caleb51 - 2015-08-11 15:43:41

[Says it in the numbers. I say 2.5/10 is average/bit harsher, so my scores are probably a little bit low for you. So when there is a 5/10 its the real shit]

jamaal75 - 2015-03-24 03:17:53

I would like to state, that if you haven't viewed Hajime no Ippo. You should. For this is the pinnacle of shounen sports. If you have ever wanted to feel the rush from your nipples being pinched by the high flying action. You must watch this show. I have ascended to the next level of enlightenment from just watching the first series. All I can say..is, "Thank you! Lord Morikawa, for gracing us with such a high-tier viewing experience". That is all. Stay Tippin' animu lovers.

anahi55 - 2015-01-07 23:01:23

When I first heard about this anime I didn't expect much, but boy did that make the experience much more better. Each fight kept me on edge, and even though most of the fights followed a similar pattern that you were just about to get bored of. The show throws a curve ball to bring you right back in. I may or may not have yelped in excitement a few times.

hagenes.justina - 2014-12-23 11:48:26

this anime is fucking amazing
the character amazing the comedy amazing 

the fight is  fucking amazing $_____$

amiya.steuber - 2014-06-09 00:58:24

I laughed when I first heard about Hajime no Ippo. It would be one of those anime's i'd mock without paying much attention to, much like I still mock Kuroko no Basket and Free!But for no reason other than boredom I tried out Hajime no Ippo, seeing as boxing is the only sport i've looked at more than once.And I was captured.Hajime no Ippo does everything well, the story is a typical "protagonist finds a new passion and his life changes" cliché. However the amazing character development causes you to fall in love with each and every one of them, including Ippo's opponents. In fact in more than one match I was routing for the opposition to win rather than the main hero. The animation is good, obviously it has that old style to it like many from that era do, but if Bebop can stand the test of time, then why cant this? If you're new to anime and have only watched new stunning animation anime's then you may struggle to get through it, however if you invest the time into overcoming that hurdle, then you are rewarded with some top quality humor and action. The sound is a little odd, it's not something you'll wanna download onto your phone and listen to, but it compliments the anime perfectly.Anyway, this being my first review i'm not sure how in depth I should go, so I figured i'd keep it short and sweet. Hajime no Ippo is worth the risk, even if you don't like sports, give this anime a try, you'll find yourself cheering "Makunou-chi!" in no time.

dwest - 2013-12-29 13:37:46

Not being a fan of sports in general, and seeing how old the animation is, getting into Ippo was a hard task. However, despite all that, I couldn't resist the urge to start it and here I am writing a review about it telling you to go watch it. Why, you ask? Well, continue reading.

The story of Hajime no ippo is as straightforward as it gets and starts of quite cliche. A boy named Ippo is constantly getting bullied by 3 of his classmates. Despite this being a beginning we've all seen many times before its executed perfectly by making you sympathize with him, due to his hardworking and cheerful personality. As you might've expected, the bullies decide to take this to the next level because they can't stand how Ippo won't even be slightly saddened by what they do to him, even though he just hides it very well.

Enter Takamura, a boxxing genius who observes the situation and decides to act. Ippo, after being shocked for a few minutes, asks Takamura if he can grow stronger. And then the story takes off. With a pacing that never gets tiresome and fights animated by Studio Madhouse, even in 2001 you can expect it to be top notch. The artstyle is somewhat outdated but not something that will annoy you since you get used to it quickly.

From what you've read, the rating on MAL seems unjustifiable, but that's only because the best part of it is yet to come.

If you're going in this show only for a number of jabs and you decide to skip the story you'll be unbelievably disappointed. Part of what makes these fights so special is the feelings put in every single punch. You get to meet the antagonist, his struggle and backbone and believe me when I say they're unbelievably well written, all of them. Their personalitties are realistic and not forgotten throughout the 77 episode period. They form friendships with our main character and get to develop even further, you'll find yourself rooting against ippo sometimes during the series.

The main bunch, is formed by the forementioned Takamura, who's talent and charisma exceeds expectations, and his personality as well as his comedic moments accompanied by Aoki and Kimura are gold. Ippo's coach, Genji is a person you get to meet throughout the series, while you see him struggle with his trainees for the best possible result. The rival of the series known as Ichiro is also fleshed out very well. His way of acting seems realistic, and his matches are a sight to behold while his respect for Ippo is mutual.

