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Baki Gets New Isekai Spinoff Manga Starring Retsu Kaioh

The November issue of Akita Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Champion magazine revealed on Tuesday that Keisuke Itagaki's Baki manga franchise will have a new spinoff manga titled Baki Gaiden - Retsu Kaioh Isekai Tensei Shitemo Ikkō Kamawan! (Baki Side Story - Retsu Kaioh Doesn't Mind Even if It's in Another World). Eiji Murai is drawing the manga, while Keisuke Itagaki and Sai Ihara (Daisuke Ihara) are credited for the original story. The manga will launch in the magazine's next issue on November 6.

The manga will focus on the Kenpo-style master Retsu Kaioh reincarnating into another world.

The latest manga in Itagaki's long-running Baki martial arts action series is titled Baki-Dou (seen right). The manga uses different characters for "Baki" in the title from the previous Baki-Dou manga, although it retains the name "Baki-Dou." In the new manga, Baki faces off against Japan's oldest and strongest "sumo god," and features the Japanese legendary sumo wrestler Nomi no Sukune. The wrestler supposedly had the first ever sumo match against Taima no Kehaya in 23 B.C.

The new manga launched in Weekly Shōnen Champion in October 2018. Akita Shoten will publish the manga's sixth compiled book volume on July 8.

Itagaki's original Baki The Grappler martial arts manga ran for 42 volumes in Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from 1991 to 1999. The manga has more than 63 million copies in circulation. The Baki sequel manga ran for 31 volumes from 1999 to 2005. Media Do releases the manga in English. After Baki, Itagaki published the 37-volume Hanma Baki manga in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 2005 to 2012. The first Baki-Dou manga, the overall fourth manga in the franchise, launched in Weekly Shōnen Champion in March 2014 and ended in April 2018 with 22 volumes.

Source: Monthly Shōnen Champion November issue