It’s time for your Wednesday cartoon watchalong and we keep rolling with Netflix’s Baki. Just four episode remain and honestly, this has become a hate watch for me. Part 1 was fine. It was something that was new to me with intense action sequences and a pretty easy to follow story: a bunch of guys are brought to Tokyo and are competing in a no rules, no holds barred, anything or anywhere goes fight to be the best in the world.
Since getting to Part 2 (Episode 14), everything has gone out the window and it’s become just a bunch of bullshit thrown on screen to take up time and go nowhere. I don’t even know where some of these grudges causing new fights are coming from as characters are just thrown together and then given full episodes (or longer!) to fight or tussle, but not advance any part of the story whatsoever.
Each character pairing at this point feels like some kind of independent happening that has no consequence for anything else occurring within this universe anymore. It’s rough. But at least it’s almost over. That’s all I have to motivate me to continue this: it’s almost over. Maybe you think I’m nuts and that this show is legit. Please hit me up and tell me why. Not even being sarcastic. I want to know what you like about this show. Open my eyes to something I’m not seeing. For now, it’s Episode 23 on a Hump Day watch.
Season 1, Part 2, Episode 23: The Real Attack
Gaia is using his unorthodox tactics to wear down Sikorsky who has no defense for Gaia’s methods. Sand and glass and other debris have punctured Sikorsky in hundreds of places on his body before Gaia tosses handfuls of sand into the air creating a diversionary cloud. Gaia is able to use the sandstorm as a form of camouflage which is causing wild paranoia for Sikorsky.
We cut away momentarily to see Goki Shibukawa who is having flashbacks of getting his ass kicked by Jack Hanma in the underground arena. He’s upset because there’s a lock and chain on a fence he’s trying to get through. Turns out it’s just an illusion and Shibukawa is having mind games played on him.
In a park, Yanagi is waiting for someone to come meet up with him and we meet another brand new character: Izou Motobe: an old Japanese jujitsu master who is completely underestimated by Yanagi so, of course, he starts breaking down Yanagi with ease.
Back in the arena, Gaia is systematically crushing Sikorsky. Blow by blow, he breaks Sikorsky a little more in a sadistic, measured fashion. Sikorsky, overtaken by fear and paranoia is completely helpless and unable to protect himself or fight back. Sikorsky finally begs off, giving up, admitting defeat as Gaia claims victory in front of the huge crowd.
In the park, Yanagi is being completely outmaneuvered by Motobe. At one point, Motobe even tries walking away, but Yanagi attacks only to be struck back down. Izou Motobe tells Yanagi he fucked up big time by not trying to use his poisonous right hand to do the hand-cup-ass move we’ve spoken about and – to prove his point – uses Yanagi’s own weedwhacker blades to chop off Yanagi’s poison hand.
As Motobe is ready to put an end to Yanagi, a large figure appears from behind: Yujiro Hanma. Yujiro snaps Motobe’s katana sword blade as if it was plastic and stalks past Motobe to Yanagi, standing over the fallen fighter as he bleeds profusely from where his hand was completely severed. He looks down at Yanagi with contempt and joy as he leans in and tells Yanagi that it looks like he lost.
Final Thoughts
I can’t believe this was a whole fucking episode. Yet again another new character is introduced who is supposed to be a bad guy and is challenging one of the other death row escapees. I guess this series is just supposed to last forever with new people popping up out of the blue everyday to take the place of someone who’s wearing out their welcome on the audience.
I guess we’ve finally reached the end on Sikorsky and Yanagi which would leave only Hector Doyle remaining as the last of the death row escapees still active and even that’s up in the air as he threw himself into the harbor a few days ago to momentarily save his own life. Realistically, with his injuries and the impact of hitting the water, he could have drowned, but I need to see a fucking funeral before thinking anyone in this show is dead.
Unless, I’m told of an off-screen meteor killing.
I will never let up on the off-screen meteor killing. I promise you this.
Nice to have Yujiro back in the fold since he really hasn’t done a fucking thing in this entire show besides show up and tell Baki and Kozue to get it in all while looking like a snarling, red-haired version of Street Fighter‘s Blanka.
But hey, if you’re going to get involved, there’s no better time than now when there’s less than a handful of episodes remaining. Less chance of getting hit by a goddamn meteor.
We’ll pick back up again tomorrow and see what other aneurysm-causing mucus this show wants to feed us.
Until next time.
Joe
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