Okay, peoples, this review is going to be very short and very sweet. To all
those who don't know, Fist of the North Star is one of the most ultraviolent
anime movies that I have ever seen in my life. And, to tell you the truth,
it's also one of the funniest.

Let's begin with the story, or what I've been able to make of it. It's some-
time after the third world war, and the world is a desolate wasteland. The
land seems to be filled with giants and lazer-fingered freaks. There is also
a martial-art which involves the use of pressure points as attack-centres. This
is quite important, for it's this use of pressure-points that makes this anime
so damned funny.

But, we'll get to that later.

Enter Ken, the master of this martial art and Fist of the North Star (the
significance of this title eludes me to this day). He is confronted by an old
friend, who kills Ken to get Ken's woman. There are also the characters of
Jackie (Ken's jealous and delusional brother) and... um... some other big-ass
powerful guy (my apologies people, but I can't remember his name!)

The entire story is about revenge, betrayal, the love of a woman, and the fight
to save the planet (though I'm still a bit dubious about that one). The anime
is based on the manga of the same name, so there's obviously a lot missing.

Okay, now let's get to why you're watching Fist of the North Star. It's not
for the story, that much is obvious. For this reason, therefore, it doesn't
matter whether or not you check out the dubbed or subbed version, cause you're
not watching it for an accurate translation. You're watching it for the action.
And there's plenty of that lying around in this anime. The violence, in all due
truth and actuality, is abundant and graphic... and this is saying the least.

Let me put it to you this way: In this anime you have a man who can make a person's
body swell up and then explode just by punching them (we're talking any part of
their body--head, belly, arms). And then there's the man with the infamous "lazer-
fingers" who cuts people up with them. Actually, it's during his scenes where you
get the most graphic and brutal bloodshed.

And, oh my goodness, is the bloodshed graphic! It's insanely graphic. No detail is
spared. You get to see people's brains, intestines, eyeballs... whatever spills out
in reality you get to see spill! It's absolutely brutal, and it's done in such an
overblown and frequent fashion that you can't help but laugh.

Hence the point of this movie: It's so violent that it's funny. Really and truly.
It's not the greatest of anime out there, but if you want a movie with extreme violence
and the blood and guts to match it, then rent this. It's more than worth it. Is it
worth buying, though? Well, if you love this movie after having seen it, or if you have
the money to waste, then go for it. But if you're on a budget and you only want the best
of the best in anime, then you're better off with Akira or Ghost in the Shell.

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