Kenshiro
| Kenshiro | |
|---|---|
Hokuto Shinken | |
| Significant other | Yuria (fiancée) |
| Relatives | Hyoh (biological older brother) Raoh (adoptive older brother) Toki (adoptive older brother) Jagi (adoptive older brother) Ryuken (adoptive father) |
Kenshiro (
Kenshiro's appearance and characteristics were primarily based on martial artist and actor
Concept and creation
Manga artist Tetsuo Hara was a fan of Hong Kong martial artist Bruce Lee as well as action manga series and the Japanese action film star Yūsaku Matsuda. He combined the appearance and character traits of Lee and Matsuda when he came up with the character design of Kenshiro.[1] Hara and his editor Nobuhiko Horie realized they needed a secret signature martial arts technique, but were at a loss for ideas until Horie browsed a used Chinese book store on Suzuran Street in Jinbōchō, Tokyo.[2] He found an anecdote of a medical student in China, who, after overstimulating an acupressure point in order to help an eye issue, had instead made the condition worse.[2] Horie believed that destroying bodies by attacking pressure points was perfect for a shōnen manga, as it allowed someone small to take out a much bigger opponent.[2] The editor also derived the manga's title and the name of the technique from a Chinese constellation myth that features two sages, Hokuto and Nanto, the gods of death and life respectively.[2] Horie pictured the manga's protagonist, Kenshiro, as the son of Hokuto.[2]
In Hara's two-part prototype version of Fist of the North Star, Kenshiro is a young man who fights against the rival martial arts school of the Taizanji Kenpō in 1980s Japan. This version of the character has the full name of Kenshiro Kasumi (霞 拳四郎, Kasumi Kenshirō), based on the name of the fictional martial artist Sanshiro Sugata.[3] In this setting, Kenshiro is the 23rd successor of Hokuto Shinken, preceded by his unnamed father, who in turn learned the art from the 21st successor, Master Liú Zhèng (劉正, Ryūshō). This Kenshiro is much more cheerful than the Kenshiro of the serialized manga, having yet to experience the same hardships at the start of the story. After Kenshiro's girlfriend, Yuki is murdered and he is framed for her death, Kenshiro becomes a wanted fugitive who sets out to overthrow the Taizanji organization.
The character was revised by author Buronson when Fist of the North Star was picked up for weekly serialization. Now turned into a full-grown adult, Buronson has stated that he based the revised Kenshiro primarily on Bruce Lee. He also cites the Mad Max film series as an influence.[4] Buronson had asked Hara to give Kenshiro seven scars in the shape of the Big Dipper for no reason other than their cool aesthetic. But when they then began thinking of Kenshiro's backstory and the reason he wanders the wasteland, Buronson devised that they came from the guy who stole the woman he loved.[3]
The character is only referred by his given name in the series, which is always written in katakana in Japanese. The full name Kenshiro Kasumi was reused for the main character of Fist of the Blue Sky, a predecessor of the Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, although his given name is spelled differently (拳志郎).
Character overview
Kenshiro is the youngest of four adopted sons trained by the previous Hokuto Shinken successor,
The initial story arc centers around Kenshiro's quest to reclaim Yulia from Shin. He meets a pair of orphans who follow him in his journey:
Kenshiro is also known as "the Man with Seven Scars" (七つの傷の男, Nanatsu no Kizu no Otoko), due to the seven scars engraved on his chest patterned after the shape of the Big Dipper (the symbol of the Hokuto school), as well as "the Savior of the Century's End" (世紀末救世主, Seikimatsu Kyūseishu). Kenshiro's famous catchphrase just prior to an enemy's death is "You are already dead." (お前はもう死んでいる, Omae wa mō shindeiru).[5]
Voice actors
Kenshiro has been voiced by numerous voice actors in different media. Akira Kamiya voiced him first in the original anime television series and movie, as well as in a few video games. He is voiced by Takehito Koyasu in the original video animation series New Fist of the North Star, Kunihiro Kawamoto in the Fist of the North Star arcade game and CGI short Hokuto no Ken: Legend of Heroes, Hiroshi Abe in The Legends of the True Savior film series, Hideo Ishikawa in the video game version of Ten no Haō, Katsuyuki Konishi in the video games Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, J-Stars Victory VS, Jump Force and Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star, and Takaya Kuroda and Robbie Daymond in the video game Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. The child version of Kenshiro is voiced by Ryō Horikawa in the original anime series and by Yūko Gibu in the Legends of the True Savior film series.
Reception
In a survey conducted by the
Internet memes
In the 2010s, Kenshiro's catchphrase "Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru" ("You Are Already Dead") became a popular
See also
References
- ^ Lehecka, Eddie (March 1, 2019). "Exile Sekai Interviews Tetsuo Hara, Creator of Fist of the North Star". Otaquest. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-9747-2156-6.
- ^ a b "Another Story: How Fist of the North Star Came to Be". Time and Tide (in English and Japanese). January 28, 2023. NHK World-Japan.
- ^ "Interview with Buronson". ADV Films Presents: New Fist of the North Star. Archived from the original on February 18, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Thompson, Jason (July 18, 2013). "Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Fist of the North Star". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ 1000人が選んだ！漫画史上“最強”キャラクターランキング！ (in Japanese). June 22, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Loo, Egan (September 16, 2008). "Fist of the North Star Wedding Photos Posted Online". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Gilleron, Baptiste (February 5, 2010). "Makoto Yukimura : "Si je suis venu à Angoulême, c'est parce que je voulais connaître la France"". Actuabd (in French). Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ Leight, Elias (August 16, 2019). "'The Worst-Best Day of My Life': How a Song Went Viral, Then Suddenly Disappeared". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ "You Are Already Dead". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
