Home » News » Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura ending explained – The battle for the strongest ends in a fight that never happened
Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura ending explained – The battle for the strongest ends in a fight that never happened
Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura ending went from magic to cringe, but there's a cultural reference behind it
Jun 08, 2024
Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura
Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura the movie released on Netflix recently, and while struggling to stay true to the franchise, it has a weird ending. Somehow though, that fits in with the Japanese culture. The movie did not particularly end with Baki and Kengan, and there was a reason for the movie’s ending, no matter how weird. Here, we analyse what it actually was.
About Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura fight
Before the very last scene, the moment we all waited for finally came in the film. This was the fight between Baki Hanma and Kengan Ashura. Each of them threw a punch (actually more than just one punch), thus leaving their match as the highlight of the movie. They happened to be the first duo to get a tie in the MMA match. Thus, practically, there was no decision taken and one could even argue that the match did not happen because of the very reason.
Hanma and Ashura, even otherwise, share a friendly vibe. They do not reek of competition till the very last moment before the fight. This makes them unstoppable, but there was no decision taken on who will be the strongest, which was the whole purpose of the movie.
The deja vu moment
Just as you are about to leave disappointed with what happened, comes another moment. Here, we talk about two of the OGs. Those who have followed the franchise already know about Baki’s father Yujiro Hanma and at what level he is. Senior Hanma had competition. He met his old competitor, the only one who could not beat him. That is Gensai 'The Devil Lance' Kuroki. His mystical walk in itself tells you that the story has not ended but just begun. It is Hanma and Ashura who end up stopping their match. This is right before the post-credits roll in.
The actual climax scene
Also read: Garouden review – This anime is just not the epic that Baki Hanma was
In the tense and serious environment, there is a moment that made a promise to come back. It was the moment between Adam Dudley and Chiharu Shiba, who did not want to admit that they need to use the washroom. The two turned even their moment into a competition, by holding back and refraining from going to the washroom while the other waits (out of pride for oneself and respect for the other). This scene is a classic in Japanese culture, because the Japanese men take a lot of pride in their being. They are polite to the extent of sacrificing their needs for the others. Thus, even though this is one of the weirdest endings you might come across in the history of films given how there is a serious tone throughout and you have just snapped out of a magical world, this climax scene has a strong cultural reference. Whether it works or not, is your personal opinion though.
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