Fighting Spirit

Where do I begin? I have seen the first season twice already and its still stupendous. Within the anime sports genre, this one takes the biscuit. Admittedly, I have not seen many sports anime and have missed out on some anime such as Slam Dunk and Prince of Tennis but I can assure you, based on my judgement and combining this with other people's opinions ( it is a very popular anime and widely discussed), this anime transcends the competitors. However, I have seen sports anime such as Cross Game (baseball) and Kurko no Basket (basketball). The latter is current and much talked about in the anime World. Regardless, Hajime no Ippo has greater characters, more technical insight and more credible sporting feats than Kuroko no Basket. Cross Game was a work of art and is the only sports type anime that comes close to this beauty.

So why is this anime so great and deserves my praise and on top of that 10/10? The answer is somewhat complex but bare with me.

Firstly,all great sports anime should sell the sport it represents and make it somewhat appealing even to somebody who has not invested much interest into the sport. I was not into boxing but after watching Hajime no Ippo, I felt energised and ready for action. I threw jabs in the air and was shadow-boxing. On top of that,this anime taught me about the rules of boxing and provided me with some technical knowledge. Bravo to this anime for getting me hooked on something I never previously considered.

Furthermore, the boxing matches in this anime always bring novelty to the table and are mostly technically sound. The mangaka (manga artist) is a passionate boxing fan and does rigorous research about boxing and bases some of his characters on real life boxers such as Mike Tyson. Real life technical ( not basic) boxing techniques are also mentioned and shown.

Secondly, a great anime should have elements to it that go beyond its main genre to keep other niche audiences satisfied. This anime has great comedy. Kamogawa gym members, Aoki, Kimura and Takamura bring so much life and humour to this incredible action packed show. The interaction of Takamura and Aoki is beyond funny. It is the execution of these extra elements that separates the great from the mediocre.

Thirdly, a great anime, in particular a masterpiece, should have MANY characters that are well developed, have great depth and add an extra dimension to the anime. After all, what is the point in watching anime with great visuals, sound tracks etc when there is poor dialogue or plain, predictable and annoying characters. Anime that lack great characters do not stimulate the brain. This anime nails it. The protagonist Ippo is naive and not blessed with genius fighting skills. Regardless, he learns from his peers and through perseverance, his indomitable fighting spirit and unwavering concentration, is able to progress as a boxer and more importantly a human being.

This anime has many great boxers and great dialogue. Eiji Datte's reference to Ippo's "light" fists, Takamura's great boxing advice and feats as well as Ippo's venerable coach's perspicacious boxing advice, are some of the elements this anime presents, that inspire and guide Ippo. The great dialogues and character interactions allow Ippo to mature and blossom into the wonderful boxer he is to become.

I am going to stop with the numbering now. In short, a great anime, not just a sports anime, should have: characters with depth; interesting dialogue; good voice actors; fun and/or intricate plot; good art style; extra elements such as comedy and so forth. The only criticism that I can immediately think of about this anime is the slightly dated art style. It is an old anime and therefore lacks the visual clarity and definition. However, some episodes such as episode 74 have so much detail and perfection, despite the dated animation screen quality, that one still gets totally drawn in and absorbed by the unfolding high level brawl that is presented.

Episode 74's dialogue, pacing, music, fighting choreography etc is otherworldly. Given that there are 76 episodes in the first season, this anime ends on a positive note and packs a punch. The other episodes are vital for character development and are also incredibly fun to watch. The boxing is captivating. The training and normal life of Ippo and the others are also refreshing and makes us hunger for the next big fight.

Having seen many renown anime I can safely say that this anime deserves to be ranked with the best and deserves the praise and attention it has and is been receiving.

On top of all this, this anime has great soundtracks and offers above average opening songs/credits. There is not much more one can ask for. It was an exhilarating watch. Please give this anime a go. For an anime lover, it should be a must. Oh and by the way, watch this, and any anime, with your native subtitles whenever possible (avoid dubbed versions). I find English dubbing horrendous. Japan's voice artists are usually on point and are PROPERLY trained in the arts of speaking. The voice intonation in Japanese suits the characters and is more natural.

What does it mean to be strong? How do you know when you are strong? Hajime No Ippo is a wonderful sports shonen anime comparable to Slam Dunk. It has the vibes, development, and technicality that seperates it from most sport/shonen animes.

