The first part of the second season of Baki Hanma sees the revival of a prehistoric man named Pickle, who is challenged by many exceptional modern-day fighters, including Baki. The first part of the season is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
A discovery in Colorado changes the way humans look at the history of their kind. Preserved in a salt slab, a man from the Jurassic period is found along with a T. rex. The man was fighting the dinosaur with his bare hands when the two of them got frozen in time.
While there is no way to revive the T. rex, the prehistoric man is revived and named Pickle. However, it is impossible to control Pickle, as bullets and other modern-day weapons cannot harm the man who used to prey on dinosaurs.
Captain Strydum decides to take Pickle to Japan, where he will get to meet other men like himself. Pickle’s arrival draws the attention of well-known fighters who wish to get a chance to fight someone as powerful as Pickle.
Eventually, Retsu, a kung fu master; Katsumi Orochi, a karate prodigy; Jack, Baki’s brother; as well as Baki get a chance to fight Pickle, who looks at these men as playthings or his next meal. Will any of them be able to defeat Pickle?
Positives
Baki Hama takes its time to establish Pickle’s superiority. It does not simply tell the audience that he is stronger than most of the fighters or that he possesses so-and-so abilities. Rather, it shows them all that through various fights.
Pickle belongs to a different time and age. He cannot speak any of the modern-day languages, so the narrator explains everything that he is feeling or thinking. The narrator also tells the audience about Pickle’s past experiences that influence his actions, which makes his character more than just a fighting machine.
Furthermore, as the show depicts the differences and similarities between Pickle’s time and modern human societies, it is interesting to see the show’s idea of how much humans have evolved and how there are some traits that they have retained even after millions of years.
The fights are engrossing not just because of great animation, characters, and their development but also because the show does a good job of explaining the moves used by them. It uses easy-to-understand scenarios and imagery to explain the moves and their effect on the opponents.
Negatives
This part mostly focuses on Pickle and his fights, which successfully establish Pickle as a strong adversary who remains unbeatable for a long time. At the same time, due to these fights, the audience does not get to see much of Baki; one might even forget who the protagonist is.
Additionally, since Baki stays missing for the most part, this part fails to get the audience fully invested in his story. The ending of this part does not intrigue them regarding what is to come next for Baki.
Verdict
The first part of Baki Hanma’s second season has great fights and a very interesting character. The only thing that the audience will miss is Baki’s presence, as the focus shifts from Baki to Pickle in this part.
Also Read: Baki Hanma season 2 part 1 summary and ending explained