And finally, our main character. While his motivations to fight are somewhat weak, and his personallity is kind of cliche, (just like any sports' series MC I've seen up to now)he's done RIGHT. His love for the sport drives him to achieve great heights and even romance shows up later on. His development as a person is subtle while he's boxxing skills are being acknowledged by most. Which brings me to another point; his development as a boxxer is so fast paced that some of his wins almost seem unfair. However the mangaka knows exactly when to make him lose.

Overall, this series is so well directed and paced you hardly understand the time passed so quickly. Every single fight is filled with contradicting emotions and never feels dragged out. The comedy is incredible and if it wasn't for some cliches this would be rated a lot higher. The OST that accompanies the matches pumps you up every single time and fits well to the mood.
It has a fair share amount of everything and you will almost undoubtedly enjoy it to the max.

Story 7/10 (Done well, but somewhat cliche.)
Art 6/10 (Outdated, you get used to it quickly.)
Animation 7/10 (Consistent, great, especially for its time.)
Characters 8.5/10 (Almost everyone gets developed and nobody is ever forgotten.)
Sound 8/10 (Fits to the mood perfectly well, not THAT memorable.)
Overall 8/10 (Very good, incredibly enjoyable, kinda cliche.)

dkoepp - 2013-10-08 14:23:05

Before I start this review , I'll tell honestly that I don't like sports neither I enjoy watching them but you know what? This show was exception.

I don't think anyone enjoys seeing two men in a ring , beating each other to pulp and sweating the heck out. (Unless you're that kind of sports fan or sadist , lol)

This show is really addicting and enjoyable , Without fail it has always made me laugh and I'm sure it will make you laugh as well. There's also bit of romance hidden in late episodes , Of course there's also drama then and there , which is really touching sometimes.

Watching first few episodes , many probably will think it's about getting revenge on delinquents who are bullying him but It's not at all , It's more about seeing how Ippo grows ups and trains every day , getting stronger by day and getting tougher enemies every time he wins. It's really interesting to see how far he can go in boxing world with his love for boxing and I must say , fights are really hard to predict.

Every time when Ippo gets tough opponent , You just can't help it but root for him and swing fists with him and when atmosphere gets tense , your heart is literally racing and enemy seems to be not going down so easily.

Ippo is not only one getting all great figths and credits , There's a lot more characters that are just so likeable & unique , for example supporting characters - Takamura with his pervert mind , Aoki with his weird taste on girls and Kimura with Aoki always arguing which boxing is better and stuff. Ippo friends are all equally funny and They all support Ippo to make him into fine boxer. (though I'm not sure about Aoki & Kimura , haha)

While they fight , Music almost always seems to be right on time , Making fights even more tense. Openings & Endings really fits to boxing theme.

I'll end this review with this and definetly give these series a shot , even if you don't enjoy sports genre.
Forgot to mention , It's quite realistic without any fantasy/sci-fi unlike Kuroko no Basket but you won't be disappointed by this anime , maybe you'll even end up reading manga.

judah78 - 2013-08-22 03:09:31

There are plenty of stories about a young man finding some sort of passion and following it to some sort of logical conclusion, and Hajime no Ippo chooses not to stray from that basic idea very far. Luckily for original creator Morikawa George, not straying far from this premise seems to be the recipe for a successful comic that has lasted more than 1000 chapters week after week since its original Shounen Magazine publishing in 1989. This adaptation by Madhouse and director Nishimura Satoshi is longer than your usual TV anime run, at 75 episodes, but it doesn't quite cover the incredible length of Nishimura's original comic. Instead, it opts for a sort complete story in itself, covering protagonist Makunouchi Ippo's career from its inception until his eventual championship.