The story is pretty good though not perfect. It has light immature comedy, and a tiny bit of romance. The directing knew how to main proper atmosphere and tone in different backgrounds such as in the boxing ring. There is seriously nothing that is flawed or something particularly bad about this anime, it a well rounded anime. The pacing is great though a tad bit inconsistent especially during matches. When you are feeling down this anime is a definite go to to bring your mood up. Most of the matches were really good, full of action and dialogue but was predictable at times. And what happpens outside the ring is just as great. Mostly focues on Ippo but some on Miyata and the group as a whole and the opponents. And themes about family and commitment, the whole story felt like a motivational video.

Ippo is the main character in this anime. Ippo's perserveance and strength are two of Ippo's most unique traits. No matter how many times you hit him he will get back right up. He is considered wimpy/weird by many of his peers and gets bullied occasionally. But one day he found his destiny(boxing) with the help of a certain person. He simply asks himself"What does it mean to be strong?". He is truly a kind hearted person and is humble and doesn't take things too personally and his development is great. Even though Takamura might seem like a bad person from the outside deep down he a good person. The enemies have their own origins and story. The supporting characters are pretty good some such as Aoki and Kimura serving as comic reliefs while others as detailed characters such as Kamogawa and Sendo and Miyata that have their own story. Overall a wide variety of characters that are solid for the most part.

Even though Ippo is like 20 years the animation is smooth with pretty good shading and the character designs are great, the only problem with the visuals is the clarity and sharpenss of the world. Ex. If they do a long shot for the camera everything seems a bit undetailed and you can't tell how the character's face looks like and etc. The close ups for the camera were great. You could tell when the boxer was in pain and what his emotion was like and you could see how poweful the punches were up close. And lastly it had hilarious icongraphy when the characters would be in awkward/funny dialogues.

The music is great and was really enchanting. Especially the electric guitar symphony which is great. The use of the violin, guitar, drums, trumpet, and paino it made such a difference in the tone and atmosphere of the story. The songs they used were pretty good also. Though there are no intro and outros. Very diverse set of instruments but mostly consisted of electronic music.

Overall a very enjoyable anime. The second anime I watched after AOT and ranks as one of my top 3 favorite animes of all time. After watching this show I can't stop myself doing jabs every once in a while. Though in my opnion it's not bingey worthy and requires some patience from the viewer every once in a while cuz it might be a bit dull or repetetive at times though near the end it does get better.

Memorable: YES Rewatchable: Yes.

Hajime No Ippo (Knockout in Philippines and Fighting Spirit here in the US)is a must for all sports fans. Heck, I recommend this series to anyone. If you like sports (especially boxing), you will love the authenticity in which the animators present the boxing concepts and realism, not to mention the gradual development of the protagonist, Ippo Makunouchi. In addition,all the other characters are well-developed, so well-developed that you might even cheer for the guy Ippo is fighting. If you just like animé in general, this series has superior animation. You could feel the punches grinding on the boxer's bodies. If you are a newcomer, fear not. This series is one of the funniest animés ever. This is an overall superior animé. If you never watched animé in your life, or just looking for a good series to watch, this is it.

I have watched this series countless of times, i love it, the story build up, the characters the comedy. This anime has motivated me to keep working out.

I am a kickbokser because i love to use my legs, but Ippo gave me the courage to step in the real ring. It may be a cartoon but the realism is good the dramatization is for the better and gave me goosebumps so that was a good thing.

To keep it short, If you haven't seen Hajime No Ippo, just start an enjoy, maby you will lose some weight and get fit like all the others also. And if you are a boxer, the tips givin in the series are usefull in real life.

Note, i am 34 years old and build up the fitness to train 3 to 4 hours a week with the professional kickboksers, If one thing is sure it is that Ippo can give a person so much energy they will pick up sports and go for it, Ippo = getting better by working hard.

This is no exaggeration, Hajime no Ippo changed my life, and i can't wait to watch this Anime with my kids!!

Whether you're a boxing fan or not, the sharp writing, lovable characters, and inspirational nature of this Anime will definitely be able to hold your attention. The OST is composed brilliantly and fits perfectly with a boxing atmosphere. The pacing of the Anime definitely breaks any monotony it may build up as the passage of time leads to the characters having improved so much they almost box entirely differently. The back stories are well written and hard to forget, even the filler which is extremely rare feels like a treat to watch as you wait to uncover the back story of a character you've known for quite awhile.

Ippo's story of his struggle to overcome the challenges he faces by sheer effort and willpower will inspire you, and the twists and well placed cliffhangers will keep you wanting to watch more by the end of each episode.

I strongly recommend Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirits in the US) to anyone of nearly any age.