Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied his entire life. Constantly running errands and being beaten up by
his classmates, Ippo has always dreamed of changing himself, but never has the passion to act upon it.
One day, in the midst of yet another bullying, Ippo is saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a
boxer. Ippo faints from his injuries and is brought to the Kamogawa boxing gym to recover. As he
regains consciousness, he is awed and amazed at his new surroundings in the gym, though lacks
confidence to attempt anything. Takamura places a photo of Ippo's classmate on a punching bag and
forces him to punch it. It is only then that Ippo feels something stir inside him and eventually asks
Takamura to train him in boxing. Thinking that Ippo does not have what it takes, Takamura gives him a
task deemed impossible and gives him a one week time limit. With a sudden desire to get stronger, for
himself and his hard working mother, Ippo trains relentlessly to accomplish the task within the time
limit. Thus Ippo's journey to the top of the boxing world begins.
_Everyone has their reason to fight. Whether it's for a family member, for a memory, for making ends meet, or just for loving the sport._ __Story and characters:__ This series is powerful. It's inspirational. No, it's _way beyond_ inspirational. Each episode will give you a surge of motivation to __just do anything__. To be active in any way, and as a personal case, it made me start practicing sports again. This is the kind of series you'd want to show to your kids, but it's, not one bit, an anime just for children. Hajime no Ippo is no ordinary anime about sports. It's about sports, passion, and determination. About struggles, persistence, pushing beyond limits, fear, courage, and overcoming obstacles. It isn't like anything I have ever watched in the sports genre, let it be an animated series or a non-animated one. It truly is the authentic meaning of a __masterpiece__. It's, by no means whatsoever, a short anime. But every single episode of the series has importance, none of them are empty fillers. _Hajime no Ippo_ shows the true meaning and struggles of being a sportsperson. It shows both the dark and bright side of boxing. I have always been a huge fan of boxing but never once considered watching it in an anime series. What grabbed my attention was the fact that _Hajime no Ippo_ is one of the most highest rated anime series ever, which made me extremely curious and eager to give it a try. How can someone possibly make such a long anime series when it's just about boxing? Is it episodic? Is it full of fillers? What about this anime makes it so special? I started the anime with the intention to watch only the first episode so I can avoid it and move on, I was completely sure I wouldn't manage to even finish it. __And hell if it didn't prove me wrong.__ From the very first episode, you get engulfed into the anime. The main character is an abnormally pathetic, weak, naive character. The moment you lay eyes on him, you know you'll be in for one hell of a character development. He's someone you can definitely root for, and cannot help but love. The passion he has for boxing is shown in every single episode. But it's not him exclusively. This is where the anime truly shines. It will take almost every character you get introduced to, and fill them with life, persistence, and determination. It will suck out all the possibilities of the characters coming off as shallow or one dimensional. Ippo surely was the main character of the anime, but trust me when I say you'll find yourself in a continuous state of confusion, wanting both parties to win, not fully wanting Ippo to win. Moreover, you get to see how a match is viewed by many people. Everything is thoroughly explained in a very interesting and engaging way. There is a huge amount of detailed, accurate information about the world of boxing. You'll get to see the importance of rivals and competitors. And how they can motivate you way more than your supporters can. Sometimes even more than your own self. You'll go out of the series understanding at the very least what boxers go through, if you did not manage to catch the basics. George Morikawa made sure to constantly show us the struggles they go through, what goes through their minds, and how they manage to get up no matter how many times they fall down. The anime is a direct punch to the moronic idiots who say boxing is all violence and brutality with no thoughts. Moreover, the anime showed me something I have ALWAYS failed to see in drama/comedy anime. The comedy ---wait for it--- comes at the RIGHT time! No jokes! Combining drama with comedy is __not__ an easy task. Most if not all of the drama/comedy series I have seen so far make a huge, sloppy, awkward, cringe-worthy mess of the two combined genres. It would always end up with supposedly 'funny' scenes coming in the worst timing plausible, detaching you from the 'dramatic' scene and leaving you very uncomfortable. Morikawa does not once commit this huge mistake. And if pulled off, such as this case, it can be a mesmerising series. The dialogues are very well-written and executed. The anime simplifies the basics of boxing whilst showing the complexity of being a boxer. __Art and music:__ I should mention one of the strongest, if not even the strongest part of the anime. Now I won't say it was flawless or even near flawless, there is a lot of lazy work and a huge amount of repeated scenes. But what made it special is how well presented the facial expressions of the characters are. I have never seen such a powerfully drawn and animated characters, their facial expressions are extremely expressive and very well suited, I'm not exaggerating when I say it's much, much more powerful than in non-animated series. The fighting scenes, repetitive ones excluded, are very, VERY well done. The alternation between spectators, cornermen, the two fighters, and the commentators adds a superb amount of suspense. At some points I felt that I was in Ippo's place, being out of breath with heavy shoulders. The voice acting couldn't have been any more flawless, and the right background music came at the right time, but it needed more music. Sure, there were things that annoyed me about the anime, but they were all minor and can be overlooked. The repetitive scenes and glossed over Miyata annoyed me most. It was very surprising to know that Miyata's teammates gave up so easily on him when Ippo showed, as we're shown that Miyata has been with them since he was a preteen. My other minor problems are mostly personal/what I preferred. I was looking forward for an anime about a very ordinary guy that gets beaten and loses a lot and then starts climbing to the top. But Ippo trained with a very talented coach and was around the best fighters. As for his inexperience, how he gets beaten to a bloody pulp in every fight makes up for the fact that he can beat those who exceed him in experience. He learns rapidly in his extensive training and in the fights, in the hardest way possible. __Overall: 10/10__ My enjoyment level exceeded its limit. The anime made me happy, sad, angry, but most of all, it ruined my nerves. The average match takes about two episodes, which is equivalent to 40 minutes. And the big matches take about 3 episodes, that's a whole, ongoing hour of extreme tension. The final match had me holding my breath till the very end, I literally had to take fast, deep breaths after it was all done. Don't get fooled by the idea of a single, small match getting extended to 2-3 episodes, you won't feel a tiny bit bored through any minute of it. It's beyond impossible for me to re-watch anything even if it's a year after, but somehow, some way, I've started re-watching the series even before finishing it. Worthy of being my first ever 10/10 rated series.