This works in the show's favor since, despite its length, not much time is wasted. The story progresses in a rather linear fashion from one fight to another, introducing Ippo's opponents one at a time and moving Ippo himself steadily up the ranks of a young boxer. However, since very little of the show is not about Ippo himself, the routine does become a bit stale quickly. By the second or third fight, it is already apparent what the formula Morikawa George is using consists of. Ippo's next enemy is stronger than his last, and he must somehow adapt to this, typically by learning some new technique. And when the fight itself comes, it all boils down to Ippo winning through his sheer tenacity - no matter what his opponents throw at him, he just doesn't give up, and you just know the spectators will feel the need to comment on his never ending stamina between every single round. In all truth, while simple, this is both tiring and unsatisfying, especially since Ippo's opponents are almost always significantly more interesting and endearing than Ippo himself.

The narrative wants me to root for the hard working underdog Ippo, but it usually turns out that I want his opponent to win. This is because Ippo's enemies are fleshed out enough for the viewer to understand how they've trained for this day and what is at stake for them. These are typically much more convincing arguments for their victory than Ippo's, who is new to the boxing world and is on the losing side of the fight until it eventually comes down to, once again, Ippo simply lasting longer than his opponent despite an overwhelming disadvantage. In particular, I found myself rooting for the Russian boxer Alexander Volg Zangief. The emotional weight of his fights and career was more powerful than anything Ippo ever managed to achieve.

Ippo's romantic life is also given some focus, but it seems more like an afterthought. His romantic interest, Kumi Mashiba, is your typical ideal domestic housewife and devoted fan. Her relationship with Ippo begins with a quick meeting at a flower shop very early in the show and, despite their insistent tendency to meet frequently, it never really progresses very far.

Regardless of Ippo's boring fights, there are moments of interesting boxing action. Specifically, the writing and choreography of the fights seem to become levels better when Ippo is not one of the participants. This shows in two places in the show - a short arc about Ichiro Miyata training in Thailand, and the subplot about Takamura Mamoru earning and defending his title. In both of these the viewer finds more complex characters and detailed, well-thought out fights that capitalize on everything their respective subplots have to offer. If only there was more of these sorts of fights and less of Ippo winning not because he deserves it but because he has to win somehow for the plot to progress.

The animation is a real highlight of the show, at least during the fights. The camera feels loose and free, not restrained by the cheap but easy to animate single angles that usually plague TV anime. The boxers' movements are accentuated by wind effects like they are kicking up dust every time they move, but it is used tastefully so that it only adds to the experience, something that can only be done reasonably in animation. Successful hits look painful, damage to the boxers accumulates as the fights go on. However, outside of fights, the animation becomes par for the course, though still not bad for an early 2000s TV anime. Madhouse pulled off a show that looks ahead of its time. The sounds are of similar quality, always tasteful and adding nicely to the experience.

Hajime no Ippo has moments of brilliance, and it is rarely so extreme that it is unbelievable, but it is weighed down a great deal by a shallow and boring protagonist and a formualic progression.

ortiz.wyman - 2013-07-01 02:00:44

"What? 76 episodes of… boxing? 76 episodes set in a small square ring? Yeah, right."I had no idea. What makes this anime special is undoubtedly the characters. How each character is so likeable, so original, and so fully developed that you end up understanding, caring, and rooting for them in the end. How even the ones that only last an episode, even Ippo's opponents can be given such plausible and staggering backstories that you might actually find yourself siding against the main hero for a match or two. And how these characters are just so serious with their lives that you really feel it, and you end up believing that such a world could actually exist out there. You know you love an anime when it actually drives you to shout, to hold your breath, and to jump right out of your seat. You know you love an anime when the thrill makes your spine tingle so much that you actively root and cheer and punch the air in victory as if you were right there ringside. You know you love it when you marathon through 15 episodes one night, and wake up the next morning only to continue watching. And even after 76 episodes and two bonuses, you can't let go. They've already wrapped you up in that world, those characters, their lives, their ambitions, and suddenly… suddenly you're expected to just leave? No.You know you love an anime when, trying to show it to a friend, you somehow end up watching the entire thing again with him/her. And you still shout, you still laugh, you still find yourself out of your seat punching the air the second, the third, the sixth time you've seen it. And you can't stop smiling. Because you get to live in their world again.

