It's a name that sets it mark after you finish watching it.
A friend of mine recommended this anime and I just couldn't understand what would be so great... about boxing. And even more so how it could stay interesting for 75 episodes. I decided to give it a go after seeing such positive reviews and the scores this anime was given and I must say this was one of the best animes I have seen. There are few animes where you end up actually physically rooting for the main character, but even so I often found myself screaming at the screen and throwing punches in the air because it was just that captivating.
Story: 9/10
The story is set around Makunouchi Ippo, a typical highschooler. He lives together with his Mom and help her with their Fishing Shop. He is bullied at school for not being able to join others since he has to help his Mom with the shop everyday.
I found the story to be very captivating. It had a great plot and each episode ended with a cliffhanger leaving you wanting for more. The story is simple yet brilliantly made. Many other sport animes are easy to see through and you can almost predict what will happen next, and although that happens at certain points they know exactely when to turn the tables.
The show switches easily from being about an intense Boxing Match to a hilarious turn of events usually ending up with Ippo getting toyed around with by his friends.
Art: 9/10
The way characters are drawn is not the usual way but it's something you get used to quickly. Frankly, I'm not sure if I would've liked it any other way now that I think of it.
Fights are well-animated, punches move fluently and often really gives the impression of how fast or strong of a punch it was. The animation overall is good, but fights are rather expectional.
Sound: 10/10
I am a huge fan of sound so this quickly becomes an important feature for me. The opening and ending were both great, the opening always set the mood for the upcoming fight and got your blood pumping even though the fight hadn't even started.
The songs used in the background are well made and definitely gives you the right feeling to it. This anime is very good just through it's story and art but without the sound there would've been something missing. On a sidenote: I felt the music used in the first season to be better than the ones in the 2nd and 3rd, although some tracks reappear in the 3rd anime (Hajime no Ippo: Rising)
Character: 10/10
Now this, this is what separates this anime from the rest. Every single character is well made and given a proper background. Some may argue that not all characters were wellrounded but I believe each and every one had their strengths and weaknesses - and the anime made sure you got to see both sides. Every single character was likeable in it's own way, and none was like the other - they all had their own little twist.
This is something I rarely see: many boxers Ippo faced in the ring were actually given a proper background. Some even were so touching that you actually started having split thoughts about the fight, even rooting against the MC which is something I rarely see.
Something I find very important for animes, especially long ones like this one is the character development. And I just have to say, it was absolutely amazing. A little spoiler alert on this part but it was so good that he became one of my favourite characters: Out of the three guys that bullied Ippo, one was the obvious leader, Umezawa Masahiko. He is a huge fan of boxing, and when he finds out Ippo gets a Pro Boxer license he actually starts becoming friends with Ippo. As he continues with his career Umezawa eventually becomes his greatest fan and supports him in every fight. In the end he helps out Ippo with the fishing shop so that he has the chance to get the Featherwight World Championship belt. For me, the change Umezawa kun went through was absolutely amazing. It was well made and I couldn't help myself from starting to like him after a while - in the end he became one of my all time favourite characters.
Enjoyment: 10/10
This anime was wonderful to watch, to the eye and to the heart. It was amazing to watch the intense fights and you couldn't help yourself but to cheer on Ippo when he was fighting.
I think everyone would enjoy this anime greatly. It's a well-rounded anime but it has some unique differences to it that makes it stand out among the many others. I have absolutely no interest in sports whatsoever, and I loved the anime anyhow - so don't hesitate to watch it. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up finishing the whole series in just two days, and as soon as I was done I kept going with the second season and now I'm watching the currently airing third season - It was that good.
If you are not into the laid back style that Hajime no Ippo has this anime can be differently interpreted by some, but for the majority this will be an amazing find.
Overall: 9.6/10
This anime is for everyone, it's a great anime that leaves you sitting at the edge of your chair wanting more episodes. 24 minutes ends up feeling like 5 and you've suddenly watched 10 episodes in one go.
Thanks for reading my giant wall of text, hope it gave you an idea what this anime can offer!
