‘Baki the Grappler’ Manga Set for First-Ever Full English Release This October

Martial arts manga fans have something to look forward to. After years of anticipation for an official English release, Baki the Grappler will be released worldwide at last. The new title is from the hands of Kodama Tales, a division of Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd. The company has already confirmed it will be creating an English version of the Baki the Grappler Complete Edition, which compiles the whole series into 24 volumes.

The book is being translated by David Evelyn, and Rafael Zaiats is lettering. Kodama ensured there would be print and digital editions. Although the official launch will be in October, pre-order details will be announced in the next few months.

Keisuke Itagaki's original manga series Baki the Grappler was published from 1991 to 1999. It had 42 volumes in its original Japanese series. Although individual chapters of the early chapters were published in English-language format first in the Raijin Comics, Gutsoon! Entertainment's 2002-2004 publication, it is the first time the entire series will be published for English readers.

The franchise has since been expanded upon by numerous sequel series, each continuing on the violent and stylistic combat universe Itagaki established. The latest anime series adaptation, Baki Hanma, released in 2023 and is available to stream on Netflix. This ongoing presence has served to sustain worldwide interest in the series.

First published as a weekly serial in Weekly Shōnen Champion by Akita Publishing, Baki the Grappler is now one of Japan's most recognizable martial arts manga. The franchise has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide so far as of May 2024. The franchise's blend of brutal rawness, extreme characters, and street fighting has gained it a devoted worldwide following.

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Other than Baki, Kodama Tales has also hinted at more manga releases in the pipeline. Titles from Japan's major publishers such as Asahi Shimbun Publications, Coamix, Daiwa Shobo, HERO'S, Nihonbungeisha, Shodensha, and Shonengahosha are in the works. This bodes well for even more effort towards making more Japanese manga globally accessible with official English translations.

Source: Press Release