# __"What does it mean to be strong?" - Ippo the Greatest Sports/Martial Arts Manga of All Time__ As a preface, this review will be for every instalment of Ippo in animated form thus far. It will include: Hajime no Ippo, Mashiba vs. Kimura, Champion Road, New Challenger, and Rising into its final score though not all series technically enjoy the same score on their own. All story lines continuing on from the anime, even controversial elements in the manga such as ~!the Survival Match of Asian Champions Arc, Ippo getting CTE and losing twice in a row resulting in his retirement thus far!~ - shall be ignored for the purposes of this review. Synopsis: Hajime no Ippo follows the development of one Makunouchi Ippo, a bullied, timid, bookish high-schooler. He works at his mother's local fishing boat business and is in his final year of high school with the opportunity to join any university and job he could probably want if he put his mind to it. However, on one day, he is being bullied once again by Umezawa and his friends, he takes it on the chin, as usual, before Umezawa mocks Ippo's mother. This singular action causes Ippo to be infuriated for a single moment before Umezawa beats him unconscious. By happenstance, Takamura Mamoru, a promising Middle-Weight (70-73 kg) boxer is running by as a part of his road-work routine (road work referring to boxer and other combat sport athelete's regular running routine), Takamura quickly dispatches the bullies and brings Ippo to his gym: the Kamogawa Boxing Gym, headed by Kamogawa Genji. Takamura reveals that he hates bullies, but especially hates people that let bullies do what they want, before giving Ippo the opportunity to blow off steam by punching a heavy bag with Umezawa's crude drawing on it. Ippo, having never thrown a punch before, demolishes the paper into shreds and sends the bag flying but flaying his knuckles in the process. The other members of the gym note that the latter observation is a sign of a hard puncher. Takamura introduces Ippo to the world of Boxing with tapes of various Boxers (originally the manga only had Ippo watch tapes of Mike Tyson). Ippo decides to pursue Boxing not just as a fan, but as a fighter, but is admonished by Takamura due to the extreme nature of the sport, Ippo cries before asking "What does it mean to be strong?". This begins Ippo's journey as a Boxer. Storyline and Characters: Though not as heady, detail orientated, and inscrutable as other shows such as: Serial Experiments Lain, Ergo Proxy, Boogiepop, Monster etc. that many anime fans have watched and pretended to watch are; Ippo still holds a very well structured and satisfying loop to each story arc. The general process goes that Ippo or another Boxer in the Kamogawa Gym will be challenged by or challenge another opponent, this opponent shall be introduced, the Kamogawa Gym's fighters they will study the opponent to the best of their abilities and train in order to beat them, their opponent will do the same with other characters from other gyms often chiming in in order to give predictions and analyses of our given fighters. During this period, tension can be built with any number of interactions, plot twists, and other story elements added in order to give intrigue and suspense to the match. Eventually, the match comes and our fighters duke it out. More often than not, our fighters for this story arc shall be fleshed out even further through internal monologue, flashbacks, and the ilk (anime shit) and reveal their techniques or improvements they've made to counter their opponent. A victor is eventually decided after these multi-episode/chapter wars and the audience is given time to soak in what has happened with moments of brevity before repeating once again. In essence, this is literally Rocky: the Anime. However, due to Ippo being so long-form as it is, it allows George and the audience to have a fully fleshed out progression of the storyline and characters. With Ippo himself finding himself taking one step forward at a time towards attaining his answer as his fists become heavy with the weight of each loveable, hateable, interesting, and funny opponent along the way. Not to mention the progression of other characters like Takamura, Aoki, Kimura, and Itagaki (the former three of whom are often considered gag characters) being just as tangible as Ippo himself. Each opponent, no matter how minor, is given a fully fleshed-out set of abilities, personality, and motivations. Making the audience root for or revile them with every shade in the middle explored as well. And when the come times for the match, their character clashes with our main character's own in an intimate, frenetic, and wordless interaction as character is built and revealed. Occasionally, defeated opponents will also reveal themselves later on in the series, making for permanent/semi-permanent fixtures in the series or one-off cameos giving each opponent importance to them not found in some other series which kill off or forget about characters at the drop of a hat. Art Design: Ippo is one of the rare instances where both the manga and anime can be both enjoyed on an aesthetic basis with no "objective" medium being better than the other. The anime renders each movement and character with life and energy, as opposed to the "moving manga" art style of many other series. Each punch is afforded weight, power, and speed, instead of resorting to floaty, blurry, streaks, many other shows resort to when showing attacks. Each character's physique is rendered with care and changes over time as they improve, George obviously exaggerates proportions and muscularity greatly with each character packing on muscle like a heavyweight. Each special attack is also extremely distinct from one another making it wholly unique to the character that uses it such as Mashiba's Omni-directional flurry of Flicker Jabs, Sendo's canvas-scraping Smash, Ippo's frenetic weaving to charge for the Dempsey Roll and many others. However, the last season (so far, fingers crossed), Rising has had some of the most egregious and strange animation errors or just downright wacky moments which are more than unintentional such as when animators [just forget to draw Ippo's arms correctly](https://youtu.be/-lWapdBPRA0?t=158) or when [Ippo decides to block Sawamura's punches with his face ](https://youtu.be/-lWapdBPRA0?t=397) but these moments are few and far between though this just makes it that when animation does slip up that it's so jarring to the audience in an otherwise beautiful show. Sound Design: Ippo's sound design including its music, voice acting, and sound effects is actually one of its strong suits. Continuing on from the previous point about characters' special attacks - each special attack in the series has a clear sound profile to signal to the audience that it shit is about to go down. Ippo has wind wooshing and jet engines blaring when he charges up for the Dempsey Roll and ear-piercing rubber tires scraping against asphalt is used for his New Dempsey Roll before his muscles and tendons tear apart from Ippo daring to even try to stop his own force and momentum from running its course. Mashiba has an [link ear-grating, unnatural drone](https://youtu.be/sZAyaGWelso?t=26) to signal his taking of the Hitman Stance. ....And Sendo just fucking screams his lungs out, but that's Sendo for ya. Hajime no Ippo's music is also unique but dominates and dictates the mood and atmosphere evoking a Pavlovian effect in the audience just by being played with most boxing-related scenes marked by jazz and its many sub-genres. [Smooth, relaxed, and textbook shadowboxing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAKR2qwMMc4) to the [frenetic, unbound energy of sparring or a full-on match](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c09tZwxHBo) can be embodied by the incarnations of jazz. In regards to other scenes, music perfectly dictates their mood as well with the first season making great use of "that sad piano song" which I simply cannot find on YouTube but anyone who's seen the first season of Ippo knows what it sounds like. That being said, Ippo's unique sound design is only most prominent in its first season. That's partially due to some of the characters these sound cues/songs are dedicated to don't have fights in later seasons. But most of Ippo's unique sound just got forgotten to the wayside as time passed on, for some reason. Fanbase: Ippo's fanbase is actually one of the most chill out of all big shonen anime fanbases. That could be due to the large intersection between boxing fans and Ippo fans, with boxers (such as myself, wink wink, nod, nod) being quite calm and nice. But I believe it mostly has to do with the more cult following Ippo has as being one of Japan's longest and largest manga and anime series but still paling in comparison to the massive shonen series out there such as MHA, AOT, Haikyuu etc.. In general, the only thing Ippo's fanbase argues about is about whether or not some arcs are boring. Even then, most of the time, they just post fan-art and memes, keeping only to themselves. Overall Thoughts/Tl;dr: This is one of the most influential series in my life, I highly urge everyone to watch it. I guarantee it will make you cry, laugh, love, and hate all at the same time with only minor errors in regards to animation and music exist. Even if one is not interested in sports or Boxing at all: its story, characters, and aesthetic is phenomenal with a gradual, clean progression throughout as the audience grows along with the characters. Only minor errors in regards to animation and music exist. 