Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into “hand-to-hand combat anime” lately, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride. I wanted to find some good recommendations, so I started, you know, where everyone starts – Google.
I typed in “best hand to hand combat anime” and, boom, a ton of lists popped up. I scrolled through a few, and some names kept appearing: Baki, Kengan Ashura, Hajime no Ippo. I also saw some mentions of classics like Dragon Ball, but I was looking for something more focused on the actual fighting technique, less on, like, energy blasts.
My Watchlist Creation Process
I created a simple watchlist. I use a basic notes app on my phone, nothing fancy.
- Baki – Seemed super intense, lots of talk about it online.
- Kengan Ashura – Another one that kept popping up, described as brutal.
- Hajime no Ippo – More boxing-focused, which I’m into.
- Megalo Box – I saw this one with robotic attachment for the fighters’ arms, I was curious about this one and wanted to check.
Then came the hard part – actually watching them. I started with Baki because the clips I’d seen online looked insane. And yeah, it was pretty over-the-top, but in a good way. The fights were brutal and creative. It showed the combat in really unique ways.
Next up, I tried Kengan Ashura. It was just as intense, if not more so, than Baki. The animation style was a bit different, a bit more CGI-heavy, but the fights were still super impactful. I liked how they showed the different fighting styles clashing.
After that, I needed a bit of a break from the super-intense stuff, so I switched to Hajime no Ippo. This one was a lot more grounded, focusing on the technical aspects of boxing. It was a nice change of pace, and I appreciated the focus on training and strategy. I’m still working my way through this one, it’s pretty long!
I also checked out the beginning of Megalo Box. Just WOW! The robotic arms are used for striking and it is unique. I will come back to this one and I really liked the artistic way to show combats.
So, that’s where I’m at right now. I’ve got a good list going, and I’m slowly working my way through it. It’s been a fun project, and I’ve definitely discovered some awesome anime I wouldn’t have found otherwise. It’s all about just diving in and seeing what grabs you!
