All about Hanada, the returning threat in Baki Rahen

William Davis Published 13/10/2023

Baki Rahen has continued the trend of returning faces, and Hanada is one that fans haven’t seen in quite a while.

Even though powerhouse Jack Hanma is supposed to take center stage in Baki Rahen, author Keisuke Itagaki is using the first chapters to round up an eclectic cast of returning side characters. Chapter 4 brings back a fan favorite with Kaoru Hanayama, but fans may be somewhat less familiar with his opponent Junichi Hanada.

Junichi Hanada was first introduced in the Maximum Tournament arc close to the beginning of the entire Baki series. He appears as a potential future opponent for Baki, even challenging him directly. However, he misses out on the chance after losing to pro wrestler Mount Toba. Outside of the ring, Hanada is rude to other fighters and even harasses a woman working for Tokugawa. It’s later revealed that he studied jujitsu under Izou Motobe. 

Hanada disappears for the vast majority of the series, but a brief appearance in the anime shows that he has cooled down with age. He takes his training under Motobo seriously, and he acknowledges that he’s not up to par with the stronger fighters of the series. He dreams of one day creating his own style of jujitsu.

Hanada and Hanayama fight in Baki Rahen Chapter 4

The relatively obscure character is back in the limelight thanks to Baki Rahen, as Chapter 4 features a faceoff between Junichi Hanada and Kaoru Hanayama.

The fight is spurred by Hanada meeting with a potential employer, seeking to become a bodyguard. However, Hanayama shows up and asks if Hanada simply wishes to test his skills. Based on both fighters’ resumes, the bout should be a low-difficulty win for the yakuza monster. The jujitsuka boldly accepts the challenge, which starts with a surprise kick from Hanayama. It slices Hanada’s face open, but the lesser warrior stands his ground. 

Hanayama reels up a follow-up punch, which Hanada compares to a speeding dump truck. It seems like the end of the bout, but miraculously, Hanada somehow pulls off an arm drag that launches Hanayama face-first into the ground. This is an absurd achievement and is likely the biggest upset Baki has seen in years. Even the potential employer is left in shock. The fight isn’t over yet, but Hanada has shown a massive amount of technical skill and growth with just this one move.

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