100/100
#~~~__Hajime no Ippo__~~~ --- Hajime no Ippo es la adaptación a ánime del [manga](https://anilist.co/manga/30007/Hajime-no-Ippo/) con el mismo nombre. Esta serie es sobre Ippo, un joven que ayuda a su madre en el trabajo y no es muy sociable; debido a cuestiones del destino, Ippo termina despertando un interés por el boxeo. Este ánime es sobre la vida de Ippo como boxeador. En esta review quiero explicar las razones por las cuales considero que Hajime no Ippo es un ánime que, aunque no sea perfecto y falle en ciertos aspectos, se destaca por su buena calidad. ~~~img250(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/8e/42/058e420f85fa68b5b87810e956520516.gif)~~~ En primer lugar, Hajime no Ippo cuenta con una trama acogedora y sencilla. Este ánime se centra muy bien en el deporte sin dejar a un lado la vida personal del mismo Ippo. Por lo tanto, es de esperar que este ánime no muestre cabalmente cada uno de los detalles de la vida diaria de su personaje principal. En mi opinión, esto hizo la trama algo repetitiva y con falta de drama diferente al de las peleas; sin embargo, no quiere decir que esto lo haga malo. Después de todo, Hajime no Ippo no es un slice of life, es un buen shounen de boxeo donde los haya. ~~~img250(https://66.media.tumblr.com/1cabb583aaf495f50f8fa4e4fe848773/tumblr_ojkex5YLdM1tlwa21o1_500.gif)~~~ Por otro lado, este ánime cuenta con una buena animación en cuanto a peleas. El movimiento de los personajes se siente bastante suave, lo cual no solo incrementa su valor estético sino que aporta cierto realismo a las peleas. Además, este ánime cuenta con ciertos tecnicismos que a su vez son explicados de manera sencilla a lo largo de la historia; sea el caso de jabs, uppercuts y otras técnicas de boxeo, todo esto le añade un factor realismo sin mucho esfuerzo. Otra característica a destacar de este ánime es el hecho de exponer los pensamientos de los personajes. Con lo anterior me refiero a durante las batallas y entrenamientos, este ánime te hace sentir en la piel de los personajes mientras ellos razonan en cómo se está desarrollando la pelea, cuál es su condición y qué otros pensamientos u opiniones tienen de los acontecimientos que se desarollan en el momento. Esto es un factor clave en un ánime de pelea y Hajime no Ippo sabe retratar bien qué pensaría una persona en esos momentos puntuales. ~~~img250(https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd24e126d2afb6f50fce3873c514cee1/tumblr_pdmk53lAPR1sfyp69o1_400.gifv)~~~ En cuanto a los aspectos que no me terminaron de gustar por completo, o bien me disgustaron, se encuentra el hecho de la duración de las peleas. Aunque entiendo que este sea un ánime de boxeo, los encuentros entre los peleadores a veces se pueden hacer pesados y sobreextendidos de manera aburrida o poco emocionante. Esto hace que podamos ver 2 o 3 capítulos seguidos viendo cómo se desarrolla un mismo encuentro que fácilmente pudo haber tomado un capítulo y medio como mucho. Aclaro que no es tanto el hecho de la duración sino de cómo se llega a esa duración, de qué estrategias usan los guionistas para mantener al espectador viendo una misma pelea por 3 capítulos seguidos. ~~~img250(https://i.imgur.com/xmnR6C6.gif)~~~ Otro aspecto que me gustó fue el desarrollo del personaje principal, Ippo, el cual muestra un cambio claro pero a su vez alcanzado de manera sutíl. Es decir, si comparas al Ippo de un capítulo, con el de los dos o tres anteriores, probablemente no notes la diferencia; mas al comparar al boxeador con los primeros capítulos, el cambio es bastante evidente. Claro, esto pasa casi desapercibido al ver el ánime y cómo se desarrolla poco a poco. ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/45bccacb761ca10835c027bf603f3885/tumblr_naoygvMagg1qk8ld8o1_400.gifv)~~~ En suma, Hajime no Ippo es un ánime que muestra muy bien la vida de un boxeador; es una adaptación bien hecha de un deporte con técnicas algo complejas. Hajime no Ippo no es un slice of life con drama; es lo que es y promete ser, un shounen de boxeo. __Notas del autor:__ ~!Justo anoche terminé Hajime no Ippo y decidí hacerle una review, a lo cual se me vino a la mente que había olvidado hacer una review en español, así que sería Hajime no Ippo mi pequeño debut en las reviews en español. Debo decir que, a pesar de ser mi lengua materna, se siente raro escribir una reseña en español. Supongo que ha de ser porque ya me había acostumbrado a escribir reseñas en inglés.!~ __Reviewer notes:__ ~!I just finished Hajime no Ippo and I decided to write a review of it. As I recalled that I had forgotten to write a review in Spanish, my mother tongue. Thus, I came to write a Hajime no Ippo, which would be my debut for reviews in Spanish. I must mention that, although it is my mother tongue, it felt weird to write a review in Spanish. I guess it is because I had gotten used to writing reviews in English.!~ __IMPORTANTE:__~! Esta es una resubida de una review que escribí en una cuenta que ya no uso. Me aseguré de borrar la original en la cuenta en la que estaba para que no fuera auto-plagio y no me lo marcaran como repetida.!~ __IMPORTANT:__~! This is a re-upload of a review that I wrote in an account I no longer use. I made sure of deleting the original one in the account I had it in so that this wouldn't be self-plagiarism and moderators marked it as such. !~
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/zLvzUnF.jpg)~~~ ~~~“I want to be reborn.”~~~ These words alone proclaim such a robust, yet genuine expression in the first episode of _Hajime no Ippo_. A subtle testimony, simple, yet effectively impelling, illustrating a young man’s relentless thirst for personal growth. As his own journey unfolds, evolution, discovery, and self-reflection become apparent, marking an experience that gradually embellishes his unrealized love for boxing. A sport where the stakes are aggrandized to higher quantities while evaluating one's existence… and most particularly, the spirit within. George Morikawa’s story is simply a billet doux to Shounen, where each character is fully grounded in growth. Sometimes in a steady, uniform manner when it needs to be, and passionately energetic and strenuous when the moment is ripe. Although Ippo is the core of it all, the people surrounding him possess distinctive traits, because of what boxing means to them and Ippo’s influence towards their own goals, vice-versa. Even the side plots dedicate a remarkable amount of episode length to characters like Miyata, Sendo, and Vorg, showcasing their struggles, their means of achieving fulfillment, their differing perspectives, and their technical weaknesses, both inside the boxing ring, and when they’re not. And within the heart of these athletes, all their motives diverge with one another, every intersection eventually setting foot within the distinguished ring. The most brilliant aspect of it all resides within writing that prioritizes impact over innovation and ingenuity. Ippo’s strive for greatness may seem simple, though overtime, you never realize how nuanced and significant it becomes until the day of the match. Each athlete becomes influential to Ippo and each other, more than what meets the eye. Albeit, What differentiates _Hajime no Ippo_ from most stories lies within its aptitude to substantially highlight the consequences of attaining glory and eminence, making each match not only entertaining, but an opportunity to generate a source of investment from the viewer. Even when there isn’t a match on-screen, Ippo’s story transitions into a Slice-of-Life framework beautifully, by means of adding a dose of more interest or substance in characterization. Comedic solace is arguably the production’s greatest surprise, as it manages to implement a sense of sincerity in character traits. Kamogawa’s gym members are supplied with chemistry that comes in many forms, manifesting in well-executed sentimental responses, Takamura’s over-the-top penis jokes, Aoki and Kimura’s lively voice acting, and Ippo’s cluelessness. Immaturity tends to gain a questionable response from viewers in most Shounen, but in Ippo’s case, it’s utilized as a product of appeal due to appropriate placement and avoiding stereotypical punchlines and gimmicks. Aside from impactful storytelling, this tale has a breathtaking musical score, one that intensifies tension and recesses faintly when silence immerses one's attention. Usages of striking rock n’roll guitar riffs, catchy in-tempo drum beats sound incredibly authentic, bass reverberations compliment the tone, and the melodic chord progressions are just as affecting as the story itself. Although, vocal production is most noteworthy. Passionately expressive, brimmed with inspiration. Triumphant, yet poignantly crafted during the time of self-reflection. Ippo’s three opening themes are adrenaline-pumping, as if it was made to be the music as an athlete triumphantly marches into the ring, accompanied by roars, praises, and shouts of the audience that encircles them. In contrast, the ending themes naturally incorporate a melancholic sustenance, though the feeling isn’t overdramatized. “Eternal Loop”, Ippo’s final ending song, is a timeless tune that vividly describes the sensation of a boxing match and most admirably, the fighting spirit of an athlete. Despite being produced in 2000, MADHOUSE is known for their international achievements. Aside from incredible sound production, Ippo has clean animating, where