Summary
A father spurs his son into action in “Awakening”, and a climactic fight is arranged between Mohammad Alai Jr and Baki.
This recap of Baki season 3, episode 11, “Awakening”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
Check out our review of the first season.
Check out our review of the second season.
Check out all our recaps of this season.
So, Mohammad Alai Sr. wants to fight his son, and “Awakening” is quick to explain why. Turns out that his first ten-count ever was handed to him by his own boy, and even though it occurred when Alai Sr was already over 50, he took it very personally indeed. Now he’s back, and he details the intense training regimen that has returned him to peak physical fitness even in his 60s, after having been diagnosed with many illnesses. Alai Jr, badly beat up from his fights in the previous episode, doesn’t want to throw down with dad, but he also can’t take being called a chicken and takes the bait.
Alai Jr, needless to say, gets battered again, bringing back all kinds of insecurities for him. We’ve been watching this guy take a licking for so long now that it’s starting to get fetishistic. Alai Sr orders his son to be taken to his room, where he asks him how he feels about having lost four fights in a row. He’s well-aware of the beatings Junior has taken. He does, admittedly, give Junior his props for adapting his style, and explains that he’d like him out of this life, but Alai Jr only has his resolve strengthened after his losses.
Apparently Mr. Tokugawa, the fella in charge of underground fights in Japan, is a big fan of Alai Sr. and wants to set up a fight between Junior and Baki. Senior plays the old reverse psychology trick, claiming that Junior will likely come up with an excuse not to fight. Junior, on the contrary, kneels in a show of respect to Mr. Tokugawa, who is impressed by him and declares him a warrior. The fight, it seems, is on.
Junior begins training under Senior — we’re firmly into Rocky territory now. Senior even winds Junior up to the point that he breaks all his casts on the heavy bag, which isn’t how healing works, but if it’ll do for The Rock in Fast & Furious 6, it’ll do for Mohammad Alai Jr.
Now fighting fit, or at least close to it, Alai Jr goes to see Kozue and tells her how much he despises Baki — he wants what he has, both his fighting title and his girl. Doesn’t ask for much, does he? Despite the title of the show, though, Alai Jr quickly begins to emerge as the favorite in the fight. As Baki season 3, episode 11 ends, he resolves to win.
