New Fist of the North Star | |
Cover artwork of ADV Films' box set edition.
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新・北斗の拳 (Shin Hokuto no Ken) |
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Genre | Action, Martial arts |
Serial novel | |
Fist of the North Star: The Cursed City | |
Written by | Buronson |
Illustrated by | Tetsuo Hara |
Published by | Shueisha |
Demographic | Male |
Imprint | Jump J Books |
Magazine | Jump Novel |
Published | December 18, 1996 |
Original video animation | |
Directed by | Takashi Watanabe |
Written by | Hiroshi Toda Nobuhiko Horie |
Music by | Yaiba Yasuharu Takanashi |
Studio | A.C.G.T |
Licensed by | |
Released | July 24, 2003 – May 28, 2004 |
Runtime | 50 minutes (each) |
Episodes | 3 |
New Fist of the North Star (Japanese: 新・北斗の拳 Hepburn: Shin Hokuto no Ken?) is a three-episode anime OVA series based on the Fist of the North Star franchise, directed by Takashi Watanabe and produced by OB Planning. The story was adapted from Jubaku no Machi (-呪縛の街-?, "The Cursed City"), a 1996 Hokuto no Ken novel written by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara set sometime after the conclusion of the original manga. An English dubbed version of the OVA was produced by ADV Films in 2004.
In the 21st century, a nuclear war turned most of the Earth's surface into a desert wasteland, which also resulted in the contamination of the Earth's water supply. A man named Sanga has built the fortified haven of the "Last Land", where he rules as its dictator by monopolizing the city's uncontaminated water supply. When he learns that the neighboring residents of Freedom Village are trying to dig up a well for their own, Sanga sends his underlings to sabotage their effort. Kenshiro, master of Hokuto Shinken, gets involved in the conflict between the two regions after saving Tobi, an informant hired by Freedom Village.
The ADV Films' dub of the trilogy has garnered positive reviews from critics. Chris Wood of Toon Zone praised "Kenshiro is in fine form, and though the story may not blow you away, it’s plenty adequate to support the action" Mike Toole of Anime Jump says that New Fist is "flashy and a little cheap, but ultimately rewarding." Chris Beveridge of AnimeOnDVD.com was "very pleased with" the first episode, but felt that the second episode could have been "much better written" and that the third episode was unnecessary and that the trilogy "could have been a lot tighter with a bit more streamlining of the script".