グラップラー刃牙 [Grappler Baki]
In the pages of Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1992 to 1999, Keisuke Itagaki launched Grappler Baki, the foundational series of the brutal martial arts saga that would define a generation. This 42-issue run introduced a world where teenage fighter Baki Hanma pits himself against a rogues' gallery of death row inmates and legendary warriors, all in a primal pursuit of surpassing his monstrous father. Itagaki's hyper-detailed, anatomy-obsessed art and visceral fight choreography set a new standard for physical storytelling in manga, establishing the series as a cornerstone of Akita Shoten's action catalog. The work's raw, philosophical take on strength and survival made it a cult phenomenon, seeding a sprawling franchise that continues to resonate with fans of uncompromising combat fiction.