Musashi and the Horrors of the Past (Baki Character Analysis)

[@dantewilliams2757]

You know one thing I noticed about musashi is how when we see his cloned body before he is resurrected it looks like the musashi from vagabond, a stereotypically handsome warrior with stern but gentlemenly features. But after the entire body changes into something completely different. His face almost reminds me of a snakes in a similar manner to yujiro even when we see his skeleton later on. I think the moment his features transformed to something less traditionally appealing is the first indication that this is not the musashi we are expecting, the wise warrior but the brutal killer swordsman

[@SephTheSin]

Some amazing observations, yeah I so agree, his handsome face and apperance is our expectations of him, its us looking fondly back at history, but just looking at the surface layer, but as we have to face the truth of the matter the details we'd overlooked before he becomes more and more of a monster in apperance,

[@denkerbosu3551]

I took it as that Musashi as how he would've been if he only had his genes to go by. His mentality forged by years of duels to the death is what changed him to a physical level. Especially the eyes, giving him that thousand yard stare that cuts deep when he looks at you. The best evidence of this is his spine changeing to fit a different "cat like" posture.

[@macrussell78]

My mind always goes to kabuki masks or those old Japanese paintings when I see his face.

[@madmalkavian3857]

Fairly certain historical documents of people seeing him describe him as pretty ugly.

[@bolivianomugriento4332]

​@@madmalkavian3857hes literally me

[@snakething87]

I saw Musashi also as a criticism of the idea that modern people are “softer” or “weaker” than people of the past because of less physical hardship and suffering. Many of the characters have a glorified idea of Musashi as an almost mythological figure. But upon actually meeting him their emotional reaction changes to apprehension at his brutal nature. While the philosophical martial artist aspects of him certainly exist; he is, at his core, a killer. He is a warning that while the hardship and suffering of the past did build strong people that built the foundation of or modern world, that same “strength” would probably be considered monstrous and primitive if it existed today.

[@unknownunknown7324]

In short, take up the Vinland Saga philosophy.

[@chocolatesquirrel2002]

​@@unknownunknown7324Vinland Saga is a boy that cried then realozed he had nothing

[@fourtruths3324]

Well said

[@Loke...]

you really missed the mark w this one lmao

[@resumethyvideo7631]

@@Loke...this mf really said “you’re wrong” and left like he don’t gotta elaborate

[@waddledee6729]

I like how Musashi gradually becomes more inhuman looking the longer he's around, his face visibly changes to be more absurd and uncanny and although it's probably just Itagaki adapting his style I also feel like it's a more metaphorical way of showing how the longer we see him the less human he appears

[@asabovesobelow1362]

Musashi starts to look like a japanese ogre.

[@chocolatesquirrel2002]

In Musashis case it wasnt a change of art style, it was consistent through out the ark

[@kujojotarostandoceanman2641]

I really like that Musashi is a person that keep being forced. He was forced to the modern world, he was forced to get strong to survive his time, he is like a puppet unlike most Baki characters being a free man, but what happened is a puppet that's way too efficient, he out perform the expectation of others he out perform Tokugawa who bought him back by killing Retsu, he out powered his era and beat his entire era, even his desire is to get fame, is like a puppet wanting the masters attention but he is way more powerful than any "master" that exist making him such a destructive force. He is a representation of a disaster, a tragedy of others forcing onto someone and that someone destroyed everyone that forced him through following their command

[@kujojotarostandoceanman2641]

I really adore this concept of a puppet story that's not the puppet breaking free and no longer do the masters order, but double down into something completely uncontradicted

[@kujojotarostandoceanman2641]

At which is also very fitting as Musashi being the representation of the pinical samurai, as the true samurai in war era are not about pride about protecting the weak, but they are basically slaves with high payment, doing orders and commands to even suicide for the people who pays them

[@SephTheSin]

I love this interpretation, heavily agree

[@EdwardENigma-cg3kt]

I love how more than any other Baki character Musashi just looks threatening and uncanny. Yujiro, pickle and even Baki can look scary and demonic but Musashi just looks threatening in a whole other way. The way his eyes are always looking in different direction or how strange his face looks. His blank expression and unfeeling eyes. He looks out of place even more than pickle does. Everything about screams “I don’t belong here and that’s YOUR problem now.”

[@Bullboy_Adventures]

Best summary of musashi. His expressions combined with his personality just feels so uncanny and disingenuous. Really gives off the vibe that he doesn't belong here

[@spiderjerusalem8505]

Are you the SFM guy?

