SECONDS OUT!
Hajime no Ippo is without a doubt my second favorite anime next to Naruto. Its really close actually.
Makunouchi Ippo is a young timid boy who helps his mother with their family fishing business while getting picked on at school by the bullies. One particularly bad day of bullying where Ippo admits that he and his mom both smell like fish in order to avoid being even more severely beaten, he is rescued by the Japanese middleweight boxing champion Mamura Takamura. Takamura quickly dispatches the bullies not with punches but rather by showing off his superior strength, speed and stamina. Ippo watches in awe and follows Takamura to his boxing gym where he discovers his strength. It turns out Ippo’s extensive history of balancing on his family fishing boats and routine carrying of heavy boat equipment has honed his body to be a boxing machine. Hajime no Ippo follows Ippo’s boxing career as he goes from a timid rookie to a confident professional earning the respect and admiration of all those around him.
Much like Naruto, it is not simply the story and moving parts of this anime that makes it so good. Rather it is the way the storytellers show Ippo’s heart as he makes his first friend, has his first date, wins his first fight. I have never seen an anime where I almost cried so many times! The emotional presence in this show is amazing. The relationships created through the 76 episodes are equally amazing as the watcher also learns to love Ippo’s rivals, opponents, and his friends.
As I mentioned earlier, I started working out pretty consistently lately. I a little embarrassed to admit this this anime is more than just partially responsible for my change in attitude. Haha, I suppose this is the point of watching good materials as it drives the audience to make changes in their lives for the positive. In fact I even listen to the score while I run. It sounds silly but whatever gets me off my ass i suppose right??
Anyways, the show has a slightly older style of animation for some reason that is a little wierd to get used to at first but you definitely learn to love it.
I highly recommend it! Please watch and tell me what you think!
Enjoy this famous boxing song courtesy of Rhapsody.com!
Gonna Fly Now (Theme From “Rocky”) (2006 Digital Remaster) by Bill Conti
