Best Action Anime that focus on hand combat

Summary

  • Kenichi The Most Powerful Disciple starts as a normal Kid & Hone skill through consistent training.

  • The high school god follows Jin Mori by relying on his strength and martial arts to beat god-based opponents.

  • Fist of the North Star features distinct fighting techniques that challenge Kenshiro and inspire future Shōnen heroes.

When people think of action anime, they might think of the more flash-in sequences Dragon Ball Zwhere characters blast one form of beam or another at each other. They might also think of more modern shows like Sword art online OR Vinland Sagawhich are almost polar opposites from each other in tone with the exception of their focus on weapons-based combat.

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However, some show eschewed weapons and energy waves in favor of hand-to-hand combat, where the protagonist's only hope lies in their limbs. They may be more tests to animate, but in return they can produce more visceral and thrilling fights. So, if viewers want to check out the best hand-to-hand combat anime, they can start by checking out these examples.

7

Kenichi the most powerful disciple

From a crayfish to a fighting crayfish

Many of these voices start with their leads already quite strong, then only get stronger as their skills become more honed. In contrast, Kenichi starts out as a normal, albeit bullied, until he meets Miu and her grandfather Dojo, the Ryōzanpaku. It is only by learning from him constantly that he becomes Kenichi the most powerful disciple.

It's a mixed bag of a show, as its frequent fanservice and gags are as mid-2000s as they come. Yet it aims to be a more realistic take on martial arts spectacle, sprinkling real techniques with flashier, fictional ones. As trivial as possible, Kenichi It offers some fun fight scenes that only get better as the show progresses.

6

The god of high school

A seemingly ordinary mortal journeyed to the divine

Manhwa (Korean comics) strips have increased in popularity for years, with some gaining anime adaptations (or aeni in Korean). The god of high school is another standout, following Jin Mori as he aims to win the titular tournament domestically, and then take Korea to the top of the world stage.

Not that it's an easy feat, as many fighters use “borrowed power” from the gods to overcome their rivals. But Jin Mori relies on his own strength and his Re-Taekwondo, which is powerful enough to overcome his seemingly divine opponents. They certainly look like this too, thanks to its zippy choreography and its devastating heavy shots. It's a tour de force of strikes that only gets faster as it goes on.

5

Fist of the North Star

Its competitors are already dead

The grandfather of action anime, Fist of the North Star is famous for its focus on rapid punches and kicks, as well as exploding body parts and repeating animation. It's an older show that stretches its budget, although some of its guerrilla animation techniques contain some charm (for example, showing a POV of a dying villain by distorting and tearing actual film frames).

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However, he manages to give his characters distinct techniques that manage to challenge the seemingly invincible Kenshiro. The Hokuto Shinken master himself basically produces a new ability every episode. His standby technique, the Hokuto Hyakuretsuken, may also be the first multi-pointed barrage that inspired later Shōnen heroes, such as Luffy's Gum-Gum gatling gun One piece.

4

Kengan Ashura

The argument for 3D anime

Kengan Ashura it's a controversial choice. Not necessarily for its content, which follows Tokita “Ashura” Ohma as he is drawn into the world of underground combat via the Kengan Tournament of Annihilation. Instead, it's usually because it's in 3D, leaving viewers with bad memories of it Berserk 2016 OR Souten No Ken: Regenesis'Slow movement.

But luckily, Kengan Ashura It doesn't suffer from any of their flaws. It is expertly edited, where viewers can tell when one strike leads to another or when it is countered. They hit hard too, with decisive blows that feel like they'll end the world, let alone who they're hitting. 3D or otherwise, they're impressive attacks that deserve a watch.

3

Baki the Grappler

I can't write madness without “sanity”

Just because the action is hand-to-hand doesn't mean it can't be crazy. On paper, Baki the GrapplerThe story is as simple as they come: a boy grows stronger to defeat his father and avenge his mother's death. Baki's father, Yujiro, appears to be so strong that nations must sign treaties with him to maintain peace.

But behind the crazy scenes, like Yujiro breaking a glass barrier and blocking his face pretty hard, there are some thrilling fight scenes. They have a method to their madness, as each fighter's style has some basis in reality (e.g. fighters train for tanking through difficult strikes). They're just as over-the-top as everything else in the show, producing some intense fight scenes.

2

Box Megalo

How sci-fi boxing can feel more real than other fight shows

Box Megalo is tricky to add, as it's a sci-fi version of a boxing anime where most of its fighters use mechanical exoskeletons called gear to increase punching power. Technically, this could count as using weapons, since they are physically wielded objects (as opposed to The god of high schoolit's magical).

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But ultimately they're there to improve regular punching attacks, rather than throwing away blades or similar. Even then, the series' trash dog Hero eventually jumps by using it altogether, taking down equipped rivals with his bare hands. Gears aside, it takes a gritty approach to boxing, while the junk dog fighting and tolling feel authentic and tough.

1

Hajime no Ippo

Probably the best boxing anime around

Part of Box MegaloGrit comes from his inspiration, Ashita no Joewho essentially wrote the blueprint for all subsequent boxing anime, too Hajime no Ippo (AKA Fighting spirit). The long-running series is famous for adapting to the complexities of Sweet Science and how it affected its courageous protagonist Ippo Makunouchi and his gym buddies.

The show uses artistic license to illustrate how the boxers feel and move (e.g. putting them under water to show how they come off, so to speak), but otherwise lets the action speak for itself, which will keep people guessing spectators which side will turn until the final bell is rung. If viewers want a bare-knuckle fighting anime with minimal frills and all the thrills, Hajime no Ippo it should be their first port of call.

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