Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!

Hajime no Ippo. - A masterclass.

For many, this anime is an automatic no go, for the old artistry and genre of Anime, and for all of those people, I feel great pity.
Hajime no Ippo, is a perfect anime.
There isn't a single unlikable character, episode, or even rival. Every character seems simple, but is complex in their own right, not every character is important, but they have importance. Not every fight is a big one but they each have purpose, meaning, and value.
Not a single second of this anime is a wasted one, not a single frame is faulty, not even a single sound brings this anime down. It is gripping, suffocating, and enjoyable in every definition of those words. Hajime no Ippo is perfect.

The rest of this review is a summarization of the Anime, if you're alright with spoilers/Have already watched this anime, read on. If you have not watched this anime and have no plans to, I genuinely suggest you do not read this review, and instead watch the anime. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

The story, follows Makunouchi Ippo a 16 year old high school student being bullied for living a "poor" life, he works very hard every day to help his single mother with her fishing business. One day when getting bullied Takamura Mamoru, a renowned boxer breaks up the fight, Makunouchi is beratted by Takamura for being weak, and Makunouchi meekly asks how it feels to be strong, envious of Takamura.

Followed by this there is the famous "training arc" in which Makunouchi must grab 10 leaves before they fall to the ground, the task at hand being set by Takamura himself, reason being, if he isn't strong enough to do this, he will never be as strong as Takamura. In time Makunouchi is able to do it, however, he only uses one hand to catch all 10, surprising Takamura who assumed he would use both hands.

Takamura takes Makunouchi to his gym, exclaiming to Chief about the strong boxer he found, Chief Kamogawa impressed by his astounding power, and impressive learning capabilities. Makunouchi is asked to spar one of the other feather weights in the gym and this is where Makunouchi meets Miyata, an up and coming boxer, with astounding counter ability who has been in the game for years. Makunouchi is paired to spar Miyata, and is absolutely dismantled, showing the wide gap between them. A bit of training occurs, in which Chief Kamogawa teaches Makunouchi a few basics, and truly begins to grasp the caliber of student Makunouchi will be.

A rematch occurs and after a long fight, Makunouchi is able to graze the tip of Miyata's chin, keeping him form getting up and winning the rematch. Miyata finally has a rival, this incites him to move to a different gym, in order to be able to fight Makunouchi in a real bout.

And this is only the first 8 Episodes. there are 66 More episodes, filled with tension, comedy, and overall enjoyment.
I promise you, this Anime is perfect, and I am willing to die upon this hill. My eyes will turn green with willpower to stand strong upon this opinion, because it is correct. Some people won't enjoy this Anime simply because of the art style or the genre, and i truly feel bad for those people, because they don't get to relish in the classic, that is. Hajime no Ippo.

-FalseDe1ty