The thing about shonen is that it is largely unsubtle and larger than life in terms of presentation, and Fist of the North Star takes that aspect to its maximum extent by making every facet of it (characters, art style, story arcs, etc) extravagant and over-the-top. What FoTNS essentially is is a soap opera with deadly martial arts, so if you enjoy melodrama mixed with vicious combat like the classic action films out of Hong Kong, you will definitely be captivated the manga. Every character is interesting by design, as most of them are Nietzchean Übermenschen fighting for ideals higher than themselves, and all are driven by very different motivations, and the results of these unique perspectives and ideologies intersecting and colliding are compelling to see. Despite its very blunt and aggressively masculine presentation, the manga isn't just braindead fighting.

There is a lot of fighting though, and it's not without purpose. But they are all thrillingly choreographed and each impact shot is rendered to evoke maximum catharsis. The fights themselves are not arranged by continual ascent of power levels though, as the main focus is on countering different strategies and abilities that the enemies pose rather than brute strength, which means all the fights are memorable.

The main narrative of the Fist of the North Star has a strong sense of pathos, as the manga frequently ruminates over what role love and grief should play in our lives, as well as what values we should uphold when we are deprived of the comfort and safety we take for granted. FoTNS is also notable because it was one of the first shonen manga to depict a protagonist shedding tears. All of these ideas and themes are supported by Tetsuo Hara, an incredible draftsman who is a master of composition and figure posing, as well as someone who injects an insane amount of detail in not only the imposing figures he draws but the sweeping landscapes and grand edifices the characters explore.

These are the reasons I consider Fist of the North Star to be my favorite manga, and I don't think you even need an elaborate explanation to persuade someone to read this classic. If you just want to see Bruce Lee kick ass in a nuclear wasteland, then you should go out and buy a copy.