each punch thrown is pressurized by white, directive air, capitalizing on impactful movement, actual heavy-hitting jabs, and consistently detailed facial expressions, showcasing the heart-aching pain in each blow. The wisp of air fluttering time and time again, followed by merciless swings being thrown, is adrenaline boosting. Ippo’s fluid choreography oozes mastery, despite being an anime ahead of its time. This story is the definition of "inspirational.” Reason being, it methodically structures the technical elements of boxing without getting carried away, and focuses on maintaining it every episode, essentially prioritizing coherency over shock value. Although unpredictability is sometimes sacrificed for this, predictable match outcomes aren’t necessarily a negative, more so a positive from a general perspective in Ippo’s case. The value of each match may seem to hold more value than one may think as the prevalent thought of defeat is more devastating than usual, due to the things at stake. Various topics like retaining one’s pride (or letting go of it), an obligatory win to improve the life of one’s mother, or a seemingly simplistic promise towards young children wherein one will buy each of them a prize if one obtains victory, bears more meaning than the accustomed stakes at hand. _Hajime no Ippo_ is a tale devoid of any pretentious shenanigans. Makunouchi Ippo’s journey in continuously refining his techniques, gradually building up his own fighting spirit, and understanding the lives of his friends and foes on a personal level, is wondrous. The relationships formed throughout are a method the production utilizes effectively to connect the viewer with each athlete. In Ippo’s world, sometimes the bully who tortured you during high school may later on develop into a significant source of emotional support. Sometimes your own opponent may be the only way of obtaining fulfillment. Sometimes the sport of boxing may put all the odds against you. Sometimes the sport itself may be immensely fear-inducing. Sometimes the amount of potential risks and sacrifices included may not be worth it in the end, hell, even the countless hours of hard work and dedication put in only to possibly sink in defeat… Although, regardless of each possibility, individuals who enter the ring stand as a monumental art, a passionate form of liberation wherein one feels alive more than ever before. ~~~_"Coach... what does it mean to be strong?"_ _"Then go and fight. Win against that man. The answer will come to you naturally."_~~~
#~~~ Hajime No Ippo Review~~~ Hajime No Ippo is a Shounen manga adapted into an anime with an OVA and movies. I did not care for boxing as a sport before watching this show, but HnI has managed to keep my interest for 75 episodes and still hungry for more. It follows the journey of a boy named Ippo who is constantly the target of bullies at his school and does not have any friends. His life takes a drastic turn when he is introduced to the world of boxing and aims to become a strong boxer himself, defeating countless powerful opponents along the way on his road to the world title. You should absolutely watch this show if you enjoy shounen shows and well-animated fight scenes with likable characters and fantastic music that you will definitely be adding to your workout mix. After this section, I will begin going into spoilers. #~~~“What does it mean to be strong?”~~~ img2200(https://i.imgur.com/Am1JTml.png) This question is established from the very first episode when Ippo seriously considers becoming a boxer, speaking through tears to someone he considers an idol in the world of fighting. What does it mean to be strong? Is it being able to knock out foes with a single hard uppercut? Is it taking dozens of painful punches and still having the guts to get up? Or is it the courage to drive forward at opponents even with the danger of getting punched in the face? Hajime No Ippo aims to answer this question by putting our protagonist Ippo through several deadly trials at the hands of interesting opponents. One of my favorite things of any shounen is watching the hero slowly get strong throughout the series and comparing them at the end to how they were at the start. Hajime No Ippo does this very well by making the protagonist Ippo go through a seemingly impossible task of grabbing 10 leaves really fast. Then by making Ippo fight against a boxing prodigy for his immediate first task once he steps foot in the gym for the second time in order to show the audience his potential skills that will shine throughout the show. #~~~The Characters~~~ One of the strongest parts of Hajime No Ippo are the characters. Almost every single character is likeable and has an interesting background, even the ones that only appear in a couple episodes (Jason Osma). These are the characters that ended up being my favorite in the show aside from Ippo. 1. __Mamoru Takamura__ ~~~Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/DKbVgwC.png)~~~ The very first boxer that we see in the show. It’s amazing how he goes from an intimidating and fearful fighter to an idiotic intimidating and fearful fighter throughout the show. There is never a dull moment with Takamura on screen, every single scene he is in is always interesting, and the animation for the show always seems to get better whenever he is fighting. From the fierce middleweight champion who can take down bears to the big brother of the group, Takamura is the most memorable character of the show and will always stick in my mind out of every character from any anime I have watched. 2. __Ichiro Miyata__ ~~~Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/Cbt02Ob.png)~~~ What good is a hero without his rival? Miyata fits this role perfectly. He is Ippo’s initial motivator to get strong when he gives him his first sparring match and a taste of boxing power. It is great watching Ippo improve and defeat foes for the goal of catching up to Miyata and fighting him for the Rookie tournament, only for the roles to become reversed and for Miyata to be the one who needs to catch up to Ippo so that they may fight again. This is a healthy rivalry where both Ippo and Miyata heavily admire and respect each other’s strength, and I look forward to where Miyata’s journey will take him in the remaining Hajime No Ippo adaptations that I have yet to watch. 3. __Takeshi Sendo__ ~~~Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/WSDl9Fp.png)~~~ The tiger really is the best animal that represents Sendo both as a character and a fighter. From the first moment I saw him, I knew right away what this guy was about. A ferocious man filled with energy who only cares about fighting his next stronger opponent so that he can prove to the world he is the number one fighter. He basically fills Miyata’s former role as rival once Miyata leaves the scene and focuses on climbing back up, and he is an excellent rival to Ippo. Watching his charm capture the hearts of all of Osaka was similar to how he captured mine, and I found myself rooting for either Sendo and Ippo to win, since they were both worthy of the championship title. #~~~Stunning Animation~~~ There was never a moment in this show where the animation dropped low enough to take me out of my immersion. Every single scene was animated very well, and every fight scene was beautiful. If I were to list the best shots from the show, this review would be one-hundred times longer than it already is, so if you want to get someone into watching Hajime No Ippo, I recommend showing them these shots. Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/SYbm1on.png) Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/ujHf19f.png) Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/2QcQegd.png) Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/NNBctlk.png) The sound design was also amazing, every single punch always felt like it had a lot of impact behind it, and the punches that did not have a lot of force behind them always felt shallow before the characters would say they were. I was never bored a single second while watching Hajime No Ippo, and the animation played a huge role in that. #~~~The Music~~~ Usually in anime, there are a few songs from the soundtrack that stick out to me, and I will listen to them outside of the show. Hajime No Ippo is a show where almost the entire soundtrack stood out to me. The best song in my opinion has to be Inner Light, the second opening for the show. I think this opening fits the show perfectly, and every single moment in fights where it played only served to amplify the quality of the scene even more. If this show and its soundtrack do not motivate you to work out, then nothing else will. Every song used in this show perfectly invoked the correct response from me when it started playing, like when Ippo suddenly counter attacks his opponent or Takamura is up to his usual dirty hijinks. The music in Hajime No Ippo is top quality. #~~~Kumi Mashiba~~~ Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/8vTlpEk.png) I was originally going to put Kumi under the character section, but I feel she deserves her own section. The first time we see Kumi is a simple shot of her riding on her bicycle and Ippo gazing at her, interested in her beauty. I did not think much of this and simply thought she would be part of a romantic sub-story that would not go anywhere. This changes once Ippo finds her working at the bread shop and eventually learns that she is Ryo Mashiba’s little sister. I love that they made her the sister of a character that Ippo fights, because this makes Ryo a more important and reoccurring character to the story, as well as giving him more depth and background so the audience stops thinking that he is just a masochistic monster. Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/pxaPaod.png) Kumi’s role in the story shifts dramatically once she starts reaching out to Ippo more (starting in the hospital) and establishing a friendship with him. It is obvious that there is a mutual attraction between the two characters, but it does not feel like every scene with them is wasted filler. I always felt like both characters were getting closer and becoming more comfortable talking to each other and opening up to each other. Every interaction between the two was always so fun to watch and I was always looking forward to the next time Kumi would appear. These are some other shots of Kumi that I particularly adore. Img210(https://i.imgur.com/2qvAN1i.png) img210(https://i.imgur.com/aV26XMo.png) #~~~Conclusion~~~ What does it mean to be strong? Hajime No Ippo is a story about the journey that our protagonist takes in order to answer this question, and although he ultimately does not reach it even after becoming the champion, there is more to Ippo’s journey that remains to be seen, and I am highly excited to see the rest of it. Hajime No Ippo is an extravagant show that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys the typical zero to hero shounen story and is into boxing anime. The comedy in the show also ranged from serviceable to funny, which is always a bonus. The ending to the first 75 episodes is incredibly satisfying and leaves the viewer hanging just enough to get them interested in the manga, but not so dissatisfied from what the show provided them. This is the reason as to why I personally rate this show a __97/100__ for now. If you have read this entire review and have still not watched this show, I highly implore you to start watching right away, as you are missing out on what could potentially become one of your favorite shows of all time. Img2200(https://i.imgur.com/PNuzFlV.png)
Hajime no Ippo. Not for me". This would be an extremely bad judgement and you'd miss out on one of the greater Anime's of our time. Whether you are or are not a sports fan, this shouldn't be missed. It's a name that will set its mark on you after you finish watching it. A friend of mine recommended this anime to me back in the day and I just couldn't understand what would be so great... about boxing. And even more so how it could stay interesting for 76 episodes. I decided to give it a go after seeing such positive reviews and the scores this anime was given and I must say this was one of the best decision of my life. There are few animes where you end up actually physically rooting for the main character, but even so I often found myself screaming at the screen and throwing punches in the air because it was just that captivating. Synopsis: Hajime no Ippo follows the development of one Makunouchi Ippo, a bullied, timid, bookish high-schooler. He works at his mother's local fishing boat business and is in his final year of high school with the opportunity to join any university and job he could probably want if he put his mind to it. However, on one day, he is being bullied once again by Umezawa and his friends, he takes it on the chin, as usual, before Umezawa mocks Ippo's mother. This singular action causes Ippo to be infuriated for a single moment before Umezawa beats him unconscious. By happenstance, Takamura Mamoru, a promising Middle-Weight (70-73 kg) boxer is running by as a part of his road-work routine (road work referring to boxer and other combat sport athelete's regular running routine), Takamura quickly dispatches the bullies and brings Ippo to his gym: the Kamogawa Boxing Gym, headed by Kamogawa Genji. Takamura reveals that he hates bullies, but especially hates people that let bullies do what they want, before giving Ippo the opportunity to blow off steam by punching a heavy bag with Umezawa's crude drawing on it. Ippo, having never thrown a punch before, demolishes the paper into shreds and sends the bag flying but flaying his knuckles in the process. The other members of the gym note that the latter observation is a sign of a hard puncher. Takamura introduces Ippo to the world of Boxing with tapes of various Boxers. Ippo decides to pursue Boxing not just as a fan, but as a fighter, but is admonished by Takamura due to the extreme nature of the sport, Ippo cries before asking "What does it mean to be strong?". This begins Ippo's journey as a Boxer. Story: 9.5/10 The story is set around Makunouchi Ippo, a typical highschooler. He lives together with his Mom and helps her with their Fishing Shop. He is bullied at school for not being able to join others since he has to help his Mom with the shop everyday. I found the story to be very captivating. It had a great plot and each episode ended with a cliffhanger leaving you wanting for more. The story is simple yet brilliantly made. Many other sport animes are easy to see through and you can almost predict what will happen next, and although that happens at certain points they know exactly when to turn the tables. The show switches easily from being about an intense Boxing Match to a hilarious turn of events usually ending up with Ippo getting toyed around with by his friends. Art: 9.5/10 Ippo is one of the rare instances where both the manga and anime can be both enjoyed on an aesthetic basis with no "objective" medium being better than the other. The anime renders each movement and character with life and energy, as opposed to the "moving manga" art style of many other series. Each punch is afforded weight, power, and speed, instead of resorting to floaty, blurry, streaks, many other shows resort to when showing attacks. Each character's physique is rendered with care and changes over time as they improve, George obviously exaggerates proportions and muscularity greatly with each character packing on muscle like a heavyweight. Frankly, I'm not sure if I would've liked it any other way now that I think of it. Each special attack is also extremely distinct from one another making it wholly unique to the character that uses it such as Mashiba's Omni-directional flurry of Flicker Jabs, Sendo's canvas-scraping Smash, Ippo's frenetic weaving to charge for the Dempsey Roll and many others. Sound Design: 10/10 Ippo's sound design including its music, voice acting, and sound effects is actually one of its strong suits. Continuing on from the previous point about characters' special attacks - each special attack in the series has a clear sound profile to signal to the audience that shit is about to go down. Ippo has wind wooshing and jet engines blaring when he charges up for the Dempsey Roll. Mashiba has an link ear-grating, unnatural drone to signal his taking of the Hitman Stance. ....And Sendo just fucking screams his lungs out, but that's Sendo for ya. Hajime no Ippo's music is also unique but dominates and dictates the mood and atmosphere evoking a Pavlovian effect in the audience just by being played with most boxing-related scenes marked by jazz and its many sub-genres. Smooth, relaxed, and textbook shadowboxing to the frenetic, unbound energy of sparring or a full-on match can be embodied by the incarnations of jazz. In regards to other scenes, music perfectly dictates their mood. Character: 10/10 Now this, this is what separates this anime from the rest. Every single character is well made and given a proper background. Some may argue that not all characters were well-rounded but I believe each and every one had their strengths and weaknesses - and the anime made sure you got to see both sides. Every single character was likeable in it's own way, and none was like the other - they all had their own little twist. This is something I rarely see: many boxers Ippo faced in the ring were actually given a proper background. Some even were so touching that you actually started having split thoughts about the fight, even rooting against the MC which is something I rarely see. Something I find very important for animes, especially long ones like this one is the character development. And I just have to say, it was absolutely amazing. A little spoiler alert on this part but it was so good that he became one of my favourite characters: Out of the three guys that bullied Ippo, one was the obvious leader, Umezawa Masahiko. He is a huge fan of boxing, and when he finds out Ippo gets a Pro Boxer license he actually starts becoming friends with Ippo. As he continues with his career Umezawa eventually becomes his greatest fan and supports him in every fight. In the end he helps out Ippo with the fishing shop so that he has the chance to get the Featherwight World Championship belt. For me, the change Umezawa kun went through was absolutely amazing. But my favourite character other than Ippo is definitely Takamura. He's brash, arrogant, a pervert. But damn, he's a genius in the ring. There wasn't a single moment where I wasn't astounded by his brute strength in the ring. Aside from him, I love Aoki and Kimura a lot too. They're Ippo's senior but they're good in their own right. They also provide for the comedic relief in the Anime, especially Aoki(can't beat the Frog Punch!). Ippo's coach, Kamogawa, who is the owner of the gym deserves special mention as well. He's a veteran and highly likable, and makes sure everyone does their training regularly. Finally, each opponent of Ippo are really likable. My favourite being Sendo and Vorg. His fights with both of them are the best of the whole series. Tho the one character who I can't seem to like is Miyata. I don't get the rivalry between him and Ippo it's such a wasted opportunity, someone like Sendo would be a better rival in my opinion. Enjoyment: 10/10 This anime was wonderful to watch, to the eye and to the heart. It was amazing to watch the intense fights and you couldn't help yourself but to cheer on Ippo when he was fighting. I think everyone would enjoy this anime greatly. It's a well-rounded anime but it has some unique differences to it that makes it stand out among the many others. I have absolutely no interest in boxing whatsoever, and I loved the anime anyhow - so don't hesitate to watch it. