Additional cast members have been announced for "Fist of the North Star," a brand new anime produced to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the popular manga "Fist of the North Star," which was a huge hit in the 1980s. It has been revealed that Eri Inagawa will play Airi and Shunichi Maki will play Madara.
Airi is Ray's younger sister who was kidnapped just before her wedding. Inagawa commented, "It is a great honor to be involved in this globally popular work, which is a 'bible of love' for many people around the world. When I heard that I had been cast as Airi, I was so happy... I remember immediately going to visit the grave of Kenji Utsumi, who I am indebted to, to report the news. I put my heart and soul into playing the role, so I hope that through Airi, I can convey something to the fans of this work, and to fans who will discover it through the new anime, about the importance of 'love' and 'surviving.' Please enjoy the work to the very end."
Madara is a member of the Fang Clan, and Maki said, "I was so happy that I got to appear in 'Fist of the North Star'! I was practically on cloud nine. The cast was amazing, and personally, I was especially apprehensive about having Mamiya-san and Fukushima-san among the minor villains (laughs). I thought, 'If I get beaten half-heartedly, I'll get eaten... I have to rack my brains and go all out, even if it means stifling my voice...' I remember going into the recording with that determination, but also with the excitement of not knowing what to expect. In fact, it was a lot of fun (laughs)."
"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.
