Keisuke Itagaki’s Baki franchise is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026 with a series of commemorative projects revealed by publisher AKITASHOTEN. Originally debuting in Weekly Shonen Champion in 1991, the long-running martial arts manga has become one of the genre’s classics, and this year’s celebration includes a new anniversary visual drawn by Itagaki himself and a special animation featuring an original theme song.
Titled “BAKI MENTAL,” the track will bring together POCYOMKIN (who previously released “Rap Grappler Gaki” in 2002), RUDEBWOY FACE, and TAKE-M. Produced by maeshima soshi, the drill-style collaboration features lyrics inspired by iconic Baki moments and themes. The song will be released digitally on February 4. All three performers credited the manga as a major influence on their creative lives, referencing how deeply it shaped their early artistic identities.
In addition to the music release, the special anniversary video is now available online, with more celebration-related announcements planned throughout the year. The latest anime adaptation, BAKI DOU: The Invincible Samurai, will stream worldwide on Netflix starting February 26. The new season is directed by Toshiki Hirano and produced by TMS Entertainment, with returning cast members including Nobunaga Shimazaki as Baki Hanma, Akio Otsuka as Yujiro Hanma, and Naoya Uchida as Musashi Miyamoto.
You can watch the 35th anniversary video below.
Keisuke Itagaki wrote and illustrated the Hanma Baki original manga. It ran from 1991 to 1999 in Weekly Shonen Champion and was collected into 42 volumes. There were 3 sequel manga series, Baki, Baki Hanma, and Baki-Dou, all of which ran in the same magazine. Lastly, the 5th series, also titled Baki-Dou (but romanized differently), started in October 2018.
The anniversary campaign also includes the release of Baki the Grappler (Perfect Edition) Volume 9 in English on February 1. The manga’s first official English release started in October 2025.
Source: Press Release
© Keisuke Itagaki (AKITASHOTEN)
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