Fighting Spirit

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.

First let me start by saying that I'm lucky to have had the honour of witnessing the thrilling roller-coaster that is Hajime No Ippo, and I am fairly certain that a lot of individuals would agree with me if they decide to give this anime a fair shot. I am writing this review to express what I think of this anime in general and why I think a lot of people would enjoy it as well

Hajime no Ippo exists not only to thrill but arguably excite viewer to the point of no return by bringing blow after blow of jaw-dropping twists in a narrative that feels as furious as a dog fight, it is the sports anime that challenges all others of its kind to do better. Essentially the coming-of-age tale of a weakling maturing into the strongest rookie boxer in Japan, Hajime no Ippo doesn't deviate from the sports anime formula in any notable manner. Ippo discovers boxing on a school day like any other then spends numerous staged fights and training montages thereafter rising through the ranks. However, the show outshines all lesser versions thanks to its exceptional script. Simply put, it boasts a bottomless supply of twists to make every fight feel as though it were the first. That Ippo has to win his battles despite his great weaknesses is no spoiler; nonetheless the developments during the fights - their sheer visceral power - obliterate all expectations. Whenever I thought the show had exhausted its store of excitement in one episode, it delivered new unscaled heights of the stuff in the next. Aside from that, Hajime no Ippo shows that even neanderthals know how to laugh and cry through healthy doses of comedy and character development. Between the hilariously inane penis jokes and the heart-rending personal struggles, the show brings an endearing warmth to what is usually seen as the sport of humourless brutes.

There are a few negative aspects of this anime and I can sum that up to two things and that would be the animation and the pacing right at the beginning. Now let me explain why, firstly the animation in the first instalment of Hajime No Ippo I would is pretty outdated especially when compared to recently released animes. Secondly I think that the pacing of this anime right at the beginning is not up-to par mainly because it drags on a bit to much and that could potentially put of a lot of viewers.I believe that is main reason why most people drop this anime and it honestly is a real shame because if you've ever heard of the expression save the best for last, this anime truly adheres to that and then some.

Overall Few anime could rival this series in the shounen ring, but certainly none of the other sports anime on the market to date. By the end, food and sleep had become peripheral concerns - to sustain myself all I needed was to tap into the show's incredible energy, and believe me that is understatement. So if you truly feel like watching an anime that keeps you on your toes and gives you the aspirations to power through two-hundred squats and and push up's, yea maybe that was just me, but seriously I believe that this anime is truly magnificent and I strongly believe that the majority of people that watch this anime will agree!

Thank you for taking the time to read this review, and if you found this helpful or not let me know.

At first, i didn't like ANIME at all, i thought it's just for child's, but when i saw 3 first episodes of this "hajime no ippo" i knew this is the right ANIME *serie?* for me. I just simply loved it, how he trained himself + the hilarious humor the funny faces and beating up his opponents, effects were world class and when i for first time saw the famous "dempsey roll", no kidding: my hair was all electronic & stuff, we talked about this on school, with friends & stuff, if you like boxing: you will love this one! it's the best Anime i've ever seen, no kidding, beating up enemies + humor = PERFECT

10 out of 10 !

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!!

Well what can I say? I watch a lot of Japanese anime like Bleach, One Piece, Naruto Shippudden and pretty much everything that involves fighting. Came across this, just recently and couldn't keep my eyes off it. From start to finish, it's just a trip of great training, great fights, great comedy, really great great fun. The characters are just perfect. We have Makunouchi Ippo the main character who is a shy type of lad, but on the ring... The supporting characters are awesome, all of them, Takamura, Miyata, Coach, Aoki, Kimura and all of the opponents fit in very nicely with the main crew. The interaction between Ippo and his opponents is also great! If you are not an anime fan then I assure you after watching this you will be converted. This is really great stuff and mainly for adults. Cartoons are for kids people, but this is way beyond that!!!