Now being a fight fan I went into this with the slight worry that, this show may be a toddler friendly portrayal of the sport but this was quickly blown out of the water from episode 1. The show while not being very story driven is driven through the sport itself and the little intricacies that come with boxing like injury, fame and competition.
The characters are the best part of this show as well as being hilariously funny they also have meaningful back-stories and develop throughout the series at a steady pace. The protagonist is flawed enough to be relatable to the audience and he develops the most throughout while never feeling disconnected.
The soundtrack in this anime needs a mention since its awesome! Being japrock it gets you pumped for the show,the training and the fights, I find myself even listening to them now just to get the awesome back.
There are some downers to this series like any, at times the series does feel repetitive which is why I don't recommend marathoning for this since you won't get the most from it. Also, some people may have some gripes with the animation quality, this series did come out in 2000 and it does show.
All in all, this is a superb series which would be perfect for shounen lovers and appreciated by all. There may be a few who get put off by the slapstick comedy, animation quality and little story content but episode 1 should give a light taste of what's to come. Hajime no Ippo is the best in its genre and a solid 8/10.
