Photo courtesy of Horipro’s official Twitter ()
Hokuto no Ken, or Fist of North Star in English, was a popular title of weekly manga magazine Shonen Jump back in the 1980s.
Mangalovers today may recognize the graphic comic from the “Omae wa mou shindeiru (Omae wa mou shindeiru)” meme circulating on social media. Others may recognize it from the less-successful adaptation “North Star” featuring a martial artist named Kenshiro.
Either way, back when it was a weekly offering in Shonen Jump, it was a hit and many Japanese kids took to practicing kung fu moves and imitating Kenshiro, the lead character. Kenshiro’s signature move was a pressure-point technique and a signature death sentence phrase (“Atatata…”) leading antagonists into screams of "hidebu” and “awabyu.” None of those made much sense, but they were ominous.
Old fans and new will get to enjoy a revival of Hokuto no Ken this fall thanks to a new theater adaptation set to hit the stage in Tokyo
For one week only starting on September 25, Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya will host the “Fist of North Star” musical. The show will feature Chinese martial arts dancers and other live-action artists set to music. Though the dialogue will be in Japanese, English-speaking manga fans might still enjoy the theatrics on stage and be able to follow along if familiar with the original.
So, make plans for the return of Kenshiro and his kung fu moves to the stage in Shibuya!
MAKE PLANS
Dates: Sept. 25-30, 2022
Location: Bunkamura Orchard Hall 2 Chome-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-8507
Tickets: Available on the website.