[@Logarithmic10]

Almost the same can be said for Pickle. Like in that in one moment with the journalist.. How can you judge and punish someone who has no idea of the modern rules, someone that comes from a totally different world.

[@SephTheSin]

For sure I think Pickle also explores the idea of human nature at its most basic levels which I’ll explore in his dedicated video in the future

[@secondbeamship]

He's a hunter not a fighter which is also a distinction. He hunts to live another day.

[@whiteeye3453]

Not really He is fighter Hunter hunt animals for food using tricks

[@edwardgaines6561]

Fighters simply live to fight. Warriors simply fight to live. Very well said!

[@whiteeye3453]

Wich is why fighters are more dangerous than. Warrior

[@Eddierath]

For me he's the most terrifying character in this show... He's EXTREMELY dangerous, forget being able to cut you with his mind, just his face sends chills. He's an amazing villain.

[@Super-Saiyan-Blue-Gogeta]

Man was running the fade on everyone (except Yujiro), he violated Pickle to the point he ran away crying and destroyed Baki simply with his mind slashes; to which Baki would've gotten himself killed like a dumbass during his rematch if it weren't for Tokugawa's sister taking out his soul while off guard. The funny part is they kept his body in statis afterwards as to potentially revive him again.

[@filipvadas7602]

Musashi's appearance becoming more uncanny as his time in the spotlight went on was one of my favorite details. Its almost as if, as time went on, the mistique behind the legend was being lifted and people, the audience included, were beginning to see that people like Musashi, for all their glory and legacy, were just *killers* at the end of the day.

[@Shamanlord1234]

Great video, I always wondered why Musashi felt so different from the other characted, I didn't understand the concept of a warrior until I saw this video. Enlightening!

[@SephTheSin]

Thanks so much, I also struggled to understand why he felt so different until all the motobe stuff, he really is a unique character in Baki

[@whiteeye3453]

I would say fighter can beore dangerous than warrior Warrior at least fight for his life and others Fighter fight for pleasure. What happens if fighter isn't satisfied with normal fighting?

[@owen-yl1uq]

Motobe himself in this arc is very interesting and contrasts quite a bit with the way all the other heroic characters are presented. Jack, Baki, Retsu, Katsumi, Shibukawa and so on are heroes, yes. They are still generally presented as doing things they don’t have to do. None of them absolutely have to fight. They could live normal lives but their will commands them to further themselves. Even with Retsu and Katsumi, the furthering of their arts is simply an expression of furthering themselves. Everyone who wants to fight Musashi after the death of Retsu basically says they don’t like the fact he’s dead but they just want to beat the great Miyamoto Musashi foremost. Motobe is one of the first times in the series an entirely unselfish reason for fighting is portrayed as still being part of the makeup of a true warrior. His fight with Musashi is dangerous, desperate and devious in his attempts to win. Even for someone like Kaku Kaioh, attempting to win by way of poisoned offerings seems like the antithesis of martial arts but Motobe attempts it. Where Musashi is selfishness, Motobe is the first time we see the power of purely selfless fighting motivation.

[@SephTheSin]

Amazing comment and so top notch points there

[@angrymaniac53]

Also mushashi in a way was calling baki universe hypocrite as baki character often trash talk about killing, beating very badly,etc thing but when someone actually does it then they go nuts like you can't kill in modern world.

[@everforward5561]

All I remember is being very confused why the cops were bothering to get in his range when they could just snipe him before he even understood they were there.

[@revan_alva2077]

U are mixing US police and Japanese police, most Japanese police don't have guns and this encounter just happens no time to react or get the officers with guns

[@blaacksugar7714]

He'd probably slice the bullet or something.

[@ren_undertaker_1451]

Truly that is what is musashi is a warrior tainted by the future but the warrior (motobe) is showing how warrior and a fighter is more different than what it seems

[@secondbeamship]

I also like how Musashi won't attack you unless you directly threaten him. This is how a warrior thinks. He is not "hungry" for a fight, someone who fights for fun, like a fighter. Fighters don't take their craft as seriously as a warrior. Fighting is not optional for a warrior. Musashi holds back unless a group of people challenge him which he calls "war" and then he goes all out. Mushashi in general is the best written character in my opinion in the whole series.

[@cn2490]

Very enjoyable video man and I love your take on the Sumo Arc too. I stopped watching anime and movie for like 6 years now due to work and changes of mindset after being a fan for nearly 20 years but watching content people make about characters depth and theme really make me happy. A thought of mind is that while being a warrior in the modern time is impractical due to living in society and killing is bad for high concentration metropolis, violence, threat of violence and other form of individual suppression against the collective is still very prevalent. We live in a society that 'promise' and hide away the reality of violence such as war, crime, gang, criminal until it's too late. For competition and survival the capability for violence and retaliation is very much a hallmark of can one individual have prosperity when you are visible and profitable enough for crime and violence decide to visit - just like a citizen or a ruling official in medieval or feudal time.

