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One of the most popular and longest-running shonen manga series of all time is none other than the beloved Hajime no Ippo series, written and illustrated by George Morikawa. Having debuted in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in October 1989, the series is still going strong today with 137 volumes, well over 1400 chapters, and showing no signs of slowing down.
The Hajime no Ippo series is well-known in Japan and around the world for its high-octane boxing action as well as its relevant themes. This includes themes focused on coming-of-age, mental health issues, status in sports and life, and more, which readers from all walks of life can relate to.
Lately, many general anime fans have been looking into the series, trying to figure out where to start Hajime no Ippo. While the anime, unfortunately, won’t bring readers up to speed with the manga’s current events, it can at least get them started and through roughly the first third of the series overall.
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Hajime no Ippo anime may seem confusing with multiple, individual parts, but all easily connect
Prospective fans will want to first start with the eponymous anime series from 2000 to 2002, which has no additional title beyond the overall series’ name. This adaptation spanned 75 episodes and primarily focused on introducing protagonist Ippo Makunouchi and other foundational characters for the series.
This series also shows how Ippo first gets into boxing, training under Mamoru Takamura before impressing the boxing gym’s members in a match against prodigy Ichirou Miyata. This leads to Ippo finding his first rival in Miyata and his first coach in Genji Kamogawa. The series sees Ippo set his tough body and spirit against challenging opponents, as well as the mental and physical stress of the sport.
Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura
The Mashiba vs. Kimura film is what fans looking to follow the manga’s publication order should watch next. The film focuses on Tatsuya Kimura, a friend of Ippo and Takamura, who is starting to feel left behind with both of his friends now champions in their respective weight classes.
This inspires Kimura to train with Ippo’s rival Miyata, whom current champion Ryo Mashiba previously handed a crushing defeat to, ahead of his match with Mashiba. As Kimura trains with Miyata ahead of the fight, he’s spurred on by his desire to secure financial stability for his sister Kumi.
Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road
Champion Road returns the focus to the titular protagonist, who is now the featherweight champion of Japan. With Ippo’s love life and fighting life going well, times are happy for Ippo ahead of his first fight as a defending champion. Unfortunately, his first challenger poses quite an intimidating threat to Ippo’s young reign.
Doctor Kazuki Sanada works at the same hospital as Ippo’s crush Kumi Mashiba. Likewise, he fights strategically as a boxer, integrating his knowledge of the human body into his bouts. Both for how intimidating he is purely as a challenger and for the support he’s garnered, Sanada poses a legitimate threat to Ippo, who is feeling the pressure as a fighting champion.
Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
New Challenger picks up the story after Ippo’s successful defense against Sanada, retaining his title and continuing his reign as a result. However, during the time Ippo’s focus was on Sanada, his rival Miyata resurfaced with eyes on a Featherweight belt in the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation.
Likewise, fighters from all over the world are now knocking on Japan’s door, urging the country’s best fighters to rise to the challenge and achieve glory at the sport’s top international level. Ippo and the other champions of the country must now become the challengers, issuing a call to the rest of the world to come to take the titles if the world wants them.
Hajime no Ippo: Rising
After yet another successful defense of his championship, Ippo finds even more challengers popping up from all over, claiming to have an answer to his signature Dempsey Roll move. Now battling his pride and his new opponents, Ippo must find a way to survive as the champion through the challenges issued by these new prospective opponents.
While Ippo’s attention is focused elsewhere, fellow Kamogawa Gym member Aoki Masaru prepares to take on the Japanese Lightweight Champion in pursuit of his own belt. Returning to the series’ roots, the latest and, as of this article’s writing, seemingly final anime adaptation for the series sees Ippo’s original peers return to the series’ forefront.
Fans looking to pick up the manga series from this point on are best served reading volume 61, grounding themselves in familiar events before starting new manga material.
Be sure to keep up with all anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