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up finishing the whole series in less than a week, and as soon as I was done I kept going with the second season then third although I picked up the manga kinda late during 2018 but now I'm fully caught up with the manga currently sitting on 1364 chapters and still going believe me I wouldn't have picked up this humongous manga if I didn't enjoy it. If you are not into the laid back style that Hajime no Ippo has this anime can be differently interpreted by some, but for the majority this will be an amazing find. Overall: 10/10 This is one of the most influential series in my life, I highly urge everyone to watch it. I guarantee it will make you cry, laugh, love, and hate all at the same time. Even if one is not interested in sports or Boxing at all its story, characters, and aesthetic is phenomenal with a gradual, clean progression throughout as the audience grows along with the characters, it's a great anime that leaves you sitting at the edge of your chair wanting more episodes. 24 minutes ends up feeling like 5 and you've suddenly watched 10 episodes in one go. Guide for watching the anime and from where to pick up manga: Season 1 (Episodes 1 to 76) - Covers Volume 1 to Volume 30. Note Episode 76 isn't in the manga, it is a anime only content, that was released on the DVD in Japan only. It was never released/dubbed in the US Movie/OVA - Kimura vs Mashiba - Covers Volume 31 to Volume 33 Moive/OVA - Championship Road (Ippo vs Sanada) - Covers Volume 33 to Volume 35. However, I believe most people watch this movie first, then the Kimura OVA. Since Ippo vs Sanada was actually dubbed/licensed, and the other one wasn't. Also, I think there some references in the Kimura OVA that refer to this movie first. Season 2 - New Challenger (Episodes 1 to 26) - Covers Volume 36 to Volume 46; However, the Kamogawa Flashback Arc (Volume 45 to Volume 46) was cut out. Season 3 - Rising (Episodes 1 to 25) - Covers Volumes 47 to 61; It also contains the Kamogawa Flashback Arc towards the end of the season. So it basically covers volume 45 to 61. However, this series (Rising) has taken out quite a bit of content that appeared in the manga. Most noticeable missing content is the training/weigh in for the Shimabukuro fight (Volume 47/some of Volume 48), not to mention there is a few other things missing in it too, since they had to cram 16 volumes worth of material in 25 episodes. Where as for New Challenger, they had to cram 9 or 10 volumes worth of material in 26 episodes So where you want to start reading depends on you. The stuff they cut out off Rising, isn't really important, you can always go back and read it at some later point in time. If you want to know what happens next in the story, you can start to read where the season ends in the manga with end of the Takamura match, which is about Round 558? If you want to read the great stuff they cut out in the anime, then you might want to start on volume 47 Round 416.
#What does it mean to be strong? ____ This is the question George Morikawa is set out to answer when he decided in October 1989 to create a boxing series titled Hajime no Ippo. When someone looks at the chapter count, they might think "Hold on a minute, you're telling me this series is longer than even the likes of Naruto, Detective Conan, ONE PIECE and it is STILL ONGOING? (as of 2022) This is a series about boxing where all people do is punch each other in a small ring following rules, the author surely dragging on for no reason right?" I am here to tell you to throw out these doubts, because the more you contemplate about the series' length, the more likely you will miss out on this beautiful masterpiece of a series that in my opinion is not just the best sports series out there, but one of the greatest anime you could lay your eyes upon. This series has so much going for it that I am amazed by how long it is, and yet it can still teach you so much you can not only apply to boxing but anything you desire to seek out. But what is it that makes Hajime no Ippo one of the greatest anime out there? ____ "I must become stronger to overcome my obstacles" has become one of the most overused cliché in series targeted at the shonen demographic, not because the message is bad, quiet the opposite actually, but because of the execution. Many times this phrase is used as a cheap device for characters to unlock a new power never seen before, which makes the whole message naïve and unrealistic. Hajime no Ippo is a series about a bullied young boy called Makunouchi Ippo seeking strength. While the series is also about "become stronger to overcome obstacles" like any shonen, the reason it differs from other series is because it is used as a realistic, valuable lesson you could apply to anything in real life. An example would be the conclusion to Ippo's first ever sparring session with Miyata Ichiro in episode 3, where Ippo fell in love with boxing, which then he uses as a way to seek out his goal of finding true strength on top of obtaining an ever-lasting hobby and a group of people he can train with and a place he can call home. Hajime no Ippo moves it's plot in a way where each fight touches on a different aspect of boxing be it different stances, techniques, leg movement, or on a specific part of the human psyche, thus creating a hype train that won't let you get off. This series doesn't know how to become stagnant because there is so much George Morikawa introduces in his series, you will always be floored at how complex and exciting boxing is, making you the viewer always look forward to a new fight and see how the characters develop on top of having to witness a thrilling match with beautiful choreography and amazing animation. On top of the serious moments and character-building aspects, Hajime no Ippo perfectly balances this with hilarious, 90s dude bro humor that never gets old. I personally love it when a comedy isn't just about "a cute girl making herself look like an idiot while being sexualized" or "a boy being as obnoxious and loud as possible" but characters interacting with each other in the most stupid yet realistic way that truly resembles what it is like when boys are doing stupid boys things like being complete idiots. ____ # Positives My biggest positive regarding Hajime no Ippo has to be it's large and fully fleshed out cast. George Morikawa fully explored every boxer he created when it comes to their personality through their boxing style, why they have become boxers, what is it they strive for and the lessons they all learn while providing us with entertaining matches. The bond the Kamogawa gym members share has to be some of the most realistic portrayals of human connection and helping each other become better boxers, while also showcasing moments where things aren't as positive as we want them to be. Characters even outside the Kamogawa gym are full of personality and nuance, you cannot help but sometimes root against Ippo in favor of the opponent he currently faces. Notable characters I absolutely adore would be Makunouchi Ippo, Takamura Mamoru, Coach Kamogawa, Sendo Takeshi, Date Eiji and Alexander Volg. Another big positive regarding Hajime no Ippo has to be the awesome matches it has. This series has some of my favourite fights in anime history because they give me an adrenaline rush nothing else does and besides that, they have a very detailed choreography I look back at them, slow down the video and notice how much detail the animators have given to each swing the characters throw out. On top of the well choreographed fights, the series made sure tension is built up before the main event thus making you excited for the fight to just happen. Also this series does a fantastic job at making the viewer actually feel and see how hard the punches are especially when those punches are thrown against our boy Ippo. During the fights, an aspect that stands out to me is willpower. Yes, willpower is shown in every shonen in existence but the way it's shown in this series resonates with me as it is grounded and relatable especially when you set out a challenge you seriously want to overcome. Last but not least, Hajime no Ippo anime has gorgeous visuals, great voice acting, memorable soundtracks, beautiful, fluid animation and openings that won't leave your head anytime soon. This has to be one of the best ever adaptation I have witnessed, no wonder people call this peak Madhouse era. ____ # Negatives The only negative I can personally think of when it comes to Hajime no Ippo has to be a lot of slice of life moments that provides nothing to the main plot of Ippo seeking to find strength. One of the biggest one has to be the "romance" between Ippo and Kumi which is one of the most awfully built ship in anime. It is so bad that the author could've cut it out completely and the average viewer would not even notice it. ____ # Conclusion Overall I believe Hajime no Ippo is one of the greatest anime ever created because it provides a lot of entertainment, has one of the best cast with full of personality, lot of valuable lessons taught, provides some of the best choreographed and exciting fights, the comedy is genuinely hilarious that never gets old and you can see the passion poured into it by the anime staff and the author himself. Last but not least I just want to say thank you to George Morikawa for providing me one of my favourite fictional work ever. Hajime no Ippo has inspired me to apply the lessons it taught into both my physical and mental health and I will forever be thankful to the author for this absolute masterpiece of a gem that everyone needs to watch. Seriously it is so underrated I'm sad it's not more popular. 10/10