[@ssquoshy2973]

i may new to your channel having only started watching 3 months ago but i have to say your content is amazing im part British myself so it's fun to see more British anime fans

[@SephTheSin]

Thanks for your viewership and glad you are enjoying, and yes we need more British fans

[@Laxhoop]

What sucks is that these two Baki-Dou arks are probably the last arcs we can expect to be animated within this decade.

[@jacobwilson989]

We got 5 in 6 years so could easily still expect to catch up to the manga

[@JimbobTheBird]

A quote from a warrior: "I like ya, and I want ya now we could do this the easy way or the hard way the choice is yours" - Booty Warrior.

[@xibzz3907]

I just came across this vid through randomly shuffling my liked videos; this analysis goes insanely hard

[@kujojotarostandoceanman2641]

Amazing analyse

[@santiagomontiellaverde74]

after watching a few of your Baki analysis I noticed that my novel and writing is heavily influenced by Baki and their themes, the need to get stronger and now, the problems of the past, a different era and world back into the future, what is a warrior that fights to life and a fighter, one who lives to fight

[@horsepaste]

Damn now that I think about it, me too. Very similar themes.

[@Yujiro-hb8kj]

Baki duo is my favorite arc ever I've read that many times over best arc

[@apalsnerg]

I think I've been able to boil down the fighter-warrior difference as "fighters seek out fights, but fights seek out warriors". That check out? As in, it is a natural fact of their existence that combat will force its way into their life, whereas a fighter needs to seek out a fight for him to be involved in one.

[@GlizzyAssassin]

By far my favorite arc and favorite character from Baki. I just love the style used for him. Absolutely my next tattoo

[@ItsShaz1]

Loved the video my friend

[@SephTheSin]

Thanks as always

[@theratfaceman1780]

Loved the vid man ❤❤

[@redcrow3605]

Baki is just crazy with its Logic. Yet it owns that. Which is kinda badass, I respect that.

[@Small_child_punter]

The problem I find with the Musashi arc and this theme is Itagaki didn’t do a good enough job portraying the real flaws with his way of living. Every fight was initiated by the fighters going to Musashi. Their lives are put on the line by their own doing. Musashi hasn’t done anything we haven’t already seen from Yuijiro or his father. Murder is wrong? That’s it? That’s the lesson? That’s why Musashi has to go? The arc pretends Musashi is the irredeemable monster because he’s fine with killing even though no one ever tried to tell him it’s wrong. Like it’s impossible for him to learn. The fight was agreed to be a fight to the death. Retsu died in a death battle. No other fighter was seriously hurt, and Musashi had ample opportunity to do so. I just don’t buy that Musashi was much worse than anyone else who forced a fight with him.

[@Vinnce12]

It's less that Musashi can't learn and more that he won't. He was outright told that you can't gain notoriety in the modern age by cutting people down and pretty much responds with, "Yeah I know, but it's what I'm good at so I'll keep doing it." Him killing Retsu was a gut punch, but that was secondary to him throwing down the gauntlet to the entire nation for trying to rein him in.

[@Small_child_punter]

@@Vinnce12 again, Yuijiro has done similar. But I guess all the fighters live in Japan and that’s where Musashi tried to cut so it’s a problem.

[@Vinnce12]

@@Small_child_punterTrue, but we can't get rid of Yujiro by calling in a ghostbuster.

[@Small_child_punter]

@@Vinnce12 Yeah I know, and I wouldn't want them to. It's a thematic double standard that removed my favorite character.

[@Vinnce12]

@@Small_child_punter I don't know if I'd call it a double standard. They're both dangerous, but Yujiro is easier to appease. The world isn't in danger of him so long as they acknowledge his strength. Musashi not only wants that, but he also wants praise and reverence from society as a whole. His end goal is superstardom and he'll keep cutting people down until he gets it. If world leaders were to approach him in an effort to corral his violent tendencies like they did with Yujiro, he'd probably take offense to the offer. His singlemindedness is what makes him a much greater threat than Yujiro.

[@Jonkler2.0]

Can’t wait for this to be animated

[@josuearielariasv.8041]

It would be funny a game of baki just like jojo bizzare adventure: eyes on heaven.

