I absolutely hate the character design of this show. So unappealing, Hajime no Ippo was an eyesore, and honestly painful to watch the faces of the characters speak, cry, get excited or display any type of emotion. However I will give credit to the rendering of bodies and musculature and especially differentiating characters body types. The quality of animation clearly increases as the episodes go by so that, by the end there was much more polish overall in the quality. This is most notable in boxing matches.
Sound - 7
Hajime no Ippo had a passable foley effects and music. The first opening to the show was quite catchy and set a good tone for the show. Voice acting was pretty good. There were many variations in color and tone of the actors, and all had a good grasp of what was given.
Characters - 6
Pretty average characters and archetypes of shounen anime are present here. Some are well done, while others are wooden, and maybe offensively sterotypical/two-dimensional. Miyata was a standout character.
Story - 5
Very mediocre story. If you have seen other shounen anime, Rocky movies, or even those generic once a year "see how this team of ragtag individuals beat the odds and triumph" sports movies, you'll know how this plays out, who the viewer is supposed to feel sorry for, and who we're supposed to root for. The problem is the show didn't do a good job of making us feel for any of these characters outside of the ring with the exception of the few romantic elements. I will say the first few fights are scripeted well, but the quickly become formulaic.
Enjoyment - 7
Hajime no Ippo is an average shounen anime that doesn't do much different besides its presentation. The show excels when inside of the ring and production values are high, and with a character like Miyata (though kind of shafted off to the side towards the end) great potential, and sometimes originality is displayed.
Overall, Hajime no Ippo gets a 7/10 from me.
