02-06-2005, 06:00 PM
Well, I hope there are fans of Hajime no Ippo here so I'll give it a shot. Hajime no Ippo is pretty much a modern day boxing manga. It's about a teenager named Makunouchi Ippo who has no time for school activities because he has to help his widowed mother run the family business which is fishing. Due to the nature of the business, he gives off a distinctive smell of worms which makes him a target of bullies. During one of Ippo's routine beatings, Takamura Mamoru, the new Japanese Rookie Champion, sees Ippo getting beaten up and saves him. Ippo then wakes up finding himself in a boxing gym. Since Takamura couldn't stand seeing Ippo pitying himself, he teaches Ippo the right straight and lets him hit the bag. When Ippo successfuly utilizes the right straight, he sends the bag flying and it tears the skin on his knuckles (which shows the sign that he is a power puncher). It seems that helping out at the fishing business carrying so many boxes at once shows that it gives him more than just a distinctive smell.
After that, Takamura takes him to the video room and tells him the story of Mike Tyson and how he was bullied as a kid until a bunch of punks killed one of his pigeons and Tyson goes all on out on the kids. He also gives Ippo some Mike Tyson videos which inspires Ippo to instantly make the decision to become a boxer and be a new person like Mike Tyson. However in the anime, the Mike Tyson story is ommitted for the most obvious reasons and instead is given a video of Boxing Knock Outs. A few days later, Takamura thought Ippo's decision was too rash and decided to give him a test he thought would be impossible to pass. It was to catch 10 leaves falling from a tree within a week. Despite Ippo's hardships, he remembers the movements Takamura does with relaxing his wrists and this gives him the ability to master jabs on his own. Takamura was impressed and thought he was good as gold.
After that, Takamura gives Ippo a training menu to do for a month. Mostly sit ups and push ups and some running. After that was over, Takamura finally gives Ippo a chance to join the gym. The coach, Kamogawa, thought he was just a school boy and decides to put him in a sparring test against another boy his age and in his weightclass (featherweight), Miyata Ichiro. Miyata has been boxing since he was 10 and is under the tutelage of his father, a former boxer who retired after losing his shot at the OPBF title. Despite how badly Ippo loses to Miyata, Kamogawa, and the rest of the gym were impressed with his stamina and fighting spirit and knew that with proper training, he had what it takes to conquer the pro world. He would rematch Miyata in 3 months and this time, it was a more legitimate fight and each got a knock down on almost each round and showed the improvement Kamogawa could make on Ippo. And after that, Miyata leaves the gym in hopes of settling the score with Ippo in the pro world. Thus begins the story of Ippo.
Sorry for intro, but I just couldn't help it since there is some subtle difference between the manga and anime. The only time Tyson is ever referenced in the anime is when Ippo learns his current style, the peek-a-boo guard. Anyway, I love the manga a whole lot more. It's still continuing to this day and volume 72 is coming out next month. I have read up to volume 71.
For those of you who really wanna know, Ippo and Miyata are finally going to fight (I'm expcting Morikawa-sensei to start the match by the end of the year). Ippo has defended the Japanese Title for the last time (against Take Keichi, a man that even Date Eiji feared in his first title reign) and he is going to settle the score with Miyata and Miyata's OPBF title will be on the line. A lot of the fans are expecting a draw because I bet people will wanna see another match (hoping that it will not take another 15 years to do so). However, the match was delayed because Miyata fractured his fists defending the title against this Korean. They were supposed to fight in April in the Hajime no Ippo world (it's currently January) but was moved to August or July. Instead, the fans are going to see a very exciting and grusome fight, Sawamura vs. Mashiba.
All I can say is it was a pity of how Hajime no Ippo the TV series ended with just Sendo Vs. Ippo II. Because that match was only the true beginning of the excitement of what Hajime no Ippo offers. Even though the manga has been going on for a long time, it keeps getting better and better. I think it has the best characters that any manga or anime has to offer and most defenitley the best fights.
After that, Takamura takes him to the video room and tells him the story of Mike Tyson and how he was bullied as a kid until a bunch of punks killed one of his pigeons and Tyson goes all on out on the kids. He also gives Ippo some Mike Tyson videos which inspires Ippo to instantly make the decision to become a boxer and be a new person like Mike Tyson. However in the anime, the Mike Tyson story is ommitted for the most obvious reasons and instead is given a video of Boxing Knock Outs. A few days later, Takamura thought Ippo's decision was too rash and decided to give him a test he thought would be impossible to pass. It was to catch 10 leaves falling from a tree within a week. Despite Ippo's hardships, he remembers the movements Takamura does with relaxing his wrists and this gives him the ability to master jabs on his own. Takamura was impressed and thought he was good as gold.
After that, Takamura gives Ippo a training menu to do for a month. Mostly sit ups and push ups and some running. After that was over, Takamura finally gives Ippo a chance to join the gym. The coach, Kamogawa, thought he was just a school boy and decides to put him in a sparring test against another boy his age and in his weightclass (featherweight), Miyata Ichiro. Miyata has been boxing since he was 10 and is under the tutelage of his father, a former boxer who retired after losing his shot at the OPBF title. Despite how badly Ippo loses to Miyata, Kamogawa, and the rest of the gym were impressed with his stamina and fighting spirit and knew that with proper training, he had what it takes to conquer the pro world. He would rematch Miyata in 3 months and this time, it was a more legitimate fight and each got a knock down on almost each round and showed the improvement Kamogawa could make on Ippo. And after that, Miyata leaves the gym in hopes of settling the score with Ippo in the pro world. Thus begins the story of Ippo.
Sorry for intro, but I just couldn't help it since there is some subtle difference between the manga and anime. The only time Tyson is ever referenced in the anime is when Ippo learns his current style, the peek-a-boo guard. Anyway, I love the manga a whole lot more. It's still continuing to this day and volume 72 is coming out next month. I have read up to volume 71.
For those of you who really wanna know, Ippo and Miyata are finally going to fight (I'm expcting Morikawa-sensei to start the match by the end of the year). Ippo has defended the Japanese Title for the last time (against Take Keichi, a man that even Date Eiji feared in his first title reign) and he is going to settle the score with Miyata and Miyata's OPBF title will be on the line. A lot of the fans are expecting a draw because I bet people will wanna see another match (hoping that it will not take another 15 years to do so). However, the match was delayed because Miyata fractured his fists defending the title against this Korean. They were supposed to fight in April in the Hajime no Ippo world (it's currently January) but was moved to August or July. Instead, the fans are going to see a very exciting and grusome fight, Sawamura vs. Mashiba.
All I can say is it was a pity of how Hajime no Ippo the TV series ended with just Sendo Vs. Ippo II. Because that match was only the true beginning of the excitement of what Hajime no Ippo offers. Even though the manga has been going on for a long time, it keeps getting better and better. I think it has the best characters that any manga or anime has to offer and most defenitley the best fights.