Over a decade since it first began serialization, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc has finally received an anime adaptation, and following its recap special, people should largely be ready for episode #1. By design, episode #0 isn’t a perfect introduction to the series, especially for Western viewers, but it still does a good job of setting up what’s bound to be one of the biggest anime of the year.

Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc picks up in the immediate aftermath of the Scramble of the Throne arc, with Kinnikuman set to be crowned the new king of Planet Kinniku. It’s possibly the last time Kinnikuman will be free to hang out with his friends, so to send him off with a bang, Kinnikuman and Terryman decide to have one last spar before Kinnikuman leaves for his new life.

Episode #0 largely adapts a bonus chapter written many years after the original manga’s ending, and its adaptation does a good job of showing what to expect from the anime, going forward.

What Time Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc Episode 1 Releases

Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc releases exclusively on Netflix, which can be accessed through the website or directly from the app. Going by the series premiere, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #1 should premiere on Monday, July 15 at 2:00 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST), 5:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), and 10:00 AM British Standard Time (BST).

What Happened In Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc Episode 0?

Produced by Production I.G; Directed by Akira Sato

In Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #0, “Kinnikuman is Eternal… And Then,” Kinnikuman and his best friend Terryman decide to have one last spar before Kinnikuman goes off to become the new king of Planet Kinniku and marry his longtime fiancé Bibimba, although they decided on a boxing match rather than a wrestling match. As they fought, Kinnikuman, Terryman, and all their friends reminisced on the fights they’ve had over the years, both with each other and the various villains who have threatened the world.

As Kinnikuman and Terryman fought, everyone remarked on how much they’ve grown as people over the years thanks to Kinnikuman and the power of friendship, and the fight ended with KInnikuman and Terryman both getting one last punch in before Terryman congratulated Kinnikuman on his upcoming nuptials. Later, in a post-credits scene, a group of Chojin were shown observing the Earth, and one of the new Chojin greatly resembled Big the Budo, one of the major villains from the original Kinnikuman anime.

Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc’s Villains Explained

While Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #0 didn’t reveal the identity of its villains, promotional material has already revealed the villains to be the Perfect Chojin, the oldest and allegedly most powerful faction of Chojin. While Neptuneman and Big the Budo were defeated by Kinnikuman and Terryman, the new Perfect Chojin revealed that Big the Budo’s Perfect Chojin were imposters and that they were the real Perfect Chojin, thus complicating the original story arc. A Big the Budo-lookalike being among the new Perfect Chojin adds even more to that, and watching how that plays out is sure to be great.

Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc Opens With A Serviceable Recap Special

At its core, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #0 was little more than a recap special, and that came with all the typical strengths and weaknesses of the format. While episode #0 did a good job of covering the Kinnikuman manga arcs centered around the Devil and Perfect Chojin, as they’re the most important for the anime, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #0 still couldn’t cover everything of the original story with meaningful depth. That means there’s still a degree of inaccessibility to the new anime, so it’s still hard for newcomers to get into the series.

That being said, episode #0 does do a good job of selling the characters. While there wasn’t a lot of time spent exploring the histories of the main cast, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #0 does a good job of showing off everyone’s personalities and why they’re so close to each other, especially in regards to Kinnikuman and Terryman’s friendship. Episode #0 does a good job of showcasing what to expect from the cast, and that will hopefully help sell it to people unfamiliar with the franchise.

The best part of episode #0, however, was the animation. While the only action was in a few of the flashback scenes, every action scene was filled with incredible artwork and animation, and if that’s being used for just a recap special, then it means that Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc is set to have some of the best action of the summer 2024 anime season. Even if episode #0 wasn’t the best series premiere, there’s still a lot to be excited about for Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc, and episode #1 and beyond will hopefully do a lot to sell that.

Be sure to watch Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc episode #1 when it releases on Monday, July 15.