Where to watch Baki The Grappler anime

The Baki saga is a gem of its sort in the anime industry, adapted from the hugely successful Baki The Grappler manga by Keisuke Itagaki. Boasting a legacy of almost 30 years, the original series Baki the Grappler paved the way for the recent Netflix adaptations.

The first anime adaptation of the manga by the same title, Baki The Grappler, has almost vanished from the digital streaming world of today for a number of reasons. The anime is currently only available for streaming on Funimation, after it acquired the rights to it, following the misfortunes of its previous studio ownership.

---

Watch Baki The Grappler on Funimation in 2023

Both the 2001 anime series Baki The Grappler and its sequel Grappler Baki: Maximum Tournament, can be legally streamed on the official platform of its owner, Funimation. Fans can also purchase the official home video or DVD versions of the series, but those are extremely difficult to find.

---

What happened to the series Baki The Grappler

The manga and anime community is well aware of the classic Baki series. The generational epic of the Hanma family first came into being almost three decades ago when the mangaka Keisuke Itagaki published it in October 1991 via Akita Shoten’s magazine, Weekly Shonen Champion.

Following its success upon release, the first anime series adaptation was announced by the studio Group TAC. Funimation also acquired the license to air the series in the US and aired the English dubbed version on the Funimation Channel in 2006. The studio Group TAC, unfortunately, began suffering financially, which eventually led to bankruptcy in 2010, leaving the fate of the Baki series in a foggy state.

It was this shift in ownership amidst the uncertainty over its airing rights that contributed to the obscurity that the series now faces in the digital world. Additionally, despite the success of the manga, the series couldn’t really make a mark overseas like other shonen gems of the time like Dragon Ball Z or Naruto. The 2019 reboot of the narrative, under the production of the streaming giant Netflix, finally led the series to receive the global attention it deserves.

The 2018 series Baki is an adaptation of the second part of the original manga by Itagaki. It is followed by a sequel series Baki Hanma, which was released in 2021, adapting the third part of the manga. Both the series have successfully reintroduced the lost gem with a stark improvement in the art style that strayed significantly from the original 2001 series and the overall production as well, giving it a much-needed boost in popularity.

The summary of Baki the Grappler as per MyAnimeList reads:

"Ever since he was born, Baki Hanma has always known nothing but fighting—strengthening every single muscle and learning different techniques from various martial arts under the supervision of his mother, Emi Akezawa. He trains in order to prepare himself to face and eventually surpass his own father, Yuujirou Hanma, a man feared by the masses as the 'Ogre' and deemed the strongest being in the world."

It continues"

"However, when Baki realizes his mother's techniques are no longer enough, he sets out to become stronger in his own way. Seeking out powerful opponents and forming unbreakable bonds with them, he continues to grow both body and his soul, as the clock continues to tick closer toward the inevitable showdown against his father."

Stay tuned for more updates on Baki and other popular anime shows like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and more.