Hajime no Ippo:
Story and characters:
Let me say that I have never really cared for boxing at all. It has never seemed exciting or appealing to me.
But holy fuck.
Never have I seen boxing, of all things, depicted in such a passionate, uplifting, breathtaking, and intense manner.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Hajime no Ippo lives and dies by its writing - its simple yet masterful writing. Boxing itself is not the actual focus here; Hajime no Ippo is a story about humans and their undying wish to fulfill their dreams and ambitions, no matter how beaten and bruised they get in the process. All of its characters have depth and feel human; they have hopes, dreams, emotions, fears, complexes, and believable backstories. Never will you see them as just a caricature or a trope, Hajime no Ippo's writing consistently makes them feel human through all 75 episodes, and you, as an audience, will sympathize with and get extremely attached to these characters, rooting for them whenever they are fighting in the ring. This fact is true no matter which corner you gaze at the boxing ring from: even Ippo's opponents are given proper backstory and characterization. The magic of Hajime no Ippo's writing is that there is never a clear "villain" or "protagonist" in the ring, just two people who are pouring their hearts and souls into their fists, chasing their dreams with all their might.
That's right. No matter where you look, there are only people worthy of sympathy and respect. That's Hajime no Ippo.
With the characters out of the way, let's discuss Hajime no Ippo's plot. The story is very straightforward: it follows Makunouchi Ippo's on his journey to become the champion of the featherweight boxing division. It excels at everything it does to try and entertain its audience, from hilarious bits of comedy to extremely intense, suspenseful and powefully animated matches; there is never a dull moment watching Hajime no Ippo.
Art:
For an anime made at the turn of the millennium, Hajime no Ippo looks very good and has a charming retro feel to it. The animation quality (courtesy of Madhouse) is breathtaking, and every punch, jab and hook thrown in the ring look like they immense weight and power behind them.
Sound:
This is most likely the only show in existence to ever use jet engine sounds to accompany punches. The sound effects are powerful and perfectly complements the strength and ferocity behind the action sequences that occurs on screen. The openings are decent and catchy even, but some of them are not as remarkable as the first.
Enjoyment:
A complete blast from start to finish.
Overall: 10/10 an absolute must-watch underrated gem. Throw away your skepticism and preconceptions against boxing because this show is gonna take them and blow them all to kingdom come.
Story and characters:
Let me say that I have never really cared for boxing at all. It has never seemed exciting or appealing to me.
But holy fuck.
Never have I seen boxing, of all things, depicted in such a passionate, uplifting, breathtaking, and intense manner.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Hajime no Ippo lives and dies by its writing - its simple yet masterful writing. Boxing itself is not the actual focus here; Hajime no Ippo is a story about humans and their undying wish to fulfill their dreams and ambitions, no matter how beaten and bruised they get in the process. All of its characters have depth and feel human; they have hopes, dreams, emotions, fears, complexes, and believable backstories. Never will you see them as just a caricature or a trope, Hajime no Ippo's writing consistently makes them feel human through all 75 episodes, and you, as an audience, will sympathize with and get extremely attached to these characters, rooting for them whenever they are fighting in the ring. This fact is true no matter which corner you gaze at the boxing ring from: even Ippo's opponents are given proper backstory and characterization. The magic of Hajime no Ippo's writing is that there is never a clear "villain" or "protagonist" in the ring, just two people who are pouring their hearts and souls into their fists, chasing their dreams with all their might.
That's right. No matter where you look, there are only people worthy of sympathy and respect. That's Hajime no Ippo.
With the characters out of the way, let's discuss Hajime no Ippo's plot. The story is very straightforward: it follows Makunouchi Ippo's on his journey to become the champion of the featherweight boxing division. It excels at everything it does to try and entertain its audience, from hilarious bits of comedy to extremely intense, suspenseful and powefully animated matches; there is never a dull moment watching Hajime no Ippo.
Art:
For an anime made at the turn of the millennium, Hajime no Ippo looks very good and has a charming retro feel to it. The animation quality (courtesy of Madhouse) is breathtaking, and every punch, jab and hook thrown in the ring look like they immense weight and power behind them.
Sound:
This is most likely the only show in existence to ever use jet engine sounds to accompany punches. The sound effects are powerful and perfectly complements the strength and ferocity behind the action sequences that occurs on screen. The openings are decent and catchy even, but some of them are not as remarkable as the first.
Enjoyment:
A complete blast from start to finish.
Overall: 10/10 an absolute must-watch underrated gem. Throw away your skepticism and preconceptions against boxing because this show is gonna take them and blow them all to kingdom come.
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