Fist of the North Star episodes 4 and 5: Shin is a real threat

Episodes 4 and 5 of Fist of the North Star are where the villain of the series starts to take shape, and I really like where the story is going. Shin, voiced by Toshio Furukawa, comes across as the one man in the show who can face Kenshiro one on one without dying instantly. He also gives off strong Dio Brando vibes.

Fist of the North Star is the 1984 anime adaptation, and I'm going into it blind, without having read the manga. Episode 4 is titled Flames of Obsession and episode 5 is titled Bloody Cross. Together they cover a single conflict that doesn't appear to be over yet.

Shin starts to take shape as a fine first villain for Fist of the North Star

Shin was introduced before these episodes, but he is properly fleshed out here. In these two episodes, Kenshiro is battling a faction called King, and Shin seems like the one guy in the series who could challenge Kenshiro to a one on one fight and not just instantly get killed.

Shin doesn't just survive. He absorbs Kenshiro's attack and counterattacks. This is the first time we see Kenshiro sell an opponent's offense, and Shin leaves him scarred. The fight starts in episode 4 and carries over into episode 5.

Shin seems like a prototype for Dio Brando

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is heavily influenced by Fist of the North Star. Kenshiro was like a prototype for the Joestar family, so it seems like Shin is the prototype for Dio Brando, or at least it seems that way.

Shin reminds me quite a bit of Dio, and he makes a fine first villain for the series.

Kenshiro and Shin trade signature techniques

Shin debuts techniques including a thunderclap palm strike. Kenshiro fights back and debuts a technique of his own, which is the cross, the bloody cross, and that's where episode 5 gets its title.

The episodes also reveal, through a flashback, that Shin beat Kenshiro in an earlier fight. On top of that, Shin took Kenshiro's fiancee. He is a truly nasty villain, but he's one I'm looking forward to seeing more of. I'm glad we got this backstory, because now we know what the feud between Kenshiro and Shin is about and how far back it goes.

There's also an attempt to set Kenshiro on fire and burn him down, but he makes it out. His goal now is to find his fiancee and to find Shin, and probably kill him.

The Fist of the North Star music fits its kung fu western mood

I love the music. It has a very different vibe from many shows I've seen, and I think it's unbelievably fitting. It's similar to how I feel about Dragon Ball. Many people love the Faulconer score, and I like many of those tracks too, but Dragon Ball is supposed to sound like an old school kung fu film.

Fist of the North Star is a mix of kung fu and western, which Dragon Ball is too, but this has a different vibe because it's more grounded. The battles are over the top, but the look of the world is more grounded, so the music feels even older in style.

I've never seen the show dubbed, and I've heard bad things. If the dub changed the music, which maybe it did, I think that would really hurt the show. It's got a bop.

Kenshiro is so serious that the show becomes funny

I thought the battle with Mr. Heart in episode 4 was very funny, and I enjoyed it. I don't know how anyone can take this show all that seriously because of how unbelievably tough Kenshiro is.

One Punch Man is funny in its own way, but Kenshiro is different. The fact that he's so serious and so deadly makes him strangely funny. That's why it works.

The villager scenes and 80s pacing drag a little

I think a lot of the stuff with the villagers drags a little bit. I've been told the series has filler that drags later on, and I'm not looking forward to that part.

I like it when the story is focused, but it can feel like the show takes its time to resolve things and get to the point. This is 80s anime pacing, though, so it doesn't surprise me much, and I still enjoyed it.

Toshio Furukawa's voice makes Shin work

Shin is voiced by the legendary Toshio Furukawa, who is also the voice of Piccolo in Dragon Ball. I recognized him, and his voice is so good for a villain. It's perfect.

In the English dub, which I've never seen, the role went to Steve Blum, who also did Dragon Ball work. He voiced Goku in the English version of Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout on PS1 and was one of the voices of the robot from Toonami. He's a great actor too, but I'm not going with the dub.

Furukawa is tremendous here as Shin, and so is the way the character looks, especially the faces and the look of disgust he gives. The animators did a great job. Since I haven't read the manga, I'd guess those faces were probably modeled on it and storyboarded from there.

I enjoy the way Furukawa does the voice and the narcissism he brings. Shin is a wonderful character, enough that I almost feel like devoting a whole piece just to him and how awesome he is.

The Southern Cross arc and how long Shin might last

The episodes also introduce the Southern Cross. I read online that the first story arc of Fist of the North Star is called the Southern Cross arc, which I didn't know. Kenshiro is heading to a city called the Southern Cross, so presumably whatever happens there will be the culmination of this first arc, with more to come after it.

I don't know whether the conflict with Shin will wrap up in a few episodes or at the end of the entire series. I have no idea how long he stays the villain. I'm guessing it'll be for a while, and I assume it's only for a while, because I think the series will move on to other villains. I just don't know who yet.

Either way, it's only been a couple of episodes, and there's likely more to come from Shin. He is a great counter to Kenshiro, a guy Kenshiro can't just kill with ease. And he took Kenshiro's woman, which everybody can relate to. Maybe not a martial artist doing it, but you've probably dealt with someone trying.