I would like to say hello to my colleagues who told me "you absolutely have to watch Ippo it's incredible" when we were in second grade in 2016, and who when I sent my reaction on twitter answered "fuck Ippo vs Sendo the nostalgia" so much I dragged my ass, I'm a little ashamed to have taken so much time to get into Ippo (and as much for Ashita No Joe) but the damage is repaired I saw this madness. Adaptation of the manga of the same name and real mastodon of the sport manga and even of the Shonen, Hajime no Ippo was a real crush as far as I'm concerned, I went there without knowing anything or knowing the scenario and I was pleasantly surprised by the intrinsic content of the manga and the adaptation of Madhouse, It's crazy that the only two boxing manga I read and it's two manga of great quality, I'll have to be more interested in this sport in manga and put Riku-Do aside. The scenario on paper is classic for a shonen: Ippo, a young and dinky guy, but still a bit of a stopper because it helps to work for the fishing boats, is saved by THE BEST CHARACTER OF THIS SERIES WHO IS AN ARGUMENT IN HIMSELF FOR VIEWING Takamura who will make him discover his innate potential for boxing and his dingo strength, But this is where we enter into what I say everyone that Classic is not bad because the execution of this storyline and the way it is told is one of the great strengths of the work. Already let's say it right away it's a tutorial to become a boxer that it's the techniques used, the training shown, the dries and the danger that it can have on your health according to the intensity of this last everything is extremely well informed but especially achievable, in Baki (because I have that comparison under the hand) the techniques explained are real martial arts techniques but due to the eccentric and grotesque universe of the manga the execution is over the top, like they explain you that a slap even on a very strong muscle can cause more damage than a punch (which is true) and the SLASH slap so powerful that the skin and the muscle are torn, on the other hand in Ippo it's not funny to train to boxing with the leaf catching or the endurance running sessions. Another point that I liked since I speak of training is the characters and the team cohesion that there is with our quartet, all Shonen have a team cohesion if you look well it is very rare not to have a team more or less large with which the protagonist or protagonists will evolve, except that Ippo has for me one of the best dynamics with the quartet Ippo / Takamura / Kimura / Aoki it's simple his characters are real, what do I mean by that? When they are in their room every day, we have "perfect morons" who send each other jokes and unintentional bullshit, who think 24 hours a day to get a girl while motivating each other to surpass themselves and find more effective training, then once entered the ring comes their professional facet and everything I just said you forget, the characters are transformed, the characters become beasts in the bestial sense of true Greek god of boxing, so determined and ambitious that if they must hold the twelve rounds they will hold the twelve rounds, if they have to do the fight with 3 broken ribs and the desire to faint they will continue, we're kidding, the more the career is at stake, and this for me is a "true" writing probably influenced by the fact that I'm just as mongrel and macaque with my colleagues as Ippo and his merry men but this simple transformation between everyday life and the pro scene is a big yes because even a comic-relief has its moment when you take it seriously, or you forget that 2 episodes ago he squeezed a stranger's big PP in the shower because now he just knocked out his opponent with a mammoth body in 3 moves. And that aside, all the characters and competitors are endearing, even those who are presented to you at first glance as unsympathetic like Mashiba or Vorg, once you see their daily facets you end up getting attached to them and telling yourself that they're not complete assholes, we avoid Manicheism with this daily border/pro, Of course Takamura steals the show because this character has everything to please, he is a hilarious character, motivating, with a nice origin-story and who imposes a respect and a superpower in combat, in addition he has the typical banana haircut of the Japanese scum and in my opinion it's a bonus point, even the little love between Ippo and Kumi are quite cute although rare I also have to talk about the humor which is the point on which I expected nothing and yet I had a lot of laughs, it turns a lot around the willy and the libidinous side of the Quartet but I jokes about we are going to train at the beach to look at girls but we are in stress because if Ippo has tight shorts all the girls will see his weapon of mass destruction and he will steal the show or Ippo who literally beats his crotch because he almost had an erection in front of Tomoko it makes me cry laughing because more there is a great work in the editing of the jokes or some sounds added to accentuate the comedy, In addition, the characters shoot their faces at the time, really a gold mine GIF for screen capture. And of course I have to talk about it, what we watch a boxing manga at the base, the fights then it gives what ? in terms of animation overall it's impressive how solid it is for a weekly anime of 76 episodes, after Madhouse is not just anyone it's a studio that has proven itself, It's funny to see the difference between the series and the last episode about Takamura's past, the transition between celluloid and digital is felt and let me foresee the best for the OVA and the two other seasons, but then when the fight comes, it's not only the characters that change but also the animators, I'm talking about big fights like Ippo vs Sendo or Ippo vs Vorg but it's a crazy intensity, the choreography is fluid and alive, it's readable, we feel the impact of the blows and more than once we let go a little "oooooouh" in front of an uppercut or even worse the Dempsey Roll, All those who have seen the anime know what I'm talking about but the Dempsey Roll when Ippo prepares it nothing exists around you but you and your screen and when the blows are drawn you savor the power and the apocalypse that is unleashed on the ring, it's in these moments that you realize how important the sound mixing is in the fight scenes. And I could have fun to quote all the great fights of the series but I would only spoil the surprise to those who have not yet started because we're talking about a series whose VF has not even exceeded 30 episodes and the DVDs I'm not even talking about, fortunately we have the manga in France because currently and I hope it will evolve but it is the download that saves the series, So here I recommend a lot Hajime No Ippo it's a breath of adrenaline with very endearing characters, a superb animation, opening and ending I forgot to talk about it but Under Star Inner Light and Yuuzora No Kami Hikouki are really excellent to watch and listen to, I took a great pleasure to dive into this universe and I'm going to attack the OVA soon
