Mangaka of Fist of the North Star, Sensei Tetsuo Hara, held a special exhibit at Lucca Comics & Games 2025.
Panini Comics, COAMIX Inc., and Animeimport brought the best of both worlds to Italy this past week. Mangaka of Fist of the North Star (Hakuto no Ken), Tetsuo Hara-sensei, held a special exhibit at Lucca Comics & Games 2025. This marked the first time a Japanese publisher was present with its own spaces at Lucca Comics & Games. Also, this was the first exhibition in the world entirely dedicated to Hara’s main series. The week-long exhibit was hosted at the Church of Santa Annunziata dei Servi in Lucca, from October 25th to November 2nd, 2025. CGMagazine’s Dayna Eileen also had a chance to quickly chat with the legendary Hara-sensei himself.
Even to those who do not typically watch anime know the line, “Omae wa mou shindieru. Nani?!” This could only be made possible by Hara-sensei. Fans visiting Lucca Comics & Games 2025 were ecstatic to see his original works outside of Japan for the first time! This special exhibition showed off a special work from Hara-sensei that celebrates the connection between his narrative universe and the Italian public.
Hara-sensei mentioned how he was “very impressed by the execution and how beautiful it looks.” But he was most impressed by “the pictures of people going [to the Lucca Comics & Games exhibit] and being happy to see [his] work.” He noted how Fist of the North Star was like his “child” that has matured, and now he can watch from a distance how much it has touched the lives of so many people.
On the occasion of his highly anticipated participation in Lucca Comics & Games 2025, master Hara-sensei’s work was titled The Savior in the Arena. This majestic oil painting (approximately 70 x 60 cm) blends the iconic power of Fist of the North Star protagonist Kenshiro with influences from the great Italian artistic tradition: painting, sculpture, classical architecture, and iconographic symbolism. At the center of the scene, Kenshiro stands colossal in an amphitheater, surrounded by red banners and bathed in a celestial light, picking up the helmet of his recently defeated adversary. This image is charged with meaning, also the fruit of in-depth research into Italian historical sources.
Hara-sensei talked about how “it’s incredible to see fathers explaining to their sons [about] Hakuto no Ken—[explaining] the values, respect, and sacrifice [themes]. I saw a father telling his son about the death of Rei. It’s incredible.” When asked about seeing younger generations experience Fist of the North Star, he discussed how he has recently gone back and “re-read” his works again. He discussed how the series was likely discussed by younger generations due to the 35th anniversary, and was primarily talked about by kids who grew up in that era. But in Japan, there are still core fans of the iconic manga/anime.
“Last year, I found myself re-reading my works again, and they look very old.” He went on to say how the old style might not be able to entertain audiences now. Hara-sensei was also “shocked” to hear many YouTubers and/or influencers say the same thing about his works. “From now on, I really want to focus on paints.”
The work will be the visual heart of the monographic exhibition Tetsuo Hara: Like a bolt from the blue , the first exhibition in the world entirely dedicated to Tetsuo Hara’s main series, hosted in the splendid Renaissance setting of the Church of Santa Annunziata dei Servi in Lucca, from October 25th to November 2, 2025. Additionally, Lucca Comics & Games 2025 visitors can be in awe of over 100 original paintings and manga panels, offering an unprecedented look at the Hara-sensei’s artistic and narrative evolution. Today is the last day to see it; check times on the official website.