[@josearmortegah8093]

A way to fight Musashi that didn't risk death as much, was giving him something like a (or two) long metalic stick that he could swing in the same way as he swung his sword, that way his slashes would be just hits, instead of life threatning cuts. Cuts cannot be used to KO an opponent, instead when you cut you will inmediately just take a part of the opponent's body, hence a real fight against Musashi makes it a given, that you will either lose one or two limbs or your life, before you even lose consciousness, and Musashi can't even do much about it either, unless he purposely holds back, which is obviously not what Baki fighters want. With a long cillindrical metal piece, Musashi can use his skills for swinging to the fullest without threatning to kill characters, but instead to knock them out.

[@mattaku9430]

If anything the way Musashi portrayed is awful. I mean did author even read his book? IRL Musashi was more like Gaia, he wouldn't say "Oh, this sword is awful", no, Musashi will pick up a stick and beat someone with it, throw dirt in someone eye, calculate his position, so sun blinds his opponent, try to get his opponent angry and force them to use blind range instead of calculated approach. He was also humble, rejected posession of everything.

[@boy.boy.1670]

Saying motobe is basically on the same level and saying musashi is weak is a bad idea. Motobe didn’t care to die for his friends that’s why he jumped infront off musashi attack. Musashi is supposed to be yujiro but with a sword that’s the point. The strongest fighter versus the strongest swordsman

[@secondbeamship]

Fighters will stop when the other admits defeat. Warriors have no qualms with not stopping if the other admits defeat.

[@SephTheSin]

Exactly, best shown in the Haneyama fight when Musashi gets confused why Haneyama asks if he's good to contuinue, and then at the end of the fight where Haneyama is defeated and Baki has to step in to stop Musashi killing him

[@1995HunterKiller]

i really hope they animate this arc and dont just stop after concluding son of ogre

[@phunkh_3]

They have already announced the adaptation. You can check out the PV

[@Tacolul]

Damn who knew baki could be so deep bro

[@secondarytrollaccount]

This guy was a straight up menace. While he didnt straight up kill pickle it could be said that pickle running away from musashi was a W for the samurai. He acheived a draw against yujiro bc memetobe, dude was able to sleep baki for half an hour within the first few minutes of them meeting he beat every other character he fought other than yujiro, baki, and motobe. Dude single handedly beat the japanese police force and prolly could have kept going combating larger armies if he didnt get nuked.

[@SuperGuy250]

5:10 is this Cheecks Back? he literay draw the pockets like trying to make the demon back

[@cantthinkofaname4133]

I dont quite know we're the Japanese charator always wins it seem More like baki and yujiro always win Jack's Canadian, pickle is prehistoric or since he was found by America most likely in America he could be consider American/native American. Retsu is Chinese as well as oliva being american. All of these people having pretty good win records

[@blaacksugar7714]

That's because the author is a nationalist.

[@cantthinkofaname4133]

@blaacksugar7714 what all the people who I named aren't Japanese and nearly every Japanese fighter they fought lost.

[@cantthinkofaname4133]

@@blaacksugar7714 I mean pickle even arguably beat baki

[@Yami-mugoni613]

@@cantthinkofaname4133eh pickle isn't really anything so

[@cantthinkofaname4133]

@Yami-mugoni613 technically he wasn't born in any nation since he predates them but he was found in America before America meaning he was most likely born there before America was established making him "technically" native American.

[@starhalv2427]

Since you mentioned sumo, I feel obligated to say what I think about it's presentation in Baki I think it was pretty horribly misrepresented, with the presentation of ancient sumo as superior to modern sumo (As you put it). In another fighting manga, On the other hand, in Kengan Asura using moves banned in modern sumo and calling it "true sumo" is presented as a person not trully believing in the spirit of sumo, refusing to accept and embrace it's weaknesses and thus straying away from it and towards MMA- which ends up losing when matched against a man who fully believes in his style of fighting embracing all of it and turning weakness into power, Jun Sekibayashi. Nomi no Sukune is exactly that in my opinion. The way I see it, he refuses to accept the same limitations other sumo fighters adopt, and takes pride in superiority this lack of self-imposed limits allows him to achieve, whereas TRUE sumo fighters are trashed at, Yokozuna himself effortlessly beaten by Nomi in a street brawl, which to me shows that "Baki" doesn't trully respect sumo. Also it failed to touch on some serious problems of modern sumo, such as bias against talented fighters who happen to not be born Japanese, and demand for fighters to fight and win even under serious injury under threat of losing rank, status and money or in case of Yokozuna being pressured into retirement (Due to which average lifespan of sumo fighters is a whole 15 years lower than the average lifespan of Japanese people due to combination of that and their diet).