___ #~~~- Hajime no Ippo Analysis -~~~ #####~~~This analysis contains spoilers~~~ ~~~img300(https://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/4/86334.jpg)~~~ ___ What does it mean to be strong? ___ It's a question Ippo's been thinking since the very beginning but there he is standing in the ring beyond groggy wondering why he's there. The lights are spinning in all directions, everything's not registering for Ippo. He's about to lose the championship for a second time, this isn't time for questioning. Nevertheless, the only way to figure out something so vague, like trying to grab at a cloud, is to march forward and fight the person in front of him. This singular moment epitomizes the grand series that is Hajime no Ippo, it's this moment in episode 72 that brings it home. Why are we starting here, let's take a step back and enjoy the journey of how we got here anyway. ___ Hajime no Ippo is akin to a multitude of other sports anime with everything you'd expect in one. Whether it be amazing rivalries, training arcs, tournament arcs, superb character development, it's all here. Hajime no Ippo doesn't lack in any category. What makes Hajime no Ippo stand out from other sports anime is the level of execution. Each key area is done to a level of mastery. ___ Let's start with our protagonist Makunouchi Ippo, he didn't start off as a boxing prodigy but as a target for bullies because of his family business. As he's getting his ass kicked by some bullies, pro boxer Takamura comes in for the rescue! After being rescued by Takamura, it lights a small flame in Ippos heart and lets him take a step forward and wonder what it means to be strong like Takamura. Overall as an introduction to the series it's nothing revolutionary it could even be labeled as stereotypical, but it's not bad by any means either. ___ Ippo's main rival is introduced early in the series with two sparring sessions. Miyata is almost like a natural counter to him early on in Ippo's career as Miyata is a technical out-boxer prodigy. Compared to Ippo who's a heavy hitting in-boxer amateur. Nevertheless, Ippo's innate tenacity leads to Ippo taking out Miyata in the second spar session via K.O. All anyone can feel is happiness seeing Ippo succeed against such a confident boxer like Miyata. This helps give Ippo confidence and humbles Miyata and forces Miyata to see just how talented Ippo is, I really love Miyata's later development too. Even though Miyata is Ippo's natural rival they haven't fought a real match against each other yet, I expect the tension and build up will exceed even the Sendo vs Ippo Lollapalooza which is insane to think about, though time will tell. ___ Hajime no Ippo's tournament arc is full of great moments that lead to Ippo becoming a pro boxer! Not only that but it introduces plenty of very important rivals of Ippo for example, Mashiba Ryo and Sendo Takeshi. Both characters are simply full of personality, Ryo is a dark almost evil seeming character who specializes with his hitman style and flicker jab. His absolute desire to not lose no matter what it takes leads to him using dirty tactics that injure Ippo in their fight, but he needs to win to provide funds for his little sister for school. I love how complicated of a character he is, Ryo isn't great at communicating which made him get fired all the time when boxing was the only job he didn't get fired from for being unsociable. He's hard to love but in his own way he's charming. ___ On the other hand you have my personal favorite character in the Hajime no Ippo, Sendo Takeshi. Sendo is a natural born fighter, who's always looking for a challenge. The best character I can compare him to is the legendary boxer in my favorite anime, Yabuki Joe. Sendo's fighting style is similar to Ippo's, however his brawling nature, his supernatural arm strength, and indomitable tenacity makes him a monster in the ring. I adore the backstory bits during the Sendo vs Ippo Lollapalooza and how after the fight he comes how to his grandmother, and she smiles and knows that he's stronger because of that loss. Sendo knows that he can't achieve his goal quite yet of being like his father either, overall a nice story. ___ Volg presents the dark side of boxing when you're not the winner. Volg, the World Amateur Champion is a boxer from Russia who excels at outboxing and taking points, but adopts a vicious infighting style when he moves to Japan. He moved to Japan with a purpose in mind though as he's fighting for his sick mother back in Russia he needs to win help cure her sickness. Even as he wins fights in Japan Ippo notices how depressed he looks, never smiling despite crushing his opponents ruthlessly. Sadly after two consecutive losses in Japan he was cut from his gym and in essence forced to end his professional boxing career early. This presents two sides of boxing excellently, one side is for those who win and keep bringing in the money for the gym, and those who lose and aren't financially worth keeping in the gym. It might be gloomy to see boxing in that light but that's the gritty truth. Volg had a large impact on Ippo and it was really depressing seeing Volg leave Japan. ___ To those who keep winning they are allowed to continue pushing forward, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and eventually challenge the champion. The featherweight champion, the hard-nosed veteran Date Eiji. Despite his age nearing thirty, he's aged gracefully and is still able to compete at a very high level. After being destroyed years ago in a World Title Match he retired and gave up boxing to be there for his family. As the years past Date became a different person, but he couldn't contain his combative nature anymore and picks up his career for a comeback. It's hard to not root for such a likable boxer like Date, this is his last chance to make a title push, it's all or nothing. One of the top three boxing matches in Hajime no Ippo is Ippo vs Date, the hype and build up is very well done and leads to Ippos first painful loss for a championship. I'm really looking forward to seeing in later seasons Date's World Title push and if he makes it or not! ___ After the Ippo vs Date match I believe the quality of animation drops considerably till the Sendo vs Ippo Lollapalooza. It felt like Madhouse was trying to save up budget for the final fight, haha. Regardless despite the quality drop midway through the series it didn't take away from the story or any of the fights either, something just felt off during that quarter of Hajime no Ippo. One of the highlights during that part of the series was the Aoki and Tatsuya backstory, I didn't expect a mini arc on them! ___ Sendo vs Ippo Lollapalooza is the pinnacle of boxing, perfect build up with hype! As a rematch between two behemoths both got considerably more monstrous. Like Sendo said this wasn't a match for the championship this was a match with their honor on the line where Sendo could go all out. From the very get-go Ippo using a Dempsey Roll made me nearly lose my mind, overall a fight for the ages, loved every second of it. I loved how the fight went full circle mentioning Ippo's pursuit of what it means to be strong, everything clicked in this brawl. The only word I can use to describe Sendo's punches are murderous, match that with his improvement to his lower body and you have a punch with no equal. Ippo had to use every technique he'd learned up to that point to perfection all in a row after six rounds of surviving Sendo's onslaught of punches just to win. All to be the very best in Japan, outstanding. ___ As of writing this review I haven't seen the rest of the series, I'm really excited to see what's next for Ippo and the rest of the boxers!
Hajime no Ippo. - A masterclass. For many, this anime is an automatic no go, for the old artistry and genre of Anime, and for all of those people, I feel great pity. Hajime no Ippo, is a perfect anime. There isn't a single unlikable character, episode, or even rival. Every character seems simple, but is complex in their own right, not every character is important, but they have importance. Not every fight is a big one but they each have purpose, meaning, and value. Not a single second of this anime is a wasted one, not a single frame is faulty, not even a single sound brings this anime down. It is gripping, suffocating, and enjoyable in every definition of those words. Hajime no Ippo is perfect. The rest of this review is a summarization of the Anime, if you're alright with spoilers/Have already watched this anime, read on. If you have not watched this anime and have no plans to, I genuinely suggest you do not read this review, and instead watch the anime. I promise, you will not be disappointed. The story, follows Makunouchi Ippo a 16 year old high school student being bullied for living a "poor" life, he works very hard every day to help his single mother with her fishing business. One day when getting bullied Takamura Mamoru, a renowned boxer breaks up the fight, Makunouchi is beratted by Takamura for being weak, and Makunouchi meekly asks how it feels to be strong, envious of Takamura. Followed by this there is the famous "training arc" in which Makunouchi must grab 10 leaves before they fall to the ground, the task at hand being set by Takamura himself, reason being, if he isn't strong enough to do this, he will never be as strong as Takamura. In time Makunouchi is able to do it, however, he only uses one hand to catch all 10, surprising Takamura who assumed he would use both hands. Takamura takes Makunouchi to his gym, exclaiming to Chief about the strong boxer he found, Chief Kamogawa impressed by his astounding power, and impressive learning capabilities. Makunouchi is asked to spar one of the other feather weights in the gym and this is where Makunouchi meets Miyata, an up and coming boxer, with astounding counter ability who has been in the game for years. Makunouchi is paired to spar Miyata, and is absolutely dismantled, showing the wide gap between them. A bit of training occurs, in which Chief Kamogawa teaches Makunouchi a few basics, and truly begins to grasp the caliber of student Makunouchi will be. A rematch occurs and after a long fight, Makunouchi is able to graze the tip of Miyata's chin, keeping him form getting up and winning the rematch. Miyata finally has a rival, this incites him to move to a different gym, in order to be able to fight Makunouchi in a real bout. And this is only the first 8 Episodes. there are 66 More episodes, filled with tension, comedy, and overall enjoyment. I promise you, this Anime is perfect, and I am willing to die upon this hill. My eyes will turn green with willpower to stand strong upon this opinion, because it is correct. Some people won't enjoy this Anime simply because of the art style or the genre, and i truly feel bad for those people, because they don't get to relish in the classic, that is. Hajime no Ippo. -FalseDe1ty