Additional cast members have been announced for "Fist of the North Star," a brand new anime produced to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the popular manga "Fist of the North Star," which was a huge hit in the 1980s. It has been revealed that Hiroyuki Kinoshita will play the elder of Mamiya's village, Genki Ohkawa will play Kou, and Eiji Hanawa will play the shopkeeper.
Kinoshita commented, "The desolate landscape is like that of the movie 'Mad Max,' where there is no law or order, and looting and murder are rampant every day. The characters teach us through their own experiences how one can live as a human being in such a world. Creating those characters is very exciting as an actor!"
Taiga, who plays Mamiya's younger brother Kou, said, "I am very happy to be involved in a work that is loved by so many people. My scenes are not long, but they were still carefully crafted. I shouted a lot. I was shouting the whole time. I even got dizzy a few times. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product."
Hanawa commented, "I put all my energy into this role, drawing on the Fist of the North Star spirit that has been with me since elementary school. The character I play, the 'bar owner,' is a non-combatant but also a rare 'character with a good heart who doesn't die' in the series, so I was able to play the role with confidence and give it my all, knowing that I had already been spoiled about it a long time ago. I also played the exploding thugs with respect and without messing around, giving it my all. Of course, not just me, but everyone who played a thug took it seriously. 'Seriously without messing around' of course refers to 'the etiquette of a Fist of the North Star thug.' It's all good. Please watch it with all your might. I look forward to the day when a 4DX theatrical version will be released."
"Fist of the North Star" is a manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara, serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from 1983 to 1988. Set in 199X, in a post-nuclear war world ruled by violence, it depicts the growth of Kenshiro, the successor to the legendary assassination martial art Hokuto Shinken, as he battles formidable opponents including his brother Raoh. The manga has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. It was adapted into a television anime in 1984, becoming a social phenomenon with famous lines such as "You are already dead." Theatrical anime films and OVAs (Original Video Animations) have also been produced.
The new anime will feature Shunsuke Takeuchi as Kenshiro, Daiki Yamashita as Bat, M・A・O as Rin, Koji Yusa as Shin, Saori Hayami as Yuria, Wataru Takagi as Jagi, Tsuguo Mogami as Toki, and Taiten Kusunoki as Raoh.
It airs every Friday at 1 AM on TOKYO MX and BS11, and is exclusively available worldwide on Prime Video. There are some differences in the direction between the Prime Video version and the television broadcast; the uncensored streaming version shows the violence and grotesque parts as they are. The milder version broadcast on television is suitable for all ages.
