‘Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura’ Robbed Us of a Victor. Will There Be a Round 2?
On June 6, two of Netflix’s biggest martial arts anime series collided in the special film event Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura. The film saw characters from each series face off against each other, but with the final result inconclusive will there be a part two?
The much anticipated Netflix special event had fans eagerly awaiting to see which powerful protagonist would come out on top in a one-on-one match. Both characters have similar backstories and overwhelming strength and skill, but how do we know which one is the strongest unless they fight one another? Well, after the film, the answer is we still don’t know, given that the fight was interrupted by the villains of each series. Trust villains to ruin everything!
Baki’s Yujirou Hanma and Kengan Ashura’s Gensai Kuroki pulled a truly boomer move, taking over the ring to prove their own prowess against one another. Why can’t the older generation just step aside every now and then to let the younger ones have their chance in the spotlight?! The act meant that the ring fell into chaos, with organizers trying to calm the whole thing down. Baki and Tokita decided that they would call off their match, leaving the winner undecided and the door open for a rematch further down the line.
Will there be a rematch?
Though one has not been officially announced, there is a strong chance of a sequel happening given the way this film ended. The whole point of a special like this is to answer every fan’s question: “Who would win in a fight between Strong Character A and Strong Character B?” With no clear answer at the end of the film, we have to assume there will be a followup.
In the short time the characters had to go head-to-head, the match-up between Baki and Tokita seemed pretty even, with both characters admitting their opponent was no joke. Both the characters and the fans deserve a real result, so a Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura Part 2 is looking likely. There has been no official greenlight given yet by Netflix, and I imagine that both series will likely want to have some breathing room after the first movie before jumping back into a second. Even Tokita understands they have growth to do, telling Baki “Seems we both have work to do.” Baki chuckles and responds, “We’ll fight again. I can’t wait.”
Kengan Ashura season two, part two, will be rolling out in August of this year. Baki will also return in the animated adaption of Baki Dou, the manga’s sequel series to Baki Hanma which the Netflix anime is adapted from. This latter anime is still in development with no clear time frame for release given.
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