken (Jeff Corey) as the new Fist of the North Star while Jagi throws Ken into a ravine, believing him to be dead. After a year, Ken mysteriously returns from the dead, aligning himself with Bat (Tony Oliver) and Lynn (Holly Sidell), a pair of kids he rescues from bandits, and Rei (Gregory Snegoff), a Fist of the South Star hopeful in search of his kidnapped sister Alei (Barbara Goodson). With Raoh still power hungry and Shin ruling the wasteland, Ken’s old life and new journey meeting up seem inevitable.
Rule by force and intimidation is the initial name of the game for this film. With the complete societal breakdown in place, there is no system of rule other than true survival of the fittest. Anyone who wants to be in power must simply establish their stance as the strongest and be willing to defend that stance to the death. The entire world has a Mad Max feel to it, even down to some of the design elements of costuming, vehicles or the cities themselves. Ultraviolent displays also make up much of the film, some of which had to be toned down in order to not shock via a desaturation process (similar to the one used at the end of Taxi Driver).
The balancing portion of the narrative lies in the driving forces behind individual characters. The reasons that individual characters have for motivation of their actions cover quite a range. Ken and Julia carry literal seeds of hope with them, a task that becomes the main drive of Lynn. Love story elements also fuel the motivations of Ken, Julia and Shin, with Jagi using this aspect to his deceitful advantage. Many of the characters are fueled by revenge in its purest form, be it Jagi and his need to defeat Ken for deforming him, or Raoh and his need for fulfillment in light of continually being passed over for Ken.
Hyperstylized body design and extreme use of color really set Fist of the North Star apart from other anime of the era. The elongated body design was not necessarily new, but the extreme musculature and slightly overemphasized proportional elements of the design give the film a large than life feel. It also intensifies the rule by power aspect of the film, as most everyone seeking that power is a completely formidable foe on sight alone. The background designs are balanced out by extreme washes of color, be they extremely bright flashes, motion lines or alternating colors. The color really stands out when the ultraviolent displays take place, as the copious amounts of blood present dominate the frames.
John Vickery displays the strong and silent resolve reminiscent of old westerns, choosing to let his imposing fighting form do the majority of the talking. Michael McConnohie plays opposite, utilizing equal levels of fighting skill while choosing to implement plenty of braggadocio along with the violence he dishes out. Wally Burr allows the jealousy and anger that consumes his character to shine through. Dan Woren plays a wonderfully unhinged lackey with visions of grandeur. Melodee Spivack emits a deep connection to Ken while playing her role as captor. Tony Oliver and Holly Sidell provide much needed levity among the madness and violence found throughout the film. Gregory Snegoff emits a sense of righteousness that drives his search, and allows him to navigate with a moral compass.
Three decades later, and I still find myself thinking and utilizing the iconic line ‘you’re already dead’ whenever the chance permits. The movement is still as vivid in my mind as the first time I saw it, and the bold choices still impress me to this day. I cannot imagine a time in my life where Fist of the North Star would not impress.