(3VIEW is a triple review that consists of stating important negatives that take away 1 point each of the total rating, a brief note of the highlights on the series, and finally, the MAL's 5 category rating.)
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-1 for character design. Some of main characters look like twins. Others look like people of the crowd.
-1 for Tange Danpei, Yabuki Joe's trainer. Having one of the most important roles in the series and an interesting concept on passing knowledge gets wasted. Later on in the series becomes irrelavant.
-1 for the final fight. A fight that gets hyped for almost 20 episodes... comes out as half-cooked meal. Thankfully doesn't ruin the ending completely.
Rating: 7
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Series filled with blood, sweat and stubbornness. Main character defines the phase 'smile though tears' as his ways of dealing with the surrounding world might shock some. The development of most of the main characters is very strong and apparent, that's keeps the series interesting when there's no punching involved. The show is as realistic as possible, without any flashy "power-ups" which are more apparent in modern series, and closely resembles "Rocky" movies - how brutal can life be, even without boxing.
P.S. - the theme song is really... 70s, but with its variations in the show - it fits perfectly.
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Story - 9, Art - 4, Sound - 4, Character - 9, Enjoyment - 9.
Overall = 7. Worth watching.