[@SephTheSin]

I completely agree, Baki really isn't too realisitic in its depicition of martial arts, and I feel this ancient sumo vs grand sumo comparsion Itagaki brings up is more of his own poltical agenda that he loves to pour into his manga (like we all know by know his opinion on America), I believe the reason he trashes on grand sumo so much is exaclty because he does not agree with the state of modern sumo, of its stagnation, its discrimination its inability to move forward unlike Sukune who by defintion is a reincarnation from the past, one who opposes stagnation, however as you said instead of actually adressing the specific issues of modern sumo in real life he just kinda says 'grand sumo bad' and 'ancient sumo good', its a way less nuanced approach to the topic than I'd expect from Itagaki but the entire sumo arc is a lot more shallow than the rest of Baki so its not too suprising, all the more funny when Kinryuuzan's sumo was prasied for many of the reasons you described back in Grappler Baki, also nice to hear some Kiozan love, how Kengan potrays sumo is so well done and I agree its way better presented than how Baki does it, its even weirder when this idea of 'true sumo' would be so at home in Baki, Haneyamas only approach to fighting is very similar but yeah I like many consider the sumo arc a bit of blip in its writing Thanks so much for the insightful comment and thanks for watching

[@magvs_mæstro216]

Ben no Goshi ist sehr fantastico......ya dig?

[@andreasreinhardt8753]

Jack looses again... Who knew? Will he ever get a redemption arc?

[@blaacksugar7714]

He gets a new grill and thanks Motobe for it.

[@Blappyboop]

He’s on his own arc currently in Baki Rahen (most recent Manga)

[@s.y.l341]

Wow they did no justice for motobe in the anime

[@SephTheSin]

In all honesty most of Motobes badass moments haven’t even adapted yet, apart from fighting Yujiro before the maximum tournament he never was portrayed as such a top tier till the musashi arc

[@johnysnoww3831]

What is musashi doing in the manga, you made him sound like a monster who grapes and shit ?

[@tariqbird8293]

Musashi appearance is that of an ancient man , big forearms overly thic neck, hes supposed to show how human physiques have become less primal over time, he almost resembles an ape ,both in instinct and strength his a severely powerful imagination and mindset separate from the animal kingdom Due to his experience of battle instead of consuming media he has a much more vivid intuition and i think this is intentionally show. Us modern humans have little acumen of a mind unburden by such a social society Baki dou shows how there is almost an ignorance to musashis lvl of intelligence and nature, and it seems musashi innerstands this about these times, and shows them the difference in his power in a almost sarcastic ways MIyamoto is subtly the most powerful fighter in the show by far, he could have killed everyone multiple times over, which adds to his menace , because if Musashi truly let go he'd be quite indominable

[@donaldsmith8717]

The Japanese bias is insane, like there's little chance a sumo wrestler, karate, or judo is beating MMA but it's just being patriotic really.

[@eduardopantoja9115]

Musashi is a swords man?

[@donaldsmith8717]

@@eduardopantoja9115 and he wouldn't make it past General Stridum irl lol

[@charlstone2273]

Baki musashi eye is ugly bro

[@grigorirazumovski1012]

Japanese bias. Why is it the main Japanese characters look nothing like Japanese people? Musashi is like kind of closer, maybe. But the two red haired dad and son, sure as heck do not look anything like any Japanese does ever look like. While some of the other characters do look Japanese. So is it the white skin fetishism? Heard the term, but it is kind of true. For some reason, when drawing the heroes in Japan, they never look like any Japanese person ever. Just wondering why?

[@hadouradiance3566]

Because they're fictional characters. No fictional character is ever going to look like a realistic depiction of their stated race. Also in Japanese media, you're not white unless you're blonde.

[@thosemerc3113]

Unless the artist goes for hyper-realism in his art, no one ever looks their race in comics.

[@blueytg6026]

There's a theory that suggests that the goal of manga/anime creators when creating their characters was not to resemble either Japanese or Caucasians, but actually that of a cat. Because people loves cats as they invokes cuteness and are loveable to look at.

[@thosemerc3113]

@@blueytg6026 Take a good look at Baki characters and then try to repeat this bull.

[@blueytg6026]

@@thosemerc3113 Hey I did say it's a theory, not always gonna apply to everything 🤣

[@Colinisl]

Why do you keep calling him " murderer "? Pretty stupid

[@sleepingmon]

he killed killed so many people, it would be "Pretty stupid" if we didn't