jacobson.maryam - 2013-05-18 10:39:36

Ippo is a high school student. During the day he goes to school like any normal high school student, and after school he goes home and helps his mum run a fishing boat rental business like a typical nice boy. Because of his timid nature, he often gets bullied by people from school. One day he has had enough and is determined to become strong... and he believes boxing holds the answers that he's looking for...The premises of "Hajime no Ippo" is hardly original, in fact in many ways it's a stereotypical shounen anime. But for what it does, it does it consistently well, and it avoids enough of the stereotypical pitfalls of the genre to deliver a genuinely good viewing experience.The first thing I noticed about "Hajime no Ippo" is how bad the engrish is in the opening theme - the word "horrific" comes to mind as it utterly butchered the English language. The fansubs I was using made a heroic attempt to remedy the situation: "I want to dive lost mind" was translated into "I want to immerse myself in my dream till I can't think of anything else". "Why why why why, I want to dive! Feeling over" became "I don't know why, but I want to keep feeling passionate" etc. It was a commendable effort, but ultimately in vain as the translated end product still made little sense. Luckily this turned out to be a one off - the rest of the themes and BGM's are mostly very good, and no other songs are quite on the same level as that first opening theme.Opening theme aside, my initial impressions of this anime were pleasant. Despite the lack of originality, the execution is solid and the main character is likeable, which is always a good start. Ippo starts off as a bit of an archetype character for the shounen genre - nice guy, weak, but filled with an enormous potential. His character development is kind of archetypical as well - he just kind of becomes more determined etc... these are all the kind of things you would expect. However there are a couple of things about him that stood out for me. The first one is that despite his gains in strength through boxing, he did not betray the core qualities he had at the start - even though he is the victim of some pretty bad bullying at the start, the way he resolved the matter is kind of unexpected and refreshing. It's that innocence of his that stubbornly persists through the entire series that makes him so endearing. Another thing that stood out is the relationship he had with his mother. I found their interactions to be heart warming and genuine, but not overly done (like in "Fruits Basket"), providing some of the most moving scenes in the series.As you would expect from this type of anime, the series does gain momentum as it goes on, but unlike some other long running shounens, thet quality does not dip after like 50 episodes. The fights play their parts well, with screen time involving fights often put to good use and split between building up tension before matches and the matches themselves. The matches, partially thanks to being so well built up, do pack the punch (*rim shot*) that's expected from them - "Hajime no Ippo" may not look amazing in general, but the action sequences are certainly well made. The bouts are not overly dragged out either, most of them finishing within 2 episodes (the later ones do last longer, but that can be explained away because those fights are fought over more rounds than the early ones). "Hajime no Ippo" features a lot of boxing techniques that are interestingly and convincingly presented - they all seem to be real ones as far as I can tell with my limited knowledge of boxing. Like most anime/manga, it looks like a lot of research has gone into the featured subject. I do have a couple of gripes in the boxing aspect of the show though. The first one is with Ippo's style of fighting - he's a hard puncher. This is a plot device that basically sets him up to win a lot of matches through comebacks that are so typical of shounen anime - he'll be there taking a battering, but with one punch he can suddenly turn the tables. The whole thing feels a bit too cheap and convenient as a result. The other thing is the predictable outcomes of the matches. Once you've seen the first few fights, you can pretty much start to guess correctly the results of the later fights. Though the matches themselves are quite exciting, seeing the result you expect almost every time does put a dampener on things.Outside the fights, the daily pleasantries and humour provide a nice turn of pace. The humour, though somewhat crude, did grow on me quite a bit (or maybe the show just got funnier as it went on), and I was finding some of it (especially Aoki's antics) nothing short of hilarious. Though these aspects are non-essential decorations for an anime like this, they do serve an important role in both character development and preventing the show from becoming too monotonous. And in some ways, this is one of the telling reasons why "Hajime no Ippo" is such a good show despite being a typical shounen - it avoids the classic shounen pitfall by not getting bogged down by continuous fighting. A few poignant fights may provide the highlights, but at the end of the day, it's the story and characters that's the glue which holds everything together. Luckily, the produces recognise this, and did set aside a healthy amount of time to develop them.Whilst not really outstanding or breaking the mould in any way, "Hajime no Ippo" is a very solid anime that doesn't really do much wrong. I may not recommend this to people wary of long shounen series, and I do think the ratings for this is a little too high, but it's still a very good show in its own right. It's a textbook example of a typical shounen done right.