The final episode (episode 14, "The One Who Laughs Last") of "Fist of the North Star," a brand new anime series created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the hugely popular 1980s manga "Fist of the North Star," will air late at night on June 29th. In anticipation of the final episode's broadcast, Jun Fukushima, who voices various minor characters, has provided a comment.
Fukushima greeted the audience by saying, "I can't believe I got a request to comment! I can't believe it! Yay! (laughs) Well, I'm Jun Fukushima, and I've played a lot of minor characters."
"It was really fun playing multiple roles with my partner Mamiya (Yasuhiro) in each episode, even to the point of losing my voice. However, there were often times when I felt like I didn't have enough material because there were just too many roles... At times like that, I remembered the advice from my seniors who had appeared in previous Fist of the North Star productions, 'Even the minor characters have lives. It becomes more fun to act if you imagine what they think and how they've lived, beyond their lines and scenes,' and I tried to create each character carefully in my own way. Their lives are fleeting, but I would be happy if I could become a minor character like fireworks that make the work shine and remain in everyone's hearts forever. I'm going to set off a huge death cry in the final episode! Yeah!" he said.
"I used to read it in Jump and I owned the comics. I'm deeply moved by the miracle of being able to participate as a voice actor in a work that I was so engrossed in as a child, now in the Reiwa era. I'm going to brag about it at my class reunion (laughs)," he said, expressing his joy at being cast. When asked about his favorite line, he said, "'Tomorrow is better than today.' This work has many memorable lines, but this one has left a strong impression on me. I was moved by the old man who planted the seeds in the story, but it's also a phrase that applies to acting, and I think it's a message that I can understand now and want to cherish."
"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.
